No More Learning

'"All the hope of Greece, and the confidence in which the war began,
ever centred in Pallas' aid. But since the wicked son of Tydeus, and
Ulysses, forger of crime, made bold to tear the fated Palladium from her
sanctuary, and cut down the sentries on the towered height; since they
grasped the holy image, and dared with bloody hands to touch the maiden
chaplets of the goddess; since then the hope of Greece ebbed and slid
away backwards, their strength was broken, and the mind of the goddess
estranged. Whereof the Tritonian gave token by no uncertain signs.
Scarcely was the image set in the camp; flame shot sparkling from its
lifted eyes, and salt sweat started over its body; thrice, wonderful to
tell, it leapt from the ground with shield and spear quivering.
Immediately Calchas prophesies that the seas must be explored in flight,
nor may Troy towers be overthrown by Argive weapons, except they repeat
their auspices at Argos, and bring back that divine presence they have
borne away with them in the curved ships overseas. And now they have run
down the wind for their native Mycenae, to gather arms and gods to
attend them; they will remeasure ocean and be on you unawares. So
Calchas expounds the omens. This image at his warning they reared in
recompense for the Palladium and the injured deity, to expiate the
horror of sacrilege. Yet Calchas bade them raise it to this vast size
with oaken crossbeams, and build it up to heaven, that it may not find
entry at the gates nor be drawn within the city, nor protect your people
beneath the consecration of old. For if hand of yours should violate
Minerva's offering, then utter destruction (the gods turn rather on
himself his augury! ) should be upon Priam's empire and [192-226]the
Phrygian people. But if under your hands it climbed into your city, Asia
should advance in mighty war to the walls of Pelops, and a like fate
awaited our children's children. "

'So by Sinon's wiles and craft and perjury the thing gained belief; and
we were ensnared by treachery and forced tears, we whom neither the son
of Tydeus nor Achilles of Larissa, whom not ten years nor a thousand
ships brought down.

'Here another sight, greater, alas! and far more terrible meets us, and
alarms our thoughtless senses.
Laocoon, allotted priest of Neptune, was
slaying a great bull at the accustomed altars. And lo! from Tenedos,
over the placid depths (I shudder as I recall) two snakes in enormous
coils press down the sea and advance together to the shore; their
breasts rise through the surge, and their blood-red crests overtop the
waves; the rest trails through the main behind and wreathes back in
voluminous curves; the brine gurgles and foams. And now they gained the
fields, while their bloodshot eyes blazed with fire, and their tongues
lapped and flickered in their hissing mouths. We scatter, pallid at the
sight. They in unfaltering train make towards Laocoon. And first the
serpents twine in their double embrace his two little children, and bite
deep in their wretched limbs; then him likewise, as he comes up to help
with arms in his hand, they seize and fasten in their enormous coils;
and now twice clasping his waist, twice encircling his neck with their
scaly bodies, they tower head and neck above him. He at once strains his
hands to tear their knots apart, his fillets spattered with foul black
venom; at once raises to heaven awful cries; as when, bellowing, a bull
shakes the wavering axe from his neck and runs wounded from the altar.
But the two snakes glide away to the high sanctuary and seek the fierce
Tritonian's citadel, [227-261]and take shelter under the goddess' feet
beneath the circle of her shield. Then indeed a strange terror thrills
in all our amazed breasts; and Laocoon, men say, hath fulfilled his
crime's desert, in piercing the consecrated wood and hurling his guilty
spear into its body. All cry out that the image must be drawn to its
home and supplication made to her deity. . . . We sunder the walls, and
lay open the inner city. All set to the work; they fix rolling wheels
under its feet, and tie hempen bands on its neck.