How the Wooden Horse was fashioned, and brought into Troy by her people.
When round the walls of Troy the Danaan host Had borne much travail, and yet the end was not, By Calchas then assembled were the chiefs;
For his heart was instructed by the hests Of Phoebus, by the flights of birds, the stars, And all the signs that speak to men the will Of Heaven; so he to that assembly cried:
"No longer toil in leaguer of yon walls;
Some other counsel let your hearts devise, Some stratagem to help the host and us.
For here but yesterday I saw a sign:
A falcon chased a dove, and she, hard pressed, Entered a cleft of the rock; and chafing he Tarried long time hard by that rift, but she Abode in covert. Nursing still his wrath, He hid him in a bush. Forth darted she, In folly deeming him afar: he swooped, And to the hapless dove dealt wretched death.
Therefore by force essay we not to smite Troy, but let cunning stratagem avail."
He spake; but no man's wit might find a way To escape their grievous travail, as they sought To find a remedy, till Laertes' son Discerned it of his wisdom, and he spake:
"Friend, in high honour held of the Heavenly Ones, If doomed it be indeed that Priam's burg By guile must fall before the war-worn Greeks, A great Horse let us fashion, in the which Our mightiest shall take ambush. Let the host Burn all their tents, and sail from hence away To Tenedos; so the Trojans, from their towers Gazing, shall stream forth fearless to the plain.
Let some brave man, unknown of any in Troy, With a stout heart abide without the Horse, Crouching beneath its shadow, who shall say:
"`Achaea's lords of might, exceeding fain Safe to win home, made this their offering For safe return, an image to appease The wrath of Pallas for her image stolen From Troy.' And to this story shall he stand, How long soe'er they question him, until, Though never so relentless, they believe, And drag it, their own doom, within the town.
Then shall war's signal unto us be given -- To them at sea, by sudden flash of torch, To the ambush, by the cry, `Come forth the Horse!'
When unsuspecting sleep the sons of Troy."
He spake, and all men praised him: most of all Extolled him Calchas, that such marvellous guile He put into the Achaeans' hearts, to be For them assurance of triumph, but for Troy Ruin; and to those battle-lords he cried:
"Let your hearts seek none other stratagem, Friends; to war-strong Odysseus' rede give ear.
His wise thought shall not miss accomplishment.
Yea, our desire even now the Gods fulfil.
Hark! for new tokens come from the Unseen!
Lo, there on high crash through the firmament Zeus' thunder and lightning! See, where birds to right Dart past, and scream with long-resounding cry!
Go to, no more in endless leaguer of Troy Linger we. Hard necessity fills the foe With desperate courage that makes cowards brave;
For then are men most dangerous, when they stake Their lives in utter recklessness of death, As battle now the aweless sons of Troy All round their burg, mad with the lust of fight."
But cried Achilles' battle-eager son:
"Calchas, brave men meet face to face their foes!
Who skulk behind their walls, and fight from towers, Are nidderings, hearts palsied with base fear.
Hence with all thought of wile and stratagem!
The great war-travail of the spear beseems True heroes. Best in battle are the brave."
But answer made to him Laertes' seed:
"Bold-hearted child of aweless Aeacus' son, This as beseems a hero princely and brave, Dauntlessly trusting in thy strength, thou say'st.
Yet thine invincible sire's unquailing might Availed not to smite Priam's wealthy burg, Nor we, for all our travail. Nay, with speed, As counselleth Calchas, go we to the ships, And fashion we the Horse by Epeius' hands, Who in the woodwright's craft is chiefest far Of Argives, for Athena taught his lore."
Then all their mightiest men gave ear to him Save twain, fierce-hearted Neoptolemus And Philoctetes mighty-souled; for these Still were insatiate for the bitter fray, Still longed for turmoil of the fight. They bade Their own folk bear against that giant wall What things soe'er for war's assaults avail, In hope to lay that stately fortress low, Seeing Heaven's decrees had brought them both to war.
Yea, they had haply accomplished all their will, But from the sky Zeus showed his wrath; he shook The earth beneath their feet, and all the air Shuddered, as down before those heroes twain He hurled his thunderbolt: wide echoes crashed Through all Dardania. Unto fear straightway Turned were their bold hearts: they forgat their might, And Calchas' counsels grudgingly obeyed.
So with the Argives came they to the ships In reverence for the seer who spake from Zeus Or Phoebus, and they obeyed him utterly.
What time round splendour-kindled heavens the stars From east to west far-flashing wheel, and when Man doth forget his toil, in that still hour Athena left the high mansions of the Blest, Clothed her in shape of a maiden tender-fleshed, And came to ships and host. Over the head Of brave Epeius stood she in his dream, And bade him build a Horse of tree: herself Would labour in his labour, and herself Stand by his side, to the work enkindling him.
Hearing the Goddess' word, with a glad laugh Leapt he from careless sleep: right well he knew The Immortal One celestial. Now his heart Could hold no thought beside; his mind was fixed Upon the wondrous work, and through his soul Marched marshalled each device of craftsmanship.
When rose the dawn, and thrust back kindly night To Erebus, and through the firmament streamed Glad glory, then Epeius told his dream To eager Argives -- all he saw and heard;
And hearkening joyed they with exceeding joy.
Straightway to tall-tressed Ida's leafy glades The sons of Atreus sent swift messengers.
These laid the axe unto the forest-pines, And hewed the great trees: to their smiting rang The echoing glens. On those far-stretching hills All bare of undergrowth the high peaks rose:
