Aeneid 2.559-623

But then first a savage horror surrounded me. I stood silent; the image of my dear father steals in as I saw a king of like age with a cruel wound, breathing out his life; abandoned Creusa steals in and my plundered home and the downfall of little Iulus. I look back and scan what force is around me. Everyone, weary, has left, and with a wretched leap gave sick bodies to the earth or to the fires.

(567) And now indeed I was one left, when I catch sight of Tyndareus' daughter watching over the thresholds of Vesta and, silent, hiding in the hidden abode; bright fires give light to one wandering and everywhere bearing eyes through everything. That one fearing Teucrians hostile to her on account of overturned Pergama and the punishment of the Danaans and the rages of her deserted husband, the common Erinys of Troy and her fatherland, she had hidden herself and hated was sitting upon the altars. Fires burned in my mind. Anger enters to avenge my falling fatherland and to exact criminal punishments. 'Surely this one will look upon Sparta, safe, and paternal Mycenae, she will go, a queen, with triumph won? She will see both husband and home, fathers and children, accompanied by a crowd of Trojan women and Phrygian ministers? Priam will have fallen by the sword? Troy will have burned with fire? The Dardanian shore will have been soaked so many times with blood? Not so. For even if there is no memorable name in the punishment of a woman and (this) victory has no praise, but I will be praised having killed (this) wrong and having taken merited punishments, and it will please to have filled my mind with avenging flame and to have satisfied the ashes of my people.'

(588) I was considering such things and with a crazed mind I was born, when my dear parent brought herself to me, not before so clear to my eyes, to be seen, and she gleamed in pure light through the night, revealed as a goddess and such and as great as she is accustomed to be seen by the gods, she held me, seized with her right hand, and with rosy mouth she adds these things in addition, 'Child, what such great grief rouses untamable angers? Why do you rage? Or to what place does your care for ours retreat you? WIll you not first see where you left Anchises, your parent weary with age, does your wife Creusa and the boy Ascanius survive? Around all of whom the Greek battle-lines wander and unless my care makes a stand now flames would have born (away) and a hostile sword would have drained. The face of the Laconian daughter of Tyndareus is not hateful to you nor is Paris to blame, the harshness of the gods, of the gods, overturns these resources and lays low Troy from the zenith. Look--for I will tear away the whole cloud which now having covered the one viewing dim your mortal sights and, damp, make clouds around; you do not fear any orders of your parent not refuse to obey her commands--here, when you see the divided masses and rocks torn from rocks, surging smoke with mingled dust, Neptune shakes the walls and foundations moved with his great trident and overthrows the whole city from its seats. Here Scaean Juno, most savage, girt with a sword, first holds the gates and, raging, calls the allied line from the ships. Now Tritonian Pallas sits on the highest citadels, look, gleaming from a cloud and savage with her Gorgon. The father himself gives courage to the Danaans and second strength, he himself stirs the gods against Dardanian arms. Seize flight, child, and put an end to your work; I will never be absent and I will set you safe on your father's threshold.' She had spoken and hid herself in the thick shadows of the night. Harsh faces appear and the great powers of the gods, hostile to Troy.