The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
General
The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
Children's stories; Classical literature -- Adaptations
Now in the midst of the city was a wood, very thick with trees, and here
the men of Carthage, first come to the land from their voyage, had digged
out of the ground that which Juno had said should be a sign to them, even
a horse's head; for that, finding this, their city would be mighty in war,
and full of riches. Here, then, Dido was building a temple to Juno, very
splendid, with threshold of bronze, and many steps thereunto; of bronze
also were the door-posts and the gates. And here befell a thing which gave
much comfort and courage to Æneas; for as he stood and regarded the place,
waiting also for the queen, he saw set forth in order upon the walls the
battles that had been fought at Troy, the sons of Atreus also, and King
Priam, and fierce Achilles. Then said he, not without tears, "Is there any
land, O Achates, that is not filled with our sorrows? Seest thou Priam?
Yet withal there is a reward for virtue here also, and tears and pity for
the troubles of men. Fear not, therefore. Surely the fame of these things
shall profit us."
Then he looked, satisfying his soul with the paintings on the walls. For
there was the city of Troy. In this part of the field the Greeks fled and
the youth of Troy pursued them, and in that the men of Troy fled, and
Achilles followed hard upon them in his chariot. Also he saw the white
tents of Rhesus, king of Thrace, whom the fierce Diomed slew in his sleep,
when he was newly come to Troy, and drave his horses to the camp before
they ate of the grass of the fields of Troy or drank the waters of
Nanthus. There also Troilus was pictured, ill matched in battle with
Achilles. His horses bare him along; but he lay on his back in the
chariot, yet holding the reins, and his neck and head were dragged upon
the earth, and the spear-point made a trail in the dust. And in another
place the women of Troy went suppliant-wise to the temple of Minerva,
bearing a great and beautiful robe, sad and beating their breasts, and
with hair unbound; but the goddess regarded them not. Also Achilles
dragged the body of Hector three times round the walls of Troy, and was
selling it for gold. And Æneas groaned when he saw the man whom he loved,
and the old man Priam reaching out helpless hands. Also he knew himself,
fighting in the midst of the Grecian chiefs; black Memnon also he knew,
and the hosts of the East; and Penthesilea leading the army of the Amazons
with shields shaped as the moon. Fierce she was to see, with one breast
bared for battle, and a golden girdle beneath it, a damsel daring to fight
with men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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