“Arms and the man I sing, the first who came
Compelled by fate an exile out of Troy…” (The Aeneid, Rolfe Humphies translation)
“Remember
what they did”
Said
the ghosts of Trojan women,
“Remember
the fire.”
“The
horse.”
“How
they cut down our heroes”
“How
they murdered us”
“Tearing
our children from our comforting arms.”
Those
words haunted him
As
Aphrodite’s son escaped the mighty cyclopean walls.
His
people burned.
They
pleaded for help from Athena
But
it was all in vain.
Hera’s
hatred sent them to their doom.
Hector
appeared to injured Aeneas in a dream.
“My
brother,”
The
fallen prince told him,
“Fate
has given you a chance”
“To
get even with those that did this.”
“Go
west and you shall see.”
“In
the land above Sicily.”
Aeneas
and his family
Left
the dead and ruined city.
To
the ships they went
Eager
to find this new promised land.
They
came to Thrace
Where
the black blood of Polydorus
Gave
warnings of greed in the land
Sending
them off once again.
Apollo’s
island welcomed them
With
great earthquake
They
were off to Crete, the lonely Isle
Where,
in a dream, he was told of Italus’ land.
Passed
the turning point they traveled
Where
flocks of harpies pestered them.
They
followed Greek islands
Up
to the lands that Alexander saved.
From
there they sailed passed the boot
That
will house their future home
To
the land where Poseidon’s sons live.
They
saved a man from the one eyed one.
Left
carelessly by the horse maker on his way home.
Then
between the treacherous rocky whirlpool and sister monster.
After
surviving those two beasts
They
met a storm stirred up by Hera
That
brought them to rest on Dido’s mighty shores.
As
Aeneas told his story
Aphrodite
set the queen aflame.
In
a cave on hunting trip
Came
Dido’s poor undoing.
Aphrodite’s
son promised marriage
But
left her to fall to her grave
Cursing
the Trojan race
And
all who spring from them.
After
a visit to Hades’ land
They
went north to their promised fate.
