Page:Tragedies of Euripides (Way 1896) v2.djvu/174

A breeze fair-following, that in this tenth year 20
Children and wives with joy they may behold,
These Hellene men which marched against yon town.
I, overborne by Hera, Argos' Queen,
And by Athena, leagued for Phrygia's fall,
Ilium the glorious and mine altars leave. 25
For when grim desolation hath seized a town,
Blighted are worship and honour of the Gods.
With wails of captives multitudinous,
Marked for their lords by lot, Skamander moans:
Some have Arcadians won, Thessalians some, 30
Some fall to Athens' chieftains, Theseus' sons.
And all Troy's daughters not by lot assigned
Are 'neath these tents, for captains of the host
Set by: with these the Spartan, Tyndareus' child,
Helen, accounted captive righteously. 35
But, the utter-wretched if one craves to see,
There lieth Hecuba before the gates,
Down-raining many a tear for many woes,—
Yet knows not that her child Polyxena
Hath on Achilles' grave died piteously. 40
Priam, her sons, are gone: Kassandra—whom
Apollo left free virgin frenzy-driven,—
Shall Agamemnon force, his leman-slave,
Flouting the God's decree and righteousness.
O city prosperous once, O hewn-stone towers, 45
Farewell to you! Had Pallas, Zeus's child,
Not ruined thee, firm-stablished wert thou yet!

Enter Athena.

Is it vouchsafed to bid the old feud truce,