Stories from Virgil

by Alfred John Church

Then he threw his garment from his shoulders, showing his mighty arms and sinews. And Æneas gave the two equal gauntlets, and they stood with heads thrown back, and began the battle. Dares indeed was swifter to move, and vigorous, and young; and Entellus was huge of stature, but slow and scant of breath. Many blows they aimed at each other: many times one smote the other on his breast or his cheek, but struck not home. And ever Entellus abode in the same place, swaying himself hither and thither with watchful eyes. But Dares was as one who besieges a city or a fort on the hills, and tries now this approach, now that, and searches out all the place, and assails it in many ways. But at the last Entellus lifted his right hand and dealt a mighty blow, which the other, foreseeing it as it fell, avoided; so that the old man wasted his strength in air, and fell with a great crash to the earth, even as falls a pine torn up by the roots on Mount Erymanthus or Mount Ida. Then the men of Troy and the men of Sicily rose up from their places to see the thing; Acestes also ran forward and lifted up the old man from the earth and would have comforted him. But he went back in great wrath to the battle, anger and shame stirring him up. And Dares fled before him over the plain, and he followed him, smiting him now with the right hand, now with the left, and his blows were as the hail that rattles upon the roof. But Æneas bade him stay his anger, and spake kindly to Dares, bidding him cease from the battle. “Seest thou not that this day the victory is another’s, and that the Gods are against thee? Fight not against the Gods.” Then he commanded that the battle should cease. And the companions of Dares led him to the ships, scarcely dragging his legs, and vomiting thick blood from his mouth, and teeth in the blood. Also they took the shield and helmet which were his reward, but the palm-branch and the ox they left to Entellus. Then said the conqueror, “See, son of the goddess, and ye men of Troy, what strength dwelt in this body while I was yet young, and from what a death ye have saved this Dares.” Then stood he over against the ox and smote it with his gauntlet between the horns. And it fell dead upon the earth. And Entellus cried aloud, “O Eryx, I offer thee this life for the life of Dares, being indeed the better for the worse. And I lay aside these gauntlets and this art.”

ENTELLUS KILLING THE BULL.

Next Æneas called for those who would shoot with the bow, setting up a mast from the ship of Sergestus, and fastening thereto a dove by a cord, at which mast were all to shoot. Then came the men together and cast lots, drawing them from the helmet. And first came Hippocoön, son of Hyrtacus; and next to him Mnestheus; and third Eurytion, brother of Pandarus, who broke the treaty between the men of Troy and the Greeks, shooting his arrow at Menelaüs; but the lot of Acestes lingered in the helmet and leapt not forth. Then first Hippocoön drew his bow and smote the mast, so that it shook, and the bird fluttered his wings in fear; and next Mnestheus shot his arrow, and the bird he touched not, but the string which bound it he cut; and Eurytion let fly, calling the while on his brother Pandarus, the mighty archer, to help him, and smote the dove as she flew rejoicing through the air, so that she fell to the earth and the arrow in her body. And only Acestes was left, not having whereat he should aim; yet shot he into the air, for he would show his skill and the might of his bow. Then lo! a marvel befell, whereof in after days men knew the fulfilment; for the arrow burned as it sped through the air, leaving a line of fire, till it was altogether consumed, even as a star that shoots across the sky by night. And men marvelled to see it, and prayed to the Gods that it might be well. Then great Æneas refused not the omen, but embraced Acestes and gave him many gifts, saying, “Take these gifts, my father, for Jupiter willeth that thou shouldst have especial honour in this thing. I give thee, therefore, this bowl, embossed with figures of men. Old Anchises had it, and to him Cisseus, who was the father of Queen Hecuba, gave it.” Also he put a crown of bay upon his head. Nor did the good Eurytion murmur, though he had slain the bird; the others also had their gifts and were content.

Not even now was the assembly dismissed, there remaining yet another sight to behold. For Ascanius and the youths that were his companions came riding on horses, and each had a wreath about his head. Each also had two javelins of cornel wood, and some had quivers on their shoulders, and each a collar of gold that lay on the top of his breast. Three companies there were, and to each a leader and twelve that followed. And one of the leaders was Priamus, son of Polites, called by the name of his grandfather, on a horse that was black, with pasterns of white and forehead of white; and another Atys, whom Ascanius loved; and third, fairest of all to behold, Ascanius, on a horse of Sidon, which Queen Dido had given him; but to the rest Acestes had given horses of Sicily.

And when these came forth there was much shouting and clapping of hands, and the men of Troy rejoiced to see the lads, so like were they to the famous men their fathers. Then, a signal being given, the companies were divided into bands, and these made as if they fought a battle. For sometimes they would fly, and sometimes would pursue, and sometimes would ride altogether this way or that. Many were their ways and movements, even as are the paths of the Labyrinth in Crete. Swift also were they and nimble, even as dolphins which sport among the waves in the Carpathian Sea or African. This custom did Ascanius teach to his people when he built the city of Alba, and the men of Alba taught it to their children after them, and mighty Rome learnt it also, and kept it in the time to come.

CHAPTER XII.
THE BURNING OF THE SHIPS—THE VOYAGE TO ITALY.

But while the men of Troy were busy with the games, Juno prepared mischief against them in her heart, and sent down Iris, her messenger, to accomplish it. Now the women sat apart on the shore, and lifted up their voices and bewailed the old man Anchises. But when they looked upon the sea they lamented for themselves that they had so much travel to accomplish, for they were weary of the sea, and would fain have a city to dwell in. Which when Iris perceived, laying aside the semblance of a goddess, she took upon herself the form of Beroé, the wife of Doryclus, and went among the women of Troy and spake, saying, “O unhappy, that ye were not dragged to death by the hands of the Greeks! For now the seventh summer is come, and yet we journey over many lands and seas, and seek this Italy which ever flies before us. Here we have friends and kindred. What forbids that we build here a city? Shall I never see the walls of another Troy, nor find Xanthus and Simoïs, rivers of Troy, in a strange land? Why burn we not these accursed ships that carry us hither and thither. I saw in a dream the seeress Cassandra, and she seemed to put a torch in my hand, and to say, ‘Here seek ye for Troy: here is your home.’ And lo! here are altars and fire.”