tunc prior: Aoniae rex o iustissime gentis, imus in arma palam tandemque ostendimus enses, an noctem et solitas placet exspectare tenebras? ille nihil contra, sed stridula cornus in hostem it referens mandata ducis, quam providus heros iam iam in fine viae percussam obliquat, et ipse telum ingens avide et quanto non ante lacerto impulit.
Then speaking first: Ruler most just of Aonias people, do we go openly to arms and show our swords at last or would you rather wait for night and your customary darkness? The other made no answer but a spear goes whizzing against his enemy bearing the leaders message. The provident hero strikes it aside almost at the end of its journey, and himself eagerly hurls a weapon with a force he had never used before.
final_alignments\Statius_Thebaid_Book8.json