第 5 节
作者:希望之舟      更新:2021-02-19 01:13      字数:9322
  fight for them both from Europe and from Asia。  On the Trojan as
  well as on the Greek side were people called Pelasgians; who seem
  to have lived on both shores of the sea。  There were Thracians;
  too; who dwelt much further north than Achilles; in Europe and
  beside the strait of Hellespont; where the narrow sea runs like a
  river。  There were warriors of Lycia; led by Sarpedon and Glaucus;
  there were Carians; who spoke in a strange tongue; there were
  Mysians and men from Alybe; which was called 〃the birthplace of
  silver;〃 and many other peoples sent their armies; so that the war
  was between Eastern Europe; on one side; and Western Asia Minor on
  the other。  The people of Egypt took no part in the war:  the
  Greeks and Islesmen used to come down in their ships and attack the
  Egyptians as the Danes used to invade England。  You may see the
  warriors from the islands; with their horned helmets; in old
  Egyptian pictures。
  The commander…in…chief; as we say now; of the Trojans was Hector;
  the son of Priam。  He was thought a match for any one of the
  Greeks; and was brave and good。  His brothers also were leaders;
  but Paris preferred to fight from a distance with bow and arrows。
  He and Pandarus; who dwelt on the slopes of Mount Ida; were the
  best archers in the Trojan army。  The princes usually fought with
  heavy spears; which they threw at each other; and with swords;
  leaving archery to the common soldiers who had no armour of bronze。
  But Teucer; Meriones; and Ulysses were the best archers of the
  Achaeans。  People called Dardanians were led by Aeneas; who was
  said to be the son of the most beautiful of the goddesses。  These;
  with Sarpedon and Glaucus; were the most famous of the men who
  fought for Troy。
  Troy was a strong town on a hill。  Mount Ida lay behind it; and in
  front was a plain sloping to the sea shore。  Through this plain ran
  two beautiful clear rivers; and there were scattered here and there
  what you would have taken for steep knolls; but they were really
  mounds piled up over the ashes of warriors who had died long ago。
  On these mounds sentinels used to stand and look across the water
  to give warning if the Greek fleet drew near; for the Trojans had
  heard that it was on its way。  At last the fleet came in view; and
  the sea was black with ships; the oarsmen pulling with all their
  might for the honour of being the first to land。  The race was won
  by the ship of the prince Protesilaus; who was first of all to leap
  on shore; but as he leaped he was struck to the heart by an arrow
  from the bow of Paris。  This must have seemed a good omen to the
  Trojans; and to the Greeks evil; but we do not hear that the
  landing was resisted in great force; any more than that of Norman
  William was; when he invaded England。
  The Greeks drew up all their ships on shore; and the men camped in
  huts built in front of the ships。  There was thus a long row of
  huts with the ships behind them; and in these huts the Greeks lived
  all through the ten years that the siege of Troy lasted。  In these
  days they do not seem to have understood how to conduct a siege。
  You would have expected the Greeks to build towers and dig trenches
  all round Troy; and from the towers watch the roads; so that
  provisions might not be brought in from the country。  This is
  called 〃investing〃 a town; but the Greeks never invested Troy。
  Perhaps they had not men enough; at all events the place remained
  open; and cattle could always be driven in to feed the warriors and
  the women and children。
  Moreover; the Greeks for long never seem to have tried to break
  down one of the gates; nor to scale the walls; which were very
  high; with ladders。  On the other hand; the Trojans and allies
  never ventured to drive the Greeks into the sea; they commonly
  remained within the walls or skirmished just beneath them。  The
  older men insisted on this way of fighting; in spite of Hector; who
  always wished to attack and storm the camp of the Greeks。  Neither
  side had machines for throwing heavy stones; such as the Romans
  used later; and the most that the Greeks did was to follow Achilles
  and capture small neighbouring cities; and take the women for
  slaves; and drive the cattle。  They got provisions and wine from
  the Phoenicians; who came in ships; and made much profit out of the
  war。
  It was not till the tenth year that the war began in real earnest;
  and scarcely any of the chief leaders had fallen。  Fever came upon
  the Greeks; and all day the camp was black with smoke; and all
  night shone with fire from the great piles of burning wood; on
  which the Greeks burned their dead; whose bones they then buried
  under hillocks of earth。  Many of these hillocks are still standing
  on the plain of Troy。  When the plague had raged for ten days;
  Achilles called an assembly of the whole army; to try to find out
  why the Gods were angry。  They thought that the beautiful God
  Apollo (who took the Trojan side) was shooting invisible arrows at
  them from his silver bow; though fevers in armies are usually
  caused by dirt and drinking bad water。  The great heat of the sun;
  too; may have helped to cause the disease; but we must tell the
  story as the Greeks told it themselves。  So Achilles spoke in the
  assembly; and proposed to ask some prophet why Apollo was angry。
  The chief prophet was Calchas。  He rose and said that he would
  declare the truth if Achilles would promise to protect him from the
  anger of any prince whom the truth might offend。
  Achilles knew well whom Calchas meant。  Ten days before; a priest
  of Apollo had come to the camp and offered ransom for his daughter
  Chryseis; a beautiful girl; whom Achilles had taken prisoner; with
  many others; when he captured a small town。  Chryseis had been
  given as a slave to Agamemnon; who always got the best of the
  plunder because he was chief king; whether he had taken part in the
  fighting or not。  As a rule he did not。  To Achilles had been given
  another girl; Briseis; of whom he was very fond。  Now when Achilles
  had promised to protect Calchas; the prophet spoke out; and boldly
  said; what all men knew already; that Apollo caused the plague
  because Agamemnon would not return Chryseis; and had insulted her
  father; the priest of the God。
  On hearing this; Agamemnon was very angry。  He said that he would
  send Chryseis home; but that he would take Briseis away from
  Achilles。  Then Achilles was drawing his great sword from the
  sheath to kill Agamemnon; but even in his anger he knew that this
  was wrong; so he merely called Agamemnon a greedy coward; 〃with
  face of dog and heart of deer;〃 and he swore that he and his men
  would fight no more against the Trojans。  Old Nestor tried to make
  peace; and swords were not drawn; but Briseis was taken away from
  Achilles; and Ulysses put Chryseis on board of his ship and sailed
  away with her to her father's town; and gave her up to her father。
  Then her father prayed to Apollo that the plague might cease; and
  it did ceasewhen the Greeks had cleansed their camp; and purified
  themselves and cast their filth into the sea。
  We know how fierce and brave Achilles was; and we may wonder that
  he did not challenge Agamemnon to fight a duel。  But the Greeks
  never fought duels; and Agamemnon was believed to be chief king by
  right divine。  Achilles went alone to the sea shore when his dear
  Briseis was led away; and he wept; and called to his mother; the
  silver…footed lady of the waters。  Then she arose from the grey
  sea; like a mist; and sat down beside her son; and stroked his hair
  with her hand; and he told her all his sorrows。  So she said that
  she would go up to the dwelling of the Gods; and pray Zeus; the
  chief of them all; to make the Trojans win a great battle; so that
  Agamemnon should feel his need of Achilles; and make amends for his
  insolence; and do him honour。
  Thetis kept her promise; and Zeus gave his word that the Trojans
  should defeat the Greeks。  That night Zeus sent a deceitful dream
  to Agamemnon。  The dream took the shape of old Nestor; and said
  that Zeus would give him victory that day。  While he was still
  asleep; Agamemnon was fun of hope that he would instantly take
  Troy; but; when he woke; he seems not to have been nearly so
  confident; for in place of putting on his armour; and bidding the
  Greeks arm themselves; he merely dressed in his robe and mantle;
  took his sceptre; and went and told the chiefs about his dream。
  They did not feel much encouraged; so he said that he would try the
  temper of the army。  He would call them together; and propose to
  return to Greece; but; if the soldiers took him at his word; the
  other chiefs were to stop them。  This was a foolish plan; for the
  soldiers were wearying for beautiful Greece; and their homes; and
  wives and children。  Therefore; when Agamemnon did as he had said;
  the whole army rose; like the sea under the west wind; and; with a
  shout; they rushed to the ships; while the dust blew in clouds from
  under their feet。  Then they began to launch their ships; and it
  seems that the princes were carried away in the rush; and were as
  eager as the rest to go home。
  But Ulysses only stood in sorrow and anger beside his ship; and
  never put hand to it; for he felt how disgracefu