Aeneid 2.298-355

Meanwhile, the walls are mixed with diverse grief, and more and more, although the home of his parent Anchises, secluded and covered by trees, is set back, sounds grow loud and the horror of weapons threatens. Shaken from sleep, I both go up to the gables of the top of the house by climbing and stand with alert ears: as when flame falls upon a field of wheat with the raging South Winds, or a rapid torrent lays low the fields with mountain river, it lays low rich crops and the labors of the oxen and drags the forests headlong; the unknowing shepherd stands silent at the high peak of a rock, taking in the sound. Then indeed faith is clearly visible, the tricks of the Danaans are evident. Now spacious home of Deiphobus gave to ruin with Vulcan conquering, now neighboring Ucalegon burns; the wide Sigean straits light up with fire. both a clamor of men and a crying of crowds arise. Out of my mind, I take arms and there is not enough reason in weapons, but minds burn to join bands in war and run together in the citadel with allies; madness and anger cast down the mind, and it occurs that it is beautiful to die in arms.

(318) But look, Panthus, having slipped from the weapons of the Acheans, Panthus son of Othryas, priest of the citadel and of Phoebus, himself drags the sacred items with his hand and conquered gods and his little grandson and, out of his mind, he clings to the threshold in his run. 'In what place is the decisive struggle, Panthus? What stronghold do we hold?' Hardly had I spoken these things, when with a groan her responds: 'The final day and inescapable time of Dardania has come. We were Trojans, Ilium was and the huge glory of the Teucrians; savage Jupiter has turned everything over to Argos; the Danaans are in control in the kindled city. The lofty horse, standing in the middle of the walls, pours out armed men, and the victorious Sinon scatters fires, jeering. Some are at the wide open gates, as many thousands ever came from great Mycenae; others besiege the narrows of the streets with opposed spears; the line of battle, stripped of iron, stands with shaking sword-point, prepared to die; hardly do the first watchmen of the gates try battles and resit blind Mars.'

(336) With such words of the son of Othryas and with the will of the gods I am born into flames and into weapons, where the sad Erinys, where the roar calls and the clamor lifted tot he airs. Rhipeus and Epytus, greatest in arms, add themselves as allies, presented through the moon, both Hypanis and Dymas alson join our side, and the youth Coroebus, son of Mygdon--in those days by chance he had come to Troy, burned by mad love for Cassandra, and he was bringing aid as a son-in-law to Priam and the Phrygians, the unlucky fellow who did not hear the orders of his promised! To whom, when I saw those gathered and daring for battle, I began moreover with these (words): 'Youths, bravest hearts in vain, if you have a certain eagerness to follow me daring last thing, you see what fortune the circumstances have, the gods by whom this power had stood have all left, with the shrines and altars having been left; you run to aid a kindled city. Let us die and let us rush into the middle of the weapons. The one safety for the beaten is to hope for no safety.'