PEACE, . 67

H. “But why are they doing this?”

T. “Why? Because while we sacrifice to you,
the barbarians sacrifice to them: so, of course, they
want to get us out of the way, and then they will
get all the sacrifices themselves.”

H. “Oh! I see; and that, I suppose, isthe reason
why they have been filching part of our days, and
nibbling off bits from their rounds.” 4

T. “Just so, my dear Hermes; so lend us a hand,
and help to pull Peace out of the cave; and it is to
you that we'll keep all the great feasts, — the feast
of Athené, the feast. of Zeus, and the feast of:
Adonis, and all the rest of them. Yes; all the cities
will sacrifice to you as Hermes the Saviour. And
here, my dear Hermes, by way of earnest, is a gold
cup.” (Produces a gold citp.)

_ Hf. “Dear me! how very pitiful the sight of the
gold makes me. Now, my men, it is for you to do
the rest. Up with your shovels, and work away.”

T. But let us first do our duty to the gods.
Hermes, hold out the cup, and we’ll begin with liba-
tions and prayers.”

ff, “Silence for the libation!”

I. “T pour and pray. Let this glad morn begiri

All joy to Greece; and he who lends to-day
A willing hand ne’er carry shield again.”

1 Among the terrors and calamities which preceded and accom-
panied the Peloponnesian war, Thucydides (1.23) mentions “ eclipses
of the sun more frequent than had ever been recorded before.” One
of these happened in the first year of the war (August 3, 431), and
another in the eleventh (March 21, 421).