Amores II.12

Come lie about my temples, ye laurels of the triumph! Victory is mine; look, Corinna is in my arms, whom her husband, whom her keeper, whom the unyielding door— such a troop of enemies! — all guarded in fear she be taken by some wile! Here is a victory deserves a special triumph, for no part of the spoil is stained by blood. It is no lowly walls, no towns girt round by little moats, that I have taken by my generalship — but a girl!

When Pergamum fell, o'erconie in a war two lustrums long, from among so many nun what part of the praise fell to Atreus' son? But my glory is a thing apart for me, unshared by any soldier; and none other may pretend to my renown. I myself have been captain in the march to my prayed-for end, I myself the soldiery; 'tis I have been cavalry. 'tis I have been infantry, 'tis I have been standard-bearer. Nor has fortune mingled chance with my achievements — hither come, O Triumph won by care alone!

Nor is the cause of my warfare new. Had Tyndareus' daughter not been stolen, Europe and Asia would have been at peace. 'Twas woman turned the sylvan Lapiths and the double-membered folk a to unseemly arms o'er wine; 'twas woman moved the Trojans a second time to set new wars afoot, in thy realms, O just Latinus; 'twas woman, when the city still was young, that sent against the Romans their fathers-in-law, and put the cruel weapons in their hands.

I have seen bulls contending for the snowy mate; the heifer herself stood by to see, and spurred their hearts. Cupid, who orders many, has ordered me, too — but me without shedding of blood — to take up the standard for his campaigns.