ed by an omen at the moment when the Trojans land.
On seeking an interpretation of this sign, he learns he is not to
bestow his daughter upon Turnus, but is to reserve her hand for a
stranger, whose descendants will be powerful indeed.

Meantime the Trojans feast upon meat which is served to each man on a
wheaten cake. Young Iulus, greedily devouring his, exclaims playfully
that he is so hungry he has actually eaten the board on which his meal
was spread! Hearing these significant words, his happy father exclaims
they have reached their destined goal, since the Harpies' terrifying
prophecy has been fulfilled.

"Hail, auspicious land!" he cries,
"So long from Fate my due!
All hail, ye Trojan deities,
To Trojan fortunes true!
At length we rest, no more to roam.
Here is our country, here our home."

Then the Trojans begin to explore, and, discovering Latinus' capital,
send thither an embassy of a hundred men, who are hospitably
entertained. After hearing all they have to say, Latinus assures them
that men of his race once migrated from Asia, and that the gods have
just enjoined upon him to bestow his daughter upon a foreign
bridegroom. When he proposes to unite Lavinia to Aeneas, Juno, unable
to prevent a marriage decreed by Fate, tries to postpone it by
infuriating Amata, mother of the bride, and causing her to flee into
the woods with her daughter.

Not satisfied with one manifestation of power, Juno despatches Discord
to ask Turnus if he will tamely allow his promised bride to be given
to another man? Such a taunt is sufficient to determine hot-headed
Turnus to make war, but, as a pretext is lacking, one of the Furies
prompts Iulus to pursue and wound the pet stag of a young shepherdess
called Sylvia. The distress of this rustic maid so excites her
shepherd brothers that they fall upon the Trojans, who, of course,
defend themselves, and thus the conflict begins. Having successfully
broken the peace, Discord hastens back to Juno, who, seeing Latinus
would fain remain neutral, compels him to take part in the war by
opening with her own hand the gates of the temple of Janus. Here the
poet recites the names of the various heroes about to distinguish
themselves on either side, specially mentioning in the Rutules' force
Mezentius, his son Lausus, and the Volscian maid Camilla, who prefers
the stirring life of a camp to the peaceful avocations of her sex.

_Book VIII._ Because Turnus is reinforced