h the night. From Zeus I come, and to thee he
sends this message: 'Call to arms with speed thy warriors, Agamemnon,
for now shalt thou take the strong city of Troy.'"

Off then sped the Dream, winging its way like a strip of gray mist
aloft to Mount Olympus.

Then Agamemnon awoke from sleep, and the voice of the Dream still rang
in his ears.

Speedily he arose from his bed, donned his fair tunic, cast around him
his great cloak, and bound his sandals on his feet. Then over his
shoulder he cast his silver-studded sword, and with the scepter of his
house, token of his overlordship, in his hand, he went down to where
the Greek ships lay, and called a council together.

To his lords he told what had befallen him as they slept.

"Call to arms!" had been the message from Zeus. "Call to arms! for
victory shall be thine."

Then said the old warrior in whose likeness the Dream had come:

"My friends, had any other told us this dream we might deem it false;
but to our overlord the Dream hath come. Let us then call our men to
arms."

So did all the lords follow his counsel, and quickly did the Greeks
obey their summons. Like bees that pour from out their nests in some
hollow rock, and fly to where the spring flowers grow most sweet, even
so did the warriors pour forth from their ships and their huts by the
sea. Loudly they shouted as they came, till all the earth echoed. Nine
heralds sought to quiet them, but it was long before they would cease
their noise, and sit silent to listen to the voice of Agamemnon their
lord.

Then did Agamemnon prove his people. "Ill hath Zeus dealt with us, my
friends," he said. "To us he promised ere we sailed hither that
victory should be ours. But nine years have passed away, and our
ships' timbers have rotted, and the rigging is worn. In our halls our
wives and children still sit awaiting us, yet are we no nearer victory
than we were on the day that we came hither. Come then, let us flee
with our ships to our dear native land, for never shall Troy be ours."

So spake Agamemnon, and stirred the hearts of all that had not heard
his secret council.

As the high sea-waves are swayed by the winds that rush upon them from
the east and from the south, even so the Greek host was swayed. And
even as the west wind sweeps over a cornfield and all the ears bow
down before the blast, so were the warriors stirred.

Shouting, they hastened down to their ships. And the dust rose up in
clouds from u