HECUBA. 135 scared by fearful visions of the night ? O earth, dread queen, mother of dreams that flit on sable wings ! I am seeking to avert the vision of the night, the sight of horror which I saw so clearly in my dreams touching my son, who is safe in Thrace, and Polyxena my daughter dear. Ye gods of this land ! preserve my son, the last and only anchor of my house,^ now settled in Thrace, the land of snow, safe in the keeping of his father's friend. Some fresh disaster is in store, a new strain of sorrow will be added to our woe. Such ceaseless thrills of terror never wrung my heart before. Oh ! where, ye Trojan maidens, can I find inspired Helenus or Cassandra, that they may read me my dream ? For I saw a dappled hind mangled by a wolfs bloody fangs,^ torn from my knees by force in piteous wise. And this too filled me with affright; o'er the summit of his tomb appeared Achilles' phantom, and for his guerdon he would have one of the luckless maids of Troy. Wherefore, I implore you, powers divine, avert this horror from my daughter, from my child. Cho. Hecuba, I have hastened away to thee, leaving my master's tent, where the lot assigned me as his appointed slave, in the day that I was driven from the city of Ilium, hunted by Achaeans thence at the point of the spear ; no alleviation bring I for thy sufferings; nay, I have laden myself with heavy news, and am a herald of sorrow to thee, lady. 'Tis said the Achaeans have determined in full assembly to offer thy daughter in sacrifice to Achilles ; for thou knowest how one day he appeared standing on his tomb in golden harness, and stayed the sea-borne barques, though they had their sails already hoisted, with this pealing cry, " Whither away so fast, ye Danai, leaving my tomb without its prize ? " Thereon arose a violent dispute with stormy altercation, and opinion was divided in the ^ o£ fiovog OLKUiv dyKvp' tr' tfiaiv (Paley).
- X"^?« Hesychius gives yva^y as an equivalent here.
