Monday, 10 February 2014

It is, he claims, the battle yell of Achilles

Twelve days earlier,  d'Annunzio, ever attentive to the ritual of warfare,  has taught his squadron a new battle cry. Instead of the 'Ip, Ip, Ip, Urrah!' which he finds crude and barbarous,  he has ordered them to shout the Greek: 'Eia, Eia, Eia, Alala!' It is, he claims, the battle yell of Achilles.

L. Hughes-Hallet, The Pike (2013), 38

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