ite-armed Juno answered nought. And the bright light
of the sun fell into the ocean, drawing dark night over the fruitful
earth.[286] The light set to the Trojans indeed unwilling; but gloomy
and much-desired light came on, grateful to the Greeks.

[Footnote 286: Beautifully expressed by Ennius apud Macrob. Sat.
vi. 4: "Interea fax Occidit, Oceanumque rubra tractim obruit
aethra." See Columna on Enn. p. 113, ed. Hessel.]

But illustrious Hector then formed a council of the Trojans, having led
them apart from the ships, at the eddying river, in a clear space, where
the place appeared free from dead bodies. But alighting to the ground
from their horses, they listened to the speech which Hector, beloved of
Jove, uttered. In his hand he held a spear of eleven cubits: and before
him shone the golden point of the spear, and a golden ring surrounded
it. Leaning on this, he spoke winged words:

"Hear me, ye Trojans, and Dardanians, and allies: I lately thought that
having destroyed the ships and all the Greeks, I should return back to
wind-swept Ilium. But darkness has come on first, which has now been
the chief means of preserving the Greeks and their ships on the shore of
the sea. But, however, let us now obey dark night, and make ready our
repasts; and do ye loose from your chariots your beautiful-maned steeds,
and set fodder before them: and quickly bring from the city oxen and fat
sheep; bring sweet wine and bread from your homes; and besides collect
many fagots, that all night till Aurora, mother of dawn, we may kindle
many fires, and the splendour may ascend to heaven: lest haply in the
night the long-haired Greeks attempt to fly over the broad ridge of the
ocean. That they may not at all events without toil and without harm
ascend their ships: but [let us] take care that each of them may have to
heal a wound[287] at home, being stricken either with an arrow, or with
a sharp spear, bounding into his ship; that every other too may dread to
wage tearful war against the horse-breaking Trojans. Let the heralds,
dear to Jove, proclaim through the city, that the youths at the age of
puberty, and the hoary-templed sages, keep watch around the city, in the
god-built turrets; and let the females also, the feebler sex, in their
halls each kindle a mighty fire: and let there be some strong guard,
lest a secret band enter the city, the people being absent. Thus let it
be, magnanimous Trojans, as I say: and let the speech,