WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.100 Cygnus 00:00:03.100 --> 00:00:08.550 The great and terrible war between the Greeks and the people of Troy had just begun. 00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:11.560 A fleet of Greek ships had dropped anchor. 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:15.280 Warriors armed to the teeth were wading ashore. 00:00:15.280 --> 00:00:19.040 The people of Troy knew this army had come to attack their city. 00:00:19.040 --> 00:00:21.320 The Trojan men sharpened their swords, 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.410 they harnessed horses to chariots, 00:00:23.410 --> 00:00:27.600 they seized helmets and shields and strapped on breastplates. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:34.940 The bronze gates of their city were thrown open and the Trojan army poured across the plain with a whirring of wheels, 00:00:34.940 --> 00:00:36.220 a creaking of chariots, 00:00:36.220 --> 00:00:37.630 a neighing of horses, 00:00:37.630 --> 00:00:41.600 a shouting of men and a thundering of hooves and feet. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.510 With a crash of bronze against bronze, 00:00:44.510 --> 00:00:47.070 the Trojans met the Greeks. 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:52.100 And striding among the Trojan soldiers was a warrior called Cygnus. 00:00:52.100 --> 00:00:55.310 He stood head and shoulders above all other men. 00:00:55.310 --> 00:00:59.390 His skin was charmed against the striking of all weapons; 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:02.460 sword, dagger, spear, arrow and battle axe. 00:01:02.460 --> 00:01:05.690 He was a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. 00:01:05.690 --> 00:01:08.880 He was white skinned, white lipped, white tongued, 00:01:08.880 --> 00:01:11.060 as white as sea foam. 00:01:11.060 --> 00:01:14.480 He cut down Greeks with every stroke of his sword, 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.510 with every thrust of his spear, 00:01:16.510 --> 00:01:24.150 while the Greeks’ swords buckled against his skin and Greek spears glanced from him as if glancing from stone. 00:01:24.150 --> 00:01:29.400 He left a wake of dead behind himself as he fought. 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:33.460 Among the Greeks was their fiercest warrior: Achilles. 00:01:33.460 --> 00:01:36.070 As soon as his eyes fastened on Cygnus, 00:01:36.070 --> 00:01:39.100 he came bounding across the battlefield towards him, 00:01:39.100 --> 00:01:41.470 as though he was running through long grass. 00:01:41.470 --> 00:01:44.110 When he drew close to Cygnus, he lifted his spear. 00:01:44.110 --> 00:01:46.670 ‘Know it was Achilles who killed you.’ 00:01:46.670 --> 00:01:48.240 With all the strength of his arm, 00:01:48.240 --> 00:01:50.210 he hurled his spear. 00:01:50.210 --> 00:01:55.290 It struck Cygnus’ throat and clattered down to the ground at his feet, 00:01:55.290 --> 00:01:59.640 as though it was a reed that had been thrown by a little boy. 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:02.650 Cygnus lifted both his arms and laughed. 00:02:02.650 --> 00:02:04.700 ‘Throw another one my little friend. 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:06.130 I know who you are. 00:02:06.130 --> 00:02:07.760 You’re Thetis’ son. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:13.470 But I’m no more afraid of you than of a mosquito that I might smear across my arm. 00:02:13.470 --> 00:02:14.860 From head to foot, 00:02:14.860 --> 00:02:18.900 I am charmed against the striking of all weapons.’ 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:22.990 Achilles drew his bronze sword then and attacked Cygnus. 00:02:22.990 --> 00:02:24.580 He leapt and twisted, 00:02:24.580 --> 00:02:27.530 cutting and slashing with his sharp-edged blade, 00:02:27.530 --> 00:02:32.560 until Cygnus’ armour hung from his body like a shattered egg-shell. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:38.980 But still the white skin was unscratched and still Cygnus laughed at Achilles. 00:02:38.980 --> 00:02:42.120 And then he lifted his own spear and he threw it. 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.830 He threw it with such force that Achilles staggered backwards. 00:02:46.830 --> 00:02:49.930 The blade had penetrated the gold of his shield. 00:02:49.930 --> 00:02:54.660 It had penetrated nine layers of hardened ox-hide. 00:02:54.660 --> 00:02:58.610 But then Achilles caught his balance and smiled grimly, 00:02:58.610 --> 00:03:01.800 and it was as though in that moment he’d solved a riddle. 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:05.330 He curled his lips back from his teeth and screamed. 00:03:05.330 --> 00:03:09.590 He leapt and smashed his shield into Cygnus’ face. 00:03:09.590 --> 00:03:18.800 He ground the boss of his shield to the left and the right until Cygnus’ nose was smeared across his cheek and his teeth were shattered. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.280 Cygnus fell backwards and Achilles knelt on his shoulders. 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:23.850 ‘If weapons won’t harm you, 00:03:23.850 --> 00:03:25.480 what will armour do?’ 00:03:25.480 --> 00:03:30.500 He tore the helmet from Cygnus’ head and wrapped the helmet straps around his throat. 00:03:30.480 --> 00:03:40.890 He tugged and twisted and tightened the tourniquet until Cygnus’ head was half torn from his shoulders and every last shudder of life was gone from him. 00:03:40.890 --> 00:03:44.390 Splattered with blood and shrieking with laughter, 00:03:44.390 --> 00:03:47.130 Achilles leapt to his feet. 00:03:47.130 --> 00:03:52.490 The Trojan army stood and stared at him, appalled. 00:03:52.490 --> 00:03:55.550 And then a strange thing happened. 00:03:55.550 --> 00:04:01.390 The twisted, broken neck of Cygnus began to stretch and to curve. 00:04:01.390 --> 00:04:03.450 His face narrowed. 00:04:03.450 --> 00:04:07.370 His mouth stretched and hardened into a beak. 00:04:07.370 --> 00:04:10.950 White feathers pushed through his white skin. 00:04:10.950 --> 00:04:17.530 His father Poseidon had taken pity on him and had transformed him into a swan. 00:04:17.530 --> 00:04:25.030 He beat his feathered arms against the air and the shattered eggshell armour fell from his body. 00:04:25.030 --> 00:04:28.980 He flew up and up and up into the sky, 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:31.390 high above the battlefield. 00:04:31.390 --> 00:04:34.590 Every warrior stared up at him. 00:04:34.590 --> 00:04:39.810 There was no sound but the sighing and the soughing of his wings. 00:04:39.810 --> 00:04:46.560 Three times he circled above both armies and then he flew over the white sands, 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.850 over the masts of the ships, 00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:51.730 over the blue waves of the sea. 00:04:51.730 --> 0:04:54.090 And he was gone.