Page 139 - the-iliad

Now in the twilight when it was not yet dawn, chosen
bands of the Achaeans were gathered round the pyre and
built one barrow that was raised in common for all, and
hard by this they built a high wall to shelter themselves and
their ships; they gave it strong gates that there might be a
way through them for their chariots, and close outside it
they dug a trench deep and wide, and they planted it within
with stakes.
Thus did the Achaeans toil, and the gods, seated by the
side of Jove the lord of lightning, marvelled at their great
work; but Neptune, lord of the earthquake, spoke, saying,
‘Father Jove, what mortal in the whole world will again take
the gods into his counsel? See you not how the Achaeans
have built a wall about their ships and driven a trench all
round it, without offering hecatombs to the gods? The fame
of this wall will reach as far as dawn itself, and men will
no longer think anything of the one which Phoebus Apollo
and myself built with so much labour for Laomedon.’
Jove was displeased and answered, ‘What, O shaker of
the earth, are you talking about? A god less powerful than
yourself might be alarmed at what they are doing, but your
fame reaches as far as dawn itself. Surely when the Achae-
ans have gone home with their ships, you can shatter their
wall and fling it into the sea; you can cover the beach with
sand again, and the great wall of the Achaeans will then be
utterly effaced.’
Thus did they converse, and by sunset the work of the
Achaeans was completed; they then slaughtered oxen at
their tents and got their supper. Many ships had come with

1 The Iliad