Latin poetry -- Adaptations; Virgil -- Adaptations
Now in the midst of the city was a wood, very thick with trees, and
here the men of Carthage, first coming to the land from their voyage,
had digged out of the ground that which Juno had said should be a sign
to them, even a horse's head; for that, finding this, their city would
be mighty in war, and full of riches. Here, then, Dido was building a
temple to Juno, very splendid, with threshold of bronze, and many
steps thereunto; of bronze also were the door-posts and the gates. And
here befell a thing which gave much comfort and courage to Æneas; for
as he stood and regarded the place, waiting also for the queen, he saw
set forth in order upon the walls the battles that had been fought at
Troy, the sons of Atreus also, and King Priam, and fierce Achilles.
Then said he, not without tears, "Is there any land, O Achates, that
is not filled with our sorrows? Seest thou Priam? Yet withal there is
a reward for virtue here also, and tears and pity for the troubles of
men. Fear not, therefore. Surely the fame of these things shall profit
us."
Then he looked, satisfying his soul with the paintings on the walls.
For there was the city of Troy. In this part of the field the Greeks
fled and the youth of Troy pursued them, and in that the men of Troy
fled, and Achilles followed hard upon them in his chariot. Also he saw
the white tents of Rhesus, King of Thrace, whom the fierce Diomed slew
in his sleep, when he was newly come to Troy, and drave his horses to
the camp before they ate of the grass of the fields of Troy or drank
the waters of Xanthus. There also Troïlus was pictured, ill-matched in
battle with the great Achilles. His horses bare him along; but he lay
on his back in the chariot, yet holding the reins, and his neck and
head were dragged upon the earth, and the spear-point made a trail in
the dust. And in another place the women of Troy went suppliant-wise
to the temple of Minerva, bearing a great and beautiful robe, sad and
beating their breasts, and with hair unbound; but the goddess regarded
them not. Also Achilles dragged the body of Hector three times round
the walls of Troy, and was selling it for gold. And Æneas groaned when
he saw the man whom he loved, and the old man Priam reaching out
helpless hands. Also he knew himself, fighting in the midst of the
Grecian chiefs; black Memnon also he knew, and the hosts of the East;
and Penthesilea leading the army of the Amazons with shields shaped as
the moon. Fierce she was to see, with one breast bared for battle, and
a golden girdle beneath it, a damsel daring to fight with men.
CHAPTER VIII.
DIDO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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