Page:Iliad Buckley.djvu/126

114 dread to pour out dark-red wine to Jove with unwashed hands: nor is it by any means lawful for me, defiled with blood and gore, to offer vows to the cloud-compelling son of Saturn. But go thou to the temple of Minerva the pillager, with victims, having assembled the matrons of distinction. And the robe which is the most beautiful and the largest in the palace, and by far the most esteemed by thyself, that place on the knees of the fair-haired goddess, and vow that thou wilt sacrifice to her, in her temple, twelve heifers, yearlings, ungoaded, if she will take compassion on the city, and the wives and infant children of the Trojans; if she will avert from sacred Ilium the son of Tydeus, that fierce warrior, the valiant author of terror. Do thou, on thy part, go to the temple of the pillager Minerva; but I will go after Paris, that I may call him, if he is willing to hear me speaking. Would that the earth might there open for him, for him hath Olympian Jove reared as a great bane to the Trojans, to magnanimous Priam, and to his sons. Could I but behold him descending to Hades, I might say that my soul had forgotten its joyless woe."

Thus he spoke: but she, going to her palace, gave orders to her maids: and they assembled through the city the matrons of distinction. But she descended into her fragrant chamber, where were her variously-embroidered robes, the works of Sidonian females, which godlike Alexander himself had brought from Sidon, sailing over the broad ocean, in that voyage in which he carried off Helen, sprung from a noble sire. Hecuba, taking one of these which was most beauteous with various hues, and largest, brought it as a gift to Minerva; and it glittered like a star, and lay the undermost of all. But she hastened to set out, and many venerable matrons hurried along with her.

But when they arrived at the temple of Minerva, in the lofty citadel, fair-cheeked Theano, the daughter of Cisseus, wife of horse-breaking Antenor, opened to them the gates; for the Trojans had made her priestess of Minerva. They all, with a loud wailing, upraised their hands to Minerva. But fair-cheeked Theano having received the garment, placed it on the knees of fair-haired Minerva, and making vows, thus prayed to the daughter of mighty Jove:

"Venerable Minerva, guardian of the city, divine one of