- for the rider he feared to encounter—and leaves the steel
lodged under the ear. Maddened by the blow, the beast
rears erect, and, uplifting its breast, flings its legs on high
in the uncontrolled agony of the wound: Remulus unseated
rolls on earth, Catillus dismounts Iollas, and like-*wise 5
Herminius, giant in courage, and giant too in stature
and girth: his bare head streams with yellow locks, and
his shoulders also are bare: wounds have no terrors for
him, so vast the surface he offers to the weapon. Through
his broad shoulders comes the quivering spear, and bows 10
the impaled hero double with anguish. Black streams
of gore gush on all sides: the combatants spread slaughter
with the steel, and rush on glorious death through a storm
of wounds.
But Camilla, with a quiver at her back, and one breast 15
put forth for the combat, leaps for joy like an Amazon in
the midst of carnage: now she scatters thick volleys of
quivering javelins, now her arm whirls unwearied the
massy two-edged axe: while from her shoulder sounds the
golden bow, the artillery of Dian. Nay, if ever she be 20
beaten back and retreating rearward, she turns her bow
and aims shafts in her flight. Around her are her chosen
comrades, maid Larina, and Tulla, and Tarpeia, wielding
the brazen-helved hatchet, daughters of Italy, whom
glorious Camilla herself chose to be her joy and pride, able 25
to deal alike with peace and war: even as the Amazons
of Thrace when they thunder over the streams of Thermōdon
and battle with her blazoned arms, encompassing
Hippolyte, or when Penthesilea, the War-god's darling,
is careering to and fro in her chariot, and the woman 30
army, amid a hubbub of shrill cries, are leaping in ecstasy
and shaking their moony shields. Who first, who last,
fierce maiden, is unhorsed by your dart? How many stalwart
bodies lay you low in death? The first was Eunēus,
Clytius' son, whose unguarded breast as he stood fronting 35
her she pierces with her long pine-wood spear. Down he
goes, disgorging streams of blood, closes his teeth on the
gory soil, and dying writhes upon his wound. Then
