ll-trained
soldiers, the Myr'mi-dons, and with him came his friend Pa-tro'clus. All
were now eager to start, and ready to embark; but unfortunately there
was no favorable wind to fill their sails and waft them over to Asia
Minor.

Day after day they waited, and offered sacrifices to the gods, but all
in vain. At last they again consulted the oracle, who said that the
wind would not blow until Iph-i-ge-ni'a, Agamemnon's daughter, were
offered up in sacrifice to Di-an'a, goddess of the moon and the chase,
whom this king had once offended.

Agamemnon at first said that he would not sacrifice his daughter, but
finally his companions persuaded him to do so. Just as the priest was
about to kill the maiden on the altar, however, the goddess Diana came,
and carried her off unharmed, leaving a deer to be sacrificed in her
stead.

The deer was killed, the wind rose, the sails filled, and the Greek
fleet soon came within sight of the high walls and towers of Troy.
There, contrary to their expectations, the Greeks found the people ready
to fight them; but, after many days' struggle, they saw that they had
made no great advance.

On the wide plain which stretched out between the city and the sea, the
Greek and Tro'jan armies fought many a battle; and sometimes one party,
and sometimes the other, had the victory. The men on both sides had been
trained to handle their weapons with great skill, and there were many
fights in which the Greek heroes met the bravest Trojans.

[Illustration]

Nine years passed thus in continual warfare, but even then the Greeks
were as far from taking the town as on the first day; and the Trojans,
in spite of all their courage, had not been able to drive their enemies
away.

XVI. THE WRATH OF ACHILLES.

In all their battles, the booty won by the Greeks from the enemy had
been divided among the chiefs and soldiers, and on one occasion female
slaves were given to Agamemnon and Achilles. These girls were not born
slaves, but were captives of war reduced to slavery, as was then the
custom; for, while the men and boys were always killed, the women and
girls were forced to be the servants of the victors.

Now, it happened that the slave given to Agamemnon was the daughter of a
priest of A-pol'lo. He was very sorry when he heard she had fallen into
the hands of the Greeks, and sent a message to Agamemnon, offering to
give him a large sum of money if he would only set her free.

Agamemnon woul