第 13 节
作者:希望之舟      更新:2021-02-19 01:13      字数:9322
  find what they had lost; or might escape from their distresses。
  Ulysses slept in more than one temple; and once in that of Pallas
  Athene; and the priests and priestesses were kind to him; and gave
  him food in the morning when the gates of the temple were opened。
  In the temple of Pallas Athene; where the Luck of Troy lay always
  on her altar; the custom was that priestesses kept watch; each for
  two hours; all through the night; and soldiers kept guard within
  call。  So one night Ulysses slept there; on the floor; with other
  distressed people; seeking for dreams from the Gods。  He lay still
  all through the night till the turn of the last priestess came to
  watch。  The priestess used to walk up and down with bare feet among
  the dreaming people; having a torch in her hand; and muttering
  hymns to the Goddess。  Then Ulysses; when her back was turned;
  slipped the gold phial out of his rags; and let it lie on the
  polished floor beside him。  When the priestess came back again; the
  light from her torch fell on the glittering phial; and she stooped
  and picked it up; and looked at it curiously。  There came from it a
  sweet fragrance; and she opened it; and tasted the drug。  It seemed
  to her the sweetest thing that ever she had tasted; and she took
  more and more; and then closed the phial and laid it down; and went
  along murmuring her hymn。
  But soon a great drowsiness came over her; and she sat down on the
  step of the altar; and fell sound asleep; and the torch sunk in her
  hand; and went out; and all was dark。  Then Ulysses put the phial
  in his wallet; and crept very cautiously to the altar; in the dark;
  and stole the Luck of Troy。  It was only a small black mass of what
  is now called meteoric iron; which sometimes comes down with
  meteorites from the sky; but it was shaped like a shield; and the
  people thought it an image of the warlike shielded Goddess; fallen
  from Heaven。  Such sacred shields; made of glass and ivory; are
  found deep in the earth in the ruined cities of Ulysses' time。
  Swiftly Ulysses hid the Luck in his rags and left in its place on
  the altar a copy of the Luck; which he had made of blackened clay。
  Then he stole back to the place where he had lain; and remained
  there till dawn appeared; and the sleepers who sought for dreams
  awoke; and the temple gates were opened; and Ulysses walked out
  with the rest of them。
  He stole down a lane; where as yet no people were stirring; and
  crept along; leaning on his staff; till he came to the eastern
  gate; at the back of the city; which the Greeks never attacked; for
  they had never drawn their army in a circle round the town。  There
  Ulysses explained to the sentinels that he had gathered food enough
  to last for a long journey to some other town; and opened his bag;
  which seemed full of bread and broken meat。  The soldiers said he
  was a lucky beggar; and let him out。  He walked slowly along the
  waggon road by which wood was brought into Troy from the forests on
  Mount Ida; and when he found that nobody was within sight he
  slipped into the forest; and stole into a dark thicket; hiding
  beneath the tangled boughs。  Here he lay and slept till evening;
  and then took the new clothes which Helen had given him out of his
  wallet; and put them on; and threw the belt of the sword over his
  shoulder; and hid the Luck of Troy in his bosom。  He washed himself
  clean in a mountain brook; and now all who saw him must have known
  that he was no beggar; but Ulysses of Ithaca; Laertes' son。
  So he walked cautiously down the side of the brook which ran
  between high banks deep in trees; and followed it till it reached
  the river Xanthus; on the left of the Greek lines。  Here he found
  Greek sentinels set to guard the camp; who cried aloud in joy and
  surprise; for his ship had not yet returned from Delos; and they
  could not guess how Ulysses had come back alone across the sea。  So
  two of the sentinels guarded Ulysses to the hut of Agamemnon; where
  he and Achilles and all the chiefs were sitting at a feast。  They
  all leaped up; but when Ulysses took the Luck of Troy from within
  his mantle; they cried that this was the bravest deed that had been
  done in the war; and they sacrificed ten oxen to Zeus。
  〃So you were the old beggar;〃 said young Thrasymedes。
  〃Yes;〃 said Ulysses; 〃and when next you beat a beggar; Thrasymedes;
  do not strike so hard and so long。〃
  That night all the Greeks were full of hope; for now they had the
  Luck of Troy; but the Trojans were in despair; and guessed that the
  beggar was the thief; and that Ulysses had been the beggar。  The
  priestess; Theano; could tell them nothing; they found her; with
  the extinguished torch drooping in her hand; asleep; as she sat on
  the step of the altar; and she never woke again。
  THE BATTLES WITH THE AMAZONS AND MEMNONTHE DEATH OF ACHILLES
  Ulysses thought much and often of Helen; without whose kindness he
  could not have saved the Greeks by stealing the Luck of Troy。  He
  saw that; though she remained as beautiful as when the princes all
  sought her hand; she was most unhappy; knowing herself to be the
  cause of so much misery; and fearing what the future might bring。
  Ulysses told nobody about the secret which she had let fall; the
  coming of the Amazons。
  The Amazons were a race of warlike maids; who lived far away on the
  banks of the river Thermodon。  They had fought against Troy in
  former times; and one of the great hill…graves on the plain of Troy
  covered the ashes of an Amazon; swift…footed Myrine。  People
  believed that they were the daughters of the God of War; and they
  were reckoned equal in battle to the bravest men。  Their young
  Queen; Penthesilea; had two reasons for coming to fight at Troy:
  one was her ambition to win renown; and the other her sleepless
  sorrow for having accidentally killed her sister; Hippolyte; when
  hunting。  The spear which she threw at a stag struck Hippolyte and
  slew her; and Penthesilea cared no longer for her own life; and
  desired to fall gloriously in battle。  So Penthesilea and her
  bodyguard of twelve Amazons set forth from the wide streams of
  Thermodon; and rode into Troy。  The story says that they did not
  drive in chariots; like all the Greek and Trojan chiefs; but rode
  horses; which must have been the manner of their country。
  Penthesilea was the tallest and most beautiful of the Amazons; and
  shone among her twelve maidens like the moon among the stars; or
  the bright Dawn among the Hours which follow her chariot wheels。
  The Trojans rejoiced when they beheld her; for she looked both
  terrible and beautiful; with a frown on her brow; and fair shining
  eyes; and a blush on her cheeks。  To the Trojans she came like
  Iris; the Rainbow; after a storm; and they gathered round her
  cheering; and throwing flowers and kissing her stirrup; as the
  people of Orleans welcomed Joan of Arc when she came to deliver
  them。  Even Priam was glad; as is a man long blind; when he has
  been healed; and again looks upon the light of the sun。  Priam held
  a great feast; and gave to Penthesilea many beautiful gifts:  cups
  of gold; and embroideries; and a sword with a hilt of silver; and
  she vowed that she would slay Achilles。  But when Andromache; the
  wife of Hector; heard her she said within herself; 〃Ah; unhappy
  girl; what is this boast of thine!  Thou hast not the strength to
  fight the unconquerable son of Peleus; for if Hector could not slay
  him; what chance hast thou?  But the piled…up earth covers Hector!〃
  In the morning Penthesilea sprang up from sleep and put on her
  glorious armour; with spear in hand; and sword at side; and bow and
  quiver hung behind her back; and her great shield covering her side
  from neck to stirrup; and mounted her horse; and galloped to the
  plain。  Beside her charged the twelve maidens of her bodyguard; and
  all the company of Hector's brothers and kinsfolk。  These headed
  the Trojan lines; and they rushed towards the ships of the Greeks。
  Then the Greeks asked each other; 〃Who is this that leads the
  Trojans as Hector led them; surely some God rides in the van of the
  charioteers!〃  Ulysses could have told them who the new leader of
  the Trojans was; but it seems that he had not the heart to fight
  against women; for his name is not mentioned in this day's battle。
  So the two lines clashed; and the plain of Troy ran red with blood;
  for Penthesilea slew Molios; and Persinoos; and Eilissos; and
  Antiphates; and Lernos high of heart; and Hippalmos of the loud
  warcry; and Haemonides; and strong Elasippus; while her maidens
  Derinoe and Clonie slew each a chief of the Greeks。  But Clonie
  fell beneath the spear of Podarkes; whose hand Penthesilea cut off
  with the sword; while Idomeneus speared the Amazon Bremousa; and
  Meriones of Crete slew Evadre; and Diomede killed Alcibie and
  Derimacheia in close fight with the sword; so the company of the
  Twelve were thinned; the bodyguard of Penthesilea。
  The Trojans and Greeks kept slaying each other; but Penthesilea
  avenged her maidens; driving the ranks of Greece as a lioness
  drives the cattle on the hills; for they could not stand before
  her。  Then she shouted; 〃Dogs! to…day shall you pay for the sorrows
  of Priam!  Where is Diomede; where is Achilles; wh