THE WRATH OF JUNO.
Now Juno beheld how the men of Troy were come to the land of Italy,
and were now building them houses to dwell in; and great wrath came
into her heart, and she spake to herself, saying, "Of a truth this
accursed race hath vanquished me. For the flames of Troy burned them
not, neither hath the sea devoured them. And, lo! they are come to the
place where they would be, even to the river of Tiber. Yet could Mars
destroy the whole nation of the Lapithæ, when he was wroth with them;
and Jupiter suffered Diana to prevail against the land of Calydon. Yet
had not the Lapithæ or Calydon done so great wickedness as hath this
nation of Troy. And I, who am the wife of Jupiter, am vanquished by
Æneas! Yet have I means yet remaining to me, for if the Gods of heaven
will not help me, then will I betake me to the powers of hell. From
the kingdom of Latium I may not keep him, and the Gods decree that he
shall have Lavinia to wife. Yet may I hinder the matter. Surely at a
great price shall they buy this alliance; and thy dowry, O virgin,
shall be the blood of Italy and of Troy."
Then Juno descended to the lower parts of the earth, and called to
Alecto from the dwellings of her sisters the Furies--Alecto who loveth
war and anger and treachery, and all evil deeds. Even Pluto hateth
her, aye, and her sisters likewise, so dreadful is she to behold. And
Juno spake to her, saying, "Now would I have thee help me, Daughter of
Night, that I lose not my proper honour. I will not that Æneas should
have the daughter of Latinus to wife, or dwell in the land of Italy.
Seeing therefore that thou canst set brother against brother, and
bring enmity into houses and kingdoms, that they should fall, break
this peace that they have made, and bring to pass some occasion of
war."
Then straightway Alecto betook herself to the dwelling of King
Latinus. There found she Amata, the queen, in great trouble and wrath,
for she loved not the men of Troy, and would have Turnus for her
son-in-law. And the Fury took a snake from her hair, and thrust it
into the bosom of the queen. About her breast it glided unfelt, and
breathed poisonous breath into her heart. And now it became a collar
of twisted gold about her neck, and now a crown about her head,
binding her hair. At the first indeed, when the poison began to work,
and her whole heart was not as yet filled with the fever, she spake
gently and after the wont of a mother, weeping much the while over her
daughter. "Art thou then ready, my husband, to give thy daughter to
this exile of Troy? Hast thou no pity for thyself, or thy daughter, or
me? Well know I that with the first north wind he will fly and carry
her away over the sea. And what of thy word, and of the faith that
thou hast pledged so many times to Turnus thy kinsman? If thou must
seek a son-in-law from the land of the stranger, I hold that they all
be strangers who obey not thy rule, and that the Gods mean not other
than this. And Turnus, if thou wilt inquire more deeply into his
descent, is of the lineage of Inachus, and cometh in the beginning
from the land of Mycenæ."
But when she perceived that her husband heeded not these words, and
when also the poison of the serpent had now altogether prevailed over
her, she ran through the city like to one that is mad. Nay, she
feigned that the frenzy of Bacchus was upon her, and fled into the
woods, taking her daughter with her, to the end that she might hinder
the marriage. Many other women also, when they heard this thing, went
forth, leaving their homes. With bare necks and hair unbound they
went, crying aloud the while; and in their hands they held staves of
pine, and were clad in the skins of wild beasts. And in the midst of
them stood the queen, holding a great pine torch in her hand, and
singing the marriage song of her daughter and Turnus; and her eyes
were red as blood.
Next after this the Fury, deeming that she had overthrown the counsels
of Latinus, sped to the city of Turnus the Rutulian. Now the name of
the city was called Ardea, and Danaë builded it in old time; Ardea is
it called to this day, but its glory hath departed. Now Turnus was
asleep in his palace, and Alecto took upon her the shape of an old
woman, even of Chalybé, who was the priestess of Juno; and she spake,
saying, "Turnus, wilt thou suffer all thy toil to be in vain, and thy
kingdom to be given to another? King Latinus taketh from thee thy
betrothed wife, and chooses a stranger that he should inherit his
kingdom. Juno commanded that I should tell thee this in thy sleep.
Rise, therefore, and arm thy people. Consume these strangers and their
ships with fire. And if King Latinus yet will not abide by his
promise, let him know for himself what Turnus can do in the day of
battle."
But Turnus laughed her to scorn. "That the ships of the stranger have
come to the Tiber, I know full well. But tell me not these tales.
Queen Juno forgetteth me not, therefore I am not afraid; but thou,
mother, art old, and wanderest from the truth, and troublest thyself
for nought, and art mocked with idle fear. Thy business it is to tend
the temples of the Gods and their images, but as for war, leave that
to men, seeing that it is their care."
Greatly wroth was Alecto to hear such words. And even while he spake
the young man shuddered and stared with his eyes, for the Fury hissed
before him with a thousand snakes. And when he would have spoken more,
she thrust him back, and caught two snakes from her hair, and lashed
him therewith, and cried aloud, "Old am I! and wander from the truth!
and am mocked with idle fears! Nay, but I come from the dwelling of
the Furies, and war and death are in my hand!"
And she cast a torch at the youth, and fixed it smoking with baleful
light in his heart. Then, in great fear, he woke, and a cold sweat
burst forth upon him, and he cried aloud for his arms, and was
exceedingly mad for battle. Also he bade the youth arm themselves,
saying that he would thrust the men of Troy out of Italy, aye, and
fight, if need were, with the Latins also. And the people hearkened
unto him, so fair was he, and of noble birth, and great renown in war.
Then Alecto hied her to the place where Iülus was hunting the beasts
of the forest. Now there was a stag, very stately, with exceeding
great horns, which Tyrrheus and his children had brought up from a
fawn. And Silvia, a fair virgin who was his daughter, was wont to
adorn it with garlands, and to comb it, and to wash it with water. By
day it would wander in the woods, and at nightfall come back to the
house. This stag, then, the dogs of Iülus having scented pursued, and
indeed Alecto brought it to pass that this mischief shall befall; and
Iülus also, following hard upon his dogs, shot an arrow at it, nor
missed (for the Fury would have it so), but pierced it through. Then
the wounded beast fled back to the house which it knew, being covered
with blood, and filled it with a lamentable voice, as one that crieth
for help. And Silvia heard it, and cried to the country folk for aid,
who came forthwith, Alecto urging them (for the accursed thing lay hid
in the woods). And one had a charred firebrand and another a knotted
stick, each such weapon as came to his hand. And Tyrrheus, who chanced
to be splitting a tall oak with wedges, led the way, having a great
axe in his hand.
Then did Alecto climb upon the roof, and, sounding with hellish voice
through a clarion, sent abroad the shepherds' signal. And all the
forest trembled at the sound, and Trivia's lake and Nar, with his
white sulphurous wave, and the fountains of Velia; and trembling
mothers pressed their children to their breasts.
Then ran together all the country folk, and the youth of Troy hasted
also to the help of Iülus. And now they fought not with clubs and
charred stakes, but with swords and spears in battle array. Then Almo
fell, the eldest of the sons of Tyrrheus, stricken in the throat, with
many others round him, and among them the old man Galæsus, even as he
offered himself to be a mediator between the two. Most righteous of
men was he, and richest likewise, for he had five flocks of sheep and
five herds of cattle, and tilled the earth with a hundred ploughs.
But Alecto, when she had accomplished these things, hasted to Juno,
and spake, saying, "I have done thy bidding; and now, if thou wilt, I
will to the neighbouring cities, spreading among them rumours of
wars." But Juno answered, "It is enough; there hath been the shedding
of blood. It were not well that the Father should see thee wandering
in the upper air, wherefore depart, and if aught remain to be done, I
will see to it."