Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
Neoptolemus from Scyros and gives him his father’s arms, and the ghost
of Achilles appears to him.
Eurypylus the son of Telephus arrives to aid the Trojans, shows his
prowess and is killed by Neoptolemus. The Trojans are now closely
besieged, and Epeius, by Athena’s instruction, builds the wooden horse.
Odysseus disfigures himself and goes in to Ilium as a spy, and there
being recognized by Helen, plots with her for the taking of the city;
after killing certain of the Trojans, he returns to the ships. Next he
carries the Palladium out of Troy with help of Diomedes. Then after
putting their best men in the wooden horse and burning their huts, the
main body of the Hellenes sail to Tenedos. The Trojans, supposing their
troubles over, destroy a part of their city wall and take the wooden
horse into their city and feast as though they had conquered the
Hellenes.
Fragment #2—Pseudo-Herodotus, Life of Homer: ‘I sing of Ilium and
Dardania, the land of fine horses, wherein the Danai, followers of
Ares, suffered many things.’
Fragment #3—Scholiast on Aristophanes, Knights 1056 and Aristophanes
ib: The story runs as follows: Aias and Odysseus were quarrelling as to
their achievements, says the poet of the _Little Iliad_, and Nestor
advised the Hellenes to send some of their number to go to the foot of
the walls and overhear what was said about the valour of the heroes
named above. The eavesdroppers heard certain girls disputing, one of
them saying that Aias was by far a better man than Odysseus and
continuing as follows:
‘For Aias took up and carried out of the strife the hero, Peleus’ son:
this great Odysseus cared not to do.’
To this another replied by Athena’s contrivance:
‘Why, what is this you say? A thing against reason and untrue! Even a
woman could carry a load once a man had put it on her shoulder; but she
could not fight. For she would fail with fear if she should fight.’
Fragment #4—Eustathius, 285. 34: The writer of the _Little Iliad_ says
that Aias was not buried in the usual way 3101, but was simply buried
in a coffin, because of the king’s anger.
Fragment #5—Eustathius on Homer, Il. 326: The author of the _Little
Iliad_ says that Achilles after putting out to sea from the country of
Telephus came to land there: ‘The storm carried Achilles the son of
Peleus to Scyros, and he came into an uneasy harbour there in that same
night.’
Fragment #6—Scholiast on Pindar, Nem. vi. 85: ‘About the spear-shaft
was a hoop of flashing gold, and a point was fitted to it at either
end.’
Fragment #7—Scholiast on Euripides Troades, 822: ‘...the vine which the
son of Cronos gave him as a recompense for his son. It bloomed richly
with soft leaves of gold and grape clusters; Hephaestus wrought it and
gave it to his father Zeus: and he bestowed it on Laomedon as a price
for Ganymedes.’
Fragment #8—Pausanias, iii. 26. 9: The writer of the epic _Little
Iliad_ says that Machaon was killed by Eurypylus, the son of Telephus.
Fragment #9—Homer, Odyssey iv. 247 and Scholiast: ‘He disguised
himself, and made himself like another person, a beggar, the like of
whom was not by the ships of the Achaeans.’
The Cyclic poet uses ‘beggar’ as a substantive, and so means to say
that when Odysseus had changed his clothes and put on rags, there was
no one so good for nothing at the ships as Odysseus.
Fragment #10—3102 Plutarch, Moralia, p. 153 F: And Homer put forward
the following verses as Lesches gives them: ‘Muse, tell me of those
things which neither happened before nor shall be hereafter.’
And Hesiod answered:
‘But when horses with rattling hoofs wreck chariots, striving for
victory about the tomb of Zeus.’
And it is said that, because this reply was specially admired, Hesiod
won the tripod (at the funeral games of Amphidamas).
Fragment #11—Scholiast on Lycophr., 344: Sinon, as it had been arranged
with him, secretly showed a signal-light to the Hellenes. Thus Lesches
writes:—‘It was midnight, and the clear moon was rising.’
Fragment #12—Pausanias, x. 25. 5: Meges is represented 3103 wounded in
the arm just as Lescheos the son of Aeschylinus of Pyrrha describes in
his _Sack of Ilium_ where it is said that he was wounded in the battle
which the Trojans fought in the night by Admetus, son of Augeias.
Lycomedes too is in the picture with a wound in the wrist, and Lescheos
says he was so wounded by Agenor...
Pausanias, x. 26. 4: Lescheos also mentions Astynous, and here he is,
fallen on one knee, while Neoptolemus strikes him with his sword...
Pausanias, x. 26. 8: The same writer says that Helicaon was wounded in
the night-battle, but was recognised by Odysseus and by him conducted
alive out of the fight...
Pausanias, x. 27. 1: Of them 3104, Lescheos says that Eion was killed
by Neoptolemus, and Admetus by Philoctetes... He also says that Priam
was not killed at the heart of Zeus Herceius, but was dragged away from
the altar and destroyed off hand by Neoptolemus at the doors of the
house... Lescheos says that Axion was the son of Priam and was slain by
Eurypylus, the son of Euaemon. Agenor—according to the same poet—was
butchered by Neoptolemus.
Fragment #13—Aristophanes, Lysistrata 155 and Scholiast: ‘Menelaus at
least, when he caught a glimpse somehow of the breasts of Helen unclad,
cast away his sword, methinks.’ Lesches the Pyrrhaean also has the same
account in his _Little Iliad_.
Pausanias, x. 25. 8: Concerning Aethra Lesches relates that when Ilium
was taken she stole out of the city and came to the Hellenic camp,
where she was recognised by the sons of Theseus; and that Demophon
asked her of Agamemnon. Agamemnon wished to grant him this favour, but
he would not do so until Helen consented. And when he sent a herald,
Helen granted his request.
Fragment #14—Scholiast on Lycophr. Alex., 1268: ‘Then the bright son of
bold Achilles led the wife of Hector to the hollow ships; but her son
he snatched from the bosom of his rich-haired nurse and seized him by
the foot and cast him from a tower. So when he had fallen bloody death
and hard fate seized on Astyanax. And Neoptolemus chose out Andromache,
Hector’s well-girded wife, and the chiefs of all the Achaeans gave her
to him to hold requiting him with a welcome prize. And he put
Aeneas3105, the famous son of horse-taming Anchises, on board his
sea-faring ships, a prize surpassing those of all the Danaans.’
THE SACK OF ILIUM
Fragment #1—Proclus, Chrestomathia, ii: Next come two books of the
_Sack of Ilium_, by Arctinus of Miletus with the following contents.
The Trojans were suspicious of the wooden horse and standing round it
debated what they ought to do. Some thought they ought to hurl it down
from the rocks, others to burn it up, while others said they ought to
dedicate it to Athena. At last this third opinion prevailed. Then they
turned to mirth and feasting believing the war was at an end. But at
this very time two serpents appeared and destroyed Laocoon and one of
his two sons, a portent which so alarmed the followers of Aeneas that
they withdrew to Ida. Sinon then raised the fire-signal to the
Achaeans, having previously got into the city by pretence. The Greeks
then sailed in from Tenedos, and those in the wooden horse came out and
fell upon their enemies, killing many and storming the city.
Neoptolemus kills Priam who had fled to the altar of Zeus Herceius (1);
Menelaus finds Helen and takes her to the ships, after killing
Deiphobus; and Aias the son of Ileus, while trying to drag Cassandra
away by force, tears away with her the image of Athena. At this the
Greeks are so enraged that they determine to stone Aias, who only
escapes from the danger threatening him by taking refuge at the altar
of Athena. The Greeks, after burning the city, sacrifice Polyxena at
the tomb of Achilles: Odysseus murders Astyanax; Neoptolemus takes
Andromache as his prize, and the remaining spoils are divided. Demophon
and Acamas find Aethra and take her with them. Lastly the Greeks sail
away and Athena plans to destroy them on the high seas.
Fragment #2—Dionysus Halicarn, Rom. Antiq. i. 68: According to
Arctinus, one Palladium was given to Dardanus by Zeus, and this was in
Ilium until the city was taken. It was hidden in a secret place, and a
copy was made resembling the original in all points and set up for all
to see, in order to deceive those who might have designs against it.
This copy the Achaeans took as a result of their plots.
Fragment #3—Scholiast on Euripedes, Andromache 10: The Cyclic poet who
composed the _Sack_ says that Astyanax was also hurled from the city
wall.
Fragment #4—Scholiast on Euripedes, Troades 31: For the followers of
Acamus and Demophon took no share—it is said—of the spoils, but only
Aethra, for whose sake, indeed, they came to Ilium with Menestheus to
lead them. Lysimachus, however, says that the author of the _Sack_
writes as follows: ‘The lord Agamemnon gave gifts to the Sons of
Theseus and to bold Menestheus, shepherd of hosts.’
Fragment #5—Eustathius on Iliad, xiii. 515: Some say that such praise
as this 3201 does not apply to physicians generally, but only to
Machaon: and some say that he only practised surgery, while Podaleirius
treated sicknesses. Arctinus in the _Sack of Ilium_ seems to be of this
opinion when he says:
(ll. 1-8) ‘For their father the famous Earth-Shaker gave both of them
gifts, making each more glorious than the other. To the one he gave
hands more light to draw or cut out missiles from the flesh and to heal
all kinds of wounds; but in the heart of the other he put full and
perfect knowledge to tell hidden diseases and cure desperate
sicknesses. It was he who first noticed Aias’ flashing eyes and clouded
mind when he was enraged.’
Fragment #6—Diomedes in Gramm., Lat. i. 477: ‘Iambus stood a little
while astride with foot advanced, that so his strained limbs might get
power and have a show of ready strength.’
THE RETURNS
Fragment #1—Proclus, Chrestomathia, ii: After the _Sack of Ilium_
follow the _Returns_ in five books by Agias of Troezen. Their contents
are as follows. Athena causes a quarrel between Agamemnon and Menelaus
about the voyage from Troy. Agamemnon then stays on to appease the
anger of Athena. Diomedes and Nestor put out to sea and get safely
home. After them Menelaus sets out and reaches Egypt with five ships,
the rest having been destroyed on the high seas. Those with Calchas,
Leontes, and Polypoetes go by land to Colophon and bury Teiresias who
died there. When Agamemnon and his followers were sailing away, the
ghost of Achilles appeared and tried to prevent them by foretelling
what should befall them. The storm at the rocks called Capherides is
then described, with the end of Locrian Aias. Neoptolemus, warned by
Thetis, journeys overland and, coming into Thrace, meets Odysseus at
Maronea, and then finishes the rest of his journey after burying
Phoenix who dies on the way. He himself is recognized by Peleus on
reaching the Molossi.
Then comes the murder of Agamemnon by Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra,
followed by the vengeance of Orestes and Pylades. Finally, Menelaus
returns home.
Fragment #2—Argument to Euripides Medea: ‘Forthwith Medea made Aeson a
sweet young boy and stripped his old age from him by her cunning skill,
when she had made a brew of many herbs in her golden cauldrons.’
Fragment #3—Pausanias, i. 2: The story goes that Heracles was besieging
Themiscyra on the Thermodon and could not take it; but Antiope, being
in love with Theseus who was with Heracles on this expedition, betrayed
the place. Hegias gives this account in his poem.
Fragment #4—Eustathius, 1796. 45: The Colophonian author of the
_Returns_ says that Telemachus afterwards married Circe, while
Telegonus the son of Circe correspondingly married Penelope.