youth to the court of Lyc-o-meʹdes, king of the island of Scyʹros. Here
Achilles, dressed like a young girl, resided as a companion of the
king's daughters. But Calʹchas, the soothsayer of the Grecian army, told
the chiefs that without the help of Achilles Troy could not be taken.

Calchas the wise, the Grecian priest and guide,
That sacred seer, whose comprehensive view,
The past, the present, and the future knew.

POPE, _Iliad_, Book I.

Calchas, however, could not tell where Achilles was to be found, and
when they applied to Peleus, he too was unable or unwilling to tell
them. In this difficulty the wily king of Ithaca did good service. After
much inquiry he discovered that Achilles was at Scyros with the king's
daughters. He soon made his way to the island, but here there was a new
difficulty. He had never seen the young prince, and how was he to know
him? But he devised a scheme which proved entirely successful. Equipping
himself as a peddler, he went to the royal palace, exhibiting jewelry
and other fancy articles to attract the attention of the ladies of the
family. He also had some beautiful weapons of war among his wares.

[Illustration: ACHILLES AT THE COURT OF LYCOMEDES.

_Painting by Battoni._]

As soon as he appeared, the maidens gathered about him and began
examining the jewels. But one of the group eagerly seized a weapon, and
handled it with much skill and pleasure. Satisfied that this was the
young prince of whom he was in search, the pretended peddler announced