Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the sheep from the town, and wine in a goatskin; and Idæus, the herald, carried a bowl and golden cups. He came near to King Priam, and told him how the armies called for him. So he went, and he, on the one side, for the Trojans, and King Agamemnon for the Greeks, made a covenant with sacrifice that Paris and Menelaus should fight together, and that the fair Helen, with all her treasures, should go with him who should prevail. I-dæ'-us. And when the sacrifice and the prayers were ended, King Priam said: "I will go back to Troy, for I could not endure to see my son fighting with Menelaus. But which of the two is doomed to death, Zeus and the immortal gods only know." So he spake and climbed into his chariot and took the reins; so he went back to Troy even as he came. And afterwards Hector and Ulysses marked out a space for the fight, and Hector shook two pebbles in a helmet, looking away as he shook them, that he whose pebble leapt forth the first should be the first to throw his spear. And so it befell that the lot of Paris leapt forth first. Then the two warriors armed themselves, and came forth into the space, and stood over against each other, brandishing their spears, with hate in their eyes. Then Paris threw his spear. It struck the shield of Menelaus, but pierced it not, for the spear point was bent back. Then Menelaus prayed to Zeus: "Grant, Father Zeus, that I may avenge myself on Paris, who has done me this wrong; so shall men in after time fear to do wrong to their host." So speaking, he cast his long-shafted spear. It struck the shield of Paris and pierced it through, and passed through the corselet, and through the tunic; but Paris shrank aside, and the spear wounded him not. Then Menelaus drew his silver-studded sword and struck a mighty blow on the top of the helmet of Paris, but the sword broke in four pieces in his hand. Then he cried in his wrath, "O Zeus, most mischief-loving of the gods, my spear I cast in vain, and now my sword is broken." Then he rushed forward and seized Paris by the helmet, and dragged him towards the hosts of the Greeks, for he was choked by the band of the helmet. And truly he had taken him, but Aphrodite loosed the strap that was beneath the chin, and the helmet came off in his hand. And Menelaus whirled it among the Greeks and charged with another spear in his hand. But Aphrodite snatched Paris away, covering him with a mist, and put him down in his chamber in Troy. Then Menelaus looked for him everywhere, but no one could tell him where he might be. No son of Troy would have hidden him out of kindness, for all hated him as death. Aph-ro-di'-te. Then King Agamemnon said, "Now, ye sons of Troy, it is for you to give back the fair Helen and her wealth, and to pay me, besides, so much as may be fitting for all my cost and trouble." So spake King Agamemnon, and the Greeks applauded. CHAPTER IV THE BROKEN OATH