Trojan prisoners of war； meaning to burn them with Patroclus to do
him honour。 This was a deed of shame； for Achilles was mad with
sorrow and anger for the death of his friend。 Then they drenched
with wine the great pile of wood； which was thirty yards long and
broad； and set fire to it； and the fire blazed all through the
night and died down in the morning。 They put the white bones of
Patroclus in a golden casket； and laid it in the hut of Achilles；
who said that； when he died； they must burn his body； and mix the
ashes with the ashes of his friend； and build over it a chamber of
stone； and cover the chamber with a great hill of earth； and set a
pillar of stone above it。 This is one of the hills on the plain of
Troy； but the pillar has fallen from the tomb； long ago。
Then； as the custom was； Achilles held gameschariot races； foot
races； boxing； wrestling； and archeryin honour of Patroclus。
Ulysses won the prize for the foot race； and for the wrestling； so
now his wound must have been healed。
But Achilles still kept trailing Hector's dead body each day round
the hill that had been raised for the tomb of Patroclus； till the
Gods in heaven were angry； and bade Thetis tell her son that he
must give back the dead body to Priam； and take ransom for it； and
they sent a messenger to Priam to bid him redeem the body of his
son。 It was terrible for Priam to have to go and humble himself
before Achilles； whose hands had been red with the blood of his
sons； but he did not disobey the Gods。 He opened his chests； and
took out twenty…four beautiful embroidered changes of raiment； and
he weighed out ten heavy bars； or talents； of gold； and chose a
beautiful golden cup； and he called nine of his sons； Paris； and
Helenus； and Deiphobus； and the rest； saying； 〃Go； ye bad sons； my
shame； would that Hector lived and all of you were dead！〃 for
sorrow made him angry； 〃go； and get ready for me a wain； and lay on
it these treasures。〃 So they harnessed mules to the wain； and
placed in it the treasures； and； after praying； Priam drove through
the night to the hut of Achilles。 In he went； when no man looked
for him； and kneeled to Achilles； and kissed his terrible death…
dealing hands。 〃Have pity on me； and fear the Gods； and give me
back my dead son；〃 he said； 〃and remember thine own father。 Have
pity on me； who have endured to do what no man born has ever done
before； to kiss the hands that slew my sons。〃
Then Achilles remembered his own father； far away； who now was old
and weak： and he wept； and Priam wept with him； and then Achilles
raised Priam from his knees and spoke kindly to him； admiring how
beautiful he still was in his old age； and Priam himself wondered
at the beauty of Achilles。 And Achilles thought how Priam had long
been rich and happy； like his own father； Peleus； and now old age
and weakness and sorrow were laid upon both of them； for Achilles
knew that his own day of death was at hand； even at the doors。 So
Achilles bade the women make ready the body of Hector for burial；
and they clothed him in a white mantle that Priam had brought； and
laid him in the wain； and supper was made ready； and Priam and
Achilles ate and drank together； and the women spread a bed for
Priam； who would not stay long； but stole away back to Troy while
Achilles was asleep。
All the women came out to meet him； and to lament for Hector。 They
carried the body into the house of Andromache and laid it on a bed；
and the women gathered around； and each in turn sang her song over
the great dead warrior。 His mother bewailed him； and his wife； and
Helen of the fair hands； clad in dark mourning raiment； lifted up
her white arms； and said： 〃Hector； of all my brethren in Troy thou
wert the dearest； since Paris brought me hither。 Would that ere
that day I had died！ For this is now the twentieth year since I
came； and in all these twenty years never heard I a word from thee
that was bitter and unkind； others might upbraid me； thy sisters or
thy mother； for thy father was good to me as if he had been my own；
but then thou wouldst restrain them that spoke evil by the courtesy
of thy heart and thy gentle words。 Ah！ woe for thee； and woe for
me； whom all men shudder at； for there is now none in wide Troyland
to be my friend like thee； my brother and my friend！〃
So Helen lamented； but now was done all that men might do； a great
pile of wood was raised； and Hector was burned； and his ashes were
placed in a golden urn； in a dark chamber of stone； within a hollow
hill。
HOW ULYSSES STOLE THE LUCK OF TROY
After Hector was buried； the siege went on slowly； as it had done
during the first nine years of the war。 The Greeks did not know at
that time how to besiege a city； as we saw； by way of digging
trenches and building towers； and battering the walls with machines
that threw heavy stones。 The Trojans had lost courage； and dared
not go into the open plain； and they were waiting for the coming up
of new armies of alliesthe Amazons； who were girl warriors from
far away； and an Eastern people called the Khita； whose king was
Memnon； the son of the Bright Dawn。
Now everyone knew that； in the temple of the Goddess Pallas Athene；
in Troy； was a sacred image； which fell from heaven； called the
Palladium； and this very ancient image was the Luck of Troy。 While
it remained safe in the temple people believed that Troy could
never be taken； but as it was in a guarded temple in the middle of
the town； and was watched by priestesses day and night； it seemed
impossible that the Greeks should ever enter the city secretly and
steal the Luck away。
As Ulysses was the grandson of Autolycus； the Master Thief； he
often wished that the old man was with the Greeks； for if there was
a thing to steal Autolycus could steal it。 But by this time
Autolycus was dead； and so Ulysses could only puzzle over the way
to steal the Luck of Troy； and wonder how his grandfather would
have set about it。 He prayed for help secretly to Hermes； the God
of Thieves； when he sacrificed goats to him； and at last he had a
plan。
There was a story that Anius； the King of the Isle of Delos； had
three daughters； named OEno； Spermo； and Elais； and that OEno could
turn water into wine； while Spermo could turn stones into bread；
and Elais could change mud into olive oil。 Those fairy gifts；
people said； were given to the maidens by the Wine God； Dionysus；
and by the Goddess of Corn； Demeter。 Now corn； and wine； and oil
were sorely needed by the Greeks； who were tired of paying much
gold and bronze to the Phoenician merchants for their supplies。
Ulysses therefore went to Agamemnon one day； and asked leave to
take his ship and voyage to Delos； to bring； if he could； the three
maidens to the camp； if indeed they could do these miracles。 As no
fighting was going on； Agamemnon gave Ulysses leave to depart； so
he went on board his ship； with a crew of fifty men of Ithaca； and
away they sailed； promising to return in a month。
Two or three days after that； a dirty old beggar man began to be
seen in the Greek camp。 He had crawled in late one evening；
dressed in a dirty smock and a very dirty old cloak； full of holes；
and stained with smoke。 Over everything he wore the skin of a
stag； with half the hair worn off； and he carried a staff； and a
filthy tattered wallet； to put food in； which swung from his neck
by a cord。 He came crouching and smiling up to the door of the hut
of Diomede； and sat down just within the doorway； where beggars
still sit in the East。 Diomede saw him； and sent him a loaf and
two handfuls of flesh； which the beggar laid on his wallet； between
his feet； and he made his supper greedily； gnawing a bone like a
dog。
After supper Diomede asked him who he was and whence he came； and
he told a long story about how he had been a Cretan pirate； and had
been taken prisoner by the Egyptians when he was robbing there； and
how he had worked for many years in their stone quarries； where the
sun had burned him brown； and had escaped by hiding among the great
stones； carried down the Nile in a raft； for building a temple on
the seashore。 The raft arrived at night； and the beggar said that
he stole out from it in the dark and found a Phoenician ship in the
harbour； and the Phoenicians took him on board； meaning to sell him
somewhere as a slave。 But a tempest came on and wrecked the ship
off the Isle of Tenedos； which is near Troy； and the beggar alone
escaped to the island on a plank of the ship。 From Tenedos he had
come to Troy in a fisher's boat； hoping to make himself useful in
the camp； and earn enough to keep body and soul together till he
could find a ship sailing to Crete。
He made his story rather amusing； describing the strange ways of
the Egyptians； how they worshipped cats and bulls； and did
everything in just the opposite of the Greek way of doing things。
So Diomede let him have a rug and blankets to sleep on in the
portico of the hut； and next day the old wretch went begging about
the camp and talking with the soldiers。 Now he was a most impudent
and annoying old vagabond； and was always in quarrels。 If there
was a disagreeable story about the father or grandfather of any of
the princes； he knew it and told it； so that he got a blow from the
baton of Agamemnon； and Aias gave him a kick； and Idomeneus drubbed
him with the butt of his spear for a tale about his grandmother；
and everybody hated him and called him a nuisance。 He was for ever
jeering at Ulysses； who was far away； and telling tales about
Autolycus； and at last he stole a gold cup； a very large cup； with
two handles； and a dove sitting on each handle； from the hut of
Nestor。 The old chief was fond of this cup； which he had brought
from home； and； when it was found in the beggar's dirty wallet；
everybody cried that he must be driven out of the camp and well
whipped。 So Nestor's son； young Thrasymedes； with other young men；
laughing and shouting； pushed and dragged the beggar close up to
the Scaean gate of Troy； where Thrasymedes called with a loud
voice； 〃O Trojans； we are sick of this shameless beggar。 First we
shall whip him well； and if he comes back we shall