Aen. 7.601Mōs erat Hesperiō in Latiō, quem prōtinus urbēs
Albānae coluēre sacrum nunc maxima rērum
Rōma colit, cum prīma movent in proelia Mārtem,
sīve Getīs īnferre manū lacrimābile bellum
605Hyrcānīsve Arabīsve parant seu tendere ad Indōs
Aurōramque sequī Parthōsque reposcere signa.There 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. Aen. 7.607Sunt geminae bellī portae (sīc nōmine dīcunt)
religiōne sacrae et saevī formīdine Mārtis;There are twin Gates of War (so they call them by name), hallowed by religion and by dread of cruel Mars; Aen. 7.609centum aereī claudunt vectēs aeternaque ferrī
610rōbora, nec custōs absistit līmine Iānus:
hās, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae,
ipse Quirīnālī trabeā cīnctūque Gabīnō
īnsignis reserat strīdentia līmina cōnsul,
ipse vocat pugnās;a 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; Aen. 7.614sequitur tum cētera pūbēs,
615aereaque adsēnsū cōnspīrant cornua raucō.then the rest of the young men follow, and the bronze horns blow together with hoarse assent.
Aen. 7.616Hōc et tum Aeneadīs indīcere bella Latīnus
mōre iubēbātur trīstīsque reclūdere portās.In this way then too Latinus was being bidden to declare war on the sons of Aeneas and unbar the grim gates. Aen. 7.618Abstinuit tāctū pater āversusque refūgit
foeda ministeria et caecīs sē condidit umbrīs.The father refrained from touching them, and turning away, shrank from the foul duty and hid himself in blind darkness. Aen. 7.620Tum rēgīna deum caelō dēlapsa morantīs
impulit ipsa manū portās, et cardine versō
bellī ferrātōs rumpit Sāturnia postēs.Then 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. Aen. 7.623Ārdet inexcīta Ausonia atque immōbilis ante;Ausonia, unroused and unmoved before, is ablaze; Aen. 7.624Pars pedes īre parat campīs, pars arduus altīs
625pulverulentus equīs furit;some get ready to go on foot over the plains, some, high on tall horses, rage in the dust; Aen. 7.625omnēs arma requīrunt.all call for arms. Aen. 7.626Pars levis clipeōs et spīcula lūcida tergent
arvīnā pinguī subiguntque in cōte secūrēs;Some polish smooth shields and bright javelins with rich fat, and whet axes on the grindstone; Aen. 7.628signaque ferre iuvat sonitūsque audīre tubārum.they delight to carry standards and to hear the sound of trumpets.
Aen. 7.629Quīnque adeō magnae positīs incūdibus urbēs
630tēla novant, Atīna potēns Tīburque superbum,
Ardea Crustumerīque et turrigerae Antemnae.Indeed, five great cities set up anvils and forge new weapons: mighty Atina, and proud Tibur, Ardea and Crustumeri and towered Antemnae. Aen. 7.632Tegmina tūta cavant capitum flectuntque salignās
umbōnum crātīs;They hollow out safe coverings for heads, and bend willow frames for shield bosses; Aen. 7.633aliī thōrācas aēnōs
aut levīs ocreās lentō dūcunt argentō;others beat out bronze breastplates or smooth greaves from pliant silver; Aen. 7.635vōmeris hūc et falcis honōs, hūc omnis arātrī
cessit amor;to this the honour of the ploughshare and the sickle, to this all love of the plough has given way; Aen. 7.636recoquunt patriōs fornācibus ēnsēs.they re-forge their fathers' swords in furnaces. Aen. 7.637Classica iamque sonant;And now the war trumpets sound; Aen. 7.637it bellō tessera signum.the password goes round, the signal for war. Aen. 7.638Hic galeam tēctīs trepidus rapit, ille frementīs
ad iuga cōgit equōs clipeumque aurōque trilīcem
640lōrīcam induitur fīdōque accingitur ēnse.One 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.