“Some hoped that when their navy turned to mermaids the Rutuli would read that sign as a warning to stop the war—but still the war went on, gods ranged on either side to help their favorites, and both sides took their stand, brave as the gods. They even lost the reason why they fought, even forgot the virgin bride-to-be, her father’s name, and all his wealthy kingdom. They fought for nothing else but victory, against the thought of yielding to defeat.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory