Mars, ancient
guardian of our soil, abandon thine own land? God of the golden helm,
look upon, look upon the city which once thou didst hold well-beloved.
Tutelary gods of our country, behold,[101] behold this train of virgins
suppliant to escape from slavery,[102] for around our city a surge of
men with waving crests is rippling, stirred by the blasts of Mars. But,
O Jove, sire all-perfect! avert thoroughly from us capture by the
foemen; for Argives are encircling the fortress of Cadmus; and I feel a
dread of martial arms, and the bits which are fastened through the jaws
of their horses are knelling slaughter. And seven leaders of the host,
conspicuous in their spear-proof harness, are taking their stand at our
seventh gate,[103] assigned their posts by lot. Do thou too, O Jove-born
power that delightest in battle, Pallas, become a savior to our city;
and thou, equestrian monarch, sovereign of the main, with thy
fish-smiting trident, O Neptune, grant a deliverance, a deliverance from
our terrors. Do thou too, O Mars, alas! alas! guard the city which is
named after Cadmus, and manifestly show thy care--and thou, Venus, the
original mother of our race, avert [these ills]--for from thy blood are
we sprung; calling on thee with heavenward orisons do we approach thee.
And thou, Lycaean king, be thou fierce as a wolf[104] to the hostile
army, [moved] by the voice of our sighs.[105] Thou too, virgin-daughter
of Latona, deftly adorn thyself with thy bow, O beloved Diana. Ah! ah!
ah! I hear the rumbling of cars around the city, O revered Juno, the
naves of the heavy-laden axles creak, the air is maddened with the
whizzing of javelins--what is our city undergoing? What will become of
it? To what point is the deity conducting the issue?[106] ah! ah! A
shower of stones too from their slingers is coming over our battlements.
O beloved Apollo! there is the clash of brass-rimmed shields at the
gates, and the just issue in battle must be decided by arms according to
the disposal of Jove.[107] And thou Onca,[108] immortal queen, that
dwellest in front of our city, rescue thy seven-gated seat. O gods,
all-potent to save, O ye gods and goddesses, perfect guardians of the
towers of this land, abandon not our war-wasted city to an army of
aliens. Listen to these virgins, listen to our all-just prayers, as is
most right, to the orisons of virgins which are offered with
out-stretched hands. O beloved divinities, hovering around our city as
i