es, rich in flocks, and Thyestes
in his turn left it to be borne by Agamemnon, that he might be lord of
all Argos and of the isles. Leaning, then, on his sceptre, he addressed
the Argives.

"My friends," he said, "heroes, servants of Mars, the hand of heaven
has been laid heavily upon me. Cruel Jove gave me his solemn promise
that I should sack the city of Priam before returning, but he has
played me false, and is now bidding me go ingloriously back to Argos
with the loss of much people. Such is the will of Jove, who has laid
many a proud city in the dust, as he will yet lay others, for his power
is above all. It will be a sorry tale hereafter that an Achaean host,
at once so great and valiant, battled in vain against men fewer in
number than themselves; but as yet the end is not in sight. Think that
the Achaeans and Trojans have sworn to a solemn covenant, and that they
have each been numbered--the Trojans by the roll of their householders,
and we by companies of ten; think further that each of our companies
desired to have a Trojan householder to pour out their wine; we are so
greatly more in number that full many a company would have to go
without its cup-bearer. But they have in the town allies from other
places, and it is these that hinder me from being able to sack the rich
city of Ilius. Nine of Jove's years are gone; the timbers of our ships
have rotted; their tackling is sound no longer. Our wives and little
ones at home look anxiously for our coming, but the work that we came
hither to do has not been done. Now, therefore, let us all do as I say:
let us sail back to our own land, for we shall not take Troy."

With these words he moved the hearts of the multitude, so many of them
as knew not the cunning counsel of Agamemnon. They surged to and fro
like the waves of the Icarian Sea, when the east and south winds break
from heaven's clouds to lash them; or as when the west wind sweeps over
a field of corn and the ears bow beneath the blast, even so were they
swayed as they flew with loud cries towards the ships, and the dust
from under their feet rose heavenward. They cheered each other on to
draw the ships into the sea; they cleared the channels in front of
them; they began taking away the stays from underneath them, and the
welkin rang with their glad cries, so eager were they to return.

Then surely the Argives would have returned after a fashion that was
not fated. But Juno said to Minerva, "Alas, daughter