Evening star., 1928-03-11
of Heroes Modern Swis Hellespont and Circles Troy

down the Hellespont, blew steadily
against us. WINDY Troy" How often
Homer mentions the wind! well
understand why this tower was tne
chief observation post OF the city. All
about US spread the treeless, uninhaoi'-
ed Trojan plain with the sparkling blue
Hellespont clearly visible three ni!es
away. Far TO the south, half lost in
Summer haze, Mount Ida. the station
from which Zeus watched the greas
conflict. dominated the scene.
EnthrOned upon the very stones
where Helen had pointed out To Priam
all the Greek leaders assembled in the
plain, and for 10 years had watched
her Greek kinsmen and her adopted
Troians slaughter one another In her
name, I sat all afternoon with Homers
wind burning my face and whipping
the grubby pages Of my schoolooy Had
carefully brought from America IN an
ticipation OF this magic moment.
The thrilling pages turn and turn.
Paris. bearing the easily persuaded. inn
mortally beautiful Helen. lands on the
HelIespont shore and brings her into
the city through the Scaean Gate.
From my tower the Trojans descrT the
| thousand ships Of the pursuing Greeks,
| creeping over the horizon far Out IN
| the Aegean, and marshal on the saore
| to oppose them. Protesilaus perishes,
| but the Trojans retire to the city. For
nine years they are besieged.
| Hector and Achilles are dead. Tns
! Greeks have disappeared, leaving De-
! hind the fateful Wooden Horse. with
| songs and procession the Trojans roll
| the strange statue back across ne
| plain. and denolish section Of Tal
| that blocked It's triumphant entranco--
| and night comes-and Troy Is drunk
| with revelry.
| It is too dark to read. I tOss ny
| book aside The sun has gone Gown
/ behind the island Of Imbros IN = rose
/ shadow the Greek feet is hidiE5.
| know 1t is hiding there. have known
/ 1t for 20 years. 1 know that the Wood
/ en- Horse is a clever stratagem OF Ulys-
ses: that Ulysses himself is hidden in
| side along with a score more OF daring
/ Greeks. I do not need my book 10 tell
/ me of all the fury that is 70 be let loose
before the night is gone. stand upon
| my Scaesn Tower, and breathlessly wait
/ for the storm TO break.
/ Behind me the Trotans. completely
/ occupied with feasting. are not aware
| that Ulysses and his followers are
stealthily emerging from the horse.
Before me through the starlight the
+ Greek army, returned from InbrOs, IS
! stealing across the plain and up 20
| the gates Of the doomed city. Quietly,
/ cautiously. they are maSsing II deep
ranks below the Scaean Tower. There
/ IS sti1ed cry in the darkness below.
! Ulysses has run his sword through the
Trojan sentry. Groaning slowly the
gates open. The Greeks rush in. There
are shouts everywhere, and slaughter.
/ Helen, more beautiful than ever,
awaits the end serenely. Menelaus
seeks her out, determined 10 satisfy
his 10 years hate and his honor as an
outraged husband and King. But when
he finds her, she is still so fair. still SO
much the woman he has loved. that he
filings away his sword somewhat TO
Helen's disgust) and kneels in homage
ar her feet-while all outside the streets
run with blood, and the red fires mount
/ 20 the heavens. and Troy becomes a
smoked shell OF ruins.
Ruins, yeS-immortal ruins Not FOR
5000 years has a day passed but some
Greek. or Roman. or Byzantine. Or
modern Occidental has dreamed OF
Troy. or read Of Troy. or gone 10 Troy.
Its fame is inperishable; its romance
is inexhaustible
To our own far-away new world !,s
great name has echoed. and I. for one.
am proud 70 have answered its calling,
TO have lain atop the crumbling battle
mentS in the twilight with the wind
whinpering frettully through the grass
grown ruins. and with the ghosts OF
Prism and Hecuba. Helen and An6ro-
nlache drifting beside me. as each night
they mount to the Scaean Tower 70
:. watch. with hollow. anguished eyes. the
/ ghostly horses OF the ghoStly Achilles
dragging Eector'S Shadowy body before
+. the silent. sleeping. Sorrow-lade1 mound
that once was Troy. ..->
4, trorv~s-N. 1881