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Troy itself, the mother of the Roman people, was not able, as I
have said, to protect its own citizens in the sacred places of their
gods from the fire and sword of the Greeks, though the Greeks
worshipped the same gods. Not only so, but "Phoenix and Ulysses
fell In the void courts by Juno's cell Were set the spoils to keep;
Snatched from the burning shrines away, There Ilium's mighty
treasure lay,
Rich altars, bowls of massy gold, And captive raiment, rudely
rolled In one promiscuous heap; While boys and matrons, wild with
fear, In long array were standing near."
In other words, the place consecrated to so great a goddess was
chosen, not that from it none might be led out a captive, but that in
it all the captives might be immured. Compare now this "asylum",
the asylum not of an ordinary god, not of one of the rank and file of
gods, but of Jove's own sister and wife, the queen of all the gods,
with the churches built in memory of the apostles. Into it were
collected the spoils rescued from the blazing temples and snatched from
the gods, not that they might be restored to the vanquished, but
divided among the victors; while into these was carried back, with the
most religious observance anti respect, everything which belonged to
them, even though found elsewhere There liberty was lost; here
preserved. There bondage was strict; here strictly excluded Into
that temple men were driven to become the chattels of their enemies,
now lording it over them; into these churches men were led by their
relenting foes, that they might be at liberty. In fine, the gentle
Greeks appropriated that temple of Juno to the purposes of their own
avarice and pride; while these churches of Christ were chosen even by
the savage barbarians as the fit scenes for humility and mercy. But
perhaps, after all, the Greeks did in that victory of theirs spare
the temples of those gods whom they worshipped in common with the
Trojans, and did not dare to put to the sword or make captive the
wretched and vanquished Trojans who fled thither; and perhaps
Virgil, in the manner of poets, has depicted what never really
happened? But there is no question that he depicted the usual custom
of an enemy when sacking a city.
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