And now all had received their presents, and each, glorying in his treasure, was walking along with purple festooning 5 round his brows, when Sergestus, at last with great pain dislodged from the cruel rock, his oars lost and one whole side crippled, was seen propelling among jeers his inglorious vessel. Like as a serpent surprised on the highway, whom a brazen wheel has driven across, or a traveller, 10 heavy of hand, has left half dead and mangled by a stone, writhes its long body in ineffectual flight, its upper part all fury, its eyes blazing, its hissing throat reared aloft, the lower part, disabled by the wound, clogs it as it wreathes its spires and doubles upon its own joints. Such was the 15 oarage with which the ship pushed herself slowly along: she makes sail, however, and enters the haven with canvas flying. To Sergestus Æneas gives the present he had promised, delighted to see the ship rescued and the crew brought back. His prize is a slave, not unversed in Pallas’ 20 labours, Pholoë, Cretan born, with twin sons at her breast. This match dismissed, good Æneas takes his way to a grassy plain, surrounded on all sides with woods and sloping hills: in the middle of the valley was a circle, as of a 25 theatre; thither it was that the hero repaired with many thousands, the centre of a vast assembly, and sat on a raised throne. Then he invites, with hope of reward, the bold spirits who may wish to contend in the swift foot-race, and sets up the prizes. Candidates flock from all 30 sides, Teucrian and Sicanian mixed. Nisus and Euryalus the foremost. Euryalus conspicuous for beauty and blooming youth, Nisus for the pure love he bore the boy; following them came Diores, a royal scion of Priam’s illustrious stock; then Salius and Patron together, one from 35 Acarnania, the other from Tegea, an Arcadian by blood; next two Trinacrian youths, Helymus and Panopes, trained foresters, comrades of their elder friend, Acestes, and many others, whom dim tradition leaves in darkness. As they crowd round him, Æneas bespeaks them thus:—“Hear what I have to say, and give the heed of a glad heart. No one of this company shall go away unguerdoned by me. I will give a pair of Gnossian darts, shining with polished 5 steel, and an axe chased with silver for the hand to wield. This honour all shall obtain alike. The three first shall receive prizes, and shall wear also wreaths of yellow-green olive. Let the first, as conqueror, have a horse, full decorated with trappings; the second an Amazonian 10 quiver, full of Thracian shafts, with a belt of broad gold to encompass it, and a buckle of a polished jewel to fasten it; let the third go away content with this Argive helmet.”