all slept peacefully without fear of surprise. At midnight Sinon
released the captive Greeks from the wooden steed, and, joined by
their companions, who had noiselessly returned, they swarmed all over
the undefended city. Aeneas graphically described for Dido's benefit
his peaceful sleep, when the phantom of the slaughtered Hector bade
him arise and flee with his family, because the Greeks had already
taken possession of Troy! At this moment loud clamors awakened him,
confirming what he had just heard in dream. Aeneas immediately rushed
to the palace to defend his king, he and his men stripping the armor
from fallen Greeks to enable them to get there unmolested. Still, they
arrived only in time to see Achilles' son rush into the throne-room
and cruelly murder the aged Priam after killing his youngest son. They
also beheld the shrieking women ruthlessly dragged off into captivity,
Cassandra wildly predicting the woes which would befall the Greek
chiefs on their way home.

Ah see! the Priameian fair,
Cassandra, by her streaming hair
Is dragged from Pallas' shrine,
Her wild eyes raised to Heaven in vain--
Her eyes, alas! for cord and chain
Her tender hands confine.

The fall of aged Priam and the plight of the women reminding Aeneas of
the danger of his own father, wife, and son, he turned to rush home.
On his way thither he met his mother, who for a moment removed the
mortal veil from his eyes, to let him see Neptune, Minerva, and Juno
zealously helping to ruin Troy. Because Venus passionately urged her
son to escape while there was yet time, Aeneas, on reaching home,
besought his father Anchises to depart, but it was only when the old