To Turnus, who upon a distant fieldwas storming with huge havoc, came the newsthat now his foe, before a gate thrown wide,was red with slaughter. His own fight he stays,and speeds him, by enormous rage thrust on,to those proud brethren at the Dardan wall.There first Antiphates, who made his warfar in the van (a Theban captive's childto great Sarpedon out of wedlock born),he felled to earth with whirling javelin:th' Italic shaft of cornel lightly flewalong the yielding air, and through his throatpierced deep into the breast; a gaping woundgushed blood; the hot shaft to his bosom clung.Then Erymas and Merops his strong handlaid low: Aphidnus next, then came the turnof Bitias, fiery-hearted, furious-eyed:but not by javelin,—such cannot fallby flying javelin,—the ponderous beamof a phalaric spear, with mighty roar,like thunderbolt upon him fell; such shockneither the bull's-hides of his double shieldnor twofold corselet's golden scales could staybut all his towering frame in ruin fell.Earth groaned, and o'er him rang his ample shield.so crashes down from Baiae's storied shorea rock-built mole, whose mighty masonry,piled up with care, men cast into the sea;it trails its wreckage far, and fathoms downlies broken in the shallows, while the waveswhirl every way, and showers of black sandare scattered on the air: with thunder-soundsteep Prochyta is shaken, and that bedof cruel stone, Inarime, which liesheaped o'er Typhoeus by revenge of Jove.

Now to the Latins Mars, the lord of war,gave might and valor, and to their wild heartshis spur applied, but on the Teucrians breatheddark fear and flight. From every quarter cameauxiliar hosts, where'er the conflict called,and in each bosom pulsed the god of war.When Pandarus now saw his brother's corselow Iying, and which way the chance and tideof battle ran, he violently movedthe swinging hinges of the gate, and strainedwith both his shoulders broad. He shut outsidenot few of his own people, left exposedin fiercest fight but others with himselfhe barred inside and saved them as they fled;nor noted, madman, how the Rutule Kinghad burst in midmost of the line, and nowstood prisoned in their wall, as if he weresome monstrous tiger among helpless kine.His eyeballs strangely glared; his armor rangterrific, his tall crest shook o'er his browsblood-red, and lightnings glittered from his shieldfamiliar loomed that countenance abhorredand frame gigantic on the shrinking eyesof the Aeneadae. Then Pandarussprang towering forth, all fever to revengehis brother's slaughter. “Not this way,” he cried“Amata's marriage-gift! No Ardea heremews Turnus in his fathers' halls. Beholdthy foeman's castle! Thou art not allowedto take thy leave.” But Turnus looked his way,and smiled with heart unmoved. “Begin! if thouhast manhood in thee, and meet steel with steel!Go tell dead Priam thou discoverest hereAchilles!” For reply, the champion tallhurled with his might and main along the airhis spear of knotted wood and bark untrimmed.But all it wounded was the passing wind,for Saturn's daughter turned its course awry,and deep in the great gate the spear-point drove.“Now from the stroke this right arm means for theethou shalt not fly. Not such the sender ofthis weapon and this wound.” He said, and toweredaloft to his full height; the lifted swordclove temples, brows, and beardless cheeks clean throughwith loudly ringing blow; the ground beneathshook with the giant's ponderous fall, and, lo,with nerveless limbs, and brains spilt o'er his shield,dead on the earth he lay! in equal halvesthe sundered head from either shoulder swung.

In horror and amaze the Trojans alldispersed and fled; had but the conqueror thoughtto break the barriers of the gates and callhis followers through, that fatal day had seenan ending of the Teucrians and their war.But frenzied joy of slaughter urged him on,infuriate, to smite the scattering foe.First Phaleris he caught; then cut the kneesof Gyges; both their spears he snatched awayand hurled them at the rout; 't was Juno rousedhis utmost might of rage. Now Halys fell,and Phegeus, whom he pierced right through the shield:next, at the walls and urging reckless war,Alcander, Halius, and Noemon gavetheir lives, and Prytanis went down. In vainLynceus made stand and called his comrades brave:for Turnus from the right with waving swordcaught at him and lopped off with one swift blowthe head, which with its helmet rolled away.Next Amycus, destroyer of wild beasts,who knew full well to smear a crafty barbwith venomed oil; young Clytius he slew,son of the wind-god; then on Cretheus fell,a follower of the muses and their friend:Cretheus, whose every joy it was to sing,and fit his numbers to the chorded Iyre;steeds, wars, armed men were his perpetual song.

At last the Teucrian chiefs had heard the taleof so much slaughter; and in council metare Mnestheus and Serestus bold, who seetheir comrades routed and the conquering foewithin the gates. Cries Mnestheus, “Whither fly?What open way is yonder or what wall?Beyond these ramparts lost what stronger lie?Shall one lone man here in your walls confined,make havoc unavenged and feed the gravewith your best warriors? 0 cowards vile!For your sad country and her ancient godsand for renowned Aeneas, can ye feelno pity and no shame?” Enflamed to fightby words like these, they close the line, and standin strong array. So Turnus for a spaceout of the battle step by step withdrewto make the river-bank his rearguard strong;whereat the Teucrians, shouting loud, swept onthe fiercer, and in solid mass pressed round.as when a troop of hunters with keen spearsencircle a wild lion, who in fear,but glaring grim and furious, backward falls,valor and rage constrain him ne'er to ceasefronting the foe; yet not for all his irecan he against such serried steel make way:so Turnus backward with a lingering stepunwilling drew, and wrath his heart oterflowed.for twice already had he cloven a pathinto the foe's mid-press, and twice had driventheir flying lines in panic through the town.But now the whole throng from the camp he seesmassed to the onset. Nor will Juno nowdare give him vigor to withstand, for Jovehad sent aerial Iris out of heavenwith stern commandment to his sister-queenthat Turnus from the Teucrian walls retire.Therefore the warrior's shield avails no more,nor his strong arm; but he is overthrownby general assault. Around his browshis smitten helmet rings; the ponderous mailcracks under falling stones; the haughty plumesare scattered from his head, nor can the bossof his stout shield endure; the Trojans hurlredoubled rain of spears; and with them speedsMnestheus like thunderbolt. The hero's fleshdissolves in sweat; no room to breathe has he;his limbs are spent and weary; his whole frameshakes with his gasping breath: then bounding fortwith all his harness on, headlong he plungedinto the flowing stream; its yellow tideembraced him as he fell, and gentle wavesrestored him smiling to his friends in arms,with all the gore and carnage washed away.

Meanwhile Olympus, seat of sovereign sway,threw wide its portals, and in conclave fairthe Sire of gods and King of all mankindsummoned th' immortals to his starry court,whence, high-enthroned, the spreading earth he views—and Teucria's camp and Latium's fierce array.Beneath the double-gated dome the godswere sitting; Jove himself the silence broke:“O people of Olympus, wherefore changeyour purpose and decree, with partial mindsin mighty strife contending? I refusedsuch clash of war 'twixt Italy and Troy. Whence this forbidden feud? What fearsseduced to battles and injurious armseither this folk or that? Th' appointed hourfor war shall be hereafter—speed it not!—When cruel Carthage to the towers of Rome shall bring vast ruin, streaming fiercely downthe opened Alp. Then hate with hate shall vie,and havoc have no bound. Till then, give o'er, and smile upon the concord I decree!”