For, between the hands and before
the faces of his sorrowing parents, lo!
the faces of his sorrowing parents, lo!
Virgil - Aeneid
Thoughtest thou my feet, O father,
could retire and abandon thee? and fell so unnatural words from a
parent's lips? "If heaven wills that naught be left of our mighty city,
if this be thy planted purpose, thy pleasure to cast in thyself and
thine to the doom of Troy; for this death indeed the gate is wide, and
even now Pyrrhus will be here newly bathed in Priam's [663-695]blood,
Pyrrhus who slaughters the son before the father's face, the father upon
his altars. For this was it, bountiful mother, thou dost rescue me amid
fire and sword, to see the foe in my inmost chambers, and Ascanius and
my father, Creusa by their side, hewn down in one another's blood? My
arms, men, bring my arms! the last day calls on the conquered. Return me
to the Greeks; let me revisit and renew the fight. Never to-day shall we
all perish unavenged. "
'Thereat I again gird on my sword, and fitting my left arm into the
clasps of the shield, strode forth of the palace. And lo! my wife clung
round my feet on the threshold, and held little Iulus up to his father's
sight. "If thou goest to die, let us too hurry with thee to the end. But
if thou knowest any hope to place in arms, be this household thy first
defence. To what is little Iulus and thy father, to what am I left who
once was called thy wife? "
'So she shrieked, and filled all the house with her weeping; when a sign
arises sudden and marvellous to tell.
For, between the hands and before
the faces of his sorrowing parents, lo! above Iulus' head there seemed
to stream a light luminous cone, and a flame whose touch hurt not to
flicker in his soft hair and play round his brows. We in a flutter of
affright shook out the blazing hair and quenched the holy fires with
spring water. But lord Anchises joyfully upraised his eyes; and
stretching his hands to heaven: "Jupiter omnipotent," he cries, "if thou
dost relent at any prayers, look on us this once alone; and if our
goodness deserve it, give thine aid hereafter, O lord, and confirm this
thine omen. "
'Scarcely had the aged man spoken thus, when with sudden crash it
thundered on the left, and a star gliding through the dusk shot from
heaven drawing a bright trail of light. We watch it slide over the
palace roof, leaving [696-730]the mark of its pathway, and bury its
brilliance in the wood of Ida; the long drawn track shines, and the
region all about fumes with sulphur. Then conquered indeed my father
rises to address the gods and worship the holy star. "Now, now delay is
done with: I follow, and where you lead, I come. Gods of my fathers,
save my house, save my grandchild. Yours is this omen, and in your deity
Troy stands. I yield, O my son, and refuse not to go in thy company. "
'He ended; and now more loudly the fire roars along the city, and the
burning tides roll nearer. "Up then, beloved father, and lean on my
neck; these shoulders of mine will sustain thee, nor will so dear a
burden weigh me down. Howsoever fortune fall, one and undivided shall be
our peril, one the escape of us twain. Little Iulus shall go along with
me, and my wife follow our steps afar. You of my household, give heed to
what I say.
could retire and abandon thee? and fell so unnatural words from a
parent's lips? "If heaven wills that naught be left of our mighty city,
if this be thy planted purpose, thy pleasure to cast in thyself and
thine to the doom of Troy; for this death indeed the gate is wide, and
even now Pyrrhus will be here newly bathed in Priam's [663-695]blood,
Pyrrhus who slaughters the son before the father's face, the father upon
his altars. For this was it, bountiful mother, thou dost rescue me amid
fire and sword, to see the foe in my inmost chambers, and Ascanius and
my father, Creusa by their side, hewn down in one another's blood? My
arms, men, bring my arms! the last day calls on the conquered. Return me
to the Greeks; let me revisit and renew the fight. Never to-day shall we
all perish unavenged. "
'Thereat I again gird on my sword, and fitting my left arm into the
clasps of the shield, strode forth of the palace. And lo! my wife clung
round my feet on the threshold, and held little Iulus up to his father's
sight. "If thou goest to die, let us too hurry with thee to the end. But
if thou knowest any hope to place in arms, be this household thy first
defence. To what is little Iulus and thy father, to what am I left who
once was called thy wife? "
'So she shrieked, and filled all the house with her weeping; when a sign
arises sudden and marvellous to tell.
For, between the hands and before
the faces of his sorrowing parents, lo! above Iulus' head there seemed
to stream a light luminous cone, and a flame whose touch hurt not to
flicker in his soft hair and play round his brows. We in a flutter of
affright shook out the blazing hair and quenched the holy fires with
spring water. But lord Anchises joyfully upraised his eyes; and
stretching his hands to heaven: "Jupiter omnipotent," he cries, "if thou
dost relent at any prayers, look on us this once alone; and if our
goodness deserve it, give thine aid hereafter, O lord, and confirm this
thine omen. "
'Scarcely had the aged man spoken thus, when with sudden crash it
thundered on the left, and a star gliding through the dusk shot from
heaven drawing a bright trail of light. We watch it slide over the
palace roof, leaving [696-730]the mark of its pathway, and bury its
brilliance in the wood of Ida; the long drawn track shines, and the
region all about fumes with sulphur. Then conquered indeed my father
rises to address the gods and worship the holy star. "Now, now delay is
done with: I follow, and where you lead, I come. Gods of my fathers,
save my house, save my grandchild. Yours is this omen, and in your deity
Troy stands. I yield, O my son, and refuse not to go in thy company. "
'He ended; and now more loudly the fire roars along the city, and the
burning tides roll nearer. "Up then, beloved father, and lean on my
neck; these shoulders of mine will sustain thee, nor will so dear a
burden weigh me down. Howsoever fortune fall, one and undivided shall be
our peril, one the escape of us twain. Little Iulus shall go along with
me, and my wife follow our steps afar. You of my household, give heed to
what I say.
