No More Learning

Flaming tow and the winged
steel of darts shower thickly from their hands; the fields of ocean
redden with fresh slaughter. Midmost the Queen calls on her squadron
with the timbrel of her country, nor yet casts back a glance on the twin
snakes behind her. Howling Anubis, and gods monstrous and multitudinous,
level their arms against Neptune and Venus and against Minerva; Mars
rages amid the havoc, graven in iron, and the Fatal Sisters hang aloft,
and Discord strides rejoicing with garment rent, and Bellona attends her
with blood-stained scourge. Looking thereon, Actian Apollo above drew
his bow; with the terror of it all Egypt and India, every Arab and
Sabaean, turned back in flight. The Queen herself seemed to call the
winds and spread her sails, and even now let her sheets run slack. Her
the Lord of Fire had fashioned amid the carnage, wan with the shadow of
death, borne along by the waves and the north-west wind; and over
against her the vast bulk of mourning Nile, opening out his folds and
calling with all his raiment the conquered people into his blue lap and
the coverture of his streams. But Caesar rode into the city of Rome in
triple triumph, and dedicated his vowed [716-731]offering to the gods
to stand for ever, three hundred stately shrines all about the city. The
streets were loud with gladness and games and shouting. In all the
temples was a band of matrons, in all were altars, and before the altars
slain steers strewed the ground. Himself he sits on the snowy threshold
of Phoebus the bright, reviews the gifts of the nations and ranges them
on the haughty doors. The conquered tribes move in long line, diverse as
in tongue, so in fashion of dress and armour. Here Mulciber had designed
the Nomad race and the ungirt Africans, here the Leleges and Carians and
archer Gelonians. Euphrates went by now with smoother waves, and the
Morini utmost of men, and the horned Rhine, the untamed Dahae, and
Araxes chafing under his bridge.

These things he admires on the shield of Vulcan, his mother's gift, and
rejoicing in the portraiture of unknown history, lifts on his shoulder
the destined glories of his children.




BOOK NINTH

THE SIEGE OF THE TROJAN CAMP


And while thus things pass far in the distance, Juno daughter of Saturn
sent Iris down the sky to gallant Turnus, then haply seated in his
forefather Pilumnus' holy forest dell.
To him the child of Thaumas spoke
thus with roseate lips:

'Turnus, what no god had dared promise to thy prayer, behold, is brought
unasked by the circling day. Aeneas hath quitted town and comrades and
fleet to seek Evander's throne and Palatine dwelling-place. Nor is it
enough; he hath pierced to Corythus' utmost cities, and is mustering in
arms a troop of Lydian rustics. Why hesitate? now, now is the time to
call for chariot and horses. Break through all hindrance and seize the
bewildered camp. '

She spoke, and rose into the sky on poised wings, and flashed under the
clouds in a long flying bow. He knew her, and lifting either hand to
heaven, with this cry pursued her flight: 'Iris, grace of the sky, who
hath driven thee down the clouds to me and borne thee to earth? Whence
is this sudden sheen of weather? I see the sky parting asunder, and the
wandering stars in the firmament. I follow the high omen, whoso thou art
that callest me to arms. ' And with these words he drew nigh the wave,
and [23-58]caught up water from its brimming eddy, making many prayers
to the gods and burdening the air with vows.

And now all the army was advancing on the open plain, rich in horses,
rich in raiment of broidered gold. Messapus rules the foremost ranks,
the sons of Tyrrheus the rear. Turnus commands the centre: even as
Ganges rising high in silence when his seven streams are still, or the
rich flood of Nile when he ebbs from the plains, and is now sunk into
his channel. On this the Teucrians descry a sudden cloud of dark dust
gathering, and the blackness rising on the plain.