Aeneid

Meanwhile, they seized the road where a path shows,

and now they were ascending the hill

which was greatly overhanging the city,

and it looks down from above at the facing citadel.

Aeneas admires the mass of structures, once huts,

marvels at the gates,

the noise, and the pavement of roads.

Eagerly the Tyrians press on,

some to build walls,

and to raise the citadels,

and to roll stones uphill with their hands,

others to choose this place for a house

and mark it with a foundation;

They choose laws and magistrates

and the sacred senate;

here some dig out a port,

while others place the deep foundation of a theater,

and they carve out huge columns from the cliffs,

lofty adornments for the future stage.

Just as work drives the bees in early summer

through the flowery fields,

under the sun,

when they lead forth, the matured larvae of the hive,

or when they store the liquid honey

and fill the combs with sweet nectar,

or they receive the loads of those coming in,

or with the battle line having been drawn,

they keep off the lazy herd of drones from the hive;

the work burns and

the fragrant honey smells like thyme.

"Oh fortunate ones, whose walls now rise up!" Aeneas says,

and he looks out upon the heights of the city.

And he bears himself enclosed by a cloud

(wonderful to say),

into the middle of things,

and he mingles with the men,

but he is not perceived by any.