Latin poetry -- Adaptations; Virgil -- Adaptations
Then spake Jupiter to Juno, where she sat in a cloud watching the
battle, "How long wilt thou fight against fate? What purpose hast thou
now in thy heart? Was it well that Juturna--for what could she avail
without thy help?--should give back to Turnus his sword? Thou hast
driven the men of Troy over land and sea, and kindled a dreadful war,
and mingled the song of marriage with mourning. Further thou mayest
not go."
And Juno humbly made answer, "This is thy will, great Father; else had
I not sat here, but stood in the battle smiting the men of Troy. And
indeed I spake to Juturna that she should help her brother; but aught
else I know not. And now I yield. Yet grant me this. Suffer not that
the Latins should be called after the name of Troy, nor change their
speech nor their garb. Let Rome rule the world, but let Troy perish
for ever."
Then spake with a smile the Maker of all things, "Truly thou art a
daughter of Saturn, so fierce is the wrath of thy soul! And now what
thou prayest I give. The Italians shall not change name, nor speech,
nor garb. The men of Troy shall mingle with them, and I will give them
a new worship, and call them all Latins. Nor shall any race pay thee
more honour than they."
Then Jupiter sent a Fury from the pit. And she took the form of a
bird, even of an owl that sitteth by night on the roof of a desolate
house, and flew before the face of Turnus and flapped her wings
against his shield. Then was Turnus stricken with great fear, so that
his hair stood up and his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. And
when Juturna knew the sound of the false bird what it was, she cried
aloud for fear, and left her brother and fled, hiding herself in the
river of Tiber.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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