New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-14

is placed by stealth in the turrow, when inc
father turns the plow aside thai he may
not harm his offspring, showing method.
Achilles preferred the warriors death
and joined in the expedition to Troy, not
withstanding his father foretells his fate.
He goes to Troy with his doom upon him.
Achilles is Homer's herO-he never loses
sight of him; endows him with bravery and
all its kin of generosity, nobleness and
lion heart. The introduction to the poem OF
the Iliad is all the more necessary, as Homer
Jumps at once into the story, beg inning his
poem with the opening of the campaign
against Troy, and leaving the unsophisti-
Gated reader in doubt as to what all this
fight is about.
AgnmemnOn's Court.
Here comes Agamemnon elevated on his
royal throne, welding the sceptre which has
descended to his grasp from the gods them
selves, NestOr, Of Pylos advising him on his
left; Briseis, the unfortunate nymph, on his
right, and preceded by two Greek heralds,
bearing the rams horn. the symbol of their
Office. Then the grim Petroclus appears,
with Achilles. Homer's great hero, and Ajax,
with all the heroic qualities, giant strength,
burly frame, strong knit limbs, proud, def
ant mien.
Achilles, the hero of the poem, Uomer's
favorte creation, endowed, SO the legend
runs, with invulnersble and immortal mail,
stands leaning on his shield, itself gift
from the gods, forged by Vulcan. Thetis,
his mother, dipped him into the invulner-
able pool, holding him, however, by the
tendon AchiHis. Petroclus, faithful hench-
man of Achilles, stands near by, prodd of
his friend and master, while Ajax the
Greater reflects the dignity of this group.
The story told in these two groups is
simply this: Achilles, to whom the nymph
Briseis fell as his share of the spOils, has
been dishonored by Agamemnon, who, hav-
ing been called to restore Chryseis, the
daughter of sun-worshiper that has fallen
to his lot, sends the heralds to demand of
his rival. Achilles, the other nymph, and he
is obliged to yield her up in place of
Chryseis. who is restored to her father.
The rage of Achilles knows no bounds.
Thets intercedes on Mount Olympus in be-
halt of her son. Nestors sage advice pre-
vents open hostilities between the rivals for
the honors of the Achaian host.
Then comes food of recollections where
these characters quit their ghostliness, and
in real flesh and blood appear among their
followers before the gates Of Troy. Then the
looker-on sees the progress of the quarrel
between Agamemnon and Achilles-ike all
ouarrels about woman-ending in Achilles
sulking ont of the fray until Petroclus Is
slain in the melee, when, swearing ven
geance, Achilles rushes in and forgets the
insult offered by Agamemnon. The shield,
the famous shield on which he rests, was
forged by Vulcan himself at the intercession
OF his goddess mother, Thetis. SO dazzling
its brilliancy, his foes quailed before it ;
even his own Myrmldoms could not bear its
brightness. Figures, the poet, tells us, OF
the most elaborate design in gold, in brass,
and tin and silver covered its face. Around
its rim flows the mighty river which, in Ho-
| mers mythology, encompasses the earth,
and on its surface was embodied an epitome
| of human life such as life was in Homer's
| time: and the groups embossed on the
| shield, according to the poet, were the mar
| vel of the age. Then one reflects on the
household of Vulcan, when Thetis prayed
| him for the shield, where she saw automa-
ton servants, worked with a machine soul,
| endowed, with voice, and animated with
gesture.
The Armies Move.
The harbor of Aulis, on the coast Of
Boetia, was the place fixed for the army
to assemble. From every quarter of Greece.
the wooded valleys of Thessaly, the coasts
| of the Peloponnesus and the islands near
by; from Ithaca and Cephalonia on the
west to Crete and Rhodes on " east, the
chiefs of these Achaian clans were gath
cred. A hundred ships were manned from
Agamemnon's own kingdom of Mycene,
| and this liking of men" supplied also sixty
| ships to carry the complement or the
| Arcadans. who had no fleet of their own.
| Menelaus, Nestor of Pylos, ldomeneus of
| Crete and Diomed of Argos, all supplied
| ships, which amounted to about twelve
| hundred carrying, over one hundred
| thousand men. All on board these
| ships were oarsmen when at sea and
| soldiers when on land. The feet sails are
| broken up by storms and are forced to re-
| turn to Aules, where it is discovered that
| the storms are due to the anger of Diana,
| who must be propitated by a sacrifice of
| the Kings daughter, Iphigenia, which
| bloody deed is cOnsummated while the
| wretched father hides his face in his
| mantle. Diana is appeased, the fleet again
| sets sail and arrives at Troy.
DiOmed and Menelaus.
One can not see Achilles disappear with
out casting lingering look as he melts into
| the lethe of darkness beyond. 1t is Diomed,
the valiant, in his chariot, followed by
Menelaus. that now takes the place of the
past hero-Diomed. whose valor even en-
| countered the very gods themselves, and
| whose skillful prowess wounded Mars.
Menelaus and Paris, engage in a duel be-
fore Troy. Paris is represented by Homer
to be the swell of those days fond of gew-
gaws, tricks and show. On his first sally
out from the walls, he bursts on the lines
of Greeks like beautiful vision, leopard
skin hanging from his shoulders, and his
other ornaments flashing in the sun. But
he becomes craven at the thought of meet
ing Menelaus, the husband he has wronged,
and turns his back disgracefully. Hector,
the Trojan champion, intervenes, and a duel
| is arranged, both armies to look on; but
| Paris, when the lines are drawn and he