en the ships of
the Greeks were collected at Aulis, bearing evils to Priam and the
Trojans, and we round about the fountain, at the sacred altars, offered
perfect hecatombs to the immortals, beneath a beauteous plane-tree,
whence flowed limpid water.[103] There a great prodigy appeared; a
serpent, spotted on the back, horrible, which the Olympian himself had
sent forth into the light, having glided out from beneath the altar,
proceeded forthwith to the plane-tree. And there were the young of a
sparrow, an infant offspring, on a topmost branch, cowering amongst the
foliage, eight in number; but the mother, which had brought forth the
young ones, was the ninth. Thereupon he devoured them, twittering
piteously, while the mother kept fluttering about, lamenting her dear
young; but then, having turned himself about, he seized her by the wing,
screaming around. But after he had devoured the young of the sparrow,
and herself, the god who had displayed him rendered him very portentous,
for the son of wily Saturn changed him into a stone; but we, standing
by, were astonished at what happened. Thus, therefore, the dreadful
portents of the gods approached the hecatombs. Calchas, then,
immediately addressed us, revealing from the gods: 'Why are ye become
silent, ye waving-crested Greeks? For us, indeed, provident Jove has
shown a great sign, late, of late accomplishment, the renown of which
shall never perish. As this [serpent] has devoured the young of the
sparrow, eight in number, and herself, the mother which brought out the
brood, was the ninth, so must we for as many years[104] wage war here,
but in the tenth we shall take the wide-wayed city.' He indeed thus
harangued: and all these things are now in course of accomplishment. But
come, ye well-greaved Greeks, remain all here, until we shall take the
great city of Priam."

[Footnote 100: See Grote, vol. i. p. 392, n. 2.]

[Footnote 101: I have followed Wolf, taking [Greek: oun uni
polyzygo] in connection with [Greek: menon]. Others most
awkwardly make [Greek: sun=para].]

[Footnote 102: Cf. Buttm. Lexil. s. v. [Greek: eilein].]

[Footnote 103: Pausanias, ix. 20, says that both the spring and
the remains of the tree were shown in his time. The whole of this
fable has been translated into verse by Cicero, de Div. ii. 30.
Compare the following passage of Apuleius de Deo Socr. p. 52, ed.
Elm. "Calchas longe praestabilis ariolari, simul alites et a