Mine is a tale of grisly war, of battle array, and princes in
their fury rushing on carnage—of Tyrrhenian[240] ranks, and
all Hesperia mustered in arms. Grander is the pile of 15
events that rises on my view, grander the task I essay.
It was the time when king Latinus, now stricken in age, was
ruling country and city in the calm of years of peace. He,
as story tells us, was the son of Faunus and a Laurentine
nymph, Marica. Faunus’ father was Picus, who owes his 20
birth to thee, great Saturn: thou art the first founder of the
line. No son, no male progeny, so Heaven willed, had