Achilles (Mythological character) -- Juvenile literature; Trojan War -- Juvenile literature
Among the host of Troy she went, taking upon herself the shape of
Laodocus, son of Antenor, and went to Pandarus, where he stood among
his men. Then the false Laodocus said: "Pandarus, darest thou aim an
arrow at Menelaus. Truly the Trojans would love thee well, and Paris
best of all, if they could see Menelaus slain by an arrow from thy
bow. Aim then, but first pray to Apollo, and vow that thou wilt
offer a hundred beasts when thou returnest to thy city."
La-o'-do-cus. Pan'-da-rus.
Now Pandarus had a bow made of the horns of a wild goat which he had
slain; sixteen palms long were the horns, and a cunning workman had
made them smooth, and put a tip of gold whereon to fasten the
bow-string. And Pandarus strung his bow, his comrades hiding him
with their shields. Then he took an arrow from his quiver, and laid
it on the bow-string, and drew the string to his breast, till the
arrow-head touched the bow, and let fly. Right well aimed was the
dart, but it was not the will of heaven that it should slay Menelaus.
For the daughter of Zeus stood before him, and turned aside the
shaft, waving it from him as a mother waveth a fly from her child
when he lieth asleep. She guided it to where the golden clasps of
the belt came together, and the breast-plate overlapped. It passed
through the belt, and through the corselet, and through the girdle,
and pierced the skin. Then the red blood rushed out and stained the
white skin.
Sore dismayed was King Agamemnon to see the blood; sore dismayed also
was the brave Menelaus, till he spied the barb of the arrow, and knew
that the wound was not deep. But Agamemnon cried: "It was in an evil
hour for thee, my brother, that I made a covenant with these false
sons of Troy. Right well, indeed, I know that oath and sacrifice are
not in vain. For though Zeus fulfil not now his purpose, yet will he
take vengeance at the last, and the guilty shall suffer, they and
their wives, and their children. Troy shall fall; but woe is me if
thou shouldst die, Menelaus. For the Greeks will straightway go back
to their fatherland, and the fair Helen will be left a boast to the
sons of Troy, and I shall have great shames when one of them shall
say, as he leaps on the tomb of the brave Menelaus, 'Surely the great
Agamemnon has avenged himself well; for he brought an army hither,
but now has gone back to his home, and left Menelaus here.' May the
earth swallow me up before that day!"
"Nay," said Menelaus; "fear not, for the arrow hath but grazed the
skin."
Then King Agamemnon bade fetch Machaon, the physician. And Machaon
came, and drew forth the arrow, and when he had wiped away the blood
he put healing drugs upon the wound.
Ma-cha'-on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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