Ilus, being satisfied that the statue was the sign for which he had
prayed, immediately set about building his city, and thus Troy was
founded. It soon became the capital of Troas and the richest and most
powerful city in that part of the world. During the reign of Laomedon,
son of Ilus, its mighty walls were erected, which in the next reign
withstood for ten years all the assaults of the Greeks. These walls were
the work of no human hands. They were built by the ocean god Neptune.
This god had conspired against Jupiter and attempted to dethrone him,
and, as a punishment, his kingdom of the sea was taken away from him for
one year, and he was ordered to spend that time in the service of the
king of Troy.

In building the great walls, Neptune was assisted by Apollo, who had
also been driven from Olympus for an offense against Jupiter. Apollo had
a son named Æs-cu-laʹpi-us, who was so skilled a physician that he
could, and did, raise people from death to life. Jupiter was very angry
at this. He feared that men might forget him and worship Æsculapius. He
therefore hurled a thunderbolt at the great physician and killed him.
Enraged at the death of his son, Apollo threatened to destroy the
Cyclops, the giant workmen of Vulcan, who had forged the terrible
thunderbolt. Before he could carry out his threat, however, Jupiter
expelled him from heaven. He remained on earth for several years, after
which he was permitted to return to his place among the gods on the top
of Mount Olympus.

[Illustration: NEPTUNE.

_National Museum, Athens._]

Though Neptune was bound to serve Laomedon for one year, there was an