The gods sat on Mt. Olympus drinking nectar and watching the Greeks and the Trojans below. Only Aphrodite was not there. She had hurried away to save Paris from Menelaus.
"Look at you," said Zeus to Hera and Athena. "I don't see Aphrodite lounging around, sipping nectar, do you? She's down there, on the battlefield, protecting Paris. If you were really serious about this whole war, shouldn't you be down there helping Menelaus?
The goddesses ignored him.
"Ladies, have you ever considered peace? This war has gone on for ever. Do we have to continue it just for your pleasure?"
"End it then," said Hera angrily. "I've spent the last decade working hard to help the Greeks fight this war, and you just want suddenly turn all that into a complete waste of time and effort."
She continued shouting angrily at Zeus for a while longer.
Then Zeus sighed. "Woman, I have had enough of your shouting. We will do as you want. At least, that will keep you quiet for a while. Troy will be destroyed, but only on one condition: if I ever want to destroy a city which you like, you will not stand in my way. For Troy has never done me wrong. It has always given me the proper sacrifices and I have grown to love its people. This is a painful decision that I am making."
"But it is an excellent idea," said Hera joyfully. "Take Sparta, Argos, any of these cities. Just let me destroy Troy.
So Athena immediately flew down to Troy like a shooting star and whispered into a Trojan archer's ear.
"Fine man, shoot Menelaus now and you will have glory even greater than the heroes of old. Men will continue to tell your story many centuries from now."
The archer hesitated at first, but he could not fight the words of the goddess of wisdom. And so he picked up his bow and shot Menelaus.
|
●英字新聞社ジャパンタイムズによる英語学習サイト。英語のニュース、よみもの、リスニングなどのコンテンツを無料で提供。無料見本紙はこちら
