duly punished for his crime, profaning the sacred wood 10 with his weapon’s point, and hurling his guilty lance against the back of the steed. Let the image be drawn to her temple, and let prayer be made to the goddess, is the general cry—we break through the walls and open the town within. All gird them to the work, putting 15 wheels to run easily under its feet, and throwing lengths of hempen tie round its neck. It scales the walls, that fateful engine, with its armed brood—boys and unwedded girls, standing about it, chant sacred hymns, delighted to touch the rope. In it moves, rolling with threatening brow 20 into the heart of the city. O my country! O Ilion, home of the gods! O ye, Dardan towers, with your martial fame! Yes—four times on the gateway’s very threshold it stopped, four times the arms rattled in its womb. On, however, we press, unheeding, in the blindness of our 25 frenzy, and lodge the ill-starred portent in our hallowed citadel. Even then Cassandra[130] unseals to speak of future fate those lips which by the god’s command no Trojan ever believed—while we, alas! we, spend the day that was to be our last in crowning the temples of the gods 30 with festal boughs the whole city through. “Meantime round rolls the sky, and on comes night from the ocean, wrapping in its mighty shade earth and heaven and Myrmidon wiles: through the city the Trojans are hushed in careless repose, their tired limbs in the arms of 35 sleep. Already was the Argive host on its way from Tenedos, through the friendly stillness of the quiet moon, making for the well-known shore, when see! the royal ship mounts its fire signal, and Sinon, sheltered by heaven’s partial decree, stealthily sets at large the Danaans, hid in that treacherous womb, and opens the pine-wood door: they as the horse opens are restored to upper air, and leap forth with joy from the hollow timber, Thessander and 5 Sthenelus leading the way, and the dreaded Ulysses, gliding down the lowered rope, and Achamas and Thoas, and Neoptolemus of Peleus’ line, and first Machaon, and Menelaus, and the framer of the cheat himself, Epeus. They rush on the town as it lies drowned in sleep and revelry. 10 The watchers are put to the sword, the gates thrown open, and all are welcoming their comrades, and uniting with the conspiring bands.