337Scarcely had he said this: then, going forward, he shows him both the altar and the gate which the Romans call by the name Carmental, an ancient honour to the nymph Carmentis, the prophetic seer, who first foretold the greatness of the sons of Aeneas and the nobility of Pallanteum. 342Next he shows the huge grove which fierce Romulus made an Asylum, and beneath the cold rock the Lupercal, named in Parrhasian fashion after Lycaean Pan. 345He shows him also the grove of sacred Argiletum, and calls the place to witness, and tells of the death of Argus, his guest. 347From here he leads him to the Tarpeian seat and the Capitol, golden now, once bristling with woodland thickets.
349Even then the dread sanctity of the place frightened the fearful country folk, even then they trembled at the wood and the rock. 351'This grove,' he says, 'this hill with its leafy summit, a god inhabits (which god is uncertain): the Arcadians believe they have seen Jupiter himself, when often he shook the darkening aegis in his right hand and stirred up the storm clouds. 355Besides, you see these two towns with ruined walls, the remains and memorials of men of old. 357This citadel father Janus founded, that one Saturn: Janiculum was the name of this, Saturnia of that.' 359With such talk between them they were approaching the dwelling of poor Evander, and they saw cattle everywhere, lowing in the Roman Forum and the elegant Carinae.
362When they came to his house: 'This threshold,' he says, 'victorious Alcides entered; this palace received him. 364Dare, guest, to scorn wealth, and fashion yourself too to be worthy of the god, and come not disdainful of our poverty.' 366He spoke, and led great Aeneas beneath the roof of his narrow house, and placed him on a bed of strewn leaves and the skin of a Libyan bear. 369Night rushes down and embraces the earth with its dusky wings.