ls of darkness

That yawn: the serpent-haired Fury, Bellona the Savage,

Megoera with firebrands, destruction, and treachery, livid

Death's likeness! Among them is Frenzy, as, free, with her lashings

Snapped short, she now raises her gory head, shielding her features

Deep scarred by innumerous wounds 'neath her helmet blood-clotted.

Her left arm she guards with a battle-scarred shield scored by
weapons,

And numberless spear-heads protrude from its surface: her right hand

A flaming torch brandishes, kindling a flame that will burn up

The world! Now the gods are on earth and the skies note their
absence;

The planets disordered their orbits attempt! Into factions

The heavens divide; first Dione espouses the cause of

Her Caesar. Minerva next steps to her side and the great son

Of Ares, his mighty spear brandishing! Phoebus espouses

The cause of Great Pompey: his sister and Mercury also

And Hercules like unto him in his travels and labors.

The trumpets call! Discord her Stygian head lifts to heaven

Her tresses disheveled, her features with clotted blood covered,

Tears pour from her bruised eyes, her iron fangs thick coated
with rust,

Her tongue distils poison, her features are haloed with serpents,

Her hideous bosom is visible under her tatters,

A torch with a blood red flame waves from her tremulous right hand.

Emerging from Cocytus dark and from Tartarus murky

She strode to the crests of the Apennines noble, the prospect

Of earth to survey, spread before her the world panorama

Its shores and the armies that march on its surface: these words
then

Burst out of her bosom malignant: 'To arms, now, ye nations,

While anger seethes hot, seize your arms, set the torch to the
cities,

Who skulks now is lost; neither woman nor child nor the aged

Bowed down with their years shall find quarter: the whole world will
tremble

And rooftrees themselves shall crash down and take part in the
struggle.

Marcellus, hold firm for the law! And thou, Curio, madden

The rabble! Thou, Lentulus, strive not to check valiant Ares!

Thou, Cesar divine, why delayest thou now thine invasion?

Why smash not the gates, why not level the walls of the cities,

Their treasures to