This spot has been visited by many people who
admired the brave young hero of the Il'i-ad (see p. 60).

[Illustration]

XVIII. THE BURNING OF TROY.

As the valor of the Greeks had proved of no avail during the ten-years'
war, and as they were still as far as ever from taking Troy, Ulysses the
crafty now proposed to take the city by a stratagem, or trick.

The Greeks, obeying his directions, built a wooden horse of very large
size. It was hollow, and the space inside it was large enough to hold a
number of armed men. When this horse was finished, and the men were
hidden in it, the Greeks all embarked as if to sail home.

The Trojans, who had watched them embark and sail out of sight, rushed
down to the shore shouting for joy, and began to wander around the
deserted camp. They soon found the huge wooden horse, and were staring
wonderingly at it, when they were joined by a Greek who had purposely
been left behind, and who now crept out of his hiding place.

In answer to their questions, this man said that his companions had
deserted him, and that the wooden horse had been built and left there as
an offering to Po-sei'don (or Nep'tune), god of the sea. The Trojans,
believing all this, now decided to keep the wooden horse in memory of
their long siege, and the useless attempt of the Greeks to take Troy.

They therefore joyfully dragged the huge animal into the city; and, as
the gates were not large enough for it to pass through, they tore down
part of their strong walls.

That very night, while all the Trojans were sleeping peacefully for the
first time in many years, without any fear of a midnight attack, the
Greek vessels noiselessly sailed back to their old moorings. The
soldiers landed in silence, and, marching up softly, joined their
companions, who had crept out of the wooden horse, and had opened all
the gates to receive them.

Pouring into Troy on all sides at once, the Greeks now began their work
of destruction, killing, burning, and stealing everywhere. The Trojan
warriors, awakening from sleep, vainly tried to defend themselves; but
all were killed except Prince AE-ne'as, who escaped with his family and a
few faithful friends, to form a new kingdom in Italy.

All the women, including even the queen and her daughters, were made
prisoners and carried away by the Greek heroes. The men were now very
anxious to return home with the booty they had won; for they had done
what they had long wished to d