16 ‘HISTORICAL TALES.

Achilles, Removing her helmet, the victor was
deeply affected to find that it was a beautiful woman
he had slain.

The mighty Memnon, son of godlike parents, now
made his appearance in the Trojan ranks, at the
head of a band of black Ethiopians, with whom
he wrought havoc among the Greeks. At length
Achilles encountered this hero also, and a terrible
battle ensued, whose result was long in doubt. In
the end Achilles triumphed and Memnon fell. But
he died to become immortal, for his goddess mother
prayed for and obtained for him the gift of immortal
life.

Such triumphs were easy for Achilles, whose flesh
no weapon could pierce; but no one was invulnerable
to the poets, and his end came at last. He had
routed the Trojans and driven them within their
gates, when Paris, aided by Apollo, the divine
archer, shot an arrow at the hero which struck him
in his one pregnable spot, the heel. The fear of
Thetis was realized, her son died from the wound,
and a fierce battle took place for the possession of
his body. This Ajax and Ulysses succeeded in
carrying off to the Grecian camp, where it was
burned on a magnificent funeral pile. Achilles,
like his victim Memnon, was made immortal by
the favor of the gods. His armor was offered
as a prize to the most distinguished Grecian hero,
and was adjudged to Ulysses, whereupon Ajax,
his close contestant for the prize, slew himself in
despair.

We cannot follow all the incidents of the cam-