The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-22

and Trojan armies were provided with
material for revelry-a material which
they did not neglect to make use of
and an opportunity which they eagerly
embraced. A thousand measures of
wine were sent free of charge to the
royal tent of Agamemnon, and natural
ly he allowed the rest to be sold by
the agent of Eunaeus at war prices
to the two armies. And there seems
to have been no legislative investiga-
tion of the action of 'the boss. Troy
fell some 5000 years ago, but the In
cident of the wines of Lemnos shows
that honest graft" has neither pro-
crossed nor gone backward OF all
earthly institutions, and that in all
probability the secret hid under
Cheops pyramid is that the contractor
did Cheops out of several millions"
With early dawn both armies
aroused them from their sleep and ar
rayed them once more for battle. As
they met in deadly combat Jupiter from
Mount Ida sent out fearful thunder
storm, which, passing over the Grecian
host, brought dismay to many hearts
The fierce lightning Glove the earth and
played about the armor of the Greeks
but, nevertheless. all day they fought
and night alone put an end to the COM
bat. But when the darkness had de-
scended the Greeks had been driven to
their intrenchments, many of them, in
deed, in their panic, had fed on board
the ships. Hector, that mighty prince
of Troy, was everywhere watching,
fighting and directing. He that night
posted a strong force to watch close to
the Grecian lines, to give alarm should
the Greeks try to re-embark in force
and If they did to call the army that
the whole Trojan force might fall upon
them in the confusion of the emoarka-
ton and cut them of. Through all the
fields around the Grecian lines that
night great fires were set burning that
the movements of the invaders might
be watched, and the entire Trojan army
passed the night under arms.
Aeamemnon was disheartened and
calling council, proposed-and this time
he meant it-that the Greeks shoulo
abandon the siege and return TO their
homes. 1t was then that the detection
OF Achilles was felt; 1t was then that
the unjust action of the COMMANDMENT
chief in regard to the great hero was
most reprobated and deplored.
Nestor, the wise, stood stoutly against
the abandonment of the siege, and ms
arguments were seconded by those OF
Diomed, that hero who knew no turning
hack In war. Humbled in his pride. Aga
memnon finally took the advice Of Mes
tor to send an embassy to where Achil-
les sulked in his tent and beg him to
como with his valor and his Myrmidons
to tho rescue of Greece. Ajax and the
wise Ulysses were appointed to the task
of inducing Achilles to return to the
Grecan ranks. and as they went tney
took with them on the embassy the aged
Phoenix. revered for experience and WIS
dom. and Hodius and Eurybites, grave
and learned men suitable for sucn a
delegation When the embassy reached
the sandy bay where lay the ships OF
the Myrmidons and upon the shores or
which were pitched the tents OF the
forces of Achilles. the hero was seated In
his pavilion playing upon the harp, soth-
Inc his soul and singing OF the mighty
deeds of heroes and of kings. Patrocius
was with him and sat listening In silence
while the prince sang. When looking up
from his harp Achilles saw Ulysses en-
tering his tent with the heralds and am
bassadors who accompanied him, he
ste rted, and stood astonished and silent.
Then, recovering himself, and greeting
them cordially, he babe Patroclus crown
the flowing bowl and ordered set before
the guests a great brazen vase filled with
the roasted flesh of goats, pigs and
sheep.
After the feast the ambassadors opened
up the object of their mission and be-
sought Achilles to forget his injuries and
return to the ranks Of Greece to save his
countrymen from death and disgrace.
But, though earnestly they pleaded and
Phoenix told him that the day would
come when the thought of all the slaugh-
| tered Greeks fallen through his defec-
ton would rise up to torment him, Achil-
| les would not yield. What. he asked,
drew to these shores the assembled ma
tions but the duty of avenging the theft
of a wife from her husband? And though
Briseis was his slave. she was, never
| theless, as dear to him as was Helen to
Menelaus and was about to become his
wife and queen. Agamemnon had stolen
her as truly as Paris had stolen Helen.
He must think of his own wrongs be-
fore fighting to redress the wrongs of
Agamemnon's brother. But he asks that
Phoenix stay a while a guest in his tent.
The other ambassadors returned from
their unsuccessful mission to the Grecian
|
to sleep, disheartened and sorrowful. But
the captains of the Grecian host slept
not they were employed all night in
councils of war or in penetrating as spies
into the Trojan ranks, where they learned
of the arrival of a fresh force Of auxili-
aries from Thrace, sent to the aid of
Priam. When the saffron morn with early
bushes looked upon the world again
Agamemnon led forth his troops to bat
tie once more. and Hector prepared the
Trojans to meet the attack. At first the
Greeks carried all before them, but Hec-
tor rallied the Trojans and sought out
AJAX amid the din of fight. surrounded
by a multitude of foes. Ajax opposed
hosts with his single arm.
In one part of the field Machaon was
wounded with an arrow shot by Paris
and Nestor took him from the field in
his chariot Achilles had been watching
the battle from one of his ships and
sent Patroclus to inquire which of the
Greeks had been wounded in this man.
ner. Nestor answered the inquiries of the
| messenger and besought him to try TO
induce Achilles to return or, If he would