chosen to keep armed observation of the walls: a hundred 35

warriors attend on each, red with scarlet crests and gleaming

with gold. They move from place to place and relieve

one another, and stretched on the grass give wine its fling

and tilt the brazen bowl. Bright shine the fires: the

warders speed the wakeful night with sport and game.

The Trojans look forth on the scene from their earthworks,

as in arms they man the summit; with anxious

fear they test the gates, and link bridge and bulwark, 5

their weapons in their hands. First in the work are Mnestheus