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band, leaps into the river, and in triumph plucks from the
grassy bank his offering to Trivia, the javelin and the maid.
No cities opened to him house or stronghold, for his wild
nature had never brooked submission: among the shepherds'
lonely mountains he passed his days. There in the 5
woods, among beasts' savage lairs, he reared his daughter
on milk from the breast of an untamed mare, squeezing
the udder into her tender lips. And soon as the child
first stood on her feet, he armed her hands with a pointed
javelin, and hung from her baby shoulder a quiver and a 10
bow. For the golden brooch in her hair, for the long
sweeping mantle, there hang from her head adown her
back a tiger's spoils. Even then she launched with tiny
hand her childish missiles, swung round her head the sling's
well-turned thong, and brought down a crane from Strymon 15
or a snow-white swan. Many a mother in Tyrrhene
town has wooed her for her son in vain: with no thought
but for Dian, she cherishes in unsullied purity her love for
the hunter's and the maiden's life. Would she had never
been pressed for warfare like this, essaying to strike a blow 20
at the Teucrians: so had she still been my darling and a
sister of my train. But come, since cruel destiny is darkening
round her, glide down, fair nymph, from the sky,
and repair to the Latian frontier, where now in an evil hour
the tearful battle is joining. Take these arms, and draw 25
from the quiver an avenging shaft: therewith let the foe,
whoever he be, Trojan or Italian, that shall profane with
the stroke of death that sacred person, make to me in like
manner the atonement of his blood. Afterwards in the
hollow of a cloud I will bear off the body of my lost favourite 30
undespoiled of its arms, and lay her down in her
own land." Thus she: and Opis hurtled downward through
the buoyant air, a black whirlwind enswathing her form.

But the Trojan band meanwhile is nearing the walls
with the Etruscan chiefs and the whole array of cavalry, 35
marshalled into companies. Steeds are prancing and
neighing the whole champaign over, and chafing against
the drawn bridle as they face hither and thither: the field,