Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/367

 B. xin. c. i. 32. THE TKOAD. 359 the ancient Ilium, 1 which is higher up in the part towards Ida. Near the Sigeium is a temple and monument of Achilles, and monuments also of Patroclus and Ant lochus. 2 The Ilienses perform sacred ceremonies in honour of them all, and even of Ajax. But they do not worship Hercules, alleging as a reason that he ravaged their country. Yet some one might say that he laid it waste in such a manner that he left it to future spoilers in an injured condition indeed, but still in the condition of a city ; wherefore the poet expresses himself in this manner, " He ravaged the city of Ilium, and made its streets desolate," 3 for desolation implies a deficiency of inhabitants, but not a complete destruction of the place ; but those persons destroyed it entirely, whom they think worthy of sacred rites, and wor- ship as gods ; unless, perhaps, they should plead that these persons engaged in a just, and Hercules in an unjust, war, on account of the horses of Laomedon. To this is opposed a fabulous tale, that it was not on account of the horses but of the reward for the delivery of Hesione from the sea-monster.