Misericordia, or Mercy, had an altar at Athens This was a public sanctuary for the unfortunate, and it was unlawful to take any one from it by force. […] He was king of Mycenæ, and commander-in-chief of the Grecian forces during the siege of Troy. […] Ulysses was obliged to have these men dragged away by force, and even then, it was necessary to bind them with ropes to the benches of the ship. […] They were then carried downwards with great force, as by the current of a rapid river. […] The gods continually feared that the giants might force their way over the shining arch, and invade Valhalla.