Book 2
salt sweat ran forth; three times (O wondrous tale!)
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it gave a sudden skyward leap, and made
prodigious trembling of her lance and shield.
The prophet Calchas bade us straightway take
swift flight across the sea; for fate had willed
the Trojan citadel should never fall
by Grecian arm, till once more they obtain
new oracles at Argos, and restore
that god the round ships hurried o'er the sea.
Now in Mycenae, whither they are fled,
new help of heaven they find, and forge anew
the means of war. Back hither o'er the waves
they suddenly will come. So Calchas gave
the meaning of the god. Warned thus, they reared
in place of Pallas, desecrated shrine
yon image of the horse, to expiate
the woeful sacrilege. Calchas ordained
that they should build a thing of monstrous size
of jointed beams, and rear it heavenward,
so might it never pass your gates, nor come
inside your walls, nor anywise restore
unto the Trojans their lost help divine.
For had your hands Minerva's gift profaned,
a ruin horrible—O, may the gods
bring it on Calchas rather!—would have come
on Priam's throne and all the Phrygian power.
But if your hands should lift the holy thing
to your own citadel, then Asia's host
would hurl aggression upon Pelops' land,
and all that curse on our own nation fall.”
Thus Sinon's guile and practiced perjury
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our doubt dispelled. His stratagems and tears
wrought victory where neither Tydeus' son,
nor mountain-bred Achilles could prevail,
nor ten years' war, nor fleets a thousand strong.
But now a vaster spectacle of fear
burst over us, to vex our startled souls.
Laocoon, that day by cast of lot
priest unto Neptune, was in act to slay
a huge bull at the god's appointed fane.
