Поющие в терновнике

           Homer’swine-darksea,adelicateclearaquamarinenearthebeaches,purple-stainedlikegrapesasitstretchedtothecurvinghorizon.Onagreenswardfarbelowhimstoodatinyroundpillaredtemple,verywhiteinthesun,andontheriseofthehillbehindhimafrowningCrusaderfortressendured.Greece,youareverybeautiful,morebeautifulthanItaly,forallthatIloveItaly.Buthereisthecradle,forever.

           PantingtobeinAthens,hepushedon,gunnedtheredsportscaruptheswitchbacksoftheDomokosPassanddescendeditsothersideintoBoeotia,astunningpanoramaofolivegroves,rustyhillsides,mountains.YetinspiteofhishastehestoppedtolookattheoddlyHollywoodishmonumenttoLeonidasandhisSpartansatThermopylae.Thestonesaid:"Stranger,gotelltheSpartansthatherewelie,inobediencetotheircommand."Itstruckachordinhim,almostseemedtobewordshemighthaveheardinadifferentcontext;heshiveredandwentonquickly.

           InmeltedsunhepausedforawhileaboveKamenaVoura,swamintheclearwaterlookingacrossthenarrowstraittoEuboea;theremustthethousandshipshavesailedfromAulis,ontheirwaytoTroy.Itwasastrongcurrent,swirlingseaward;theymustnothavehadtoplytheiroarsveryhard.Theecstaticcooingsandstrokingsoftheancientblack-garbedcroneinthebathhouseembarrassedhim;hecouldn’tgetawayfromherfastenough.Peopleneverreferredtohisbeautytohisfaceanymore,somostofthetimehewasabletoforgetit.