page_title: Lays of Ancient Rome
section_title: The Battle of Lake Regillus
hierarchical_section_title: Lays of Ancient Rome / The poems / The Battle of Lake Regillus
caption_attribution_description: Showing Castor and Pollux fighting at the Battle of Lake Regillus. Woodcut from Engraving by John Reinhard Weguelin (1849 to 1927). Drawing is signed "JRW1880" in bottom right corner
context_page_description: Lays of Ancient Rome is an 1842 collection of narrative poems, or lays, by Thomas Babington Macaulay. Four of these recount heroic episodes from early Roman history with strong dramatic and tragic themes, giving the collection its name. Macaulay also included two poems inspired by recent history: Ivry and The Armada.
context_section_description: The next poem, The Battle of Lake Regillus, celebrates the Roman victory over the Latin League at the Battle of Lake Regillus.  Several years after the retreat of Lars Porsena and the Etruscans, Rome was threatened by a Latin army led by the deposed Roman king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, together with his son, Titus Tarquinius, and his son-in-law, Octavius Mamilius, prince of Tusculum.  
  This poem includes a number of finely described single-combats, in conscious imitation of Homer's Iliad.
   
  All round them paused the battle,
  
  While met in mortal fray
  
  The Roman and the Tusculan,
  
  The horses black and gray.
  
  Herminius smote Mamilius
  
  Through breast-plate and through breast,
  
  And fast flowed out the purple blood
  
  Over the purple vest.
  
  Mamilius smote Herminius
  
  Through head-piece and through head,
  
  And side by side those chiefs of pride,
  
  Together fell down dead.
  
  Down fell they dead together
  
  In a great lake of gore;
  
  And still stood all who saw them fall
  
  While men might count a score.
  The fighting described by Macaulay is fierce and bloody, and the outcome is only decided when the twin gods Castor and Pollux descend to the battlefield on the side of Rome.
   
  So spake he; and was buckling
  
  Tighter black Auster's band,
  
  When he was aware of a princely pair
  
  That rode at his right hand.
  
  So like they were, no mortal
  
  Might one from other know:
  
  White as snow their armour was:
  
  Their steeds were white as snow.
  
  Never on earthly anvil
  
  Did such rare armour gleam;
  
  And never did such gallant steeds
  
  Drink of an earthly stream.
caption: John Reinhard Weguelin, Castor and Pollux fighting at the Battle of Lake Regillus, from the 1881 edition.
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