Fragment #1—Proclus, Chrestomathia, ii: Next come two books of the
_Sack of Ilium_, by Arctinus of Miletus with the following contents.
The Trojans were suspicious of the wooden horse and standing round it
debated what they ought to do. Some thought they ought to hurl it down
from the rocks, others to burn it up, while others said they ought to
dedicate it to Athena. At last this third opinion prevailed. Then they
turned to mirth and feasting believing the war was at an end. But at
this very time two serpents appeared and destroyed Laocoon and one of
his two sons, a portent which so alarmed the followers of Aeneas that
they withdrew to Ida. Sinon then raised the fire-signal to the
Achaeans, having previously got into the city by pretence. The Greeks
then sailed in from Tenedos, and those in the wooden horse came out and
fell upon their enemies, killing many and storming the city.
Neoptolemus kills Priam who had fled to the altar of Zeus Herceius (1);
Menelaus finds Helen and takes her to the ships, after killing
Deiphobus; and Aias the son of Ileus, while trying to drag Cassandra
away by force, tears away with her the image of Athena. At this the
Greeks are so enraged that they determine to stone Aias, who only
escapes from the danger threatening him by taking refuge at the altar
of Athena. The Greeks, after burning the city, sacrifice Polyxena at
the tomb of Achilles: Odysseus murders Astyanax; Neoptolemus takes
Andromache as his prize, and the remaining spoils are divided. Demophon
and Acamas find Aethra and take her with them. Lastly the Greeks sail
away and Athena plans to destroy them on the high seas.
Fragment #2—Dionysus Halicarn, Rom. Antiq. i. 68: According to
Arctinus, one Palladium was given to Dardanus by Zeus, and this was in
Ilium until the city was taken. It was hidden in a secret place, and a
copy was made resembling the original in all points and set up for all
to see, in order to deceive those who might have designs against it.
This copy the Achaeans took as a result of their plots.
Fragment #3—Scholiast on Euripedes, Andromache 10: The Cyclic poet who
composed the _Sack_ says that Astyanax was also hurled from the city
wall.
Fragment #4—Scholiast on Euripedes, Troades 31: For the followers of
Acamus and Demophon took no share—it is said—of the spoils, but only
Aethra, for whose sake, indeed, they came to Ilium with Menestheus to
lead them. Lysimachus, however, says that the author of the _Sack_
writes as follows: ‘The lord Agamemnon gave gifts to the Sons of
Theseus and to bold Menestheus, shepherd of hosts.’
Fragment #5—Eustathius on Iliad, xiii. 515: Some say that such praise
as this 3201 does not apply to physicians generally, but only to
Machaon: and some say that he only practised surgery, while Podaleirius
treated sicknesses. Arctinus in the _Sack of Ilium_ seems to be of this
opinion when he says:
(ll. 1-8) ‘For their father the famous Earth-Shaker gave both of them
gifts, making each more glorious than the other. To the one he gave
hands more light to draw or cut out missiles from the flesh and to heal
all kinds of wounds; but in the heart of the other he put full and
perfect knowledge to tell hidden diseases and cure desperate
sicknesses. It was he who first noticed Aias’ flashing eyes and clouded
mind when he was enraged.’
Fragment #6—Diomedes in Gramm., Lat. i. 477: ‘Iambus stood a little
while astride with foot advanced, that so his strained limbs might get
power and have a show of ready strength.’