This page has been validated.
THE VALIANT DEEDS OF AGAMEMNON.
153

upon them, and he knew them, having seen them before at the ships. One he smote upon the breast with his spear, the other on his ear with his sword. Even as a lion comes upon the young of a doe, and crusheth them in his teeth, and the mother cannot help them, though she be near, but flieth trembling through the wood, so did these two perish, and none of the Trojans dared to help them, but rather fled themselves.

Next to these Agamemnon found the sons of Antimachus. These two he took alive in their chariot, for they had dropped the reins, and stood helpless before him, crying out that he should spare them, and take ransom, for that Antimachus their father had much gold and bronze and iron in his house, and would gladly buy them back alive. Now Antimachus had taken a bribe from Prince Paris, and had given counsel to the Trojans that they should not give back the fair Helen. So when King Agamemnon heard them, he said: "Nay, but if ye be sons of Antimachus, who counselled the men of Troy that they should slay Menelaüs when he came an ambassador