KING EVANDER.
So the chiefs were gathered together, and much people with them,
Mezentius, and Ufens, and Messapus being their leaders. They sent an
embassy likewise to Diomed (for Diomed had built him a city in Italy,
even Arpi), to tell him that Æneas and the men of Troy were setting up
a kingdom in these parts, and to bid him take counsel for himself.
But Æneas was much troubled at these things, and cast about in his
mind where he should look for help. And while he meditated thereon he
slept. And lo! in his dreams the god of the river, even Father Tiber,
appeared to him. An old man was he, and clad in a blue linen robe, and
having a crown of reeds upon his head. And he spake, saying, "Thou art
welcome to this land, to which thou hast brought the Gods of Troy. Be
not dismayed at wars and rumours of wars, nor cease from thy
enterprise. And this shall be a sign unto thee. Thou shalt find upon
the shore a white sow with thirty young, white also, about her teats.
And it shall come to pass that after thirty years Iülus shall build
him the White City. And now I will tell thee how thou shalt have
victory in this war. Certain men of Arcadia, following their king,
Evander, have built a city in this land, and called its name
Pallantium. These wage war continually with the Latins. To them
therefore thou must go, making thy way up the stream of the river.
Rise therefore, and offer sacrifice to Juno, appeasing her wrath. And
to me thou shalt perform thy vows when thou shalt have prevailed. For
know that I am Tiber the river, and that of all the rivers on earth
none is dearer to the Gods."
[Illustration: ÆNEAS AND TIBER.]
Then Æneas roused him from sleep, and made his supplications to the
Nymphs and the river god, that they would be favourable to him. And
when he looked, lo! upon the shore a white sow with thirty young,
white also, about her teats. Of these he made a sacrifice to Juno. And
after this he commanded that they should make ready two ships, and
so went on his way. And Tiber stayed his stream so that the men might
not toil in rowing. Quickly they sped, and many trees were above their
heads, and the image thereof in the water beneath. And at noonday they
beheld a city with walls, and a citadel, and a few houses round about.
Now it chanced that Evander and his people were holding a sacrifice
that day to Hercules before the city. But when they saw through the
trees the ships approaching, they were astonished, and rose all from
the feast. But Pallas, who was the son of the king, commanded that
they should not interrupt the sacrifice, and, snatching a spear, he
cried from the mound whereon the altar stood: "Strangers, why come ye?
what seek ye? Do ye bring peace or war?"
Then Æneas cried from the stern of his ship, holding out the while an
olive branch: "We be men of Troy, enemies of the Latins, and we seek
King Evander. Say, therefore, to him that Æneas, prince of Troy, is
come, seeking alliance with him."
Much did Pallas marvel to hear this name, and said, "Approach thou,
whoever thou art, and hold converse with my father;" and he caught him
by the hand.
And when Æneas was set before King Evander he spake, saying, "I come
to thee, O King, not unwilling or fearful, though indeed thou art a
Greek and akin to the sons of Atreus. For between thee and me also
there is kindred. For Dardanus, builder of Troy, was the son of
Electra, who was the daughter of Atlas. And ye come from Mercurius,
who was the son of Cyllene, who was also the daughter of Atlas.
Wherefore, I sent not ambassadors to thee, but came myself, fearing
nothing. Know thou that the Daunian race, which warreth against thee,
pursueth us also; against whom if they prevail, without doubt they
shall rule over Italy, from the one sea even to the other. I would,
therefore, that we make alliance together."
And as he spake, Evander ceased not to regard him, and, when he had
ended, spake, saying, "Welcome, great son of Troy. Gladly do I
recognise the voice and face of Anchises. For I remember how Priam
came of old time to the kingdom of his sister Hesioné, who was the
wife of Telamon; and many princes were with him, but the mightiest of
them was Anchises. Much did I love the man, and took him with me to
Pheneus. And he gave me when he departed a quiver and arrows of Lycia,
and a cloak with threads of gold, and two bridles of gold, which my
son Pallas hath to this day. The alliance that thou seekest I grant.
To-morrow shalt thou depart with such help as I can give. But now,
since ye be come at such good time, join us in our sacrifice and
feast."
So they feasted together on the flesh of oxen, and drank wine, and
were merry. And when they had made an end of eating and drinking, King
Evander spake, saying, "This great feast, my friend, we hold not
without good reason, which thou shalt now hear from me. Seest thou
this great ruin of rocks? Here in old time was a cave, running very
deep into the cliff, wherein Cacus dwelt, a monster but half man,
whose father was Vulcan. The ground thereof reeked with blood, and at
the mouth were fixed the heads of dead men. Very great of stature was
he, and breathed out fire from his mouth. To this land came Hercules,
driving before him the oxen of Geryon, whom he had slain. And when he
had left these to feed in the valley by the river, Cacus, that he
might fill up the measure of his wickedness, stole four bulls and four
heifers, the very chiefest of the herd. And that he might conceal the
thing, he dragged them by the tails backwards, so that the tracks led
not to the cave. But it chanced that the herd made a great bellowing
when Hercules would have driven them away in the morning. And one of
the heifers which Cacus had hidden in the cave bellowed also, making
answer. Then was Hercules very wroth, and caught up in his hand his
great knotted club, and climbed to the top of the hill. Then was Cacus
sore afraid, and fled to his cave swift as the wind, fear giving wings
to his feet. And when he was come thither, he shut himself therein,
letting fall a great stone which he had caused to hang over the mouth
thereof by cunning devices that he had learned from his father. And
when Hercules was come he sought to find entrance and could not; but
at the last he saw one of the rocks that it was very high and leaned
to the river. This he pushed from the other side, so that it fell
with a great crash into the water. Then did the whole cave of Cacus
lie open to view, horrible to behold, as though the earth were to open
her mouth and show the regions of the dead. And first Hercules shot at
the monster with arrows, and cast boughs and great stones at him; and
Cacus vomited forth from his mouth fire and smoke, filling the whole
cave. And Hercules endured not to be so baffled, but plunged into the
cave, even where the smoke was thickest, and caught him, twining his
arms and legs about him, and strangled him that he died. Of which
deed, O my friends, we keep the remembrance year by year. Do ye,
therefore, join in our feast, putting first wreaths of poplar about
your heads, for the poplar is the tree of Hercules."
[Illustration: HERCULES AND CACUS.]
So they feasted; and the priests, even the Salii, being in two
companies, young and old, sang the great deeds of Hercules: how, being
yet an infant, he strangled the snakes that Juno sent to slay him, and
overthrew mighty cities, and endured many grievous labours, slaying
the Centaurs and the lion of Nemea; and how he went down to hell, and
dragged the dog Cerberus therefrom, and many other things likewise.
And at even they went back to the city, and as they went Evander told
Æneas many things concerning the country: how of old a savage race
dwelt therein, living even as the beasts, whom Saturn, flying from his
son Jupiter, first taught, giving them customs and laws; and how other
kings also had borne rule over them, and how he himself had come to
the land at the bidding of Apollo. Also he showed him the city which
he had founded, and the places thereof: very famous were they in
after-time, when mighty Rome was builded, even on the selfsame ground.
And when they came to his palace he said, "Hercules entered this
dwelling, though indeed it be small and lowly. Think not, then,
overmuch of riches, and so make thyself worthy to ascend to heaven, as
he also ascended."
Then he led him within the palace, and bade him rest on a couch,
whereon was spread the skin of an African bear.