Then, when the sacred senate votes the wars,
The Roman consul their decree declares,
And in his robes the sounding gates unbars.
The youth in military shouts arise,
And the loud trumpets break the yielding skies.
DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK Vii.

The Latians now requested their king to unlock the gates of the temple
of Janus in accordance with the ancient custom. Latinus refused saying
that to do so would be a defiance of the gods. But the goddess Juno,
resolved that there should be no peace, descended from the skies, and
with her own hands pushed back the bolts of brass, and flung wide open
the gates. Then the cry of war went forth throughout the land and
everywhere men began to prepare for the conflict, giving up their work
in the fields to get ready their spears and shields and battle-axes.
Soon a vast number of warriors was marshalled under King Turnus to
drive the Trojans out of Italy. Vergil gives a long list of the famous
chiefs who assembled on this occasion.

First came Me-zen'ti-us, an Etrurian king, fierce in war, but
a despiser of the gods. His own people had expelled him from their
country, for his cruelty, and he had taken refuge with King Turnus.
His son Lausus also came to the war with a thousand men from the
Etrurian city of A-gyl'la. Next came the brave Av-en-ti'nus, son of
the renowned hero, Her'cu-les, who performed those marvelous feats, of
which we read with wonder in the ancient legends. Aventinus was a
warrior of terrible appearance, his body covered with the shaggy hide
of an enormous lion, the white tusks displayed above his head.

King Caec'u-lus, son of the god Vulcan, came from the city of