Troy
Adele Geras
Historic Fiction
292/358
Summary
Paris is shot by the bow of Herakles. It isn't a terrible wound, but the arrow is spiked with poison. It soon kills him. Afterwards, not a day after he has died, his brothers are fighting over Helen. Everyone gets together, and Priam decides that Helen is to be wed to Deiphobus, Paris's brother. Helen and Marpessa move into Deiphobus's palace, bringing all Helen's things with them, but Helen gives an order not to unpack anything. Helen and Marpessa speak, and Helen flies into a rage, telling Marpessa that she would gladly help the Greeks take over the city. She doesn't care anymore.
Marpessa goes to the market. There, she meets Alastor, who tells her to meet him in the ruins where they normally meet because he needs to tell her something important. Marpessa agrees, but after Alastor has left, Marpessa thinks to herself and realizes that she's pregnant. She makes it a point to tell Alastor when they meet.
That night, at the ruins, Marpessa and Alastor meet. Alastor tells Marpessa that he is to be married to a girl from the country. He tells her that he does not wish to be married. He describes his feelings for her like a fire that burns in his body. Marpessa quickly identifies that the feelings that Alastor has for her are nothing more than desire. She tells him to go ahead and marry the girl; that she doesn't care anymore. After she has left, she goes to Mother Poison, a woman who deals in poisons. There, she gets a potion that will kill the baby inside of her before it is born.
Polyxena and Xanthe sit in Andromache's garden with Astyanax. Polyxena finally bring up the courage to tell Xanthe of Iason's message; that he loves her and wishes to marry her. Xanthe tells Polyxena to tell Iason that she will consider it.
The Singer wakes in the middle of the night, waking Polyxena along with him, and looks out the window. He finds that there is nothing out on the plain; not a single watch fire. He and Polyxena go down to the wall, where they find that all the Greeks have left. There are no tents, no camp and no ships in the bay. What they do see, though, is a giant horse. It is a giant horse made of wood, with flower garlands around its neck and body, like a gift. Soon people come down to the wall, and call the horse a gift to appease the goddess Athena, for the statue of the goddess was stolen earlier on, probably by the Greeks, and that the horse is an offering left so that the goddess will let them leave swiftly. The Trojans drag the horse into the city, and the watchmen are told that, since there is no impending threat from the Greeks, they have no reason to be on duty.
Response
I know the story of Troy, and how the Greeks hid inside the horse so they could attack from inside, so it is getting very suspenseful for me. I'm afraid of what might happen to Xanthe, Marpessa, Polyxena, Iason and all the other characters. I want there to be a happy ending, but seeing what happened in reality... It seems like it is nearing the climax, and it's getting very exciting.
Passage
"'No more enemies on the Plain, lads,' said their captain. 'So no more duty until I tell you different'.
'What about the Gate?' said one of the men.
'Shut it,' said the captain. he was a tidy man, and liked the look of everything closed up safely for the night, whatever the state of hostilities might be."
This passage is very interesting for me, because I know that, because the Gate is shut, no one can escape as the Greeks attack from the horse. It seems like foreshadowing, and it makes me want to yell at the men for being so stupid.
Adele Geras
Historic Fiction
292/358
Summary
Paris is shot by the bow of Herakles. It isn't a terrible wound, but the arrow is spiked with poison. It soon kills him. Afterwards, not a day after he has died, his brothers are fighting over Helen. Everyone gets together, and Priam decides that Helen is to be wed to Deiphobus, Paris's brother. Helen and Marpessa move into Deiphobus's palace, bringing all Helen's things with them, but Helen gives an order not to unpack anything. Helen and Marpessa speak, and Helen flies into a rage, telling Marpessa that she would gladly help the Greeks take over the city. She doesn't care anymore.
Marpessa goes to the market. There, she meets Alastor, who tells her to meet him in the ruins where they normally meet because he needs to tell her something important. Marpessa agrees, but after Alastor has left, Marpessa thinks to herself and realizes that she's pregnant. She makes it a point to tell Alastor when they meet.
That night, at the ruins, Marpessa and Alastor meet. Alastor tells Marpessa that he is to be married to a girl from the country. He tells her that he does not wish to be married. He describes his feelings for her like a fire that burns in his body. Marpessa quickly identifies that the feelings that Alastor has for her are nothing more than desire. She tells him to go ahead and marry the girl; that she doesn't care anymore. After she has left, she goes to Mother Poison, a woman who deals in poisons. There, she gets a potion that will kill the baby inside of her before it is born.
Polyxena and Xanthe sit in Andromache's garden with Astyanax. Polyxena finally bring up the courage to tell Xanthe of Iason's message; that he loves her and wishes to marry her. Xanthe tells Polyxena to tell Iason that she will consider it.
The Singer wakes in the middle of the night, waking Polyxena along with him, and looks out the window. He finds that there is nothing out on the plain; not a single watch fire. He and Polyxena go down to the wall, where they find that all the Greeks have left. There are no tents, no camp and no ships in the bay. What they do see, though, is a giant horse. It is a giant horse made of wood, with flower garlands around its neck and body, like a gift. Soon people come down to the wall, and call the horse a gift to appease the goddess Athena, for the statue of the goddess was stolen earlier on, probably by the Greeks, and that the horse is an offering left so that the goddess will let them leave swiftly. The Trojans drag the horse into the city, and the watchmen are told that, since there is no impending threat from the Greeks, they have no reason to be on duty.
Response
I know the story of Troy, and how the Greeks hid inside the horse so they could attack from inside, so it is getting very suspenseful for me. I'm afraid of what might happen to Xanthe, Marpessa, Polyxena, Iason and all the other characters. I want there to be a happy ending, but seeing what happened in reality... It seems like it is nearing the climax, and it's getting very exciting.
Passage
"'No more enemies on the Plain, lads,' said their captain. 'So no more duty until I tell you different'.
'What about the Gate?' said one of the men.
'Shut it,' said the captain. he was a tidy man, and liked the look of everything closed up safely for the night, whatever the state of hostilities might be."
This passage is very interesting for me, because I know that, because the Gate is shut, no one can escape as the Greeks attack from the horse. It seems like foreshadowing, and it makes me want to yell at the men for being so stupid.
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