Page:Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns, and Homerica.djvu/577

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THE SACK OF ILIUM

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.


2.

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.


3.

The Cyclic poet who composed the Sack says that Astyanax was also hurled from the city wall.


4.

For the followers of Acamas 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."

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