for one so beautiful. Yet
well would it be for her to sail away upon the Greek ships rather than
stay here to bring trouble upon us now, and upon our children
hereafter."

Then Priam called to Helen:

"Come hither, dear child, and sit beside me, that thou may'st see the
man who once was thy husband, and thy kinsmen, and thy friends. No
blame do I give to thee for all our woes, but only to the gods who
have chosen thee to be the cause of all this bloodshed."

Then did Priam ask her the names of the mighty heroes who stood by
their spears in the Grecian ranks, and Helen, making answer to him,
said:

"Dear father of Paris, my lord, would that I had died ere I left my
own land and my little child, and all those that I loved, and followed
thy son hither. Agamemnon, a goodly king and a mighty spearsman, is
the Greek warrior whose name thou dost ask. Brother of him who was my
husband is he. Ah! shameless me, who did leave mine own."

Of Odysseus also, and of many another warrior of great stature and
brave looks, did Priam make inquiry. And Helen told him all she knew,
while tears of longing stood in her eyes.

"My two brethren, Castor, tamer of horses, and Polydeuces, the skilful
boxer, I do not see," she said; "mayhap they have not crossed the
sea." For she knew not that her two brothers lay dead in her own
beautiful land.

Then was the sacrifice to Zeus offered, and the vows made between
Agamemnon and Priam, King of Troy.

When the sacrifice and vows were accomplished, Priam in haste mounted
his chariot and drove away.

"Verily will I return to windy Ilios," said the old man, "for I cannot
bear to watch the fight between Menelaus and my own dear son. But
only Zeus and the gods know which one of them is to fall."

Then Hector and Odysseus marked out a space for the fight, and into a
bronze helmet Hector placed two pebbles and shook them in the helmet,
looking behind him. And the pebble of Paris leapt out the first, so
that to him fell the lot to cast first his spear of bronze.

Then did Paris arm himself. Greaves of beauteous fashioning he placed
upon his legs, and fastened them with silver ankle-clasps. Over his
shoulders he put his silver-studded sword of bronze and his great
shield. On his head he placed a helmet with nodding crest of
horsehair, and in his hand he grasped his strong spear. In like manner
did Menelaus arm himself.

One moment did they stand face to face, wrath and hatred in their
hearts, th