Marcelles

Canto I

At the ides of the Roman Republic
The Consuls made sacrifice to the gods.
They buried two Romans and two white Gauls
Killing them as a human sacrifice 
To bring the Romans fortune in their war.

Thus, out went those two consuls to conquer
And make war on the Gauls, to purchase tor.
There arose over Rome three distinct moons
As the rivers ran with the stink of blood.
The peoples thought this an omen from their
gods, so they sent word to Flaminius 
And that slovenly blackguard Furius
To come back, and not to engage their foes.
Yet, word was not heeded, and they fought Gaul.
They returned, so brought themselves dishonor
For a God they did not know sent evil
Wonders over the land, to make Rome's folk
Repent of their doings. They thus heeded 
The sign. They shamed the two consuls who put
Those four women to death, to pluck their souls
Into She'ol for the sake of reaping 
A sign from aught their idolatrous gods.
Yet, from LORD JHWH came the awesome
Sign, and with it the stench of rotten blood.
The peoples feared, and so put Marcellus
As the Roman Consul, and sent him to
Battle the Gauls in the dark-green forests.

Canto II

There came to the war, where Marcellus found
Himself with few men in numbers. Come hordes
Of Gauls numbering ten-thousand horsemen
Over the ravine! Marcellus was so
Outnumbered, having a decimate halved of 
The force of the Gauls; thus, on the day of
Battle, he rode his prized warhorse, without
Pride, but rather had a fear of the force
In front of him. The thunderous hooves of
The Gallic horsemen pounded through the woods
Shaking the branches off the trees, which scared
Marcellus' horse. The horse turned to face
The East, toward God's temple which was being
Built by a peoples hencefar unknown to
Roman might, who would one day be ruled by
Them and their empire. The horse was stayed
And thus Marcellus prayed to the unknown
God, "God of the Sun, the true God over
"All heaven and earth, if you save me this
"Day, I shall offer you the oblation
"Of Feretrius, and give it to you 
"My greatest spoils of war, Oh Heaven's
"King!" Thus, when he turned his steed he bolstered
And told the men he offered oblation
Thus to consecrate the battle, but to
Hide from them that his steed had winced in war.

It came to, that from the woods emerged the
Gallic forces, who numbered twenty times
The number of Marcellus' soldiers.
The horses readied to collide with his
Yet from the horde emerged the Gallic Prince
Who wore an armor of Gold and Silver
Purified seven times, which was inlaid 
With webs like that of a spider, and etched
Into it were fine gems of sapphire
Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Topaz, Bronze
Links and Onyx; Amethyst and Coral.
Marcellus saw this as the oblation
And so smote down the warrior with his lance.
What followed was his train of troops rushing
To aid him, and they smote down more warriors
Than any victory in Roman times
Past, present or future. Thermopylae
Was a battle rivalled only to it
Which was fought by Pagans in their many
Wars. Thus, Marcellus had defeated Gaul
In battle, with petitions to the LORD.