SCENE 2

A street of Troy, lit by the moonlight and the glare of burning buildings. Trojans rush in from different sides and rally to Æneas.

_Æneas_ (348-354):

O comrades, O ye hearts most brave in vain, If you have steadfast minds to follow one On desperate deeds intent, you see our case: The gods, who long have buttressed up our state, Have fled their sacred altars and their shrines, And left us to our fate. You seek to aid A city wrapped in flames. Then let us die And in the midst of death our safety find: Our safety’s single hope—to hope for none.

The little band hurries off toward the noise of battle in neighboring streets. Enter from the other direction straggling bands of Greeks, drunk with victory. They burn and pillage on all sides, temples and homes alike. Re-enter Trojans led by Æneas. Androgeos, a Greek, thinking them to be Greeks, goes up to them.

_Androgeos_ (373-375):

Now haste ye, men; what time for sloth is this? The rest on fire and pillage are intent, While you but now address you to the task.

Androgeos suddenly perceives that these are foes, and is struck dumb with amazement. The Trojans rush upon him and slay him together with the others of his band.

_Corœbus_, one of Æneas’ band, exultingly (387-391):

O friends, where kindly fortune first doth show The path of safety, let us follow there. With these slain Greeks let us our shields exchange, Their helms and breastplates let us don, and so In all things seem as Greeks. When foemen strive, Who questions aught of trickery or might? Our foes against themselves shall lend us arms.

They exchange arms with the dead Greeks. Thus arrayed, they mingle with the parties of Greeks who straggle in, and slay them. The Greeks, not understanding this strange turn of affairs, flee away in terror. This action is repeated at intervals several times.

Enter a band of Greeks led by Ajax, the Atridæ, and others, dragging Cassandra roughly along by the hair. Her hands are tied with thongs. Corœbus, though the odds are overwhelmingly against him, rushes in to save his beloved Cassandra. The other Trojans, because of their disguise of Greek armor, are attacked by their own friends stationed at near by points of vantage, and now the Greeks themselves, recognizing the ruse at last, overwhelm the little Trojan band by force of numbers. Other Greeks pour in from all sides and add their testimony that these are Trojans. In the desperate encounter many of the Trojans fall.

Æneas performs Herculean feats of arms, and slays many Greeks, but is himself unhurt. At last he and a few followers escape into a street leading to Priam’s palace, whence loud and continued shouting can be heard.