Heroes Celebrated by the Poets.
AGAMEMNON.
_Ques._ Who was Agamemnon?
_Ans._ He was king of Mycenæ, and commander-in-chief of the Grecian
forces during the siege of Troy. The combined fleet was detained for a
long time at Aulis, owing to the wrath of Diana, whom Agamemnon had
offended by killing one of her favorite deer. Calchas, the soothsayer,
was consulted; he declared that the goddess could only be appeased by
the sacrifice of Iphige´nia, the oldest daughter of the monarch. She
was accordingly led to the altar, but Diana was moved with pity, and
carried the maiden with her to Tauris, leaving a hind in her place.
The quarrel of Agamemnon with Achil´les, and the troubles that
resulted, form the principal subject of Homer's Iliad. In the division
of captives, after the taking of Troy, Cassandra, one of the daughters
of Priam, fell to the lot of Agamemnon. This princess had been endowed
by Apollo with the gift of prophecy, but as she refused afterwards to
listen to the suit of that god, he decreed that no one should attach
any credit to her predictions. It was so in the present instance.
Clytemnestra, the queen of Agamemnon, believing, and perhaps hoping,
that her husband would not return, had given a promise of marriage to
Ægisthus, who already considered himself king of Mycenæ. Cassandra
warned Agamemnon against returning thither, but her prediction was
disregarded. Agamemnon was assassinated immediately on his arrival at
Mycenæ; according to the tragic poets, it was Clytemnestra who dealt
the fatal blow.
ACHILLES.
_Ques._ Who was Achil´les?
_Ans._ He was the son of Peleus, king of Phthio´tis in Thessaly; his
mother was Thetis, a sea-goddess. Many incredible stories are told
concerning the manner in which the hero was nursed in his infancy.
According to one account, his mother designed to make him immortal,
and for that purpose anointed him with ambrosia during the day, and
laid him in the fire at night. The fears of Peleus interrupted this
strange treatment, and Achil´les remained subject to death. Calchas
had declared that Troy could not be taken without his aid, and Thetis,
who was aware that her son was destined to perish if he joined the
expedition, disguised him in female attire, and concealed him among
the daughters of King Lycome´des. Ulysses was sent to discover his
retreat, which he effected by the following stratagem. Attired as a
travelling merchant, he presented himself at court, and displayed
before the queen and her maidens, various articles of female attire.
Some pieces of armor were disposed among the merchandise; by the order
of Ulys´ses, a trumpet was suddenly blown, when the disguised
Achil´les betrayed himself by seizing the armor. The young warrior was
then obliged to join the expedition. During the siege, Achil´les had a
dispute with Agamemnon, concerning some female captives; considering
himself wronged, he withdrew from the contest, and no entreaties could
induce him to return to the field. The death of his friend Patroclus,
who fell by the hand of Hector, at length aroused him to action.
Achil´les' armor, which he had lent to Patroclus, had become the spoil
of Hector, and it was upon this occasion that Vulcan fabricated for
the hero, the famous suit which is described in the Iliad. Arrayed in
this Achil´les performed prodigies of valor, and at length killed
Hector, after a desperate combat. According to Homer, Achil´les took
an ignoble revenge on the dead body of his foe, which he dragged at
his chariot-wheels, three times around the tomb of Patroclus. The
corpse of the Trojan hero was yielded at last, to the tears and
supplications of Priam, and a truce was granted to the Trojans, for
the performance of the funeral rites. Achil´les was himself slain soon
after; his ashes were mingled in a golden urn with those of
Patroclus, and a tomb was erected to both heroes, on the promontory of
Sigoeum.
The vindictive spirit of Achil´les knew no repose, even in death.
After the fall of Troy, his ghost appeared to the Greeks, and
commanded them, with fearful menaces in case of refusal, to sacrifice
on his tomb, Polyxena, one of the daughters of Priam. The unhappy
maiden was torn from her mother's arms, and immolated by Pyrrhus, the
son of Achil´les. Hec´uba learned soon after the sad fate of her son
Polydorus. This young prince, who had been commended by Priam to the
care of Polymnestor, king of Thrace, was treacherously murdered by
that monarch. The bereaved mother planned a terrible revenge.
Promising disclosures with regard to hidden treasures, she induced
Polymnestor and his children to visit her in secret. Then, aided by
her fellow captives, Hec´uba murdered the young princes and put out
the father's eyes. While endeavoring to escape from the vengeance of
the Thracians, she was suddenly transformed into a dog.