rugged, and great, which men of former days
had set to be the boundary of a field.[684] With this she struck fierce
Mars upon the neck, and relaxed his knees. Seven acres he covered,
falling; as to his hair he was defiled with dust; and his armour rang
round him. But Pallas Minerva laughed, and, boasting over him, addressed
to him winged words:

[Footnote 684: The student will find some rude representations of
these boundary-stones at page 212, sqq. of Van Goes' edition of
the Rei Agrimensoria scriptores.]

"Fool, hast thou not yet perceived how much I boast myself to be
superior, that thou opposest thy strength to me? Thus indeed dost thou
expiate the Erinnys of thy mother, who designs mischiefs against thee,
enraged because thou hast deserted the Greeks, and dost aid the
treaty-breaking Trojans."

Thus having spoken, she turned back her bright eyes. But Venus, the
daughter of Jove, taking him by the hand, led him away, groaning very
frequently; but he with difficulty collected his spirit. But when the
white-armed goddess Juno perceived him, immediately to Minerva she
addressed winged words:

"Alas! O child of aegis-bearing Jove, invincible, see how again she,
most impudent, leads man-slaughtering Mars through the tumult, from the
glowing battle. But follow."

Thus she spoke; but Minerva rushed after, and rejoiced in her mind; and
springing upon her, smote her with her stout hand on the breast, and
dissolved her knees and dear heart. Then both of them lay upon the
fruitful earth; but she, boasting over them, spoke winged words:

"Would that all, as many as are allies to the Trojans, when they fight
against the armed Greeks, were so bold and daring, as Venus came an
assistant to Mars, to oppose my strength; then had we long since ceased
from battle, having overthrown the well-built city of Ilium."

Thus she spoke; but the white-armed goddess Juno smiled. And the
earth-shaking king addressed Apollo:

"Phoebus, why do we two stand apart? Nor is it becoming, since the
others have begun. This would be disgraceful, if we return without fight
to Olympus, and to the brazen-floored mansion of Jove. Commence, for
thou art younger by birth; for it would not be proper for me, since I am
elder, and know more things. Fool, since thou possessest a senseless
heart; nor dost at all remember those things, how many evils we suffered
round Ilium, when we alone of the gods, coming from Jove to haughty
Laomedon, laboured