601There was a custom in Hesperian Latium, which the Alban cities kept as sacred from then on, and which now Rome, greatest of all things, keeps, when they first rouse Mars to battle, whether they are preparing to carry tearful war against the Getae, the Hyrcanians or the Arabs, or to march to the Indians and follow the Dawn and demand back the standards from the Parthians. 607There are twin Gates of War (so they call them by name), hallowed by religion and by dread of cruel Mars; 609a hundred bronze bolts and the eternal strength of iron close them, and Janus, their guardian, never leaves the threshold: when the fathers' decision for battle is firmly settled, the consul himself, distinguished by the Quirinal robe and the Gabine girding, unbars these creaking doors, he himself calls forth the fighting; 614then the rest of the young men follow, and the bronze horns blow together with hoarse assent.
616In this way then too Latinus was being bidden to declare war on the sons of Aeneas and unbar the grim gates. 618The father refrained from touching them, and turning away, shrank from the foul duty and hid himself in blind darkness. 620Then the queen of the gods, gliding down from heaven, with her own hand pushed the lingering gates, and, turning them on their hinge, Saturn's daughter burst the iron-bound doors of war. 623Ausonia, unroused and unmoved before, is ablaze; 624some get ready to go on foot over the plains, some, high on tall horses, rage in the dust; 625all call for arms. 626Some polish smooth shields and bright javelins with rich fat, and whet axes on the grindstone; 628they delight to carry standards and to hear the sound of trumpets.
629Indeed, five great cities set up anvils and forge new weapons: mighty Atina, and proud Tibur, Ardea and Crustumeri and towered Antemnae. 632They hollow out safe coverings for heads, and bend willow frames for shield bosses; 633others beat out bronze breastplates or smooth greaves from pliant silver; 635to this the honour of the ploughshare and the sickle, to this all love of the plough has given way; 636they re-forge their fathers' swords in furnaces. 637And now the war trumpets sound; 637the password goes round, the signal for war. 638One snatches a helmet from his house in haste, another forces snorting horses to the yoke, and puts on his shield and his mail of triple gold, and girds himself with his trusty sword.