shade loosed from Acheron’s[185] prison. His comrades, too,

each according to his means, give glad offerings—they

pile the altars, they slay the bullocks; others in their function 10

set on the cauldrons, and, stretched along the grass,

hold the spits over the embers and roast the flesh.

And now the expected day was come; the steeds of

Phaethon[186] were ushering in the goddess of the ninth

dawn through a heaven of clear light; the rumoured spectacle 15

and the great name of Acestes had brought the

neighbouring people from their homes; the holiday crowd