A SHORT SYSTEM OF CLASSICAL GEOGRAPHY. PART II. The Voyage of ENEAS from Troy to Italy. T HE fiege of Troy is so very famous for lasting ten years, and also upon account of the great number of heroes who were there, that it is unpardonable for any one to be ignorant of fuch an event. The cause of the war between the Greeks and Trojans was this: * Heaven and Earth were at peace, and the Gods and Goddesses enjoyed the most perfect tranquillity: when the goddess DISCORD, who delights in confufion and quarrels, displeased at this universal calm, refolved to excite diffenfion. In order to effect which, she threw among the goddesses a golden apple, upon which these words were written, "TO THE FAIREST." Immediately each of * Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his Son, Vol. i. Let. vi. p. 16. Oct. edit. the goddesses wanted to have the apple, and each faid she was the handsomest. The strife was, however, more particularly between Juno, the wife of Jupiter; VENUS, the goddess of love; and PALLAS, the goddess of arts and sciences. At length they agreed to be judged by a shepherd, named Paris, who fed his flocks upon mount Ida *, and was, however, son to Priam king of Troy. They appeared all three before Paris. Juno offered him the grandeurs of the world, if he would decide in her favour; Pallas promised him arts and sciences; but Venus, who tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the universe, prevailed, and he gave her the apple. The joy of Venus may be easily imagined, and the anger of Juno and Pallas. Venus, in order to perform her promife, ordered him to go to Menelaüs in Greece, whose wife, named Helen, would fall in love with him; accordingly he went, and was kindly received by Menelaüs; but foon after Paris ran away with Helen, and carried her off to Troy. Menelaüs, irritated at this injurious breach of hofpitality, complained to his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycene, who engaged the Greeks to revenge the affront. Embassadors were sent to Troy to demand the restitution of Helen, and in case of a refusal to declare war. Paris denied to restore her; upon which war was proclaimed, and the Grecian princes, under the fupreme command of Agamemnon, embark for Troy; but meeting with contrary winds, were detained by them at Aulist; upon which Calchas, the high priest, declared, that those adverse winds were fent by the goddess Diana, who would continue them till Iphigenia, daughter to Agamemnon, * IDA, a mountain of Troas in Phrygia, not far from Troy, sacred to Cybele. Hence Ganymede was ravished. It was covered with wood, especially pine-trees, and underneath it Æneas built his fleet. + Aulis, or Aulide, was a city and port of Barotia, on the gulph of Negropont. was |