778At last, hearing of the slaughter of their men, the Teucrian leaders gather, Mnestheus and fierce Serestus, and see their comrades scattered and the enemy let in. 781And Mnestheus: 'Where next, where are you turning your flight?' 781he says. 782'What other walls, what further ramparts do you now have? 783Shall one man, and he hemmed in on all sides by your ramparts, citizens, have wrought such slaughter through the city unpunished, and sent so many of our foremost young men to Orcus? 786Do you feel no pity and no shame, you cowards, for your unhappy country, for your ancient gods and great Aeneas?' 788Fired by such words, they are strengthened and take a stand in a dense column.
789Turnus little by little withdraws from the fight and makes for the river and the part which is bounded by the water; 791all the more fiercely do the Teucrians press on with a great shout and mass their band. 792As when a crowd presses on a savage lion with hostile weapons, but he, frightened, fierce, glaring grimly, gives ground, and neither his anger nor his courage lets him turn his back, nor, much as he desires it, can he make headway against them through weapons and men: just so Turnus, uncertain, retraces his steps without haste, and his mind seethes with anger. 799Indeed, twice even then he had charged into the midst of the enemy, twice he turns their columns in confused flight along the walls; 801but the whole force from the camp quickly gathers into one, nor does Juno, Saturn's daughter, dare to supply him strength against them, for Jupiter sent airy Iris down from the sky, bearing no gentle commands to his sister, if Turnus does not withdraw from the high walls of the Teucrians.
806So the young man can hold his ground neither with shield nor with right hand as well as before: he is overwhelmed by weapons thrown from every side. 808Round his hollow temples his helmet rings with ceaseless clanging, the solid bronze gives way under stones, the plumes are torn from his head, nor is the boss of his shield enough for the blows: the Trojans redouble their thrusts with spears, and lightning Mnestheus himself. 812Then sweat runs over his whole body and flows in a pitchy stream, and he has no power to breathe; 814a sick panting shakes his weary limbs. 815Then at last, headlong, with a leap he threw himself in full armour into the river: it received him in its yellow eddy as he came, bore him up on gentle waves, and, the slaughter washed away, returned him rejoicing to his comrades.