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stream, she thus addressed him, of free will presenting herself to view; "Lo! the presents perfected by my lord's promised skill! so that thou mayest not shrink, my child, from challenging anon the haughty Laurentines or brave Turnus to battle." Cytherea spake, and sought her son's embrace, and set up the arms all radiant under an oak before him. He, rejoicing in the divine gift and in honour thus signal, cannot be sated, as he rolls his eyes from piece to piece, admiring and turning over in his hands and arms the helmet, terrific with plumes and spouting flames, the death-dealing sword, the stiff brazen corslet, bloodred and huge,-even as when a dark-blue cloud kindles with the sun's rays and gleams afar; then the smooth greaves of electrum and refined gold, the spear, and the shield's ineffable fabric.

626 There the story of Italy and the triumphs of Rome had the Lord of Fire fashioned, not unversed in prophecy, or unknowing of the age to come; there, every generation of the stock to spring from Ascanius, and the wars they fought one by one. He had fashioned, too, the mother-wolf outstretched in the green cave of Mars; around her teats the twin boys hung playing, and mouthed their dam without fear; she, with shapely neck bent back, fondled them by turns, and moulded their limbs with her tongue. Not far from this he had set Rome and the Sabines, lawlessly carried off, what time the great Circus-games were held, from the theatre's seated throng; then the sudden uprising of a fresh war between the sons of Romulus and aged Tatius and his stern Cures. Next, the self-same kings, their strife laid at rest, stood armed before Jove's altar, cup in hand, and each with each made covenant o'er sacrifice of swine. Not far thence, four-horse cars, driven apart, had torn Mettus

distulerant (at tu dictis, Albane, maneres !)
raptabatque viri mendacis viscera Tullus
per silvam, et sparsi rorabant sanguine vepres.
nec non Tarquinium eiectum Porsenna iubebat
accipere ingentique urbem obsidione premebat;
Aeneadae in ferrum pro libertate ruebant.
illum indignanti similem similemque minanti
aspiceres, pontem auderet quia vellere Cocles
et fluvium vinclis innaret Cloelia ruptis.

645

650

In summo custos Tarpeiae Manlius arcis stabat pro templo et Capitolia celsa tenebat, Romuleoque recens horrebat regia culmo. atque hic auratis volitans argenteus anser porticibus Gallos in limine adesse canebat;

655

Galli per dumos aderant arcemque tenebant. defensi tenebris et dono noctis opacae:

aurea caesaries ollis atque aurea vestis,

virgatis lucent sagulis, tum lactea colla

660

auro innectuntur, duo quisque Alpina coruscant

gaesa manu, scutis protecti corpora longis.

hic exsultantis Salios nudosque Lupercos
lanigerosque apices et lapsa ancilia caelo
extuderat, castae ducebant sacra per urbem
pilentis matres in mollibus. hinc procul addit
Tartareas etiam sedes, alta ostia Ditis,
et scelerum poenas, et te, Catilina, minaci
pendentem scopulo Furiarumque ora trementem ;

643 dispulerant M2.
660 tunc Py.

657 Galli] olli R.

661 coruscat Py1.

665

"house of Romulus,"

1 In the imperial city there was a with thatched roof, on both the Capitol and the Palatine.

asunder (but thou, O Alban, shouldst have stood by thy words!), and Tullus dragged through the woods the liar's limbs, and the brambles dripped with dew of blood. There, too, was Porsenna, bidding them admit the banished Tarquin, and hemming the city with mighty siege: the sons of Aeneas rushed on the sword for freedom's sake. Him thou mightest have seen like one in wrath, like one who threats, for that Cocles dared to tear down the bridge, and Cloelia broke her bonds and swam the river.

652 At the top, Manlius, warder of the Tarpeian fort, stood before the temple, and held the lofty Capitol; the palace was rough, fresh with the thatch of Romulus. And here the silver goose,2 fluttering through gilded colonnades, cried that the Gauls were on the threshold. The Gauls were near amid the thickets, laying hold of the fort, shielded by darkness, and the boon of shadowy night. Golden are their locks and golden their raiment; they glitter in striped cloaks, and their milk-white necks are entwined with gold; two Alpine pikes each brandishes in hand, and long shields guard their limbs. he had wrought the dancing Salii and naked Luperci, the crests bound with wool, and the shields that fell from heaven; and in cushioned cars chaste matrons moved through the city in solemn progress.3 Away from these he adds also the abodes of Hell, the high gates of Dis, the penalties of sin, and thee, Catiline, hanging on a frowning cliff, and trembling at the

Here

2 In 390 B. C., when the Gauls attacked the Capitol, they were driven back by Manlius, who had been roused from sleep by cackling geese.

3 Roman matrons were allowed to ride at sacred processions in pilenta, because of their self-sacrifice after the capture of Veii, 395 B.C.

670

675

secretosque pios, his dantem iura Catonem. haec inter tumidi late maris ibat imago, aurea, sed fluctu spumabant caerula cano, et circum argento clari delphines in orbem aequora verrebant caudis aestumque secabant. in medio classis aeratas, Actia bella, cernere erat, totumque instructo Marte videres fervere Leucaten auroque effulgere fluctus. hinc Augustus agens Italos in proelia Caesar cum patribus populoque, Penatibus et magnis dis, stans celsa in puppi, geminas cui tempora flammas 680 laeta vomunt patriumque aperitur vertice sidus. parte alia ventis et dis Agrippa secundis

arduus agmen agens; cui, belli insigne superbum, tempora navali fulgent rostrata corona. hinc ope barbarica variisque Antonius armis, victor ab Aurorae populis et litore rubro, Aegyptum viresque Orientis et ultima secum Bactra vehit, sequiturque (nefas) Aegyptia coniunx. una omnes ruere ac totum spumare reductis convolsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor. alta petunt; pelago credas innare revolsas Cycladas aut montis concurrere montibus altos: tanta mole viri turritis puppibus instant. stuppea flamma manu telisque volatile ferrum

672 spumabat MPRY.
686 Aurorae] Europae R.
694 telique R.

685

690

680 stat R. cui] huc P2: huic

692 altis known to Servius.

1 cf. Aen. III. 12, with note.

2 See note on Eclogues, IX. 47.

γ.

3 The corona navalis, a crown adorned with ships' beaks, was a very special distinction that was won by Agrippa.

faces of the Furies; far apart, the good, and Cato giving them laws. Amidst these scenes flowed wide the likeness of the swelling sea, all gold, but the blue waters foamed with white billows, and round about dolphins, shining in silver, swept the seas with their tails in circles, and cleft the tide. In the centre could be seen brazen ships with Actium's battle; one might see all Leucate aglow with War's array, and the waves ablaze with gold. Here Augustus Caesar, leading Italians to strife, with peers and people, and the great gods of the Penates,1 stands on the lofty stern; his joyous brows pour forth a double flame, and on his head dawns his father's star.2 Elsewhere Agrippa with favouring winds and gods, high-towering, leads his column; his brows gleam with the beaks of the naval crown,3 proud device of war. Here Antonius with barbaric might and varied arms, victor from the nations of the dawn and from the ruddy sea,1 brings with him Egypt and the strength of the East and utmost Bactra; and there follows him (O shame!) his Egyptian wife. All rush on at once, and the whole sea foams, uptorn by the sweeping oars, and triple-pointed beaks. To the deep they speed; thou wouldst deem the Cyclades, uprooted, were floating on the main, or that mountains high clashed with mountains: in such mighty ships the seamen assail the towered sterns.5 Flaming tow and shafts of winged steel are showered from their hands;

4 This is the mare Erythraeum, or Indian Ocean, not the Red Sea, as we know it.

with

5 Conington takes mole in the sense of molimine, giant effort." Benoist refers tanta mole to the huge ships of Antony, while the turritae puppes are the ships of Octavius, which Agrippa, as Servius tells us, armed with towers. This seems the most plausible solution of a much debated passage.

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