Open their glades were, not, as in time past, Haunted of beasts: there dry the tree-trunks rose Wooing the winds. Even these the Achaeans hewed With axes, and in haste they bare them down From those shagged mountain heights to Hellespont's shores.
Strained with a strenuous spirit at the work Young men and mules; and all the people toiled Each at his task obeying Epeius's hest.
For with the keen steel some were hewing beams, Some measuring planks, and some with axes lopped Branches away from trunks as yet unsawn:
Each wrought his several work. Epeius first Fashioned the feet of that great Horse of Wood:
The belly next he shaped, and over this Moulded the back and the great loins behind, The throat in front, and ridged the towering neck With waving mane: the crested head he wrought, The streaming tail, the ears, the lucent eyes -- All that of lifelike horses have. So grew Like a live thing that more than human work, For a God gave to a man that wondrous craft.
And in three days, by Pallas's decree, Finished was all. Rejoiced thereat the host Of Argos, marvelling how the wood expressed Mettle, and speed of foot -- yea, seemed to neigh.
Godlike Epeius then uplifted hands To Pallas, and for that huge Horse he prayed:
"Hear, great-souled Goddess: bless thine Horse and me!"
He spake: Athena rich in counsel heard, And made his work a marvel to all men Which saw, or heard its fame in days to be.
But while the Danaans o'er Epeius' work Joyed, and their routed foes within the walls Tarried, and shrank from death and pitiless doom, Then, when imperious Zeus far from the Gods Had gone to Ocean's streams and Tethys' caves, Strife rose between the Immortals: heart with heart Was set at variance. Riding on the blasts Of winds, from heaven to earth they swooped: the air Crashed round them. Lighting down by Xanthus' stream Arrayed they stood against each other, these For the Achaeans, for the Trojans those;
And all their souls were thrilled with lust of war:
There gathered too the Lords of the wide Sea.
These in their wrath were eager to destroy The Horse of Guile and all the ships, and those Fair Ilium. But all-contriving Fate Held them therefrom, and turned their hearts to strife Against each other. Ares to the fray Rose first, and on Athena rushed. Thereat Fell each on other: clashed around their limbs The golden arms celestial as they charged.
Round them the wide sea thundered, the dark earth Quaked 'neath immortal feet. Rang from them all Far-pealing battle-shouts; that awful cry Rolled up to the broad-arching heaven, and down Even to Hades' fathomless abyss:
Trembled the Titans there in depths of gloom.
Ida's long ridges sighed, sobbed clamorous streams Of ever-flowing rivers, groaned ravines Far-furrowed, Argive ships, and Priam's towers.
Yet men feared not, for naught they knew of all That strife, by Heaven's decree. Then her high peaks The Gods' hands wrenched from Ida's crest, and hurled Against each other: but like crumbling sands Shivered they fell round those invincible limbs, Shattered to small dust. But the mind of Zeus, At the utmost verge of earth, was ware of all:
Straight left he Ocean's stream, and to wide heaven Ascended, charioted upon the winds, The East, the North, the West-wind, and the South:
For Iris rainbow-plumed led 'neath the yoke Of his eternal ear that stormy team, The ear which Time the immortal framed for him Of adamant with never-wearying hands.
So came he to Olympus' giant ridge.
His wrath shook all the firmament, as crashed From east to west his thunders; lightnings gleamed, As thick and fast his thunderbolts poured to earth, And flamed the limitless welkin. Terror fell Upon the hearts of those Immortals: quaked The limbs of all -- ay, deathless though they were!
Then Themis, trembling for them, swift as thought Leapt down through clouds, and came with speed to them -- For in the strife she only had no part And stood between the fighters, and she cried:
"Forbear the conflict! O, when Zeus is wroth, It ill beseems that everlasting Gods Should fight for men's sake, creatures of a day:
Else shall ye be all suddenly destroyed;
For Zeus will tear up all the hills, and hurl Upon you: sons nor daughters will he spare, But bury 'neath one ruin of shattered earth All. No escape shall ye find thence to light, In horror of darkness prisoned evermore."
Dreading Zeus' menace gave they heed to her, From strife refrained, and cast away their wrath, And were made one in peace and amity.
Some heavenward soared, some plunged into the sea, On earth stayed some. Amid the Achaean host Spake in his subtlety Laertes' son:
"O valorous-hearted lords of the Argive host, Now prove in time of need what men ye be, How passing-strong, how flawless-brave! The hour Is this for desperate emprise: now, with hearts Heroic, enter ye yon carven horse, So to attain the goal of this stern war.
For better it is by stratagem and craft Now to destroy this city, for whose sake Hither we came, and still are suffering Many afflictions far from our own land.
Come then, and let your hearts be stout and strong For he who in stress of fight hath turned to bay And snatched a desperate courage from despair, Oft, though the weaker, slays a mightier foe.
For courage, which is all men's glory, makes The heart great. Come then, set the ambush, ye Which be our mightiest, and the rest shall go To Tenedos' hallowed burg, and there abide Until our foes have haled within their walls Us with the Horse, as deeming that they bring A gift unto Tritonis. Some brave man, One whom the Trojans know not, yet we lack, To harden his heart as steel, and to abide Near by the Horse. Let that man bear in mind Heedfully whatsoe'er I said erewhile.
And let none other thought be in his heart, Lest to the foe our counsel be revealed."
Then, when all others feared, a man far-famed Made answer, Sinon, marked of destiny To bring the great work to accomplishment.
Therefore with worship all men looked on him, The loyal of heart, as in the midst he spake:
