ccount
of his military talents, and being the brother of Menelaus, was
appointed commander-in-chief of the combined forces. After the army
had assembled in the port of Aulis, Diana, provoked at his having
killed one of her favourite stags, prevented by contrary winds their
sailing for Troy. On consulting the Oracle, the Greeks were informed
that Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, must be sacrificed to appease
the enraged goddess, otherwise they must remain in harbour. Struck
with horror at this awful response, Agamemnon sternly refused to give
up his daughter, and ordered the princes to return home with their
troops. But the winning eloquence of Ulysses and the urgent
remonstrances of the other chiefs at last prevailed, and paternal
affection yielded to military fame. Ulysses was then sent to Mycenae,
to carry the beautiful Iphigenia to bleed on the altar of Diana. The
innocent victim's blood procured a favourable wind to the Grecian
fleet.

Orion sprang from Jupiter and Mercury. These gods promised to Hyricus,
a B[oe]otian peasant, who had entertained them hospitably, whatever he
would ask. Having no child, his wife being dead, and he being bound
by promise not to marry again, requested a son. The gods then put
water into the hide of a bull, which Hyricus had offered to them in
sacrifice on discovering their divinity, and ordered him to bury it in
the earth for nine months. At the end of that time, taking it out, he
found a lively boy.

Palici, twin brothers, were sons of Jupiter and Thalia or AEtna, a
daughter of Vulcan, who during her pregnancy prayed to be saved from
the fury of Juno, by being concealed in the bowels of the earth. Her
request was granted, and Tellus at the proper time brought to light
the two boys. They were worshipped with great solemnity by the
Sicilians. Their temple stood near the lakes or springs, strongly
impregnated with sulphur, to which those who wished to put an end to
quarrels by oath used to repair. False swearers were punished there in
a miraculous manner, whilst the innocent escaped without injury. Some
suppose that the perjured persons were destroyed by secret fire, while
others think they were drowned.

Palladium was a statue of the goddess Pallas or Minerva, said to have
fallen from heaven, near the tent of the king of Troy, when he was
building the Citadel. An ancient oracle declared that, so long as the
Palladium remained within the walls, Troy could not be taken. On that
acco