623Yet the fates do not allow hope too to be overthrown with the walls of Troy: the sacred objects and, a second sacred thing, his father, the Cytherean hero carries on his shoulders, a venerable burden: from such great wealth the dutiful man chooses that plunder, and his Ascanius, and with a fugitive fleet he is carried over the seas from Antandros, and leaves the accursed threshold of the Thracians and the land streaming with the blood of Polydorus, and with helpful winds and a favouring tide he enters Apollo's city, his comrades accompanying him. 632Anius, under whom as king men were ruled and as priest Phoebus was duly worshipped, received him in temple and home, and showed him the city and the famous shrines and the two trunks once grasped by Latona as she gave birth.
636When incense had been given to the flames and wine poured on the incense, and the entrails of slaughtered cattle burned according to custom, they make for the royal palace and, reclining on high-piled coverlets, partake of Ceres' gifts with flowing Bacchus. 640Then dutiful Anchises: 'O chosen priest of Phoebus, am I mistaken, or did you have a son too, when I first saw these walls, and twice two daughters, as far as I remember?' 643To him Anius, shaking his temples bound with snowy fillets, said sadly: 'You are not mistaken, greatest of heroes: you saw a father of five children, whom now (such fickleness of fortune turns men about!) you see almost childless.
647For what help to me is my absent son, whom the land called after his name, Andros, holds, occupying the place and the kingdom in his father's stead? 650The Delian god gave him the art of augury; Liber gave my female offspring other gifts, greater than prayer or belief: for at the touch of my daughters everything was transformed into corn and the liquid of wine and the oil of grey Minerva, and there was rich profit in them. 655When the son of Atreus, the destroyer of Troy, learned of this, so that you may not think that we too did not feel your storm in some measure, he used the force of arms to drag them unwilling from their father's lap, and orders them to feed the Argive fleet with their heavenly gift.
660They flee, each where she can: Euboea is sought by two, and by as many daughters their brother's Andros. 662Soldiers arrive and threaten war unless they are surrendered. 663Brotherly love was conquered by fear: he surrendered his sisters' bodies to punishment (and you could forgive a timid brother: there was no Aeneas here, no Hector to defend Andros, through whom you held out into the tenth year); 667and now chains were being prepared for their captive arms: they, raising to heaven arms that were still free, 'Father Bacchus, bring help!' 669they said, and the author of their gift did bring help — if destroying in a wondrous way is called bringing help; nor have I been able to learn, nor can I now say, by what means they lost their shape; 673the sum of the misfortune is known: they took on wings and turned into birds of your wife, snowy doves.' 675After they had filled the banquet with such talk and more, the table was removed and they sought sleep, and with the day they rise and go to the oracle of Phoebus, who bade them seek their ancient mother and kindred shores; 679the king escorts them and gives gifts to them as they leave, to Anchises a sceptre, to his grandson a cloak and quiver, to Aeneas a mixing-bowl, which his guest-friend Therses of Ismenus had once sent him from the Aonian shores.
683Therses had sent it to him, but Alcon of Hyle had made it and had engraved it with a long story. 685There was a city, and you could point out its seven gates: these served as its name and showed which city it was. 687Before the city, funerals and tombs and fires and pyres, and mothers with hair unbound and breasts bared, signify mourning: the nymphs too seem to weep and lament their dried-up springs; the tree stands stiff and bare without leaves; she-goats gnaw the parched rocks. 692See, in the middle of Thebes he shows the daughters of Orion, a band of women, offering their breasts with throats bared, and them, the weapon driven through their unwarlike wounds, fallen for their people, and carried through the city in a fine funeral and burned in a crowded place; then from the maidens' ashes twin youths emerging, so that the race should not perish, whom report names the Coroni, and leading the procession for their mother's ashes.
700Thus far, with figures gleaming on the ancient bronze; the top of the bowl was rough with gilded acanthus. 702Nor do the Trojans return lesser gifts than those given: they give the priest an incense-box to hold incense, they give a libation bowl and a crown bright with gold and gems.