turned her eyes aside and a blush covered her maiden
cheeks, yet for all her modesty she addressed him with crafty words:

"Stranger, why stay ye so long outside our towers? for the city is not
inhabited by the men, but they, as sojourners, plough the wheat-bearing
fields of the Thracian mainland. And I will tell out truly all our evil
plight, that ye yourselves too may know it well. When my father Thoas
reigned over the citizens, then our folk starting from their homes used
to plunder from their ships the dwellings of the Thracians who live
opposite, and they brought back hither measureless booty and maidens
too. But the counsel of the baneful goddess Cypris was working out its
accomplishment, who brought upon them soul destroying infatuation. For
they hated their lawful wives, and, yielding to their own mad folly,
drove them from their homes; and they took to their beds the captives of
their spear, cruel ones. Long in truth we endured it, if haply again,
though late, they might change their purpose, but ever the bitter woe
grew, twofold. And the lawful children were being dishonoured in their
halls, and a bastard race was rising. And thus unmarried maidens and
widowed mothers too wandered uncared for through the city; no father
heeded his daughter ever so little even though he should see her done to
death before his eyes at the hands of an insolent step-dame, nor did
sons, as before, defend their mother against unseemly outrage; nor did
brothers care at heart for their sister. But in their homes, in the
dance, in the assembly and the banquet all their thought was only for
their captive maidens; until some god put desperate courage in our
hearts no more to receive our lords on their return from Thrace within
our towers so that they might either heed the right or might depart and
begone elsewhither, they and their captives. So they begged of us all
the male children that were left in the city and went back to where even
now they dwell on the snowy tilths of Thrace. Do ye therefore stay and
settle with us; and shouldst them desire to dwell here, and this finds
favour with thee, assuredly thou shalt have the prerogative of my father
Thoas; and I deem that thou wilt not scorn our land at all; for it is
deep-soiled beyond all other islands that lie in the Aegaean sea. But
come now, return to the ship and relate my words to thy comrades, and
stay not outside our city."

She spoke, glozing over the murder that had been wrough