67But if they go out to battle (for often discord has come upon two kings with great commotion), at once you can foretell from far off the passions of the crowd and their hearts throbbing for war; 70for that martial ring of the hoarse brass rebukes the laggards, and a sound is heard imitating the broken blasts of trumpets; 73then they gather excitedly together and flash their wings, sharpen their stings on their beaks and ready their arms, and around the king and right by his headquarters they throng together and call the enemy with loud cries. 77So when they have found a clear spring day and open fields, they burst out of the gates; 78they clash, there is a noise high in the air, they mass together into a great ball and fall headlong; 80hail is no thicker from the air, nor do so many acorns rain down from a shaken holm-oak.
82The kings themselves, amid the battle-lines, with conspicuous wings, wield mighty spirits in narrow breasts, so resolved not to yield, until the heavy victor has forced either these or those to turn in flight and show their backs. 86These passions and these mighty contests will be checked and quieted by the throwing of a little dust.