The brothers Pandarus and Bitias,
of whom Alcanor was the famous sire,
on Ida born, and whom Iaera bred
in sacred wood of Jove, an oread she,
twin warriors, like their native hills and trees
of stature proud, now burst those portals wide
to them in ward consigned, and sword in hand
challenge the foe to enter. Side by side,
steel-clad, their tall heads in bright crested helms,
to left and right, like towers, the champions stand
as when to skyward, by the gliding waves
of gentle Athesis or Padus wide,
a pair of oaks uprise, and lift in air
their shaggy brows and nodding crests sublime.
In burst the Rutules where the onward way
seemed open wide; Quercens no tarrying knows,
nor proud Aquiculus in well-wrought arms;
Tmarus sweeps on impetuous, and the host
of Haemon, child of Mars. Some routed fly;
some lay their lives-down at the gate. Wild rage
o'erflows each martial breast, and gathered fast
the Trojans rally to one point, and dare
close conflict, or long sallies o'er the plain.
To Turnus, who upon a distant field
was storming with huge havoc, came the news
that 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 war
far in the van (a Theban captive's child
to great Sarpedon out of wedlock born),
he felled to earth with whirling javelin:
th' Italic shaft of cornel lightly flew
along the yielding air, and through his throat
pierced deep into the breast; a gaping wound
gushed blood; the hot shaft to his bosom clung.
Then Erymas and Merops his strong hand
laid low: Aphidnus next, then came the turn
of Bitias, fiery-hearted, furious-eyed:
but not by javelin,—such cannot fall
by flying javelin,—the ponderous beam
of a phalaric spear, with mighty roar,
like thunderbolt upon him fell; such shock
neither the bull's-hides of his double shield
nor twofold corselet's golden scales could stay
but all his towering frame in ruin fell.
Earth groaned, and o'er him rang his ample shield.
So crashes down from Baiae's storied shore
a rock-built mole, whose mighty masonry,
piled up with care, men cast into the sea;
it trails its wreckage far, and fathoms down
lies broken in the shallows, while the waves
whirl every way, and showers of black sand
are scattered on the air: with thunder-sound
steep Prochyta is shaken, and that bed
of cruel stone, Inarime, which lies
heaped o'er Typhoeus by revenge of Jove.
Now to the Latins Mars, the lord of war,
gave might and valor, and to their wild hearts
his spur applied, but on the Teucrians breathed
dark fear and flight. From every quarter came
auxiliar hosts, where'er the conflict called,
and in each bosom pulsed the god of war.
When Pandarus now saw his brother's corse
low lying, and which way the chance and tide
of battle ran, he violently moved
the swinging hinges of the gate, and strained
with both his shoulders broad. He shut outside
not few of his own people, left exposed
in fiercest fight but others with himself
he barred inside and saved them as they fled;
nor noted, madman, how the Rutule King
had burst in midmost of the line, and now
stood prisoned in their wall, as if he were
some monstrous tiger among helpless kine.
His eyeballs strangely glared; his armor rang
terrific, his tall crest shook o'er his brows
blood-red, and lightnings glittered from his shield
familiar loomed that countenance abhorred
and frame gigantic on the shrinking eyes
of the Aeneadae. Then Pandarus
sprang towering forth, all fever to revenge
his brother's slaughter. “Not this way,” he cried
“Amata's marriage-gift! No Ardea here
mews Turnus in his fathers' halls. Behold
thy foeman's castle! Thou art not allowed
to take thy leave.” But Turnus looked his way,
and smiled with heart unmoved. “Begin! if thou
hast manhood in thee, and meet steel with steel!
Go tell dead Priam thou discoverest here
Achilles!” For reply, the champion tall
hurled with his might and main along the air
his 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 thee
thou shalt not fly. Not such the sender of
this weapon and this wound.”
He said, and towered
aloft to his full height; the lifted sword
clove temples, brows, and beardless cheeks clean through
with loudly ringing blow; the ground beneath
shook 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 halves
the sundered head from either shoulder swung.
In horror and amaze the Trojans all
dispersed and fled; had but the conqueror thought
to break the barriers of the gates and call
his followers through, that fatal day had seen
an 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 knees
of Gyges; both their spears he snatched away
and hurled them at the rout; 't was Juno roused
his 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 gave
their lives, and Prytanis went down.
In vain
Lynceus made stand and called his comrades brave:
for Turnus from the right with waving sword
caught at him and lopped off with one swift blow
the head, which with its helmet rolled away.
Next Amycus, destroyer of wild beasts,
who knew full well to smear a crafty barb
with 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 tale
of so much slaughter; and in council met
are Mnestheus and Serestus bold, who see
their comrades routed and the conquering foe
within 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 grave
with your best warriors? O cowards vile!
For your sad country and her ancient gods
and for renowned Aeneas, can ye feel
no pity and no shame?”
Enflamed to fight
by words like these, they close the line, and stand
in strong array. So Turnus for a space
out of the battle step by step withdrew
to make the river-bank his rearguard strong;
whereat the Teucrians, shouting loud, swept on
the fiercer, and in solid mass pressed round.
As when a troop of hunters with keen spears
encircle a wild lion, who in fear,
but glaring grim and furious, backward falls,
valor and rage constrain him ne'er to cease
fronting the foe; yet not for all his ire
can he against such serried steel make way:
so Turnus backward with a lingering step
unwilling drew, and wrath his heart oterflowed.
For twice already had he cloven a path
into the foe's mid-press, and twice had driven
their flying lines in panic through the town.
But now the whole throng from the camp he sees
massed to the onset. Nor will Juno now
dare give him vigor to withstand, for Jove
had sent aerial Iris out of heaven
with stern commandment to his sister-queen
that Turnus from the Teucrian walls retire.
Therefore the warrior's shield avails no more,
nor his strong arm; but he is overthrown
by general assault. Around his brows
his smitten helmet rings; the ponderous mail
cracks under falling stones; the haughty plumes
are scattered from his head, nor can the boss
of his stout shield endure; the Trojans hurl
redoubled rain of spears; and with them speeds
Mnestheus like thunderbolt. The hero's flesh
dissolves in sweat; no room to breathe has he;
his limbs are spent and weary; his whole frame
shakes with his gasping breath: then bounding fort
with all his harness on, headlong he plunged
into the flowing stream; its yellow tide
embraced him as he fell, and gentle waves
restored him smiling to his friends in arms,
with all the gore and carnage washed away.
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