and neither Acamas, son of Theseus, nor any other of the Achaeans led thee captive, but thou didst perish witty fatherland.
All the multitude of strife and the sorrows of that night I could not sing, distinguishing each event. This is the Musesâ task; and I shall drive, as it were a horse,a a song which, wheeling about, grazes the turning-post.
Dawn in her car was just speeding back from Ocean in the East and marking great space of sky with slowly brightening light, dispelling slaughterous night; and they, exulting in their proud victory in war, looked everywhere throughout the city to find if any others were concealed and avoiding the murderous warfare that embraced all the people. But they were overcome by the all-capturing net of death, as fishes poured forth on the shores of the sea. And the Argives carried from the halls their new bravery to deck their ships and many treasured heirlooms did they seize from the desolate chambers. And with them they carried off by force captive wives and children together unto the ships. And having arrayed city-sacking fire against the walls, in one flame they confounded all the works of Poseidon.b And even there was smoking Ilios made a great monument to her dear citizens. And Xanthus, beholding the fiery doom of the city, wept with seaward flowing fountain of lamentation, and, terrified by the anger of Hera, yielded to Hephaestus.
a For this metaphor cf. Lucret. vi. 90 ff. ãTu mihi supremae praescripta ad candida calcis Currenti spatium praemonstra, callida Musa Callipe.ä We take the sense to be: I cannot go into detail (Eur. Ph. 751 (Susan note Grk). This is poetry. As the charioteer tries to graze the turning-post (ãmetaque fervidis evitata rotis,ä Hor. C. i. l. 4) and not to run wide, so my song will be as brief as may be: (Susan note Grk), Pind. P. ix. 77.
b In reference to the building of the walls by Poseidon and Apollo. So Verg. A. iii. 3 ãIlium et omnis humo fumat Neptunia Troiaä; cf. A. ii. 622.