30 Laodamia

When the Greek ships reached the Trojan land at the outbreak of the war，a prophet declared that the first Greek setting foot on the enemy soil was doomed to die ．Protesilaus，a Greek chief，seeing that there was a gooddeal of hesitation among his comrades，leapt overboard and fellinstantly，pierced through by Hector's spear ．When his wife Laodamia heard of this she was simply inconsolable ．She offered rich sacrifice to the gods and begged Zeus to restore herslaughtered lord to her．Moved by her fidelity ，Zeus sent Hermes to escort the shade of Protesilaus back to the upper air tostay with his wife for three hours．Laodamia's joy knew nobounds when she held her slain lord once more in her arms．Protesilaus told her the story of his selfsacrifice，and Laodamiawas happy to become a bride for a second time．However，shegave a sharp cry when she saw Hermes coming at the fixed hourto take Protesilaus back to the lower world．So sad was she at the second p...