The Washington herald., 1919-09-25

lmittee producing "Agamemnon"
dunn in 1906.
lighting force Of the Greeks, though
now he has Withdrawn In anger TO
his tent because Of q slight pu.
upon his honor by King Agamem-
non.
The hostile hosts are advancing
to the battle: q dramatic moment
brings Menelaus and Paris in sight
OF one another. The wrath Of
Hector blazes out against Paris for
all the evil and shame his theft of
woman and wealth have brought
Tine gay and debonair Paris, how
ever. can show splendid moments.
Hector. thy taunt 10 just But
throw not at me the lovely gifts of
golden Aphrodite. The glorious
gifts that the gods give are not to
be flung away: no man could take
them by mere Willingness But II
thou doest wish me to battle and
flght. make all the rest of the
Trojans and Achaians sit down.
and put me in the midst with war
like Menelaus to fight for Helen
and all her goods. to see which
shall conquer and prove the bet
ter man; let the rest conclude q
friendship of trusty oaths: may ye
dwell in fertile Troyland. and the
others go back to Argos. nurse of
steeds, and Achaia OF fair women" {"
So it was that the hosts sat in high
expectation in the plain, and Priam
and the Trojan Elders were gathered
on the Scaean gate. And Priam. who
bore no grudge against Helen for all
the misery her fair face had brought
to him and Troy-for he saw the hands
OF the gods In 1t all-called her to his
side to tell him OF the chiefs among
whom she had once lived. Then those
Elders. who had long since seen their
lighting days. paid the finest compli-
ment woman's beauty has ever re-
ago?-as they saw Helen advancing.
NO cause for anger that Trojans and
well-greaved Achaians for suc.l
woman long time should suffer sor-
row." Not another wordr But those
old men upon the wall have drawn for
you and me a picture Of the Worlds
Desire but even So" they contin-
ued, let her go home upon the ships
and stay not as q source Of sorrow to
US and to our children after U.S."
The high hopes raised Of settling all
the troubles by the duel Of the cham
pions were in vain. The contest was
inconclusive. and the truce was
broken.
The scene changes to Troy itself
In an interval of the battle great
Hector Of the Glancing Helm had
gone to the citadel. And there he
said farewell to Andromache, his
wife. and to his little boy. a pic
ture that has never been sur
passed for true tenderness-al-
though it was so many hundred
years ago. He smiled and looked
upon the little boy in silence -Ah,
Hector" she cried, "stay here upon
the wall: Thou art to me father
and mother and brother, too, as
well as lord. The foe will at
tack thee alone" II know the
day shall come" he answered.
when holy Ilfos shall perish. and
Priam and the folk Of Priam of
the goodly/ Ashen Spear. But
thought of him. OF my mother, Of
my brothers. does not trouble me
so much as that some warrior of
the Achaians shall rob thee of the
day of freedom" He stretched out
his band to the little boy. who
shrufflS back to his nurses breast
in fear of the bronze and the horse
hair crest that nodded dreadfully
from the top Of the helm. Straight
way Hector took of the helm and
placed 1t on the ground. And
when he had kissed his son and
tossed him in his arms. he spoke in
prayer to Zeus and the rest Of
the gods. Grant. ye gods. that
this son OF mine prove foremost
among the Trojans. a good and
mighty King. And as he comes
back from battle may many a man
say of him A far better man than
his father and may his mother re-
joice in heart" And then he handed
him back to his mother, who re-
ceived him smiling through her
tears. and so departed to the battle
with words of high cheer.
There follow many scenes Of varied
action-the Iliad is one of the great
of short stories in the
worlds nterature-in which is given a
perfect picture of the life of that
lordly society of SO long ago. The
plain people play little part, although
their champion Thersites is the first
democrat mentioned In literature.
Of derring-do. high ad-
venture. love of lords and ladies, the
pranks OF merry children--are all pro-
served, as 1t were. in amber. and the
for the most part, is so
modern that IT is almost impossible
to believe that we are reading of peo-
pie who lived many hundreds of years
before Christ was born.
But over all impends one dread
full fate. It is a Greek tale-yet
Hector. prince and leader of the
foe, is the hero of the story. OIL
course he is not quite so strong,
not quite SO great q fighter as
Achilles, the Greek champion. and
all know that In the end Achilles
will win. The great scenes are
worked up to with consummate
artistry. Achilles is still sulkine
in his tent: Hector is pressing the
Greeks hard: Patroclus. Achilles
dearest friend. begs his chief to
let him don his lords armor and
save his people; he has his way
and Hector slays him Achilles