Latin poetry -- Adaptations; Virgil -- Adaptations
And Iapis, unawares, applied the water that had been healed; and lo!
the pain was stayed and the blood was staunched, and the arrow came
forth, though no man drew it, and Æneas's strength came back to him as
before. Then said Iapis, "Art of mine hath not healed thee, my son.
The Gods call thee to thy work." Then did Æneas arm himself again, and
when he had kissed Iülus and bidden him farewell, he went forth to the
battle. And all the chiefs went with him, and the men of Troy took
courage and drave back the Latins. Then befell a great slaughter, for
Gyas slew Ufens, who was the leader of the Æquians; also Tolumnius,
the great augur, was slain, who had first broken the covenant, slaying
a man with his spear. But Æneas deigned not to turn his hand against
any man, seeking only for Turnus, that he might fight with him. But
when the nymph Juturna perceived this she was sore afraid. Therefore
she came near to the chariot of her brother, and thrust out Metiscus,
his charioteer, where he held the reins, and herself stood in his
room, having made herself like to him in shape and voice. Then as a
swallow flies through the halls and arcades of some rich man's house,
seeking food for its young, so Juturna drave the chariot of her
brother hither and thither. And ever Æneas followed behind, and called
to him that he should stay; but whenever he espied the man, and would
have overtaken him by running, then again did Juturna turn the horses
about and flee. And as he sped Messapus cast a spear at him. But Æneas
saw it coming, and put his shield over him, resting on his knee. Yet
did the spear smite him on the helmet-top and shear off the crest.
Then indeed was his wrath kindled, and he rushed into the army of the
enemy, slaying many as he went.
Then was there a great slaughter made on this side and on that. But
after a while Venus put it into the heart of Æneas that he should lead
his army against the city. Therefore he called together the chiefs,
and, standing in the midst of them on a mound, spake, saying, "Hearken
now to my words, and delay not to fulfil them, for of a truth Jupiter
is on our side. I am purposed this day to lay this city of Latinus
even with the ground, if they still refuse to obey. For why should I
wait for Turnus till it please him to meet me in battle?"
Then did the whole array make for the walls of the city. And some
carried firebrands, and some scaling-ladders, and some slew the
warders at the gates, and cast javelins at them who stood on the
walls. And then there arose a great strife in the city, for some would
have opened the gates that the men of Troy might enter, and others
made haste to defend the walls. Hither and thither did they run with
much tumult, even as bees in a hive in a rock which a shepherd hath
filled with smoke, having first shut all the doors thereof.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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