Then came twin brethren, leaving Tibur's keep(named from Tiburtus, brother of them twain)Catillus and impetuous Coras, youthof Argive seed, who foremost in the vanpressed ever where the foemen densest throng:as when two centaurs, children of the cloud,from mountain-tops descend in swift career,the snows of Homole and Othrys leaving,while crashing thickets in their pathway fall. Nor was Praeneste's founder absent there,by Vulcan sired, among the herds and hinds,and on a hearth-stone found (so runs the taleeach pious age repeats) King Caeculuswith rustic legions gathered from afar:from steep Praeneste and the Gabian valeto Juno dear, from Anio's cold stream,from upland Hernic rocks and foaming rills,from rich Anagnia's pastures, and the plainwhence Amasenus pours his worshipped wave.Not all of armor boast, and seldom soundthe chariot and shield; but out of slingsthey hurl blue balls of lead, or in one handa brace of javelins bear; pulled o'er their browsare hoods of tawny wolf-skin; as they marchthe left foot leaves a barefoot track behind,a rawhide sandal on the right they wear. Messapus came, steed-tamer, Neptune's son,by sword and fire invincible: this day,though mild his people and unschooled in war,he calls them to embattled lines, and drawsno lingering sword. Fescennia musters there,Aequi Falisci, and what clans possessSoracte's heights, Flavinia's fruitful farms,Ciminian lake and mountain, and the grovesabout Capena. Rank on rank they move,loud singing of their chieftain's praise: as whena flock of snowy swans through clouded airreturn from feeding, and make tuneful cryfrom their long throats, while Asia's rivers hear,and lone Cayster's startled moorland rings:for hardly could the listening ear discernthe war-cry of a mail-clad host; the soundwas like shrill-calling birds, when home from seatheir soaring flock moves shoreward like a cloud. Then, one of far-descended Sabine name,Clausus advanced, the captain of a host,and in himself an equal host he seemed;from his proud loins the high-born Claudian stemthrough Latium multiplies, since Roman powerwith Sabine first was wed. A cohort camefrom Amiternum and the olden wallof Cures, called Quirites even then;Eretum answered and Mutusca's hillwith olives clad, Velinus' flowery field,nomentum's fortress, the grim precipiceof Tetrica, Severus' upland fair,Casperia, Foruli, Himella's waves,Tiber and Fabaris, and wintry streamsof Nursia; to the same proud muster spedTuscan with Latin tribes, and loyal townsbeside whose walls ill-omened Allia flows.As numerous they moved as rolling wavesthat stir smooth Libyan seas, when in cold floodssinks grim Orion's star; or like the throngof clustering wheat-tops in the summer sun,near Hermus or on Lycia's yellowing plain:shields clashed; their strong tramp smote the trembling ground. Now Agamemnon's kinsman, cruel foeto the mere name of Troy, Halaesus, yokesthe horses of his car and summons fortha thousand savage clans at Turnus' call :rude men whose mattocks to the Massic hillsbring Bacchus' bounty, or by graybeard siressent from Auruncan upland and the meadof Sidicinum; out of Cales cameits simple folk; and dwellers by the streamof many-shoaled Volturnus, close-alliedwith bold Saticulan or Oscan swains.Their arms are tapered javelins, which they wearbound by a coiling thong; a shield concealsthe left side, and they fight with crooked swords. Nor shalt thou, Oebalus, depart unsung,whom minstrels say the nymph Sebethis boreto Telon, who in Capri was a kingwhen old and gray; but that disdaining sonquitted so small a seat, and conquering swayamong Sarrastian folk and those wide plainswatered by Sarnus' wave, became a kingover Celenna, Rufrae, Batulum,and where among her apple-orchards riseAbella's walls. All these, as Teutons use, hurl a light javelin; for helm they wearstripped cork-tree bark; the crescent of their shieldsis gleaming bronze, and gleaming bronze the sword. Next Ufens, mountain-bred, from Nersae cameto join the war; of goodly fame was hefor prosperous arms: his Aequian people showno gentle mien, but scour the woods for prey,or, ever-armed, across the stubborn glebecompel the plough; though their chief pride and joyare rapine, violence, and plundered store.
Next after these, his brows and helmet boundwith noble olive, from Marruvium camea priest, brave Umbro, ordered to the fieldby King Archippus: o'er the viper's brood,and venomed river-serpents he had powerto scatter slumber with wide-waving handsand wizard-songs. His potent arts could soothetheir coiling rage and heal the mortal sting:but 'gainst a Trojan sword no drug had he,nor could his drowsy spells his flesh repair,nor gathered simples from the Marsic hills.Thee soon in wailing woods Anguitia mourned,thee, Fucinus, the lake of crystal wave,thee, many a mountain-tarn! Next, Virbius in martial beauty rode,son of Hippolytus, whose mother, proudAricia, sent him in his flower of fameout of Egeria's hills and cloudy groveswhere lies Diana's gracious, gifted fane.For legend whispers that Hippolytus,by step-dame's plot undone, his life-blood gaveto sate his vengeful father, and was rentin sunder by wild horses; but the graveto air of heaven and prospect of the starsrestored him;—for Diana's love and carepoured out upon him Paeon's healing balm.But Jove, almighty Sire, brooked not to seea mortal out of death and dark reclimbto light of life, and with a thunderbolthurled to the Stygian river Phoebus' son,who dared such good elixir to compound.But pitying Trivia hid Hippolytusin her most secret cave, and gave in wardto the wise nymph Egeria in her grove;where he lived on inglorious and alone,ranging the woods of Italy, and borethe name of Virbius. 'T is for this causethe hallowed woods to Trivia's temple vowedforbid loud-footed horses, such as spilledstripling and chariot on the fatal shore,scared by the monsters peering from the sea.Yet did the son o'er that tumultuous plainhis battle-chariot guide and plunging team. Lo, Turnus strides conspicuous in the van,full armed, of mighty frame, his lordly headhigh o'er his peers emerging! His tall helmwith flowing triple crest for ensign bearsChimaera, whose terrific lips outpourvolcanic fires; where'er the menace movesof her infernal flames and wrathful frown,there wildest flows the purple flood of war.On his smooth shield deep graven in the goldis horned Io—wondrous the device!—a shaggy heifer-shape the maiden shows;Argus is watching her, while Inachuspours forth his river from the pictured urn.A storm of tramping troops, to Turnus sworn,throngs all the widespread plain with serried shields:warriors of Argos, and Auruncan bands,Sicani, Rutuli, Sacranian hosts,Labicum's painted shields; all who tillthy woodland vales, O Tiber! or the shoreNumicius hallows; all whose ploughs upturnRutulia's hills, or that Circaean rangewhere Jove of Anxur guards, and forests greenmake fair Feronia glad; where lie the fensof Satura, and Ufens' icy wavethrough lowland valleys seeks his seaward way. Last came Camilla, of the Volscians bred,leading her mail-clad, radiant chivalry;a warrior-virgin, of Minerva's craftof web and distaff, fit for woman's toil,no follower she; but bared her virgin breastto meet the brunt of battle, and her speedleft even the winds behind; for she would skiman untouched harvest ere the sickle fell,nor graze the quivering wheat-tops as she ran;or o'er the mid-sea billows' swollen surgeso swiftly race, she wet not in the waveher flying feet. For sight of her the youthfrom field and fortress sped, and matrons gravestood wondering as she passed, well-pleased to seeher royal scarf in many a purple foldfloat off her shining shoulder, her dark hairin golden clasp caught fast, and how she borefor arms a quiver of the Lycian mode,and shepherd's shaft of myrtle tipped with steel.