The Aeneid
Aeneis
Headnote
The Aeneid, Virgil’s last and greatest work, occupied the final decade of his life and was left unfinished at his death in 19 BC; tradition holds that he asked for it to be burned, and that Augustus overrode the request. In twelve books of hexameter verse it tells how Aeneas, a Trojan prince and son of Venus, escapes the sack of Troy and, driven by fate across the Mediterranean, comes at last to Italy to found the race from which Rome will spring. The poem is at once a national epic for the Augustan settlement and a profoundly personal meditation on the cost of empire — on the dead left behind, the loves sacrificed, and the price in suffering of the founding of a city. Its models are Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — the first six books answering the wanderings of the Odyssey, the last six the war of the Iliad — but the voice is Virgil’s own: grave, compassionate, shadowed by loss even in triumph.
Book 1 opens the epic with its famous proem — “Arms and the man I sing” — and the invocation of the Muse, then plunges at once into the wrath of Juno, who, hating the Trojans and fearing the destined rise of Rome over her beloved Carthage, persuades Aeolus to loose a storm upon the fleet. Neptune calms the sea; the survivors make landfall on the coast of Libya, near the rising city of Carthage. Venus appeals to Jupiter, who answers with the great prophecy of Rome’s future — the line of Ascanius, Romulus, and at last a Caesar, and an empire “without end.” Disguised as a huntress, Venus directs Aeneas to Carthage and its queen, Dido, herself an exile who has fled her brother’s murder of her husband Sychaeus. Aeneas, hidden in a cloud, marvels at the rising city and weeps before the temple murals of the Trojan War (sunt lacrimae rerum); revealed at last, he is welcomed by Dido. At a banquet Venus substitutes Cupid for the boy Ascanius, kindling in Dido the love that will destroy her, and the book closes as she begs Aeneas to tell the story of Troy’s fall and his wanderings — the narrative of Books 2 and 3.
Arms and the man I sing, who first from the shores of Troy
Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
shores — much buffeted he was on land and on the deep
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
by the power of the gods above, through cruel Juno’s unforgetting wrath;
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;
much too he suffered in war, until he might found a city
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,
and bring his gods into Latium — whence the Latin race,
the Alban fathers, and the walls of lofty Rome.
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.
Muse, recall to me the causes — what wound to her godhead,
Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,
or grieving at what, the queen of the gods drove a man
quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus
marked out for piety to wind through such a round of disaster,
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores
to meet so many toils. Can resentment so great dwell in heavenly hearts?
impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
Karthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe
mouths far off, rich in wealth and fierce in the pursuits of war;
ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli;
which Juno is said to have cherished above all other lands,
quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam
here her chariot; that this be the kingdom of the nations, the goddess
hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse,
even then strove and yearned, if the fates should anyhow allow.
si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.
But she had heard that a lineage, drawn from Trojan blood,
Progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci
would one day overturn the Tyrian towers;
audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces;
that from it a people, ruling wide and proud in war,
hinc populum late regem belloque superbum
Fearing this, and mindful of the old war
Id metuens, veterisque memor Saturnia belli,
nor had the causes of her anger and the bitter griefs
necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores
yet fallen from her mind: there stays, stored deep in her heart,
exciderant animo: manet alta mente repostum
Inflamed by these as well, she kept the Trojans, tossed
His accensa super, iactatos aequore toto
far from Latium, and for many years
arcebat longe Latio, multosque per annos
they wandered, driven by the fates, round all the seas.
errabant, acti fatis, maria omnia circum.
So vast a task it was to found the Roman race.
Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem!
Scarce out of sight of the land of Sicily, into deep water
Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum
they spread their sails in gladness, churning the salt foam with bronze,
vela dabant laeti, et spumas salis aere ruebant,
when Juno, keeping the eternal wound beneath her breast,
cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus,
spoke thus within herself: "Am I to give up, beaten, what I began,
haec secum: Mene incepto desistere victam,
unable to turn the Trojans’ king from Italy?
nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?
No — the fates forbid me. Yet could Pallas burn the fleet
Quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem
of the Argives and drown the men themselves in the sea,
Argivum atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto,
for the guilt and the madness of one man, Ajax son of Oileus?
unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei?
She herself, hurling Jupiter’s swift fire from the clouds,
Ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem,
scattered the ships and overturned the seas with winds,
disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis,
and him, breathing out flames from his pierced breast,
illum expirantem transfixo pectore flammas
she snatched up in a whirlwind and impaled on a jagged rock.
turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto.
But I, who walk as queen of the gods, both sister
Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Iovisque
and wife of Jupiter, wage war so many years
et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos
against a single race. And will anyone still worship Juno’s godhead
bella gero! Et quisquam numen Iunonis adoret
hereafter, or lay an offering, a suppliant, on her altars?"
praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem?
Turning such thoughts over in her kindled heart, the goddess
Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans
came to the homeland of storm-clouds, a country teeming with raging gales,
nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris,
holds down by his command the struggling winds and the resounding tempests
luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras
and reins them with chains and a prison.
imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.
They, resentful, with a great roar of the mountain,
Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis
rage about the barriers; Aeolus sits in his high citadel,
circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce
holding his scepter, and soothes their spirits and tempers their rage.
sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras.
Did he not, they would surely sweep the seas and lands
Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum
and the deep sky away with them in their rush, and whirl them through the air.
quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.
But the almighty father hid them in dark caverns,
Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris,
fearing this, and piled over them a mass and lofty mountains,
hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos
and gave them a king who, by fixed compact,
imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo
should know, at command, to rein them in and let the reins run slack.
et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.
To him then Juno, a suppliant, used these words:
Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est:
"Aeolus — for to you the father of gods and king of men
Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex
has given to calm the waves and to raise them with the wind —
et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento,
a race I hate sails the Tyrrhenian sea,
gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor,
carrying Ilium into Italy and its conquered household gods:
Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates:
strike force into your winds, sink and overwhelm their ships,
incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes,
or drive them apart and scatter their bodies on the sea.
aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto.
I have twice seven nymphs of surpassing beauty,
Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae,
I will join to you in lasting wedlock and pronounce your own,
conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,
so that for such services she may pass all her years
omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos
with you, and make you the father of fair offspring."
exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.
Aeolus in answer: "Your task, O queen, is to search out
Aeolus haec contra: Tuus, O regina, quid optes
what you desire; for me it is right to take up your commands.
explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est.
You win for me whatever this realm is, you the scepter and Jupiter’s
Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque
favor, you grant me to recline at the feasts of the gods,
concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom,
and make me lord of the storm-clouds and the tempests."
nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.
When this was said, he drove his spear reversed into the side
Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem
of the hollow mountain: and the winds, as if in a column formed,
impulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto,
rush where the gate is given and blast over the lands in a whirlwind.
qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant.
They have settled on the sea, and together from its deepest beds
Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis
East Wind and South Wind heave the whole of it up, and the South-West,
una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis
thick with squalls, and roll vast billows to the shores.
Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus.
There follows the shouting of men and the shriek of the rigging.
Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum.
Suddenly the clouds snatch sky and day
Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque
from the Trojans’ eyes; black night broods on the sea.
Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra.
The poles thundered, and the upper air flashes with crowding fires,
Intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether,
and everything threatens the men with instant death.
praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem.
he groans, and stretching both palms to the stars
ingemit, et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas
cries out aloud: "O three and four times blessed,
talia voce refert: O terque quaterque beati,
those who, before their fathers’ faces, beneath the high walls of Troy,
quis ante ora patrum Troiae sub moenibus altis
had the luck to meet their death. O bravest of the Greek race,
contigit oppetere! O Danaum fortissime gentis
son of Tydeus — that I could not fall on the plains of Ilium
Tydide! Mene Iliacis occumbere campis
and pour out this life by your right hand,
non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra,
where fierce Hector lies by the spear of Achilles, where huge
saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens
so many shields and helmets of men and brave bodies, and rolls them still."
scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit?
As he flings out such words, a gust shrieking from the north
Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella
strikes the sail full on, and lifts the waves to the stars.
velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit.
The oars snap; then the prow swings away, and gives its side
Franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis
to the waves; there follows in a heap a sheer mountain of water.
dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons.
These hang on the wave’s crest; for those the parting water
Hi summo in fluctu pendent; his unda dehiscens
lays bare the ground amid the swell; the surge rages with sand.
terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis.
Three ships the South Wind seizes and hurls onto hidden rocks —
Tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet—
rocks the Italians call the Altars, in mid-sea —
saxa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus aras—
a monstrous ridge at the surface; three the East Wind drives from the deep
dorsum immane mari summo; tris Eurus ab alto
and dashes them on the shoals and rings them with a bank of sand.
inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae.
before his very eyes a huge sea from above
ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus
strikes on the stern: the helmsman is flung out and headlong
in puppim ferit: excutitur pronusque magister
rolls down on his head; but the ship three times in the same place
volvitur in caput; ast illam ter fluctus ibidem
the wave spins, driving it round, and a swift whirlpool swallows it in the sea.
torquet agens circum, et rapidus vorat aequore vortex.
Scattered swimmers appear in the vast eddy,
Adparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto,
men’s arms, and planks, and Trojan treasure amid the waves.
arma virum, tabulaeque, et Troia gaza per undas.
the storm has beaten; with the joints of their sides sprung loose, all
vicit hiems; laxis laterum compagibus omnes
take in the deadly water and gape with cracks.
accipiunt inimicum imbrem, rimisque fatiscunt.
Meanwhile Neptune felt the sea thrown into turmoil with a great roar,
Interea magno misceri murmure pontum,
and the storm let loose, and the still waters
emissamque hiemem sensit Neptunus, et imis
flung back from their lowest depths — deeply troubled; and looking out
stagna refusa vadis, graviter commotus; et alto
over the deep, he raised his calm head above the surface of the wave.
prospiciens, summa placidum caput extulit unda.
He sees Aeneas’s fleet scattered over all the water,
Disiectam Aeneae, toto videt aequore classem,
the Trojans overwhelmed by the waves and by the ruin of the sky,
fluctibus oppressos Troas caelique ruina,
nor were Juno’s tricks and her wrath hidden from her brother.
nec latuere doli fratrem Iunonis et irae.
He calls East Wind and West Wind to him, then speaks thus:
Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur:
"Has such confidence in your birth taken hold of you?
Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri?
Now, winds, without my sanction you dare to mingle sky
Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, venti,
and earth, and raise such masses up?
miscere, et tantas audetis tollere moles?
Whom I — but better to settle the stirred-up waves.
Quos ego—sed motos praestat componere fluctus.
Hereafter you shall pay me for your crimes with no like penalty.
Post mihi non simili poena commissa luetis.
Hasten your flight, and say this to your king:
Maturate fugam, regique haec dicite vestro:
not to him was the empire of the sea and the cruel trident
non illi imperium pelagi saevumque tridentem,
given, but to me by lot. He holds the monstrous rocks,
sed mihi sorte datum. Tenet ille immania saxa,
your homes, East Wind; in that hall let Aeolus
vestras, Eure, domos; illa se iactet in aula
vaunt himself and reign in the locked prison of the winds."
Aeolus, et clauso ventorum carcere regnet.
So he speaks, and quicker than the word he calms the swollen seas,
Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat,
puts the gathered clouds to flight, and brings back the sun.
collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reducit.
off the sharp rock; he himself lifts them with his trident,
detrudunt navis scopulo; levat ipse tridenti;
opens the vast quicksands, and calms the sea,
et vastas aperit syrtis, et temperat aequor,
and glides over the surface of the waves on light wheels.
atque rotis summas levibus perlabitur undas.
And as, when often in a great crowd a riot
Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est
has broken out, and the base rabble rages in its passions,
seditio, saevitque animis ignobile volgus,
and now torches and stones fly — fury supplies weapons;
iamque faces et saxa volant—furor arma ministrat;
then, if by chance they have caught sight of a man weighty in piety and worth,
tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem
they fall silent and stand with ears pricked up;
conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant;
he governs their spirits with words and soothes their breasts —
ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet,—
so all the sea’s uproar fell, once the father, gazing
sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam
over the waters and borne along under an open sky,
prospiciens genitor caeloque invectus aperto
wheels his horses and, flying in his chariot, gives the reins free run.
flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.
The weary followers of Aeneas strive to make for the nearest
Defessi Aeneadae, quae proxima litora, cursu
shores in their course, and turn toward the coasts of Libya.
contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad oras.
There is a place in a deep recess: an island forms a harbor
Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum
by the barrier of its flanks, on which every wave from the deep
efficit obiectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto
breaks and splits itself into the withdrawn inlets.
frangitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.
On this side and that vast cliffs and twin crags
Hinc atque hinc vastae rupes geminique minantur
menace the sky, beneath whose peak far and wide
in caelum scopuli, quorum sub vertice late
the sheltered waters are silent; then a backdrop of glittering woods
aequora tuta silent; tum silvis scaena coruscis
above, and a dark grove hangs over with bristling shade.
desuper horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbra.
Under the facing brow, a cave with hanging rocks,
Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum,
inside, fresh water and seats of living stone,
intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo,
a home of nymphs: here no cables hold the weary ships,
nympharum domus: hic fessas non vincula navis
no anchor binds them with its hooked bite.
ulla tenent, unco non alligat ancora morsu.
Here Aeneas, with seven ships gathered from his whole
Huc septem Aeneas collectis navibus omni
number, puts in; and in great longing for the land
ex numero subit; ac magno telluris amore
the Trojans, disembarking, take possession of the wished-for sand,
egressi optata potiuntur Troes harena,
and lay their limbs, dripping with brine, on the shore.
et sale tabentis artus in litore ponunt.
And first Achates struck a spark from flint,
Ac primum silici scintillam excudit Achates,
caught the fire in leaves, and around it laid dry
succepitque ignem foliis, atque arida circum
fuel, and snatched the flame up in the tinder.
nutrimenta dedit, rapuitque in fomite flammam.
Then the grain, spoiled by the waves, and the tools of Ceres
Tum Cererem corruptam undis Cerealiaque arma
they bring out, worn with their plight, and the corn they had saved
expediunt fessi rerum, frugesque receptas
they make ready to parch with flames and crush with stone.
et torrere parant flammis et frangere saxo.
Aeneas meanwhile climbs a crag and seeks the whole
Aeneas scopulum interea conscendit, et omnem
wide view across the sea, in case he might see any Antheus
prospectum late pelago petit, Anthea si quem
tossed by the wind, and the Phrygian galleys,
iactatum vento videat Phrygiasque biremis,
No ship in sight, but three stags on the shore
Navem in conspectu nullam, tris litore cervos
he spies wandering; whole herds follow these
prospicit errantis; hos tota armenta sequuntur
from behind, and a long line grazes down the valley.
a tergo, et longum per vallis pascitur agmen.
Here he halted, and seized in his hand the bow and the swift arrows,
Constitit hic, arcumque manu celerisque sagittas
the weapons faithful Achates carried;
corripuit, fidus quae tela gerebat Achates;
and the leaders themselves first, bearing their heads high
ductoresque ipsos primum, capita alta ferentis
with branching antlers, he brings down, then the common herd, and drives
cornibus arboreis, sternit, tum volgus, et omnem
all the throng in confusion with his shafts among the leafy woods;
miscet agens telis nemora inter frondea turbam;
nor does he stop before, victorious, he lays seven huge
nec prius absistit, quam septem ingentia victor
bodies on the ground, and matches the number to his ships.
corpora fundat humi, et numerum cum navibus aequet.
Then he makes for the harbor and divides them among all his companions.
Hinc portum petit, et socios partitur in omnes.
on the Trinacrian shore, and the hero had given them as they left,
litore Trinacrio dederatque abeuntibus heros,
he shares out, and soothes their grieving hearts with words:
dividit, et dictis maerentia pectora mulcet:
"O comrades — for we are not strangers to misfortune before this —
O socii—neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum—
O you who have borne worse, to these too a god will grant an end.
O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem.
call back your courage, and put away this gloomy fear;
experti: revocate animos, maestumque timorem
perhaps one day it will be a joy to remember even these things.
mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.
Through shifting chances, through so many crises,
Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum
we make for Latium, where the fates promise a quiet
tendimus in Latium; sedes ubi fata quietas
home; there it is granted that the realm of Troy rise again.
ostendunt; illic fas regna resurgere Troiae.
Endure, and keep yourselves for better days."
Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis.
So he says aloud, and sick with vast cares,
Talia voce refert, curisque ingentibus aeger
he feigns hope in his face, and presses the deep grief down in his heart.
spem voltu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem.
They gird themselves to the spoil and the feast to come;
Illi se praedae accingunt, dapibusque futuris;
they strip the hides from the ribs and lay bare the flesh;
tergora deripiunt costis et viscera nudant;
some cut it into pieces and fix the quivering gobbets on spits;
pars in frusta secant veribusque trementia figunt;
others set bronze cauldrons on the shore and tend the fires.
litore aena locant alii, flammasque ministrant.
Then with food they bring back their strength, and stretched along the grass
Tum victu revocant vires, fusique per herbam
After hunger was banished by the feast and the tables cleared,
Postquam exempta fames epulis mensaeque remotae,
in long talk they ask after their lost companions,
amissos longo socios sermone requirunt,
wavering between hope and fear, whether to believe them living,
spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant,
or suffering the end and no longer hearing when called.
sive extrema pati nec iam exaudire vocatos.
Above all dutiful Aeneas mourns within himself now the loss
Praecipue pius Aeneas nunc acris Oronti,
And now there was an end, when Jupiter from the height of heaven,
Et iam finis erat, cum Iuppiter aethere summo
looking down on the sail-winged sea and the lands lying low
despiciens mare velivolum terrasque iacentis
and the shores and the broad nations, so on the summit of the sky
litoraque et latos populos, sic vertice caeli
he halted, and fixed his eyes on the realms of Libya.
constitit, et Libyae defixit lumina regnis.
And as he turned such cares over in his heart,
Atque illum talis iactantem pectore curas
Venus, sadder than her wont, her shining eyes brimming with tears,
tristior et lacrimis oculos suffusa nitentis
addresses him: "O you who rule the affairs of men and gods
adloquitur Venus: O qui res hominumque deumque
with everlasting sway, and terrify them with your thunderbolt,
aeternis regis imperiis, et fulmine terres,
what so great a wrong could my Aeneas do against you,
quid meus Aeneas in te committere tantum,
what the Trojans, to whom, after so many deaths suffered,
quid Troes potuere, quibus, tot funera passis,
the whole circle of the lands is closed off, for Italy’s sake?
cunctus ob Italiam terrarum clauditur orbis?
Surely from these, one day, as the years roll on, the Romans
Certe hinc Romanos olim, volventibus annis,
were to arise, leaders from the renewed blood of Teucer,
hinc fore ductores, revocato a sanguine Teucri,
to hold the sea, to hold the lands under all dominion —
qui mare, qui terras omni dicione tenerent,
this you promised: what thought has turned you, father?
pollicitus, quae te, genitor, sententia vertit?
By this indeed I used to console myself for Troy’s fall and its sad
Hoc equidem occasum Troiae tristisque ruinas
ruins, weighing fate against opposing fate;
solabar, fatis contraria fata rependens;
now the same fortune pursues the men, driven by so many disasters.
nunc eadem fortuna viros tot casibus actos
What end do you grant, great king, to their toils?
insequitur. Quem das finem, rex magne, laborum?
realms of the Liburnians, and the source of the Timavus,
regna Liburnorum, et fontem superare Timavi,
whence through nine mouths, with the mountain’s vast roar,
unde per ora novem vasto cum murmure montis
the sea bursts forth and presses the fields with its sounding flood.
it mare proruptum et pelago premit arva sonanti.
for his Trojans, gave the people a name, and hung up the arms
Teucrorum, et genti nomen dedit, armaque fixit
of Troy; now, settled in tranquil peace, he rests:
Troia; nunc placida compostus pace quiescit:
we, your offspring, to whom you grant the citadel of heaven,
nos, tua progenies, caeli quibus adnuis arcem,
our ships lost — unspeakable — are betrayed for the anger of one,
navibus (infandum!) amissis, unius ob iram
and set far apart from the Italian shores.
prodimur atque Italis longe disiungimur oris.
Is this the reward of piety? Is this how you restore us to power?"
Hic pietatis honos? Sic nos in sceptra reponis?
Smiling at her with that look with which he clears the sky
Olli subridens hominum sator atque deorum,
and the storms, the begetter of men and gods
voltu, quo caelum tempestatesque serenat,
lightly kissed his daughter, then speaks thus:
oscula libavit natae, dehinc talia fatur:
"Spare your fear, Cytherea: the fates of your people
Parce metu, Cytherea: manent immota tuorum
stand unmoved for you; you shall see the city and the promised walls
fata tibi; cernes urbem et promissa Lavini
of Lavinium, and you shall bear great-souled Aeneas
moenia, sublimemque feres ad sidera caeli
aloft to the stars of heaven; no thought has turned me.
magnanimum Aenean; neque me sententia vertit.
He for you — I will speak, since this care gnaws at you,
Hic tibi (fabor enim, quando haec te cura remordet,
and unrolling the secrets of the fates further, I will stir them —
longius et volvens fatorum arcana movebo)
shall wage a vast war in Italy, and crush fierce peoples,
bellum ingens geret Italia, populosque feroces
and set up customs and walls for his men,
contundet, moresque viris et moenia ponet,
until a third summer has seen him reigning in Latium,
tertia dum Latio regnantem viderit aestas,
and three winters have passed with the Rutulians subdued.
ternaque transierint Rutulis hiberna subactis.
is added — Ilus he was, while the Ilian state stood in its kingdom —
additur,—Ilus erat, dum res stetit Ilia regno,—
shall fill out thirty great cycles, with their rolling months,
triginta magnos volvendis mensibus orbis
in his rule, and shall move the kingdom from its seat at Lavinium
imperio explebit, regnumque ab sede Lavini
and fortify Alba Longa with great power.
transferet, et longam multa vi muniet Albam.
Here now for three full hundred years there shall be rule
Hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos
under the line of Hector, until a royal priestess,
gente sub Hectorea, donec regina sacerdos,
Then Romulus, glad in the tawny hide of the she-wolf, his nurse,
Inde lupae fulvo nutricis tegmine laetus
shall take up the race, and found the walls of Mars,
Romulus excipiet gentem, et Mavortia condet
and call them Romans after his own name.
moenia, Romanosque suo de nomine dicet.
On these I set no bounds of empire and no times;
His ego nec metas rerum nec tempora pono;
I have given them dominion without end. Indeed harsh Juno,
imperium sine fine dedi. Quin aspera Iuno,
who now wearies sea and land and sky with fear,
quae mare nunc terrasque metu caelumque fatigat,
shall change her counsels for the better, and with me will cherish
consilia in melius referet, mecumque fovebit
the Romans, lords of the world, the toga-wearing race:
Romanos rerum dominos gentemque togatam:
so it is decreed. An age shall come, as the lustres glide by,
sic placitum. Veniet lustris labentibus aetas,
in bondage, and shall lord it over conquered Argos.
servitio premet, ac victis dominabitur Argis.
who shall bound his empire by the ocean, his fame by the stars —
imperium oceano, famam qui terminet astris,—
Julius, a name handed down from great Iulus.
Iulius, a magno demissum nomen Iulo.
Him one day you shall receive in heaven, laden with the spoils
Hunc tu olim caelo, spoliis Orientis onustum,
of the East, with no more fear; he too shall be called on in prayer.
accipies secura; vocabitur hic quoque votis.
Then the harsh ages, with wars laid aside, shall grow gentle;
Aspera tum positis mitescent saecula bellis;
shall give laws; the grim gates of War, with iron and tight
iura dabunt; dirae ferro et compagibus artis
seated on his cruel weapons, bound behind his back with a hundred
saeva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus aenis
knots of bronze, shall roar, ghastly, with bloody mouth."
post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento.
He speaks, and sends the son of Maia down from on high,
Haec ait, et Maia genitum demittit ab alto,
so that the land, and the towers of new Carthage, may lie open
ut terrae, utque novae pateant Karthaginis arces
should bar them from her borders: he flies through the great air
finibus arceret: volat ille per aera magnum
on the oarage of his wings, and swiftly stood on the shores of Libya.
remigio alarum, ac Libyae citus adstitit oris.
And now he does his bidding, and the Carthaginians lay aside their fierce
Et iam iussa facit, ponuntque ferocia Poeni
hearts, the god so willing; above all the queen takes on a calm
corda volente deo; in primis regina quietum
temper toward the Trojans and a kindly mind.
accipit in Teucros animum mentemque benignam.
But dutiful Aeneas, turning many things over through the night,
At pius Aeneas, per noctem plurima volvens,
as soon as kindly light was given, resolved to go out
ut primum lux alma data est, exire locosque
and explore these new places, to learn what shores he had reached by the wind,
explorare novos, quas vento accesserit oras,
who held them — for he sees it untilled — men or wild beasts,
qui teneant, nam inculta videt, hominesne feraene,
and to bring his findings back to his comrades.
quaerere constituit, sociisque exacta referre
The fleet, in a curving bay of the woods, beneath a hollowed cliff,
Classem in convexo nemorum sub rupe cavata
shut in all around by trees and bristling shadows,
arboribus clausam circum atque horrentibus umbris
he hides; he himself goes accompanied by Achates alone,
occulit; ipse uno graditur comitatus Achate,
brandishing in his hand two spears with broad iron heads.
bina manu lato crispans hastilia ferro.
His mother came to meet him in the midst of the wood,
Cui mater media sese tulit obvia silva,
wearing a maiden’s face and dress, and a maiden’s arms,
virginis os habitumque gerens, et virginis arma
a Spartan’s, or such as the Thracian Harpalyce tires her horses
Spartanae, vel qualis equos Threissa fatigat
For from her shoulders, in the custom, she had slung a ready bow
Namque umeris de more habilem suspenderat arcum
as a huntress, and had given her hair to the winds to scatter,
venatrix, dederatque comam diffundere ventis,
bare to the knee, her flowing folds caught up in a knot.
nuda genu, nodoque sinus collecta fluentis.
And first she says: "Ho there, young men, tell me if perhaps
Ac prior, Heus inquit iuvenes, monstrate mearum
you have seen any one of my sisters wandering here,
vidistis si quam hic errantem forte sororum,
girt with a quiver and the spotted hide of a lynx,
succinctam pharetra et maculosae tegmine lyncis,
or pressing with shouts the course of a foaming boar."
aut spumantis apri cursum clamore prementem.
So Venus; and the son of Venus began in reply:
Sic Venus; et Veneris contra sic filius orsus:
"None of your sisters has been heard or seen by me —
Nulla tuarum audita mihi neque visa sororum—
O what am I to call you, maiden? For your face is not
O quam te memorem, virgo? Namque haud tibi voltus
mortal, nor does your voice sound human: O, surely a goddess —
mortalis, nec vox hominem sonat: O, dea certe—
be gracious, whoever you are, and lighten our hardship,
sis felix, nostrumque leves, quaecumque, laborem,
and teach us under what sky at last, on what shores of the world
et, quo sub caelo tandem, quibus orbis in oris
we are tossed about. Strangers to the people and the place
iactemur, doceas. Ignari hominumque locorumque
we wander, driven here by wind and vast waves:
erramus, vento huc vastis et fluctibus acti:
many a victim shall fall by our right hand before your altars."
multa tibi ante aras nostra cadet hostia dextra.
Then Venus: "I hardly count myself worthy of such honor;
Tum Venus: Haud equidem tali me dignor honore;
it is the custom of Tyrian girls to carry a quiver,
virginibus Tyriis mos est gestare pharetram,
and to bind their calves high with the purple buskin.
purpureoque alte suras vincire cothurno.
You see a Punic kingdom, Tyrians, and the city of Agenor;
Punica regna vides, Tyrios et Agenoris urbem;
but the territory is Libyan, a race unyielding in war.
sed fines Libyci, genus intractabile bello.
fleeing her brother. Long is the wrong, long
germanum fugiens. Longa est iniuria, longae
the windings; but I will follow the chief points of the matter.
ambages; sed summa sequar fastigia rerum.
of the Phoenicians, and loved by the poor woman with a great love,
Phoenicum, et magno miserae dilectus amore,
to whom her father had given her, a virgin, and had wedded her
cui pater intactam dederat, primisque iugarat
with first omens. But her brother held the kingdom of Tyre,
ominibus. Sed regna Tyri germanus habebat
Between them a madness came. He, godless and blind
Quos inter medius venit furor. Ille Sychaeum
with love of gold, before the altars caught Sychaeus
impius ante aras, atque auri caecus amore,
off guard and killed him in secret with the sword, careless
clam ferro incautum superat, securus amorum
of his sister’s love; and long he hid the deed, and with much
germanae; factumque diu celavit, et aegram,
false pretense, the villain mocked the grieving lover with empty hope.
multa malus simulans, vana spe lusit amantem.
But in her sleep the very ghost of her unburied
Ipsa sed in somnis inhumati venit imago
husband came, lifting up a face pale in strange ways,
coniugis, ora modis attollens pallida miris,
and laid bare the cruel altars and his breast pierced through with iron,
crudeles aras traiectaque pectora ferro
and unveiled all the hidden crime of the house.
nudavit, caecumque domus scelus omne retexit.
Then he urges her to hasten her flight and leave her homeland,
Tum celerare fugam patriaque excedere suadet,
and as help for the journey discloses ancient treasures
auxiliumque viae veteres tellure recludit
in the earth, an unknown weight of silver and gold.
thesauros, ignotum argenti pondus et auri.
Stirred by these things, Dido made ready her flight and companions:
His commota fugam Dido sociosque parabat:
they gather, those who felt either cruel hatred of the tyrant
conveniunt, quibus aut odium crudele tyranni
or sharp fear; ships that happened to be ready
aut metus acer erat; navis, quae forte paratae,
they seize, and load with gold: the wealth of greedy
corripiunt, onerantque auro: portantur avari
Pygmalion is carried over the sea; a woman led the deed.
Pygmalionis opes pelago; dux femina facti.
They came to the place where now you behold the huge
Devenere locos, ubi nunc ingentia cernis
walls and the rising citadel of new Carthage,
moenia surgentemque novae Karthaginis arcem,
and bought ground — Byrsa, from the name of the deed —
mercatique solum, facti de nomine Byrsam,
as much as they could enclose with a bull’s hide.
taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo.
But who, after all, are you, from what shores have you come,
Sed vos qui tandem, quibus aut venistis ab oris,
or where do you hold your way?" To her asking thus, he,
quove tenetis iter? Quaerenti talibus ille
sighing, and drawing his voice from the depth of his breast:
suspirans, imoque trahens a pectore vocem:
"O goddess, if I should go on, retracing from the first beginning,
O dea, si prima repetens ab origine pergam,
and you had leisure to hear the annals of our toils,
et vacet annalis nostrorum audire laborum,
Us from ancient Troy — if by chance the name of Troy
Nos Troia antiqua, si vestras forte per auris
has reached your ears — borne over various seas,
Troiae nomen iit, diversa per aequora vectos
a storm by its own chance has driven onto Libyan shores.
forte sua Libycis tempestas adpulit oris.
I am dutiful Aeneas, who carry with me in my fleet the household gods
Sum pius Aeneas, raptos qui ex hoste Penates
snatched from the enemy, known by fame above the sky.
classe veho mecum, fama super aethera notus.
I seek Italy, my fatherland, and a line from highest Jupiter.
Italiam quaero patriam et genus ab Iove summo.
With twice ten ships I embarked on the Phrygian sea,
Bis denis Phrygium conscendi navibus aequor,
my goddess mother showing the way, following the fates given me;
matre dea monstrante viam, data fata secutus;
scarcely seven survive, shattered by the waves and the East Wind.
vix septem convolsae undis Euroque supersunt.
I myself, unknown, in want, wander the deserts of Libya,
Ipse ignotus, egens, Libyae deserta peragro,
to complain further, but broke in thus in the midst of his grief:
passa Venus medio sic interfata dolore est:
"Whoever you are, not hated by the gods, I think, you draw
Quisquis es, haud, credo, invisus caelestibus auras
the breath of life, you who have come to the Tyrian city.
vitalis carpis, Tyriam qui adveneris urbem.
Only go on, and bear yourself from here to the queen’s threshold.
Perge modo, atque hinc te reginae ad limina perfer,
For I announce to you that your companions are restored and your fleet
Namque tibi reduces socios classemque relatam
brought back, and driven to safety with the north winds shifted,
nuntio, et in tutum versis aquilonibus actam,
unless my parents taught me augury in vain.
ni frustra augurium vani docuere parentes.
Look at the twice-six swans rejoicing in a line,
Aspice bis senos laetantis agmine cycnos,
whom the bird of Jupiter, gliding down from the tract of heaven,
aetheria quos lapsa plaga Iovis ales aperto
was scattering in the open sky; now in a long file they seem
turbabat caelo; nunc terras ordine longo
either to be taking the ground, or to look down on it already taken:
aut capere, aut captas iam despectare videntur:
as they, come back, sport with whirring wings,
ut reduces illi ludunt stridentibus alis,
and have ringed the sky in a flock and given their cries,
et coetu cinxere polum, cantusque dedere,
even so your ships and your people’s young men
haud aliter puppesque tuae pubesque tuorum
either hold the harbor or enter its mouth under full sail.
aut portum tenet aut pleno subit ostia velo.
Only go on, and where the road leads you, bend your step."
Perge modo, et, qua te ducit via, dirige gressum.
She spoke, and turning away she shone with her rosy neck,
Dixit, et avertens rosea cervice refulsit,
and from her head her ambrosial hair breathed a divine
ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem
fragrance, her robe flowed down to her very feet,
spiravere, pedes vestis defluxit ad imos,
and in her gait the true goddess was revealed. When he knew
et vera incessu patuit dea. Ille ubi matrem
his mother, he followed her as she fled with these words:
adgnovit, tali fugientem est voce secutus:
"Why do you so often, cruel you too, mock your son
Quid natum totiens, crudelis tu quoque, falsis
with false shapes? Why is it not granted to join right hand
ludis imaginibus? Cur dextrae iungere dextram
to right hand, and to hear and return true words?"
non datur, ac veras audire et reddere voces?
With such words he reproaches her, and bends his step toward the walls:
Talibus incusat, gressumque ad moenia tendit:
but Venus hedged them as they walked in dim air,
at Venus obscuro gradientes aere saepsit,
and the goddess poured around them a thick cloak of mist,
et multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu,
so that no one could see them, or touch them,
cernere ne quis eos, neu quis contingere posset,
or contrive delay, or ask the reasons for their coming.
molirive moram, aut veniendi poscere causas.
She herself goes off on high to Paphos, and revisits her seat
Ipsa Paphum sublimis abit, sedesque revisit
in gladness, where is her temple, and a hundred altars
laeta suas, ubi templum illi, centumque Sabaeo
warm with Sabaean incense and breathe with fresh garlands.
ture calent arae, sertisque recentibus halant.
Meanwhile they hurried on the way, where the path shows it.
Corripuere viam interea, qua semita monstrat.
And now they were climbing the hill that looms most over the city
Iamque ascendebant collem, qui plurimus urbi
and looks down from above on the facing towers.
imminet, adversasque adspectat desuper arces.
Aeneas marvels at the mass, once huts,
Miratur molem Aeneas, magalia quondam,
marvels at the gates, the din, and the paved streets.
miratur portas strepitumque et strata viarum.
The Tyrians press on, eager — some to run up walls,
Instant ardentes Tyrii pars ducere muros,
to raise the citadel and roll up stones by hand,
molirique arcem et manibus subvolvere saxa,
some to choose a site for a house and close it with a furrow.
pars optare locum tecto et concludere sulco.
They pick laws and magistrates and a sacred senate;
Iura magistratusque legunt sanctumque senatum;
here some dig out harbors; here others lay deep
hic portus alii effodiunt; hic alta theatris
foundations for theaters, and hew huge columns
fundamenta locant alii, immanisque columnas
from the cliffs, lofty adornments for the stages to come.
rupibus excidunt, scaenis decora alta futuris.
Just as in early summer the bees ply their work
Qualis apes aestate nova per florea rura
in the sun across the flowery fields, when they lead out
exercet sub sole labor, cum gentis adultos
the grown young of their race, or when they pack the flowing honey
educunt fetus, aut cum liquentia mella
and swell the cells with sweet nectar,
stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas,
or take the loads of the comers, or in formed column
aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto
drive the drones, a lazy herd, from the hives:
ignavom fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent:
the work seethes, and the fragrant honey smells of thyme.
fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella.
"O fortunate, you whose walls already rise,"
O fortunati, quorum iam moenia surgunt!
says Aeneas, and looks up at the rooftops of the city.
Aeneas ait, et fastigia suspicit urbis.
Wrapped in cloud, he bears himself in — a marvel to tell —
Infert se saeptus nebula, mirabile dictu,
through their midst, and mingles with the men, and is seen by none.
per medios, miscetque viris, neque cernitur ulli.
There was a grove in the middle of the city, richest in shade,
Lucus in urbe fuit media, laetissimus umbra,
where first the Carthaginians, tossed by waves and storm,
quo primum iactati undis et turbine Poeni
dug up a token in the spot, which royal Juno
effodere loco signum, quod regia Iuno
had shown — the head of a spirited horse; for so the nation
monstrarat, caput acris equi; sic nam fore bello
would be famed in war and easy of livelihood through the ages.
egregiam et facilem victu per saecula gentem.
Here Sidonian Dido was building a huge temple to Juno,
Hic templum Iunoni ingens Sidonia Dido
rich with gifts and the goddess’s presence,
condebat, donis opulentum et numine divae,
to which bronze thresholds rose on steps, and beams
aerea cui gradibus surgebant limina, nexaeque
bound with bronze, and the hinge creaked on doors of bronze.
aere trabes, foribus cardo stridebat aenis.
In this grove a new sight, first offered, eased his fear,
Hoc primum in luco nova res oblata timorem
here first Aeneas dared to hope for safety
leniit, hic primum Aeneas sperare salutem
and to trust better in his stricken fortunes.
ausus, et adflictis melius confidere rebus.
For while he studies each thing, beneath the great temple,
Namque sub ingenti lustrat dum singula templo,
waiting for the queen, while he marvels at the city’s
reginam opperiens, dum, quae fortuna sit urbi,
fortune, and the artists’ hands rivaling each other, and the labor of the works,
artificumque manus inter se operumque laborem
he sees the battles of Ilium in their order,
miratur, videt Iliacas ex ordine pugnas,
and the wars now spread by fame through all the world,
bellaque iam fama totum volgata per orbem,
the sons of Atreus, and Priam, and Achilles fierce to both.
Atridas, Priamumque, et saevum ambobus Achillem.
He halted, and weeping, "What place now, Achates," he says,
Constitit, et lacrimans, Quis iam locus inquit Achate,
"what region on earth is not full of our suffering?
quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris?
Look — Priam. Here too worth has its rewards;
En Priamus! Sunt hic etiam sua praemia laudi;
there are tears for things, and mortal sorrows touch the heart.
sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.
Loose your fears; this renown will bring you some safety."
Solve metus; feret haec aliquam tibi fama salutem.
So he speaks, and feeds his spirit on the empty painting,
Sic ait, atque animum pictura pascit inani,
groaning much, and wets his face with a broad stream.
multa gemens, largoque umectat flumine voltum.
here the Greeks fled, with the Trojan youth pressing them,
hac fugerent Graii, premeret Troiana iuventus,
there the Phrygians fled, with plumed Achilles bearing down in his chariot.
hac Phryges, instaret curru cristatus Achilles.
with their snowy canvas, which, betrayed in first sleep,
adgnoscit lacrimans, primo quae prodita somno
the son of Tydeus laid waste, bloody with much slaughter,
Tydides multa vastabat caede cruentus,
and turned the fiery horses away to the camp, before
ardentisque avertit equos in castra, prius quam
they could taste the pastures of Troy and drink of Xanthus.
pabula gustassent Troiae Xanthumque bibissent.
an ill-starred boy, and no match in his meeting with Achilles,
infelix puer atque impar congressus Achilli,
is dragged by his horses, and clings flat on his back to the empty car,
fertur equis, curruque haeret resupinus inani,
still holding the reins; his neck and hair are dragged
lora tenens tamen; huic cervixque comaeque trahuntur
over the ground, and the dust is scored by his reversed spear.
per terram, et versa pulvis inscribitur hasta.
Meanwhile to the temple of unfriendly Pallas the Trojan women went
Interea ad templum non aequae Palladis ibant
with hair unbound, and were bringing the robe,
crinibus Iliades passis peplumque ferebant,
in mourning supplication, and beating their breasts with their palms;
suppliciter tristes et tunsae pectora palmis;
the goddess, turned away, kept her eyes fixed on the ground.
diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat.
Three times Achilles had dragged Hector around the walls of Ilium,
Ter circum Iliacos raptaverat Hectora muros,
and was selling the lifeless body for gold.
exanimumque auro corpus vendebat Achilles.
Then indeed he gives a vast groan from the bottom of his heart,
Tum vero ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo,
as he caught sight of the spoils, the chariot, the very body of his friend,
ut spolia, ut currus, utque ipsum corpus amici,
and Priam stretching out his unarmed hands.
tendentemque manus Priamum conspexit inermis.
He recognized himself too, mingled with the Greek chiefs,
Se quoque principibus permixtum adgnovit Achivis,
Penthesilea, raging, leads the lines of Amazons with their crescent shields,
Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis
and blazes amid her thousands,
Penthesilea furens, mediisque in milibus ardet,
binding a golden girdle beneath her bared breast,
aurea subnectens exsertae cingula mammae,
a warrior-woman, and a maiden, she dares to clash with men.
bellatrix, audetque viris concurrere virgo.
While these wonders are seen by Dardan Aeneas,
Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur,
while he stands amazed, and clings fixed in one long gaze,
dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno,
the queen, Dido, loveliest in form, moved to the temple,
regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido,
with a great throng of young men pressing about her.
incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva.
mountain-nymphs follow, thronging on this side and that; she bears a quiver
hinc atque hinc glomerantur oreades; illa pharetram
on her shoulder, and as she walks overtops all the goddesses:
fert umero, gradiensque deas supereminet omnis:
such was Dido, so in gladness she bore herself
talis erat Dido, talem se laeta ferebat
through their midst, urging on the work and the kingdom to come.
per medios, instans operi regnisque futuris.
Then at the goddess’s doors, beneath the temple’s central vault,
Tum foribus divae, media testudine templi,
ringed with arms, propped high on her throne, she took her seat.
saepta armis, solioque alte subnixa resedit.
She gave judgments and laws to the men, and the labor of the works
Iura dabat legesque viris, operumque laborem
she balanced in fair shares, or drew by lot:
partibus aequabat iustis, aut sorte trahebat:
when suddenly Aeneas sees Antheus, Sergestus,
cum subito Aeneas concursu accedere magno
and brave Cloanthus drawing near in a great press,
Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum,
and others of the Trojans, whom the black whirlwind
Teucrorumque alios, ater quos aequore turbo
had scattered on the sea and carried far to other shores.
dispulerat penitusque alias avexerat oras.
He himself was struck dumb, and so was Achates, stunned
Obstipuit simul ipse simul perculsus Achates
with joy and fear; eager to join right hands
laetitiaque metuque; avidi coniungere dextras
they burned; but the unknown matter troubles their minds.
ardebant; sed res animos incognita turbat.
They hide it, and wrapped in the hollow cloud they watch
Dissimulant, et nube cava speculantur amicti,
what fortune the men have, on what shore they leave their fleet,
quae fortuna viris, classem quo litore linquant,
why they come; for chosen men from all the ships were going,
quid veniant; cunctis nam lecti navibus ibant,
begging grace, and making for the temple with a clamor.
orantes veniam, et templum clamore petebant.
After they had entered and leave to speak before her was given,
Postquam introgressi et coram data copia fandi,
Ilioneus, the eldest, began thus with calm breast:
maxumus Ilioneus placido sic pectore coepit:
"O queen, to whom Jupiter has granted to found a new city
O Regina, novam cui condere Iuppiter urbem
and to curb proud nations with justice,
iustitiaque dedit gentis frenare superbas,
we wretched Trojans, carried by the winds over all the seas,
Troes te miseri, ventis maria omnia vecti,
beg you: keep the unspeakable fire from our ships,
oramus, prohibe infandos a navibus ignis,
spare a god-fearing people, and look more closely on our case.
parce pio generi, et propius res aspice nostras.
We have not come to lay waste with the sword the Libyan homes,
Non nos aut ferro Libycos populare Penatis
or to turn plundered booty to the shore;
venimus, aut raptas ad litora vertere praedas;
no such violence is in our minds, nor such pride in the conquered.
non ea vis animo, nec tanta superbia victis.
There is a place, the Greeks call it by the name Hesperia,
Est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt,
an ancient land, mighty in arms and in the richness of its soil;
terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glaebae;
Oenotrian men tilled it; now the report is that their descendants
Oenotri coluere viri; nunc fama minores
have called the nation Italy, from the name of their leader.
Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem.
This was our course:
Hic cursus fuit:
when suddenly stormy Orion, rising on the swell,
cum subito adsurgens fluctu nimbosus Orion
bore us onto blind shoals, and with wanton south winds
in vada caeca tulit, penitusque procacibus austris
scattered us utterly through the waves, the sea prevailing, and through trackless rocks;
perque undas, superante salo, perque invia saxa
here a few of us swam to your shores.
dispulit; huc pauci vestris adnavimus oris.
What kind of men is this? Or what homeland so barbarous
Quod genus hoc hominum? Quaeve hunc tam barbara morem
allows this custom? We are barred from the welcome of the sand;
permittit patria? Hospitio prohibemur harenae;
they stir up war, and forbid us to set foot on the land’s edge.
bella cient, primaque vetant consistere terra.
If you scorn humankind and mortal arms,
Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma
yet look for gods who are mindful of right and wrong.
at sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi.
Aeneas was our king, than whom no other was more just,
Rex erat Aeneas nobis, quo iustior alter,
nor greater in piety, nor in war and arms.
nec pietate fuit, nec bello maior et armis.
If the fates preserve that man, if he feeds on the air
Quem si fata virum servant, si vescitur aura
of heaven, and does not yet lie among the cruel shades,
aetheria, neque adhuc crudelibus occubat umbris,
there is no fear; nor would you regret having striven first
non metus; officio nec te certasse priorem
in the contest of kindness. In Sicilian regions too there are cities
paeniteat. Sunt et Siculis regionibus urbes
and fields, and Acestes, glorious of Trojan blood.
arvaque, Troianoque a sanguine clarus Acestes.
Let us be allowed to draw up our storm-battered fleet,
Quassatam ventis liceat subducere classem,
and to shape beams from the woods and trim oars:
et silvis aptare trabes et stringere remos:
if it is granted to make for Italy, with companions and king recovered,
si datur Italiam, sociis et rege recepto,
that we may gladly seek Italy and Latium;
tendere, ut Italiam laeti Latiumque petamus;
but if our safety is gone, and you, best father of the Trojans,
sin absumpta salus, et te, pater optume Teucrum,
the Libyan sea holds, and no hope of Iulus remains,
pontus habet Lybiae, nec spes iam restat Iuli,
then at least let us seek the straits of Sicania and the homes made ready,
at freta Sicaniae saltem sedesque paratas,
whence we were carried here, and King Acestes."
unde huc advecti, regemque petamus Acesten.
So Ilioneus; and all the Trojans together murmured
Talibus Ilioneus; cuncti simul ore fremebant
their assent aloud.
Dardanidae.
Then briefly Dido, her face lowered, speaks out:
Tum breviter Dido, voltum demissa, profatur:
"Loose the fear from your hearts, Trojans, shut away your cares.
Solvite corde metum, Teucri, secludite curas.
Hard circumstance and the newness of my reign force me to do such things,
Res dura et regni novitas me talia cogunt
and to guard my borders far and wide with a watch.
moliri, et late finis custode tueri.
Who could not know the race of Aeneas’s people, who the city of Troy,
Quis genus Aeneadum, quis Troiae nesciat urbem,
its valor and its men, or the fires of so great a war?
virtutesque virosque, aut tanti incendia belli?
We Carthaginians do not bear hearts so dull,
Non obtusa adeo gestamus pectora Poeni,
nor does the Sun yoke his horses so far turned away from the Tyrian city.
nec tam aversus equos Tyria Sol iungit ab urbe.
Whether you choose great Hesperia and the fields of Saturn,
Seu vos Hesperiam magnam Saturniaque arva,
or the land of Eryx and King Acestes,
sive Erycis finis regemque optatis Acesten,
I will send you off safe with help, and aid you with my means.
auxilio tutos dimittam, opibusque iuvabo.
Or do you wish to settle here in this realm with me as equals?
Voltis et his mecum pariter considere regnis;
The city I am founding is yours; draw up your ships;
urbem quam statuo vestra est, subducite navis;
Trojan and Tyrian shall be treated by me with no distinction.
Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur.
And would that the king himself, Aeneas, driven by the same south wind,
Atque utinam rex ipse Noto compulsus eodem
were here. For my part I will send trusty men along the coasts
adforet Aeneas! Equidem per litora certos
and bid them search the farthest bounds of Libya,
dimittam et Libyae lustrare extrema iubebo,
in case, cast ashore, he wanders in any woods or towns."
si quibus eiectus silvis aut urbibus errat.
Roused in spirit by these words, both brave Achates
His animum arrecti dictis et fortis Achates
and father Aeneas had long been burning to burst
et pater Aeneas iamdudum erumpere nubem
from the cloud. Achates first addresses Aeneas:
ardebant. Prior Aenean compellat Achates:
"Goddess-born, what purpose now rises in your mind?
Nate dea, quae nunc animo sententia surgit?
You see all is safe, the fleet and companions recovered.
omnia tuta vides, classem sociosque receptos.
One is missing, whom we ourselves saw sunk
Unus abest, medio in fluctu quem vidimus ipsi
in mid-wave; the rest answers to your mother’s words."
submersum; dictis respondent cetera matris.
Scarcely had he said this, when the cloud poured round them
Vix ea fatus erat, cum circumfusa repente
suddenly splits and clears into the open air.
scindit se nubes et in aethera purgat apertum.
Aeneas stood forth and shone in the clear light,
Restitit Aeneas claraque in luce refulsit,
like a god in face and shoulders; for his mother herself
os umerosque deo similis; namque ipsa decoram
had breathed on her son fair locks and the bloom
caesariem nato genetrix lumenque iuventae
of youth and joyous graces in his eyes:
purpureum et laetos oculis adflarat honores:
as a craftsman’s hands add beauty to ivory, or where silver
quale manus addunt ebori decus, aut ubi flavo
or Parian marble is set around with yellow gold.
argentum Pariusve lapis circumdatur auro.
Then thus he addresses the queen, and suddenly, to the surprise of all,
Tum sic reginam adloquitur, cunctisque repente
he says: "Here before you, the one you seek, I am,
improvisus ait: Coram, quem quaeritis, adsum,
Aeneas of Troy, snatched from the Libyan waves.
Troius Aeneas, Lybicis ereptus ab undis.
O you who alone have pitied the unspeakable toils of Troy,
O sola infandos Troiae miserata labores,
who share with us — the leavings of the Greeks, worn out
quae nos, reliquias Danaum, terraeque marisque
by every disaster of land and sea, in want of everything —
omnibus exhaustos iam casibus, omnium egenos,
your city and your home: to pay you fitting thanks
urbe, domo, socias, grates persolvere dignas
is not in our power, Dido, nor of whatever there is anywhere
non opis est nostrae, Dido, nec quicquid ubique est
of the Dardan race, scattered across the great world.
gentis Dardaniae, magnum quae sparsa per orbem.
May the gods — if any powers regard the dutiful, if there is any
Di tibi, si qua pios respectant numina, si quid
justice anywhere and a mind aware of its own rightness —
usquam iustitia est et mens sibi conscia recti,
grant you worthy rewards. What age so happy bore you?
praemia digna ferant. Quae te tam laeta tulerunt
What great parents gave birth to one so noble?
saecula? Qui tanti talem genuere parentes?
While rivers run to the sea, while shadows move over the
In freta dum fluvii current, dum montibus umbrae
hollows of the mountains, while the sky feeds the stars,
lustrabunt convexa, polus dum sidera pascet,
always your honor and your name and your praises shall remain,
semper honos nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt,
whatever lands call me." So speaking, he reaches for his friend
quae me cumque vocant terrae. Sic fatus, amicum
then the others, brave Gyas and brave Cloanthus.
post alios, fortemque Gyan fortemque Cloanthum.
Sidonian Dido was struck dumb at the first sight,
Obstipuit primo aspectu Sidonia Dido,
then at the man’s great misfortune, and spoke thus:
casu deinde viri tanto, et sic ore locuta est:
"What fate, goddess-born, pursues you through such perils?
Quis te, nate dea, per tanta pericula casus
What force drives you to these savage shores?
insequitur? Quae vis immanibus applicat oris?
Are you that Aeneas whom kindly Venus bore
Tune ille Aeneas, quem Dardanio Anchisae
to Dardan Anchises by the wave of Phrygian Simois?
alma Venus Phrygii genuit Simoentis ad undam?
driven from his native land, seeking a new kingdom
finibus expulsum patriis, nova regna petentem
From that time the fall of the Trojan city has been known to me,
Tempore iam ex illo casus mihi cognitus urbis
and your name, and the Pelasgian kings.
Troianae nomenque tuum regesque Pelasgi.
The foe himself used to extol the Trojans with signal praise,
Ipse hostis Teucros insigni laude ferebat,
and would have it that he sprang from the ancient stock of the Trojans.
seque ortum antiqua Teucrorum ab stirpe volebat.
So come, young men, enter under our roof.
Quare agite, O tectis, iuvenes, succedite nostris.
Me too a like fortune, through many toils,
Me quoque per multos similis fortuna labores
tossed about, has willed at last to settle in this land.
iactatam hac demum voluit consistere terra.
Not unschooled in suffering, I learn to help the wretched."
Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco.
So she tells; and at once she leads Aeneas into the royal
Sic memorat; simul Aenean in regia ducit
house, and at once proclaims an offering in the gods’ temples.
tecta, simul divom templis indicit honorem.
And no less, meanwhile, she sends to his comrades on the shore
Nec minus interea sociis ad litora mittit
twenty bulls, a hundred great bristling
viginti tauros, magnorum horrentia centum
backs of swine, a hundred fat lambs with their ewes,
terga suum, pinguis centum cum matribus agnos,
gifts and the gladness of the god.
munera laetitiamque dii.
But the inner house, splendid with royal luxury,
At domus interior regali splendida luxu
is made ready, and in the central halls they set out a banquet:
instruitur, mediisque parant convivia tectis:
coverings worked with art and proud purple,
arte laboratae vestes ostroque superbo,
vast silver on the tables, and graven in gold
ingens argentum mensis, caelataque in auro
the brave deeds of her fathers, a very long sequence of events
fortia facta patrum, series longissima rerum
traced through so many men from the ancient origin of the race.
per tot ducta viros antiqua ab origine gentis.
Aeneas — for a father’s love would not let his mind
Aeneas (neque enim patrius consistere mentem
rest — sends Achates swiftly ahead to the ships,
passus amor) rapidum ad navis praemittit Achaten,
to carry this news to Ascanius and lead the boy himself to the walls;
Ascanio ferat haec, ipsumque ad moenia ducat;
all the loving father’s care rests on Ascanius.
omnis in Ascanio cari stat cura parentis.
Besides, he bids him bring gifts snatched from the ruins of Ilium,
Munera praeterea, Iliacis erepta ruinis,
a mantle stiff with figures and gold,
ferre iubet, pallam signis auroque rigentem,
and a veil woven round with saffron acanthus,
et circumtextum croceo velamen acantho,
the adornment of Argive Helen, which she had carried from Mycenae,
ornatus Argivae Helenae, quos illa Mycenis,
when she sought Pergamum and a forbidden marriage,
Pergama cum peteret inconcessosque hymenaeos,
the eldest of Priam’s daughters, and a necklace
maxima natarum Priami, colloque monile
of pearls, and a double crown of jewels and gold.
bacatum, et duplicem gemmis auroque coronam.
Hastening these things, so Achates made his way to the ships.
Haec celerans ita ad naves tendebat Achates.
But Cytherea turns new arts, new plans over in her heart,
At Cytherea novas artes, nova pectore versat
may come in place of sweet Ascanius, and with the gifts inflame
pro dulci Ascanio veniat, donisque furentem
the maddened queen, and wind fire into her bones;
incendat reginam, atque ossibus implicet ignem;
for she fears the uncertain house and the double-tongued Tyrians;
quippe domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilinguis;
fierce Juno galls her, and toward night her care returns.
urit atrox Iuno, et sub noctem cura recursat.
So with these words she addresses winged Love:
Ergo his aligerum dictis adfatur Amorem:
"Son, my strength, my great power, you alone,
Nate, meae vires, mea magna potentia solus,
son, who scorn the Typhoean shafts of the highest father,
nate, patris summi qui tela Typhoia temnis,
to you I flee and as a suppliant ask your power.
ad te confugio et supplex tua numina posco.
How your brother Aeneas is tossed on the sea around all
Frater ut Aeneas pelago tuus omnia circum
the coasts by the hatred of unjust Juno,
litora iactetur odiis Iunonis iniquae,
is known to you, and often you have grieved in my grief.
nota tibi, et nostro doluisti saepe dolore.
Phoenician Dido holds him now and detains him with coaxing
Hunc Phoenissa tenet Dido blandisque moratur
words; and I fear where Juno’s
vocibus; et vereor, quo se Iunonia vertant
hospitality will turn; she will not hold off at so great a turning-point.
hospitia; haud tanto cessabit cardine rerum.
Therefore I plan to take the queen first by guile and ring her
Quocirca capere ante dolis et cingere flamma
with flame, so that no power may change her,
reginam meditor, ne quo se numine mutet,
but she may be held, with me, by a great love for Aeneas.
sed magno Aeneae mecum teneatur amore.
Now hear my mind, how you may do this.
Qua facere id possis, nostram nunc accipe mentem.
The royal boy, at his dear father’s summons, makes ready
Regius accitu cari genitoris ad urbem
to go to the Sidonian city — my greatest care —
Sidoniam puer ire parat, mea maxima cura,
bearing gifts that survive the sea and the flames of Troy:
dona ferens, pelago et flammis restantia Troiae:
so that he can in no way learn the trick or come upon us midway.
ne qua scire dolos mediusve occurrere possit.
You, for no more than a single night, counterfeit
Tu faciem illius noctem non amplius unam
his face by craft, and, a boy, put on the boy’s familiar features,
falle dolo, et notos pueri puer indue voltus,
so that, when Dido in her joy takes you to her lap
ut, cum te gremio accipiet laetissima Dido
amid the royal tables and the wine of Lyaeus,
regalis inter mensas laticemque Lyaeum,
when she gives embraces and presses sweet kisses,
cum dabit amplexus atque oscula dulcia figet,
you may breathe a hidden fire into her and beguile her with poison."
occultum inspires ignem fallasque veneno.
Love obeys the words of his dear mother, and lays aside
Paret Amor dictis carae genetricis, et alas
his wings, and walks rejoicing in the gait of Iulus.
exuit, et gressu gaudens incedit Iuli.
But Venus pours a gentle rest through Ascanius’s limbs,
At Venus Ascanio placidam per membra quietem
and the goddess, cherishing him in her lap, lifts him to the high
inrigat, et fotum gremio dea tollit in altos
groves of Idalia, where soft marjoram
Idaliae lucos, ubi mollis amaracus illum
enfolds him with its flowers and breathing sweet shade.
floribus et dulci adspirans complectitur umbra.
And now Cupid was going, obedient to the word, and carried
Iamque ibat dicto parens et dona Cupido
the royal gifts to the Tyrians, glad with Achates for guide.
regia portabat Tyriis, duce laetus Achate.
When he comes, the queen has already settled herself on proud hangings,
Cum venit, aulaeis iam se regina superbis
on a golden couch, and taken her place in the midst.
aurea composuit sponda mediamque locavit.
Now father Aeneas, now the Trojan youth
Iam pater Aeneas et iam Troiana iuventus
gather, and they recline on the spread purple.
conveniunt, stratoque super discumbitur ostro.
Servants give water for their hands, serve out bread from baskets,
Dant famuli manibus lymphas, Cereremque canistris
and bring towels of shorn nap.
expediunt, tonsisque ferunt mantelia villis.
Inside are fifty handmaids, whose task it is in order to lay out
Quinquaginta intus famulae, quibus ordine longam
the long stores, and to keep the household gods aglow with fire;
cura penum struere, et flammis adolere Penatis;
a hundred others, and as many men-servants of like age,
centum aliae totidemque pares aetate ministri,
to load the tables with the feast and set out the cups.
qui dapibus mensas onerent et pocula ponant.
And the Tyrians too, thronging through the festive thresholds,
Nec non et Tyrii per limina laeta frequentes
have gathered, bidden to recline on the embroidered couches.
convenere, toris iussi discumbere pictis.
They marvel at Aeneas’s gifts, marvel at Iulus,
Mirantur dona Aeneae, mirantur Iulum
the god’s glowing face and his counterfeit words,
flagrantisque dei voltus simulataque verba,
and the mantle and the veil embroidered with saffron acanthus.
pallamque et pictum croceo velamen acantho.
Above all the unhappy queen, doomed to a coming ruin,
Praecipue infelix, pesti devota futurae,
cannot sate her mind, and takes fire as she gazes,
expleri mentem nequit ardescitque tuendo
the Phoenician, and is moved alike by the boy and by the gifts.
Phoenissa, et pariter puero donisque movetur.
He, when he has hung on Aeneas’s embrace and neck
Ille ubi complexu Aeneae colloque pependit
and filled the great love of the false father,
et magnum falsi implevit genitoris amorem,
makes for the queen; she with her eyes, she with her whole heart
reginam petit haec oculis, haec pectore toto
clings to him and now and then warms him in her lap — Dido, not knowing
haeret et interdum gremio fovet, inscia Dido,
how great a god settles on her, poor woman; but he, mindful
insidat quantus miserae deus; at memor ille
of his Acidalian mother, begins little by little to blot out Sychaeus,
matris Acidaliae paulatim abolere Sychaeum
and tries to forestall with a living love
incipit, et vivo temptat praevertere amore
a heart long since at rest and grown unused to passion.
iam pridem resides animos desuetaque corda.
After the first lull in the feasting, and the tables cleared,
Postquam prima quies epulis, mensaeque remotae,
they set out great mixing-bowls and crown the wine.
crateras magnos statuunt et vina coronant.
A din arises in the halls, and they roll their voices through the spacious
Fit strepitus tectis, vocemque per ampla volutant
courts; lamps hang down from the golden panels,
atria; dependent lychni laquearibus aureis
lit, and torches conquer the night with their flames.
incensi, et noctem flammis funalia vincunt.
Here the queen called for a bowl heavy with jewels and gold,
Hic regina gravem gemmis auroque poposcit
and filled it with unmixed wine, the bowl that Belus and all
implevitque mero pateram, quam Belus et omnes
from Belus’s line were wont to use; then silence fell in the halls:
a Belo soliti; tum facta silentia tectis:
"Jupiter — for they say that you give laws to guests —
Iuppiter, hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur,
grant that this be a glad day for the Tyrians and for those set out from Troy,
hunc laetum Tyriisque diem Troiaque profectis
and that our descendants remember it.
esse velis, nostrosque huius meminisse minores.
Let Bacchus, giver of gladness, be present, and gracious Juno;
Adsit laetitiae Bacchus dator, et bona Iuno;
and you, O Tyrians, keep this gathering with goodwill."
et vos, O, coetum, Tyrii, celebrate faventes.
She spoke, and poured on the table the offering of wine,
Dixit, et in mensam laticum libavit honorem,
and first, the libation made, touched it just with her lips,
primaque, libato, summo tenus attigit ore,
then gave it to Bitias with a challenge; he eagerly drained
tum Bitiae dedit increpitans; ille impiger hausit
the foaming bowl, and drenched himself in the brimming gold,
spumantem pateram, et pleno se proluit auro
whence the race of men and beasts; whence rain and fire;
unde hominum genus et pecudes; unde imber et ignes;
of Arcturus and the rainy Hyades and the twin Bears;
Arcturum pluviasque Hyadas geminosque Triones;
why the winter suns hurry so to dip themselves in Ocean,
quid tantum Oceano properent se tinguere soles
or what delay holds back the lingering nights.
hiberni, vel quae tardis mora noctibus obstet.
The Tyrians redouble their applause, and the Trojans follow.
Ingeminant plausu Tyrii, Troesque sequuntur.
And unhappy Dido too drew out the night with varied talk,
Nec non et vario noctem sermone trahebat
and drank deep of love,
infelix Dido, longumque bibebat amorem,
asking much of Priam, much of Hector;
multa super Priamo rogitans, super Hectore multa;
now what the horses of Diomedes were like, now how great Achilles.
nunc quales Diomedis equi, nunc quantus Achilles.
"Nay, come, my guest, and tell us from the first beginning
Immo age, et a prima dic, hospes, origine nobis
the treachery of the Greeks," she says, "and the misfortunes of your people,
insidias, inquit, Danaum, casusque tuorum,
and your wanderings; for now the seventh summer carries you
erroresque tuos; nam te iam septima portat
wandering over all lands and seas."
omnibus errantem terris et fluctibus aestas.
All fell silent, and held their faces intent, attentive.
Conticuere omnes, intentique ora tenebant.
Then from his high couch father Aeneas began thus:
Inde toro pater Aeneas sic orsus ab alto:
"Unspeakable, O queen, is the grief you bid me renew —
Infandum, regina, iubes renovare dolorem,
how the Greeks brought down the wealth of Troy
Troianas ut opes et lamentabile regnum
and its lamentable kingdom; the most piteous things I myself saw,
eruerint Danai; quaeque ipse miserrima vidi,
and in which I had a great part. What soldier of the Myrmidons
et quorum pars magna fui. Quis talia fando
could hold back his tears? And now dewy night falls
temperet a lacrimis? Et iam nox umida caelo
headlong from the sky, and the setting stars urge sleep.
praecipitat, suadentque cadentia sidera somnos.
But if your longing is so great to learn our misfortunes,
Sed si tantus amor casus cognoscere nostros
and briefly to hear the last agony of Troy,
et breviter Troiae supremum audire laborem,
though my mind shudders to remember and has recoiled in grief,
quamquam animus meminisse horret, luctuque refugit,
I will begin. Broken by war and thrust back by the fates,
incipiam. Fracti bello fatisque repulsi
the leaders of the Greeks, after so many years had now slipped by,
ductores Danaum, tot iam labentibus annis,
build a horse the size of a mountain, by Pallas’s divine craft,
instar montis equum divina Palladis arte
and weave its ribs with sawn fir:
aedificant, sectaque intexunt abiete costas:
they feign it a votive offering for their return; that rumour spreads.
votum pro reditu simulant; ea fama vagatur.
Here, men chosen by lot, they secretly shut up
Huc delecta virum sortiti corpora furtim
in the blind flank, and deep within fill the vast
includunt caeco lateri, penitusque cavernas
hollows and the belly with armed soldiery.
ingentis uterumque armato milite complent.
rich in wealth while Priam’s kingdom stood,
insula, dives opum, Priami dum regna manebant,
now only a bay, an anchorage of poor faith for ships:
nunc tantum sinus et statio male fida carinis:
here, sailing out, they hide themselves on the deserted shore.
huc se provecti deserto in litore condunt.
We thought them gone, making for Mycenae on the wind:
Nos abiisse rati et vento petiisse Mycenas:
and so all Troy frees itself from its long grief;
ergo omnis longo solvit se Teucria luctu;
the gates are flung open; it is a joy to go and see the Dorian camp,
panduntur portae; iuvat ire et Dorica castra
the abandoned places and the shore left behind.
desertosque videre locos litusque relictum.
Here was the Dolopians’ band, here savage Achilles pitched his tent;
Hic Dolopum manus, hic saevus tendebat Achilles;
here the place for the fleets; here they used to clash in line of battle.
classibus hic locus; hic acie certare solebant.
Some are stunned at the deadly gift to virgin Minerva,
Pars stupet innuptae donum exitiale Minervae,
and marvel at the bulk of the horse; and first Thymoetes
et molem mirantur equi; primusque Thymoetes
urges that it be led within the walls and set on the citadel,
duci intra muros hortatur et arce locari,
whether by treachery, or because Troy’s fates already so bore it.
sive dolo, seu iam Troiae sic fata ferebant.
But Capys, and those of sounder judgment in mind,
At Capys, et quorum melior sententia menti,
bid us either hurl into the sea the Greeks’ ambush and suspect gifts,
aut pelago Danaum insidias suspectaque dona
or put fire to them with flames set beneath,
praecipitare iubent, subiectisque urere flammis,
or bore into the hollow belly’s hiding-places and probe them.
aut terebrare cavas uteri et temptare latebras.
The uncertain crowd is split into opposing zeals.
Scinditur incertum studia in contraria volgus.
Then first before all, with a great throng accompanying,
Primus ibi ante omnis, magna comitante caterva,
and from afar: "O wretched citizens, what madness is this so great?
et procul: O miseri, quae tanta insania, cives?
Do you believe the enemy has sailed away? Or do you think
Creditis avectos hostis? Aut ulla putatis
any gifts of the Greeks are free of treachery? Is Ulysses so known to you?
dona carere dolis Danaum? Sic notus Ulixes?
Either Achaeans lie hidden, shut in this timber,
aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi,
or this engine has been built against our walls,
aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros
to spy on our homes and come down upon the city from above,
inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi,
or some trickery lurks within; do not trust the horse, Trojans.
aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.
Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts."
Quicquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.
So saying, with mighty force he hurled a huge spear
Sic fatus, validis ingentem viribus hastam
into the side and the curved, jointed belly of the beast:
in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum
it stood quivering, and with the womb shaken back
contorsit: stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso
the hollow caverns rang and gave a groan.
insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae.
And had the fates of the gods, had our minds not been adverse,
Et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset,
he had driven us to befoul the Argive hiding-place with steel,
impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras,
and Troy, you would now be standing, and Priam’s high citadel, you would remain.
Troiaque, nunc stares, Priamique arx alta, maneres.
Behold, meanwhile, a young man, his hands bound behind his back,
Ecce, manus iuvenem interea post terga revinctum
Trojan shepherds were dragging to the king with a great shout —
pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant
one who, a stranger, had of his own accord thrown himself in the path of those who came,
Dardanidae, qui se ignotum venientibus ultro,
to contrive this very thing and open Troy to the Achaeans,
hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiamque aperiret Achivis,
confident in spirit and ready for either outcome,
obtulerat, fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus,
whether to ply his tricks, or to meet certain death.
seu versare dolos, seu certae occumbere morti.
From all sides, in eagerness to see, the Trojan youth
Undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus
pours round him, and they vie to mock the captive.
circumfusa ruit, certantque inludere capto.
Hear now the treachery of the Greeks, and from one crime
Accipe nunc Danaum insidias, et crimine ab uno
learn them all.
disce omnes.
For as he stood in the midst of their gaze, troubled, unarmed,
Namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus, inermis
and looked round with his eyes at the Phrygian ranks:
constitit atque oculis Phrygia agmina circumspexit:
"Alas, what land now," he says, "what seas can
Heu, quae nunc tellus inquit quae me aequora possunt
receive me? Or what at last remains for me, wretched,
accipere? Aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat,
for whom there is nowhere any place among the Greeks, and on top of it the Trojans
cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus, et super ipsi
themselves, hostile, demand my punishment with blood?"
Dardanidae infensi poenas cum sanguine poscunt?
At that lament our hearts were turned, and all the violence
Quo gemitu conversi animi, compressus et omnis
was checked. We urge him to speak: from what blood he was sprung,
impetus. Hortamur fari; quo sanguine cretus,
what he brings, let him tell, what confidence a captive has.
quidve ferat, memoret, quae sit fiducia capto.
He, his fear at last laid aside, speaks thus:
Ille haec, deposita tandem formidine, fatur:
"All to you, O King, whatever comes of it, I will confess
Cuncta equidem tibi, Rex, fuerit quodcumque, fatebor
truly," he says; "nor will I deny that I am of the Argive race:
vera, inquit; neque me Argolica de gente negabo:
will she, malign, also make him false and a liar.
finxit, vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget.
If by chance in talk some name of Palamedes,
Fando aliquod si forte tuas pervenit ad auris
son of Belus, has reached your ears, and the renowned glory
Belidae nomen Palamedis et incluta fama
of his fame — whom the Pelasgians, under a false charge of treason,
gloria, quem falsa sub proditione Pelasgi
innocent, by abominable testimony, because he forbade the war,
insontem infando indicio, quia bella vetabat,
sent down to death, and now mourn him, robbed of the light:
demisere neci, nunc cassum lumine lugent.
to him, as a companion and near in kinship,
Illi me comitem et consanguinitate propinquum
my poor father sent me hither to arms in my earliest years,
pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis,
while he stood secure in his kingship and flourished in the councils
dum stabat regno incolumis regumque vigebat
of kings, and we too bore some name and honour.
consiliis, et nos aliquod nomenque decusque
After, by the envy of seductive Ulysses —
gessimus. Invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi—
I speak no unknown things — he passed from the upper world,
haud ignota loquor—superis concessit ab oris,
stricken, I dragged out my life in darkness and grief,
adflictus vitam in tenebris luctuque trahebam,
and within myself raged at the fate of my innocent friend.
et casum insontis mecum indignabar amici.
Nor did I keep silent, madman that I was, and — should any chance bring it,
Nec tacui demens, et me, fors si qua tulisset,
if ever I returned a victor to my native Argos —
si patrios umquam remeassem victor ad Argos,
I promised to be his avenger, and with words I stirred bitter hatred.
promisi ultorem, et verbis odia aspera movi.
From this came my first taint of ruin, from this Ulysses ever
Hinc mihi prima mali labes, hinc semper Ulixes
terrified me with new accusations, from this scattered ambiguous words
criminibus terrere novis, hinc spargere voces
among the crowd, and, guilty-conscienced, sought weapons against me.
in volgum ambiguas, et quaerere conscius arma.
Nor indeed did he rest, until, with Calchas as his tool —
Nec requievit enim, donec, Calchante ministro—
but why do I uselessly turn over these unwelcome things?
sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo?
Why delay, if you hold all Achaeans in one rank,
Quidve moror, si omnis uno ordine habetis Achivos,
and it is enough to hear that? Take your vengeance long since:
idque audire sat est? Iamdudum sumite poenas,
this the Ithacan would wish, and the sons of Atreus buy at a great price."
hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atridae.
Then indeed we burn to question and to seek the causes,
Tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas,
ignorant of crimes so great and of Pelasgian craft.
ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae.
He goes on, trembling, and speaks from a feigning heart:
Prosequitur pavitans, et ficto pectore fatur:
"Often the Greeks longed to contrive their flight, leaving Troy,
Saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiere relicta
and, weary of the long war, to depart;
moliri, et longo fessi discedere bello;
and would that they had done it! Often the harsh winter of the sea
fecissentque utinam! Saepe illos aspera ponti
shut them in, and the South Wind frightened them as they set out.
interclusit hiemps, et terruit Auster euntis.
Most of all, when now this horse, framed of maple beams,
Praecipue, cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis
stood here, storm-clouds thundered through the whole sky.
staret equus, toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi.
In suspense, we send Eurypylus to consult the oracle of Phoebus,
Suspensi Eurypylum scitantem oracula Phoebi
and he brings back from the shrine these grim words:
mittimus, isque adytis haec tristia dicta reportat:
’With blood you appeased the winds, and with a slain maiden,
Sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa,
when first, O Greeks, you came to the shores of Ilium;
cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras;
with blood your return must be sought, and atonement made with an Argive life.’
sanguine quaerendi reditus, animaque litandum
When that voice came to the ears of the crowd,
Argolica. Volgi quae vox ut venit ad auris,
their spirits were stunned, and a cold trembling ran through
obstipuere animi, gelidusque per ima cucurrit
their inmost bones — for whom the fates prepare it, whom Apollo demands.
ossa tremor, cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo.
Here the Ithacan drags the seer Calchas into their midst
Hic Ithacus vatem magno Calchanta tumultu
with a great uproar; he demands what these wills of the gods
protrahit in medios; quae sint ea numina divom,
may be; and already many foretold to me the cruel
flagitat; et mihi iam multi crudele canebant
crime of the schemer, and silently saw what was coming.
artificis scelus, et taciti ventura videbant.
Twice five days he is silent, and, hidden away, refuses
Bis quinos silet ille dies, tectusque recusat
to betray anyone with his voice or expose him to death.
prodere voce sua quemquam aut opponere morti.
At last, scarcely, driven by the loud shouting of the Ithacan,
Vix tandem, magnis Ithaci clamoribus actus,
by arrangement he breaks his silence, and marks me out for the altar.
composito rumpit vocem, et me destinat arae.
All assented, and what each had feared for himself,
Adsensere omnes, et, quae sibi quisque timebat,
they bore, now that it was turned to the destruction of one wretch.
unius in miseri exitium conversa tulere.
And now the unspeakable day was at hand; for me the rites were prepared,
Iamque dies infanda aderat; mihi sacra parari,
the salted meal, and the fillets about my temples:
et salsae fruges, et circum tempora vittae:
I snatched myself from death, I confess, and burst my bonds,
eripui, fateor, leto me, et vincula rupi,
and through the night, hidden in the sedge of a muddy lake,
limosoque lacu per noctem obscurus in ulva
I lay low, until they should set sail, if by chance they would.
delitui, dum vela darent, si forte dedissent.
No longer any hope for me of seeing my ancient homeland,
Nec mihi iam patriam antiquam spes ulla videndi,
nor my sweet children and longed-for father;
nec dulcis natos exoptatumque parentem;
of whom they will perhaps even exact punishment for my flight,
quos illi fors et poenas ob nostra reposcent
and atone for this fault of mine with the death of the wretched.
effugia, et culpam hanc miserorum morte piabunt.
Therefore by the gods above and the powers that know the truth,
Quod te per superos et conscia numina veri,
by whatever untainted faith still anywhere remains
per si qua est quae restet adhuc mortalibus usquam
to mortals, I beg, pity such sufferings,
intemerata fides, oro, miserere laborum
pity a soul bearing what it does not deserve."
tantorum, miserere animi non digna ferentis.
At these tears we grant him life, and pity him besides.
His lacrimis vitam damus, et miserescimus ultro.
Priam himself first orders the handcuffs and tight bonds
Ipse viro primus manicas atque arta levari
to be loosed from the man, and speaks thus with friendly words:
vincla iubet Priamus, dictisque ita fatur amicis:
"Whoever you are, from now forget the Greeks you have lost;
Quisquis es, amissos hinc iam obliviscere Graios;
you shall be ours, and tell me truly these things I ask:
noster eris, mihique haec edissere vera roganti:
to what end did they set up this mass of a monstrous horse? Who devised it?
Quo molem hanc immanis equi statuere? Quis auctor?
What do they seek? What offering of religion, or what engine of war?"
Quidve petunt? Quae religio, aut quae machina belli?
He had spoken. The other, schooled in tricks and Pelasgian craft,
Dixerat. Ille, dolis instructus et arte Pelasga,
lifted to the stars his hands, freed of their bonds:
sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera palmas:
"You, eternal fires, and your inviolable
Vos, aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum
godhead," he says, "I call to witness, you altars and abominable swords
testor numen ait vos arae ensesque nefandi,
which I fled, and the fillets of the gods which I wore as a victim:
quos fugi, vittaeque deum, quas hostia gessi:
it is lawful for me to break the sacred bonds of the Greeks,
fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura,
lawful to hate those men, and to bring all into the open air,
fas odisse viros, atque omnia ferre sub auras,
whatever they hide; I am bound by no laws of a homeland.
si qua tegunt; teneor patriae nec legibus ullis.
Only stand you by your promises, and, Troy preserved,
Tu modo promissis maneas, servataque serves
keep faith, if I tell the truth, if I repay you greatly.
Troia fidem, si vera feram, si magna rependam.
All the hope of the Greeks and their confidence in the war they had begun
Omnis spes Danaum et coepti fiducia belli
always rested on Pallas’s aid. But from the time when the impious
Palladis auxiliis semper stetit. Impius ex quo
son of Tydeus, and Ulysses, the deviser of crimes,
Tydides sed enim scelerumque inventor Ulixes,
undertook to tear the fated Palladium from its consecrated temple,
fatale adgressi sacrato avellere templo
slaying the guards of the citadel’s height,
Palladium, caesis summae custodibus arcis,
and seized the sacred image, and with bloody hands
corripuere sacram effigiem, manibusque cruentis
dared to touch the virgin fillets of the goddess —
virgineas ausi divae contingere vittas;
from that time the hopes of the Greeks ebbed and slid backward,
ex illo fluere ac retro sublapsa referri
their strength broke, the goddess’s mind was turned away.
spes Danaum, fractae vires, aversa deae mens.
Nor with doubtful portents did Tritonia give her signs.
Nec dubiis ea signa dedit Tritonia monstris.
Scarcely was the image set in the camp when flickering flames
Vix positum castris simulacrum, arsere coruscae
blazed in its upraised eyes, and a salt sweat
luminibus flammae arrectis, salsusque per artus
ran over its limbs, and three times — wondrous to tell —
sudor iit, terque ipsa solo—mirabile dictu—
she leapt up from the ground, bearing her shield and quivering spear.
emicuit, parmamque ferens hastamque trementem.
At once Calchas prophesies that the seas must be tried in flight,
Extemplo temptanda fuga canit aequora Calchas,
and that Pergamum cannot be destroyed by Argive weapons,
nec posse Argolicis exscindi Pergama telis,
unless they seek the omens again at Argos, and bring back the divine power
omina ni repetant Argis, numenque reducant,
which they carried away with them over the sea in their curved ships.
quod pelago et curvis secum avexere carinis.
And now that they have made for their native Mycenae on the wind,
Et nunc, quod patrias vento petiere Mycenas,
they prepare arms and gods as companions, and, the sea recrossed,
arma deosque parant comites, pelagoque remenso
they will be here unforeseen: thus Calchas reads the omens.
improvisi aderunt: ita digerit omina Calchas.
Warned, in place of the Palladium, for the godhead they had wronged,
Hanc pro Palladio moniti, pro numine laeso
they set up this image, to atone for their grim sacrilege.
effigiem statuere, nefas quae triste piaret.
Yet Calchas bade them raise this mass to immense height
Hanc tamen immensam Calchas attollere molem
with woven oak, and rear it to the sky,
roboribus textis caeloque educere iussit,
so that it could not be received through the gates, or led within the walls,
ne recipi portis, aut duci in moenia possit,
nor protect the people under their ancient worship.
neu populum antiqua sub religione tueri.
For if your hand should violate Minerva’s gift,
Nam si vestra manus violasset dona Minervae,
then great ruin (may the gods turn that omen rather upon himself!)
tum magnum exitium (quod di prius omen in ipsum
would come upon Priam’s empire and the Phrygians;
convertant!) Priami imperio Phrygibusque futurum;
but if by your hands it climbed into your city,
sin manibus vestris vestram ascendisset in urbem,
then Asia would come of itself in great war against the walls of Pelops,
ultro Asiam magno Pelopea ad moenia bello
and that fate would await our descendants."
venturam, et nostros ea fata manere nepotes.
By such treachery and the art of perjured Sinon
Talibus insidiis periurique arte Sinonis
the thing was believed, and we were taken by tricks and forced tears,
credita res, captique dolis lacrimisque coactis,
we whom neither the son of Tydeus, nor Larissaean Achilles,
quos neque Tydides, nec Larisaeus Achilles,
nor ten years tamed, nor a thousand keels.
non anni domuere decem, non mille carinae.
Here another thing, greater and far more dreadful,
Hic aliud maius miseris multoque tremendum
is thrust upon us wretches, and troubles our unforeseeing hearts.
obicitur magis, atque improvida pectora turbat.
Laocoön, drawn by lot as priest to Neptune,
Laocoön, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,
was slaughtering a huge bull at the solemn altars.
sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.
But behold, twin serpents from Tenedos over the tranquil deep —
Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta—
I shudder to tell it — with immense coils
horresco referens—immensis orbibus angues
press upon the sea, and side by side make for the shore;
incumbunt pelago, pariterque ad litora tendunt;
their breasts upreared among the waves, and their crests,
pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque
blood-red, rise above the billows; the rest of them
sanguineae superant undas; pars cetera pontum
skims the sea behind, and curls their vast backs in a coil.
pone legit, sinuatque immensa volumine terga.
A sound rises from the foaming brine; and now they held the fields,
Fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arva tenebant,
their blazing eyes suffused with blood and fire,
ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni,
and they licked their hissing mouths with flickering tongues.
sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.
We scatter at the sight, drained of blood: they in a sure line
Diffugimus visu exsangues: illi agmine certo
make for Laocoön; and first each serpent, embracing
Laocoönta petunt; et primum parva duorum
the small bodies of his two sons,
corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque
entwines them, and feeds upon their wretched limbs with its bite;
implicat, et miseros morsu depascitur artus;
then they seize the man himself, coming to their aid and bearing weapons,
post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem
and bind him in their huge coils; and now,
corripiunt, spirisque ligant ingentibus; et iam
twice having clasped his waist, twice having wound their scaly
bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum
backs about his neck, they tower above him with head and high necks.
terga dati, superant capite et cervicibus altis.
He at once strains with his hands to tear apart the knots,
Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos,
his fillets drenched with gore and black venom,
perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,
and at the same time lifts horrendous cries to the stars:
clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:
like the bellowing when a wounded bull flees the altar
quales mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram
and shakes the ill-aimed axe from its neck.
taurus, et incertam excussit cervice securim.
But the twin serpents glide away to the high shrines,
At gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones
and seek the citadel of savage Tritonis,
effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,
and hide beneath the goddess’s feet and the circle of her shield.
sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.
Then indeed a new dread steals through the trembling hearts of all,
Tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis
and they say that Laocoön deservedly paid for his crime,
insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem
he who with his spear-point wounded the sacred oak
Laocoönta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur
and hurled his wicked spear into its back.
laeserit, et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.
They cry out that the image must be led to its place, and the goddess’s
Ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae
godhead implored.
numina conclamant.
We breach the walls and lay open the ramparts of the city.
Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.
All gird themselves to the work, and beneath its feet
Accingunt omnes operi, pedibusque rotarum
set rolling wheels, and stretch hempen ropes
subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo
round its neck: the fatal engine climbs the walls,
intendunt: scandit fatalis machina muros,
pregnant with arms. Around it boys and unwed girls
feta armis. Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae
sing holy songs, and rejoice to touch the rope with their hands.
sacra canunt, funemque manu contingere gaudent.
It comes on, and glides threatening into the city’s midst.
Illa subit, mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi.
O homeland, O Ilium, home of gods, and walls of the Trojans
O patria, O divom domus Ilium, et incluta bello
renowned in war! Four times on the very threshold of the gate
moenia Dardanidum, quater ipso in limine portae
it stopped, and four times the arms in its womb gave a sound:
substitit, atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere:
yet we press on, heedless and blind with frenzy,
instamus tamen inmemores caecique furore,
and set the ill-omened monster on the consecrated citadel.
et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.
never believed by the Trojans, by the god’s command.
ora, dei iussu non umquam credita Teucris.
We wretches, for whom that day was to be the last,
Nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset
drape the shrines of the gods with festal boughs throughout the city.
ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.
Meanwhile the heaven wheels round, and night rushes up from the ocean,
Vertitur interea caelum et ruit oceano nox,
wrapping in its great shadow both earth and sky
involvens umbra magna terramque polumque
and the tricks of the Myrmidons; the Trojans, spread through the walls,
Myrmidonumque dolos; fusi per moenia Teucri
fell silent, and sleep embraced their weary limbs:
conticuere, sopor fessos complectitur artus:
and now the Argive host was coming with its ships in array
et iam Argiva phalanx instructis navibus ibat
from Tenedos, through the friendly silence of the quiet moon,
a Tenedo tacitae per amica silentia lunae
making for the well-known shores, when the royal stern
litora nota petens, flammas cum regia puppis
had raised the signal-flames, and, shielded by the gods’ unjust fates,
extulerat, fatisque deum defensus iniquis
Sinon stealthily looses the pinewood bolts and frees the Greeks
inclusos utero Danaos et pinea furtim
shut in the belly. The opened horse gives them back to the air,
laxat claustra Sinon. Illos patefactus ad auras
and gladly they come forth from the hollow oak:
reddit equus, laetique cavo se robore promunt
the captains Thessandrus and Sthenelus, and dread Ulysses,
Thessandrus Sthenelusque duces, et dirus Ulixes,
They fall upon the city buried in sleep and wine;
Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam;
the watchmen are cut down, and through the open gates
caeduntur vigiles, portisque patentibus omnis
they receive all their comrades and join the conspiring columns.
accipiunt socios atque agmina conscia iungunt.
It was the hour when first rest begins for weary mortals,
Tempus erat, quo prima quies mortalibus aegris
and steals on, most welcome, by the gift of the gods.
incipit, et dono divom gratissima serpit.
In my sleep, behold, before my eyes most mournful Hector
In somnis, ecce, ante oculos maestissimus Hector
seemed to stand by me, and to pour out abundant tears,
visus adesse mihi, largosque effundere fletus,
dragged by the chariot, as once he was, and black with bloody
raptatus bigis, ut quondam, aterque cruento
dust, his swollen feet pierced through with thongs.
pulvere, perque pedes traiectus lora tumentis.
Ah me, what he was, how changed from that
Ei mihi, qualis erat, quantum mutatus ab illo
Hector who returned wearing the spoils of Achilles,
Hectore, qui redit exuvias indutus Achilli,
or who hurled Phrygian fire upon the ships of the Greeks —
vel Danaum Phrygios iaculatus puppibus ignis,
bearing a squalid beard and hair clotted with blood,
squalentem barbam et concretos sanguine crinis
and those many wounds which he received about
volneraque illa gerens, quae circum plurima muros
his native walls. Weeping of my own accord, I myself seemed
accepit patrios. Ultro flens ipse videbar
to address the hero and bring out mournful words:
Compellare virum et maestas expromere voces:
"O light of Dardania, O most faithful hope of the Trojans,
O lux Dardaniae, spes O fidissima Teucrum,
what delays so great have held you? From what shores, Hector,
quae tantae tenuere morae? Quibus Hector ab oris
long awaited, do you come? How, after the many deaths of your people,
exspectate venis? Ut te post multa tuorum
after the varied toils of men and city,
funera, post varios hominumque urbisque labores
we look on you, worn out! What unworthy cause
defessi aspicimus! Quae causa indigna serenos
has marred your serene face? Or why do I see these wounds?"
foedavit voltus? Aut cur haec volnera cerno?
He says nothing, nor lingers over my vain questioning,
Ille nihil, nec me quaerentem vana moratur,
but, heavily drawing a groan from the depth of his breast,
sed graviter gemitus imo de pectore ducens,
"Ah, flee, son of a goddess," he says, "and snatch yourself from these flames.
Heu fuge, nate dea, teque his, ait, eripe flammis.
The enemy holds the walls; Troy falls from her high summit.
Hostis habet muros; ruit alto a culmine Troia.
Enough has been given to country and to Priam: if Pergamum could be
Sat patriae Priamoque datum: si Pergama dextra
defended by any hand, it would have been defended by this one too.
defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent.
Troy commends to you her holy things and her household gods:
Sacra suosque tibi commendat Troia penatis:
take these as companions of your fate, for these seek the great walls
hos cape fatorum comites, his moenia quaere
which at last, the sea wandered over, you will found."
magna, pererrato statues quae denique ponto.
So he speaks, and in his hands brings forth the fillets and mighty Vesta
Sic ait, et manibus vittas Vestamque potentem
and the eternal fire from the inner shrine.
aeternumque adytis effert penetralibus ignem.
Meanwhile the city is thrown into confusion with widespread grief,
Diverso interea miscentur moenia luctu,
and more and more, although the house of my father
et magis atque magis, quamquam secreta parentis
Anchises stood withdrawn, secluded and screened by trees,
Anchisae domus arboribusque obtecta recessit,
the sounds grow clearer, and the terror of arms presses on.
clarescunt sonitus, armorumque ingruit horror.
I am shaken from sleep, and climbing reach the topmost
Excutior somno, et summi fastigia tecti
ridge of the roof, and stand with ears straining:
ascensu supero, atque arrectis auribus adsto:
as when fire falls upon a cornfield while the South Winds rage,
in segetem veluti cum flamma furentibus austris
or a swift torrent from a mountain stream
incidit, aut rapidus montano flumine torrens
lays the fields flat, lays low the glad crops and the oxen’s toil,
sternit agros, sternit sata laeta boumque labores,
and drags down the headlong woods — the shepherd, bewildered, unknowing,
praecipitisque trahit silvas, stupet inscius alto
hears the sound from the top of a high rock.
accipiens sonitum saxi de vertice pastor.
Then indeed the truth was plain, and the treachery of the Greeks
Tum vero manifesta fides, Danaumque patescunt
lay open. Now the spacious house of Deiphobus collapsed in ruin,
insidiae. Iam Deiphobi dedit ampla ruinam
as the fire-god prevailed; now next-door burns
Volcano superante domus; iam proxumus ardet
There rises both the shouting of men and the blare of trumpets.
Exoritur clamorque virum clangorque tubarum.
Frantic, I seize my arms; nor is there reason enough in arms,
Arma amens capio; nec sat rationis in armis,
but my spirit burns to gather a band for war and rush to the citadel
sed glomerare manum bello et concurrere in arcem
with my comrades; frenzy and wrath drive my mind
cum sociis ardent animi; furor iraque mentem
headlong, and it comes to me that to die in arms is beautiful.
praecipitant, pulchrumque mori succurrit in armis.
But behold, Panthus, escaped from the weapons of the Achaeans,
Ecce autem telis Panthus elapsus Achivom,
Panthus son of Othrys, priest of the citadel and of Phoebus,
Panthus Othryades, arcis Phoebique sacerdos,
his holy things in his hand, and the vanquished gods and his little grandson,
sacra manu victosque deos parvumque nepotem
he himself drags along, and frantic with running makes for my threshold.
ipse trahit, cursuque amens ad limina tendit.
"How stands the height of our cause, Panthus? What citadel do we hold?"
Quo res summa, loco, Panthu? Quam prendimus arcem?
Scarcely had I said this, when with a groan he answers thus:
Vix ea fatus eram, gemitu cum talia reddit:
"The last day has come, and the inescapable hour
Venit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus
of Dardania: we Trojans have been, Ilium has been, and the immense
Dardaniae: fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens
glory of the Trojans; fierce Jupiter has carried all to Argos;
gloria Teucrorum; ferus omnia Iuppiter Argos
the Greeks lord it in the burning city.
transtulit; incensa Danai dominantur in urbe.
Towering, standing in the midst of the walls, the horse
Arduus armatos mediis in moenibus adstans
pours out armed men, and Sinon the victor spreads the flames,
fundit equus, victorque Sinon incendia miscet
exulting; others throng at the double-opened gates,
insultans; portis alii bipatentibus adsunt,
as many thousands as ever came from great Mycenae;
milia quot magnis umquam venere Mycenis;
others have blocked the narrow streets with weapons,
obsedere alii telis angusta viarum
set against us; a line of steel stands, with flashing point
oppositi; stat ferri acies mucrone corusco
drawn, ready for the kill; scarcely do the foremost
stricta, parata neci; vix primi proelia temptant
watchmen of the gates attempt battle, and resist in blind warfare."
portarum vigiles, et caeco Marte resistunt.
By such words of Othrys’s son and by the will of the gods
Talibus Othryadae dictis et numine divom
I am carried into the flames and into arms, where the grim Fury,
in flammas et in arma feror, quo tristis Erinys,
where the roar calls me, and the shout raised to the heavens.
quo fremitus vocat et sublatus ad aethera clamor.
Addunt se socios Rhipeus et maximus armis
and they gather at my side, and the young Coroebus,
et lateri adglomerant nostro, iuvenisque Coroebus,
son of Mygdon: in those days he had by chance come
Mygdonides: illis ad Troiam forte diebus
to Troy, inflamed with a mad love for Cassandra,
venerat, insano Cassandrae incensus amore,
and as a son-in-law brought aid to Priam and the Phrygians,
et gener auxilium Priamo Phrygibusque ferebat,
ill-fated, who did not heed the warnings of his frenzied
infelix, qui non sponsae praecepta furentis
betrothed.
audierit.
When I saw them, massed together, daring to enter battle,
Quos ubi confertos audere in proelia vidi,
I begin upon this: "Young men, hearts most brave
incipio super his: Iuvenes, fortissima frustra
in vain, if your desire is sure to follow me as I dare
pectora, si vobis audentem extrema cupido
the utmost — you see what fortune attends our cause:
certa sequi, quae sit rebus fortuna videtis:
all have departed, leaving the shrines and altars,
excessere omnes, adytis arisque relictis,
the gods by whom this empire stood; you bring help to a city
di, quibus imperium hoc steterat; succurritis urbi
in flames; let us die and rush into the midst of arms.
incensae; moriamur et in media arma ruamus.
The one safety for the vanquished is to hope for no safety."
Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem.
Thus frenzy was added to the young men’s spirits: then, like ravening
Sic animis iuvenum furor additus: inde, lupi ceu
wolves in a black mist, whom the relentless rage of the belly
raptores atra in nebula, quos improba ventris
has driven out blind, and whose cubs, left behind,
exegit caecos rabies, catulique relicti
wait with dry throats — through weapons, through the enemy
faucibus exspectant siccis, per tela, per hostis
we go to a death not doubtful, and hold our way through the city’s
vadimus haud dubiam in mortem, mediaeque tenemus
midst; black night flies round us with hollow shadow.
urbis iter; nox atra cava circumvolat umbra.
Who could unfold in speech the carnage of that night, who its deaths,
Quis cladem illius noctis, quis funera fando
or could match our sufferings with tears?
explicet, aut possit lacrimis aequare labores?
An ancient city falls, that ruled for many years;
Urbs antiqua ruit, multos dominata per annos;
everywhere through the streets lie strewn in heaps the lifeless
plurima perque vias sternuntur inertia passim
bodies, through the houses and the sacred
corpora, perque domos et religiosa deorum
thresholds of the gods. Nor do the Trojans alone pay with their blood;
limina. Nec soli poenas dant sanguine Teucri;
at times even into the hearts of the conquered courage returns,
quondam etiam victis redit in praecordia virtus
and the victorious Greeks fall: everywhere is cruel
victoresque cadunt Danai: crudelis ubique
grief, everywhere terror, and death’s image in many forms.
luctus, ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago.
First, with a great throng of Greeks attending him,
Primus se, Danaum magna comitante caterva,
Androgeos offers himself to us, thinking us allied ranks,
Androgeos offert nobis, socia agmina credens
unaware, and unprompted hails us with friendly words:
inscius, atque ultro verbis compellat amicis:
"Make haste, men: for what sluggishness so late
Festinate, viri: nam quae tam sera moratur
delays you? The others plunder and carry off burning
segnities? Alii rapiunt incensa feruntque
Pergamum; do you only now come from the tall ships?"
Pergama; vos celsis nunc primum a navibus itis.
He spoke, and at once — for no answers were given
Dixit, et extemplo, neque enim responsa dabantur
trustworthy enough — he felt he had fallen into the midst of enemies.
fida satis, sensit medios delapsus in hostis.
He was stunned, and checked his step and his voice, drawing back:
Obstipuit, retroque pedem cum voce repressit:
as one who, pressing on the ground, has trodden unawares on a snake
inprovisum aspris veluti qui sentibus anguem
amid rough briars, and suddenly in panic recoils
pressit humi nitens, trepidusque repente refugit
as it rears up in anger, swelling its dark-blue neck;
attollentem iras et caerula colla tumentem;
not otherwise did Androgeos, trembling at the sight, draw away.
haud secus Androgeos visu tremefactus abibat.
We rush in, and pour round them with thick-pressed arms,
Inruimus, densis et circumfundimur armis,
and them, ignorant of the ground and seized with terror,
ignarosque loci passim et formidine captos
we lay low everywhere: fortune favours our first effort.
sternimus: adspirat primo fortuna labori.
And here Coroebus, exulting in success and in spirit,
Atque hic successu exsultans animisque Coroebus,
says, "Comrades, where fortune first shows the path
O socii, qua prima inquit fortuna salutis
of safety, and where she shows herself favourable, let us follow:
monstrat iter, quoque ostendit se dextra, sequamur
let us change our shields, and fit to ourselves the Greeks’
mutemus clipeos, Danaumque insignia nobis
insignia: trickery or valour — who would ask which, against an enemy?
aptemus: dolus an virtus, quis in hoste requirat?
They themselves will give us arms." So saying, then he puts on
Arma dabunt ipsi. Sic fatus, deinde comantem
the plumed helmet of Androgeos and the comely device of his shield,
Androgei galeam clipeique insigne decorum
and fits the Argive sword to his side.
induitur, laterique Argivum accommodat ensem.
This Rhipeus, this Dymas himself, and all the youth
Hoc Rhipeus, hoc ipse Dymas omnisque iuventus
gladly do; each arms himself with the fresh spoils.
laeta facit; spoliis se quisque recentibus armat.
We go, mingled among the Greeks, with no god of our own,
Vadimus immixti Danais haud numine nostro,
and joining many battles through the blind night
multaque per caecam congressi proelia noctem
Some scatter to the ships, and at a run seek
Diffugiunt alii ad navis, et litora cursu
the safe shores: part in shameful terror
fida petunt: pars ingentem formidine turpi
climb back into the huge horse and hide in the familiar belly.
scandunt rursus equum et nota conduntur in alvo.
Alas, when the gods are unwilling, it is right for no one to trust in anything!
Heu nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis!
Behold, with her hair streaming, the virgin daughter of Priam,
Ecce trahebatur passis Priameïa virgo
Cassandra, was being dragged from the temple and shrine of Minerva,
crinibus a templo Cassandra adytisque Minervae,
straining to heaven her burning eyes in vain —
ad caelum tendens ardentia lumina frustra,—
her eyes, for bonds held back her tender hands.
lumina, nam teneras arcebant vincula palmas.
Coroebus could not bear this sight with his maddened mind,
Non tulit hanc speciem furiata mente Coroebus,
and flung himself, doomed to die, into the midst of the throng.
et sese medium iniecit periturus in agmen.
We all follow and charge in with close-pressed arms.
Consequimur cuncti et densis incurrimus armis.
Here first, from the high roof of the shrine, we are overwhelmed
Hic primum ex alto delubri culmine telis
by the weapons of our own, and a most piteous slaughter arises
nostrorum obruimur, oriturque miserrima caedes
from the look of our arms and the confusion of our Greek crests.
armorum facie et Graiarum errore iubarum.
Then the Greeks, with a groan and in rage at the maiden snatched away,
Tum Danai gemitu atque ereptae virginis ira
gathered from all sides, attack — most fierce Ajax,
undique collecti invadunt, acerrimus Aiax,
and the twin sons of Atreus, and the whole army of the Dolopians;
et gemini Atridae, Dolopumque exercitus omnis;
as when sometimes, in a burst whirlwind, opposing winds
adversi rupto ceu quondam turbine venti
clash — the West Wind and the South, and the East Wind, glad
confligunt, Zephyrusque Notusque et laetus Eois
with his Eastern horses; the woods shriek, and foaming Nereus rages
Eurus equis; stridunt silvae, saevitque tridenti
with his trident and stirs the seas from their lowest depths.
spumeus atque imo Nereus ciet aequora fundo.
Those too, if any we routed by stratagem through the shadow
Illi etiam, si quos obscura nocte per umbram
in the dark night and drove through the whole city,
fudimus insidiis totaque agitavimus urbe,
now appear; first they recognize our shields and the lying weapons,
apparent; primi clipeos mentitaque tela
and mark our speech, discordant in its sound.
adgnoscunt, atque ora sono discordia signant.
At once we are overwhelmed by numbers; and first Coroebus
Ilicet obruimur numero; primusque Coroebus
falls by the hand of Peneleus at the altar of the war-mighty goddess;
Penelei dextra divae armipotentis ad aram
and Rhipeus falls, the one most just
procumbit; cadit et Rhipeus, iustissimus unus
who was among the Trojans, and most observant of the right:
qui fuit in Teucris et servantissimus aequi:
the gods saw otherwise; Hypanis and Dymas perish,
dis aliter visum; pereunt Hypanisque Dymasque
pierced by their own comrades; nor did your great piety, Panthus,
confixi a sociis; nec te tua plurima, Panthu,
nor Apollo’s fillet, shield you as you fell.
labentem pietas nec Apollinis infula texit.
O ashes of Ilium, and last flame of my people,
Iliaci cineres et flamma extrema meorum,
I call you to witness: at your fall I shunned neither the weapons
testor, in occasu vestro nec tela nec ullas
nor any hazards of the Greeks, and, had the fates so willed
vitavisse vices Danaum, et, si fata fuissent
that I should fall, by my own hand I earned it. We are torn away from there,
ut caderem, meruisse manu. Divellimur inde,
heavy with age, and Pelias slow from a wound dealt by Ulysses;
iam gravior, Pelias et volnere tardus Ulixi;
straightway we are called by the shouting to Priam’s palace.
protinus ad sedes Priami clamore vocati.
Here indeed we see a vast battle, as though no other
Hic vero ingentem pugnam, ceu cetera nusquam
wars were anywhere, as though none were dying in all the city.
bella forent, nulli tota morerentur in urbe.
So unconquered we see the war-god, and the Greeks rushing at the roofs,
Sic Martem indomitum, Danaosque ad tecta ruentis
and the threshold besieged under a driven tortoise of shields.
cernimus, obsessumque acta testudine limen.
Ladders cling to the walls, and at the very doorposts
Haerent parietibus scalae, postisque sub ipsos
they strain up the rungs, and against the weapons hold out their shields
nituntur gradibus, clipeosque ad tela sinistris
with their left hands for cover, and grasp the gables with their right.
protecti obiciunt, prensant fastigia dextris.
The Trojans in turn tear down towers and the whole
Dardanidae contra turris ac tota domorum
roofs of the buildings; with these, since they see the end,
culmina convellunt; his se, quando ultima cernunt,
they make ready to defend themselves with weapons in their last death-throes;
extrema iam in morte parant defendere telis;
and the gilded beams, the high adornments of their forefathers,
auratasque trabes, veterum decora alta parentum,
they roll down; others, with drawn swords, have blocked
devolvunt; alii strictis mucronibus imas
the doors below; these they guard in close array.
obsedere fores; has servant agmine denso.
Our spirits were renewed, to help the king’s house,
Instaurati animi, regis succurrere tectis,
and relieve the men with aid, and add force to the vanquished.
auxilioque levare viros, vimque addere victis.
There was a threshold and a hidden door and a connecting passage
Limen erat caecaeque fores et pervius usus
between Priam’s buildings, and a doorway left aside
tectorum inter se Priami, postesque relicti
at the rear, by which, while the kingdom stood, the unhappy
a tergo, infelix qua se, dum regna manebant,
Andromache used often, unattended, to take herself
saepius Andromache ferre incomitata solebat
to her husband’s parents, and led the boy Astyanax to his grandsire.
ad soceros, et avo puerum Astyanacta trahebat.
I climb out to the topmost ridge of the roof, whence
Evado ad summi fastigia culminis, unde
the wretched Trojans were hurling weapons by hand in vain.
tela manu miseri iactabant inrita Teucri.
A tower standing on the brink, and reared toward the stars
Turrim in praecipiti stantem summisque sub astra
from the rooftops, whence all Troy was wont to be seen,
eductam tectis, unde omnis Troia videri
and the ships of the Greeks and the Achaean camp —
et Danaum solitae naves et Achaia castra,
this we attack with iron all round, where the topmost storeys
adgressi ferro circum, qua summa labantis
gave loosening joints, and we wrench it from its high
iuncturas tabulata dabant, convellimus altis
seat, and push it over; suddenly it slips and draws ruin
sedibus, impulimusque; ea lapsa repente ruinam
with a crash, and falls wide over the ranks of the Greeks:
cum sonitu trahit et Danaum super agmina late
but others come on, nor do the stones, nor any
incidit: ast alii subeunt, nec saxa, nec ullum
kind of weapon meanwhile cease.
telorum interea cessat genus.
Before the very forecourt, and on the first threshold, Pyrrhus
Vestibulum ante ipsum primoque in limine Pyrrhus
exults, flashing with weapons and the gleam of bronze;
exsultat, telis et luce coruscus aëna;
as when into the light a snake, fed on poisonous herbs,
qualis ubi in lucem coluber mala gramina pastus
whom the cold winter had kept swollen beneath the earth,
frigida sub terra tumidum quem bruma tegebat,
now, its slough cast off, renewed and shining with youth,
nunc, positis novus exuviis nitidusque iuventa,
rolls its slippery coils, breast uplifted,
lubrica convolvit sublato pectore terga
towering toward the sun, and darts its three-forked tongue from its mouth.
arduus ad solem, et linguis micat ore trisulcis.
Una ingens Periphas et equorum agitator Achillis,
come up to the building, and hurl flames at the roof.
succedunt tecto, et flammas ad culmina iactant.
He himself among the foremost, seizing a hard double-axe,
Ipse inter primos correpta dura bipenni
breaks through the threshold, and tears the bronze doorposts
limina perrumpit, postisque a cardine vellit
from their hinge; and now, cutting through a beam, he has hollowed
aeratos; iamque excisa trabe firma cavavit
the solid oak, and made a huge window with a wide mouth.
robora, et ingentem lato dedit ore fenestram.
The house appears within, and the long halls lie open;
Adparet domus intus, et atria longa patescunt;
the inner chambers of Priam and the ancient kings appear,
adparent Priami et veterum penetralia regum,
and they see armed men standing on the first threshold.
armatosque vident stantis in limine primo.
But the inner house is thrown into confusion with groaning and wretched uproar,
At domus interior gemitu miseroque tumultu
and deep within the hollow halls wail
miscetur, penitusque cavae plangoribus aedes
with women’s shrieks; the cry strikes the golden stars.
femineis ululant; ferit aurea sidera clamor.
Then the frightened mothers wander through the vast rooms;
Tum pavidae tectis matres ingentibus errant;
and embracing they cling to the doorposts and press kisses on them.
amplexaeque tenent postis atque oscula figunt.
Pyrrhus presses on with his father’s might; nor can the bars, nor the guards
Instat vi patria Pyrrhus; nec claustra, neque ipsi
themselves, hold him off; the door totters under the repeated ram,
custodes sufferre valent; labat ariete crebro
and the doorposts, dislodged from their hinges, fall flat.
ianua, et emoti procumbunt cardine postes.
A way is forced; the Greeks, let in, break the entrances, and butcher
Fit via vi; rumpunt aditus, primosque trucidant
the foremost, and fill the place far and wide with soldiery.
immissi Danai, et late loca milite complent.
Not so, when a foaming river, its banks burst,
Non sic, aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis
has gone forth, and overcome with its flood the barriers set against it,
exiit, oppositasque evicit gurgite moles,
is borne raging in a heap over the fields, and through all the plains
fertur in arva furens cumulo, camposque per omnis
drags the herds with their stalls. I myself saw, raging
cum stabulis armenta trahit. Vidi ipse furentem
with slaughter, Neoptolemus, and the two sons of Atreus on the threshold;
caede Neoptolemum geminosque in limine Atridas;
I saw Hecuba and her hundred daughters-in-law, and Priam at the altars,
vidi Hecubam centumque nurus, Priamumque per aras
befouling with his blood the fires he himself had hallowed.
sanguine foedantem, quos ipse sacraverat, ignis.
Those fifty bridal chambers, so great a hope of descendants,
Quinquaginta illi thalami, spes tanta nepotum,
the doorposts proud with barbaric gold and spoils,
barbarico postes auro spoliisque superbi,
fell to ruin; the Greeks hold what the fire spares.
procubuere; tenent Danai, qua deficit ignis.
Perhaps you may ask too what was the fate of Priam.
Forsitan et Priami fuerint quae fata requiras.
When he saw the fall of the captured city and the shattered
Urbis uti captae casum convolsaque vidit
thresholds of his halls and the enemy in the midst of his inner rooms,
limina tectorum et medium in penetralibus hostem,
the old man vainly girds about his shoulders, trembling with age,
arma diu senior desueta trementibus aevo
his arms long unused, and binds on the useless sword,
circumdat nequiquam umeris, et inutile ferrum
and is borne, about to die, into the thick of the enemy.
cingitur, ac densos fertur moriturus in hostis.
In the middle of the palace, and under the bare vault of heaven,
Aedibus in mediis nudoque sub aetheris axe
there was a great altar, and beside it a very ancient laurel,
ingens ara fuit iuxtaque veterrima laurus,
leaning over the altar and embracing the household gods with its shade.
incumbens arae atque umbra complexa Penatis.
Here Hecuba and her daughters in vain about the altars,
Hic Hecuba et natae nequiquam altaria circum,
like doves driven headlong by a black storm,
praecipites atra ceu tempestate columbae,
huddled close, sat clasping the images of the gods.
condensae et divom amplexae simulacra sedebant.
But when she saw Priam himself, in arms taken up for youth,
Ipsum autem sumptis Priamum iuvenalibus armis
"What thought so dreadful, my most wretched husband,"
ut vidit, Quae mens tam dira, miserrime coniunx,
she said, "has driven you to gird on these weapons? Or where do you rush?
impulit his cingi telis? Aut quo ruis? inquit;
Not such help, nor such defenders,
Non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis
does the hour need — no, not were my own Hector here now.
tempus eget, non, si ipse meus nunc adforet Hector.
Come here at last; this altar will protect us all,
Huc tandem concede; haec ara tuebitur omnis,
or you shall die together with us." So speaking she drew
aut moriere simul. Sic ore effata recepit
the aged man to herself and set him in the holy seat.
ad sese et sacra longaevum in sede locavit.
But behold, Polites, escaped from the slaughter of Pyrrhus,
Ecce autem elapsus Pyrrhi de caede Polites,
one of Priam’s sons, through weapons, through enemies,
unus natorum Priami, per tela, per hostis
flees down the long colonnades, and circles the empty halls,
porticibus longis fugit, et vacua atria lustrat
wounded: him Pyrrhus, blazing, with a deadly thrust
saucius: illum ardens infesto volnere Pyrrhus
pursues, and now, now holds him in his grip and presses with the spear.
insequitur, iam iamque manu tenet et premit hasta.
When at last he came out before the eyes and faces of his parents,
Ut tandem ante oculos evasit et ora parentum,
he fell, and poured out his life with a flood of blood.
concidit, ac multo vitam cum sanguine fudit.
Then Priam, although he is now held in the midst of death,
Hic Priamus, quamquam in media iam morte tenetur,
yet did not hold back, nor spare his voice and his anger:
non tamen abstinuit, nec voci iraeque pepercit:
"But for your crime," he cries, "for such deeds dared,
At tibi pro scelere, exclamat, pro talibus ausis,
may the gods, if there is any righteousness in heaven that cares for such things,
di, si qua est caelo pietas, quae talia curet,
pay you the thanks you deserve, and render the rewards
persolvant grates dignas et praemia reddant
you are owed — you who have made me look upon the death of my son
debita, qui nati coram me cernere letum
before my face, and defiled a father’s sight with murder.
fecisti et patrios foedasti funere voltus.
But not so was that Achilles — from whom you falsely claim to be sprung —
At non ille, satum quo te mentiris, Achilles
toward his enemy Priam; but he respected the rights and faith
talis in hoste fuit Priamo; sed iura fidemque
of a suppliant, and restored to the tomb the bloodless body
supplicis erubuit, corpusque exsangue sepulchro
of Hector, and sent me back to my own kingdom."
reddidit Hectoreum, meque in mea regna remisit.
So spoke the old man, and hurled his feeble weapon without a blow,
Sic fatus senior, telumque imbelle sine ictu
which at once, turned back by the harsh bronze,
coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum
hung uselessly from the top of the shield’s boss.
e summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit.
To him Pyrrhus: "Then you shall report this, and go as a messenger
Cui Pyrrhus: Referes ergo haec et nuntius ibis
to my father, son of Peleus; remember to tell him
Pelidae genitori; illi mea tristia facta
of my grim deeds, and of his degenerate Neoptolemus.
degeneremque Neoptolemum narrare memento.
Now die." Saying this, he dragged him, trembling,
Nunc morere. Hoc dicens altaria ad ipsa trementem
to the very altar, and slipping in the deep blood of his son,
traxit et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati,
and twisted his hair in his left hand, and with his right
implicuitque comam laeva, dextraque coruscum
raised the flashing sword and buried it to the hilt in his side.
extulit, ac lateri capulo tenus abdidit ensem.
This was the end of Priam’s fortunes; this the close that bore him off
Haec finis Priami fatorum; hic exitus illum
by lot, seeing Troy in flames and Pergamum fallen,
sorte tulit, Troiam incensam et prolapsa videntem
once the proud ruler of Asia over so many
Pergama, tot quondam populis terrisque superbum
peoples and lands. He lies, a huge trunk on the shore,
regnatorem Asiae. Iacet ingens litore truncus,
the head torn from the shoulders, and a body without a name.
avolsumque umeris caput, et sine nomine corpus.
But then for the first time a savage horror encircled me.
At me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror
I was stunned; the image of my dear father rose before me,
Obstipui; subiit cari genitoris imago,
as I saw the king, of like age, breathing out his life
ut regem aequaevum crudeli volnere vidi
and my plundered house, and the peril of little Iulus.
et direpta domus, et parvi casus Iuli.
I look back, and survey what force is around me.
Respicio, et quae sit me circum copia lustro.
All had deserted me, worn out, and had cast their bodies down
Deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu
to the ground with a leap, or given them, sick, to the flames.
ad terram misere aut ignibus aegra dedere.
And now I alone was left, when, guarding the threshold of Vesta
Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae
and lurking silent in a secret seat,
servantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem
I catch sight of the daughter of Tyndareus: the bright fires give light
Tyndarida aspicio: dant clara incendia lucem
to me as I wander and cast my eyes everywhere over all things.
erranti passimque oculos per cuncta ferenti.
She, fearing beforehand the Trojans hostile to her for Pergamum’s overthrow,
Illa sibi infestos eversa ob Pergama Teucros
and the vengeance of the Greeks, and the wrath of the husband she had deserted,
et poenas Danaum et deserti coniugis iras
the common Fury of Troy and of her own land,
praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys,
had hidden herself and sat, hateful, at the altars.
abdiderat sese atque aris invisa sedebat.
Fires blazed up in my soul; wrath rose to avenge
Exarsere ignes animo; subit ira cadentem
my falling country and to exact the punishment for her crime.
ulcisci patriam et sceleratas sumere poenas.
"So then she will look upon Sparta safe and her native Mycenae,
Scilicet haec Spartam incolumis patriasque Mycenas
and go a queen in the triumph she has won,
aspiciet, partoque ibit regina triumpho,
and see her husband and home, her parents and children,
coniugiumque, domumque, patres, natosque videbit,
attended by a throng of Trojan women and Phrygian servants?
Iliadum turba et Phrygiis comitata ministris?
Shall Priam have fallen by the sword, Troy have burned with fire?
Occiderit ferro Priamus, Troia arserit igni?
Shall the Dardan shore so often have sweated with blood?
Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus?
Not so: for though there is no memorable renown
Non ita: namque etsi nullum memorabile nomen
in punishing a woman, nor does such a victory win praise,
feminea in poena est, nec habet victoria laudem,
yet I shall be praised for stamping out an abomination, and for exacting
extinxisse nefas tamen et sumpsisse merentis
the punishment she deserves, and it will be sweet to have glutted my soul
laudabor poenas, animumque explesse iuvabit
with the flame of vengeance, and to have satisfied the ashes of my people."
ultricis flammae, et cineres satiasse meorum.
Such things I was flinging out, and was carried on with a maddened mind:
Talia iactabam, et furiata mente ferebar:
when, never before so clear to my eyes,
cum mihi se, non ante oculis tam clara, videndam
my fostering mother offered herself to my sight and shone through the night
obtulit et pura per noctem in luce refulsit
in pure light, revealed as a goddess, such as she is wont to be seen
alma parens, confessa deam, qualisque videri
by the dwellers of heaven, and as tall; and grasping me by the right hand
caelicolis et quanta solet, dextraque prehensum
she held me back, and added these words from her rosy lips:
continuit, roseoque haec insuper addidit ore:
"My son, what so great a grief stirs up your ungovernable wrath?
Nate, quis indomitas tantus dolor excitat iras?
Why this frenzy? Or whither has your care for us withdrawn?
Quid furis, aut quonam nostri tibi cura recessit?
Will you not first look where you have left your father, worn with age,
Non prius aspicies, ubi fessum aetate parentem
Anchises; whether your wife Creusa still survives,
liqueris Anchisen; superet coniunxne Creüsa,
and the boy Ascanius? All of whom on every side the Greek
Ascaniusque puer? Quos omnes undique Graiae
ranks wander round, and, did not my care withstand it,
circum errant acies, et, ni mea cura resistat,
the flames would by now have taken them, and the hostile sword drained their blood.
iam flammae tulerint inimicus et hauserit ensis.
It is not the hated face of the Spartan daughter of Tyndareus,
Non tibi Tyndaridis facies invisa Lacaenae
nor blameworthy Paris: it is the harshness of the gods, the gods,
culpatusve Paris: divom inclementia, divom,
that overthrows this wealth and lays Troy low from her summit.
has evertit opes sternitque a culmine Troiam.
Look — for I will tear away all the cloud which now, drawn over your sight,
Aspice—namque omnem, quae nunc obducta tuenti
dulls your mortal eyes and damply
mortalis hebetat visus tibi et umida circum
shrouds about you; do you fear no commands
caligat, nubem eripiam; tu ne qua parentis
of your mother, nor refuse to obey her bidding: —
iussa time, neu praeceptis parere recusa:—
here, where you see masses thrown down, and stones torn
hic, ubi disiectas moles avolsaque saxis
from stones, and smoke billowing with mingled dust:
saxa vides mixtoque undantem pulvere fumum.
Neptune is shaking the walls and the foundations, dislodged
Neptunus muros magnoque emota tridenti
by his great trident, and is tearing the whole city
fundamenta quatit, totamque a sedibus urbem
from its seat; here Juno, most savage, first holds the Scaean
eruit; hic Iuno Scaeas saevissima portas
gates, and, raging, girt with steel, calls the allied host
prima tenet, sociumque furens a navibus agmen
from the ships.
ferro accincta vocat.
Now on the topmost citadel — look back — Tritonian Pallas
Iam summas arces Tritonia, respice, Pallas
has settled, flashing in a storm-cloud and with the savage Gorgon.
insedit, nimbo effulgens et Gorgone saeva.
The Father himself supplies the Greeks with courage and prospering strength,
Ipse pater Danais animos viresque secundas
he himself rouses the gods against the Dardan arms.
sufficit, ipse deos in Dardana suscitat arma.
Snatch your flight, my son, and put an end to your struggle.
Eripe, nate, fugam, finemque impone labori.
Nowhere will I be absent, and I will set you safe at your father’s threshold."
Nusquam abero, et tutum patrio te limine sistam.
She had spoken, and hid herself in the thick shadows of night.
Dixerat, et spissis noctis se condidit umbris.
There appear dread shapes, and the mighty powers of the gods
Adparent dirae facies inimicaque Troiae
hostile to Troy.
numina magna deum.
Then indeed all Ilium seemed to me to sink into the fires,
Tum vero omne mihi visum considere in ignis
and Neptune’s Troy to be overturned from her foundations;
Ilium et ex imo verti Neptunia Troia;
and as when farmers strive eagerly to uproot an ancient ash
ac veluti summis antiquam in montibus ornum
on the high mountains, hacked at with iron and repeated axe-blows,
cum ferro accisam crebrisque bipennibus instant
— it ever threatens to fall,
eruere agricolae certatim,—illa usque minatur
and, its foliage shaken, nods with quivering crown,
et tremefacta comam concusso vertice nutat,
until, little by little overcome by its wounds, it gives a final
volneribus donec paulatim evicta, supremum
groan, and, torn from the ridge, drags down ruin.
congemuit, traxitque iugis avolsa ruinam.
I descend, and with a god leading me, make my way between flame and foe;
Descendo, ac ducente deo flammam inter et hostis
the weapons give place, and the flames draw back.
expedior; dant tela locum, flammaeque recedunt.
And when at last I had come to the threshold of my ancestral home,
Atque ubi iam patriae perventum ad limina sedis
the ancient house, my father, whom I longed first
antiquasque domos, genitor, quem tollere in altos
to carry up into the high mountains, and first I sought,
optabam primum montis primumque petebam,
refuses to prolong his life, with Troy cut down,
abnegat excisa vitam producere Troia
and to endure exile. "You, O you whose blood is whole
exsiliumque pati. Vos O, quibus integer aevi
in its prime," he says, "and whose strength stands firm in its own vigour,
sanguis, ait solidaeque suo stant robore vires,
do you take to flight.
vos agitate fugam:
If the dwellers of heaven had willed that I should prolong my life,
me si caelicolae voluissent ducere vitam,
they would have spared me this home. Enough and more than enough
has mihi servassent sedes. Satis una superque
is it that I have seen one destruction and outlived one captured city.
vidimus exscidia et captae superavimus urbi.
So, O so, having bidden farewell to my body laid out thus, depart.
Sic O, sic positum adfati discedite corpus.
I myself will find death by my own hand; the enemy will pity me
Ipse manu mortem inveniam; miserebitur hostis
and seek my spoils; the loss of a tomb is a small thing.
exuviasque petet; facilis iactura sepulcri.
Long since hateful to the gods and useless, I drag out my years,
Iam pridem invisus divis et inutilis annos
ever since the father of gods and king of men
demoror, ex quo me divom pater atque hominum rex
blasted me with the winds of his thunderbolt and touched me with fire."
fulminis adflavit ventis et contigit igni.
Such things he kept repeating, and remained fixed in his resolve.
Talia perstabat memorans, fixusque manebat.
We on the other hand, dissolved in tears — my wife Creusa,
Nos contra effusi lacrimis, coniunxque Creüsa
and Ascanius, and all the household — begged that he should not
Ascaniusque omnisque domus, ne vertere secum
wish to bring all down with him, and lean on the pressing doom.
cuncta pater fatoque urguenti incumbere vellet.
He refuses, and clings to his purpose and to the same place.
Abnegat, inceptoque et sedibus haeret in isdem.
Again I am carried to arms, and most wretched I long for death:
Rursus in arma feror, mortemque miserrimus opto:
for what counsel, or what fortune now, was offered me?
nam quod consilium aut quae iam fortuna dabatur?
"Did you hope, father, that I could set foot away, leaving you behind,
Mene efferre pedem, genitor, te posse relicto
and did so great a sacrilege fall from a father’s lips?
sperasti, tantumque nefas patrio excidit ore?
If it pleases the gods above that nothing be left of so great a city,
Si nihil ex tanta Superis placet urbe relinqui,
and this is fixed in your mind, and it is your wish to add yourself and yours
et sedet hoc animo, perituraeque addere Troiae
to perishing Troy, the door stands open to that death:
teque tuosque iuvat, patet isti ianua leto,
and soon Pyrrhus will be here, fresh from Priam’s abundant blood,
iamque aderit multo Priami de sanguine Pyrrhus,
who butchers the son before the father’s face, the father at the altars.
natum ante ora patris, patrem qui obtruncat ad aras.
Was it for this, fostering mother, that you snatch me through weapons, through fires,
Hoc erat, alma parens, quod me per tela, per ignis
that I should see the enemy in the inner chambers, and that
eripis, ut mediis hostem in penetralibus, utque
I should see Ascanius and my father and Creusa beside them
Ascanium patremque meum iuxtaque Creüsam
slaughtered, each in the other’s blood?
alterum in alterius mactatos sanguine cernam?
Arms, men, bring arms; the last light calls the vanquished.
Arma, viri, ferte arma; vocat lux ultima victos.
Give me back to the Greeks; let me see again the renewed
Reddite me Danais; sinite instaurata revisam
battles: never shall we all die today unavenged."
proelia: Numquam omnes hodie moriemur inulti.
Then I gird on the sword again, and was fitting my shield
Hinc ferro accingor rursus clipeoque sinistram
to my left arm, and was bearing myself out of the house.
insertabam aptans, meque extra tecta ferebam.
But behold, my wife, clasping my feet on the threshold,
Ecce autem complexa pedes in limine coniunx
clung to me, and held out little Iulus to his father:
haerebat, parvumque patri tendebat Iulum:
"If you go to die, take us too with you into all things;
Si periturus abis, et nos rape in omnia tecum;
but if, having tried them, you place any hope in the arms you have taken,
sin aliquam expertus sumptis spem ponis in armis,
first guard this house. To whom do you leave little Iulus,
hanc primum tutare domum. Cui parvus Iulus,
to whom your father, and I, once called your wife?"
cui pater et coniunx quondam tua dicta relinquor?
Crying out such things, she filled the whole house with her groaning,
Talia vociferans gemitu tectum omne replebat,
when a sudden portent arises, wondrous to tell.
cum subitum dictuque oritur mirabile monstrum.
For between the hands and faces of his grieving parents,
Namque manus inter maestorumque ora parentum
behold, from the very crown of Iulus’s head a light
ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli
seemed to pour, a slender tongue of flame, and harmless to the touch
fundere lumen apex, tactuque innoxia mollis
a soft fire licked his hair and fed about his temples.
lambere flamma comas et circum tempora pasci.
We, terrified, trembled with fear, and shook out the blazing
Nos pavidi trepidare metu, crinemque flagrantem
hair, and quenched the holy fires with water.
excutere et sanctos restinguere fontibus ignis.
But father Anchises, joyful, lifted his eyes to the stars,
At pater Anchises oculos ad sidera laetus
and stretched his hands to heaven with his voice:
extulit, et caelo palmas cum voce tetendit:
"Almighty Jupiter, if you are moved by any prayers,
Iuppiter omnipotens, precibus si flecteris ullis,
look upon us; this only, and, if by our piety we deserve it,
aspice nos; hoc tantum, et, si pietate meremur,
then grant your help, Father, and confirm these omens."
da deinde auxilium, pater, atque haec omina firma.
Scarcely had the old man said this, when with a sudden crash
Vix ea fatus erat senior, subitoque fragore
it thundered on the left, and gliding from the sky through the shadows
intonuit laevum, et de caelo lapsa per umbras
a star ran, trailing a torch, with abundant light.
stella facem ducens multa cum luce cucurrit.
We watch it, gliding above the topmost roof-ridge of the house,
Illam, summa super labentem culmina tecti,
marking out the way; then in a long track the furrow
signantemque vias; tum longo limite sulcus
gives light, and far around the place smokes with sulphur.
dat lucem, et late circum loca sulphure fumant.
Here indeed my father, overcome, raises himself up,
Hic vero victus genitor se tollit ad auras,
and addresses the gods and worships the holy star.
adfaturque deos et sanctum sidus adorat.
"Now, now there is no delay; I follow, and where you lead, I am here.
Iam iam nulla mora est; sequor et qua ducitis adsum.
Gods of my fathers, save my house, save my grandson.
Di patrii, servate domum, servate nepotem.
Yours is this augury, and in your power lies Troy.
Vestrum hoc augurium, vestroque in numine Troia est.
I yield indeed, and do not refuse, my son, to go as your companion."
Cedo equidem, nec, nate, tibi comes ire recuso.
He had spoken; and now through the walls the fire is heard
Dixerat ille; et iam per moenia clarior ignis
more clearly, and the blazes roll their heat nearer.
auditur, propiusque aestus incendia volvunt.
"Come then, dear father, set yourself upon my neck;
Ergo age, care pater, cervici imponere nostrae;
I myself will bear you on my shoulders, nor will that burden weigh me down:
ipse subibo umeris, nec me labor iste gravabit:
however things fall out, there will be one danger shared,
quo res cumque cadent, unum et commune periclum,
one safety, for us both. Let little Iulus
una salus ambobus erit. Mihi parvus Iulus
be my companion, and let my wife follow our steps at a distance:
sit comes, et longe servet vestigia coniunx:
you, servants, attend with your minds to what I say.
vos, famuli, quae dicam, animis advertite vestris.
As you go out from the city there is a mound and an ancient temple
Est urbe egressis tumulus templumque vetustum
of forsaken Ceres, and beside it an old cypress
desertae Cereris, iuxtaque antiqua cupressus
preserved for many years by the reverence of our fathers.
religione patrum multos servata per annos.
To this one spot we will come from our different ways.
Hanc ex diverso sedem veniemus in unam.
You, father, take in your hand the holy things and the household gods of our fathers;
Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu patriosque Penatis;
for me, come from so great a war and fresh slaughter,
me, bello e tanto digressum et caede recenti,
it is sacrilege to handle them, until I wash myself
attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo
in running water."
abluero.
So saying, over my broad shoulders and bowed neck
Haec fatus, latos umeros subiectaque colla
I spread a garment and the tawny hide of a lion,
veste super fulvique insternor pelle leonis,
and stoop to my burden; little Iulus clasps my right hand
succedoque oneri; dextrae se parvus Iulus
and follows his father with steps not matching his;
implicuit sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis;
behind comes my wife: we move on through the dark places;
pone subit coniunx: ferimur per opaca locorum;
and I, whom but now no hurled weapons could move,
et me, quem dudum non ulla iniecta movebant
nor the Greeks massed in a hostile column,
tela neque adverso glomerati ex agmine Grai,
now every breeze frightens, every sound startles me,
nunc omnes terrent aurae, sonus excitat omnis
anxious and fearing alike for my companion and my burden.
suspensum et pariter comitique onerique timentem.
And now I was drawing near the gates, and seemed to have passed
Iamque propinquabam portis, omnemque videbar
all the way, when suddenly a thick sound of feet
evasisse viam, subito cum creber ad auris
seemed to come to my ears, and my father, peering through the shadow,
visus adesse pedum sonitus, genitorque per umbram
cries, "My son, flee, my son, they are coming near.
prospiciens; Nate exclamat, fuge nate, propinquant.
I see blazing shields and flashing bronze!" —
Ardentis clipeos atque aera micantia cerno! —
Here some power, ill-disposed to me in my panic,
Hic mihi nescio quod trepido male numen amicum
robbed me of my confused wits. For while at a run
confusam eripuit mentem. Namque avia cursu
I follow trackless ways, and leave the known quarter of the streets,
dum sequor, et nota excedo regione viarum,
alas, was my wife Creusa, torn from her wretched husband by fate,
heu, misero coniunx fatone erepta Creüsa
left behind — did she stray from the path, or sink down weary? —
substitit, erravitne via, seu lassa resedit,
it is uncertain; nor was she ever after given back to my eyes.
incertum; nec post oculis est reddita nostris.
Nor did I look back for her, lost, or turn my mind to her,
Nec prius amissam respexi animumque reflexi,
until we came to the mound of ancient Ceres and her consecrated seat;
quam tumulum antiquae Cereris sedemque sacratam
here at last, when all were gathered, she alone
venimus; hic demum collectis omnibus una
was missing, and failed her companions, her son, and her husband.
defuit, et comites natumque virumque fefellit.
Whom of men and gods did I not, distraught, accuse,
Quem non incusavi amens hominumque deorumque,
or what crueller thing did I see in the overthrown city?
aut quid in eversa vidi crudelius urbe?
Ascanius and my father Anchises and the Trojan household gods
Ascanium Anchisenque patrem Teucrosque Penatis
I entrust to my comrades, and hide in a curving valley;
commendo sociis et curva valle recondo;
I myself make for the city again and gird on my gleaming arms.
ipse urbem repeto et cingor fulgentibus armis.
I am resolved to renew every peril, and to return through all
Stat casus renovare omnis, omnemque reverti
of Troy, and again to expose my life to dangers.
per Troiam, et rursus caput obiectare periclis.
First I make again for the walls and the dark threshold of the gate
Principio muros obscuraque limina portae,
by which I had come out, and I trace my footsteps
qua gressum extuleram, repeto, et vestigia retro
back, marked through the night, and search with my gaze.
observata sequor per noctem et lumine lustro.
Horror everywhere in my soul, and the very silence at once terrifies me.
Horror ubique animo, simul ipsa silentia terrent.
Then I take myself home, in case by chance, by chance she had made her way there:
Inde domum, si forte pedem, si forte tulisset,
the Greeks had burst in, and held the whole house.
me refero: inruerant Danai, et tectum omne tenebant.
At once the devouring fire, on the wind, is rolled to the topmost
Ilicet ignis edax summa ad fastigia vento
gables; the flames rise above, the heat rages to the sky.
volvitur; exsuperant flammae, furit aestus ad auras.
I go on and revisit the palace of Priam and the citadel.
Procedo et Priami sedes arcemque reviso.
And now in the empty colonnades, in the sanctuary of Juno,
Et iam porticibus vacuis Iunonis asylo
chosen guards, Phoenix and dread Ulysses,
custodes lecti Phoenix et dirus Ulixes
were watching the spoil. Hither from everywhere the treasure of Troy,
praedam adservabant. Huc undique Troia gaza
snatched from the burning shrines, and the tables of the gods,
incensis erepta adytis, mensaeque deorum,
and mixing-bowls of solid gold, and captured raiment,
crateresque auro solidi, captivaque vestis
is heaped up; boys and frightened mothers in a long line
congeritur; pueri et pavidae longo ordine matres
stand round about.
stant circum.
I even dared to fling my voice through the darkness;
Ausus quin etiam voces iactare per umbram
I filled the streets with shouting, and grieving, again and again
implevi clamore vias, maestusque Creüsam
in vain redoubling it, I called on Creusa over and over.
nequiquam ingeminans iterumque iterumque vocavi.
As I sought her and raged endlessly through the houses of the city,
Quaerenti et tectis urbis sine fine furenti
the unhappy phantom and the very ghost of Creusa
infelix simulacrum atque ipsius umbra Creüsae
appeared before my eyes, an image larger than the one I knew.
visa mihi ante oculos et nota maior imago.
I was stunned, my hair stood up, and my voice stuck in my throat.
Obstipui, steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit.
Then thus she spoke, and lifted my cares with these words:
Tum sic adfari et curas his demere dictis:
"What good is it to indulge so far in mad grief,
Quid tantum insano iuvat indulgere dolori,
O sweet husband? These things do not come to pass
O dulcis coniunx? Non haec sine numine divom
without the will of the gods; nor is it granted that you carry Creusa
eveniunt; nec te hinc comitem asportare Creüsam
hence as your companion, nor does the ruler of high Olympus allow it.
fas, aut ille sinit superi regnator Olympi.
Long exile is yours, and the vast plain of the sea to be ploughed,
Longa tibi exsilia, et vastum maris aequor arandum,
and you will come to the Hesperian land, where the Lydian Tiber
et terram Hesperiam venies, ubi Lydius arva
flows in a gentle stream through the rich fields of men:
inter opima virum leni fluit agmine Thybris:
there glad fortune, and a kingdom, and a royal bride
illic res laetae regnumque et regia coniunx
are won for you. Drive away your tears for your beloved Creusa.
parta tibi. Lacrimas dilectae pelle Creüsae.
I shall not see the proud homes of the Myrmidons or Dolopians,
Non ego Myrmidonum sedes Dolopumve superbas
nor go to be a slave to Greek matrons,
aspiciam, aut Graiis servitum matribus ibo,
I, a Dardan woman, and the daughter-in-law of divine Venus.
Dardanis, et divae Veneris nurus.
But the great mother of the gods keeps me on these shores:
Sed me magna deum genetrix his detinet oris:
and now farewell, and keep your love for the son we share."
iamque vale, et nati serva communis amorem.
When she had spoken these words, she left me weeping and wishing
Haec ubi dicta dedit, lacrimantem et multa volentem
to say much, and withdrew into the thin air.
dicere deseruit, tenuisque recessit in auras.
Three times there I tried to throw my arms about her neck:
Ter conatus ibi collo dare bracchia circum:
three times the phantom, vainly clasped, fled my hands,
ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago,
like the light winds, and most like a winged dream.
par levibus ventis volucrique simillima somno.
So at last, the night spent, I return to my comrades.
Sic demum socios consumpta nocte reviso.
And here I find, in wonder, that a great number of new companions
Atque hic ingentem comitum adfluxisse novorum
had flowed together, both mothers and men,
invenio admirans numerum, matresque virosque,
a host gathered for exile, a pitiable throng.
collectam exsilio pubem, miserabile volgus.
From all sides they had come, ready in heart and resources,
Undique convenere, animis opibusque parati,
to whatever lands I might wish to lead them over the sea.
in quascumque velim pelago deducere terras.
And now the morning-star was rising over the ridges of high Ida,
Iamque iugis summae surgebat Lucifer Idae
and leading on the day, and the Greeks held the besieged
ducebatque diem, Danaique obsessa tenebant
thresholds of the gates, and no hope of help was given;
limina portarum, nec spes opis ulla dabatur;
I yielded, and lifting up my father, sought the mountains.
cessi, et sublato montes genitore petivi.
After it seemed good to the gods above to overthrow the state of Asia
Postquam res Asiae Priamique evertere gentem
and Priam’s blameless race, and proud
immeritam visum Superis, ceciditque superbum
Ilium fell, and all Neptune’s Troy smokes upon the ground,
Ilium, et omnis humo fumat Neptunia Troia,
we are driven to seek far-flung exile and desolate lands
diversa exsilia et desertas quaerere terras
by the auguries of the gods; and we build a fleet
auguriis agimur divom, classemque sub ipsa
beneath Antandros itself and the mountains of Phrygian Ida,
Antandro et Phrygiae molimur montibus Idae,
uncertain whither the fates may carry us, where it is granted to settle,
incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,
and we gather our men. Scarcely had the first summer begun,
contrahimusque viros. Vix prima inceperat aestas,
and father Anchises bade us give our sails to the fates;
et pater Anchises dare fatis vela iubebat;
when, weeping, I leave the shores of my homeland and its harbours
litora cum patriae lacrimans portusque relinquo
and the plains where Troy once was: an exile, I am borne out to the deep
et campos, ubi Troia fuit: feror exsul in altum
with my comrades and my son, the Penates, and the great gods.
cum sociis natoque Penatibus et magnis dis.
Far off lies a land of Mars, tilled with broad plains,
Terra procul vastis colitur Mavortia campis,
an ancient guest-friend of Troy, its Penates allied with ours,
hospitium antiquum Troiae sociique Penates,
while Fortune lasted. Hither I am borne, and on the curving shore
dum Fortuna fuit. Feror huc, et litore curvo
I lay my first walls, having entered under unkind fates,
moenia prima loco, fatis ingressus iniquis,
and from my own name I shape the name Aeneadae.
Aeneadasque meo nomen de nomine fingo.
I was bringing offerings to my mother, daughter of Dione, and to the gods
Sacra Dionaeae matri divisque ferebam
who favour works begun, and was sacrificing a sleek bull
auspicibus coeptorum operum, superoque nitentem
on the shore to the high king of the heaven-dwellers.
caelicolum regi mactabam in litore taurum.
Nearby there happened to be a mound, on whose top were shoots
Forte fuit iuxta tumulus, quo cornea summo
of cornel, and a myrtle bristling with dense spear-shafts.
virgulta et densis hastilibus horrida myrtus.
I came up, and trying to tear the green growth from the ground,
Accessi, viridemque ab humo convellere silvam
that I might cover the altars with leafy boughs,
conatus, ramis tegerem ut frondentibus aras,
I see a portent dreadful and wondrous to tell.
horrendum et dictu video mirabile monstrum.
For the first tree, whose roots are torn and wrenched from the soil,
Nam, quae prima solo ruptis radicibus arbos
from it drops of black blood drip,
vellitur, huic atro liquuntur sanguine guttae,
and stain the ground with gore. A cold horror
et terram tabo maculant. Mihi frigidus horror
shakes my limbs, and my blood freezes and clots with dread.
membra quatit, gelidusque coit formidine sanguis.
Again I press on to tear the tough shoot of a second
Rursus et alterius lentum convellere vimen
stem, and to probe deep the hidden causes:
insequor, et causas penitus temptare latentis:
and from the bark of the second too black blood follows.
ater et alterius sequitur de cortice sanguis.
Turning much over in my mind, I prayed to the country nymphs
Multa movens animo nymphas venerabar agrestis
and to father Gradivus, who presides over the Getic fields,
Gradivumque patrem, Geticis qui praesidet arvis,
duly to make the vision propitious and lighten the omen.
rite secundarent visus omenque levarent.
But after I attack the shafts a third time with greater effort,
Tertia sed postquam maiore hastilia nisu
and strain with my knees against the resisting sand —
adgredior, genibusque adversae obluctor harenae—
shall I speak, or be silent? — a piteous groan
eloquar, an sileam?—gemitus lacrimabilis imo
is heard from the depth of the mound, and a voice comes back to my ears:
auditur tumulo, et vox reddita fertur ad auris:
"Why, Aeneas, do you mangle a wretch? Spare me now in my grave;
Quid miserum, Aenea, laceras? Iam parce sepulto;
spare your dutiful hands from defilement. Troy bore me
parce pias scelerare manus. Non me tibi Troia
no stranger to you, nor does this blood flow from a stock of wood.
externum tulit, aut cruor hic de stipite manat.
Alas, flee these cruel lands, flee the greedy shore:
Heu, fuge crudelis terras, fuge litus avarum:
for I am Polydorus; here an iron crop of weapons covered me,
nam Polydorus ego; hic confixum ferrea texit
pierced through, and grew up into sharp javelins."
telorum seges et iaculis increvit acutis.
Then indeed, my mind crushed with doubtful dread,
Tum vero ancipiti mentem formidine pressus
I was stunned, my hair stood up, and my voice stuck in my throat.
obstipui, steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit.
This Polydorus, once with a great weight of gold,
Hunc Polydorum auri quondam cum pondere magno
unhappy Priam had secretly sent to be reared
infelix Priamus furtim mandarat alendum
by the Thracian king, when he had now lost faith in the arms
Threicio regi, cum iam diffideret armis
of Dardania, and saw the city ringed with siege.
Dardaniae, cingique urbem obsidione videret.
He, when the power of the Trojans was broken and Fortune withdrew,
Ille, ut opes fractae Teucrum, et Fortuna recessit,
following the cause of Agamemnon and the victorious arms,
res Agamemnonias victriciaque arma secutus,
breaks every bond of right; he butchers Polydorus, and seizes the gold
fas omne abrumpit; Polydorum obtruncat, et auro
by force. To what do you not drive the hearts of mortals,
vi potitur. Quid non mortalia pectora cogis,
accursed hunger for gold? After the terror left my bones,
auri sacra fames? Postquam pavor ossa reliquit,
I bring the portents of the gods to the chosen leaders of the people
delectos populi ad proceres primumque parentem
and to my father first, and I ask what their judgment is.
monstra deum refero, et quae sit sententia posco.
All are of one mind: to leave the accursed land,
Omnibus idem animus, scelerata excedere terra,
to abandon the polluted guest-friendship, and to give the south winds to our ships.
linqui pollutum hospitium, et dare classibus austros.
So we renew the funeral rites for Polydorus, and a great
Ergo instauramus Polydoro funus, et ingens
mound of earth is heaped up; altars stand for the Shades,
aggeritur tumulo tellus; stant Manibus arae,
mournful with dark fillets and black cypress,
caeruleis maestae vittis atraque cupresso,
and around them the women of Ilium, their hair loosened in the custom;
et circum Iliades crinem de more solutae;
we bring foaming bowls of warm milk
inferimus tepido spumantia cymbia lacte
and cups of consecrated blood, and the soul
sanguinis et sacri pateras, animamque sepulchro
we lay to rest in the tomb, and with a loud voice call him a last time.
condimus, et magna supremum voce ciemus.
Then, when first the sea could be trusted, and the winds
Inde, ubi prima fides pelago, placataque venti
give calm seas, and the gentle South Wind, softly rustling, calls us to the deep,
dant maria et lenis crepitans vocat Auster in altum,
my comrades launch the ships and crowd the shores:
deducunt socii navis et litora complent:
we sail out from the harbour, and the lands and cities recede.
provehimur portu, terraeque urbesque recedunt.
In the midst of the sea there is a holy land, most dear
Sacra mari colitur medio gratissima tellus
to the mother of the Nereids and to Aegean Neptune,
Nereidum matri et Neptuno Aegaeo,
which the dutiful bow-bearer, as it wandered round coasts and shores,
quam pius arquitenens oras et litora circum
and granted it to be dwelt on, unmoved, and to scorn the winds.
immotamque coli dedit et contemnere ventos.
Hither I am borne; this most peaceful island, in a safe harbour,
Huc feror; haec fessos tuto placidissima portu
receives us, weary: landing, we revere Apollo’s city.
accipit: egressi veneramur Apollinis urbem.
King Anius, at once king of men and priest of Phoebus,
Rex Anius, rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos
his temples bound with fillets and the holy laurel,
vittis et sacra redimitus tempora lauro,
comes to meet us; he recognized Anchises, his old friend.
occurrit; veterem Anchisen adgnovit amicum.
We join right hands in welcome, and enter his house.
Iungimus hospitio dextras, et tecta subimus.
I was paying reverence to the god’s temple, built of ancient stone:
Templa dei saxo venerabar structa vetusto:
"Grant us a home of our own, Thymbraean god; grant walls to the weary,
Da propriam, Thymbraee, domum; da moenia fessis
a race, and a city that shall abide; preserve a second
et genus et mansuram urbem; serva altera Troiae
Pergamum of Troy, the remnant left by the Greeks and merciless Achilles.
Pergama, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli.
Whom do we follow? Or whither do you bid us go? Where set our home?
Quem sequimur? Quove ire iubes? Ubi ponere sedes?
Grant an augury, father, and glide into our hearts."
Da, pater, augurium, atque animis inlabere nostris.
Scarcely had I said this: suddenly all seemed to tremble,
Vix ea fatus eram: tremere omnia visa repente,
the thresholds and the laurel of the god, and the whole
liminaque laurusque dei, totusque moveri
mountain round about to move, and the cauldron to moan as the shrine was opened.
mons circum, et mugire adytis cortina reclusis.
We sink low and seek the ground, and a voice comes to our ears:
Submissi petimus terram, et vox fertur ad auris:
"Hardy sons of Dardanus, the land which first bore you
Dardanidae duri, quae vos a stirpe parentum
from your fathers’ stock, that same land shall receive you back
prima tulit tellus, eadem vos ubere laeto
to her glad breast. Seek out your ancient mother:
accipiet reduces. Antiquam exquirite matrem:
here the house of Aeneas shall be lord over all shores,
hic domus Aeneae cunctis dominabitur oris,
and his children’s children, and those who shall be born from them."
et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis.
So Phoebus; and with mingled uproar a great
Haec Phoebus; mixtoque ingens exorta tumultu
joy arose, and all ask what those walls may be,
laetitia, et cuncti quae sint ea moenia quaerunt,
whither Phoebus calls the wanderers and bids them return.
quo Phoebus vocet errantis iubeatque reverti?
Then my father, turning over the records of men of old,
Tum genitor, veterum volvens monumenta virorum,
"Hear, O chieftains," he says, "and learn your hopes:
Audite, O proceres ait et spes discite vestras:
Crete, the island of great Jove, lies in the midst of the sea;
Creta Iovis magni medio iacet insula ponto;
They dwell in a hundred great cities, kingdoms most rich;
Centum urbes habitant magnas, uberrima regna;
whence our greatest forefather, if I rightly recall what I have heard,
maximus unde pater, si rite audita recordor,
and chose a site for his kingdom. Not yet had Ilium and the towers
optavitque locum regno. Nondum Ilium et arces
of Pergamum stood; they dwelt in the deep valleys.
Pergameae steterant; habitabant vallibus imis.
Hence the Mother who haunts Cybelus, and the Corybantes’ cymbals,
hinc mater cultrix Cybeli Corybantiaque aera
and the Idaean grove; hence the faithful silences of her rites,
Idaeumque nemus; hinc fida silentia sacris,
and the lions yoked beneath the chariot of the mistress.
et iuncti currum dominae subiere leones.
So come, and let us follow where the gods’ commands lead;
Ergo agite, et, divom ducunt qua iussa, sequamur;
let us appease the winds and make for the realm of Knossos.
placemus ventos et Gnosia regna petamus.
Nor is it far off in our course; only let Jupiter be with us,
Nec longo distant cursu; modo Iuppiter adsit,
and the third dawn will set our fleet on the Cretan shores."
tertia lux classem Cretaeis sistet in oris.
So saying, he slew the due offerings at the altars,
Sic fatus, meritos aris mactavit honores,
a bull to Neptune, a bull to you, fair Apollo,
taurum Neptuno, taurum tibi, pulcher Apollo
a black sheep to the Storm, a white one to the favouring West Winds.
nigram Hiemi pecudem, Zephyris felicibus albam.
A rumour flies that the chieftain Idomeneus, driven out,
Fama volat pulsum regnis cessisse paternis
had left his father’s kingdom, and that the shores of Crete were deserted,
Idomenea ducem, desertaque litora Cretae
the homes empty of an enemy, and the dwellings standing abandoned.
hoste vacare domos, sedesque adstare relictas.
We leave the harbours of Ortygia and fly over the sea,
Linquimus Ortygiae portus, pelagoque volamus,
past Naxos, whose ridges throng with Bacchants, and green Donysa,
bacchatamque iugis Naxon viridemque Donysam,
scattered over the sea, and we thread straits thick-sown with lands.
Cycladas, et crebris legimus freta consita terris.
The sailors’ shout rises in varied rivalry;
Nauticus exoritur vario certamine clamor;
my comrades urge: "Let us make for Crete and our forefathers!"
hortantur socii: Cretam proavosque petamus!
A wind, rising astern, attends us as we go,
Prosequitur surgens a puppi ventus euntis
and at last we glide to the ancient shores of the Curetes.
et tandem antiquis Curetum adlabimur oris.
So, eager, I raise the walls of the longed-for city,
Ergo avidus muros optatae molior urbis,
and call it Pergamea, and exhort my people, glad at the name,
Pergameamque voco, et laetam cognomine gentem
to love their hearths and rear a citadel with roofs.
hortor amare focos arcemque attollere tectis.
And now the ships were almost beached on the dry shore;
Iamque fere sicco subductae litore puppes;
the youth busy with marriages and new fields;
conubiis arvisque novis operata iuventus;
I was giving laws and homes: when suddenly, from a tainted tract
iura domosque dabam: subito cum tabida membris,
of the sky, a wasting and pitiable plague came
corrupto caeli tractu, miserandaque venit
upon our limbs, and on the trees and crops, a death-bearing season.
arboribusque satisque lues et letifer annus.
Men gave up their sweet lives, or dragged their sick
Linquebant dulcis animas, aut aegra trahebant
bodies along; then Sirius scorched the barren fields;
corpora; tum sterilis exurere Sirius agros;
the grasses withered, and the sick crop denied us food.
arebant herbae, et victum seges aegra negabat.
Again my father urges us to recross the sea to the oracle
Rursus ad oraclum Ortygiae Phoebumque remenso
of Ortygia and to Phoebus, and to pray for grace:
hortatur pater ire mari, veniamque precari:
what end he would bring to our weary state; whence he bids us
quam fessis finem rebus ferat; unde laborum
seek help in our toils; whither to turn our course.
temptare auxilium iubeat; quo vertere cursus.
It was night, and sleep held the living things on earth:
Nox erat, et terris animalia somnus habebat:
the sacred images of the gods and the Phrygian Penates,
effigies sacrae divom Phrygiique Penates,
which I had carried with me from Troy and the midst of the city’s fires,
quos mecum a Troia mediisque ex ignibus urbis
seemed to stand before my eyes as I lay
extuleram, visi ante oculos adstare iacentis
in sleep, made plain in a flood of light, where
in somnis, multo manifesti lumine, qua se
the full moon poured itself through the set windows;
plena per insertas fundebat luna fenestras;
then they spoke thus, and lifted my cares with these words:
tum sic adfari et curas his demere dictis:
"What Apollo would say to you, were you carried to Ortygia,
Quod tibi delato Ortygiam dicturus Apollo est,
here he prophesies, and behold, of his own accord he sends us to your threshold.
hic canit, et tua nos en ultro ad limina mittit.
We followed you, when Dardania was burned, and your arms,
Nos te, Dardania incensa, tuaque arma secuti,
we under your lead crossed the swelling sea in our ships,
nos tumidum sub te permensi classibus aequor,
we too will raise your descendants to come up to the stars,
idem venturos tollemus in astra nepotes,
and give empire to their city: do you prepare great walls
imperiumque urbi dabimus: tu moenia magnis
for the great, and do not abandon the long labour of your flight.
magna para, longumque fugae ne linque laborem.
Your home must be changed: not these shores did the Delian
Mutandae sedes: non haec tibi litora suasit
counsel for you, nor did Apollo bid you settle in Crete.
Delius, aut Cretae iussit considere Apollo.
There is a place — the Greeks call it Hesperia by name —
Est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt,
an ancient land, mighty in arms and in the richness of its soil;
terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glaebae;
the Oenotrian men dwelt there; now the report is that their descendants
Oenotri coluere viri; nunc fama minores
have called the nation Italy, from the name of their leader:
Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem:
this is our proper home; hence Dardanus arose,
hae nobis propriae sedes; hinc Dardanus ortus,
and father Iasius, the founder from whom our race springs.
Iasiusque pater, genus a quo principe nostrum.
Rise, come, and joyfully report these words, not to be doubted,
Surge age, et haec laetus longaevo dicta parenti
to your aged father: let him seek Corythus and the Ausonian
haud dubitanda refer: Corythum terrasque requirat
lands; Jupiter denies you the Dictaean fields."
Ausonias; Dictaea negat tibi Iuppiter arva.
Astonished at such a vision and at the voice of the gods —
Talibus attonitus visis et voce deorum—
nor was that sleep, but I seemed to recognize their faces before me,
nec sopor illud erat, sed coram adgnoscere voltus
their veiled hair and their present faces;
velatasque comas praesentiaque ora videbar;
then a cold sweat ran over my whole body —
tum gelidus toto manabat corpore sudor
I snatch my body from the bed, and stretch upturned
corripio e stratis corpus, tendoque supinas
hands to heaven with my voice, and pour pure offerings
ad caelum cum voce manus, et munera libo
on the hearth. The rite done, gladly
intemerata focis. Perfecto laetus honore
I make Anchises sure of it, and lay the matter out in order.
Anchisen facio certum, remque ordine pando.
He recognized the twofold lineage and the double parentage,
Adgnovit prolem ambiguam geminosque parentes,
and that he had been deceived by a new error about the ancient places.
seque novo veterum deceptum errore locorum.
Then he recalls: "My son, hard-tried by the fates of Ilium,
Tum memorat: Nate, Iliacis exercite fatis,
Cassandra alone foretold to me such fortunes.
sola mihi talis casus Cassandra canebat.
Now I remember she foretold these things destined for our race,
Nunc repeto haec generi portendere debita nostro,
and often named Hesperia, often the realms of Italy.
et saepe Hesperiam, saepe Itala regna vocare.
But who would have believed that the Trojans would come to the shores
Sed quis ad Hesperiae venturos litora Teucros
of Hesperia, or whom would the prophetess Cassandra then have swayed?
crederet, aut quem tum vates Cassandra moveret?
Let us yield to Phoebus, and, warned, follow the better way."
Cedamus Phoebo, et moniti meliora sequamur.
So he speaks, and we all obey his word, rejoicing.
Sic ait, et cuncti dicto paremus ovantes.
This home too we abandon, and, leaving a few behind,
Hanc quoque deserimus sedem, paucisque relictis
we give our sails, and run over the vast sea in our hollow hull.
vela damus, vastumque cava trabe currimus aequor.
When the ships had gained the deep, and no lands
Postquam altum tenuere rates, nec iam amplius ullae
any longer appear, but sky on every side and on every side sea,
adparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus,
then a dark rain-cloud stood over my head,
tum mihi caeruleus supra caput adstitit imber,
bringing night and storm, and the wave shuddered in the darkness.
noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.
At once the winds roll up the sea, and great
Continuo venti volvunt mare, magnaque surgunt
billows rise; scattered, we are tossed in the vast flood;
aequora; dispersi iactamur gurgite vasto;
the storm-clouds wrapped up the day, and dripping night
involvere diem nimbi, et nox umida caelum
stole the sky; the lightnings redouble from the bursting clouds.
abstulit; ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes.
We are flung from our course, and wander on the blind waves.
Excutimur cursu, et caecis erramus in undis.
Palinurus himself says he cannot tell day from night in the heaven,
Ipse diem noctemque negat discernere caelo,
nor recall the way, amid the waters.
nec meminisse viae media Palinurus in unda.
So for three uncertain days, in blind gloom,
Tris adeo incertos caeca caligine soles
we wander on the sea, and as many starless nights.
erramus pelago, totidem sine sidere noctes.
On the fourth day at last land first seemed to rise,
Quarto terra die primum se attollere tandem
to open up mountains afar, and to roll up smoke.
visa, aperire procul montis, ac volvere fumum.
The sails fall, we rise to the oars; without delay the sailors,
Vela cadunt, remis insurgimus; haud mora nautae
straining, churn the foam and sweep the blue waters.
adnixi torquent spumas et caerula verrunt.
Saved from the waves, the shores of the Strophades first
Servatum ex undis Strophadum me litora primum
receive me; the Strophades, so called by a Greek name,
accipiunt; Strophades Graio stant nomine dictae,
was closed to them, and in fear they left their former tables.
clausa domus, mensasque metu liquere priores.
No grimmer monster than they, nor any crueller
Tristius haud illis monstrum, nec saevior ulla
plague and wrath of the gods has risen from the Stygian waves.
pestis et ira deum Stygiis sese extulit undis.
Maidens’ faces on birds, a most foul discharge
Virginei volucrum voltus, foedissima ventris
from the belly, and hooked hands, and faces always pale
proluvies, uncaeque manus, et pallida semper
with hunger.
ora fame.
When, carried hither, we entered the harbour, behold,
Huc ubi delati portus intravimus, ecce
we see glad herds of cattle scattered over the plains,
laeta boum passim campis armenta videmus,
and flocks of goats through the grass with no herdsman.
caprigenumque pecus nullo custode per herbas.
We rush in with the sword, and call the gods, and Jove himself,
Inruimus ferro, et divos ipsumque vocamus
to share the spoil; then on the curving shore
in partem praedamque Iovem; tum litore curvo
we build up couches and feast on the rich banquet.
exstruimusque toros, dapibusque epulamur opimis.
But suddenly, with a horrifying swoop, down from the mountains come
At subitae horrifico lapsu de montibus adsunt
the Harpies, and beat their wings with great clangour,
Harpyiae, et magnis quatiunt clangoribus alas,
and tear at the feast, and defile everything with their
diripiuntque dapes, contactuque omnia foedant
filthy touch; then a dread cry comes amid the foul stench.
immundo; tum vox taetrum dira inter odorem.
Again, in a long recess beneath a hollowed crag,
Rursum in secessu longo sub rupe cavata,
shut in round about by trees and bristling shadows,
arboribus clausi circum atque horrentibus umbris,
we set out the tables and rekindle the fire on the altars:
instruimus mensas arisque reponimus ignem:
again from another quarter of the sky and from hidden lairs
rursum ex diverso caeli caecisque latebris
the loud throng flies round the spoil with hooked feet,
turba sonans praedam pedibus circumvolat uncis,
and fouls the feast with their mouths. Then I bid my comrades take up arms,
polluit ore dapes. Sociis tunc, arma capessant,
and declare that war must be waged with the accursed race.
edico, et dira bellum cum gente gerendum.
Just as ordered they do, and through the grass they lay
Haud secus ac iussi faciunt, tectosque per herbam
their swords concealed, and hide their shields.
disponunt enses et scuta latentia condunt.
So when they swooped down and made their noise along the curving
Ergo ubi delapsae sonitum per curva dedere
with the hollow bronze. My comrades attack, and try a strange battle,
aere cavo. Invadunt socii, et nova proelia temptant,
to foul with the sword the obscene birds of the sea:
obscenas pelagi ferro foedare volucres:
but they take no force on their feathers, nor any wounds
sed neque vim plumis ullam nec volnera tergo
on their backs, and gliding away in swift flight beneath the stars
accipiunt, celerique fuga sub sidera lapsae
they leave the half-eaten spoil and their foul traces.
semesam praedam et vestigia foeda relinquunt.
One alone, Celaeno, settled on a lofty crag,
Una in praecelsa consedit rupe Celaeno,
an ill-boding prophetess, and breaks this cry from her breast:
infelix vates, rumpitque hanc pectore vocem:
"War, too, for the slaughter of our cattle and the bullocks you have felled —
Bellum etiam pro caede boum stratisque iuvencis,
sons of Laomedon, is it war you are ready to make,
Laomedontiadae, bellumne inferre paratis,
and to drive the innocent Harpies from their father’s realm?
et patrio Harpyias insontis pellere regno?
Take then to heart, and fix fast, these words of mine,
Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta,
which the almighty Father foretold to Phoebus, and Phoebus Apollo
quae Phoebo pater omnipotens, mihi Phoebus Apollo
to me, and I, greatest of the Furies, unfold to you.
praedixit, vobis Furiarum ego maxuma pando.
You seek Italy in your course, and with the winds invoked
Italiam cursu petitis, ventisque vocatis
you shall go to Italy, and it will be allowed to enter the harbours;
ibitis Italiam, portusque intrare licebit;
but you shall not ring with walls the city granted you,
sed non ante datam cingetis moenibus urbem,
until a dread hunger and the wrong of your slaughter of us
quam vos dira fames nostraeque iniuria caedis
force you to gnaw and consume your tables with your jaws."
ambesas subigat malis absumere mensas.
She spoke, and borne off on her wings fled back into the wood.
Dixit, et in silvam pennis ablata refugit.
But in my comrades the blood froze cold with sudden dread;
At sociis subita gelidus formidine sanguis
their spirits fell, and now no longer by arms,
deriguit; cecidere animi, nec iam amplius armis,
but with vows and prayers they bid us sue for peace,
sed votis precibusque iubent exposcere pacem,
whether they be goddesses, or dread and obscene birds.
sive deae, seu sint dirae obscenaeque volucres.
And father Anchises, with hands outstretched from the shore,
Et pater Anchises passis de litore palmis
calls the great powers, and proclaims the due offerings:
numina magna vocat, meritosque indicit honores:
"Gods, ward off these threats; gods, turn aside such a fate,
Di, prohibete minas; di, talem avertite casum,
and, gracious, save the dutiful!" Then he bids us tear
et placidi servate pios! Tum litore funem
the cable from the shore, and slacken the shaken ropes.
deripere, excussosque iubet laxare rudentes.
The South Winds stretch the sails; we flee over the foaming waves,
Tendunt vela Noti; fugimus spumantibus undis,
where wind and helmsman called our course.
qua cursum ventusque gubernatorque vocabat.
and Dulichium and Same and Neritos steep with rocks.
Dulichiumque Sameque et Neritos ardua saxis.
and curse the land that nursed savage Ulysses.
et terram altricem saevi exsecramur Ulixi.
and Apollo, feared by sailors, come into view.
et formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo.
Weary, we make for it and come up to the little town;
Hunc petimus fessi et parvae succedimus urbi;
the anchor is cast from the prow, the sterns stand along the shore.
ancora de prora iacitur, stant litore puppes.
So, having gained at last the land we did not hope for,
Ergo insperata tandem tellure potiti,
we purify ourselves to Jove and kindle the altars with vows,
lustramurque Iovi votisque incendimus aras,
My comrades, stripped, ply their fathers’ wrestling-bouts, slick with oil;
Exercent patrias oleo labente palaestras
it is a joy to have escaped so many Argive cities,
nudati socii; iuvat evasisse tot urbes
and to have held our flight through the midst of enemies.
Argolicas, mediosque fugam tenuisse per hostis.
Meanwhile the sun rolls round the great year,
Interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum,
and icy winter roughens the waves with the north winds.
et glacialis hiemps aquilonibus asperat undas.
A shield of hollow bronze, the great Abas’s gear,
Aere cavo clipeum. magni gestamen Abantis,
I fix on the facing doorposts, and mark the deed with a verse:
postibus adversis figo, et rem carmine signo:
AENEAS THESE ARMS FROM THE CONQUERING GREEKS.
AENEAS HAEC DE DANAIS VICTORIBVS ARMA.
Then I bid them leave the harbour and take their seats on the benches:
Linquere tum portus iubeo et considere transtris:
vying, my comrades strike the sea and sweep the waters.
certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt.
At once we sink from sight the airy heights of the Phaeacians,
Protinus aërias Phaeacum abscondimus arces,
Here an incredible report of events seizes our ears,
Hic incredibilis rerum fama occupat auris,
having won the marriage and sceptre of Pyrrhus, grandson of Aeacus,
coniugio Aeacidae Pyrrhi sceptrisque potitum,
and that Andromache had passed again to a husband of her own people.
et patrio Andromachen iterum cessisse marito.
I was stunned, and my heart fired with a strange longing
Obstipui, miroque incensum pectus amore,
to address the man and learn his great fortunes.
compellare virum et casus cognoscere tantos.
I go forward from the harbour, leaving the fleet and the shore,
Progredior portu, classis et litora linquens,
when by chance Andromache was offering a solemn feast and sad gifts
sollemnis cum forte dapes et tristia dona
before the city, in a grove by the stream of a mock Simois,
ante urbem in luco falsi Simoentis ad undam
to the ashes, and was calling the Shade
libabat cineri Andromache, Manisque vocabat
to Hector’s tomb — an empty mound of green turf
Hectoreum ad tumulum, viridi quem caespite inanem
and two altars, a cause for her tears, which she had consecrated.
et geminas, causam lacrimis, sacraverat aras.
When she saw me coming, and beheld, in terror,
Ut me conspexit venientem et Troïa circum
the Trojan arms around me, frightened at the great portents,
arma amens vidit, magnis exterrita monstris
she stiffened in the midst of the sight, the warmth left her bones;
deriguit visu in medio, calor ossa reliquit;
she swoons, and scarcely at last, after long, she speaks:
labitur, et longo vix tandem tempore fatur:
"Is it a true form, do you come to me a true messenger,
Verane te facies, verus mihi nuntius adfers,
son of a goddess? Do you live? Or, if the kindly light has gone,
nate dea? Vivisne, aut, si lux alma recessit,
where is Hector?" She spoke, and poured out tears, and filled
Hector ubi est? Dixit, lacrimasque effudit et omnem
the whole place with her cry. To her frenzy I scarcely
implevit clamore locum. Vix pauca furenti
offer a few words, and, troubled, falter with broken speech:
subicio, et raris turbatus vocibus hisco:
"I live indeed, and drag out my life through all extremities;
Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco;
do not doubt, for you see the truth.
ne dubita, nam vera vides.
Alas, what fate has taken you up, cast down from so great a husband,
Heu, quis te casus deiectam coniuge tanto
or what fortune, worthy enough, has visited again
excipit, aut quae digna satis fortuna revisit
Andromache, Hector’s wife? Do you still keep the marriage of Pyrrhus?"
Hectoris Andromachen? Pyrrhin’ conubia servas?
She cast down her face and spoke in a lowered voice:
Deiecit vultum et demissa voce locuta est:
"O happy beyond all others, that virgin daughter of Priam,
O felix una ante alias Priameïa virgo,
bidden to die at an enemy’s tomb beneath the high walls of Troy,
hostilem ad tumulum Troiae sub moenibus altis
who endured no allotments,
iussa mori, quae sortitus non pertulit ullos,
nor as a captive touched a conquering master’s bed!
nec victoris eri tetigit captiva cubile!
we, our homeland burned, borne over far seas,
nos, patria incensa, diversa per aequora vectae,
endured the arrogance of Achilles’s line and a haughty youth,
stirpis Achilleae fastus iuvenemque superbum,
bearing children in slavery: who then, following
servitio enixae, tulimus: qui deinde, secutus
handed me, a slave-woman, over to Helenus the slave, to keep.
me famulo famulamque Heleno transmisit habendam.
But Orestes, inflamed with great love for the bride snatched from him,
Ast illum, ereptae magno inflammatus amore
and driven by the Furies of his crimes,
coniugis et scelerum Furiis agitatus, Orestes
catches him off guard and butchers him at his father’s altars.
excipit incautum patriasque obtruncat ad aras.
By the death of Neoptolemus a portion of the realms
Morte Neoptolemi regnorum reddita cessit
passed and was given to Helenus, who called the plains Chaonian
pars Heleno, qui Chaonios cognomine campos
and added on the ridges this Pergamum, this citadel of Ilium.
Pergamaque Iliacamque iugis hanc addidit arcem.
But what winds, what fates, gave you your course?
Sed tibi qui cursum venti, quae fata dedere?
Or what god drove you, unknowing, to our shores?
Aut quisnam ignarum nostris deus adpulit oris?
What of the boy Ascanius? Does he live and breathe the air,
Quid puer Ascanius? superatne et vescitur aura,
whom to you already at Troy —
quem tibi iam Troia—
Has the boy yet any care for the mother he lost?
Ecqua tamen puero est amissae cura parentis?
Do his father Aeneas and his uncle Hector rouse him at all
Ecquid in antiquam virtutem animosque virilis
to the old valour and to manly spirit?"
et pater Aeneas et avunculus excitat Hector?
Such things she poured out, weeping, and was raising long
Talia fundebat lacrimans longosque ciebat
laments in vain, when from the walls the hero,
incassum fletus, cum sese a moenibus heros
Helenus son of Priam, comes up with many in attendance,
Priamides multis Helenus comitantibus adfert,
and knows his own people, and gladly leads us to his threshold,
adgnoscitque suos, laetusque ad limina ducit,
and sheds many tears between his every word.
et multum lacrimas verba inter singula fundit.
I go forward, and recognize a little Troy and a Pergamum
Procedo, et parvam Troiam simulataque magnis
modelled on the great, and a dried-up stream called by the name of Xanthus,
Pergama, et arentem Xanthi cognomine rivum
and I embrace the threshold of a Scaean gate.
adgnosco, Scaeaeque amplector limina portae.
And the Trojans too enjoy the allied city with them:
Nec non et Teucri socia simul urbe fruuntur:
the king received them in his spacious colonnades;
illos porticibus rex accipiebat in amplis;
in the middle of the hall they poured libations of Bacchus’s cups,
aulaï medio libabant pocula Bacchi,
the feast set out on gold, and held the bowls.
impositis auro dapibus, paterasque tenebant.
And now a day and another day went by, and the breezes
Iamque dies alterque dies processit, et aurae
call the sails, and the canvas swells with the rising south wind.
vela vocant tumidoque inflatur carbasus austro.
I approach the prophet with these words and ask thus:
His vatem adgredior dictis ac talia quaeso:
"Troy-born, interpreter of the gods, who feel the power of Phoebus,
Troiugena, interpres divom, qui numina Phoebi,
the tongues of birds and the omens of the swift wing,
et volucrum linguas et praepetis omina pennae,
come, speak — for a favourable revelation told me all my course,
fare age—namque omnem cursum mihi prospera dixit
and all the gods by their will urged
religio, et cuncti suaserunt numine divi
to make for Italy and to try lands far away:
Italiam petere et terras temptare repostas:
only the Harpy Celaeno prophesies a strange portent,
sola novum dictuque nefas Harpyia Celaeno
monstrous to tell, and proclaims grim wrath,
prodigium canit, et tristis denuntiat iras,
and an obscene famine — what perils do I first avoid?
obscenamque famem—quae prima pericula vito?
Or by what course can I overcome such great toils?"
Quidve sequens tantos possim superare labores?
Here Helenus, having first slain bullocks in the rite,
Hic Helenus, caesis primum de more iuvencis,
entreats the peace of the gods, and loosens the fillets
exorat pacem divom, vittasque resolvit
of his consecrated head, and leads me by the hand to your threshold, Phoebus,
sacrati capitis, meque ad tua limina, Phoebe,
I trembling beneath your strong presence,
ipse manu multo suspensum numine ducit,
and then the priest chants this from his god-filled lips:
atque haec deinde canit divino ex ore sacerdos:
"Son of a goddess — for it is plain beyond doubt that you go
Nate dea,—nam te maioribus ire per altum
over the deep under higher auspices: so the king of gods
auspiciis manifesta fides: sic fata deum rex
allots the fates and turns the changes; this is the wheeling order —
sortitur, volvitque vices; is vertitur ordo—
a few things of many I will unfold to you in words, that more safely
pauca tibi e multis, quo tutior hospita lustres
you may traverse the welcoming seas and settle in an Ausonian harbour,
aequora et Ausonio possis considere portu,
for the rest the Fates forbid
expediam dictis; prohibent nam cetera Parcae
Helenus to know, and Saturnian Juno forbids his telling it.
scire Helenum farique vetat Saturnia Iuno.
First, the Italy which you now think near,
Principio Italiam, quam tu iam rere propinquam
and the neighbouring harbours which, unknowing, you make ready to enter,
vicinosque, ignare, paras invadere portus,
a long, trackless way divides far off, through long lands.
longa procul longis via dividit invia terris.
First the oar must be bent in the Trinacrian wave,
Ante et Trinacria lentandus remus in unda,
and the plain of the Ausonian brine traversed by your ships,
et salis Ausonii lustrandum navibus aequor,
and the lakes of the underworld, and the island of Aeaean Circe,
infernique lacus, Aeaeaeque insula Circae,
before you can set up your city on safe ground:
quam tuta possis urbem componere terra:
I will tell you the signs; keep them stored in your mind:
signa tibi dicam, tu condita mente teneto:
when, in your anxiety, by the wave of a secluded river
cum tibi sollicito secreti ad fluminis undam
a huge sow shall be found lying beneath the shore-side ilexes,
litoreis ingens inventa sub ilicibus sus
having borne a litter of thirty young,
triginta capitum fetus enixa iacebit.
white, reclining on the ground, her white piglets about her teats,
alba, solo recubans, albi circum ubera nati,
that will be the place of your city, that the sure rest from your toils.
is locus urbis erit, requies ea certa laborum.
And do not dread the biting of the tables to come:
Nec tu mensarum morsus horresce futuros:
the fates will find a way, and Apollo, called upon, will be at hand.
fata viam invenient, aderitque vocatus Apollo.
But these lands, and this edge of the Italian coast,
Has autem terras, Italique hanc litoris oram,
which is washed nearest by the tide of our sea,
proxuma quae nostri perfunditur aequoris aestu,
flee from; all the towns are inhabited by hostile Greeks.
effuge; cuncta malis habitantur moenia Grais.
and Lyctian Idomeneus has beset the Sallentine plains
et Sallentinos obsedit milite campos
with his soldiery; here is that little Petelia of the Meliboean
Lyctius Idomeneus; hic illa ducis Meliboei
leader Philoctetes, propped on its wall.
parva Philoctetae subnixa Petelia muro.
Moreover, when your fleets, brought across the seas, have come to rest,
Quin, ubi transmissae steterint trans aequora classes,
and with altars set up you pay your vows on the shore,
et positis aris iam vota in litore solves,
veil your hair, covered with a purple robe,
purpureo velare comas adopertus amictu,
lest amid the holy fires, in the worship of the gods,
ne qua inter sanctos ignis in honore deorum
any hostile face appear and trouble the omens.
hostilis facies occurrat et omina turbet.
Let your comrades keep this custom of the rites, keep it yourself:
Hunc socii morem sacrorum, hunc ipse teneto:
in this observance let your descendants remain pure.
hac casti maneant in religione nepotes.
But when, departing, the wind has brought you near the Sicilian coast,
Ast ubi digressum Siculae te admoverit orae
make for the land on the left, and the seas on the left,
laeva tibi tellus et longo laeva petantur
by a long circuit: flee the right-hand shore and waters.
aequora circuitu: dextrum fuge litus et undas.
These places, once torn apart by force and vast collapse —
Haec loca vi quondam et vasta convolsa ruina—
so much can the long age of time avail to change —
tantum aevi longinqua valet mutare vetustas—
they say sprang asunder, when the two lands were once
dissiluisse ferunt, cum protinus utraque tellus
a single continuous whole; the sea came in with force, and with its waves
una foret; venit medio vi pontus et undis
cut off the Hesperian side from the Sicilian, and flows between the fields and cities,
Hesperium Siculo latus abscidit, arvaque et urbes
parted by the shore, in a narrow tidal strait.
litore diductas angusto interluit aestu.
Scylla holds the right side, and on the left implacable Charybdis
Dextrum Scylla latus, laevum implacata Charybdis
besets it, and three times from the lowest gulf of her abyss
obsidet, atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos
she sucks the vast waves down sheer, and again into the air
sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras
throws them up by turns, and lashes the stars with her flood.
erigit alternos et sidera verberat unda.
But a cavern confines Scylla in its blind recesses,
At Scyllam caecis cohibet spelunca latebris,
as she thrusts out her mouths and drags ships onto the rocks.
ora exsertantem et navis in saxa trahentem.
Her upper part is a human face, a maiden with fair breast,
Prima hominis facies et pulchro pectore virgo
down to the waist; below, a sea-beast of monstrous body,
pube tenus, postrema immani corpore pristis,
with dolphins’ tails joined to a belly of wolves.
delphinum caudas utero commissa luporum.
lingering, and to wheel a long course round,
cessantem, longos et circumflectere cursus,
than once to have seen misshapen Scylla in her vast cave,
quam semel informem vasto vidisse sub antro
and the rocks resounding with her sea-green hounds.
Scyllam, et caeruleis canibus resonantia saxa.
Besides, if Helenus has any foresight, if any faith
Praeterea, si qua est Heleno prudentia, vati
is due the prophet, if Apollo fills my mind with truth,
si qua fides, animum si veris implet Apollo,
this one thing, son of a goddess, this one thing above all
unum illud tibi, nate dea, proque omnibus unum
I will foretell, and, repeating, will warn again and again:
praedicam, et repetens iterumque iterumque monebo:
first worship with prayer the godhead of great Juno;
Iunonis magnae primum prece numen adora;
gladly chant your vows to Juno, and overcome the mighty mistress
Iunoni cane vota libens, dominamque potentem
with suppliant gifts: so at last, victorious,
supplicibus supera donis: sic denique victor
you will be sent, leaving Trinacria, to the Italian borders.
Trinacria finis Italos mittere relicta.
and the divine lakes, and Avernus ringing with its woods,
divinosque lacus, et Averna sonantia silvis,
you will see the frenzied prophetess, who beneath the deep rock
insanam vatem aspicies, quae rupe sub ima
sings the fates, and commits signs and names to leaves.
fata canit, foliisque notas et nomina mandat.
Whatever verses the maiden has written down on the leaves,
Quaecumque in foliis descripsit carmina virgo,
she arranges in order, and leaves shut away in the cave.
digerit in numerum, atque antro seclusa relinquit.
They stay unmoved in their places, and do not yield from their order;
Illa manent immota locis, neque ab ordine cedunt;
but when, the door turning on its hinge, a slight breeze
verum eadem, verso tenuis cum cardine ventus
has stirred them, and the opening has disturbed the tender leaves,
impulit et teneras turbavit ianua frondes,
never afterward does she care to catch them, fluttering in the hollow cave,
numquam deinde cavo volitantia prendere saxo,
nor to restore their places or rejoin the verses:
nec revocare situs aut iungere carmina curat:
men go away unanswered, and hate the seat of the Sibyl.
inconsulti abeunt, sedemque odere Sibyllae.
Here let no cost of delay seem to you so great —
Hic tibi ne qua morae fuerint dispendia tanti,—
though your comrades chide, and the course strongly call
quamvis increpitent socii, et vi cursus in altum
your sails to the deep, and you could fill them with a fair following wind —
vela vocet, possisque sinus implere secundos,—
but that you approach the prophetess and beg with prayers that she speak
quin adeas vatem precibusque oracula poscas
her oracles herself, and willingly unloose her voice and lips.
ipsa canat, vocemque volens atque ora resolvat.
She will unfold to you the peoples of Italy and the wars to come,
Illa tibi Italiae populos venturaque bella,
and how you may flee or bear each toil,
et quo quemque modo fugiasque ferasque laborem
and, revered, will grant you a prosperous voyage.
expediet, cursusque dabit venerata secundos.
These are the things you may be warned of by my voice.
Haec sunt, quae nostra liceat te voce moneri.
Go now, and by your deeds bear mighty Troy to the heavens."
Vade age, et ingentem factis fer ad aethera Troiam.
After the prophet had spoken thus with friendly lips,
Quae postquam vates sic ore effatus amico est,
he then orders gifts, heavy with gold and carved ivory,
dona dehinc auro gravia sectoque elephanto
to be carried to the ships, and crams into the holds
imperat ad navis ferri, stipatque carinis
great store of silver, and cauldrons of Dodona,
ingens argentum, Dodonaeosque lebetas,
a corslet woven of hooked mail and triple-threaded with gold,
loricam consertam hamis auroque trilicem,
and the cone of a splendid helmet and its flowing plumes,
et conum insignis galeae cristasque comantis,
the arms of Neoptolemus; there are gifts too for my father.
arma Neoptolemi; sunt et sua dona parenti.
He adds horses, adds guides;
Addit equos, additque duces;
he makes up our rowing-crews, and equips my comrades with arms as well.
remigium supplet; socios simul instruit armis.
Meanwhile Anchises was bidding us fit the fleet with sails,
Interea classem velis aptare iubebat
that there be no delay to the bearing wind.
Anchises, fieret vento mora ne qua ferenti.
The interpreter of Phoebus addresses him with much honour:
Quem Phoebi interpres multo compellat honore:
"Anchises, thought worthy of Venus’s proud union,
Coniugio, Anchise, Veneris dignate superbo,
care of the gods, twice snatched from the ruins of Pergamum,
cura deum, bis Pergameis erepte ruinis,
behold for you the land of Ausonia; seize it with your sails.
ecce tibi Ausoniae tellus; hanc arripe velis.
And yet you must glide past it by sea;
Et tamen hanc pelago praeterlabare necesse est;
that part of Ausonia which Apollo opens to you is far off.
Ausoniae pars illa procul, quam pandit Apollo.
Go," he says, "O happy in your son’s devotion. Why do I
Vade ait O felix nati pietate. Quid ultra
draw on further, and by talking delay the rising south winds?"
provehor, et fando surgentis demoror austros?
Andromache too, no less sad at the final parting,
Nec minus Andromache digressu maesta supremo
brings robes figured with woof of gold
fert picturatas auri subtemine vestes
and a Phrygian cloak for Ascanius (nor falls short in honour),
et Phrygiam Ascanio chlamydem (nec cedit honore),
and loads him with woven gifts, and speaks thus:
textilibusque onerat donis, ac talia fatur:
"Take these too, which shall be for you keepsakes of my hands,
Accipe et haec, manuum tibi quae monumenta mearum
my boy, and bear witness to the long love of Andromache,
sint, puer, et longum Andromachae testentur amorem,
wife of Hector. Take the last gifts of your kin,
coniugis Hectoreae. Cape dona extrema tuorum,
O you, the only image left to me of my Astyanax:
O mihi sola mei super Astyanactis imago:
such were his eyes, such his hands, such his face;
sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat;
and now he would be growing up at an equal age with you."
et nunc aequali tecum pubesceret aevo.
These, as I departed, I addressed with rising tears:
Hos ego digrediens lacrimis adfabar obortis:
"Live happy, you whose fortune is now
Vivite felices, quibus est fortuna peracta
fulfilled; we are called from one fate to another.
iam sua; nos alia ex aliis in fata vocamur.
For you rest is won; you have no plain of sea to plough,
Vobis parta quies; nullum maris aequor arandum,
nor must you seek the fields of Ausonia, forever receding,
arva neque Ausoniae semper cedentia retro
backward. You see an image of Xanthus, and a Troy
quaerenda. Effigiem Xanthi Troiamque videtis
which your own hands have made — under better auspices, I pray,
quam vestrae fecere manus, melioribus, opto,
and one that may lie less open to the Greeks.
auspiciis, et quae fuerit minus obvia Graiis.
If ever I enter the Tiber and the fields neighbouring the Tiber,
Si quando Thybrim vicinaque Thybridis arva
and behold the walls granted to my race,
intraro, gentique meae data moenia cernam,
of our kindred cities one day, and our neighbouring peoples,
cognatas urbes olim populosque propinquos,
in Epirus, in Hesperia, who have the same Dardanus for founder
Epiro, Hesperia, quibus idem Dardanus auctor
and the same fortunes, we will make of both one
atque idem casus, unam faciemus utramque
Troy in spirit; let that care abide for our descendants."
Troiam animis; maneat nostros ea cura nepotes.
whence the way to Italy and the shortest course over the waves.
unde iter Italiam cursusque brevissimus undis.
Meanwhile the sun sinks and the dusky mountains are shadowed;
Sol ruit interea et montes umbrantur opaci;
we stretch ourselves on the lap of the longed-for land, by the water,
sternimur optatae gremio telluris ad undam,
the oars allotted, and here and there on the dry shore
sortiti remos, passimque in litore sicco
we tend our bodies; sleep refreshes our weary limbs.
corpora curamus; fessos sopor inrigat artus.
Not yet had Night, driven on by the Hours, reached her mid-course:
Necdum orbem medium Nox horis acta subibat:
no sluggard, Palinurus rises from his bed and tests
haud segnis strato surgit Palinurus et omnis
all the winds, and catches the air with his ears;
explorat ventos, atque auribus aera captat;
he marks all the stars gliding in the silent sky,
sidera cuncta notat tacito labentia caelo,
Arcturus, the rainy Hyades, and the twin Bears,
Arcturum pluviasque Hyadas geminosque Triones,
and looks round for Orion, armed in gold.
armatumque auro circumspicit Oriona.
When he sees all stand firm in a clear sky,
Postquam cuncta videt caelo constare sereno,
he gives a clear signal from the stern; we break camp,
dat clarum e puppi signum; nos castra movemus,
and venture the way, and spread the wings of our sails.
temptamusque viam et velorum pandimus alas.
And now Dawn was reddening, the stars put to flight,
Iamque rubescebat stellis Aurora fugatis,
when far off we see dim hills and low-lying
cum procul obscuros collis humilemque videmus
Italy. "Italy!" Achates first cries out,
Italiam. Italiam primus conclamat Achates,
"Italy!" my comrades hail with a glad shout.
Italiam laeto socii clamore salutant.
Then father Anchises wreathed a great bowl with a garland,
Tum pater Anchises magnum cratera corona
and filled it with unmixed wine, and called on the gods,
induit, implevitque mero, divosque vocavit
standing on the lofty stern:
stans celsa in puppi:
"Gods who hold power over sea and land and storms,
Di maris et terrae tempestatumque potentes,
grant us a way made easy by the wind, and blow favourably."
ferte viam vento facilem et spirate secundi.
The longed-for breezes freshen, and a harbour opens,
Crebrescunt optatae aurae portusque patescit
nearer now, and a temple of Minerva appears on the height.
iam propior, templumque adparet in arce Minervae.
My comrades furl the sails and turn the prows to the shore.
Vela legunt socii et proras ad litora torquent.
The harbour is curved into a bow by the eastern surge,
Portus ab Euroo fluctu curvatus in arcum,
the jutting rocks foam with salt spray;
obiectae salsa spumant aspargine cautes;
the harbour itself lies hidden; the towering crags let down their arms in a double wall,
ipse latet; gemino demittunt bracchia muro
and the temple draws back from the shore.
turriti scopuli, refugitque ab litore templum.
Here, a first omen, I saw four horses on the grass,
Quattuor hic, primum omen, equos in gramine vidi
cropping the plain far and wide, snow-white in their gleam.
tondentis campum late, candore nivali.
And father Anchises: "War you bring, O land that hosts us;
Et pater Anchises: Bellum, O terra hospita, portas
for war are horses armed, war these herds threaten.
bello armantur equi, bellum haec armenta minantur.
Yet these same beasts are wont at times to come under the chariot,
Sed tamen idem olim curru succedere sueti
and to bear harmonious reins beneath the yoke;
quadrupedes, et frena iugo concordia ferre;
there is hope of peace too," he says. Then we pray to the holy power
spes et pacis ait. Tum numina sancta precamur
of arms-clashing Pallas, who first received us in our rejoicing,
Palladis armisonae, quae prima accepit ovantis,
and before the altars we veil our heads with the Phrygian robe;
et capita ante aras Phrygio velamur amictu;
and by the precepts of Helenus, which he had given as greatest, duly
praeceptisque Heleni, dederat quae maxima, rite
we burn the appointed offerings to Argive Juno.
Iunoni Argivae iussos adolemus honores.
Without delay, the vows duly completed at once,
Haud mora, continuo perfectis ordine votis,
we turn the tips of our shrouded yard-arms,
cornua velatarum obvertimus antemarum,
and leave the homes of the Greek-born and the suspect fields.
Graiugenumque domos suspectaque linquimus arva.
Hence the bay of Herculean Tarentum (if the report is true)
Hinc sinus Herculei (si vera est fama) Tarenti
comes into view; opposite, the Lacinian goddess rears her temple,
cernitur; attollit se diva Lacinia contra,
Then far off, out of the waves, Trinacrian Etna is seen,
Tum procul e fluctu Trinacria cernitur Aetna,
and we hear from afar the huge groan of the sea and the battered rocks,
et gemitum ingentem pelagi pulsataque saxa
and the broken voices at the shore,
audimus longe fractasque ad litora voces,
the shallows leap up, and the sands are churned with the surge.
exsultantque vada, atque aestu miscentur harenae.
And father Anchises: "Surely this is that Charybdis:
Et pater Anchises: Nimirum haec illa Charybdis:
these were the crags, these the dread rocks Helenus foretold.
hos Helenus scopulos, haec saxa horrenda canebat.
Away, O comrades, and rise together to the oars!"
Eripite, O socii, pariterque insurgite remis!
No less than ordered they do, and first Palinurus
Haud minus ac iussi faciunt, primusque rudentem
swung the groaning prow to the waters on the left;
contorsit laevas proram Palinurus ad undas.
all the company made leftward with oars and winds.
laevam cuncta cohors remis ventisque petivit.
We are lifted to the sky on the arching surge, and the same wave,
Tollimur in caelum curvato gurgite, et idem
drawn away, sinks us down to the deepest Shades.
subducta ad Manis imos desedimus unda.
Three times the crags gave a cry amid their hollow rocks;
Ter scopuli clamorem inter cava saxa dedere:
three times we saw the foam dashed up and the dripping stars.
ter spumam elisam et rorantia vidimus astra.
Meanwhile the wind, with the sun, left us weary,
Interea fessos ventus cum sole reliquit,
and, unknowing of the way, we glide to the shores of the Cyclopes.
ignarique viae Cyclopum adlabimur oris.
The harbour itself, unmoved by the access of winds, is vast;
Portus ab accessu ventorum immotus et ingens
but close by Etna thunders with horrifying crashes;
ipse; sed horrificis iuxta tonat Aetna ruinis;
and at times it bursts forth a black cloud to the sky,
interdumque atram prorumpit ad aethera nubem,
smoking with pitch-black whirl and white-hot ash,
turbine fumantem piceo et candente favilla,
and lifts up balls of flame and licks the stars;
attollitque globos flammarum et sidera lambit;
at times it heaves up rocks and the torn-out entrails of the mountain,
interdum scopulos avolsaque viscera montis
belching them, and rolls up molten stones into the air
erigit eructans, liquefactaque saxa sub auras
with a groan, and boils up from its lowest depths.
cum gemitu glomerat, fundoque exaestuat imo.
The story is that the body of Enceladus, half-burned by the thunderbolt,
Fama est Enceladi semustum fulmine corpus
is pressed beneath this mass, and that mighty Etna, laid above,
urgueri mole hac, ingentemque insuper Aetnam
breathes out flame from its burst furnaces;
impositam ruptis flammam exspirare caminis;
and that, as often as he shifts his weary side, all Trinacria
et fessum quotiens mutet latus, intremere omnem
trembles with a rumble, and curtains the sky with smoke.
murmure Trinacriam, et caelum subtexere fumo.
That night, sheltered in the woods, we endure monstrous
Noctem illam tecti silvis immania monstra
horrors, and do not see what cause gives the sound.
perferimus, nec quae sonitum det causa videmus.
For there were no fires of stars, nor was the pole bright
Nam neque erant astrorum ignes, nec lucidus aethra
with starry air, but clouds in a darkened sky,
siderea polus, obscuro sed nubila caelo,
and the dead of night held the moon in a storm-cloud.
et lunam in nimbo nox intempesta tenebat.
And now the next day was rising with the first morning-light,
Postera iamque dies primo surgebat Eoo,
and Dawn had driven the dewy shadow from the sky:
umentemque Aurora polo dimoverat umbram:
when suddenly from the woods, wasted to the utmost by leanness,
cum subito e silvis, macie confecta suprema,
the strange shape of an unknown man, pitiable in his garb,
ignoti nova forma viri miserandaque cultu
comes forward, and stretches suppliant hands toward the shore.
procedit, supplexque manus ad litora tendit.
We look back: dreadful filth, an unkempt beard,
Respicimus: dira inluvies inmissaque barba,
a covering pinned with thorns; but in all else a Greek,
consertum tegumen spinis; at cetera Graius,
and once sent to Troy in his country’s arms.
et quondam patriis ad Troiam missus in armis.
And he, when he saw from afar the Dardan dress and the Trojan
Isque ubi Dardanios habitus et Troia vidit
arms, terrified a little at the sight, halted,
arma procul, paulum aspectu conterritus haesit,
and checked his step; then headlong he flung himself toward the shore
continuitque gradum; mox sese ad litora praeceps
with weeping and entreaties: "By the stars I swear,
cum fletu precibusque tulit: Per sidera testor,
by the gods above, and this breathable light of heaven,
per superos atque hoc caeli spirabile lumen,
take me up, Trojans; carry me to whatever lands you will;
tollite me, Teucri; quascumque abducite terras;
that will be enough. I know I am one of the Greek fleets,
hoc sat erit. Scio me Danais e classibus unum,
and I confess I made war on the Trojan Penates;
et bello Iliacos fateor petiisse Penatis;
for which, if the wrong of my crime is so great,
pro quo, si sceleris tanta est iniuria nostri,
scatter me on the waves, and plunge me in the vast sea.
spargite me in fluctus, vastoque inmergite ponto.
If I die, it will be a comfort to have died by the hands of men."
Si pereo, hominum manibus periisse iuvabit.
He had spoken, and embracing our knees, and grovelling at our knees,
Dixerat, et genua amplexus genibusque volutans
he clung. We urge him to say who he is, from what blood sprung,
haerebat. Qui sit, fari, quo sanguine cretus,
and then to confess what fortune drives him.
hortamur; quae deinde agitet fortuna, fateri.
Father Anchises himself, with little delay,
Ipse pater dextram Anchises, haud multa moratus,
gives the young man his right hand, and steadies his spirit with the present pledge.
dat iuveni, atque animum praesenti pignore firmat.
He, his fear at last laid aside, speaks thus:
Ille haec, deposita tandem formidine, fatur:
"I am from the land of Ithaca, a companion of unlucky Ulysses,
Sum patria ex Ithaca, comes infelicis Ulixi,
Achaemenides by name; I set out for Troy, my father Adamastus
nomine Achaemenides, Troiam genitore Adamasto
being poor — and would that the fortune had stayed!
paupere—mansissetque utinam fortuna!—profectus.
Here my comrades, while in panic they leave the cruel threshold,
Hic me, dum trepidi crudelia limina linquunt,
forgetful, deserted me in the Cyclops’s vast cave.
inmemores socii vasto Cyclopis in antro
A house of gore and bloody feasts,
deseruere. Domus sanie dapibusque cruentis,
dark within, and huge; he himself towering, and strikes the high
intus opaca, ingens; ipse arduus, altaque pulsat
stars — Gods, turn such a plague from the earth! —
sidera—Di, talem terris avertite pestem!—
neither easy to look on nor pleasant to speak to for anyone.
nec visu facilis nec dictu adfabilis ulli.
He feeds on the flesh of wretches and on black blood.
Visceribus miserorum et sanguine vescitur atro.
I myself saw, when, two bodies from our number
Vidi egomet, duo de numero cum corpora nostro
seized in his great hand, lying back in the middle of the cave,
prensa manu magna, medio resupinus in antro,
he dashed them against the rock, and the splashed threshold swam
frangeret ad saxum, sanieque aspersa natarent
with gore; I saw when he chewed their limbs, dripping with black
limina; vidi atro cum membra fluentia tabo
blood, and the warm joints quivered beneath his teeth.
manderet, et tepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus.
Yet not unpunished; nor did Ulysses endure such things,
Haud impune quidem; nec talia passus Ulixes,
nor did the Ithacan forget himself in so great a peril.
oblitusve sui est Ithacus discrimine tanto.
For as soon as, gorged with feasting and buried in wine,
Nam simul expletus dapibus vinoque sepultus
he laid down his bent neck, and lay through the cave
cervicem inflexam posuit, iacuitque per antrum
immense, belching gore and gobbets mixed with bloody
immensus, saniem eructans et frusta cruento
wine in his sleep, we, having prayed to the great
per somnum commixta mero, nos magna precati
powers and drawn our lots, all together pour round him
numina sortitique vices, una undique circum
on every side, and bore through his eye with a sharpened stake —
fundimur, et telo lumen terebramus acuto,—
the single huge eye that lurked beneath his grim brow,
ingens, quod torva solum sub fronte latebat,
like an Argive shield or the lamp of Phoebus —
Argolici clipei aut Phoebeae lampadis instar,—
and at last, glad, we avenge the shades of our comrades.
et tandem laeti sociorum ulciscimur umbras.
But flee, O wretched men, flee, and break the cable
Sed fugite, O miseri, fugite, atque ab litore funem
from the shore.
rumpite.
For, such and so great as Polyphemus, who in his hollow cave
Nam qualis quantusque cavo Polyphemus in antro
pens his fleecy flocks and squeezes their udders,
lanigeras claudit pecudes atque ubera pressat,
a hundred others, dread Cyclopes, dwell commonly along these
centum alii curva haec habitant ad litora volgo
curving shores, and wander on the high mountains.
infandi Cyclopes, et altis montibus errant.
Now for the third time the horns of the moon fill with light,
Tertia iam lunae se cornua lumine complent,
since I drag out my life in the woods, among the desolate
cum vitam in silvis inter deserta ferarum
lairs and haunts of beasts, and from a rock watch the vast Cyclopes,
lustra domosque traho, vastosque ab rupe Cyclopas
and tremble at the sound of their feet and their voice.
prospicio, sonitumque pedum vocemque tremesco.
A wretched food — berries and stony cornel-cherries —
Victum infelicem, bacas lapidosaque corna,
the branches give, and the plants feed me with their plucked roots.
dant rami et volsis pascunt radicibus herbae.
Scanning all things, I caught sight of this fleet, the first
Omnia conlustrans, hanc primum ad litora classem
coming to the shore. To it, whatever it might be,
conspexi venientem. Huic me, quaecumque fuisset,
I gave myself up: it is enough to have escaped that unspeakable race.
addixi: satis est gentem effugisse nefandam.
Do you rather take this life of mine by any death you will."
Vos animam hanc potius quocumque absumite leto.
Scarcely had he said this, when on the mountain-top we see
Vix ea fatus erat, summo cum monte videmus
the shepherd Polyphemus himself, moving his vast bulk among his flocks
ipsum inter pecudes vasta se mole moventem
and making for the well-known shores,
pastorem Polyphemum et litora nota petentem,
a monster horrendous, misshapen, huge, his eye put out.
monstrum horrendum, informe, ingens, cui lumen ademptum.
A lopped pine guides his hand and steadies his steps;
Trunca manu pinus regit et vestigia firmat;
his fleecy sheep go with him — that his only pleasure
lanigerae comitantur oves—ea sola voluptas
and solace in his woe.
solamenque mali.
When he reached the deep waves and came to the sea,
Postquam altos tetigit fluctus et ad aequora venit,
he washed there the flowing blood of his gouged-out eye,
luminis effossi fluidum lavit inde cruorem,
gnashing his teeth with a groan, and strides through the sea,
dentibus infrendens gemitu, graditurque per aequor
now mid-deep, and not yet has the wave wetted his towering sides.
iam medium, necdum fluctus latera ardua tinxit.
We from afar, in fear, hasten our flight, having taken in
Nos procul inde fugam trepidi celerare, recepto
the suppliant who so deserved it, and silently cut the cable;
supplice sic merito, tacitique incidere funem;
we turn, and bending forward sweep the waters with vying oars.
vertimus et proni certantibus aequora remis.
He sensed it, and turned his steps toward the sound of our voices;
Sensit, et ad sonitum vocis vestigia torsit;
but when no power is given him to lay his right hand upon us,
verum ubi nulla datur dextra adfectare potestas,
nor can he match the Ionian waves in pursuit,
nec potis Ionios fluctus aequare sequendo,
he raises an immense shout, at which the sea and all
clamorem immensum tollit, quo pontus et omnes
the waves shuddered, and the land of Italy, terrified to its depths,
contremuere undae, penitusque exterrita tellus
and Etna bellowed in its winding caverns.
Italiae, curvisque immugiit Aetna cavernis.
But the race of the Cyclopes, roused from the woods and high mountains,
At genus e silvis Cyclopum et montibus altis
rushes to the harbour and crowds the shores.
excitum ruit ad portus et litora complent.
We see them standing, in vain, with grim eye,
Cernimus adstantis nequiquam lumine torvo
the brothers of Etna, bearing their high heads to the sky,
Aetnaeos fratres, caelo capita alta ferentis,
a dreadful gathering: as when on a lofty peak
concilium horrendum: quales cum vertice celso
airy oaks, or cone-bearing cypresses,
aeriae quercus, aut coniferae cyparissi
stand together, the high forest of Jove, or a grove of Diana.
constiterunt, silva alta Iovis, lucusve Dianae.
Sharp fear drives us headlong to shake out the sheets
Praecipites metus acer agit quocumque rudentis
wherever it may be, and stretch our sails to favouring winds.
excutere, et ventis intendere vela secundis.
But the warnings of Helenus admonish us, between Scylla and Charybdis —
Contra iussa monent Heleni Scyllam atque Charybdin
either way a road of death by a slender margin —
inter, utramque viam leti discrimine parvo,
unless we hold our course; we resolve to put the sails back.
ni teneant cursus; certum est dare lintea retro.
But behold, the North Wind, sent from the narrow seat of Pelorus,
Ecce autem Boreas angusta ab sede Pelori
is at hand. I sail past the mouths of the Pantagias, with its living rock,
missus adest. Vivo praetervehor ostia saxo
and the bay of Megara, and low-lying Thapsus.
Pantagiae Megarosque sinus Thapsumque iacentem.
Such things Achaemenides, the companion of unlucky Ulysses,
Talia monstrabat relegens errata retrorsus
pointed out as he retraced the shores he had wandered.
litora Achaemenides; comes infelicis Ulixi.
Stretched across a Sicanian bay there lies an island, facing
Sicanio praetenta sinu iacet insula contra
forced hidden channels here beneath the sea; who now,
occultas egisse vias subter mare; qui nunc
Arethusa, mingles with the Sicilian waters through your spring.
ore, Arethusa, tuo Siculis confunditur undis.
Bidden, we revere the great powers of the place; and thence
Iussi numina magna loci veneramur; et inde
I pass the over-rich soil of the marshy Helorus.
exsupero praepingue solum stagnantis Helori.
Hence we graze the high cliffs and jutting rocks of Pachynus,
Hinc altas cautes proiectaque saxa Pachyni
and Camerina appears far off, never permitted by the fates
radimus, et fatis numquam concessa moveri
to be moved, and the plains of Gela,
adparet Camerina procul campique Geloi,
walls, once the breeder of high-spirited horses;
moenia, magnanimum quondam generator equorum;
and I leave you, with the winds given, palm-rich Selinus,
teque datis linquo ventis, palmosa Selinus,
receives me. Here, after so many storms of the sea endured,
accipit. Hic, pelagi tot tempestatibus actis,
alas, my father, the comfort of every care and chance,
heu genitorem, omnis curae casusque levamen,
I lose, Anchises: here, best of fathers, you forsake me,
amitto Anchisen: hic me, pater optume, fessum
weary — alas, snatched in vain from so many perils!
deseris, heu, tantis nequiquam erepte periclis!
Neither the prophet Helenus, though he warned of many horrors,
Nec vates Helenus, cum multa horrenda moneret,
foretold to me this grief, nor dread Celaeno.
hos mihi praedixit luctus, non dira Celaeno.
This was my last trial, this the goal of my long journeys.
Hic labor extremus, longarum haec meta viarum.
From here, as I departed, a god drove me to your shores."
Hinc me digressum vestris deus adpulit oris.
So father Aeneas, while all listened intently, alone
Sic pater Aeneas intentis omnibus unus
retold the fates ordained by the gods, and told of his voyages.
fata renarrabat divom, cursusque docebat.
At last he fell silent, and here, his tale done, he rested.
Conticuit tandem, factoque hic fine quievit.
But the queen, long since wounded by a grievous care,
At regina gravi iamdudum saucia cura
feeds the wound in her veins, and is consumed by a hidden fire.
volnus alit venis, et caeco carpitur igni.
The man’s great valour keeps returning to her mind, and the great
Multa viri virtus animo, multusque recursat
glory of his race: his looks and his words cling fixed in her breast,
gentis honos: haerent infixi pectore voltus
and her care gives her limbs no peaceful rest.
verbaque, nec placidam membris dat cura quietem.
The next dawn was lighting the earth with the lamp of Phoebus,
Postera Phoebea lustrabat lampade terras,
and Aurora had driven the dewy shadow from the sky,
umentemque Aurora polo dimoverat umbram,
when, scarcely sane, she thus addresses her sister, one in heart with her:
cum sic unanimam adloquitur male sana sororem:
"Anna, my sister, what dreams terrify me and hold me in suspense!
Anna soror, quae me suspensam insomnia terrent!
What stranger is this who has come to lodge in our home,
Quis novus hic nostris successit sedibus hospes,
bearing himself how nobly in his face, how brave in heart and in arms!
quem sese ore ferens, quam forti pectore et armis!
I believe indeed — nor is the faith vain — that he is of the race of gods.
Credo equidem, nec vana fides, genus esse deorum.
Fear proves base-born spirits: alas, by what fates
Degeneres animos timor arguit: heu, quibus ille
was he tossed! What wars, drained to the dregs, he told of!
iactatus fatis! Quae bella exhausta canebat!
If it did not sit fixed and unmoved in my mind,
Si mihi non animo fixum immotumque sederet,
that I would join myself to no one in the bond of marriage,
ne cui me vinclo vellem sociare iugali,
since my first love cheated me, betrayed by death;
postquam primus amor deceptam morte fefellit;
if I had not grown sick of the marriage-chamber and the wedding-torch,
si non pertaesum thalami taedaeque fuisset,
to this one fault, perhaps, I might have yielded.
huic uni forsan potui succumbere culpae.
Anna — for I will confess it — since the death of poor Sychaeus,
Anna, fatebor enim, miseri post fata Sychaei
my husband, and our household gods spattered by a brother’s slaughter,
coniugis et sparsos fraterna caede Penatis,
he alone has bent my feelings, and stirred my wavering heart:
solus hic inflexit sensus, animumque labantem
I recognize the traces of the old flame.
impulit: adgnosco veteris vestigia flammae.
But sooner would I pray that the earth gape open to its depths for me,
Sed mihi vel tellus optem prius ima dehiscat,
or that the almighty Father drive me with his bolt to the shades,
vel Pater omnipotens adigat me fulmine ad umbras,
before, O Modesty, I violate you, or loose your laws.
ante, Pudor, quam te violo, aut tua iura resolvo.
He who first joined me to himself has taken my love
Ille meos, primus qui me sibi iunxit, amores
away with him; let him keep it with him and guard it in the grave."
abstulit; ille habeat secum servetque sepulchro.
So speaking, she filled her bosom with welling tears.
Sic effata sinum lacrimis implevit obortis.
Anna replies: "O dearer to your sister than the light,
Anna refert: O luce magis dilecta sorori,
will you wear out your youth, alone and grieving, forever,
solane perpetua maerens carpere iuventa,
and never know sweet children, nor the rewards of Venus?
nec dulcis natos, Veneris nec praemia noris?
Do you think ashes or buried Shades care for that?
Id cinerem aut Manis credis curare sepultos?
Granted: in your grief no suitors once bent you,
Esto: aegram nulli quondam flexere mariti,
and the other chieftains whom the African land, rich in triumphs,
ductoresque alii, quos Africa terra triumphis
rears: will you fight even against a love that pleases you?
dives alit: placitone etiam pugnabis amori?
And does it not come to mind, in whose fields you have settled?
Nec venit in mentem, quorum consederis arvis?
On this side the Gaetulian cities, a race unconquerable in war,
Hinc Gaetulae urbes, genus insuperabile bello,
and the unbridled Numidians hem you in, and the inhospitable Syrtis;
et Numidae infreni cingunt et inhospita Syrtis;
on this side a region desolate with thirst, and the Barcaeans
hinc deserta siti regio, lateque furentes
raging far and wide. Why speak of the wars rising from Tyre,
Barcaei. Quid bella Tyro surgentia dicam,
and your brother’s threats?
germanique minas?
Indeed I think it was by the gods’ favour, and with Juno’s blessing,
Dis equidem auspicibus reor et Iunone secunda
that the Trojan keels held this course on the wind.
hunc cursum Iliacas vento tenuisse carinas.
What a city you will see here, sister, what a kingdom rise
Quam tu urbem, soror, hanc cernes, quae surgere regna
from such a marriage! With Trojan arms attending us,
coniugio tali! Teucrum comitantibus armis
to what greatness will the Punic glory lift itself!
Punica se quantis attollet gloria rebus!
Only ask the gods for grace, and, the sacrifices made,
Tu modo posce deos veniam, sacrisque litatis
indulge your guest, and weave reasons for his staying,
indulge hospitio, causasque innecte morandi,
while the storm rages itself out on the sea, and watery Orion,
dum pelago desaevit hiemps et aquosus Orion,
and the ships are battered, while the sky is not to be handled."
quassataeque rates, dum non tractabile caelum.
With these words she fanned into flame a heart already kindled with love,
His dictis incensum animum inflammavit amore,
and gave hope to her doubting mind, and loosed her modesty.
spemque dedit dubiae menti, solvitque pudorem.
First they visit the shrines, and seek peace at the altars;
Principio delubra adeunt, pacemque per aras
they slaughter chosen two-year-old sheep, in the custom,
exquirunt; mactant lectas de more bidentis
to law-giving Ceres, and to Phoebus, and to father Lyaeus,
legiferae Cereri Phoeboque patrique Lyaeo,
before all to Juno, in whose care are the bonds of marriage.
Iunoni ante omnis, cui vincla iugalia curae.
Dido herself, most beautiful, holding the bowl in her right hand,
Ipsa, tenens dextra pateram, pulcherrima Dido
pours it between the horns of a gleaming white heifer,
candentis vaccae media inter cornua fundit,
or paces before the faces of the gods at the rich altars,
aut ante ora deum pinguis spatiatur ad aras,
and renews the day with gifts, and, the breasts of the victims
instauratque diem donis, pecudumque reclusis
laid open, gazing in, consults the breathing entrails.
pectoribus inhians spirantia consulit exta.
Alas, the ignorant minds of seers! What can vows, what shrines
Heu vatum ignarae mentes! quid vota furentem,
avail a woman in her frenzy? A soft flame eats her marrow
quid delubra iuvant? Est mollis flamma medullas
all the while, and a silent wound lives beneath her breast.
interea, et tacitum vivit sub pectore volnus.
Unhappy Dido burns, and wanders through the whole
Uritur infelix Dido, totaque vagatur
city in her frenzy, like a doe struck by an arrow,
urbe furens, qualis coniecta cerva sagitta,
which, off guard, a shepherd has pierced from afar amid the Cretan woods,
quam procul incautam nemora inter Cresia fixit
as he plies his darts, and has left the flying iron in her
pastor agens telis, liquitque volatile ferrum
unknowing; she in flight ranges the woods and glades
nescius; illa fuga silvas saltusque peragrat
of Dicte; the deadly shaft clings to her side.
Dictaeos; haeret lateri letalis arundo.
Now she leads Aeneas with her through the midst of the walls,
Nunc media Aenean secum per moenia ducit,
and shows off the Sidonian wealth and the city made ready;
Sidoniasque ostentat opes urbemque paratam;
she begins to speak, and stops in the middle of a word;
incipit effari, mediaque in voce resistit;
now, as the day wanes, she seeks the same banquets again,
nunc eadem labente die convivia quaerit,
and madly begs to hear again the toils of Ilium,
Iliacosque iterum demens audire labores
and hangs again upon the lips of the teller.
exposcit, pendetque iterum narrantis ab ore.
Afterward, when they have parted, and the dim moon in turn
Post, ubi digressi, lumenque obscura vicissim
quenches her light, and the setting stars urge sleep,
luna premit suadentque cadentia sidera somnos,
alone she grieves in the empty house, and lies down on the couch
sola domo maeret vacua, stratisque relictis
he has left; absent, she hears and sees him, absent;
incubat, illum absens absentem auditque videtque;
or holds Ascanius in her lap, captured by the father’s likeness,
aut gremio Ascanium, genitoris imagine capta,
to see if she can beguile a love beyond words.
detinet, infandum si fallere possit amorem.
The towers begun do not rise, the youth do not drill
Non coeptae adsurgunt turres, non arma iuventus
at arms, nor do they make ready harbours or ramparts safe
exercet, portusve aut propugnacula bello
for war; the works hang broken off, and the huge threats
tuta parant; pendent opera interrupta, minaeque
of the walls, and the crane that reached to the sky.
murorum ingentes aequataque machina caelo.
As soon as the dear wife of Jove perceived that she was held
Quam simul ac tali persensit peste teneri
by such a plague, and that her good name did not stand in the way of her frenzy,
cara Iovis coniunx, nec famam obstare furori,
Saturn’s daughter approaches Venus with these words:
talibus adgreditur Venerem Saturnia dictis:
"A glorious praise indeed, and ample spoils you carry off,
Egregiam vero laudem et spolia ampla refertis
you and your boy — a great and memorable power —
tuque puerque tuus, magnum et memorabile numen,
if one woman is conquered by the guile of two gods!
una dolo divom si femina victa duorum est!
Nor does it so escape me that you, in fear of our walls,
Nec me adeo fallit veritam te moenia nostra
have held the homes of lofty Carthage suspect.
suspectas habuisse domos Karthaginis altae.
But what limit will there be, or whither now with so great a contest?
Sed quis erit modus, aut quo nunc certamine tanto?
Why do we not rather work an eternal peace and a sworn marriage?
Quin potius pacem aeternam pactosque hymenaeos
You have what you sought with your whole mind:
exercemus? Habes, tota quod mente petisti:
Dido burns in love, and has drawn the frenzy through her bones.
ardet amans Dido, traxitque per ossa furorem.
Let us then rule this people in common, and with equal
Communem hunc ergo populum paribusque regamus
auspices; let her be allowed to serve a Phrygian husband,
auspiciis; liceat Phrygio servire marito,
and to hand over the Tyrians as a dowry to your right hand."
dotalisque tuae Tyrios permittere dextrae.
To her — for she sensed that she had spoken with a feigning mind,
Olli—sensit enim simulata mente locutam,
to turn aside to the Libyan shores the kingdom destined for Italy —
quo regnum Italiae Libycas averteret oras—
Venus thus began in reply: "Who, mad, would refuse such things,
sic contra est ingressa Venus: Quis talia demens
or would prefer to strive with you in war,
abnuat, aut tecum malit contendere bello,
if only fortune attends the deed you speak of?
si modo, quod memoras, factum fortuna sequatur.
But I am carried in doubt by the fates — whether Jupiter wishes
Sed fatis incerta feror, si Iuppiter unam
there to be one city for the Tyrians and for those who set out from Troy,
esse velit Tyriis urbem Troiaque profectis,
or approves the mingling of peoples, or the joining of treaties.
miscerive probet populos, aut foedera iungi.
You are his wife; it is lawful for you to try his mind by entreaty.
Tu coniunx tibi fas animum temptare precando.
Go on; I will follow." Then royal Juno took it up thus:
Perge; sequar. Tum sic excepit regia Iuno:
"That task will be mine: now by what means what presses
Mecum erit iste labor: nunc qua ratione, quod instat
may be accomplished, listen, and I will teach you in few words.
confieri possit, paucis, adverte, docebo.
Aeneas and most wretched Dido make ready to go hunting
Venatum Aeneas unaque miserrima Dido
into the wood together, when tomorrow’s Titan brings up his first
in nemus ire parant, ubi primos crastinus ortus
rising, and unveils the world with his rays.
extulerit Titan, radiisque retexerit orbem.
On them I will pour down from above a black storm-cloud, mixed with hail,
His ego nigrantem commixta grandine nimbum,
while the beaters bustle and ring the glades with their nets,
dum trepidant alae, saltusque indagine cingunt,
and I will rouse the whole sky with thunder.
desuper infundam, et tonitru caelum omne ciebo.
Their companions will scatter and be hidden in murky night:
Diffugient comites et nocte tegentur opaca:
Dido and the Trojan leader will come to one and the same cave.
speluncam Dido dux et Troianus eandem
I will be there, and, if your will toward me is sure,
devenient; adero, et, tua si mihi certa voluntas,
I will join them in a lasting marriage and make her his own;
conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,
this will be their wedding." Not opposing her petition,
hic hymenaeus erit. —Non adversata petenti
Cytherea assented, and smiled at the trick she saw through.
adnuit, atque dolis risit Cytherea repertis.
Meanwhile rising Aurora left the Ocean.
Oceanum interea surgens Aurora reliquit.
At the dawning of the light the chosen youth go out from the gates;
It portis iubare exorto delecta iuventus;
the wide-meshed nets, the toils, the broad-bladed hunting-spears,
retia rara, plagae, lato venabula ferro,
and the Massylian horsemen pour out, and the keen-scented force of hounds.
Massylique ruunt equites et odora canum vis.
At the threshold the chief Carthaginians await the queen,
Reginam thalamo cunctantem ad limina primi
lingering in her chamber; resplendent in purple and gold
Poenorum exspectant, ostroque insignis et auro
her charger stands, and fiercely champs the foaming bit.
stat sonipes, ac frena ferox spumantia mandit.
At last she comes forth, a great throng pressing about her,
Tandem progreditur, magna stipante caterva,
wrapped in a Sidonian cloak with an embroidered border.
Sidoniam picto chlamydem circumdata limbo.
Hers is a quiver of gold, her hair is knotted into gold,
Cui pharetra ex auro, crines nodantur in aurum,
a golden brooch clasps her purple robe beneath.
aurea purpuream subnectit fibula vestem.
And the Phrygian companions too, and joyful Iulus,
Nec non et Phrygii comites et laetus Iulus
advance. Aeneas himself, the most beautiful of all before the rest,
incedunt. Ipse ante alios pulcherrimus omnis
joins her as her companion and unites the columns.
infert se socium Aeneas atque agmina iungit.
As when Apollo leaves wintry Lycia and the streams of Xanthus,
Qualis ubi hibernam Lyciam Xanthique fluenta
and visits his mother’s Delos,
deserit ac Delum maternam invisit Apollo,
and renews the dances, and mingled about his altars
instauratque choros, mixtique altaria circum
Cretesque Dryopesque fremunt pictique Agathyrsi;
he himself walks the ridges of Cynthus, and with soft
ipse iugis Cynthi graditur, mollique fluentem
foliage binds his flowing hair, shaping it, and twines it with gold;
fronde premit crinem fingens atque implicat auro;
the arrows ring on his shoulders: no less briskly than he went
tela sonant umeris: haud illo segnior ibat
Aeneas; such grace shines from his noble face.
Aeneas; tantum egregio decus enitet ore.
When they had come into the high mountains and the trackless lairs,
Postquam altos ventum in montis atque invia lustra,
behold, wild goats, dislodged from a rocky peak,
ecce ferae, saxi deiectae vertice, caprae
ran down from the ridges; from another quarter the stags
decurrere iugis; alia de parte patentis
cross the open plains at a run, and mass their dust-raising
transmittunt cursu campos atque agmina cervi
herds in flight, and leave the mountains.
pulverulenta fuga glomerant montisque relinquunt.
But the boy Ascanius, in the midst of the valleys, delights
At puer Ascanius mediis in vallibus acri
in his spirited horse, and now outstrips these at a gallop, now those,
gaudet equo, iamque hos cursu, iam praeterit illos,
and prays that, among the tame beasts, a foaming boar
spumantemque dari pecora inter inertia votis
be granted him, or a tawny lion come down from the mountain.
optat aprum, aut fulvum descendere monte leonem.
Meanwhile the sky begins to be confounded with a great rumble;
Interea magno misceri murmure caelum
a storm-cloud follows, mixed with hail;
incipit; insequitur commixta grandine nimbus;
and the Tyrian companions everywhere, and the Trojan youth,
et Tyrii comites passim et Troiana iuventus
and the Dardan grandson of Venus, in fear sought shelter
Dardaniusque nepos Veneris diversa per agros
here and there over the fields; torrents rush down from the mountains.
tecta metu petiere; ruunt de montibus amnes.
Dido and the Trojan leader come to one and the same cave.
Speluncam Dido dux et Troianus eandem
give the signal; fires flashed, and the sky, witness
dant signum; fulsere ignes et conscius aether
to the wedding, and the nymphs wailed on the mountaintop.
conubiis, summoque ulularunt vertice nymphae.
That day was the first cause of death, the first cause of woes;
Ille dies primus leti primusque malorum
for she is not moved by show or by reputation,
causa fuit; neque enim specie famave movetur,
nor does Dido now plan a furtive love:
nec iam furtivum Dido meditatur amorem:
she calls it marriage; with this name she screens her fault.
coniugium vocat; hoc praetexit nomine culpam.
Rumour, than which no other evil is swifter;
Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum;
she thrives on movement, and gains strength as she goes,
mobilitate viget, viresque adquirit eundo,
small at first through fear, soon she lifts herself into the air,
parva metu primo, mox sese attollit in auras,
and walks the ground, and hides her head among the clouds.
ingrediturque solo, et caput inter nubila condit.
Mother Earth, provoked by anger at the gods,
Illam Terra parens, ira inritata deorum,
bore her last, they say, as a sister to Coeus and Enceladus,
extremam (ut perhibent) Coeo Enceladoque sororem
swift of foot and with nimble wings,
progenuit, pedibus celerem et pernicibus alis,
a monster horrendous, huge, on whom — for as many feathers as are on her body,
monstrum horrendum, ingens, cui, quot sunt corpore plumae
so many watchful eyes beneath, wondrous to tell,
tot vigiles oculi subter, mirabile dictu,
so many tongues, as many mouths sound, so many ears she pricks up.
tot linguae, totidem ora sonant, tot subrigit aures.
By night she flies through the shadow, between heaven and earth,
Nocte volat caeli medio terraeque per umbram,
shrieking, nor does she droop her eyes in sweet sleep;
stridens, nec dulci declinat lumina somno;
by day she sits as a watcher on a roof’s high ridge,
luce sedet custos aut summi culmine tecti,
or on lofty towers, and terrifies great cities;
turribus aut altis, et magnas territat urbes;
as tenacious of the false and crooked as a messenger of the truth.
tam ficti pravique tenax, quam nuntia veri.
She then was filling the peoples with manifold talk,
Haec tum multiplici populos sermone replebat
rejoicing, and sang alike of things done and things undone:
gaudens, et pariter facta atque infecta canebat:
that Aeneas had come, sprung from Trojan blood,
venisse Aenean, Troiano sanguine cretum,
to whom fair Dido deigned to join herself as husband;
cui se pulchra viro dignetur iungere Dido;
that now, all the winter long, they pamper themselves in luxury together,
nunc hiemem inter se luxu, quam longa, fovere
forgetful of their kingdoms, and caught by a shameful lust.
regnorum immemores turpique cupidine captos.
These things the foul goddess scatters everywhere on the lips of men.
Haec passim dea foeda virum diffundit in ora.
At once she bends her course toward King Iarbas,
Protinus ad regem cursus detorquet Iarban,
and inflames his mind with her words, and heaps up his anger.
incenditque animum dictis atque aggerat iras.
He, sprung from Hammon and a ravished Garamantian nymph,
Hic Hammone satus, rapta Garamantide Nympha,
had set up to Jove a hundred huge temples in his wide realms,
templa Iovi centum latis immania regnis,
a hundred altars, and had consecrated the watchful fire,
centum aras posuit, vigilemque sacraverat ignem,
the eternal vigil of the gods, and a ground rich with the blood
excubias divom aeternas, pecudumque cruore
of victims, and thresholds blooming with varied garlands.
pingue solum et variis florentia limina sertis.
And he, mad in spirit and inflamed by the bitter rumour,
Isque amens animi et rumore accensus amaro
is said, before the altars, amid the presences of the gods,
dicitur ante aras media inter numina divom
to have prayed much to Jove, suppliant, with upturned hands:
multa Iovem manibus supplex orasse supinis:
"Almighty Jupiter, to whom now the Moorish people, feasting
Iuppiter omnipotens, cui nunc Maurusia pictis
on embroidered couches, pours the Lenaean offering,
gens epulata toris Lenaeum libat honorem,
do you see these things? Or do we tremble at you in vain, Father,
aspicis haec, an te, genitor, cum fulmina torques,
when you hurl your thunderbolts, and do the blind fires in the clouds
nequiquam horremus, caecique in nubibus ignes
terrify our spirits and mingle empty rumblings?
terrificant animos et inania murmura miscent?
A woman, wandering within our borders, set up
Femina, quae nostris errans in finibus urbem
a paltry city for a price, to whom we gave a shore to plough
exiguam pretio posuit, cui litus arandum
and laws for the place — she has spurned our marriage,
cuique loci leges dedimus, conubia nostra
and taken Aeneas as lord into her realm.
reppulit, ac dominum Aenean in regna recepit.
And now that Paris, with his half-man retinue,
Et nunc ille Paris cum semiviro comitatu,
his chin and his perfumed hair bound up in a Maeonian bonnet,
Maeonia mentum mitra crinemque madentem
enjoys what he has seized: while we, forsooth, bring gifts to your temples,
subnexus, rapto potitur: nos munera templis
and cherish an empty repute."
quippe tuis ferimus, famamque fovemus inanem.
As he prayed with such words and held the altars,
Talibus orantem dictis arasque tenentem
the Almighty heard, and turned his eyes to the royal
audiit omnipotens, oculosque ad moenia torsit
walls and the lovers forgetful of their better fame.
regia et oblitos famae melioris amantes.
Then he thus addresses Mercury and gives this charge:
Tum sic Mercurium adloquitur ac talia mandat:
"Go, come, my son, call the West Winds and glide on your wings,
Vade age, nate, voca Zephyros et labere pennis,
and address the Dardan leader, who now lingers
Dardaniumque ducem, Tyria Karthagine qui nunc
in Tyrian Carthage, and gives no thought to the cities granted by the fates,
exspectat, fatisque datas non respicit urbes,
and carry my words swiftly through the air.
adloquere, et celeris defer mea dicta per auras.
Not such a man did his most beautiful mother promise him
Non illum nobis genetrix pulcherrima talem
to us, nor for this did she twice rescue him from the arms of the Greeks;
promisit, Graiumque ideo bis vindicat armis;
but one who would rule an Italy teeming with empire and roaring with war,
sed fore, qui gravidam imperiis belloque frementem
would hand down a race from the high blood of Teucer,
Italiam regeret, genus alto a sanguine Teucri
and bring the whole world beneath his laws.
proderet, ac totum sub leges mitteret orbem.
If no glory of such great things fires him,
Si nulla accendit tantarum gloria rerum,
nor does he take on the toil for his own renown,
nec super ipse sua molitur laude laborem,
does the father grudge Ascanius the towers of Rome?
Ascanione pater Romanas invidet arces?
What does he plot, or in what hope does he linger among a hostile people,
Quid struit, aut qua spe inimica in gente moratur,
and give no thought to his Ausonian offspring and the Lavinian fields?
nec prolem Ausoniam et Lavinia respicit arva?
Let him sail: that is the sum of it; let this be our message."
Naviget: haec summa est; hic nostri nuntius esto.
He had spoken. The other made ready to obey the command
Dixerat. Ille patris magni parere parabat
of his great father; and first he binds the golden sandals to his feet,
imperio; et primum pedibus talaria nectit
which carry him aloft on their wings, whether over the seas
aurea, quae sublimem alis sive aequora supra
or over the land, swift as the gale;
seu terram rapido pariter cum flamine portant;
then he takes his wand: with this he calls pale souls from Orcus,
tum virgam capit: hac animas ille evocat Orco
sends others down to grim Tartarus,
pallentis, alias sub Tartara tristia mittit,
gives sleep and takes it away, and unseals eyes in death.
dat somnos adimitque, et lumina morte resignat.
Trusting in it, he drives the winds and swims across the turbid
Illa fretus agit ventos, et turbida tranat
clouds; and now, flying, he sees the peak and steep flanks
nubila; iamque volans apicem et latera ardua cernit
of hard Atlas, who props the sky on his summit,
Atlantis duri, caelum qui vertice fulcit,
Atlas, whose pine-bearing head, girt always with black clouds,
Atlantis, cinctum adsidue cui nubibus atris
is beaten by wind and by rain;
piniferum caput et vento pulsatur et imbri;
snow, poured down, covers his shoulders; then rivers plunge
nix umeros infusa tegit; tum flumina mento
from the old man’s chin, and his bristling beard is stiff with ice.
praecipitant senis, et glacie riget horrida barba.
Here first the Cyllenian, poised on balanced wings,
Hic primum paribus nitens Cyllenius alis
halted; hence headlong with his whole body he flung himself
constitit; hinc toto praeceps se corpore ad undas
toward the waves, like a bird that round the shores, round
misit, avi similis, quae circum litora, circum
the fish-haunted crags, flies low close by the sea.
piscosos scopulos humilis volat aequora iuxta.
Not otherwise the Cyllenian offspring flew between earth and sky,
Haud aliter terras inter caelumque volabat,
cutting the sandy shore of Libya and the winds,
litus harenosum Libyae ventosque secabat
coming from his mother’s grandsire.
materno veniens ab avo Cyllenia proles.
As soon as he touched the huts with his winged feet,
Ut primum alatis tetigit magalia plantis,
he sees Aeneas founding the citadel and building new houses;
Aenean fundantem arces ac tecta novantem
and his sword was starred with tawny jasper,
conspicit; atque illi stellatus iaspide fulva
and a cloak hanging from his shoulders blazed with Tyrian purple,
ensis erat, Tyrioque ardebat murice laena
a rich gift that Dido had made,
demissa ex umeris, dives quae munera Dido
and had picked out the web with fine gold thread.
fecerat, et tenui telas discreverat auro.
At once he assails him: "Do you now lay the foundations of lofty Carthage,
Continuo invadit: Tu nunc Karthaginis altae
and, a wife’s man, build a fair city,
fundamenta locas, pulchramque uxorius urbem
forgetful, alas, of your own kingdom and affairs?
exstruis, heu regni rerumque oblite tuarum?
The ruler of the gods himself sends me down to you from bright Olympus,
Ipse deum tibi me claro demittit Olympo
he who turns heaven and earth by his power;
regnator, caelum ac terras qui numine torquet;
he himself bids me bear these commands swiftly through the air:
ipse haec ferre iubet celeris mandata per auras:
what do you plot, or in what hope do you waste your idleness in the lands of Libya?
quid struis, aut qua spe Libycis teris otia terris?
If no glory of such great things moves you,
Si te nulla movet tantarum gloria rerum,
nor do you take on the toil for your own renown,
nec super ipse tua moliris laude laborem,
look to Ascanius growing up, and the hopes of your heir Iulus,
Ascanium surgentem et spes heredis Iuli
to whom the kingdom of Italy and the Roman land
respice, cui regnum Italiae Romanaque tellus
are owed." Having spoken with such words, the Cyllenian,
debentur. Tali Cyllenius ore locutus
while still in mid-speech, left mortal sight,
mortalis visus medio sermone reliquit,
and far off vanished from his eyes into thin air.
et procul in tenuem ex oculis evanuit auram.
But Aeneas, dumbstruck at the sight, was struck out of his wits,
At vero Aeneas aspectu obmutuit amens,
his hair stood up with horror, and his voice stuck in his throat.
arrectaeque horrore comae, et vox faucibus haesit.
He burns to go in flight and leave the sweet land,
Ardet abire fuga dulcisque relinquere terras,
thunderstruck by so great a warning and command of the gods.
attonitus tanto monitu imperioque deorum.
Ah, what is he to do? With what speech dare he now approach
Heu quid agat? Quo nunc reginam ambire furentem
the frenzied queen? What opening shall he take first?
audeat adfatu? Quae prima exordia sumat?
And he divides his swift mind now this way, now that,
Atque animum nunc huc celerem, nunc dividit illuc,
snatches it to various sides, and turns it through all things.
in partisque rapit varias perque omnia versat.
To him, wavering, this counsel seemed the better:
Haec alternanti potior sententia visa est:
he calls Mnestheus and Sergestus and brave Serestus,
Mnesthea Sergestumque vocat fortemque Serestum,
to fit out the fleet in silence, and muster the comrades to the shore,
classem aptent taciti sociosque ad litora cogant,
to make ready their arms, and to conceal what the cause
arma parent, et quae rebus sit causa novandis
of the change might be; while he himself, since the best of women, Dido,
dissimulent; sese interea, quando optuma Dido
does not know it and does not expect so great a love to be broken,
nesciat et tantos rumpi non speret amores,
would try the approaches, and what the gentlest times
temptaturum aditus, et quae mollissima fandi
for speaking, what way fitting for the matter. More quickly all
tempora, quis rebus dexter modus. Ocius omnes
gladly obey the order and do his bidding.
imperio laeti parent ac iussa facessunt.
But the queen — who can deceive a lover? — foresaw the tricks,
At regina dolos—quis fallere possit amantem?
and was the first to catch the movements to come,
praesensit, motusque excepit prima futuros,
fearing all things even when safe. To her frenzy the same impious Rumour
omnia tuta timens. Eadem impia Fama furenti
brought word that the fleet was being armed and the voyage made ready.
detulit armari classem cursumque parari.
She rages, helpless in mind, and, ablaze, runs raving
Saevit inops animi, totamque incensa per urbem
through the whole city, like a Thyiad roused when the rites are stirred,
bacchatur, qualis commotis excita sacris
when, at the cry of Bacchus heard, the triennial revels goad her,
Thyias, ubi audito stimulant trieterica Baccho
At last she accosts Aeneas of her own accord with these words:
Tandem his Aenean compellat vocibus ultro:
"Did you even hope, traitor, to be able to conceal so great a wrong,
Dissimulare etiam sperasti, perfide, tantum
and to slip away in silence from my land?
posse nefas, tacitusque mea decedere terra?
Does our love not hold you, nor the right hand once given,
Nec te noster amor, nec te data dextera quondam,
nor Dido, doomed to die by a cruel death?
nec moritura tenet crudeli funere Dido?
Nay, even under a wintry star you make ready your fleet,
Quin etiam hiberno moliris sidere classem,
and hasten to go over the deep amid the north winds,
et mediis properas aquilonibus ire per altum,
cruel one? What, if you were not seeking foreign fields and homes
crudelis? Quid, si non arva aliena domosque
unknown, but ancient Troy still stood —
ignotas peteres, sed Troia antiqua maneret,
would Troy be sought by your fleets over the surging sea?
Troia per undosum peteretur classibus aequor
Is it me you flee? By these tears and your right hand I beg you
Mene fugis? Per ego has lacrimas dextramque tuam te
(since I myself have now left nothing else to my wretched self),
(quando aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa reliqui)
by our marriage, by the wedding-rites begun,
per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos,
if I have deserved anything well of you, or if anything of mine
si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quicquam
was ever sweet to you, pity my falling house, and put away
dulce meum, miserere domus labentis, et istam—
that purpose — I beg, if there is still any place for prayers.
oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus—exue mentem.
For your sake the Libyan peoples and the Numidian tyrants
Te propter Libycae gentes Nomadumque tyranni
hate me, and the Tyrians are hostile; for your sake, again,
odere, infensi Tyrii; te propter eundem
my honour is put out, and the former fame by which alone
exstinctus pudor, et, qua sola sidera adibam,
I was approaching the stars. To whom do you abandon me, dying, my guest?
fama prior. Cui me moribundam deseris, hospes?
— since that is the only name that remains in place of ’husband.’
Hoc solum nomen quoniam de coniuge restat.
Why do I linger? Until my brother Pygmalion tears down my walls,
Quid moror? An mea Pygmalion dum moenia frater
or Gaetulian Iarbas leads me off captive?
destruat, aut captam ducat Gaetulus Iarbas?
If only some child had been conceived of you, before
Saltem si qua mihi de te suscepta fuisset
your flight, if some little Aeneas were playing for me in the hall,
ante fugam suboles, si quis mihi parvulus aula
who would yet recall your face,
luderet Aeneas, qui te tamen ore referret,
I should not indeed seem wholly captured and forsaken."
non equidem omnino capta ac deserta viderer.
She had spoken. He, by Jove’s warnings, kept his eyes unmoved,
Dixerat. Ille Iovis monitis immota tenebat
and, struggling, pressed down the care beneath his heart.
lumina, et obnixus curam sub corde premebat.
At last he answers in few words: "You — the many things which you are able
Tandem pauca refert: Ego te, quae plurima fando
to recount in speaking — never, O queen, will I deny
enumerare vales, numquam, regina, negabo
that you have deserved; nor will it irk me to remember Elissa,
promeritam; nec me meminisse pigebit Elissae,
while I remember myself, while breath rules these limbs.
dum memor ipse mei, dum spiritus hos regit artus.
For the case I will speak briefly. Neither did I hope to hide
Pro re pauca loquar. Neque ego hanc abscondere furto
this flight by stealth — do not imagine it — nor did I ever
speravi—ne finge—fugam, nec coniugis umquam
hold out the torches of a husband, or come into this compact.
praetendi taedas, aut haec in foedera veni.
If the fates allowed me to lead my life under my own
Me si fata meis paterentur ducere vitam
auspices, and to settle my cares by my own will,
auspiciis et sponte mea componere curas,
I would first tend the city of Troy and the sweet remnants
urbem Troianam primum dulcisque meorum
of my own people, Priam’s high halls would stand,
reliquias colerem, Priami tecta alta manerent,
and I should have set up a renewed Pergamum by my own hand for the vanquished.
et recidiva manu posuissem Pergama victis.
But now Grynean Apollo, now the Lycian oracles,
Sed nunc Italiam magnam Gryneus Apollo,
have bidden me lay hold of great Italy, Italy:
Italiam Lyciae iussere capessere sortes:
this is my love, this my homeland. If the towers of Carthage
hic amor, haec patria est. Si te Karthaginis arces,
hold you, a Phoenician, and the sight of a Libyan city,
Phoenissam, Libycaeque aspectus detinet urbis,
what envy, pray, is it that the Trojans should settle
quae tandem, Ausonia Teucros considere terra,
in the Ausonian land? It is right for us too to seek a foreign kingdom.
invidia est? Et nos fas extera quaerere regna.
As often as night covers the earth with dewy shadows,
Me patris Anchisae, quotiens umentibus umbris
as often as the fiery stars rise, the troubled ghost
nox operit terras, quotiens astra ignea surgunt,
of my father Anchises warns and frightens me in my sleep;
admonet in somnis et turbida terret imago;
the boy Ascanius warns me, and the wrong done to that dear life,
me puer Ascanius capitisque iniuria cari,
whom I cheat of the kingdom of Hesperia and the fated fields.
quem regno Hesperiae fraudo et fatalibus arvis.
Now too the messenger of the gods, sent from Jove himself —
Nunc etiam interpres divom, Iove missus ab ipso—
I swear by both our heads — has brought down commands
testor utrumque caput—celeris mandata per auras
through the swift air; with my own eyes I saw the god in clear light
detulit; ipse deum manifesto in lumine vidi
entering the walls, and drank in his voice with these ears.
intrantem muros, vocemque his auribus hausi.
Cease to inflame both me and yourself with your complaints:
Desine meque tuis incendere teque querelis:
it is not of my own will that I pursue Italy."
Italiam non sponte sequor.
As he says such things she has long been gazing at him askance,
Talia dicentem iamdudum aversa tuetur,
rolling her eyes this way and that, and surveys the whole of him
huc illuc volvens oculos, totumque pererrat
with silent looks, and, ablaze, thus breaks out:
luminibus tacitis, et sic accensa profatur:
"No goddess was your mother, nor was Dardanus the founder of your race,
Nec tibi diva parens, generis nec Dardanus auctor,
traitor; but bristling Caucasus bore you on its hard crags,
perfide; sed duris genuit te cautibus horrens
For why do I dissemble? Or for what greater wrongs do I keep myself?
Nam quid dissimulo, aut quae me ad maiora reservo?
Did he groan at my weeping? Did he turn his eyes?
Num fletu ingemuit nostro? Num lumina flexit?
Did he, overcome, shed tears, or pity her who loves him?
Num lacrimas victus dedit, aut miseratus amantem est?
What shall I set before what? Now, now neither greatest Juno,
Quae quibus anteferam? Iam iam nec maxuma Iuno,
nor the Saturnian father looks on these things with fair eyes.
nec Saturnius haec oculis pater aspicit aequis.
Nowhere is faith safe. Cast up on the shore, in want,
Nusquam tuta fides. Eiectum litore, egentem
I took him in, and, mad, set him in a share of my kingdom;
excepi, et regni demens in parte locavi;
his lost fleet, his comrades, I brought back from death.
amissam classem, socios a morte reduxi.
Alas, I am driven, ablaze with the Furies! Now augur Apollo,
Heu furiis incensa feror! Nunc augur Apollo,
now the Lycian oracles, now even the messenger of the gods, sent from Jove himself,
nunc Lyciae sortes, nunc et Iove missus ab ipso
carries dread commands through the air.
interpres divom fert horrida iussa per auras.
No doubt that is the work of the gods above, that the care
Scilicet is Superis labor est, ea cura quietos
that troubles their calm. I neither hold you, nor refute your words.
sollicitat. Neque te teneo, neque dicta refello.
Go, follow Italy on the winds, seek your kingdom over the waves.
I, sequere Italiam ventis, pete regna per undas.
I hope indeed that, if the righteous powers can do anything,
Spero equidem mediis, si quid pia numina possunt,
you will drain your punishment amid the rocks, and call again and again
supplicia hausurum scopulis, et nomine Dido
on the name of Dido. Absent, I will follow with black fires,
saepe vocaturum. Sequar atris ignibus absens,
and, when cold death has parted soul from limbs,
et, cum frigida mors anima seduxerit artus,
as a shade I will be present in every place. You will pay the penalty, wretch.
omnibus umbra locis adero. Dabis, improbe, poenas.
I shall hear it, and this report will reach me among the deepest Shades."
Audiam et haec Manis veniet mihi fama sub imos.
With these words she breaks off the speech midway, and, sick,
His medium dictis sermonem abrumpit, et auras
flees the light of day, and turns and takes herself from his sight,
aegra fugit, seque ex oculis avertit et aufert,
leaving him hesitating in fear, and making ready to say much.
linquens multa metu cunctantem et multa parantem
The handmaids catch her up, and bear her collapsed body
dicere. Suscipiunt famulae, conlapsaque membra
to the marble chamber, and lay her down on the couch.
marmoreo referunt thalamo stratisque reponunt.
But dutiful Aeneas, though he longs to soothe her grief
At pius Aeneas, quamquam lenire dolentem
by comforting, and to turn aside her cares with words,
solando cupit et dictis avertere curas,
groaning much, and his heart shaken by great love,
multa gemens magnoque animum labefactus amore,
nevertheless carries out the gods’ commands, and goes back to the fleet.
iussa tamen divom exsequitur, classemque revisit.
Then indeed the Trojans bend to the work, and along the whole shore
Tum vero Teucri incumbunt, et litore celsas
they launch their tall ships: the caulked keel floats;
deducunt toto naves: natat uncta carina;
they bring leafy oars and unshaped timbers from the woods,
frondentisque ferunt remos et robora silvis
in their zeal for flight.
infabricata, fugae studio.
You might see them moving out, pouring from the whole city.
Migrantis cernas, totaque ex urbe ruentis.
And just as ants, when they plunder a huge heap of spelt,
Ac velut ingentem formicae farris acervum
mindful of winter, and store it in their nest;
cum populant, hiemis memores, tectoque reponunt;
a black column goes over the fields, and they carry the spoil
it nigrum campis agmen, praedamque per herbas
through the grass on a narrow path; some heave the great
convectant calle angusto; pars grandia trudunt
grains with straining shoulders; some marshal the lines
obnixae frumenta umeris; pars agmina cogunt
and chasten delays; the whole track seethes with the work.
castigantque moras; opere omnis semita fervet.
What were your feelings then, Dido, as you watched such things?
Quis tibi tum, Dido, cernenti talia sensus?
What groans did you give, when from your high citadel you looked out
quosve dabas gemitus, cum litora fervere late
and saw the shores seething far and wide, and saw the whole
prospiceres arce ex summa, totumque videres
sea churned before your eyes with such great shouting?
misceri ante oculos tantis clamoribus aequor?
Relentless Love, to what do you not drive the hearts of mortals?
Improbe Amor, quid non mortalia pectora cogis?
She is forced to go again into tears, again to try by prayer,
Ire iterum in lacrimas, iterum temptare precando
and as a suppliant to bend her spirit to love,
cogitur, et supplex animos submittere amori,
lest, doomed to die, she leave anything untried in vain.
ne quid inexpertum frustra moritura relinquat.
"Anna, you see how all along the shore there is haste; round about
Anna, vides toto properari litore; circum
they have gathered from every side; the canvas now calls the breezes,
undique convenere; vocat iam carbasus auras,
and the glad sailors have set garlands on the sterns.
puppibus et laeti nautae imposuere coronas.
If I have been able to foresee this great grief,
Hunc ego si potui tantum sperare dolorem,
I shall be able, sister, to bear it too. Yet this one thing
et perferre, soror, potero. Miserae hoc tamen unum
do for me, Anna, in my wretchedness. For that traitor
exsequere, Anna, mihi. Solam nam perfidus ille
honoured you alone, entrusted even his secret feelings to you;
te colere, arcanos etiam tibi credere sensus;
you alone knew the man’s soft approaches and times.
sola viri mollis aditus et tempora noras.
Go, sister, and, suppliant, address the haughty enemy:
I, soror, atque hostem supplex adfare superbum:
I did not, with the Greeks at Aulis, swear to root out
non ego cum Danais Troianam exscindere gentem
the Trojan race, nor did I send a fleet against Pergamum,
Aulide iuravi, classemve ad Pergama misi,
nor did I tear up the ashes or the Shade of his father Anchises,
nec patris Anchisae cineres Manisve revelli,
that he should refuse to let my words sink into his hard ears.
cur mea dicta neget duras demittere in auris.
Where does he rush? Let him give this last gift to a wretched lover:
Quo ruit? Extremum hoc miserae det munus amanti:
let him wait for an easy flight and favouring winds.
exspectet facilemque fugam ventosque ferentis.
No longer do I beg for the old marriage, which he has betrayed,
Non iam coniugium antiquum, quod prodidit, oro,
nor that he go without fair Latium and give up his kingdom:
nec pulchro ut Latio careat regnumque relinquat:
I ask for empty time, a respite and a space for my frenzy,
tempus inane peto, requiem spatiumque furori,
until my fortune teach me, vanquished, how to grieve.
dum mea me victam doceat fortuna dolere.
This last favour I beg — pity your sister —
Extremam hanc oro veniam—miserere sororis—
and when he has granted it, I will repay it heaped up, in my death."
quam mihi cum dederit, cumulatam morte remittam.
With such words she pleaded, and such laments her most wretched
Talibus orabat, talisque miserrima fletus
sister carries to and fro: but by no laments is he moved,
fertque refertque soror: sed nullis ille movetur
nor does he, unyielding, hear any words;
fletibus, aut voces ullas tractabilis audit;
the fates stand against it, and a god stops the man’s gentle ears.
fata obstant, placidasque viri deus obstruit auris.
And just as when north winds from the Alps strive with one another,
Ac, velut annoso validam cum robore quercum
now from this side, now from that, with their blasts,
Alpini Boreae nunc hinc nunc flatibus illinc
to uproot a sturdy oak strong in its aged trunk; a creaking goes up,
eruere inter se certant; it stridor, et altae
and the high leaves strew the ground as the trunk is shaken;
consternunt terram concusso stipite frondes;
the tree itself clings to the rocks, and as far as it stretches its crown
ipsa haeret scopulis, et, quantum vertice ad auras
toward the airs of heaven, so far it reaches with its root toward Tartarus:
aetherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit:
not otherwise is the hero battered by ceaseless words on this side and that,
haud secus adsiduis hinc atque hinc vocibus heros
and feels the pangs deep in his great heart;
tunditur, et magno persentit pectore curas;
his mind stays unmoved; the tears roll down in vain.
mens immota manet; lacrimae volvuntur inanes.
Then indeed unhappy Dido, terrified by the fates,
Tum vero infelix fatis exterrita Dido
prays for death; she is weary of looking on the vault of heaven.
mortem orat; taedet caeli convexa tueri.
That she may the more carry through what she has begun and leave the light,
Quo magis inceptum peragat lucemque relinquat,
she saw, as she laid offerings on the incense-burning altars —
vidit, turicremis cum dona imponeret aris,
horrible to tell — the holy waters turn black,
horrendum dictu, latices nigrescere sacros,
and the poured wine change to a foul gore.
fusaque in obscenum se vertere vina cruorem.
This sight she told to no one, not even to her sister.
Hoc visum nulli, non ipsi effata sorori.
Besides, there was within the palace a marble shrine
Praeterea fuit in tectis de marmore templum
of her former husband, which she tended with wondrous reverence,
coniugis antiqui, miro quod honore colebat,
wreathed with snow-white fleeces and festal boughs:
velleribus niveis et festa fronde revinctum:
from here voices were heard, and the words of her husband
hinc exaudiri voces et verba vocantis
seemed to call her, when dark night held the earth;
visa viri, nox cum terras obscura teneret;
and on the rooftops the owl, alone, with its funereal song,
solaque culminibus ferali carmine bubo
often complained, and drew out its long notes into a wail;
saepe queri et longas in fletum ducere voces;
and besides, the many predictions of seers of old
multaque praeterea vatum praedicta priorum
appal her with their dread warning. In her dreams fierce Aeneas himself
terribili monitu horrificant. Agit ipse furentem
drives her in her frenzy; and always she seems to be left
in somnis ferus Aeneas; semperque relinqui
alone by herself, always to go a long road, unattended,
sola sibi, semper longam incomitata videtur
and to seek her Tyrians in a desolate land.
ire viam, et Tyrios deserta quaerere terra.
As when, in his madness, Pentheus sees the ranks of the Furies,
Eumenidum veluti demens videt agmina Pentheus,
and a double sun, and Thebes showing itself doubled;
et solem geminum et duplicis se ostendere Thebas;
or as Orestes, son of Agamemnon, hounded across the stage,
aut Agamemnonius scaenis agitatus Orestes
when he flees his mother armed with torches and black serpents,
armatam facibus matrem et serpentibus atris
and the avenging Dirae sit on the threshold.
cum fugit, ultricesque sedent in limine Dirae.
So when, overcome by grief, she conceived the madness,
Ergo ubi concepit furias evicta dolore
and resolved to die, she settles within herself the time and the manner,
decrevitque mori, tempus secum ipsa modumque
and, approaching her grieving sister with words,
exigit, et, maestam dictis adgressa sororem,
hides her purpose in her face, and brightens her brow with hope:
consilium voltu tegit, ac spem fronte serenat:
"I have found a way, my sister — rejoice for your sister —
Inveni, germana, viam—gratare sorori—
that will give him back to me, or free me, loving, from him.
quae mihi reddat eum, vel eo me solvat amantem.
Near the bound of Ocean and the setting sun
Oceani finem iuxta solemque cadentem
is the farthest land of the Ethiopians, where greatest Atlas
ultimus Aethiopum locus est, ubi maxumus Atlas
turns on his shoulder the heaven set with blazing stars:
axem humero torquet stellis ardentibus aptum:
from there a priestess of the Massylian people has been shown to me,
hinc mihi Massylae gentis monstrata sacerdos,
guardian of the temple of the Hesperides, who gave the dragon its feasts
Hesperidum templi custos, epulasque draconi
and kept the sacred boughs on the tree,
quae dabat, et sacros servabat in arbore ramos,
sprinkling moist honey and sleep-bringing poppy.
spargens umida mella soporiferumque papaver.
She promises with her spells to release what minds she will,
Haec se carminibus promittit solvere mentes
but to send harsh cares upon others,
quas velit, ast aliis duras immittere curas,
to stay the water in rivers, and to turn the stars backward;
sistere aquam fluviis, et vertere sidera retro;
she stirs the Shades by night: you will see the ground bellow
nocturnosque movet Manis: mugire videbis
beneath your feet, and the ash-trees come down from the mountains.
sub pedibus terram, et descendere montibus ornos.
I call to witness, dear one, the gods, and you, my sister, and your
Testor, cara, deos et te, germana, tuumque
sweet life, that against my will I gird myself to the magic arts.
dulce caput, magicas invitam accingier artes.
Do you, in secret, in the inner court, raise a pyre to the open air,
Tu secreta pyram tecto interiore sub auras
and place upon it the man’s arms, which the impious one left hanging
erige, et arma viri, thalamo quae fixa reliquit
in the chamber, and all his belongings, and the marriage-bed
impius, exuviasque omnis, lectumque iugalem,
on which I perished: it is my joy to blot out all
quo perii, superimponas: abolere nefandi
the memorials of the accursed man, and the priestess so directs."
cuncta viri monumenta iuvat, monstratque sacerdos.
Having said this, she falls silent; and pallor at once takes her face.
Haec effata silet; pallor simul occupat ora.
Yet Anna does not believe that her sister veils her own funeral
Non tamen Anna novis praetexere funera sacris
with these strange rites, nor does she conceive in her mind such frenzies,
germanam credit, nec tantos mente furores
nor fear anything worse than at the death of Sychaeus:
concipit, aut graviora timet, quam morte Sychaei:
so she makes ready what is bidden.
ergo iussa parat.
But the queen, when the pyre, in the inmost court, has been raised to the air,
At regina, pyra penetrali in sede sub auras
huge with pine-torches and cut ilex,
erecta ingenti taedis atque ilice secta,
hangs the place with garlands and crowns it with funereal
intenditque locum sertis, et fronde coronat
boughs; upon it she lays his belongings and the sword he left,
funerea; super exuvias ensemque relictum
and his image on the couch, not unaware of what is to come.
effigiemque toro locat, haud ignara futuri.
Altars stand around, and the priestess, her hair let loose,
Stant arae circum, et crines effusa sacerdos
thunders out with her voice three hundred gods, Erebus and Chaos,
ter centum tonat ore deos, Erebumque Chaosque,
and threefold Hecate, the three faces of the virgin Diana.
tergeminamque Hecaten, tria virginis ora Dianae.
She had also sprinkled waters feigned to be from the spring of Avernus,
Sparserat et latices simulatos fontis Averni,
and herbs are sought, reaped by moonlight with bronze sickles,
falcibus et messae ad lunam quaeruntur aënis
downy with the milk of black poison;
pubentes herbae nigri cum lacte veneni;
and the love-charm torn from the brow of a new-born foal
quaeritur et nascentis equi de fronte revolsus
and snatched from its mother is sought.
et matri praereptus amor.
She herself, with the sacred meal and with pious hands, beside the altars,
Ipsa mola manibusque piis altaria iuxta,
one foot bared of its sandal, her robe ungirt,
unum exuta pedem vinclis, in veste recincta,
calls the gods to witness, about to die, and the stars that know
testatur moritura deos et conscia fati
her fate; then she prays to whatever power, just and mindful,
sidera; tum, si quod non aequo foedere amantes
has in its care lovers bound by an unequal compact.
curae numen habet iustumque memorque, precatur.
It was night, and weary bodies were taking peaceful sleep
Nox erat, et placidum carpebant fessa soporem
throughout the lands, and the woods and the wild seas had grown still:
corpora per terras, silvaeque et saeva quierant
when the stars wheel at their mid-course,
aequora: cum medio volvuntur sidera lapsu,
when every field is silent, the flocks and the painted birds,
cum tacet omnis ager, pecudes pictaeque volucres,
all that hold the wide clear lakes, and the rough thorny
quaeque lacus late liquidos, quaeque aspera dumis
country, laid to rest in sleep beneath the silent night,
rura tenent, somno positae sub nocte silenti
soothed their cares, their hearts forgetful of toils.
lenibant curas, et corda oblita laborum.
But not the unhappy Phoenician in her heart, nor ever
At non infelix animi Phoenissa, nec umquam
is she loosed into sleep, nor takes the night into her eyes or heart:
Solvitur in somnos, oculisve aut pectore noctem
her cares redouble, and rising again
accipit: ingeminant curae, rursusque resurgens
love rages, and she heaves on a great tide of wrath.
saevit amor, magnoque irarum fluctuat aestu.
So she persists, and thus turns it over in her heart:
Sic adeo insistit, secumque ita corde volutat:
"See, what am I to do? Shall I, mocked, try my former suitors again,
En, quid ago? Rursusne procos inrisa priores
and seek, a suppliant, marriage among the Numidians,
experiar, Nomadumque petam conubia supplex,
whom I have so often already disdained as husbands?
quos ego sim totiens iam dedignata maritos?
Shall I then follow the Trojan fleets and the last
Iliacas igitur classes atque ultima Teucrum
commands of the Trojans? Because it pleases them that I once helped and relieved them,
iussa sequar? Quiane auxilio iuvat ante levatos,
and gratitude for an old deed stands firm with the mindful?
et bene apud memores veteris stat gratia facti?
But who — suppose I wished it — would let me, or take me, hateful,
Quis me autem, fac velle, sinet, ratibusve superbis
onto his proud ships? Do you not know, alas, ruined one, and not yet
invisam accipiet? Nescis heu, perdita, necdum
do you feel the perjuries of Laomedon’s race?
Laomedonteae sentis periuria gentis?
What then? Shall I, alone, accompany the exulting sailors in their flight,
Quid tum, sola fuga nautas comitabor ovantes,
or, attended by the Tyrians and all the band of my people,
an Tyriis omnique manu stipata meorum
fall upon them — and those whom I scarcely tore from the Sidonian city
inferar, et, quos Sidonia vix urbe revelli,
drive again over the sea, and bid them spread sail to the winds?
rursus agam pelago, et ventis dare vela iubebo?
No — die, as you have deserved, and turn aside your grief with the sword.
Quin morere, ut merita es, ferroque averte dolorem.
You, overcome by my tears — you, sister, first loaded me, frenzied,
Tu lacrimis evicta meis, tu prima furentem
with these woes, and flung me to the enemy.
his, germana, malis oneras atque obicis hosti.
Was I not allowed to live a life free of marriage, without guilt,
Non licuit thalami expertem sine crimine vitam
in the manner of a wild creature, and not to touch such cares?
degere, more ferae, tales nec tangere curas!
The faith promised to Sychaeus’s ashes was not kept!"
Non servata fides cineri promissa Sychaeo!
Such great laments she was breaking from her breast.
Tantos illa suo rumpebat pectore questus.
Aeneas, on the high stern, now sure of going,
Aeneas celsa in puppi, iam certus eundi,
was taking his sleep, all duly made ready.
carpebat somnos, rebus iam rite paratis.
To him the form of the god, returning with the same face,
Huic se forma dei voltu redeuntis eodem
offered itself in his sleep, and again seemed thus to warn him —
obtulit in somnis, rursusque ita visa monere est—
in all things like Mercury, in voice and colour
omnia Mercurio similis, vocemque coloremque
and golden hair and limbs graced with youth:
et crinis flavos et membra decora iuventa:
"Son of a goddess, can you draw out your sleep in such a crisis,
Nate dea, potes hoc sub casu ducere somnos,
and not see the dangers that next stand around you,
nec, quae te circum stent deinde pericula, cernis,
madman, nor hear the West Winds blowing fair?
demens, nec Zephyros audis spirare secundos?
She is turning over tricks and a dread crime in her heart,
Illa dolos dirumque nefas in pectore versat,
resolved to die, and heaves on a shifting tide of wrath.
certa mori, varioque irarum fluctuat aestu.
Do you not flee headlong from here, while there is power to hasten?
Non fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitare potestas?
Soon you will see the sea churned with timbers, and fierce torches
Iam mare turbari trabibus, saevasque videbis
blazing, soon the shores seething with flames,
conlucere faces, iam fervere litora flammis,
if Dawn finds you lingering on these lands.
si te his attigerit terris Aurora morantem.
Up, come, break off delays. A fickle and ever-changing thing
Heia age, rumpe moras. Varium et mutabile semper
is woman." So saying, he mingled himself with the black night.
femina. Sic fatus, nocti se immiscuit atrae.
Then indeed Aeneas, terrified by the sudden phantom,
Tum vero Aeneas, subitis exterritus umbris,
snatches his body from sleep, and rouses his comrades:
corripit e somno corpus, sociosque fatigat:
"Awake in haste, men, and sit to the benches;
Praecipites vigilate, viri, et considite transtris;
loose the sails quickly. A god, sent from high heaven,
solvite vela citi. Deus aethere missus ab alto
again, behold, urges us to speed our flight and cut the twisted cables.
festinare fugam tortosque incidere funes
We follow you, holy one of the gods,
ecce iterum stimulat. Sequimur te, sancte deorum,
whoever you are, and again obey your command, rejoicing.
quisquis es, imperioque iterum paremus ovantes.
Be with us, O, and graciously help, and bring favourable stars
Adsis o placidusque iuves, et sidera caelo
in the sky." He spoke, and snatched his sword from the sheath,
dextra feras. Dixit, vaginaque eripit ensem
flashing, and with the drawn blade struck the mooring-ropes.
fulmineum, strictoque ferit retinacula ferro.
The same ardour grips them all at once, and they snatch and rush;
Idem omnes simul ardor habet, rapiuntque ruuntque;
they have left the shores; the sea is hidden beneath the fleets;
litora deseruere; latet sub classibus aequor;
straining, they churn the foam and sweep the blue waters.
adnixi torquent spumas et caerula verrunt.
And now Aurora, leaving Tithonus’s saffron bed,
Et iam prima novo spargebat lumine terras
was first sprinkling the earth with new light.
Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile.
When the queen, from her watchtower, first saw the light whitening,
Regina e speculis ut primum albescere lucem
and the fleet move out with even sails,
vidit, et aequatis classem procedere velis,
and felt the shores and harbours empty, without an oarsman,
litoraque et vacuos sensit sine remige portus,
three and four times striking her lovely breast with her hand,
terque quaterque manu pectus percussa decorum,
and tearing her golden hair, "By Jupiter," she says, "shall he go,
flaventesque abscissa comas, Pro Iuppiter, ibit
and shall the newcomer have mocked our realm?
hic ait et nostris inluserit advena regnis?
Will they not make ready arms, and follow from the whole city,
Non arma expedient, totaque ex urbe sequentur,
and others drag the ships from the docks? Go,
deripientque rates alii navalibus? Ite,
bring fire quickly, set the sails, ply the oars! —
ferte citi flammas, date vela, impellite remos!—
What am I saying? Or where am I? What madness alters my mind?
Quid loquor, aut ubi sum? Quae mentem insania mutat?
Unhappy Dido, now his impious deeds touch you to the quick.
Infelix Dido, nunc te facta impia tangunt.
It was fitting then, when you gave him the sceptre. — Behold the right hand and the faith
Tum decuit, cum sceptra dabas.—En dextra fidesque,
of him who, they say, carries his fathers’ Penates with him,
quem secum patrios aiunt portare Penates,
who took on his shoulders a father worn out with age!
quem subiisse umeris confectum aetate parentem!
Could I not have seized and torn his body apart, and scattered it
Non potui abreptum divellere corpus, et undis
on the waves? Could I not have destroyed his comrades, and Ascanius himself,
spargere? Non socios, non ipsum absumere ferro
with the sword, and set him to be eaten at his father’s table?
Ascanium, patriisque epulandum ponere mensis?—
But the fortune of the fight would have been doubtful — let it have been so.
Verum anceps pugnae fuerat fortuna:—fuisset.
Whom did I fear, when doomed to die? I should have borne fire into the camp,
Quem metui moritura? Faces in castra tulissem,
and filled the gangways with flames, and wiped out the son and the father
implessemque foros flammis, natumque patremque
together with the race, and given myself over to die on top of them.
cum genere extinxem, memet super ipsa dedissem.
Sun, who with your flames survey all the works of the lands,
Sol, qui terrarum flammis opera omnia lustras,
and you, Juno, witness and go-between of these cares,
tuque harum interpres curarum et conscia Iuno,
and Hecate, wailed at by night at the crossroads through the cities,
nocturnisque Hecate triviis ululata per urbes,
and avenging Dirae, and gods of the dying Elissa,
et Dirae ultrices, et di morientis Elissae,
receive these words, turn your power, as is deserved, upon the wicked,
accipite haec, meritumque malis advertite numen,
and hear my prayers. If it is decreed that the accursed creature
et nostras audite preces. Si tangere portus
must reach harbour and swim to land,
infandum caput ac terris adnare necesse est,
and if the fates of Jove so demand, this is the fixed end:
et sic fata Iovis poscunt, hic terminus haeret:
yet harried by war and the arms of a bold people,
at bello audacis populi vexatus et armis,
an exile from his borders, torn from the embrace of Iulus,
finibus extorris, complexu avulsus Iuli,
let him beg for help, and see the unworthy deaths
auxilium imploret, videatque indigna suorum
of his own; nor, when he has surrendered under the terms of an unjust peace,
funera; nec, cum se sub leges pacis iniquae
let him enjoy his kingdom or the light he longs for,
tradiderit, regno aut optata luce fruatur,
but let him fall before his day, and lie unburied on the open sand.
sed cadat ante diem, mediaque inhumatus harena.
This I pray, this last cry I pour out with my blood.
Haec precor, hanc vocem extremam cum sanguine fundo.
Then you, O Tyrians, pursue with hatred his stock and all the race to come,
Tum vos, o Tyrii, stirpem et genus omne futurum
and send these offerings to my ashes.
exercete odiis, cinerique haec mittite nostro
Let there be no love between the peoples, no treaties.
munera. Nullus amor populis, nec foedera sunto.
Arise, some avenger, from my bones,
Exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor,
to hound the Dardan settlers with fire and sword,
qui face Dardanios ferroque sequare colonos,
now, hereafter, at whatever time the strength shall offer itself.
nunc, olim, quocumque dabunt se tempore vires.
Shores against shores, waves against waves, I pray,
Litora litoribus contraria, fluctibus undas
arms against arms; let them fight, themselves and their descendants."
imprecor, arma armis; pugnent ipsique nepotesque.
She says this, and turned her mind in every direction,
Haec ait, et partis animum versabat in omnis,
seeking to break off as soon as possible the hateful light.
invisam quaerens quam primum abrumpere lucem.
Then briefly she addressed Barce, the nurse of Sychaeus;
Tum breviter Barcen nutricem adfata Sychaei;
for the black ash held her own in her ancient homeland:
namque suam patria antiqua cinis ater habebat:
"Dear nurse, bring my sister Anna here to me;
Annam cara mihi nutrix huc siste sororem;
tell her to hasten to sprinkle her body with river water,
dic corpus properet fluviali spargere lympha,
and to bring with her the victims and the appointed offerings of atonement:
et pecudes secum et monstrata piacula ducat:
so let her come; and you yourself, veil your temples with the holy fillet.
sic veniat; tuque ipsa pia tege tempora vitta.
The rites to Stygian Jove, which I have duly begun and made ready,
Sacra Iovi Stygio, quae rite incepta paravi,
it is my purpose to complete, and to put an end to my cares,
perficere est animus, finemque imponere curis,
and to give over to the flame the pyre of the Dardan’s image."
Dardaniique rogum capitis permittere flammae.
So she speaks: the nurse hastened her step with an old woman’s zeal.
Sic ait: illa gradum studio celerabat anili.
But Dido, trembling, and savage with her monstrous undertaking,
At trepida, et coeptis immanibus effera Dido,
rolling her bloodshot gaze, her quivering cheeks
sanguineam volvens aciem, maculisque trementis
flecked with spots, and pale with the death to come,
interfusa genas, et pallida morte futura,
bursts into the inner thresholds of the house, and climbs
interiora domus inrumpit limina, et altos
the high pyre in frenzy, and unsheathes the sword
conscendit furibunda rogos, ensemque recludit
of Troy, a gift not sought for such uses.
Dardanium, non hos quaesitum munus in usus.
Here, after she beheld the Trojan garments and the familiar couch,
Hic, postquam Iliacas vestes notumque cubile
pausing a little in tears and in thought,
conspexit, paulum lacrimis et mente morata,
she lay down on the couch, and spoke her last words:
incubuitque toro, dixitque novissima verba:
"Sweet relics, while the fates and the god allowed,
Dulces exuviae, dum fata deusque sinebant,
receive this soul, and free me from these cares.
accipite hanc animam, meque his exsolvite curis.
I have lived, and the course that fortune gave I have run,
Vixi, et, quem dederat cursum fortuna, peregi,
and now a great image of me will go beneath the earth.
et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago.
I founded a glorious city; I saw my own walls;
Urbem praeclaram statui; mea moenia vidi;
avenging my husband, I took vengeance on a hostile brother;
ulta virum, poenas inimico a fratre recepi;
happy, alas, too happy, if only the Dardan keels
felix, heu nimium felix, si litora tantum
had never touched our shores!"
numquam Dardaniae tetigissent nostra carinae!
She spoke, and pressing her face to the couch, "I shall die unavenged,
Dixit, et, os impressa toro, Moriemur inultae,
but let me die," she says. "Thus, thus it is my joy to go down among the shades.
sed moriamur ait. Sic, sic iuvat ire sub umbras:
Let the cruel Dardan drink in this fire with his eyes from the deep,
Hauriat hunc oculis ignem crudelis ab alto
and carry with him the omens of our death."
Dardanus, et nostrae secum ferat omina mortis.
She had spoken; and amid such words her companions see her
Dixerat; atque illam media inter talia ferro
fallen upon the sword, and the blade foaming with blood,
conlapsam aspiciunt comites, ensemque cruore
and her hands spattered. A cry goes up to the high
spumantem, sparsasque manus. It clamor ad alta
halls; Rumour runs raving through the shaken city.
atria; concussam bacchatur Fama per urbem.
The houses ring with laments, with groaning and women’s wailing;
Lamentis gemituque et femineo ululatu
the sky resounds with great beatings of the breast,
tecta fremunt; resonat magnis plangoribus aether,
no otherwise than if all Carthage or ancient Tyre were falling
non aliter, quam si immissis ruat hostibus omnis
to an enemy let in, and raging flames
Karthago aut antiqua Tyros, flammaeque furentes
rolled over the roofs of men and of gods.
culmina perque hominum volvantur perque deorum.
Her sister heard it, breathless, and, terrified, in a trembling run,
Audiit exanimis, trepidoque exterrita cursu
fouling her face with her nails and her breast with her fists,
unguibus ora soror foedans et pectora pugnis
rushes through the midst, and calls the dying woman by name:
per medios ruit, ac morientem nomine clamat:
"Was this it, sister? Were you aiming at me with deceit?
Hoc illud, germana, fuit? Me fraude petebas?
Was this what that pyre, what the fires and altars, were preparing for me?
Hoc rogus iste mihi, hoc ignes araeque parabant?
What shall I, forsaken, lament first? Did you scorn your sister
Quid primum deserta querar? Comitemne sororem
as a companion in death? You should have called me to the same fate:
sprevisti moriens? Eadem me ad fata vocasses:
the same grief, the same hour, by the sword, would have taken us both.
idem ambas ferro dolor, atque eadem hora tulisset.
Did I build this even with my own hands, and call with my voice
His etiam struxi manibus, patriosque vocavi
on our fathers’ gods, that I should be cruelly absent while you lay thus?
voce deos, sic te ut posita crudelis abessem?
You have destroyed yourself and me, sister, and your people and the Sidonian
Exstinxti te meque, soror, populumque patresque
fathers and your city. Give me water to bathe her wounds,
Sidonios urbemque tuam. Date volnera lymphis
and, if any last breath still hovers above her,
abluam, et, extremus si quis super halitus errat,
let me catch it with my lips." So saying, she had climbed the high steps,
ore legam. Sic fata, gradus evaserat altos,
and embracing her half-dead sister in her bosom she cherished her,
semianimemque sinu germanam amplexa fovebat
with a groan, and dried the dark blood with her robe.
cum gemitu, atque atros siccabat veste cruores.
She, trying to lift her heavy eyes, faints again;
Illa, graves oculos conata attollere, rursus
the wound, driven deep beneath her breast, gives a hiss.
deficit; infixum stridit sub pectore vulnus.
Three times raising herself, propped on her elbow, she lifted herself;
Ter sese attollens cubitoque adnixa levavit;
three times she rolled back on the couch, and with wandering eyes
ter revoluta toro est, oculisque errantibus alto
she sought the light in the high heaven, and groaned when she found it.
quaesivit caelo lucem, ingemuitque reperta.
Then almighty Juno, pitying her long anguish
Tum Iuno omnipotens, longum miserata dolorem
to release the struggling soul and the bound limbs.
quae luctantem animam nexosque resolveret artus.
For since she was perishing neither by fate nor by a deserved death,
Nam quia nec fato, merita nec morte peribat,
but wretched, before her day, and fired by sudden frenzy,
sed misera ante diem, subitoque accensa furore,
Proserpina had not yet taken the golden lock from her head,
nondum illi flavum Proserpina vertice crinem
nor doomed her life to Stygian Orcus.
abstulerat, Stygioque caput damnaverat Orco.
So dewy Iris, on saffron wings, through the sky,
Ergo Iris croceis per caelum roscida pennis,
trailing a thousand shifting colours against the sun,
mille trahens varios adverso sole colores,
flies down, and stood above her head: "This lock, bidden, I bear
devolat, et supra caput adstitit: Hunc ego Diti
as an offering to Dis, and I free you from that body."
sacrum iussa fero, teque isto corpore solvo.
So she speaks, and with her right hand cuts the lock: and at once all
Sic ait, et dextra crinem secat: omnis et una
the warmth slipped away, and the life withdrew into the winds.
dilapsus calor, atque in ventos vita recessit.
Meanwhile Aeneas now held his course midway with the fleet,
Interea medium Aeneas iam classe tenebat
steady on his way, and cut the waves blackened by the North Wind,
certus iter, fluctusque atros Aquilone secabat,
looking back at the walls that now with the flames of unhappy Elissa
moenia respiciens, quae iam infelicis Elissae
glow bright. What cause has kindled so great a fire
conlucent flammis. Quae tantum accenderit ignem,
lies hidden; but the bitter pangs of a great love
causa latet; duri magno sed amore dolores
profaned, and the knowledge of what a woman in frenzy can do,
polluto, notumque, furens quid femina possit,
lead the Trojans’ hearts through grim foreboding.
triste per augurium Teucrorum pectora ducunt.
When the ships had gained the open sea, and no more
Ut pelagus tenuere rates, nec iam amplius ulla
land met them, sea on every side and on every side sky,
occurrit tellus, maria undique et undique caelum,
a dark blue rain-cloud stood above his head,
olli caeruleus supra caput adstitit imber,
bringing night and storm, and the wave shuddered in the dark.
noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.
Palinurus the helmsman himself, from the high stern:
Ipse gubernator puppi Palinurus ab alta:
"Alas! why have such great storm-clouds ringed the heavens?
Heu! quianam tanti cinxerunt aethera nimbi?
What are you preparing, father Neptune?" Then, having spoken so,
Quidve, pater Neptune, paras? Sic deinde locutus
he bids them gather the tackle and bend to the strong oars,
colligere arma iubet validisque incumbere remis,
and slants the sails aslant the wind, and speaks thus:
obliquatque sinus in ventum, ac talia fatur:
"Great-hearted Aeneas, not though Jupiter as my warrant
Magnanime Aenea, non, si mihi Iuppiter auctor
should pledge it, would I hope to reach Italy under this sky.
spondeat, hoc sperem Italiam contingere caelo.
The winds have shifted and roar across our course, rising
Mutati transversa fremunt et vespere ab atro
from the black west, and the air is packed into cloud.
consurgunt venti, atque in nubem cogitur aër.
Nor are we strong enough to strive against them, nor to hold
Nec nos obniti contra, nec tendere tantum
our course so far. Since Fortune prevails, let us follow,
sufficimus. Superat quoniam Fortuna, sequamur,
and turn our way where she calls. Nor are the faithful
quoque vocat, vertamus iter. Nec litora longe
shores of your brother Eryx far, I think, and the Sicanian harbours,
fida reor fraterna Erycis portusque Sicanos,
if only I rightly remember and retrace the stars I marked."
si modo rite memor servata remetior astra.
Then loyal Aeneas: "Indeed I too have long seen the winds demand this,
Tum pius Aeneas: Equidem sic poscere ventos
and that you strive against them in vain:
iamdudum et frustra cerno te tendere contra:
bend your course with the sails. Could any land be more welcome to me,
Flecte viam velis. An sit mihi gratior ulla,
or where would I sooner bring my weary ships down to rest,
quove magis fessas optem demittere naves,
than the land that keeps for me Dardanian Acestes,
quam quae Dardanium tellus mihi servat Acesten,
and holds in its lap the bones of my father Anchises?"
et patris Anchisae gremio complectitur ossa?
When this was said, they make for harbour, and following Zephyrs
Haec ubi dicta, petunt portus, et vela secundi
fill the sails; the fleet is borne swift over the flood,
intendunt Zephyri; fertur cita gurgite classis,
and at last, glad, they turn in to the familiar sands.
et tandem laeti notae advertuntur harenae.
But from afar, marvelling from the mountain’s high peak
At procul ex celso miratus vertice montis
at their coming and the allied ships, Acestes runs to meet them,
adventum sociasque rates occurrit Acestes,
bristling with javelins and the hide of a Libyan she-bear,
horridus in iaculis et pelle Libystidis ursae,
whom a Trojan mother bore, conceived of the river
Troïa Criniso conceptum flumine mater
Crinisus: not unmindful of his ancient parentage, he
quem genuit: veterum non immemor ille parentum
gives them glad welcome home, and with rustic plenty
gratatur reduces, et gaza laetus agresti
receives them, and comforts the weary with a friend’s store.
excipit, ac fessos opibus solatur amicis.
When the next bright day, at the first rising of the East,
Postera cum primo stellas Oriente fugarat
had put the stars to flight, Aeneas calls his comrades
clara dies, socios in coetum litore ab omni
to assembly from all the shore, and from a mound’s rise speaks:
advocat Aeneas, tumulique ex aggere fatur:
"Great sons of Dardanus, race sprung from the high blood of gods,
Dardanidae magni, genus alto a sanguine divom,
the year’s full circle is complete, the months run out,
annuus exactis completur mensibus orbis,
since we laid in earth the remains and the bones
ex quo reliquias divinique ossa parentis
of my divine father, and hallowed the mournful altars.
Condidimus terra maestasque sacravimus aras.
And now the day is here, if I do not err, which I shall always hold
Iamque dies, nisi fallor, adest, quem semper acerbum,
bitter, always honoured—so you gods have willed.
semper honoratum—sic di voluistis—habebo.
Were I to keep this day an exile in the Gaetulian Syrtes,
Hunc ego Gaetulis agerem si Syrtibus exsul,
or caught on the Argive sea and in the city of Mycenae,
Argolicove mari deprensus et urbe Mycenae;
still I would carry out the yearly vows and the solemn
annua vota tamen sollemnisque ordine pompas
processions in due order, and heap the altars with their gifts.
exsequerer, strueremque suis altaria donis.
Now, beyond hope, at my father’s very ashes and bones—
Nunc ultro ad cineres ipsius et ossa parentis,
not, I think, without purpose, without the will of the gods—
haud equidem sine mente, reor, sine numine divom,
we are present, borne in, entering a friendly harbour.
adsumus et portus delati intramus amicos.
Come then, and let us all keep the glad observance;
Ergo agite, et laetum cuncti celebremus honorem;
let us pray for winds; and may he grant me to bring these rites year by year,
poscamus ventos; atque haec me sacra quotannis
when a city is founded, in temples dedicated to him.
urbe velit posita templis sibi ferre dicatis.
Two head of oxen for each ship Acestes, Trojan-born,
Bina boum vobis Troia generatus Acestes
gives you; summon to the feast the household gods,
dat numero capita in naves; adhibete Penates
both our fathers’ Penates and those our host Acestes worships.
et patrios epulis et quos colit hospes Acestes.
Moreover, if the ninth Dawn shall lift the kindly day
Praeterea, si nona diem mortalibus almum
for mortals and unveil the world with her rays,
Aurora extulerit radiisque retexerit orbem,
I shall set first for the Trojans a contest of swift ships;
prima citae Teucris ponam certamina classis;
and whoever is strong in the foot-race, and who, bold in strength,
quique pedum cursu valet, et qui viribus audax
comes forward better with the javelin and the light arrows,
aut iaculo incedit melior levibusque sagittis,
or trusts to join battle with the raw-hide glove,
seu crudo fidit pugnam committere caestu,
let all attend, and look for the prizes of well-earned victory.
cuncti adsint, meritaeque exspectent praemia palmae.
Keep holy silence, all, and wreathe your brows with boughs."
Ore favete omnes, et cingite tempora ramis.
So speaking, he veils his brows with his mother’s myrtle;
Sic fatus, velat materna tempora myrto;
and the boy Ascanius, and after them the rest of the youth.
hoc puer Ascanius, sequitur quos cetera pubes.
He went from the assembly with many thousands
Ille e concilio multis cum milibus ibat
to the mound, in the midst of a great accompanying throng.
ad tumulum, magna medius comitante caterva.
Here, pouring in due rite two bowls of unmixed wine to Bacchus,
Hic duo rite mero libans carchesia Baccho
he spills them on the ground, two of fresh milk, two of consecrated blood,
fundit humi, duo lacte novo, duo sanguine sacro,
and casts bright crimson flowers, and speaks thus:
purpureosque iacit flores, ac talia fatur:
"Hail, holy father: hail again, ashes recovered
Salve, sancte parens: iterum salvete, recepti
in vain, and my father’s spirit and shade.
nequiquam cineres, animaeque umbraeque paternae.
It was not granted to seek with you the bounds of Italy,
Non licuit fines Italos fataliaque arva,
and the fated fields, and the Ausonian Tiber—whatever it is."
nec tecum Ausonium (quicumque est) quaerere Thybrim.
He had spoken thus, when a gliding serpent from the shrine’s depths
Dixerat haec, adytis cum lubricus anguis ab imis
drew its seven huge coils, its seven windings,
septem ingens gyros, septena volumina traxit,
embracing the mound gently and sliding among the altars,
amplexus placide tumulum lapsusque per aras,
its back marked with sky-blue, and a sheen flecked with gold
caeruleae cui terga notae, maculosus et auro
set its scales ablaze, as in the clouds the rainbow
squamam incendebat fulgor, ceu nubibus arcus
throws a thousand shifting colours against the facing sun.
mille iacit varios adverso sole colores.
Aeneas stood amazed at the sight. The serpent, in its long train,
Obstipuit visu Aeneas. Ille agmine longo
at last winding among the bowls and the smooth cups,
tandem inter pateras et levia pocula serpens
tasted the feast, and again, harmless, withdrew
libavitque dapes, rursusque innoxius imo
beneath the mound, and left the altars it had grazed.
successit tumulo, et depasta altaria liquit.
The more for this he renews the rites begun for his father,
Hoc magis inceptos genitori instaurat honores,
unsure whether to think it the genius of the place or his father’s
incertus, geniumne loci famulumne parentis
attendant spirit: he slays, by custom, two sheep,
esse putet: caedit binas de more bidentes,
as many swine, as many dark-backed bullocks;
totque sues, totidem nigrantis terga iuvencos;
and he poured wine from the bowls, and called on the soul
vinaque fundebat pateris, animamque vocabat
His comrades too, each as his means allow, gladly
Nec non et socii, quae cuique est copia, laeti
bring gifts, load the altars, and slaughter bullocks;
dona ferunt, onerant aras, mactantque iuvencos;
others set cauldrons in rows, and stretched along the grass
ordine aena locant alii, fusique per herbam
lay coals beneath the spits and roast the flesh.
subiciunt veribus prunas et viscera torrent.
The awaited day was come, and now the horses of Phaethon
Exspectata dies aderat, nonamque serena
were bearing the ninth Dawn on in serene light,
Auroram Phaethontis equi iam luce vehebant,
and rumour and the name of famed Acestes
famaque finitimos et clari nomen Acestae
had roused the neighbouring peoples; they had filled the shores with a glad gathering,
excierat; laeto complerant litora coetu,
to see the sons of Aeneas, and some ready to compete.
visuri Aeneadas, pars et certare parati.
First the prizes are set before their eyes in the middle
Munera principio ante oculos circoque locantur
of the ring: sacred tripods and green garlands,
in medio, sacri tripodes viridesque coronae,
and palms, the victors’ reward, and arms, and garments
et palmae pretium victoribus, armaque et ostro
steeped in purple, talents of silver and of gold;
perfusae vestes, argenti aurique talenta;
and from a mound’s centre the trumpet sounds the games begun.
et tuba commissos medio canit aggere ludos.
First, four ships, matched, with heavy oars
Prima pares ineunt gravibus certamina remis
enter the contest, chosen out of all the fleet.
quattuor ex omni delectae classe carinae.
Mnestheus drives the swift Pristis with its keen crew,
Velocem Mnestheus agit acri remige Pristim,
soon Mnestheus the Italian, from whose name comes the line of Memmius;
mox Italus Mnestheus, genus a quo nomine Memmi;
and Gyas the huge Chimaera of huge bulk,
ingentemque Gyas ingenti mole Chimaeram,
a city’s work, which the Dardan youth in triple tier
urbis opus, triplici pubes quam Dardana versu
drive forward, and the oars rise in triple rank;
impellunt, terno consurgunt ordine remi;
and Sergestus, from whom the house of Sergia holds its name,
Sergestusque, domus tenet a quo Sergia nomen,
rides in the great Centaur, and in the sea-blue Scylla
Centauro invehitur magna, Scyllaque Cloanthus
Far out at sea there is a rock, facing the foaming
Est procul in pelago saxum spumantia contra
shores, which, drowned, is beaten at times by swollen
litora, quod tumidis submersum tunditur olim
waves, when the wintry north-westers blot out the stars;
fluctibus, hiberni condunt ubi sidera cori;
in calm it is silent, and from the still water rises
tranquillo silet, immotaque attollitur unda
a level field, a most welcome perch for the sun-loving gulls.
campus, et apricis statio gratissima mergis.
Here father Aeneas set up a green turning-mark
Hic viridem Aeneas frondenti ex ilice metam
of leafy holm-oak, a sign to the sailors, whence to turn
constituit signum nautis pater, unde reverti
back, and where to wheel round their long courses.
scirent, et longos ubi circumflectere cursus.
Then they choose places by lot, and the captains themselves on the sterns,
Tum loca sorte legunt, ipsique in puppibus auro
far off, gleam splendid in gold and purple;
ductores longe effulgent ostroque decori;
the rest of the youth is veiled in poplar leaves,
cetera populea velatur fronde iuventus,
and their bared shoulders, drenched with oil, shine.
nudatosque umeros oleo perfilsa nitescit.
They sit at the thwarts, their arms taut on the oars;
Considunt transtris, intentaque brachia remis;
intent they await the signal, and a throbbing fear
intenti exspectant signum, exsultantiaque haurit
drains their leaping hearts, and the strained longing for glory.
corda pavor pulsans, laudumque arrecta cupido.
Then, when the clear trumpet gave its blast, all at once,
Inde, ubi clara dedit sonitum tuba, finibus omnes,
without delay, sprang from their marks; the sailors’ shout
haud mora, prosiluere suis; ferit aethera clamor
strikes the sky, and the churned waters foam as the arms pull back.
nauticus, adductis spumant freta versa lacertis.
Side by side they cut their furrows, and the whole sea gapes wide,
Infindunt pariter sulcos, totumque dehiscit
torn up by the oars and the three-pronged beaks.
convulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.
Not so headlong in the two-horse contest do the chariots
Non tam praecipites biiugo certamine campum
seize the plain, pouring streamed from the starting-gate,
corripuere, ruuntque effusi carcere currus,
nor do the charioteers shake the waving reins so
nec sic immissis aurigae undantia lora
over the loosed teams, and hang forward to the lash.
concussere iugis pronique in verbera pendent.
Then with the clapping and roar of men and the zeal of the partisans
Tum plausu fremituque virum studiisque faventum
the whole grove rings, and the enclosed shores roll
consonat omne nemus, vocemque inclusa volutant
the sound about, and the struck hills throw the clamour back.
litora, pulsati colles clamore resultant.
Ahead of the rest, slipping out on the first waves,
Effugit ante alios primisque elabitur undis
amid the crowd and the din, flies Gyas; then Cloanthus
turbam inter fremitumque Gyas; quem deinde Cloanthus
follows him, better at the oars, but his pine, heavy,
consequitur, melior remis, sed pondere pinus
holds him back. After these, at an equal interval, the Pristis
tarda tenet. Post hos aequo discrimine Pristis
and the Centaur strive to take the place ahead;
Centaurusque locum tendunt superare priorem;
and now the Pristis has it, now the huge Centaur
et nunc Pristis habet, nunc victam praeterit ingens
passes her, beaten, now both run together, their prows
Centaurus, nunc una ambae iunctisque feruntur
joined, and furrow the salt shallows with their long keels.
frontibus, et longa sulcant vada salsa carina.
And now they were nearing the rock and holding the mark,
Iamque propinquabant scopulo metamque tenebant,
when Gyas, leading and victorious in mid-channel,
cum princeps medioque Gyas in gurgite victor
"Where do you bear off so far to the right of me? This way steer your course;
Quo tantum mihi dexter abis? Huc dirige gressum;
hug the shore, and let the oar-blade graze the rocks on the left;
litus ama, et laevas stringat sine palmula cautes;
let others keep the deep." He spoke; but Menoetes, fearing
altum alii teneant. Dixit; sed caeca Menoetes
hidden rocks, twists the prow off toward the open waves.
saxa timens proram pelagi detorquet ad undas.
"Where do you stray off? Again, make for the rocks, Menoetes!"
Quo diversus abis? iterum Pete saxa, Menoete!
Gyas was calling back with a shout; and look, he sees Cloanthus
cum clamore Gyas revocabat; et ecce Cloanthum
pressing at his stern, and holding the inner line.
respicit instantem tergo, et propiora tenentem.
He, between the ship of Gyas and the resounding rocks,
Ille inter navemque Gyae scopulosque sonantes
grazes the way on the left, inside, and suddenly the leader
radit iter laevum interior, subitoque priorem
he passes, and, the mark left behind, gains safe water.
praeterit, et metis tenet aequora tuta relictis.
Then indeed a vast grief flared in the young man’s bones,
Tum vero exarsit iuveni dolor ossibus ingens,
nor were his cheeks free of tears, and the sluggish Menoetes—
nec lacrimis caruere genae, segnemque Menoeten,
forgetting his own dignity and his comrades’ safety—
oblitus decorisque sui sociumque salutis,
he hurls headlong into the sea from the high stern;
in mare praecipitem puppi deturbat ab alta;
he himself takes the helm as steersman, himself as master,
ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister,
and cheers the men, and turns the tiller toward the shore.
hortaturque viros, clavumque ad litora torquet.
But when Menoetes, heavy, was at last barely given back from the deep bottom,
At gravis, ut fundo vix tandem redditus imo est,
now old and streaming in his soaked garment,
iam senior madidaque fluens in veste Menoetes
he makes for the top of the rock and sat down on the dry crag.
summa petit scopuli siccaque in rupe resedit.
The Teucrians laughed at him both falling and swimming,
Ilium et labentem Teucri et risere natantem,
and laugh as he spits the salt waves from his chest.
et salsos rident revomentem pectore fluctus.
Here glad hope was kindled in the two who were last,
Hic laeta extremis spes est accensa duobus,
Sergestus and Mnestheus, to outstrip the lagging Gyas.
Sergesto Mnestheique, Gyan superare morantem.
Sergestus takes the lead and draws near the rock,
Sergestus capit ante locum scopuloque propinquat,
yet not ahead by a whole keel’s length;
nec tota tamen ille prior praeeunte carina;
ahead in part, in part the rival Pristis presses on his beak.
parte prior, partem rostro premit aemula Pristis.
But Mnestheus, pacing amidships among his very comrades,
At media socios incedens nave per ipsos
urges them on: "Now, now rise to the oars,
hortatur Mnestheus: Nunc, nunc insurgite remis,
comrades of Hector, whom in Troy’s last hour
Hectorei socii, Troiae quos sorte suprema
I chose as companions; now put forth that strength,
delegi comites; nunc illas promite vires,
now that spirit, which you used in the Gaetulian Syrtes,
nunc animos, quibus in Gaetulis Syrtibus usi,
and on the Ionian sea and Malea’s pursuing waves.
Ionioque mari Maleaeque sequacibus undis.
I, Mnestheus, no longer seek the first place, nor strive to win;
Non iam prima peto Mnestheus, neque vincere certo;
though—oh!—but let those win to whom you have granted it, Neptune;
quamquam O!—sed superent, quibus hoc, Neptune, dedisti;
let it shame us to come back last; conquer this much, citizens,
extremos pudeat rediisse; hoc vincite, cives,
and ward off the disgrace." They, in the utmost striving,
et prohibete nefas. Olli certamine summo
bend to it; the bronze-beaked stern quivers with their mighty strokes,
procumbunt; vastis tremit ictibus aerea puppis,
and the sea-floor slides away beneath; then quick panting shakes
subtrahiturque solum; tum creber anhelitus artus
their limbs and parched mouths, the sweat runs everywhere in streams.
aridaque ora quatit, sudor fluit undique rivis.
Chance itself brought the men the honour they longed for.
Attulit ipse viris optatum casus honorem.
For while Sergestus, raging in spirit, drives his prow toward the rocks
Namque furens animi dum proram ad saxa suburguet
on the inside, and comes into a narrow space,
interior, spatioque subit Sergestus iniquo,
the luckless man stuck fast on the jutting rocks.
infelix saxis in procurrentibus haesit.
The crags were jolted, and on the sharp reef the oars,
Concussae cautes, et acuto in murice remi
driven hard, cracked, and the dashed prow hung fast.
obnixi crepuere, inlisaque prora pependit.
The sailors rise and with a great shout hang back,
Consurgunt nautae et magno clamore morantur,
and bring out iron-shod poles and pikes with sharp points,
ferratasque trudes et acuta cuspide contos
and gather the broken oars from the surge.
expediunt, fractosque legunt in gurgite remos.
But Mnestheus, glad, and keener for this very success,
At laetus Mnestheus successuque acrior ipso
with swift sweep of oars and the winds called to aid
agmine remorum celeri ventisque vocatis
makes for the down-sloping seas and runs out over open water.
prona petit maria et pelago decurrit aperto.
As a dove, suddenly startled from her cave,
Qualis spelunca subito commota columba,
whose home and sweet nestlings are in the hollow rock,
cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi,
is borne flying out to the fields, and in fright claps her wings
fertur in ana volans, plausumque exterrita pennis
loudly within the cave, then, gliding through the still air,
dat tecto ingentem, mox aere lapsa quieto
skims her liquid way, and does not stir her swift wings:
radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas:
so Mnestheus, so the Pristis herself in flight cuts the last
sic Mnestheus, sic ipsa fuga secat ultima Pristis
waters, so her own onrush bears her flying.
aequora, sic illam fert impetus ipse volantem.
And first she leaves Sergestus struggling on the high rock
Et primum in scopulo luctantem deserit alto
and in the shallows, calling in vain
Sergestum, brevibusque vadis frustraque vocantem
for help, and learning to run with broken oars.
auxilia, et fractis discentem currere remis
Then she overtakes Gyas and the Chimaera herself of huge bulk;
Inde Gyan ipsamque ingenti mole Chimaeram
she gives way, since she is robbed of her master.
consequitur; cedit, quoniam spoliata magistro est.
And now at the very finish Cloanthus alone is left:
Solus iamque ipso superest in fine Cloanthus:
him she makes for, and, straining with all her strength, presses hard.
quem petit, et summis adnixus viribus urguet.
Then indeed the shout redoubles, and all with their zeal
Tum vero ingeminat clamor, cunctique sequentem
spur on the pursuer, and the sky resounds with the uproar.
instigant studiis, resonatque fragoribus aether.
These think it shame that their own glory and the honour already won
Hi proprium decus et partum indignantur honorem
unless they keep it, and would barter life for glory;
ni teneant, vitamque volunt pro laude pacisci;
success feeds these: they can, because they seem to be able.
hos successus alit: possunt, quia posse videntur.
And perhaps they would have taken the prize with beaks level,
Et fors aequatis cepissent praemia rostris,
had not Cloanthus, stretching both palms to the sea,
ni palmas ponto tendens utrasque Cloanthus
poured out prayers, and called the gods into his vows:
fudissetque preces, divosque in vota vocasset:
"Gods whose is the dominion of the sea, whose waters I run,
Di, quibus imperium est pelagi, quorum aequora curro,
gladly to you on this shore I will set a white bull
vobis laetus ego hoc candentem in litore taurum
before the altars, bound by my vow, and cast the entrails
constituam ante aras, voti reus, extaque salsos
into the salt waves and pour out clear wine."
porriciam in fluctus et vina liquentia fundam.
He spoke, and beneath the lowest waves the whole choir
Dixit, eumque imis sub fluctibus audiit omnis
Nereidum Phorcique chorus Panopeaque virgo,
sped him on his way; she, faster than the South Wind and the winged arrow,
impulit; illa Noto citius volucrique sagitta
fled to land, and hid herself in the deep harbour.
ad terram fugit, et portu se condidit alto.
Then the son of Anchises, all being summoned by custom,
Tum satus Anchisa, cunctis ex more vocatis,
declares Cloanthus victor by the herald’s loud voice,
victorem magna praeconis voce Cloanthum
and veils his brows with green laurel,
declarat viridique advelat tempora lauro,
and gives, for the ships, three bullocks each to choose,
muneraque in naves ternos optare iuvencos,
and wine, and a great talent of silver, to carry off.
vinaque et argenti magnum dat ferre talentum.
To the captains themselves he adds special honours:
Ipsis praecipuos ductoribus addit honores:
to the victor a gold-worked cloak, around which
victori chlamydem auratam, quam plurima circum
and a royal boy, woven in, on leafy Ida
intextusque puer frondosa regius Ida
wearies swift stags with javelin and running,
veloces iaculo cervos cursuque fatigat,
keen, like one panting, whom the bird that bears Jove’s arms,
acer, anhelanti similis, quem praepes ab Ida
swooping from Ida, snatched aloft in its hooked talons;
sublimem pedibus rapuit Iovis armiger uncis;
his aged guardians stretch their palms in vain to the stars,
longaevi palmas nequiquam ad sidera tendunt
and the baying of the hounds rages into the air.
custodes, saevitque canum latratus in auras.
But to him who next by his valour held the second place,
At qui deinde locum tenuit virtute secundum,
a corselet knit of fine links and triple-threaded with gold,
levibus huic hamis consertam auroque trilicem
by the swift Simois under high Ilium,
victor apud rapidum Simoënta sub Ilio alto,
he gives the man to keep, a glory and a guard in arms.
donat habere viro, decus et tutamen in armis.
Vix illam famuli Phegeus Sagarisque ferebant
many-layered, straining on their shoulders; yet once, clad in it,
multiplicem, conixi umeris; indutus at olim
Demoleos at the run would drive the scattered Trojans.
Demoleos cursu palantes Troas agebat.
The third prize he makes a pair of cauldrons of bronze,
Tertia dona facit geminos ex aere lebetas,
and cups wrought of silver and rough with figures.
cymbiaque argento perfecta atque aspera signis.
And now all, gifted and proud of their riches,
Iamque adeo donati omnes opibusque superbi
were going with their brows bound in crimson fillets,
puniceis ibant evincti tempora taenis,
when, torn from the cruel rock with much skill and barely,
cum saevo e scopulo multa vix arte revolsus,
his oars lost and crippled in one bank,
amissis remis atque ordine debilis uno,
Sergestus was bringing his mocked ship in without honour.
inrisam sine honore ratem Sergestus agebat.
As often a serpent, caught on the raised highway,
Qualis saepe viae deprensus in aggere serpens,
which a bronze wheel has crossed aslant, or a traveller
aerea quem obliquum rota transiit, aut gravis ictu
has left half-dead and mangled with a heavy stone-blow;
seminecem liquit saxo lacerumque viator;
fleeing in vain, it makes long writhings with its body,
nequiquam longos fugiens dat corpore tortus,
part of it fierce, its eyes ablaze, and rearing high
parte ferox, ardensque oculis, et sibila colla
its hissing neck, but the part lamed by the wound holds it back,
arduus attollens, pars volnere clauda retentat
as it knots itself in coils and folds upon its own limbs:
nexantem nodis seque in sua membra plicantem:
with such rowing the ship moved slowly along;
tali remigio navis se tarda movebat;
yet she makes sail, and under full sail enters the harbour-mouth.
vela facit tamen, et velis subit ostia plenis.
Aeneas presents Sergestus with the promised gift,
Sergestum Aeneas promisso munere donat,
glad for the ship saved and the comrades brought back.
servatam ob navem laetus sociosque reductos.
To him is given a slave-woman, not unskilled in Minerva’s arts,
Olli serva datur, operum haud ignara Minervae,
a Cretan by birth, Pholoe, and twin sons at her breast.
Cressa genus, Pholoë, geminique sub ubere nati.
This contest done, loyal Aeneas makes his way
Hoc pius Aeneas misso certamine tendit
to a grassy field, which on every side curving hills
gramineum in campum, quem collibus undique curvis
and woods encircled, and in the valley’s midst was the ring
cingebant silvae, mediaque in valle theatri
of a theatre; to which the hero, with many thousands,
circus erat; quo se multis cum milibus heros
bore himself into the gathering’s centre and sat on a raised seat.
consessu medium tulit exstructoque resedit.
Here he tempts the spirits of any who would care to strive
Hic, qui forte velint rapido contendere cursu,
in the swift foot-race with rewards, and sets out prizes.
invitat pretiis animos, et praemia ponit.
From all sides the Teucrians gather, and the Sicanians mingled with them,
Undique conveniunt Teucri mixtique Sicani,
Euryalus marked out by his beauty and green youth,
Euryalus forma insignis viridique iuventa,
Nisus by his loyal love of the boy; whom then there followed
Nisus amore pio pueri; quos deinde secutus
then two Sicilian youths, Helymus and Panopes,
tum duo Trinacrii iuvenes, Helymus Panopesque,
used to the woods, companions of the elder Acestes;
adsueti silvis, comites senioris Acestae;
and many besides, whom dim report hides away.
multi praeterea, quos fama obscura recondit.
Aeneas then, in their midst, spoke thus:
Aeneas quibus in mediis sic deinde locutus:
"Take this to heart, and turn your glad minds to it:
Accipite haec animis, laetasque advertite mentes:
none of this number shall go from me ungifted.
nemo ex hoc numero mihi non donatus abibit.
Two Cnossian darts, bright with polished steel,
Gnosia bina dabo levato lucida ferro
I will give each to carry, and a battle-axe chased with silver;
spicula caelatamque argento ferre bipennem;
for all there will be this one honour. The first three
omnibus hic erit unus honos. Tres praemia primi
shall receive prizes and have their heads bound with pale olive.
accipient flavaque caput nectentur oliva.
Let the first, the victor, have a horse splendid in trappings;
Primus equum phaleris insignem victor habeto;
the second an Amazonian quiver, full of Thracian
alter Amazoniam pharetram plenamque sagittis
arrows, which a belt of broad gold clasps about,
Threïciis, lato quam circum amplectitur auro
and a brooch fastens with a polished gem;
balteus et tereti subnectit fibula gemma;
let the third go content with this Argive helmet."
tertius Argolica hac galea contentus abito.
When this was said, they take their places, and at the signal,
Haec ubi dicta, locum capiunt, signoque repente
suddenly heard, they seize the course, and leave the line,
corripiunt spatia audito, limenque relinquunt,
streaming out like a storm-cloud, while they mark the finish.
effusi nimbo similes, simul ultima signant.
First goes Nisus, and far before all the other bodies
Primus abit longeque ante omnia corpora Nisus
he flashes out, swifter than the winds and the wings of the lightning;
emicat, et ventis et fulminis ocior alis;
next to him, but next by a long interval,
proximus huic, longo sed proxumus intervallo,
follows Salius; then, a space left behind,
insequitur Salius; spatio post deinde relicto
Euryalus third:
tertius Euryalus:
and Helymus follows Euryalus; close upon whom then,
Euryalumque Helymus sequitur; quo deinde sub ipso
look, Diores flies, and grazes heel with heel,
ecce volat calcemque terit iam calce Diores,
leaning on his shoulder, and were more course left,
incumbens umero, spatia et si plura supersint,
he would slip past ahead and leave the issue in doubt.
transeat elapsus prior, ambiguumque relinquat.
And now nearly at the last of the course, and weary, close to the very
Iamque fere spatio extremo fessique sub ipsam
end they were coming, when Nisus, luckless, slips
finem adventabant, levi cum sanguine Nisus
in the slick blood, where by chance, bullocks being slain,
labitur infelix, caesis ut forte iuvencis
it had drenched the ground and the green grass above.
fusus humum viridisque super madefecerat herbas.
Here the young man, already exulting in victory, did not keep
Hic iuvenis iam victor ovans vestigia presso
his footing, that faltered on the pressed ground, but headlong
haud tenuit titubata solo, sed pronus in ipso
he fell on the very filth of dung and the consecrated gore.
concidit immundoque fimo sacroque cruore.
Yet not of Euryalus, not of his love was he forgetful;
Non tamen Euryali, non ille oblitus amorum;
for, rising through the slippery ground, he threw himself in Salius’s way;
nam sese opposuit Salio per lubrica surgens;
and he lay rolled over on the packed sand.
ille autem spissa iacuit revolutus harena.
Euryalus flashes out, and, victor by his friend’s gift,
Emicat Euryalus, et munere victor amici
takes first place, and flies amid favouring applause and din.
prima tenet, plausuque volat fremituque secundo.
Behind comes Helymus, and now Diores is the third palm.
Post Helymus subit, et nunc tertia palma Diores.
Here Salius fills the whole assembly of the great hollow,
Hic totum caveae consessum ingentis et ora
and the front faces of the elders, with great outcries,
prima patrum magnis Salius clamoribus implet,
and demands that the honour, snatched by a trick, be given back to him.
ereptumque dolo reddi sibi poscit honorem.
Favour protects Euryalus, and his becoming tears,
Tutatur favor Euryalum, lacrimaeque decorae,
and worth more welcome coming in a beautiful body.
gratior et pulchro veniens in corpore virtus.
Diores helps him and cries out with a great voice,
Adiuvat et magna proclamat voce Diores,
he who came up to the palm, and came in vain to the prizes,
qui subiit palmae, frustraque ad praemia venit
the last ones, if the first honours are given back to Salius.
ultima, si primi Salio reddentur honores.
Then father Aeneas: "Your prizes," he says, "remain
Tum pater Aeneas Vestra inquit munera vobis
yours and sure, my boys, and no one shifts the palm from its order;
certa manent, pueri, et palmam movet ordine nemo;
let me be allowed to pity the mishap of a guiltless friend."
me liceat casus misereri insontis amici.
So speaking, he gives to Salius the huge hide of a Gaetulian
Sic fatus, tergum Gaetuli immane leonis
lion, heavy with its shag and with gilded claws.
dat Salio, villis onerosum atque unguibus aureis.
Here Nisus: "If the prizes for the beaten are so great,
Hic Nisus, Si tanta inquit sunt praemia victis,
and you pity those who have fallen, what gifts will you give
et te lapsorum miseret, quae munera Niso
worthy of Nisus, who earned the first crown by merit,
digna dabis, primam merui qui laude coronam,
had not the same hostile fortune that took Salius taken me?"
ni me, quae Salium, fortuna inimica tulisset?
And with these words at once he showed his face and limbs
Et simul his dictis faciem ostentabat et udo
foul with wet dung. The best of fathers laughed at him
turpia membra fimo. Risit pater optimus olli
and bade a shield be brought out, the work of Didymaon,
et clipeum efferri iussit, Didymaonis artem,
unfastened by the Greeks from Neptune’s sacred doorpost.
Neptuni sacro Danais de poste refixum.
With this surpassing gift he rewards the excellent youth.
Hoc iuvenem egregium praestanti munere donat;
Afterwards, when the races were finished and he had dealt out the gifts:
Post, ubi confecti cursus, et dona peregit:
"Now, if any has valour and a ready spirit in his breast,
Nunc, si cui virtus animusque in pectore praesens,
let him come, and lift his arms with palms bound up."
adsit, et evinctis attollat brachia palmis.
So he speaks, and sets out a double prize for the fight,
Sic ait, et geminum pugnae proponit honorem,
for the victor a bullock decked with gold and fillets,
victori velatum auro vittisque iuvencum,
a sword and a splendid helmet, comforts for the beaten.
ensem atque insignem galeam solacia victo.
No delay: at once Dares lifts up his face with vast
Nec mora: continuo vastis cum viribus effert
strength, and rises amid a great murmur of the men;
ora Dares, magnoque virum se murmure tollit;
he alone, wont to contend against Paris,
solus qui Paridem solitus contendere contra,
and the same who, at the mound where greatest Hector lies,
idemque ad tumulum, quo maximus occubat Hector,
and stretched him dying on the tawny sand.
perculit, et fulva moribundum extendit harena.
Such, Dares lifts his head high for the first bouts,
Talis prima Dares caput altum in proelia tollit,
and shows his broad shoulders, and throws out alternate
ostenditque umeros latos, alternaque iactat
arms, stretching them forth, and lashes the air with blows.
brachia protendens, et verberat ictibus auras.
A match is sought for him; nor does anyone out of so great a throng
Quaeritur huic alius; nec quisquam ex agmine tanto
dare to face the man and draw the gloves on his hands.
audet adire virum manibusque inducere caestus.
So, eager, and thinking all yielded the palm to him,
Ergo alacris, cunctosque putans excedere palma,
he stood before Aeneas’s feet, and with no more delay,
Aeneae stetit ante pedes, nec plura moratus
then holds the bull by the horn with his left hand, and speaks thus:
tum laeva taurum cornu tenet, atque ita fatur:
"Goddess-born, if no one dares trust himself to the fight,
Nate dea, si nemo audet se credere pugnae,
what end is there to standing here? How long must I be kept waiting?
quae finis standi? Quo me decet usque teneri?
Bid me lead off the gifts." All together the sons of Dardanus
Ducere dona iube. Cuncti simul ore fremebant
murmured assent, and bade the promised things be given to the man.
Dardanidae, reddique viro promissa iubebant.
as he sat nearest on a cushion of green grass:
proximus ut viridante toro consederat herbae:
"Entellus, once the bravest of heroes, but in vain,
Entelle, heroum quondam fortissime frustra,
will you so patiently let such great prizes
tantane tam patiens nullo certamine tolli
be carried off with no contest? Where now for us is that god, your master,
dona sines? Ubi nunc nobis deus ille magister
Eryx, named to no purpose? Where is your fame through all
nequiquam memoratus Eryx? Ubi fama per omnem
Sicily, and those spoils hanging in your halls?"
Trinacriam, et spolia illa tuis pendentia tectis?
He, to this: "The love of praise has not gone, nor glory
Ille sub haec: Non laudis amor, nec gloria cessit
driven off by fear; but my blood, chilled by slowing age,
pulsa metu; sed enim gelidus tardante senecta
is dull, and the worn-out strength is cold in my body.
sanguis hebet, frigentque effetae in corpore vires.
If I had that youth which once was mine, in which that shameless fellow
Si mihi, quae quondam fuerat, quaque improbus iste
glories, trusting—if it were now mine, that youth,
exsultat fidens, si nunc foret illa iuventas,
I would not, lured by a prize and a fine bullock,
haud equidem pretio inductus pulchroque iuvenco
have come forward; nor do I care for the gifts." So then speaking,
venissem, nec dona moror. Sic deinde locutus
he threw into the midst a pair of gloves of monstrous weight,
in medium geminos immani pondere caestus
with which keen Eryx was used to come into the fights,
proiecit, quibus acer Eryx in proelia suetus
bearing his hand, and binding his arms with the hard hide.
ferre manum, duroque intendere brachia tergo.
Their spirits were astounded: the huge hides of seven
Obstipuere animi: tantorum ingentia septem
great oxen stiffened with sewn-in lead and iron.
terga boum plumbo insuto ferroque rigebant.
Before all Dares himself is stunned, and refuses outright;
Ante omnes stupet ipse Dares, longeque recusat;
and the great-hearted son of Anchises turns this way and that
magnanimusque Anchisiades et pondus et ipsa
both the weight and the vast windings of the thongs.
huc illuc vinclorum immensa volumina versat.
Then the old man brought forth such words from his breast:
Tum senior talis referebat pectore voces:
"What, if any had seen the gloves of Hercules himself and his arms,
Quid, si quis caestus ipsius et Herculis arma
and the grim fight on this very shore?
vidisset, tristemque hoc ipso in litore pugnam?
These arms your brother Eryx once bore;—
Haec germanus Eryx quondam tuus arma gerebat;—
you see them still stained with blood and spattered brain;—
sanguine cernis adhuc sparsoque infecta cerebro;—
with these he stood against great Alcides; with these I was used,
his magnum Alciden contra stetit; his ego suetus,
while better blood gave me strength, and rival age
dum melior vires sanguis dabat, aemula necdum
had not yet sprinkled white on my two temples.
temporibus geminis canebat sparsa senectus.
But if Trojan Dares refuses these arms of ours,
Sed si nostra Dares haec Troius arma recusat,
and this is settled with loyal Aeneas, and Acestes my backer approves,
idque pio sedet Aeneae, probat auctor Acestes,
let us make the fight even. I waive Eryx’s hides for you;
aequemus pugnas. Erycis tibi terga remitto;
put off your fear; and you, take off your Trojan gloves."
solve metus; et tu Troianos exue caestus.
So speaking, he threw back the double cloak from his shoulders,
Haec fatus, duplicem ex umeris reiecit amictum
and bared the great joints of his limbs, the great bones and arms,
et magnos membrorum artus, magna ossa lacertosque
and, huge, took his stand in the middle of the sand.
exuit, atque ingens media consistit harena.
Then the son of Anchises, the father, brought out matched gloves,
Tum satus Anchisa caestus pater extulit aequos,
and bound the hands of both with equal arms.
et paribus palmas amborum innexuit armis.
At once each took his stand, drawn up on his toes,
Constitit in digitos extemplo arrectus uterque,
and undaunted lifted his arms to the upper air.
brachiaque ad superas interritus extulit auras.
They drew their high heads far back from the blow,
Abduxere retro longe capita ardua ab ictu,
and mingle hand with hand, and provoke the fight.
immiscentque manus manibus, pugnamque lacessunt.
The one better in the play of feet, and trusting in his youth;
Ille pedum melior motu, fretusque iuventa;
the other strong in limb and bulk, but his slow knees
hic membris et mole valens, sed tarda trementi
give way trembling, sick panting shakes his huge frame.
genua labant, vastos quatit aeger anhelitus artus.
Many blows the men fling at each other in vain,
Multa viri nequiquam inter se volnera iactant,
many they redouble on the hollow flank, and from the chest
multa cavo lateri ingeminant, et pectore vastos
draw great sounds, and the hand strays often about the ears
dant sonitus, erratque auris et tempora circum
and temples, the jaws rattle under the hard blow.
crebra manus, duro crepitant sub volnere malae.
Heavy Entellus stands, unmoved in the same stance,
Stat gravis Entellus nisuque immotus eodem,
and only with his body and watchful eyes avoids the strokes.
corpore tela modo atque oculis vigilantibus exit.
The other, like one who storms a high city with siege-works,
Ille, velut celsam oppugnat qui molibus urbem,
or sits under arms about a mountain stronghold,
aut montana sedet circum castella sub armis,
now tries these approaches, now those, and ranges over the whole
nunc hos, nunc illos aditus, omnemque pererrat
ground with skill, and presses on, baffled, with varied assaults.
arte locum, et variis adsultibus inritus urguet.
Entellus, rising up, showed his right hand, and high
Ostendit dextram insurgens Entellus, et alte
he raised it: the other, quick, foresaw the blow coming
extulit: ille ictum venientem a vertice velox
down from above, and, slipping aside with his nimble body, gave way.
praevidit, celerique elapsus corpore cessit.
Entellus spent his strength on the wind, and, of his own weight,
Entellus vires in ventum effudit, et ultro
heavy himself, came down heavily to the ground with his vast bulk,
ipse gravis graviterque ad terram pondere vasto
as at times a hollow pine falls, uprooted, on Erymanthus,
concidit, ut quondam cava concidit aut Erymantho,
or on great Ida.
aut Ida in magna, radicibus eruta pinus.
The Teucrians and the Sicilian youth rise with their partisanship;
Consurgunt studiis Teucri et Trinacria pubes;
a shout goes to the sky, and Acestes first runs up,
it clamor caelo, primusque accurrit Acestes,
and in pity lifts his friend, his own age, from the ground.
aequaevumque ab humo miserans attollit amicum.
But the hero, neither slowed by the fall nor frightened,
At non tardatus casu neque territus heros
returns the keener to the fight and rouses his force with anger.
acrior ad pugnam redit ac vim suscitat ira.
Then shame kindles his strength, and worth aware of itself,
Tum pudor incendit vires et conscia virtus,
and, blazing, he drives Dares headlong over the whole field,
praecipitemque Daren ardens agit aequore toto,
now redoubling blows with the right, now with the left;
nunc dextra ingeminans ictus, nunc ille sinistra;
no delay, no rest: as thick as the storm-clouds rattle hail
nec mora, nec requies: quam multa grandine nimbi
on the rooftops, so with thick blows the hero
culminibus crepitant, sic densis ictibus heros
strikes fast with either hand and spins Dares about.
creber utraque manu pulsat versatque Dareta.
Then father Aeneas did not let the angers go further,
Tum pater Aeneas procedere longius iras
nor Entellus rage on with bitter spirit;
et saevire animis Entellum haud passus acerbis;
but he set an end to the fight, and the spent Dares
sed finem imposuit pugnae, fessumque Dareta
he rescued, soothing him with words, and speaks thus:
eripuit mulcens dictis, ac talia fatur:
"Luckless man, what so great madness has seized your mind?
Infelix, quae tanta animum dementia cepit?
Do you not feel a strength not yours, and the gods turned against you?
Non vires alias conversaque numina sentis?
Yield to the god." He spoke, and by his voice broke off the fight.
Cede deo. Dixitque et proelia voce diremit.
But him his faithful comrades, as he drags his weak knees,
Ast illum fidi aequales, genua aegra trahentem,
and tosses his head from side to side, and spits thick gore
iactantemque utroque caput, crassumque cruorem
from his mouth, with teeth mingled in the blood,
ore eiectantem mixtosque in sanguine dentes,
lead to the ships; called, they take the helmet and the sword,
ducunt ad naves; galeamque ensemque vocati
and leave the palm and the bull to Entellus.
accipiunt; palmam Entello taurumque relinquunt.
Here the victor, high in spirit and proud of his bull:
Hic victor, superans animis tauroque superbus:
"Goddess-born, and you, Teucrians, learn this," he says,
Nate dea, vosque haec inquit cognoscite, Teucri,
"both what strength was once in my young body,
et mihi quae fuerint iuvenali in corpore vires,
and from what death you save Dares, called back."
et qua servetis revocatum a morte Dareta.
He spoke, and stood facing the head of the bullock,
Dixit, et adversi contra stetit ora iuvenci,
which stood there, the prize of the fight, and, drawing back
qui donum adstabat pugnae, durosque reducta
his right hand, poised the hard gloves between the horns,
libravit dextra media inter cornua caestus,
rising high, and dashed them into the bone, shattering the brain.
arduus, effractoque inlisit in ossa cerebro.
The ox is felled, and lifeless and quivering sinks to the ground.
sternitur exanimisque tremens procumbit humi bos.
Over it he pours out such words from his heart:
Ille super tales effundit pectore voces:
"This better life, Eryx, in place of the death of Dares,
Hanc tibi, Eryx, meliorem animam pro morte Daretis
I pay you; here, as victor, I lay down the gloves and the art."
persolvo; hic victor caestus artemque repono.
At once Aeneas invites any who would care to contend
Protinus Aeneas celeri certare sagitta
with the swift arrow, and sets out prizes,
invitat qui forte velint, et praemia ponit,
and with his mighty hand raises the mast from Serestus’s
ingentique manu malum de nave Seresti
ship, and a fluttering dove, on a cord run through,
erigit, et volucrem traiecto in fune columbam,
hung from the high mast, for them to aim their iron at.
quo tendant ferrum, malo suspendit ab alto.
The men gathered, and a bronze helmet took the lots
Convenere viri, deiectamque aerea sortem
cast in; and first, amid favouring shout,
accepit galea; et primus clamore secundo
before all comes out the place of Hippocoon, son of Hyrtacus;
Hyrtacidae ante omnes exit locus Hippocoöntis;
whom Mnestheus follows, but now victor in the ship-race,
quem modo navali Mnestheus certamine victor
Mnestheus bound with green olive.
consequitur, viridi Mnestheus evinctus oliva.
Pandarus, you who once, bidden to confound the treaty,
Pandare, qui quondam, iussus confundere foedus,
first hurled a shaft into the midst of the Achaeans.
in medios telum torsisti primus Achivos.
Last, at the helmet’s bottom, settled Acestes,
Extremus galeaque ima subsedit Acestes,
daring, himself too, to try with his hand the young men’s task.
ausus et ipse manu iuvenum temptare laborem.
Then with strong force each bends his curved bow,
Tum validis flexos incurvant viribus arcus
each man for himself, and draws shafts from the quivers.
pro se quisque viri, et depromunt tela pharetris.
And first through the sky, the string whirring, the arrow
Primaque per caelum, nervo stridente, sagitta
of the young son of Hyrtacus cleaves the winged airs;
Hyrtacidae iuvenis volucres diverberat auras;
and it comes, and is fixed in the wood of the mast opposite.
et venit, adversique infigitur arbore mali.
The mast quivered, and the bird, frightened, was afraid with beating wings,
Intremuit malus, timuitque exterrita pennis
and all rang with a mighty clapping.
ales, et ingenti sonuerunt omnia plausu.
Then keen Mnestheus took his stand with bow drawn,
Post acer Mnestheus adducto constitit arcu,
aiming high, and aimed eye and shaft alike.
alta petens, pariterque oculos telumque tetendit.
But, luckless, he could not reach the bird itself with the iron:
Ast ipsam miserandus avem contingere ferro
he broke the knots and the linen bonds,
non valuit: nodos et vincula linea rupit,
by which, tied by the foot, she hung from the high mast:
quis innexa pedem malo pendebat ab alto:
she, flying, fled to the south winds and the high clouds.
illa notos atque alta volans in nubila fugit.
Then swift Eurytion, who had long held his shaft
Tum rapidus, iamdudum arcu contenta parato
drawn on his ready bow, called his brother to his vow,
tela tenens, fratrem Eurytion in Pota vocavit,
now marking her, joyful in the empty sky, and
iam vacuo laetam caelo speculatus, et alis
clapping her wings, pierces the dove beneath a dark cloud.
plaudentem nigra figit sub nube columbam.
She fell down lifeless, and left her life among the
Decidit exanimis, vitamque reliquit in astris
airy stars, and falling brings back the arrow fixed in her.
aetheriis, fixamque refert delapsa sagittam.
Acestes alone was left, the palm lost;
Amissa solus palma superabat Acestes;
yet he aimed his shaft into the airy breezes,
qui tamen aerias telum contendit in auras,
the elder showing off his skill and his singing bow.
ostentans artemque pater arcumque sonantem.
Here a portent, suddenly thrown before their eyes, of great
Hic oculis subito obicitur magnoque futurum
augury for the future; the huge outcome taught it later,
augurio monstrum; docuit post exitus ingens,
and the seers, terrifying, sang the omens late.
seraque terrifici cecinerunt omina vates.
For the reed, flying in the clear clouds, caught fire,
Namque volans liquidis in nubibus arsit harundo,
and marked its path with flame, and, thinning, withdrew
signavitque viam flammis, tenuisque recessit
consumed into the winds, as often, loosed from the sky,
consumpta in ventos, caelo ceu saepe refixa
stars run across and, flying, trail a fiery hair.
transcurrunt crinemque volantia sidera ducunt.
The Sicilians and the Teucrian men stood stunned in spirit,
Attonitis haesere animis, superosque precati
and prayed to the gods above; nor did great Aeneas
Trinacrii Teucrique viri; nec maximus omen
refuse the omen; but, embracing glad Acestes,
abnuit Aeneas; sed laetum amplexus Acesten
he heaps him with great gifts, and speaks thus:
muneribus cumulat magnis, ac talia fatur:
"Take them, father; for the great king of Olympus has willed
Sume, pater; nam te voluit rex magnus Olympi
that by such auspices you should bear honours apart from the lot.
talibus auspiciis exsortem ducere honores.
You shall have this gift of aged Anchises himself,
Ipsius Anchisae longaevi hoc munus habebis,
a mixing-bowl embossed with figures, which once the Thracian
cratera impressum signis, quem Thracius olim
a memorial of himself and a pledge of his love."
ferre sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris.
So speaking, he binds his brows with green laurel,
Sic fatus cingit viridanti tempora lauro,
and names Acestes victor first before all.
et primum ante omnes victorem appellat Acesten.
Nor did good Eurytion grudge the honour preferred,
Nec bonus Eurytion praelato invidit honori,
though he alone brought down the bird from the high sky.
quamvis solus avem caelo deiecit ab alto.
Next to the gifts comes he who broke the bonds;
Proximus ingreditur donis, qui vincula rupit;
last, he who fixed the mast with the flying reed.
extremus, volucri qui fixit arundine malum.
But father Aeneas, the contest not yet dismissed,
At pater Aeneas, nondum certamine misso,
calls to himself Epytides, the guardian and companion
custodem ad sese comitemque impubis Iuli
of young Iulus, and speaks thus to his trusty ear:
Epytiden vocat, et fidam sic fatur ad aurem:
"Go now, and tell Ascanius, if he now has ready
Vade age, et Ascanio, si iam puerile paratum
his boyish troop with him, and has marshalled the courses of the horses,
agmen habet secum, cursusque instruxit equorum,
to lead the squadrons in his grandfather’s honour, and show himself in arms,"
ducat avo turmas, et sese ostendat in armis,
he says. He himself bids all the people pour from the long
dic ait. Ipse omnem longo decedere circo
circuit, and the fields be left open.
infusum populum, et campos iubet esse patentes.
The boys advance, and side by side before their parents’ faces
Incedunt pueri, pariterque ante ora parentum
shine on their bridled horses, at whom, as they go, all
frenatis lucent in equis, quos omnis euntes
the youth of Sicily and of Troy murmurs in wonder.
Trinacriae mirata fremit Troiaeque iuventus.
On all, by custom, the trimmed hair is bound with a wreath;
omnibus in morem tonsa coma pressa corona;
they carry two cornel spears tipped with iron;
cornea bina ferunt praefixa hastilia ferro;
some have smooth quivers on the shoulder; over the top of the breast
pars levis umero pharetras; it pectore summo
runs a pliant circle of twisted gold about the neck.
flexilis obtorti per collum circulus auri.
Three squadrons of horsemen in number, and three
Tres equitum numero turmae, ternique vagantur
leaders range about: twelve boys following each,
ductores: pueri bis seni quemque secuti
shine in a divided column with matched captains.
agmine partito fulgent paribusque magistris.
One line of the youths, which little Priam leads, exulting,
Una acies iuvenum, ducit quam parvus ovantem
bearing his grandsire’s name,—your bright offspring, Polites,
nomen avi referens Priamus,—tua clara, Polite,
destined to increase the Italians,—whom a Thracian horse,
progenies, auctura Italos,—quem Thracius albis
two-coloured with white spots, carries, showing the white
portat equus bicolor maculis, vestigia primi
of its forefoot’s pastern and lifting high its white brow.
alba pedis frontemque ostentans arduus albam.
The second Atys, from whom the Latin Atii drew their line,
Alter Atys, genus unde Atii duxere Latini,
little Atys, a boy beloved of the boy Iulus.
parvus Atys, pueroque puer dilectus Iulo.
Last, and fair in beauty before all, Iulus
Extremus, formaque ante omnis pulcher, Iulus
rode in on a Sidonian horse, which fair Dido
Sidonio est invectus equo, quem candida Dido
had given as a memorial of herself and a pledge of love.
esse sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris.
The rest of the youth ride the horses of the elder
Cetera Trinacrii pubes senioris Acestae
Acestes, the Sicilian.
fertur equis.
They welcome the nervous boys with applause, and the Dardanians,
Excipiunt plausu pavidos, gaudentque tuentes
watching, rejoice, and recognize the faces of their old forebears.
Dardanidae, veterumque adgnoscunt ora parentum.
When, glad, they had ridden round the whole gathering
Postquam omnem laeti consessum oculosque suorum
and the eyes of their kin, Epytides gave from afar
lustravere in equis, signum clamore paratis
the signal with a shout to the ready, and cracked his whip.
Epytides longe dedit insonuitque flagello.
They galloped apart in even bands, and the three companies
Olli discurrere pares, atque agmina terni
broke their columns in parted troops, and again, called,
diductis solvere choris, rursusque vocati
wheeled their ways and bore their weapons leveled.
convertere vias infestaque tela tulere.
Then they enter on other charges and other counter-charges,
Inde alios ineunt cursus aliosque recursus
facing across the spaces, and weave alternate circles
adversi spatiis, alternosque orbibus orbes
within circles, and rouse the semblances of battle under arms;
impediunt, pugnaeque cient simulacra sub armis;
and now in flight they bare their backs, now turn their points
et nunc terga fuga nudant, nunc spicula vertunt
in attack, now, peace made, ride along side by side.
infensi, facta pariter nunc pace feruntur.
As once in lofty Crete the Labyrinth is said
Ut quondam Creta fertur Labyrinthus in alta
to have held a path woven of blind walls, and a baffling
parietibus textum caecis iter, ancipitemque
trick of a thousand ways, where the tokens of the trail
mille viis habuisse dolum, qua signa sequendi
were foiled by an undetected and irretraceable wandering;
falleret indeprensus et inremeabilis error;
in no other course do the sons of the Teucrians tangle
haud alio Teucrum nati vestigia cursu
their tracks and weave their flights and fights in play,
impediunt texuntque fugas et proelia ludo,
like dolphins, who, swimming through the wet seas,
delphinum similes, qui per maria umida nando
cut the Carpathian and the Libyan, and sport among the waves.
Carpathium Libycumque secant, luduntque per undas.
This manner of riding and these contests Ascanius first
Hunc morem cursus atque haec certamina primus
brought back, when he girt Alba Longa with walls,
Ascanius, Longam muris cum cingeret Albam,
and taught the early Latins to keep them,
rettulit, et priscos docuit celebrare Latinos,
in the way he himself as a boy, and with him the Trojan youth, had done;
quo puer ipse modo, secum quo Troïa pubes;
the Albans taught their own; from these in turn greatest
Albani docuere suos; hinc maxima porro
Rome received it, and kept the ancestral observance;
accepit Roma, et patrium servavit honorem;
and now the boys are called "Troy," the company "Trojan."
Troiaque nunc pueri, Troianum dicitur agmen.
Thus far were the contests kept for the holy father.
Hac celebrata tenus sancto certamina patri.
Here first Fortune, changed, made its faith anew.
Hic primum fortuna fidem mutata novavit.
While they pay the solemn rites at the mound with varied games,
Dum variis tumulo referunt sollemnia ludis,
Saturnian Juno sent Iris from the sky
Irim de caelo misit Saturnia Iuno
to the Ilian fleet, and breathes winds on her going,
Iliacam ad classem, ventosque adspirat eunti,
brooding much, her ancient grief not yet glutted.
multa movens, necdum antiquum saturata dolorem.
She, speeding her way down a bow of a thousand colours,
Illa, viam celerans per mille coloribus arcum,
seen by none, the maiden runs swiftly down her path.
nulli visa cito decurrit tramite virgo.
She sees the huge concourse, and surveys the shores,
Conspicit ingentem concursum, et litora lustrat,
and sees the deserted harbours and the abandoned fleet.
desertosque videt portus classemque relictam.
But far off, on a lonely strand, the Trojan women apart
At procul in sola secretae Troades acta
were weeping for lost Anchises, and all, weeping,
amissum Anchisen flebant, cunctaeque profundum
gazed at the deep sea. "Alas, that so many shoals,
pontum adspectabant flentes. Heu tot vada fessis
and so much sea, remain for the weary!" was the one cry of all.
et tantum superesse maris! vox omnibus una.
They pray for a city; they are sick of bearing the sea’s toil.
Urbem orant; taedet pelagi perferre laborem.
So into their midst, no stranger to working harm,
Ergo inter medias sese haud ignara nocendi
she casts herself, and lays aside the face and dress of a goddess;
conicit, et faciemque deae vestemque reponit;
who had once had lineage and a name and sons;
cui genus et quondam nomen natique fuissent;
and thus she brings herself into the midst of the Dardan mothers:
ac sic Dardanidum mediam se matribus infert:
"O wretched women, whom the Achaean hand did not drag
O miserae, quas non manus inquit Achaïca bello
to death in war beneath your country’s walls! O luckless
traxerit ad letum patriae sub moenibus! O gens
race, for what ruin does Fortune keep you?
infelix, cui te exitio Fortuna reservat?
The seventh summer now turns since Troy’s destruction,
Septuma post Troiae exscidium iam vertitur aestas,
while, over all the straits, all the lands, so many inhospitable rocks
cum freta, cum terras omnes, tot inhospita saxa
and stars traversed, we are borne, while over the great sea
sideraque emensae ferimur, dum per mare magnum
we follow a fleeing Italy, and are rolled on the waves.
Italiam sequimur fugientem, et volvimur undis.
Here are the bounds of brother Eryx, and our host Acestes:
Hic Erycis fines fraterni, atque hospes Acestes:
who forbids us to lay walls and give our people a city?
quis prohibet muros iacere et dare civibus urbem?
O fatherland, and Penates snatched in vain from the foe,
O patria et rapti nequiquam ex hoste Penates,
shall no walls ever be called Troy’s? Nowhere
nullane iam Troiae dicentur moenia? Nusquam
shall I see Hector’s rivers, Xanthus and Simois?
Hectoreos amnes, Xanthum et Simoenta, videbo?
Come rather, and with me burn the ill-starred ships.
Quin agite et mecum infaustas exurite puppes.
For in sleep the image of the prophetess Cassandra
Nam mihi Cassandrae per somnum vatis imago
seemed to give me blazing brands: ’Here seek Troy;
ardentes dare visa faces: Hic quaerite Troiam;
here is your home,’ she said. Now is the time to act,
hic domus est inquit vobis. Iam tempus agi res,
nor delay at such portents. See, four altars
nec tantis mora prodigiis. En quattuor arae
to Neptune; the god himself provides the brands and the spirit."
Neptuno; deus ipse faces animumque ministrat.
Saying this, first she seizes the hostile fire with force,
Haec memorans, prima infensum vi corripit ignem,
and, her right hand raised far back and straining, brandishes it,
sublataque procul dextra conixa coruscat,
and throws: the minds of the Trojan women are roused, their hearts
et iacit: arrectae mentes stupefactaque corda
stunned. Here one of the many, eldest in years,
Iliadum. Hic una e multis, quae maxima natu,
"This is not Beroe for you, not the Rhoetean wife
Non Beroë vobis, non haec Rhoeteïa, matres,
of Doryclus, mothers; mark the signs of a divine grace
est Dorycli coniunx; divini signa decoris
and her burning eyes; what spirit she has,
ardentesque notate oculos; qui spiritus illi,
what countenance, what sound of voice, what step as she goes.
qui voltus, vocisque sonus, vel gressus eunti.
I myself just now left Beroe, when I came away,
Ipsa egomet dudum Beroen digressa reliqui
sick, and indignant that she alone should be without
aegram, indignantem, tali quod sola careret
such an office, nor bring Anchises his deserved honours."
munere, nec meritos Anchisae inferet honores.
So she spoke.
Haec effata.
But the mothers, at first wavering, and with grudging eyes
At matres primo ancipites oculisque malignis
gazed doubtful at the ships, between the wretched love
ambiguae spectare rates miserum inter amorem
of the land before them and the realms that called by fate,
praesentis terrae fatisque vocantia regna,
when the goddess lifted herself through the sky on even wings,
cum dea se paribus per caelum sustulit alis,
and in flight cut a huge arc beneath the clouds.
ingentemque fuga secuit sub nubibus arcum.
Then indeed, stunned by the portents and driven by frenzy,
Tum vero attonitae monstris actaeque furore
they cry out, and snatch fire from the inmost hearths;
conclamant, rapiuntque focis penetralibus ignem;
some strip the altars, and throw on leafage and brushwood
pars spoliant aras, frondem ac virgulta facesque
through the thwarts and oars and the painted firwood sterns.
transtra per et remos et pictas abiete puppes.
Eumelus carries word to the mound of Anchises and the theatre’s
Nuntius Anchisae ad tumulum cuneosque theatri
tiers, that the ships are ablaze, and they themselves
incensas perfert naves Eumelus, et ipsi
look back and see the black ash flying in a cloud.
respiciunt atram in nimbo volitare favillam.
And Ascanius first, as glad he was leading the horse-
Primus et Ascanius, cursus ut laetus equestres
parade, so keenly on his horse made for the disordered
ducebat, sic acer equo turbata petivit
camp, nor can his breathless tutors hold him back.
castra, nec exanimes possunt retinere magistri.
"What strange madness is this? Where now, where are you bound," he cries,
Quis furor iste novus? Quo nunc, quo tenditis inquit,
"alas, wretched countrywomen? It is not the foe, nor the hostile camp
heu, miserae cives? Non hostem inimicaque castra
of the Argives, but your own hopes you burn. Look, I am your
Argivum, vestras spes uritis. En, ego vester
Ascanius!" He threw the empty helmet before his feet,
Ascanius! Galeam ante pedes proiecit inanem,
in which, clad for the game, he had roused the mimicries of war;
qua ludo indutus belli simulacra ciebat;
Aeneas hastens up at once, and at once the Teucrian ranks.
accelerat simul Aeneas, simul agmina Teucrum.
But they, in their fear, scatter every way along the shores,
Ast illae diversa metu per litora passim
and stealthily seek the woods and wherever there are hollow
diffugiunt, silvasque et sicubi concava furtim
rocks; they loathe their deed and the daylight, and, changed,
saxa petunt; piget incepti lucisque, suosque
know their own again, and Juno is shaken from their breasts.
mutatae adgnoscunt, excussaque pectore Iuno est.
But not for that did the flames and the fire lay aside
Sed non idcirco flammae atque incendia vires
their untamed strength; under the wet timber lives
indomitas posuere; udo sub robore vivit
the tow, belching slow smoke, and a sluggish heat
stuppa vomens tardum fumum, lentusque carinas
eats at the keels, and the plague sinks through the whole hull,
est vapor, et toto descendit corpore pestis,
nor do the heroes’ strength and the poured-on rivers avail.
nec vires heroum infusaque flumina prosunt.
Then loyal Aeneas tore the garment from his shoulders,
Tum pius Aeneas umeris abscindere vestem,
and called the gods to help, and stretched out his palms:
auxilioque vocare deos, et tendere palmas:
"Almighty Jupiter, if you do not yet hate the Trojans
Iuppiter omnipotens, si nondum exosus ad unum
to the last man, if your old mercy at all
Troianos, si quid pietas antiqua labores
regards human toils, grant the fleet to escape the flame
respicit humanos, da flammam evadere classi
now, Father, and snatch the slender fortunes of the Teucrians from death.
nunc, Pater, et tenues Teucrum res eripe leto.
Or you, send down to death by your hostile bolt
Vel tu, quod superest infesto fulmine morti,
what is left, if I deserve it, and crush it here with your right hand."
si mereor, demitte, tuaque hic obrue dextra.
Scarcely had he uttered this, when, with rains poured down, a black
Vix haec ediderat, cum effusis imbribus atra
storm rages past all custom, and with thunder the heights
tempestas sine more furit, tonitruque tremescunt
of the lands and the plains tremble; from the whole sky rushes
ardua terrarum et campi; ruit aethere toto
a turbid downpour of water, blackest with thick south winds;
turbidus imber aqua densisque nigerrimus austris;
and the sterns are filled to the brim; the half-burnt timbers
implenturque super puppes; semiusta madescunt
are soaked, until all the heat is quenched, and all
robora; restinctus donec vapor omnis, et omnes,
the keels, but four lost, are saved from the plague.
quattuor amissis, servatae a peste carinae.
But father Aeneas, shaken by the bitter mischance,
At pater Aeneas, casu concussus acerbo,
kept turning his vast cares now this way, now that,
nunc huc ingentes, nunc illuc pectore curas
in his breast, whether to settle in the Sicilian fields,
mutabat versans, Siculisne resideret arvis,
forgetting the fates, or to make for the Italian shores.
oblitus fatorum, Italasne capesseret oras.
had taught and made famous in many an art,
quem docuit multaque insignem reddidit arte,
gave these answers, telling either what the great anger
haec responsa dabat, vel quae portenderet ira
of the gods foretold, or what the order of the fates required;
magna deum, vel quae fatorum posceret ordo;
and he, consoling Aeneas, begins with these words:
isque his Aenean solatus vocibus infit:
"Goddess-born, where the fates draw us on and back, let us follow;
Nate dea, quo fata trahunt retrahuntque, sequamur;
whatever shall be, all fortune is overcome by bearing it.
quidquid erit, superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est.
You have Dardanian Acestes, of divine stock:
Est tibi Dardanius divinae stirpis Acestes:
take him as a willing partner in your counsels and join him to you;
hunc cape consiliis socium et coniunge volentem;
to him hand over those who are left over from the lost ships, and those
huic trade, amissis superant qui navibus, et quos
who are weary of the great enterprise and of your fortunes;
pertaesum magni incepti rerumque tuarum est;
and the aged old men and the mothers worn out by the sea,
longaevosque senes ac fessas aequore matres,
and whatever there is with you that is weak and fearful of danger,
et quidquid tecum invalidum metuensque pericli est,
choose them out, and let the weary have their walls in this land:
delige, et his habeant terris sine moenia fessi:
they shall call the city, with leave of the name, Acesta."
urbem appellabunt permisso nomine Acestam.
Kindled by such words of his aged friend,
Talibus incensus dictis senioris amici,
then indeed his mind is pulled apart into all its cares.
tum vero in curas animo diducitur omnes.
And black Night, drawn up by her pair, held the pole:
Et nox atra polum bigis subvecta tenebat:
then the likeness of his father Anchises, gliding down from heaven,
visa dehinc caelo facies delapsa parentis
seemed suddenly to pour out such words:
Anchisae subito tales effundere voces:
"Son, dearer to me once than life, while life remained,
Nate, mihi vita quondam, dum vita manebat,
son, tried by the fates of Ilium,
care magis, nate, Iliacis exercite fatis,
I come here by Jupiter’s command, who drove the fire
imperio Iovis huc venio, qui classibus ignem
from the ships, and pitied you at last from the high heaven.
depulit, et caelo tandem miseratus ab alto est.
Obey the counsel which now aged Nautes
Consiliis pare, quae nunc pulcherrima Nautes
gives, most fair; chosen youths, the bravest hearts,
dat senior; lectos iuvenes, fortissima corda,
carry into Italy; a people hard and rough in their ways
defer in Italiam; gens dura atque aspera cultu
must be subdued by you in Latium. Yet first
debellanda tibi Latio est. Ditis tamen ante
approach the infernal halls of Dis, and through deep Avernus
infernas accede domos, et Averna per alta
seek a meeting with me, my son. For no impious
congressus pete, nate, meos. Non me impia namque
Tartarus holds me, no grim shades, but I dwell in the pleasant
Tartara habent, tristes umbrae, sed amoena piorum
concilia Elysiumque colo. Huc casta Sibylla
will lead you with much blood of black sheep:
nigrarum multo pecudum te sanguine ducet:
then you shall learn all your race, and what walls are given you.
tum genus omne tuum, et quae dentur moenia, disces.
And now farewell: dewy Night wheels her course midway,
Iamque vale: torquet medios Nox humida cursus,
and the cruel Dawn has breathed on me with her panting horses."
et me saevus equis Oriens adflavit anhelis.
He had spoken, and fled, thin, like smoke, into the air.
Dixerat, et tenuis fugit, ceu fumus, in auras.
Aeneas: "Where then do you rush, where do you hurry off?" he cries,
Aeneas, Quo deinde ruis, quo proripis? inquit,
"Whom do you flee, or who keeps you from our embrace?"
Quem fugis, aut quis te nostris complexibus arcet?
Saying this, he stirs up the ash and the slumbering fires,
Haec memorans cinerem et sopitos suscitat ignes,
and a suppliant worships the Pergamean Lar and the shrine of white-haired Vesta
Pergameumque Larem et canae penetralia Vestae
with holy meal and a full censer.
farre pio et plena supplex veneratur acerra.
At once he summons his comrades, and Acestes first,
Extemplo socios primumque arcessit Acesten,
and tells them Jupiter’s command and the dear father’s bidding,
et Iovis imperium et cari praecepta parentis
and what resolve is now settled in his mind.
edocet, et quae nunc animo sententia constet.
No delay over the counsels, nor does Acestes refuse the orders.
Haud mora consiliis, nec iussa recusat Acestes.
They enroll the mothers for the city, and set down the people
Transcribunt urbi matres, populumque volentem
who are willing, hearts with no need of great glory.
deponunt, animos nil magnae laudis egentes.
They themselves renew the thwarts, and replace the timbers
Ipsi transtra novant, flammisque ambesa reponunt
gnawed by the flames in the ships, fit oars and ropes,
robora navigiis, aptant remosque rudentesque,
few in number, but a courage lively for war.
exigui numero, sed bello vivida virtus.
Meanwhile Aeneas marks out the city with the plough,
Interea Aeneas urbem designat aratro
and allots the homes; this he bids be Ilium, and these places
sortiturque domos; hoc Ilium et haec loca Troiam
be Troy. Trojan Acestes rejoices in the kingdom,
esse iubet. Gaudet regno Troianus Acestes,
and proclaims a forum and gives laws to the summoned elders.
indicitque forum et patribus dat iura vocatis.
Then, near the stars, on the peak of Eryx, a seat
Tum vicina astris, Erycino in vertice sedes
is founded for Idalian Venus, and to the mound of Anchises
fundatur Veneri Idaliae, tumuloque sacerdos
a priest and a grove, sacred far and wide, are added.
ac lucus late sacer additur Anchiseo.
And now all the people had feasted nine days, and honour
Iamque dies epulata novem gens omnis, et aris
been paid at the altars: calm winds smoothed the seas,
factus honos: placidi straverunt aequora venti,
and the South Wind, blowing fresh again, calls them to the deep.
creber et adspirans rursus vocat Auster in altum.
A great weeping rises along the winding shores;
Exoritur procurva ingens per litora fletus;
embracing one another, they linger a night and a day.
complexi inter se noctemque diemque morantur.
Now the very mothers, the very men to whom once the sea’s face
Ipsae iam matres, ipsi, quibus aspera quondam
had seemed harsh, and its name not to be borne,
visa maris facies et non tolerabile nomen,
wish to go, and to endure all the toil of the wandering.
ire volunt, omnemque fugae perferre laborem.
These good Aeneas consoles with friendly words,
Quos bonus Aeneas dictis solatur amicis,
and, weeping, commends to his kinsman Acestes.
et consanguineo lacrimans commendat Acestae.
He then bids three calves be slain to Eryx and a ewe-lamb
Tris Eryci vitulos et Tempestatibus agnam
to the Storms, and the cable be loosed in due order.
caedere deinde iubet, solvique ex ordine funem.
He himself, his head bound with the leaves of trimmed olive,
Ipse, caput tonsae foliis evinctus olivae,
standing forward on the prow holds the bowl, and casts the entrails
stans procul in prora pateram tenet, extaque salsos
into the salt waves and pours out clear wine.
proiicit in fluctus ac vina liquentia fundit.
A wind, rising from the stern, follows them as they go.
Prosequitur surgens a puppi ventus euntes.
In rivalry the comrades strike the sea and sweep the waters.
Certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt.
But Venus meanwhile, harried by cares, addresses
At Venus interea Neptunum exercita curis
Neptune, and pours out such complaints from her heart:
adloquitur, talesque effundit pectore questus:
"Juno’s heavy anger and her insatiable heart
Iunonis gravis ira nec exsaturabile pectus
force me, Neptune, to stoop to every entreaty;
cogunt me, Neptune, preces descendere in omnes;
whom neither length of days nor any goodness softens,
quam nec longa dies, pietas nec mitigat ulla,
nor, broken by Jupiter’s command and the fates, does she rest.
nec Iovis imperio fatisque infracta quiescit.
It is not enough for her to have eaten away with unspeakable
Non media de gente Phrygum exedisse nefandis
hatred the city from the heart of the Phrygian race, nor to have dragged it through every punishment:
urbem odiis satis est, nec poenam traxe per omnem:
she pursues the remnants of Troy, the ashes and bones
reliquias Troiae, cineres atque ossa peremptae
of the destroyed city: let her know the reasons for so great a fury.
insequitur: causas tanti sciat illa furoris.
You yourself are my witness, lately, in the Libyan waters,
Ipse mihi nuper Libycis tu testis in undis
what a turmoil she suddenly raised: all the seas with the sky
quam molem subito excierit: maria omnia caelo
she mingled, vainly trusting in the storms of Aeolus,
miscuit, Aeoliis nequiquam freta procellis,
daring this in your realms.
in regnis hoc ausa tuis.
By crime, see, even now, driving on the Trojan mothers,
Per scelus ecce etiam Troianis matribus actis
she has foully burned the ships, and, the fleet lost,
exussit foede puppes, et classe subegit
has forced him to leave his comrades to an unknown land.
amissa socios ignotae linquere terrae.
What is left, I pray, let it be granted to give safe sails
Quod superest, oro, liceat dare tuta per undas
over your waves, let it be granted to reach the Laurentine Tiber:
vela tibi, liceat Laurentem attingere Thybrim:
if I ask what is allowed, if the Fates grant those walls."
si concessa peto, si dant ea moenia Parcae.
Then the Saturnian tamer of the deep sea uttered this:
Tum Saturnius haec domitor maris edidit alti:
"It is wholly right, Cytherea, that you trust in my realms,
Fas omne est, Cytherea, meis te fidere regnis,
from which you draw your birth; I have earned it too: often
unde genus ducis: merui quoque; saepe furores
I have crushed the frenzies and the great rage of sky and sea.
compressi, et rabiem tantam caelique marisque.
Nor on land—I call Xanthus and Simois to witness—was my care
Nec minor in terris, Xanthum Simoëntaque testor,
for your Aeneas less. When Achilles at Troy
Aeneae mihi cura tui. Cum Troia Achilles
drove the panting ranks against the walls in pursuit,
exanimata sequens impingeret agmina muris,
and gave many thousands to death, and the choked rivers
milia multa daret leto, gemerentque repleti
groaned, nor could Xanthus find his way and roll himself out
amnes, nec reperire viam atque evolvere posset
into the sea, then I, with a hollow cloud, snatched Aeneas
in mare se Xanthus, Pelidae tunc ego forti
as he met the brave son of Peleus with neither gods nor strength
congressum Aenean nec dis nec viribus aequis
equal, though I longed to overturn from their foundations
nube cava rapui, cuperem cum vertere ab imo
the walls of perjured Troy, built by my hands.
structa meis manibus periurae moenia Troiae.
Now too the same mind stands firm in me: drive off your fears.
Nunc quoque mens eadem perstat mihi: pelle timores.
Safe, he shall reach the harbours of Avernus you desire.
Tutus, quos optas, portus accedet Averni.
There will be one only, whom you shall seek, lost in the flood;
Unus erit tantum, amissum quem gurgite quaeres;
one life shall be given for the many."
unum pro multis dabitur caput.
When with these words he had soothed the glad heart of the goddess,
His ubi laeta deae permulsit pectora dictis,
the father yokes his horses with gold, and puts the foaming
iungit equos auro genitor, spumantiaque addit
bits on the wild things, and lets all the reins stream from his hands.
frena feris, manibusque omnes effundit habenas.
Light he flies over the surface of the seas in his sea-blue car;
Caeruleo per summa levis volat aequora curru;
the waves sink down, and beneath the thundering axle the swollen
subsidunt undae, tumidumque sub axe tonanti
sea of waters is leveled; the storm-clouds flee from the vast sky.
sternitur aequor aquis; fugiunt vasto aethere nimbi.
Then the varied shapes of his escort, monstrous sea-beasts,
Tum variae comitum facies, immania cete,
and the swift Tritons, and all the host of Phorcus;
Tritonesque citi, Phorcique exercitus omnis;
Here in turn soothing joys steal over the anxious mind
Hic patris Aeneae suspensam blanda vicissim
of father Aeneas: he bids all the masts
gaudia pertemptant mentem: iubet ocius omnes
be raised quickly, the yard-arms spread with sails.
attolli malos, intendi brachia velis.
All together made the sheet, and alike, now to the left,
Una omnes fecere pedem pariterque sinistros,
now to the right, slackened the canvas; together they swing
nunc dextros solvere sinus; una ardua torquent
the high yard-arms about; their own breezes bear the fleet.
cornua detorquentque; ferunt sua flamina classem.
At the head, before all, Palinurus led the close
Princeps ante omnes densum Palinurus agebat
column; the rest were bidden to set their course by him.
agmen; ad hunc alii cursum contendere iussi.
And now dewy Night had nearly reached the mid
Iamque fere mediam caeli Nox humida metam
mark of heaven; stretched at their ease beneath the oars,
contigerat; placida laxabant membra quiete
the sailors loosed their limbs in quiet rest along the hard benches:
sub remis fusi per dura sedilia nautae:
when light Sleep, gliding down from the airy stars,
cum levis aetheriis delapsus Somnus ab astris
parted the dark air and scattered the shadows,
aëra dimovit tenebrosum et dispulit umbras,
seeking you, Palinurus, bringing grim dreams to you,
te, Palinure, petens, tibi somnia tristia portans
guiltless; and the god sat down on the high stern,
insonti; puppique deus consedit in alta,
"Palinurus, son of Iasus, the very seas bear the fleet on;
Iaside Palinure, ferunt ipsa aequora classem;
the breezes blow steady; an hour is given for rest.
aequatae spirant aurae; datur hora quieti.
Lay down your head, and steal your weary eyes from toil:
Pone caput, fessosque oculos furare labori:
I myself for a little will take up your duties in your stead."
ipse ego paulisper pro te tua munera inibo.
To him Palinurus, scarcely lifting his eyes, says:
Cui vix attollens Palinurus lumina fatur:
"Do you bid me not know the face of the calm brine
Mene salis placidi voltum fluctusque quietos
and the quiet waves? Me, trust this monster?
ignorare iubes? Mene huic confidere monstro?
Why, shall I entrust Aeneas to the treacherous breezes
Aenean credam quid enim fallacibus auris
and the sky, so often deceived by the calm’s treachery?"
et caelo, totiens deceptus fraude sereni?
Such words he gave, and, fixed and clinging to the tiller,
Talia dicta dabat, clavumque affixus et haerens
never let it go, and kept his eyes upon the stars.
nusquam amittebat, oculosque sub astra tenebat.
Look, the god, over both his temples, shakes a bough
Ecce deus ramum Lethaeo rore madentem,
dripping with Lethe’s dew, and drowsy with Stygian power,
vique soporatum Stygia, super utraque quassat
and, as he resisted, loosed his swimming eyes.
tempora, cunctantique natantia lumina solvit.
Scarcely had the sudden rest unstrung his first limbs,
Vix primos inopina quies laxaverat artus,
when, leaning over, with a piece of the stern torn away,
et super incumbens cum puppis parte revolsa,
and with the helm, he flung him headlong into the clear waves,
cumque gubernaclo, liquidas proiecit in undas
calling on his comrades again and again in vain;
praecipitem ac socios nequiquam saepe vocantem;
the god himself, flying, rose on his wings into the thin air.
ipse volans tenues se sustulit ales ad auras.
None the less the fleet runs its safe way over the sea,
Currit iter tutum non secius aequore classis,
and is borne on, fearless, by father Neptune’s promises.
promissisque patris Neptuni interrita fertur.
And now indeed, carried on, it was nearing the Sirens’ rocks,
Iamque adeo scopulos Sirenum advecta subibat,
dangerous once and white with the bones of many,
difficiles quondam multorumque ossibus albos,
then the rocks were sounding hoarse far off with the ceaseless brine:
tum rauca adsiduo longe sale saxa sonabant:
when the father felt the ship drifting astray, her helmsman lost,
cum pater amisso fluitantem errare magistro
and himself steered the vessel on the night waves,
sensit, et ipse ratem nocturnis rexit in undis,
groaning much, and shaken at heart by the fate of his friend:
multa gemens, casuque animum concussus amici
"O you who trusted too much in a calm sky and sea,
O nimium caelo et pelago confise sereno,
naked, Palinurus, you shall lie on an unknown shore!"
nudus in ignota, Palinure, iacebis harena!
So he speaks, weeping, and gives the reins to his fleet,
Sic fatur lacrimans, classique immittit habenas,
They turn their prows to the sea; then with biting fluke
Obvertunt pelago proras; tum dente tenaci
the anchor made the ships fast, and the curved sterns
ancora fundabat naves, et litora curvae
fringe the shores. A band of young men leaps out, burning,
praetexunt puppes. Iuvenum manus emicat ardens
onto the Hesperian beach; some seek the seeds of flame
litus in Hesperium; quaerit pars semina flammae
hidden in the veins of flint; some scour the dense coverts
abstrusa in venis silicis, pars densa ferarum
of the wild beasts’ woods, and point to rivers found.
tecta rapit silvas, inventaque flumina monstrat.
But pious Aeneas seeks the heights where high Apollo
At pius Aeneas arces, quibus altus Apollo
presides, and far apart the awful Sibyl’s hidden
praesidet, horrendaeque procul secreta Sibyllae
monstrous cavern, into whom great mind and soul
antrum immane petit, magnum cui mentem animumque
the Delian seer breathes, and unfolds what is to come.
Delius inspirat vates, aperitque futura.
Now they enter Trivia’s groves and the golden roofs.
Iam subeunt Triviae lucos atque aurea tecta.
daring to trust himself to the sky on swift wings,
praepetibus pennis ausus se credere caelo,
swam by an untried path to the cold Northern stars,
insuetum per iter gelidas enavit ad Arctos,
and at last hung light above the Chalcidian height.
Chalcidicaque levis tandem super adstitit arce.
Restored first to these lands, to you, Phoebus, he consecrated
Redditus his primum terris, tibi, Phoebe, sacravit
the oarage of his wings, and set up a vast temple.
remigium alarum, posuitque immania templa.
On the doors, the death of Androgeos: then the Cecropids
In foribus letum Androgeo: tum pendere poenas
commanded to pay—the pity of it!—each year, seven
Cecropidae iussi—miserum!—septena quotannis
bodies of their sons; the urn stands, the lots drawn.
corpora natorum; stat ductis sortibus urna.
Facing it, raised from the sea, the land of Cnossos answers:
Contra elata mari respondet Gnosia tellus:
here the cruel love of the bull, and Pasiphaë
hic crudelis amor tauri, suppostaque furto
mounted by stealth, and the mongrel breed, the two-formed
Pasiphaë, mixtumque genus prolesque biformis
offspring within—the Minotaur, record of a lust unspeakable;
Minotaurus inest, Veneris monumenta nefandae;
here that toil of the house, the maze none can unravel;
hic labor ille domus et inextricabilis error;
but Daedalus himself, pitying the queen’s great love,
magnum reginae sed enim miseratus amorem
undid the building’s tricks and its windings,
Daedalus ipse dolos tecti ambagesque resolvit,
guiding the blind steps with a thread. You too would have a great
caeca regens filo vestigia. Tu quoque magnam
part in so great a work, Icarus, did grief allow.
partem opere in tanto, sineret dolor, Icare, haberes.
Twice he tried to fashion your fall in gold;
Bis conatus erat casus effingere in auro;
twice the father’s hands fell. Indeed they would have
bis patriae cecidere manus. Quin protinus omnia
read through all of it with their eyes, had not Achates, sent ahead,
perlegerent oculis, ni iam praemissus Achates
now arrived, and with him the priestess of Phoebus and Trivia,
adforet, atque una Phoebi Triviaeque sacerdos,
Deiphobe, daughter of Glaucus, who speaks such words to the king:
Deiphobe Glauci, fatur quae talia regi:
"This hour does not call for sights like these;
Non hoc ista sibi tempus spectacula poscit;
now it were better to slaughter seven bullocks from an untouched herd,
nunc grege de intacto septem mactare iuvencos
and as many chosen ewes, after the custom."
praestiterit, totidem lectas de more bidentes.
Having addressed Aeneas so (nor do the men delay
Talibus adfata Aenean (nec sacra morantur
the sacred commands), the priestess calls the Teucrians into the high temple.
iussa viri), Teucros vocat alta in templa sacerdos.
A huge flank of the Euboean cliff is cut into a cavern,
Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum,
to which lead a hundred wide approaches, a hundred mouths;
quo lati ducunt aditus centum, ostia centum;
whence rush as many voices, the Sibyl’s answers.
unde ruunt totidem voces, responsa Sibyllae.
They had come to the threshold, when the maiden cries: "It is time
Ventum erat ad limen, cum virgo. Poscere fata
to ask the fates; the god, behold, the god!" As she spoke such words
tempus ait; deus, ecce, deus! Cui talia fanti
before the doors, suddenly neither her face nor her color stayed the same,
ante fores subito non voltus, non color unus,
nor did her hair keep its order; but her breast heaved,
non comptae mansere comae; sed pectus anhelum,
and her wild heart swelled with frenzy; larger she seemed to look,
et rabie fera corda tument; maiorque videri,
and her voice was not mortal, when she was breathed upon by the power
nec mortale sonans, adflata est numine quando
of the god now nearer. "Do you slacken in vows and prayers,
iam propiore dei. Cessas in vota precesque,
Trojan Aeneas?" she says. "Do you slacken? For not before then will
Tros ait Aenea? Cessas? Neque enim ante dehiscent
the great mouths of the thunderstruck house gape open." And so having spoken
attonitae magna ora domus. Et talia fata
she fell silent. A cold tremor ran through the Teucrians’
conticuit. Gelidus Teucris per dura cucurrit
hard bones, and the king pours prayers from the bottom of his heart:
ossa tremor, funditque preces rex pectore ab imo:
"Phoebus, you who have always pitied Troy’s heavy toils,
Phoebe, graves Troiae semper miserate labores,
who guided the Dardan shafts and the hand of Paris
Dardana qui Paridis direxti tela manusque
into the body of Achilles, under your lead I have entered
corpus in Aeacidae, magnas obeuntia terras
so many seas that skirt great lands, and the far withdrawn
tot maria intravi duce te, penitusque repostas
nations of the Massyli and the fields fronting the Syrtes;
Massylum gentes praetentaque Syrtibus arva,
now at last we grasp the shores of fleeing Italy;
iam tandem Italiae fugientis prendimus oras;
thus far let Troy’s Fortune have pursued us.
hac Troiana tenus fuerit Fortuna secuta.
Now it is right that you too spare the Pergamene race,
Vos quoque Pergameae iam fas est parcere genti,
all you gods and goddesses whom Ilium thwarted and the great
dique deaeque omnes quibus obstitit Ilium et ingens
glory of Dardania. And you, O most holy prophetess,
gloria Dardaniae. Tuque, O sanctissima vates,
foreknowing of what comes, grant—I ask no kingdom not owed
praescia venturi, da, non indebita posco
to my fates—that the Teucrians settle in Latium,
regna meis fatis, Latio considere Teucros
with their wandering gods and the harried powers of Troy.
errantisque deos agitataque numina Troiae.
Then to Phoebus and Trivia I will found a temple of solid marble,
Tum Phoebo et Triviae solido de marmore templum
and festal days under the name of Phoebus.
instituam, festosque dies de nomine Phoebi.
You too a great sanctuary awaits in our realm:
Te quoque magna manent regnis penetralia nostris:
for here I shall place your oracles and the secret fates
hic ego namque tuas sortes arcanaque fata,
spoken to my people, and consecrate chosen
dicta meae genti, ponam, lectosque sacrabo,
men, kindly one. Only do not commit your songs to leaves,
alma, viros. Foliis tantum ne carmina manda,
lest, disordered, they fly off, the playthings of rushing winds;
ne turbata volent rapidis ludibria ventis;
chant them yourself, I pray." He made an end of speaking.
ipsa canas oro. Finem dedit ore loquendi.
But, not yet brooking Phoebus, the monstrous prophetess
At, Phoebi nondum patiens, immanis in antro
rages in her cave, to see if she can shake the great
bacchatur vates, magnum si pectore possit
god out of her breast; so much the more he wearies
excussisse deum; tanto magis ille fatigat
her raving mouth, taming her wild heart, and molds her by his pressure.
os rabidum, fera corda domans, fingitque premendo.
And now the hundred huge mouths of the house have opened
Ostia iamque domus patuere ingentia centum
of their own accord, and bear the prophetess’s answers through the air:
sponte sua, vatisque ferunt responsa per auras:
"O you who have at last survived the great perils of the sea!
O tandem magnis pelagi defuncte periclis!
But heavier ones wait on land. Into the realm of Lavinium
Sed terrae graviora manent. In regna Lavini
the sons of Dardanus shall come; dismiss this care from your breast;
Dardanidae venient; mitte hanc de pectore curam;
but they shall wish they had not come as well. Wars, grim wars,
sed non et venisse volent. Bella, horrida bella,
and the Tiber foaming with much blood I see.
et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno.
Not Simois for you, nor Xanthus, nor a Dorian camp
Non Simois tibi, nec Xanthus, nec Dorica castra
shall be wanting; another Achilles is already born for Latium,
defuerint; alius Latio iam partus Achilles,
himself too a goddess’s son; nor will Juno, fastened on the Teucrians,
natus et ipse dea; nec Teucris addita Iuno
ever be gone; while you, a suppliant in your need,
usquam aberit; cum tu supplex in rebus egenis
what nations of the Italians, what cities will you not have begged!
quas gentes Italum aut quas non oraveris urbes!
The cause of so great an evil is again a foreign bride to the Teucrians,
Causa mali tanti coniunx iterum hospita Teucris
again a foreign marriage-bed.
externique iterum thalami.
Do not yield to your troubles, but go against them the bolder,
Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito,
by the way your Fortune will allow you. The first path of safety,
qua tua te Fortuna sinet. Via prima salutis,
which you least suppose, shall open from a Greek city."
quod minime reris, Graia pandetur ab urbe.
With such words from her shrine the Cumaean Sibyl
Talibus ex adyto dictis Cumaea Sibylla
chants her dread riddles and bellows from the cave,
horrendas canit ambages antroque remugit,
wrapping truth in darkness: such reins Apollo shakes
obscuris vera involvens: ea frena furenti
on her as she raves, and turns the goad beneath her breast.
concutit, et stimulos sub pectore vertit Apollo.
As soon as the frenzy ceased and the raving mouth grew still,
Ut primum cessit furor et rabida ora quierunt,
the hero Aeneas begins: "No new face of toil,
incipit Aeneas heros: Non ulla laborum,
O maiden, rises before me, or unforeseen;
O virgo, nova mi facies inopinave surgit;
I have foreseen all and gone through it in my mind beforehand.
omnia praecepi atque animo mecum ante peregi.
One thing I ask: since here is said to be the gate of the infernal king
Unum oro: quando hic inferni ianua regis
and the shadowy marsh where Acheron floods back,
dicitur, et tenebrosa palus Acheronte refuso,
let it be granted me to go to the sight and face
ire ad conspectum cari genitoris et ora
of my dear father; teach me the road and open the sacred gates.
contingat; doceas iter et sacra ostia pandas.
Him I rescued through the flames and a thousand pursuing weapons
Illum ego per flammas et mille sequentia tela
on these shoulders, and took him back from the midst of the foe;
eripui his umeris, medioque ex hoste recepi;
he, the companion of my journey, bore with me all the seas,
ille meum comitatus iter, maria omnia mecum
and all the threats of sea and sky,
atque omnes pelagique minas caelique ferebat,
weak as he was, beyond the strength and lot of age.
invalidus, vires ultra sortemque senectae.
Indeed, that I should seek you as a suppliant and come to your threshold,
Quin, ut te supplex peterem et tua limina adirem,
he too with prayers gave the charge. Of son and father,
idem orans mandata dabat. Gnatique patrisque,
kindly one, I pray, have pity;—for you can do all things, nor did
alma, precor, miserere;—potes namque omnia, nec te
Hecate set you for nothing over the groves of Avernus;—
nequiquam lucis Hecate praefecit Avernis;—
relying on his Thracian lyre and tuneful strings,
Threïcia fretus cithara fidibusque canoris,
and goes and comes the road so often. Why name Theseus, why
itque reditque viam totiens. Quid Thesea, magnum
name great Hercules? I too have my descent from highest Jove."
quid memorem Alciden? Et mi genus ab Iove summo.
With such words he prayed, and clasped the altars,
Talibus orabat dictis, arasque tenebat,
when the prophetess thus began to speak: "Sprung from the blood of gods,
cum sic orsa loqui vates: Sate sanguine divom,
Trojan son of Anchises, easy is the descent to Avernus;
Tros Anchisiade, facilis descensus Averno;
night and day the door of black Dis stands open;
noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis;
but to recall the step and escape to the upper air,
sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras,
this is the task, this the toil. A few, whom favoring
hoc opus, hic labor est. Pauci, quos aequus amavit
Jupiter loved, or whom blazing valor lifted to heaven,
Iuppiter, aut ardens evexit ad aethera virtus,
sons of gods, have been able. All the midspace woods hold,
dis geniti potuere. Tenent media omnia silvae,
and Cocytus, gliding in its black coil, encircles it.
Cocytusque sinu labens circumvenit atro.
But if so great a love is in your mind, so great a longing,
Quod si tantus amor menti, si tanta cupido est,
twice to swim the Stygian lakes, twice to see black
bis Stygios innare lacus, bis nigra videre
Tartarus, and it pleases you to indulge a mad toil,
Tartara, et insano iuvat indulgere labori,
hear what must first be done. There lies hidden in a shady tree
accipe, quae peragenda prius. Latet arbore opaca
a bough, golden in both its leaves and pliant stem,
aureus et foliis et lento vimine ramus,
called sacred to the nether Juno; this the whole grove
Iunoni infernae dictus sacer; hunc tegit omnis
covers, and shadows shut it in with dim valleys.
lucus, et obscuris claudunt convallibus umbrae.
But it is not given to go beneath the hidden places of earth
Sed non ante datur telluris operta subire,
before one has plucked the golden-haired growth from the tree.
auricomos quam quis decerpserit arbore fetus.
Fair Proserpina has ordained this to be brought to her
Hoc sibi pulchra suum ferri Proserpina munus
as her own gift. When the first is torn away, another
instituit. Primo avulso non deficit alter
golden one does not fail, and the twig leafs with like metal.
aureus, et simili frondescit virga metallo.
So search high with your eyes, and when duly found,
Ergo alte vestiga oculis, et rite repertum
pluck it with your hand; for of itself, willing and easy, it will follow,
carpe manu; namque ipse volens facilisque sequetur,
if the fates call you; otherwise by no strength
si te fata vocant; aliter non viribus ullis
will you prevail, nor tear it away with hard iron.
vincere, nec duro poteris convellere ferro.
Besides, the lifeless body of a friend lies—
Praeterea iacet exanimum tibi corpus amici—
alas, you do not know—and defiles the whole fleet with death,
heu nescis—totamque incestat funere classem,
while you seek counsel and linger on our threshold.
dum consulta petis nostroque in limine pendes.
Bear him first to his own resting-place and lay him in a tomb.
Sedibus hunc refer ante suis et conde sepulchro.
Lead black cattle; let these be the first atonements:
Duc nigras pecudes; ea prima piacula sunto:
so at last you shall look on the groves of Styx and the realms
sic demum lucos Stygis et regna invia vivis
untrodden by the living." She spoke, and with closed lips fell silent.
aspicies. Dixit, pressoque obmutuit ore.
Aeneas, his eyes fixed down, with mournful face,
Aeneas maesto defixus lumina voltu
goes forward, leaving the cave, and turns over the blind
ingreditur, linquens antrum, caecosque volutat
outcomes within his mind. With him faithful Achates
eventus animo secum. Cui fidus Achates
goes as comrade, and plants his steps with equal cares.
it comes, et paribus curis vestigia figit.
Many things they wove between them in varied talk,
Multa inter sese vario sermone serebant,
which lifeless comrade the prophetess meant, what body for burial
quem socium exanimem vates, quod corpus humandum
she spoke of. And they, on the dry shore, see Misenus,
diceret. Atque illi Misenum in litore sicco,
when they came, cut off by an undeserved death,
ut venere, vident indigna morte peremptum,
Misenus, son of Aeolus, than whom no other was more excellent
Misenum Aeoliden, quo non praestantior alter
at stirring men with the bronze, and kindling war with his song.
aere ciere viros, Martemque accendere cantu.
He had been the companion of great Hector; around Hector
Hectoris hic magni fuerat comes, Hectora circum
he went into battle, marked by his clarion and his spear:
et lituo pugnas insignis obibat et hasta:
after victorious Achilles stripped Hector of life,
postquam illum vita victor spoliavit Achilles,
the most valiant hero had joined himself as comrade
Dardanio Aeneae sese fortissimus heros
to Dardanian Aeneas, following no lesser man.
addiderat socium, non inferiora secutus.
But then, while by chance he makes the seas ring with a hollow shell,
Sed tum, forte cava dum personat aequora concha,
mad, and calls the gods to contest with his song,
demens, et cantu vocat in certamina divos,
jealous Triton, if it is worthy of belief, caught the man up
aemulus exceptum Triton, si credere dignum est,
and drowned him among the rocks in the foaming wave.
inter saxa virum spumosa inmerserat unda.
So all about him roared with a great outcry,
Ergo omnes magno circum clamore fremebant,
pious Aeneas above all. Then the Sibyl’s commands,
praecipue pius Aeneas. Tum iussa Sibyllae,
without delay, weeping they hasten, and strive to heap up
haud mora, festinant flentes, aramque sepulchri
the altar of the tomb with trees and raise it to the sky.
congerere arboribus caeloque educere certant.
They go into an ancient wood, the deep lairs of beasts;
Itur in antiquam silvam, stabula alta ferarum;
the pitch-pines fall, the ilex rings struck by axes,
procumbunt piceae, sonat icta securibus ilex,
and ashen beams and the splittable oak are cleft
fraxineaeque trabes cuneis et fissile robur
with wedges, they roll huge rowans down from the mountains.
scinditur, advolvunt ingentis montibus ornos.
Aeneas too, first among such labors,
Nec non Aeneas opera inter talia primus
urges on his comrades, and girds himself with like tools.
hortatur socios, paribusque accingitur armis.
And these things he turns over in his own sad heart,
Atque haec ipse suo tristi cum corde volutat,
gazing at the immense wood, and so prays aloud:
aspectans silvam inmensam, et sic voce precatur:
"If only now that golden bough on its tree would show
Si nunc se nobis ille aureus arbore ramus
itself to us in so great a grove, since the prophetess
ostendat nemore in tanto, quando omnia vere
has spoken—alas, too truly—of you, Misenus."
heu nimium de te vates, Misene, locuta est.
Scarcely had he said this, when by chance two doves
Vix ea fatus erat, geminae cum forte columbae
came flying from the sky right before the man’s face,
ipsa sub ora viri caelo venere volantes,
and settled on the green ground. Then the great hero
et viridi sedere solo. Tum maximus heros
recognizes his mother’s birds, and gladly prays:
maternas agnoscit aves, laetusque precatur:
"Be my guides, O, if there is any way, and direct your course
Este duces, O, si qua via est, cursumque per auras
through the air into the groves, where the rich bough
dirigite in lucos, ubi pinguem dives opacat
shades the fertile ground. And you, O do not fail me in my doubt,
ramus humum. Tuque, O, dubiis ne defice rebus,
goddess mother." So having spoken he checked his steps,
diva parens. Sic effatus vestigia pressit,
watching what signs they give, where they go on heading.
observans quae signa ferant, quo tendere pergant.
Feeding, they advanced by flying only so far
Pascentes illae tantum prodire volando,
as the eyes of those following could keep them in sight.
quantum acie possent oculi servare sequentum.
Then when they came to the jaws of foul-breathing Avernus,
Inde ubi venere ad fauces grave olentis Averni,
they rise swiftly, and gliding through the clear air
tollunt se celeres, liquidumque per aëra lapsae
the pair settle on their chosen seat atop a tree,
sedibus optatis geminae super arbore sidunt,
whence the contrasting gleam of gold flashed out through the branches.
discolor unde auri per ramos aura refulsit.
As in the woods in winter’s cold the mistletoe
Quale solet silvis brumali frigore viscum
is wont to grow green with fresh leaf, which its own tree does not sow,
fronde virere nova, quod non sua seminat arbos,
and to gird the smooth trunks with its saffron growth,
et croceo fetu teretis circumdare truncos,
such was the look of the leafing gold on the shady
talis erat species auri frondentis opaca
ilex, so the foil rustled in the gentle wind.
ilice, sic leni crepitabat brattea vento.
At once Aeneas seizes it and eagerly breaks off
Corripit Aeneas extemplo avidusque refringit
the lingering bough, and carries it beneath the roof of the Sibyl.
cunctantem, et vatis portat sub tecta Sibyllae.
Meanwhile no less the Teucrians on the shore wept
Nec minus interea Misenum in litore Teucri
for Misenus, and paid the last rites to his thankless ashes.
flebant, et cineri ingrato suprema ferebant.
First they built a huge pyre, rich with pitch-pine and cut oak,
Principio pinguem taedis et robore secto
into whose sides they weave dark foliage,
ingentem struxere pyram, cui frondibus atris
and set funereal cypresses before it,
intexunt latera, et ferales ante cupressos
and adorn it above with gleaming arms.
constituunt, decorantque super fulgentibus armis.
Some make ready warm water and cauldrons bubbling on the flames,
Pars calidos latices et aëna undantia flammis
and wash and anoint the body of the cold man.
expediunt, corpusque lavant frigentis et unguunt.
A groan goes up. Then they lay the mourned limbs on the bier,
Fit gemitus. Tum membra toro defleta reponunt,
and over them cast purple robes, his familiar coverings.
purpureasque super vestes, velamina nota,
Some shouldered the great bier,
coniciunt. Pars ingenti subiere feretro,
a sad service, and after the manner of their fathers
triste ministerium, et subiectam more parentum
held the torch beneath, with averted faces. Heaped up are burned
aversi tenuere facem. Congesta cremantur
the gifts of incense, the food, the bowls of poured oil.
turea dona, dapes, fuso crateres olivo.
After the ashes fell in and the flame grew quiet,
Postquam conlapsi cineres et flamma quievit
they washed the remains and the thirsty embers with wine,
reliquias vino et bibulam lavere favillam,
He too carried pure water thrice around his comrades,
Idem ter socios pura circumtulit unda,
sprinkling them with light dew and a branch of fruitful olive,
spargens rore levi et ramo felicis olivae,
and purified the men, and spoke the last words.
lustravitque viros, dixitque novissima verba.
But pious Aeneas sets up a tomb of huge mass,
At pius Aeneas ingenti mole sepulcrum
and the man’s own arms upon it, his oar and his trumpet,
imponit, suaque arma viro, remumque tubamque,
beneath an airy mountain, which now from him is called
monte sub aërio, qui nunc Misenus ab illo
Misenus, and keeps that name forever through the ages.
dicitur, aeternumque tenet per saecula nomen.
This done, he quickly carries out the Sibyl’s commands.
His actis, propere exsequitur praecepta Sibyllae.
There was a deep cave, monstrous with its vast mouth,
Spelunca alta fuit vastoque immanis hiatu,
rough with stones, guarded by a black lake and the dark of woods,
scrupea, tuta lacu nigro nemorumque tenebris,
over which no flying things could safely
quam super haud ullae poterant impune volantes
wing their way—such a breath, pouring itself from the black
tendere iter pennis—talis sese halitus atris
jaws, rose up to the vault above:
faucibus effundens supera ad convexa ferebat:
wherefore the Greeks called the place by the name Aornos.
unde locum Grai dixerunt nomine Aornon.
Here first the priestess sets four black-backed bullocks,
quattuor hic primum nigrantis terga iuvencos
and pours wine upon their foreheads;
constituit, frontique invergit vina sacerdos;
and plucking the topmost bristles from between the horns
et summas carpens media inter cornua saetas
she lays them on the sacred fires, the first offerings,
ignibus imponit sacris, libamina prima,
calling aloud on Hecate, powerful in Heaven and in Erebus.
voce vocans Hecaten, Caeloque Ereboque potentem.
Others set knives to the throats, and catch the warm blood
Supponunt alii cultros, tepidumque cruorem
in bowls. Aeneas himself strikes with the sword a lamb of black fleece
suscipiunt pateris. Ipse atri velleris agnam
to the mother of the Eumenides and her great sister,
Aeneas matri Eumenidum magnaeque sorori
and to you, Proserpina, a barren heifer.
ense ferit, sterilemque tibi. Proserpina, vaccam.
Then to the Stygian king he begins the altars of night,
Tum Stygio regi nocturnas inchoat aras,
and lays whole carcasses of bulls upon the flames,
et solida imponit taurorum viscera flammis,
pouring rich oil over the burning entrails.
pingue superque oleum infundens ardentibus extis.
But lo, beneath the first light and rising of the sun,
Ecce autem, primi sub lumina solis et ortus,
the ground bellowed under their feet, and the wooded ridges began
sub pedibus mugire solum, et iuga coepta moveri
to move, and dogs seemed to howl through the gloom,
silvarum, visaeque canes ululare per umbram,
as the goddess drew near. "Far off, O far off, be you profane,"
adventante dea. Procul O procul este, profani,
the prophetess cries, "and withdraw from all the grove;
conclamat vates, totoque absistite luco;
and you, set on your way, and draw the sword from the sheath:
tuque invade viam, vaginaque eripe ferrum:
now is need of courage, Aeneas, now of a firm heart."
nunc animis opus, Aenea, nunc pectore firmo.
Saying only this, she flung herself, raging, into the open cave;
Tantum effata, furens antro se immisit aperto;
he matches his guide, advancing with steps not timid.
ille ducem haud timidis vadentem passibus aequat.
Gods who hold dominion over souls, and silent shades,
Di, quibus imperium est animarum, umbraeque silentes,
and Chaos, and Phlegethon, places hushed in night far and wide,
et Chaos, et Phlegethon, loca nocte tacentia late,
let it be right for me to tell what I have heard; by your will
sit mihi fas audita loqui; sit numine vestro
let me unfold things sunk deep in earth and darkness!
pandere res alta terra et caligine mersas!
They went dim through the lonely night amid the shadow,
Ibant obscuri sola sub nocte per umbram,
through the empty halls of Dis and his unpeopled realms:
perque domos Ditis vacuas et inania regna:
as under a fitful moon in grudging light
quale per incertam lunam sub luce maligna
is a path in the woods, when Jupiter has buried the sky
est iter in silvis, ubi caelum condidit umbra
in shadow, and black night has stolen color from things.
Iuppiter, et rebus nox abstulit atra colorem.
Before the very entrance, in the first jaws of Orcus,
Vestibulum ante ipsum, primisque in faucibus Orci
Grief and avenging Cares have set their beds;
Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae;
and pale Diseases dwell, and sad Old Age,
pallentesque habitant Morbi, tristisque Senectus,
and Fear, and Hunger that counsels to evil, and shameful Want,
et Metus, et malesuada Fames, ac turpis Egestas,
shapes terrible to see: Death, and Toil;
terribiles visu formae: Letumque, Labosque;
then Sleep, Death’s kinsman, and the mind’s evil
tum consanguineus Leti Sopor, et mala mentis
Joys, and death-bringing War on the threshold opposite,
Gaudia, mortiferumque adverso in limine Bellum,
and the iron chambers of the Eumenides, and mad Discord,
ferreique Eumenidum thalami, et Discordia demens,
her snaky hair bound with bloody fillets.
vipereum crinem vittis innexa cruentis.
In the midst an elm, shady and huge, spreads its boughs
In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit
and aged arms, which seat, men commonly tell, empty Dreams
ulmus opaca, ingens, quam sedem Somnia volgo
hold, and they cling beneath every leaf.
vana tenere ferunt, foliisque sub omnibus haerent.
And besides, many monstrous beasts of varied kind:
Multaque praeterea variarum monstra ferarum:
Centaurs stable at the doors, and two-formed Scyllas,
Centauri in foribus stabulant, Scyllaeque biformes,
hissing horribly, and the Chimaera armed with flames,
horrendum stridens, flammisque armata Chimaera,
Gorgons and Harpies, and the shape of the three-bodied shade.
Gorgones Harpyiaeque et forma tricorporis umbrae.
Here Aeneas, trembling in sudden terror, seizes his sword
Corripit hic subita trepidus formidine ferrum
and presents the drawn blade against them as they come,
Aeneas, strictamque aciem venientibus offert,
and, had not his learned companion warned that thin lives without body
et, ni docta comes tenues sine corpore vitas
flit under the hollow semblance of form,
admoneat volitare cava sub imagine formae,
he would have rushed in, and vainly cleft the shades with steel.
inruat, et frustra ferro diverberet umbras.
From here a road, which leads to the waves of Tartarean Acheron.
Hinc via, Tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas.
Here a flood, turbid with mire and a vast whirlpool,
Turbidus hic caeno vastaque voragine gurges
seethes, and belches all its sand into Cocytus.
aestuat, atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam.
A dread ferryman guards these waters and streams,
Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat
much unkempt gray hair lies; his eyes stand fixed in flame,
canities inculta iacet; stant lumina flamma,
a filthy cloak hangs by a knot from his shoulders.
sordidus ex umeris nodo dependet amictus.
Himself he poles the raft and tends the sails,
Ipse ratem conto subigit, velisque ministrat,
and ferries the bodies in his rust-dark skiff,
et ferruginea subvectat corpora cymba,
aged now, but a god’s old age is green and raw.
iam senior, sed cruda deo viridisque senectus.
Hither all the throng came streaming and rushing to the banks,
Huc omnis turba ad ripas effusa ruebat,
mothers and men, and the bodies, their life now done,
matres atque viri, defunctaque corpora vita
of great-hearted heroes, boys and unwed girls,
magnanimum heroum, pueri innuptaeque puellae,
and young men laid on pyres before their parents’ eyes:
impositique rogis iuvenes ante ora parentum:
as many as the leaves in the woods that fall and drop
quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo
at autumn’s first cold, or as the birds that flock
lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto
to land from the deep sea, when the cold season
quam multae glomerantur aves, ubi frigidus annus
drives them across the main, and sends them to sunny lands.
trans pontum fugat, et terris immittit apricis.
They stood begging to be the first to make the crossing,
Stabant orantes primi transmittere cursum,
and stretched out their hands in longing for the farther bank.
tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.
But the grim boatman takes now these, now those,
Navita sed tristis nunc hos nunc accipit illos,
while others, thrust far back, he keeps from the strand.
ast alios longe submotos arcet harena.
Aeneas, wondering indeed and moved by the tumult,
Aeneas, miratus enim motusque tumultu,
says: "Tell me, O maiden, what means this thronging to the river?
Dic ait O virgo, quid volt concursus ad amnem?
What do the souls seek, or by what distinction do these leave
Quidve petunt animae, vel quo discrimine ripas
the banks, while those sweep the leaden shallows with oars?"
hae linquunt, illae remis vada livida verrunt?
To him the aged priestess spoke thus briefly:
Olli sic breviter fata est longaeva sacerdos:
"Son begotten of Anchises, surest offspring of the gods,
Anchisa generate, deum certissima proles,
you see the deep pools of Cocytus and the Stygian marsh,
Cocyti stagna alta vides Stygiamque paludem,
by whose power the gods fear to swear and to break faith.
di cuius iurare timent et fallere numen.
All this throng you see is helpless and unburied;
Haec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est;
that ferryman is Charon; these whom the water bears are the buried.
portitor ille Charon; hi, quos vehit unda, sepulti.
Nor is it granted to carry them over the dreadful banks and hoarse
Nec ripas datur horrendas et rauca fluenta
streams before their bones have found rest in a grave.
transportare prius quam sedibus ossa quierunt.
A hundred years they wander and flit about these shores;
Centum errant annos volitantque haec litora circum;
then at last, admitted, they revisit the longed-for pools."
tum demum admissi stagna exoptata revisunt.
The son of Anchises stopped and checked his steps,
Constitit Anchisa satus et vestigia pressit,
pondering much, and pitying in his heart their unequal lot.
multa putans, sortemque animo miseratus iniquam.
There he sees, mournful and lacking the honor of death,
Cernit ibi maestos et mortis honore carentes
whom, as they sailed together from Troy over the windy seas,
quos, simul ab Troia ventosa per aequora vectos,
the South Wind overwhelmed, wrapping ship and men in water.
obruit Auster, aqua involvens navemque virosque.
Lo, there came the helmsman Palinurus,
Ecce gubernator sese Palinurus agebat,
who lately on the Libyan course, while watching the stars,
qui Libyco nuper cursu, dum sidera servat,
had fallen from the stern, flung out into the midst of the waves.
exciderat puppi mediis effusus in undis.
When he scarcely knew him, mournful in the deep gloom,
Hunc ubi vix multa maestum cognovit in umbra,
he speaks first thus: "Which of the gods, Palinurus,
sic prior adloquitur: Quis te, Palinure, deorum
tore you from us, and drowned you in mid-sea?
eripuit nobis, medioque sub aequore mersit?
Come, tell. For Apollo, never before found false,
Dic age. Namque mihi, fallax haud ante repertus,
with this one answer cheated my mind,
hoc uno responso animum delusit Apollo,
who sang that you would be safe on the sea, and would come
qui fore te ponto incolumem, finesque canebat
to the Ausonian bounds. Lo, is this the promised faith?"
venturum Ausonios. En haec promissa fides est?
But he replied: "Neither did Phoebus’s tripod deceive you,
Ille autem: Neque te Phoebi cortina fefellit,
leader, son of Anchises, nor did a god drown me in the sea.
dux Anchisiade, nec me deus aequore mersit.
For the helm, by chance wrenched off with great force,
Namque gubernaclum multa vi forte revolsum,
to which I clung, set as its keeper, and steered the course,
cui datus haerebam custos cursusque regebam,
I dragged headlong with me as I fell. By the rough seas I swear
praecipitans traxi mecum. Maria aspera iuro
that I felt no such fear for myself
non ullum pro me tantum cepisse timorem,
as that your ship, stripped of her gear, her steersman shaken off,
quam tua ne, spoliata armis, excussa magistro,
might fail amid such rising waves.
deficeret tantis navis surgentibus undis.
Three wintry nights the South Wind drove me
Tris Notus hibernas immensa per aequora noctes
violently over the boundless waters; scarcely on the fourth dawn
vexit me violentus aqua; vix lumine quarto
did I sight Italy, lifted high on a wave-crest.
prospexi Italiam summa sublimis ab unda.
Little by little I swam toward land; I was already holding safety,
Paulatim adnabam terrae; iam tuta tenebam,
had not a cruel people, as I was weighed down with sodden clothing
ni gens crudelis madida cum veste gravatum
and clutching with hooked hands at the rough headland’s crags,
prensantemque uncis manibus capita aspera montis
set upon me with the sword, in ignorance thinking me plunder.
ferro invasisset, praedamque ignara putasset.
Now the wave holds me, and the winds toss me on the shore.
Nunc me fluctus habet, versantque in litore venti.
Therefore by the sweet light of heaven and its airs,
Quod te per caeli iucundum lumen et auras,
by your father I beg you, by the hopes of rising Iulus,
per genitorem oro, per spes surgentis Iuli,
snatch me from these evils, unconquered one: either cast earth
eripe me his, invicte, malis: aut tu mihi terram
over me, for you can, and seek again the harbors of Velia;
inice, namque potes, portusque require Velinos;
or if there is any way, if your divine mother
aut tu, si qua via est, si quam tibi diva creatrix
shows you one—for not, I think, without the gods’ will
ostendit—neque enim, credo, sine numine divom
do you make to cross such streams and the Stygian marsh—
flumina tanta paras Stygiamque innare paludem—
give your hand to a wretch, and take me with you across the waves,
da dextram misero, et tecum me tolle per undas,
that at least in death I may rest in a peaceful seat."
sedibus ut saltem placidis in morte quiescam.
Such words he had spoken, when the prophetess began thus:
Talia fatus erat, coepit cum talia vates:
"Whence, O Palinurus, this so dreadful longing of yours?
Unde haec, o Palinure, tibi tam dira cupido?
Shall you, unburied, look on the Stygian waters and the stern
Tu Stygias inhumatus aquas amnemque severum
river of the Eumenides, or approach the bank unbidden?
Eumenidum aspicies, ripamve iniussus adibis?
Cease to hope that the fates of the gods are bent by prayer.
Desine fata deum flecti sperare precando.
But take and remember these words, comforts for a hard lot.
Sed cape dicta memor, duri solatia casus.
For your neighbors, driven far and wide through their cities
Nam tua finitimi, longe lateque per urbes
by signs from heaven, shall make atonement to your bones,
prodigiis acti caelestibus, ossa piabunt,
and raise a mound, and send to the mound their solemn rites,
et statuent tumulum, et tumulo sollemnia mittent,
and the place shall bear Palinurus’s name forever."
aeternumque locus Palinuri nomen habebit.
By these words his cares were stirred away, and grief driven
His dictis curae emotae, pulsusque parumper
a while from his sad heart: he rejoices in the land that bears his name.
corde dolor tristi: gaudet cognomine terrae.
So they go on with the journey begun, and draw near the river.
Ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluvioque propinquant.
When the boatman caught sight of them from the Stygian water
Navita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda
going through the silent wood and turning their feet to the bank,
per tacitum nemus ire pedemque advertere ripae,
thus he assails them first with words, and rebukes them unbidden:
sic prior adgreditur dictis, atque increpat ultro:
"Whoever you are who make armed for our streams,
Quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis,
come, say from there why you come, and check your step.
fare age, quid venias, iam istinc, et comprime gressum.
This is the place of shades, of sleep and drowsy night;
Umbrarum hic locus est, somni noctisque soporae;
to carry living bodies in the Stygian boat is forbidden.
corpora viva nefas Stygia vectare carina.
Indeed I was not glad to have taken Hercules
Nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem
on the lake as he came, nor Theseus and Pirithous,
accepisse lacu, nec Thesea Pirithoumque,
though they were sons of gods and unconquered in strength.
dis quamquam geniti atque invicti viribus essent.
The one sought with his hand to chain the guard of Tartarus,
Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit,
and dragged him trembling from the very throne of the king;
ipsius a solio regis, traxitque trementem;
these others tried to lead off the lady of Dis from his chamber."
hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti.
To this the Amphrysian prophetess spoke briefly in answer:
Quae contra breviter fata est Amphrysia vates:
"Here are no such plots; cease to be troubled;
Nullae hic insidiae tales; absiste moveri;
these weapons bring no force; let the huge doorkeeper in his cave
nec vim tela ferunt; licet ingens ianitor antro
bark forever and fright the bloodless shades,
aeternum latrans exsanguis terreat umbras,
let chaste Proserpina keep her uncle’s threshold.
casta licet patrui servet Proserpina limen.
Trojan Aeneas, marked for piety and for arms,
Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis,
descends to his father, to the deepest shades of Erebus.
ad genitorem imas Erebi descendit ad umbras.
If no image of such great piety moves you,
Si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago,
yet this bough (she reveals the bough that lay hidden in her robe)
at ramum hunc (aperit ramum, qui veste latebat)
know it." Then from his swelling wrath his heart subsides.
adgnoscas. Tumida ex ira tum corda residunt.
No more than this. He, marveling at the venerable gift,
Nec plura his. Ille admirans venerabile donum
the fateful wand, seen after long time,
fatalis virgae, longo post tempore visum,
turns his dark-blue stern, and draws near the bank.
caeruleam advertit puppim, ripaeque propinquat.
Then the other souls, who sat along the long benches,
Inde alias animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant,
he turns out, and clears the gangways; at once he takes into the hull
deturbat, laxatque foros; simul accipit alveo
the mighty Aeneas. The stitched skiff groaned under the weight,
ingentem Aenean. Gemuit sub pondere cymba
and through its seams let in much marsh-water.
sutilis, et multam accepit rimosa paludem.
At last across the river he set down, unharmed, both seer and man
Tandem trans fluvium incolumis vatemque virumque
on the shapeless mud and the gray-green sedge.
informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulva.
Huge Cerberus makes these realms ring with his three-throated barking,
Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci
monstrous, crouching in the cave before them.
personat, adverso recubans immanis in antro.
To him the seeress, seeing his necks now bristling with snakes,
Cui vates, horrere videns iam colla colubris,
throws a morsel drowsy with honey and drugged meal,
melle soporatam et medicatis frugibus offam
casts it. He, opening his three gullets in ravening hunger,
obicit. Ille fame rabida tria guttura pandens
snatches the thing thrown, and slackens his monstrous back,
corripit obiectam, atque immania terga resolvit
sprawled on the ground, and stretches huge across the whole cave.
fusus humi, totoque ingens extenditur antro.
Aeneas seizes the entrance, the guard now buried in sleep,
Occupat Aeneas aditum custode sepulto,
and swiftly passes the bank of the stream none recross.
evaditque celer ripam inremeabilis undae.
At once voices were heard, a wailing and a great cry,
Continuo auditae voces, vagitus et ingens,
the souls of infants weeping on the very threshold,
infantumque animae flentes in limine primo,
whom, denied their share of sweet life and torn from the breast,
quos dulcis vitae exsortes et ab ubere raptos
a black day carried off and plunged in bitter death;
abstulit atra dies et funere mersit acerbo;
next to them those condemned to death on a false charge.
hos iuxta falso damnati crimine mortis.
Nor indeed are these seats assigned without lot, without judge:
Nec vero hae sine sorte datae, sine iudice, sedes:
Minos the inquisitor shakes the urn; he calls the council
quaesitor Minos urnam movet; ille silentum
of the silent, and learns their lives and their charges.
conciliumque vocat vitasque et crimina discit.
Then the next places the mournful hold, who, guiltless,
Proxuma deinde tenent maesti loca, qui sibi letum
dealt themselves death by their own hand, and, loathing the light,
insontes peperere manu, lucemque perosi
flung away their lives. How they would wish now, in the high air,
proiecere animas. Quam vellent aethere in alto
to bear both poverty and hard toils!
nunc et pauperiem et duros perferre labores!
Divine law forbids, and the sad marsh of unlovely water
Fas obstat, tristisque palus inamabilis undae
binds them, and Styx, ninefold between, confines them.
alligat, et noviens Styx interfusa coërcet.
Not far from here are shown, spread out on every side,
Nec procul hinc partem fusi monstrantur in omnem
the Fields of Mourning: so they call them by name.
lugentes campi: sic illos nomine dicunt.
Here those whom harsh love consumed with cruel wasting,
Hic, quos durus amor crudeli tabe peredit,
hidden paths conceal, and round about a myrtle
secreti celant calles et myrtea circum
wood covers them; their cares do not leave them even in death.
silva tegit; curae non ipsa in morte relinquunt.
In these places he sees Phaedra and Procris, and sorrowing Eriphyle,
His Phaedram Procrimque locis, maestamque Eriphylen
showing the wounds dealt by her cruel son,
crudelis nati monstrantem volnera, cernit,
and Evadne and Pasiphaë; with these Laodamia
Evadnenque et Pasiphaën; his Laodamia
goes as companion, and Caeneus, once a youth, now a woman,
it comes, et iuvenis quondam, nunc femina, Caeneus,
turned back by fate again to her former form.
rursus et in veterem fato revoluta figuram.
Among them Phoenician Dido, fresh from her wound,
Inter quas Phoenissa recens a volnere Dido
was wandering in the great wood; whom the Trojan hero,
errabat silva in magna; quam Troius heros
as soon as he stood near and knew her through the shadows,
ut primum iuxta stetit adgnovitque per umbras
dim, as one who at the month’s beginning sees, or thinks
obscuram, qualem primo qui surgere mense
he has seen, the moon rising through clouds,
aut videt, aut vidisse putat per nubila lunam,
let fall his tears, and addressed her with sweet love:
demisit lacrimas, dulcique adfatus amore est:
"Unhappy Dido, then a true message had come
Infelix Dido, verus mihi nuntius ergo
to me that you were dead, and had sought your end by the sword?
venerat exstinctam, ferroque extrema secutam?
Was I, alas, the cause of your death? By the stars I swear,
Funeris heu tibi causa fui? Per sidera iuro,
by the gods above, and by whatever faith is beneath the deep earth,
per superos, et si qua fides tellure sub ima est,
unwilling, queen, I left your shore.
invitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi.
But the commands of the gods, which now drive me to go through these shades,
Sed me iussa deum, quae nunc has ire per umbras,
through places rough with neglect and the deep night, compelled me,
per loca senta situ cogunt noctemque profundam,
drove me by their orders; nor could I believe
imperiis egere suis; nec credere quivi
that by my going I brought you this so great a grief.
hunc tantum tibi me discessu ferre dolorem.
Stay your step, and do not withdraw yourself from my sight.
Siste gradum, teque aspectu ne subtrahe nostro.
Whom do you flee? This is the last word that fate lets me speak to you."
Quem fugis? Extremum fato, quod te adloquor, hoc est.
With such words Aeneas sought to soothe her burning soul,
Talibus Aeneas ardentem et torva tuentem
glaring grimly, and called up his tears.
lenibat dictis animum, lacrimasque ciebat.
She, turned away, kept her eyes fixed on the ground,
Illa solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat,
and is no more moved in face by the speech begun
nec magis incepto voltum sermone movetur,
At last she tore herself away, and fled, an enemy still,
tandem corripuit sese, atque inimica refugit
into the shady grove, where her former husband
in nemus umbriferum, coniunx ubi pristinus illi
Sychaeus answers her cares and matches her love.
respondet curis aequatque Sychaeus amorem.
No less Aeneas, shaken by her cruel fate,
Nec minus Aeneas, casu concussus iniquo,
follows her far with tears, and pities her as she goes.
prosequitur lacrimis longe, et miseratur euntem.
Thence he labors on the appointed road. And now they held the farthest
Inde datum molitur iter. Iamque arva tenebant
fields, which the famed in war frequent apart.
ultima, quae bello clari secreta frequentant.
Here Tydeus meets him, here Parthenopaeus, renowned in arms,
Hic illi occurrit Tydeus, hic inclutus armis
here the sons of Dardanus, much wept in the world above and fallen in war,
hic multum fleti ad superos belloque caduci
all of whom, seeing them in a long line,
Dardanidae, quos ille omnes longo ordine cernens
ingemuit, Glaucumque Medontaque Thersilochumque,
the three sons of Antenor, and Polyphoetes, sacred to Ceres,
tris Antenoridas, Cererique sacrum Polyphoeten,
and Idaeus, still holding his chariot, still his arms.
Idaeumque, etiam currus, etiam arma tenentem.
The souls stand thronging around, on right and left;
circumstant animae dextra laevaque frequentes;
nor is it enough to have seen him once; it pleases them to linger on,
nec vidisse semel satis est; iuvat usque morari,
and walk beside him, and learn the reasons of his coming.
et conferre gradum, et veniendi discere causas.
But the Greek chiefs and Agamemnon’s phalanxes,
At Danaum proceres Agamemnoniaeque phalanges
when they saw the man and his flashing arms through the shadows,
ut videre virum fulgentiaque arma per umbras,
trembled in vast fear; some turned their backs,
ingenti trepidare metu; pars vertere terga,
as once they made for their ships; some raised a thin
ceu quondam petiere rates; pars tollere vocem
cry, the shout begun mocks them as they gape.
exiguam, inceptus clamor frustratur hiantes.
And here he sees Deiphobus, son of Priam, mangled over all his body,
Atque hic Priamiden laniatum corpore toto
his face cruelly torn,
Deiphobum videt et lacerum crudeliter ora,
his face and both his hands, and his temples ravaged, the ears
ora manusque ambas, populataque tempora raptis
torn away, and his nostrils cropped by a shameful wound.
auribus, et truncas inhonesto volnere nares.
Scarcely indeed did he know him, as he cowered and hid the dread
Vix adeo adgnovit pavitantem et dira tegentem
punishments, and he hails him unbidden with familiar voice:
supplicia, et notis compellat vocibus ultro:
"Deiphobus, mighty in arms, of the high blood of Teucer,
Deiphobe armipotens, genus alto a sanguine Teucri
who chose to take so cruel a vengeance?
quis tam crudeles optavit sumere poenas?
To whom was so much against you allowed? Report, on that last
Cui tantum de te licuit? Mihi fama suprema
night, told me that you, weary with vast slaughter of the Greeks,
nocte tulit fessum vasta te caede Pelasgum
had sunk down upon a heap of tangled carnage.
procubuisse super confusae stragis acervum.
Then I myself set up an empty mound on the Rhoetean shore,
Tunc egomet tumulum Rhoeteo litore inanem
and thrice with loud voice called upon your shade.
constitui, et magna Manes ter voce vocavi.
Your name and arms keep the place; you, my friend, I could not
Nomen et arma locum servant; te, amice, nequivi
find, to lay you in your native land as I departed."
conspicere, et patria decedens ponere terra.
To which the son of Priam: "Nothing, O friend, was left undone by you;
Ad quae Priamides: Nihil O tibi amice relictum;
all dues you paid to Deiphobus and to his death’s shade.
omnia Deiphobo solvisti et funeris umbris.
But my own fate and the deadly crime of the Spartan woman
Sed me fata mea et scelus exitiale Lacaenae
sank me in these woes; she left these memorials.
his mersere malis; illa haec monumenta reliquit.
For how we spent the last night amid false rejoicings,
Namque ut supremam falsa inter gaudia noctem
you know; and too well must I remember it.
egerimus, nosti; et nimium meminisse necesse est.
When the fatal horse came at a leap over high
Cum fatalis equus saltu super ardua venit
Pergama, and brought armed infantry in its laden belly,
Pergama, et armatum peditem gravis attulit alvo,
she, feigning a dance, led the Phrygian women
illa, chorum simulans, evantes orgia circum
shrieking around in their rites; herself in their midst she held a great
ducebat Phrygias; flammam media ipsa tenebat
torch, and called the Greeks from the topmost citadel.
ingentem, et summa Danaos ex arce vocabat.
Then me, worn out with cares and heavy with sleep,
Tum me, confectum curis somnoque gravatum,
the ill-fated chamber held, and as I lay there
infelix habuit thalamus, pressitque iacentem
a sweet and deep rest, most like to peaceful death, pressed me down.
dulcis et alta quies placidaeque simillima morti.
Meanwhile my peerless wife removes all weapons from the house,
Egregia interea coniunx arma omnia tectis
and had stolen the trusty sword from beneath my head;
amovet, et fidum capiti subduxerat ensem;
she calls Menelaus into the house, and throws open the doors,
intra tecta vocat Menelaum, et limina pandit,
hoping, no doubt, that this would be a great gift to her lover,
scilicet id magnum sperans fore munus amanti,
and that the report of her old misdeeds could so be quenched.
et famam exstingui veterum sic posse malorum.
Why do I linger? They burst into the chamber; with them is joined as comrade
Quid moror? Inrumpunt thalamo; comes additur una
the son of Aeolus, instigator of crimes. Gods, requite
hortator scelerum Aeolides. Di, talia Grais
such deeds on the Greeks, if with righteous lips I demand vengeance!
instaurate, pio si poenas ore reposco!
But come, tell me in turn what chance has brought you here alive.
Sed te qui vivum casus, age, fare vicissim,
Do you come driven by the sea’s wanderings,
attulerint. Pelagine venis erroribus actus,
or by the gods’ warning? Or what Fortune wearies you,
an monitu divom? An quae te Fortuna fatigat,
that you should come to these sad sunless homes, these troubled places?"
ut tristes sine sole domos, loca turbida, adires?
In this exchange of words, Dawn in her rosy four-horse car
Hac vice sermonum roseïs Aurora quadrigis
had already crossed the mid-point of the sky in her heavenly course;
iam medium aetherio cursu traiecerat axem;
and perhaps they would have drawn out all their allotted time in such talk;
et fors omne datum traherent per talia tempus;
but his companion warned him, and the Sibyl spoke briefly:
sed comes admonuit, breviterque adfata Sibylla est:
"Night rushes on, Aeneas; we draw out the hours in weeping.
Nox ruit, Aenea; nos flendo ducimus horas.
This is the place where the road splits in two:
Hic locus est, partes ubi se via findit in ambas:
the right, which runs beneath the walls of great Dis,
dextera quae Ditis magni sub moenia tendit,
this is our way to Elysium; but the left plies the punishments
hac iter Elysium nobis; at laeva malorum
of the wicked, and sends them to impious Tartarus."
exercet poenas, et ad impia Tartara mittit.
Deiphobus in answer: "Do not rage, great priestess;
Deiphobus contra: Ne saevi, magna sacerdos;
I will depart, fill out the number, and be given back to the darkness.
discedam, explebo numerum, reddarque tenebris.
Go, our glory, go; enjoy a better fate!"
I decus, i, nostrum; melioribus utere fatis!
So much he said, and on the word turned his steps away.
Tantum effatus, et in verbo vestigia torsit.
Aeneas suddenly looks back, and beneath a cliff on the left
Respicit Aeneas subito, et sub rupe sinistra
sees broad battlements, girt with a threefold wall,
moenia lata videt, triplici circumdata muro,
which a swift river girdles with torrents of flame,
quae rapidus flammis ambit torrentibus amnis,
Tartarean Phlegethon, and whirls its thundering rocks.
Tartareus Phlegethon, torquetque sonantia saxa.
A huge gate faces them, and pillars of solid adamant,
Porta adversa ingens, solidoque adamante columnae,
such that no force of men, not the heaven-dwellers themselves,
vis ut nulla virum, non ipsi exscindere bello
could tear it down in war; an iron tower stands up to the air,
caelicolae valeant; stat ferrea turris ad auras,
and Tisiphone, seated, girt in a bloody robe,
Tisiphoneque sedens, palla succincta cruenta,
keeps the entrance sleepless, night and day.
vestibulum exsomnis servat noctesque diesque.
From here groans are heard, and the savage sound
Hinc exaudiri gemitus, et saeva sonare
of lashes; then the screech of iron, and chains dragged.
verbera; tum stridor ferri, tractaeque catenae.
Aeneas halted, and aghast drank in the din.
Constitit Aeneas, strepitumque exterritus hausit.
"What shapes of crime are these, O maiden, tell me; by what
Quae scelerum facies, O virgo, effare; quibusve
punishments are they pressed? What is this great wailing to the air?"
urguentur poenis? Quis tantus plangor ad auras?
Then the prophetess began to speak thus: "Famed leader of the Teucrians,
Tum vates sic orsa loqui: Dux inclute Teucrum,
no chaste foot may tread the threshold of the guilty;
nulli fas casto sceleratum insistere limen;
but when Hecate set me over the groves of Avernus,
sed me cum lucis Hecate praefecit Avernis,
she herself taught me the gods’ punishments, and led me through all.
ipsa deum poenas docuit, perque omnia duxit.
Cnossian Rhadamanthus holds these realms, harshest of kingdoms,
Gnosius haec Rhadamanthus habet, durissima regna,
and chastises and hears their frauds, and forces confession
castigatque auditque dolos, subigitque fateri,
from any who in the world above, rejoicing in vain concealment,
quae quis apud superos, furto laetatus inani,
put off their atonement for guilt till late death.
distulit in seram commissa piacula mortem.
At once Tisiphone the avenger, girt with her scourge,
Continuo sontes ultrix accincta flagello
leaps and lashes the guilty, and in her left hand brandishing
Tisiphone quatit insultans, torvosque sinistra
her grim snakes, calls the savage ranks of her sisters.
intentans angues vocat agmina saeva sororum.
Then at last the accursed gates, shrieking on their dread-sounding hinge,
Tum demum horrisono stridentes cardine sacrae
swing open. Do you see what manner of guard
panduntur portae. Cernis custodia qualis
sits in the entrance, what shape keeps the threshold?
vestibulo sedeat, facies quae limina servet?
A monstrous Hydra, with fifty black gaping mouths,
Quinquaginta atris immanis hiatibus Hydra
more savage, has her seat within. Then Tartarus itself
saevior intus habet sedem. Tum Tartarus ipse
yawns sheer downward, and stretches into the shadows twice as far
bis patet in praeceps tantum tenditque sub umbras,
as is the upward view to heavenly Olympus.
quantus ad aetherium caeli suspectus Olympum.
Here the ancient brood of Earth, the Titans’ offspring,
Hic genus antiquum Terrae, Titania pubes,
struck down by the thunderbolt, roll in the lowest pit.
fulmine deiecti fundo volvuntur in imo.
Here too I saw the twin sons of Aloeus, vast
Hic et Aloidas geminos immania vidi
in body, who tried with their hands to rend the great heaven
corpora, qui manibus magnum rescindere caelum
and to thrust Jove from the kingdoms above.
adgressi, superisque Iovem detrudere regnis.
for imitating the flames of Jove and the thunder of Olympus.
dum flammas Iovis et sonitus imitatur Olympi.
Borne on four horses and brandishing a torch,
Quattuor hic invectus equis et lampada quassans
through the peoples of Greece and through the city in the midst of Elis
per Graium populos mediaeque per Elidis urbem
he went exulting, and claimed for himself the honor of the gods—
ibat ovans, divomque sibi poscebat honorem,—
madman, who with bronze and the beat of horn-footed horses
demens, qui nimbos et non imitabile fulmen
would mimic the storm-clouds and the inimitable thunderbolt.
aere et cornipedum pulsu simularet equorum.
But the almighty Father hurled his shaft among the thick clouds—
At pater omnipotens densa inter nubila telum
no firebrands his, nor smoky light of pine-torches—
contorsit, non ille faces nec fumea taedis
and drove him headlong in a monstrous whirlwind.
lumina, praecipitemque immani turbine adegit.
one could see, whose body stretches over nine whole acres,
cernere erat, per tota novem cui iugera corpus
and a monstrous vulture with hooked beak
porrigitur, rostroque immanis voltur obunco
cropping his deathless liver and his vitals, fruitful
immortale iecur tondens fecundaque poenis
for punishment, gropes for its feast, and dwells beneath his deep
viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitatque sub alto
breast, and no rest is given to the flesh as it grows again.
pectore, nec fibris requies datur ulla renatis.
Over whom a black flint, ever about to slip and fall,
quos super atra silex iam iam lapsura cadentique
hangs as though falling; gold supports gleam
imminet adsimilis; lucent genialibus altis
on the high festal couches, and a banquet of royal
aurea fulcra toris, epulaeque ante ora paratae
splendor is set before their faces; the greatest of the Furies sits beside,
regifico luxu; Furiarum maxima iuxta
and keeps their hands from touching the tables,
accubat, et manibus prohibet contingere mensas,
and rises lifting her torch, and thunders with her mouth.
exsurgitque facem attollens, atque intonat ore.
Here those who, while life lasted, hated their brothers,
Hic, quibus invisi fratres, dum vita manebat,
or struck a parent, and wove fraud against a dependent,
pulsatusve parens, et fraus innexa clienti,
or who brooded alone over riches they had found,
aut qui divitiis soli incubuere repertis,
and set aside no share for their own (the largest crowd of all),
nec partem posuere suis (quae maxima turba est),
and those slain for adultery, and those who followed unholy
quique ob adulterium caesi, quique arma secuti
arms, and did not shrink from betraying their masters’ troth,
impia nec veriti dominorum fallere dextras,
shut in, await their punishment. Do not ask to be told
inclusi poenam exspectant. Ne quaere doceri
what punishment, or what shape or fortune sank these men.
quam poenam, aut quae forma viros fortunave mersit.
Some roll a huge stone, and others hang stretched
Saxum ingens volvunt alii, radiisque rotarum
on the spokes of wheels; unhappy Theseus sits,
districti pendent; sedet, aeternumque sedebit,
and shall sit forever; and Phlegyas, most wretched, warns them all
infelix Theseus; Phlegyasque miserrimus omnis
and through the shadows bears witness with a loud voice:
admonet, et magna testatur voce per umbras:
’Learn justice, being warned, and not to scorn the gods.’
Discite iustitiam moniti, et non temnere divos.
This man sold his country for gold, and set a tyrant master
Vendidit hic auro patriam, dominumque potentem
over her; he made and unmade laws for a price;
imposuit; fixit leges pretio atque refixit;
this one forced his daughter’s bed and forbidden wedlock;
hic thalamum invasit natae vetitosque hymenaeos;
all dared a monstrous wrong, and won what they dared.
ausi omnes immane nefas, ausoque potiti.
Not if I had a hundred tongues and a hundred mouths,
Non, mihi si linguae centum sint oraque centum,
an iron voice, could I take in all the shapes of crime,
ferrea vox, omnis scelerum comprendere formas,
or run through all the names of their punishments."
omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim.
When the aged priestess of Phoebus had said this:
Haec ubi dicta dedit Phoebi longaeva sacerdos:
"But come now, take the road and finish the task begun;
Sed iam age, carpe viam et susceptum perfice munus;
let us hasten," she says; "I see the walls forged
adceleremus ait; Cyclopum educta caminis
in the Cyclopes’ furnaces, and the gates in the arch before us,
moenia conspicio atque adverso fornice portas,
where the commands bid us lay down our gift."
haec ubi nos praecepta iubent deponere dona.
She had spoken, and side by side, going through the dark of the ways,
Dixerat, et pariter, gressi per opaca viarum,
they cover the space between, and draw near the doors.
corripiunt spatium medium, foribusque propinquant.
Aeneas gains the entrance, sprinkles his body with fresh
Occupat Aeneas aditum, corpusque recenti
water, and fixes the bough on the threshold facing them.
spargit aqua, ramumque adverso in limine figit.
These at last performed, the goddess’s office fulfilled,
His demum exactis, perfecto munere divae,
they came to glad places and the pleasant greenswards
devenere locos laetos et amoena virecta
of the fortunate groves, and the blessed seats.
fortunatorum nemorum sedesque beatas.
Here a more bounteous air clothes the fields with light
Largior hic campos aether et lumine vestit
of rose, and they know their own sun, their own stars.
purpureo, solemque suum, sua sidera norunt.
Some exercise their limbs on the grassy wrestling-grounds,
Pars in gramineis exercent membra palaestris,
contend in sport, and wrestle on the yellow sand;
contendunt ludo et fulva luctantur harena;
some beat the dance with their feet and chant songs.
pars pedibus plaudunt choreas et carmina dicunt.
And the Thracian priest, in his long robe,
Nec non Threïcius longa cum veste sacerdos
accompanies their measures with the seven distinctions of tones,
obloquitur numeris septem discrimina vocum,
and strikes them now with his fingers, now with the ivory plectrum.
iamque eadem digitis, iam pectine pulsat eburno.
Here is the ancient line of Teucer, that fairest offspring,
Hic genus antiquum Teucri, pulcherrima proles,
great-hearted heroes, born in better years,
magnanimi heroes, nati melioribus annis,
Ilus and Assaracus, and Dardanus, founder of Troy.
Ilusque Assaracusque et Troiae Dardanus auctor.
He marvels at the arms and empty chariots of the men, set far off.
Arma procul currusque virum miratur inanes.
Their spears stand fixed in the ground, and here and there their horses
Stant terra defixae hastae, passimque soluti
graze loose over the plain. The delight they had in chariots
per campum pascuntur equi. Quae gratia currum
and arms while they lived, the care to feed their sleek
armorumque fuit vivis, quae cura nitentis
horses, the same follows them laid to rest in the earth.
pascere equos, eadem sequitur tellure repostos.
He sees, lo, others to right and left feasting on the grass,
Conspicit, ecce, alios dextra laevaque per herbam
and singing in chorus a glad paean
vescentis, laetumque choro paeana canentis
amid a fragrant grove of laurel, whence from above
inter odoratum lauri nemus, unde superne
Here the band who suffered wounds fighting for their country,
Hic manus ob patriam pugnando volnera passi,
and those who were chaste priests while life remained,
quique sacerdotes casti, dum vita manebat,
and the pious seers who spoke words worthy of Phoebus,
quique pii vates et Phoebo digna locuti,
or those who ennobled life by the arts they found,
inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes,
and those who by their service made others remember them,
quique sui memores alios fecere merendo,
all of these have their brows bound with a snow-white fillet.
omnibus his nivea cinguntur tempora vitta.
To them, thronging round, the Sibyl spoke thus,
Quos circumfusos sic est adfata Sybilla,
in their midst, and looks up at him towering with high shoulders:
hunc habet, atque umeris exstantem suspicit altis:
"Tell me, happy souls, and you, best of seers,
Dicite, felices animae, tuque, optime vates,
what region holds Anchises, what place? For his sake
quae regio Anchisen, quis habet locus? Illius ergo
we have come, and crossed the great rivers of Erebus."
venimus, et magnos Erebi transnavimus amnes.
And to her the hero gave answer thus in few words:
Atque huic responsum paucis ita reddidit heros:
"None of us has a fixed home; we dwell in shady groves,
Nulli certa domus; lucis habitamus opacis,
and make our beds on the riverbanks and meadows fresh with streams.
riparumque toros et prata recentia rivis
But you, if the wish in your heart so bears you,
incolimus. Sed vos, si fert ita corde voluntas,
surmount this ridge; and I will set you now on an easy path."
hoc superate iugum; et facili iam tramite sistam.
He spoke, and led the way before, and from above
Dixit, et ante tulit gressum, camposque nitentis
shows the shining fields; then they leave the high summits.
desuper ostentat; dehinc summa cacumina linquunt.
But father Anchises, deep in a green valley,
At pater Anchises penitus convalle virenti
was surveying with earnest care the imprisoned souls
inclusas animas superumque ad lumen ituras
destined to go to the upper light, and was reviewing
lustrabat studio recolens, omnemque suorum
by chance the whole number of his own, his dear descendants,
forte recensebat numerum carosque nepotes,
their fates and fortunes, their characters and deeds.
fataque fortunasque virum moresque manusque.
And when he sees Aeneas making toward him across the grass,
Isque ubi tendentem adversum per gramina videt
eagerly he stretched out both his palms,
Aenean, alacris palmas utrasque tetendit,
and tears poured down his cheeks, and a cry fell from his lips:
effusaeque genis lacrimae, et vox excidit ore:
"Have you come at last, and has your piety, awaited
Venisti tandem, tuaque exspectata parenti
by your father, won the hard road? Is it given me to look upon your face,
vicit iter durum pietas? Datur ora tueri,
my son, and to hear and answer the voices I know?
nate, tua, et notas audire et reddere voces?
So indeed I reckoned in my mind, and thought it would be,
Sic equidem ducebam animo rebarque futurum,
counting the days, and my care did not deceive me.
tempora dinumerans, nec me mea cura fefellit.
Over what lands and what wide seas you have been borne
Quas ego te terras et quanta per aequora vectum
I receive you! By what great perils tossed, my son!
accipio! quantis iactatum, nate, periclis!
How I feared lest the realm of Libya should harm you!"
Quam metui, ne quid Libyae tibi regna nocerent!
But he: "Your image, father, your sorrowing image,
Ille autem: Tua me, genitor, tua tristis imago,
meeting me again and again, drove me to seek these thresholds:
saepius occurrens, haec limina tendere adegit:
my fleets ride on the Tyrrhenian brine. Grant me to clasp your hand,
stant sale Tyrrheno classes. Da iungere dextram,
grant it, father, and do not withdraw from my embrace."
da, genitor, teque amplexu ne subtrahe nostro.
So speaking, he bathed his face at once with a flood of weeping.
Sic memorans, largo fletu simul ora rigabat.
Thrice there he tried to throw his arms about his neck,
Ter conatus ibi collo dare brachia circum,
thrice the clasped image fled his hands in vain,
ter frustra comprensa manus effugit imago,
like the light winds, and most like a winged dream.
par levibus ventis volucrique simillima somno.
Meanwhile Aeneas sees in a secluded valley
Interea videt Aeneas in valle reducta
a sheltered grove and the rustling thickets of the woods,
seclusum nemus et virgulta sonantia silvis,
and the river of Lethe, that flows past those peaceful homes.
Lethaeumque, domos placidas qui praenatat, amnem.
About it countless nations and peoples were hovering;
Hunc circum innumerae gentes populique volabant;
and—as when in the meadows on a clear summer day bees
ac—velut in pratis ubi apes aestate serena
settle on the varied flowers, and stream around the white
floribus insidunt variis, et candida circum
lilies—all the plain hums with their murmur.
lilia funduntur—strepit omnis murmure campus.
Aeneas shudders at the sudden sight, and, not knowing,
Horrescit visu subito, causasque requirit
asks the reasons—what are those rivers yonder,
inscius Aeneas, quae sint ea flumina porro,
or what men have filled the banks in so great a throng.
quive viri tanto complerint agmine ripas.
Then father Anchises: "The souls to whom by fate
Tum pater Anchises: Animae, quibus altera fato
second bodies are owed, at the water of Lethe’s stream
corpora debentur, Lethaei ad fluminis undam
drink the carefree draughts and the long forgetfulness.
securos latices et longa oblivia potant.
These indeed I have long desired to name to you and show before your eyes,
Has equidem memorare tibi atque ostendere coram,
to count out this offspring of my line,
iampridem hanc prolem cupio enumerare meorum,
that you may rejoice the more with me at Italy found."
quo magis Italia mecum laetere reperta.
"O father, must we think that some souls go up from here to heaven,
O pater, anne aliquas ad caelum hinc ire putandum est
and return again to sluggish
sublimis animas, iterumque ad tarda reverti
bodies? What so dread a longing for the light is in the wretches?"
corpora? Quae lucis miseris tam dira cupido?
"I will tell you indeed, nor keep you in suspense, my son,"
Dicam equidem, nec te suspensum, nate, tenebo
Anchises takes up, and unfolds each thing in order.
suscipit Anchises, atque ordine singula pandit.
"First, the heaven and the earth and the liquid plains,
Principio caelum ac terras camposque liquentis
the shining orb of the Moon, and the Titan stars,
lucentemque globum Lunae Titaniaque astra
a spirit within sustains, and Mind, poured through the limbs,
spiritus intus alit, totamque infusa per artus
stirs the whole mass and mingles with the great body.
mens agitat molem et magno se corpore miscet.
Thence the race of men and beasts, the lives of winged things,
Inde hominum pecudumque genus, vitaeque volantum,
and the monsters the sea bears beneath its marble surface.
et quae marmoreo fert monstra sub aequore pontus.
A fiery vigor is in those seeds, and a heavenly origin,
Igneus est ollis vigor et caelestis origo
so far as harmful bodies do not clog them,
seminibus, quantum non noxia corpora tardant,
and earthly frames and dying limbs dull them.
terrenique hebetant artus moribundaque membra.
Hence they fear and desire, grieve and rejoice, nor, shut in
Hinc metuunt cupiuntque, dolent gaudentque, neque auras
darkness and a blind prison, do they look up to the air.
dispiciunt clausae tenebris et carcere caeco.
Nay, even when at the last light life has left them,
Quin et supremo cum lumine vita reliquit,
yet not all their evil, nor every plague of the body,
non tamen omne malum miseris nec funditus omnes
wholly leaves the wretched, and it must be that many things,
corporeae excedunt pestes, penitusque necesse est
long grown ingrained, harden in them in wondrous ways.
multa diu concreta modis inolescere miris.
Therefore they are schooled with penalties, and pay the price
Ergo exercentur poenis, veterumque malorum
of old wrongs: some are hung spread out, void,
supplicia expendunt: aliae panduntur inanes
to the winds; in others the guilt is washed out
suspensae ad ventos; aliis sub gurgite vasto
beneath a vast flood, or burned away in fire;
infectum eluitur scelus, aut exuritur igni;
each of us suffers his own shade; thereafter through wide
quisque suos patimur Manes; exinde per amplum
Elysium we are sent, and a few of us hold the glad fields;
mittimur Elysium, et pauci laeta arva tenemus;
until the length of days, the circle of time fulfilled,
donec longa dies, perfecto temporis orbe,
takes away the ingrained stain, and leaves pure
concretam exemit labem, purumque relinquit
the heavenly sense and the fire of unmixed air.
aetherium sensum atque auraï simplicis ignem.
All these, when they have turned the wheel through a thousand years,
Has omnes, ubi mille rotam volvere per annos,
a god summons in a great column to the river of Lethe,
Lethaeum ad fluvium deus evocat agmine magno,
that, forgetful, they may revisit the vault above,
scilicet immemores supera ut convexa revisant,
and begin again to wish to return into bodies."
rursus et incipiant in corpora velle reverti.
Anchises had spoken, and draws his son and the Sibyl with him
Dixerat Anchises, natumque unaque Sibyllam
into the midst of the gathering and the murmuring crowd,
conventus trahit in medios turbamque sonantem,
and takes a mound, whence he could scan all in a long line
et tumulum capit, unde omnes longo ordine possit
as they faced him, and learn the faces of those who came.
adversos legere, et venientum discere vultus.
"Come now, what glory shall hereafter attend the Dardan stock,
Nunc age, Dardaniam prolem quae deinde sequatur
what descendants of the Italian race await you,
gloria, qui maneant Itala de gente nepotes,
illustrious souls who shall pass into our name,
inlustris animas nostrumque in nomen ituras,
I will set forth in words, and teach you your own destiny.
expediam dictis, et te tua fata docebo.
That youth, you see, who leans on a headless spear,
Ille, vides, pura iuvenis qui nititur hasta,
holds by lot the nearest place to the light, the first to rise
proxuma sorte tenet lucis loca, primus ad auras
to the air of heaven, mingled with Italian blood,
aetherias Italo commixtus sanguine surget,
shall rear late in the woods, a king and the father of kings,
educet silvis regem regumque parentem,
whence our race shall rule in Alba Longa.
unde genus Longa nostrum dominabitur Alba.
and Capys, and Numitor, and he who shall give you back your name,
et Capys, et Numitor, et qui te nomine reddet
Silvius Aeneas, alike in piety and in arms
Silvius Aeneas, pariter pietate vel armis
outstanding, if ever he receives Alba to rule.
egregius, si umquam regnandam acceperit Albam.
What young men! See what strength they show,
Qui iuvenes! Quantas ostentant, aspice, vires,
and wear their brows shaded with the civic oak!
atque umbrata gerunt civili tempora quercu!
These shall set up for you Nomentum and Gabii and the city of Fidena,
Hi tibi Nomentum et Gabios urbemque Fidenam,
these the Collatine citadels upon the hills,
hi Collatinas imponent montibus arces,
Pometii, and the Fort of Inuus, and Bola and Cora.
Pometios Castrumque Inui Bolamque Coramque.
These shall then be names, now they are nameless lands.
Haec tum nomina erunt, nunc sunt sine nomine terrae.
Nay, to his grandsire as companion the son of Mars,
Quin et avo comitem sese Mavortius addet
Romulus, shall join himself, whom his mother Ilia, of the blood
Romulus, Assaraci quem sanguinis Ilia mater
of Assaracus, shall rear. See how the twin crests stand on his helm,
educet. Viden, ut geminae stant vertice cristae,
and the Father of the gods himself now marks him with his own honor?
et pater ipse suo superum iam signat honore?
Lo, under his auspices, my son, that famed Rome
En, huius, nate, auspiciis illa incluta Roma
shall match her empire with the earth, her spirit with Olympus,
imperium terris, animos aequabit Olympo,
and gird her seven hills within one wall,
septemque una sibi muro circumdabit arces,
blessed in her brood of men: as the Berecyntian Mother,
felix prole virum: qualis Berecyntia mater
tower-crowned, rides in her chariot through the Phrygian cities,
invehitur curru Phrygias turrita per urbes,
glad in her divine offspring, embracing a hundred grandchildren,
laeta deum partu, centum complexa nepotes,
all dwellers in heaven, all holding the heights above.
omnes caelicolas, omnes supera alta tenentes.
Now turn your twin eyes this way, behold this people,
Huc geminas nunc flecte acies, hanc aspice gentem
your Romans. Here is Caesar and all the progeny
Romanosque tuos. Hic Caesar et omnis Iuli
of Iulus, destined to come beneath the great vault of heaven.
progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem.
This is the man, this is he, whom you so often hear promised to you,
Hic vir, hic est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis,
a golden age in Latium, through fields once ruled
saecula qui rursus Latio regnata per arva
beyond the Garamantes and the Indians: a land that lies beyond the stars,
proferet imperium: iacet extra sidera tellus,
beyond the paths of the year and the sun, where heaven-bearing Atlas
extra anni solisque vias, ubi caelifer Atlas
turns on his shoulder the axis set with blazing stars.
axem umero torquet stellis ardentibus aptum.
and the sevenfold mouths of the Nile are troubled and afraid.
et septemgemini turbant trepida ostia Nili.
Nor indeed did Hercules traverse so much of the earth,
Nec vero Alcides tantum telluris obivit,
though he pierced the brazen-footed hind, or stilled
fixerit aeripedem cervam licet, aut Erymanthi
the woods of Erymanthus, and made Lerna tremble with his bow;
pacarit nemora, et Lernam tremefecerit arcu;
nor he who guides his team in triumph with vine-leaf reins,
nec, qui pampineis victor iuga flectit habenis,
Bacchus, driving his tigers down from Nysa’s lofty peak.
Liber, agens celso Nysae de vertice tigres.
And do we still hesitate to extend our power by valor,
Et dubitamus adhuc virtute extendere vires,
or does fear keep us from setting foot on Ausonian soil?
aut metus Ausonia prohibet consistere terra?
But who is that, far off, marked by the boughs of olive,
Quis procul ille autem ramis insignis olivae
bearing sacred things? I know the hair and the hoary chin
sacra ferens? Nosco crines incanaque menta
of the Roman king, who first shall found the city on laws,
regis Romani, primus qui legibus urbem
to a great dominion. After him will come
missus in imperium magnum. Cui deinde subibit,
one who will break his country’s ease and stir to arms
otia qui rumpet patriae residesque movebit
her sluggish men, Tullus, and the ranks now grown unused
Tullus in arma viros et iam desueta triumphis
to triumphs. Beside him follows the more boastful Ancus,
agmina. Quem iuxta sequitur iactantior Ancus,
even now too glad of the people’s favoring breath.
nunc quoque iam nimium gaudens popularibus auris.
Will you see the Tarquin kings too, and the proud soul
Vis et Tarquinios reges, animamque superbam
He first shall receive a consul’s power and the cruel axes,
Consulis imperium hic primus saevasque secures
and the father, when his sons stir up new wars,
accipiet, natosque pater nova bella moventes
shall call them to punishment for fair liberty’s sake.
ad poenam pulchra pro libertate vocabit.
Unhappy man, however later ages tell the deed,
Infelix, utcumque ferent ea facta minores,
love of country shall conquer, and the boundless desire for praise.
vincet amor patriae laudumque immensa cupido.
Quin Decios Drusosque procul saevumque securi
savage with the axe, and Camillus bringing back the standards.
aspice Torquatum et referentem signa Camillum.
But those souls, whom you see gleaming in matched armor,
Illae autem, paribus quas fulgere cernis in armis,
at one now, and while they are held down in night,
concordes animae nunc et dum nocte premuntur,
alas, what war between them, if they reach the light
heu quantum inter se bellum, si lumina vitae
of life, what battle-lines and slaughter they will stir!
attigerint, quantas acies stragemque ciebunt!
The father-in-law descending from the Alpine ramparts and the fortress of Monoecus,
Aggeribus socer Alpinis atque arce Monoeci
the son-in-law arrayed against him with the hosts of the East.
descendens, gener adversis instructus Eois.
Do not, my sons, do not inure your hearts to such wars,
Ne, pueri, ne tanta animis adsuescite bella,
nor turn your country’s mighty strength against her own vitals;
neu patriae validas in viscera vertite vires;
and you first, you spare them, who draw your line from Olympus,
tuque prior, tu parce, genus qui ducis Olympo,
cast the weapons from your hand, O blood of mine!—
proice tela manu, sanguis meus!—
in triumph to the lofty Capitol, glorious for the slaughtered Greeks.
victor aget currum, caesis insignis Achivis.
He shall raze Argos and Agamemnon’s Mycenae,
Eruet ille Argos Agamemnoniasque Mycenas,
and the Aeacid himself, of the line of mighty Achilles,
ipsumque Aeaciden, genus armipotentis Achilli,
avenging his Trojan forefathers and Minerva’s profaned temple.
ultus avos Troiae, templa et temerata Minervae.
Quis Gracchi genus, aut geminos, duo fulmina belli,
two thunderbolts of war, the ruin of Libya, and Fabricius,
Scipiadas, cladem Libyae, parvoque potentem
Where do you hurry me, weary, Fabii? You are that Maximus,
quo fessum rapitis, Fabii? Tu Maxumus ille es,
the one who by delaying restores the state for us.
unus qui nobis cunctando restituis rem.
Others shall hammer out the breathing bronze more softly,
Excudent alii spirantia mollius aera,
I well believe, draw living faces from the marble,
credo equidem, vivos ducent de marmore voltus,
plead cases better, and trace with the rod the courses
orabunt causas melius, caelique meatus
of the sky, and tell the rising stars:
describent radio, et surgentia sidera dicent:
you, Roman, remember to rule the peoples with your sway—
tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento;
these shall be your arts—to impose the ordinance of peace,
hae tibi erunt artes; pacisque imponere morem,
to spare the conquered, and to war down the proud."
parcere subiectis, et debellare superbos.
So father Anchises, and to their wonder he adds these words:
Sic pater Anchises, atque haec mirantibus addit:
advances, and as victor towers above all men!
ingreditur, victorque viros supereminet omnes!
He shall steady the Roman state, when a great tumult shakes it,
Hic rem Romanam, magno turbante tumultu,
a horseman he shall lay low the Carthaginians and the rebel Gaul,
sistet, eques sternet Poenos Gallumque rebellem,
and hang up the third captured arms to father Quirinus."
tertiaque arma patri suspendet capta Quirino.
And here Aeneas—for he saw going at his side
Atque hic Aeneas; una namque ire videbat
a youth excellent in beauty and in flashing arms,
egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis,
but his brow little glad, and his eyes with downcast look:
sed frons laeta parum, et deiecto lumina voltu:
"Who, father, is that, who thus attends the man as he goes?
Quis, pater, ille, virum qui sic comitatur euntem?
A son, or some one of the great line of his descendants?
Filius, anne aliquis magna de stirpe nepotum?
What a stir of companions about him! What a presence in the man himself!
Quis strepitus circa comitum! Quantum instar in ipso!
But black night flits about his head with a mournful shadow."
Sed nox atra caput tristi circumvolat umbra.
Then father Anchises, breaking in with welling tears:
Tum pater Anchises, lacrimis ingressus obortis:
"O my son, do not ask of the great grief of your people;
O gnate, ingentem luctum ne quaere tuorum;
the fates shall only show him to the earth, and not allow
ostendent terris hunc tantum fata, neque ultra
him to be longer. Too mighty, you gods, would the Roman stock
esse sinent. Nimium vobis Romana propago
have seemed to you, had these gifts been lasting.
visa potens, Superi, propria haec si dona fuissent.
What groans of men shall that Field of Mars near the great city
Quantos ille virum magnam Mavortis ad urbem
raise up, or what a funeral, Tiber, shall you see,
campus aget gemitus, vel quae, Tiberine, videbis
when you glide past the freshly-made tomb!
funera, cum tumulum praeterlabere recentem!
No boy of the Trojan line shall raise the Latin
Nec puer Iliaca quisquam de gente Latinos
forefathers so high in hope, nor shall the land of Romulus
in tantum spe tollet avos, nec Romula quondam
ever boast itself so much of any nursling.
ullo se tantum tellus iactabit alumno.
Alas for his piety, alas for his old-world honor, and his right hand
Heu pietas, heu prisca fides, invictaque bello
unconquered in war! None would have borne himself against him
dextera! Non illi se quisquam impune tulisset
armed, and gone unpunished, whether he marched on foot against the foe,
obvius armato, seu cum pedes iret in hostem,
or gored the flanks of his foaming horse with the spur.
seu spumantis equi foderet calcaribus armos.
Alas, boy to be pitied, if by any means you break the harsh fates,
Heu, miserande puer, si qua fata aspera rumpas,
you shall be Marcellus. Give lilies with full hands,
tu Marcellus eris. Manibus date lilia plenis,
let me scatter the crimson flowers, and heap at least these gifts
purpureos spargam flores, animamque nepotis
on my descendant’s shade, and perform an empty
his saltem adcumulem donis, et fungar inani
service—" So through all the region they wander far and wide
munere —Sic tota passim regione vagantur
in the broad fields of air, and survey all things.
aëris in campis latis, atque omnia lustrant.
When Anchises had led his son through each of these,
Quae postquam Anchises natum per singula duxit,
and fired his spirit with love of the glory to come,
incenditque animum famae venientis amore,
he then tells the man of the wars he must next wage,
exin bella viro memorat quae deinde gerenda,
and instructs him of the Laurentine peoples and the city of Latinus,
Laurentisque docet populos urbemque Latini,
and how he may flee or bear each toil.
et quo quemque modo fugiatque feratque laborem.
There are twin gates of Sleep, of which the one is said
Sunt geminae Somni portae, quarum altera fertur
to be of horn, whereby an easy passage is given to true shades;
cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris;
the other gleams, wrought of shining white ivory,
altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto,
but through it the spirits send false dreams to the sky.
sed falsa ad caelum mittunt insomnia Manes.
When Anchises there had escorted his son, and the Sibyl with him,
His ubi tum natum Anchises unaque Sibyllam
with these words, he sends them forth by the ivory gate,
prosequitur dictis, portaque emittit eburna,
and he cuts his way to the ships and revisits his comrades:
ille viam secat ad naves sociosque revisit:
then he makes straight along the shore for Caieta’s harbor.
tum se ad Caietae recto fert litore portum.
The anchor is cast from the prow, the sterns stand on the shore.
Ancora de prora iacitur, stant litore puppes.
You too, nurse of Aeneas, to our shores
Tu quoque litoribus nostris, Aeneia nutrix,
and now your honor keeps your resting-place, and your name marks
et nunc servat honos sedem tuus ossaque nomen
your bones in great Hesperia—if there is any glory in that.
Hesperia in magna, siqua est ea gloria, signat.
But dutiful Aeneas, when the funeral rites were duly paid
At pius exsequiis Aeneas rite solutis,
and the mound of the barrow raised, once the high seas
aggere composito tumuli, postquam alta quierunt
had grown calm, holds his course under sail and leaves the harbor.
aequora, tendit iter velis portumque relinquit.
The breezes breathe on into the night, nor does the white
Adspirant aurae in noctem nec candida cursus
Moon deny their passage; the sea shines under her trembling light.
Luna negat, splendet tremulo sub lumine pontus.
They skim the nearest shores of Circe’s land,
Proxima Circaeae raduntur litora terrae,
where the Sun’s rich daughter makes her untrodden groves
dives inaccessos ubi Solis filia lucos
ring with endless song, and in her proud halls
adsiduo resonat cantu tectisque superbis
burns sweet-scented cedar for the lights of night,
urit odoratam nocturna in lumina cedrum,
driving the shrill comb through the delicate web.
arguto tenuis percurrens pectine telas.
From here are heard the groans and the anger of lions
Hinc exaudiri gemitus iraeque leonum
chafing at their chains and roaring late in the night,
vincla recusantum et sera sub nocte rudentum,
and bristled boars and bears raging in their pens,
saetigerique sues atque in praesaepibus ursi
and the shapes of great wolves howling—
saevire ac formae magnorum ululare luporum,
men whom the cruel goddess Circe, with her potent herbs,
quos hominum ex facie dea saeva potentibus herbis
had clothed in the faces and hides of wild beasts.
induerat Circe in voltus ac terga ferarum.
But that the god-fearing Trojans should not suffer such monstrous things,
Quae ne monstra pii paterentur talia Troes
should not be carried into those harbors or touch the dread shores,
delati in portus neu litora dira subirent,
Neptune filled their sails with favoring winds,
Neptunus ventis implevit vela secundis
gave them swift flight, and bore them past the seething shoals.
atque fugam dedit et praeter vada fervida vexit.
And now the sea was reddening with the first rays, and from high heaven
Iamque rubescebat radiis mare et aethere ab alto
saffron Dawn glowed in her rosy chariot:
Aurora in roseis fulgebat lutea bigis:
when the winds dropped, and on a sudden every breath
cum venti posuere omnisque repente resedit
of air sank still, and the oar-blades labor in the sluggish marble.
flatus et in lento luctantur marmore tonsae.
And here Aeneas, out of the sea, descries a vast
Atque hic Aeneas ingentem ex aequore lucum
grove. Through the midst of it the Tiber, with its lovely stream—
prospicit. Hunc inter fluvio Tiberinus amoeno
swift in its eddies and tawny with heavy sand—
verticibus rapidis et multa flavus arena
bursts into the sea. Round it and above, birds of many kinds,
in mare prorumpit. Variae circumque supraque
at home on its banks and in the river’s bed,
adsuetae ripis volucres et fluminis alveo
were soothing the air with song and flitting through the grove.
aethera mulcebant cantu lucoque volabant.
He bids his comrades bend their course and turn the prows to land,
flectere iter sociis terraeque advertere proras
and glad he passes up the shadowed river.
imperat et laetus fluvio succedit opaco.
what was the state of ancient Latium, when first the stranger
quis Latio antiquo fuerit status, advena classem
host brought its fleet to Ausonia’s shores,
cum primum Ausoniis exercitus appulit oris,
I will unfold, and call back the openings of the first fight.
expediam et primae revocabo exordia pugnae.
You, goddess, instruct your bard. I will tell of bristling wars,
tu vatem, tu, diva, mone. Dicam horrida bella,
I will tell of battle-lines, and kings driven by their spirit to their deaths,
dicam acies actosque animis in funera reges
of the Etruscan band, and all Hesperia
Tyrrhenamque manum totamque sub arma coactam
mustered under arms. A greater train of events springs up for me,
Hesperiam. Maior rerum mihi nascitur ordo,
a greater work I set in motion. King Latinus ruled the fields
maius opus moveo. Rex arva Latinus et urbes
and cities, now grown old, in the calm of a long peace.
iam senior longa placidas in pace regebat.
We are told he was born of Faunus and the Laurentine nymph
Hunc Fauno et nympha genitum Laurente Marica
Saturn, his sire—you the last founder of the line.
te, Saturne, refert, tu sanguinis ultimus auctor.
To him, by the will of the gods, no son, no male
filius huic fato divom prolesque virilis
heir remained: one was born and snatched away in his first youth.
nulla fuit primaque oriens erepta iuventa est.
A daughter alone kept the house and that great estate,
Sola domum et tantas servabat filia sedes,
now ripe for a husband, now of full years to wed.
iam matura viro, iam plenis nubilis annis.
Many sought her from great Latium and all
Multi illam magno e Latio totaque petebant
Ausonia. Before all others, the handsomest of all,
Ausonia. Petit ante alios pulcherrimus omnis
Turnus, avis atavisque potens, quem regia coniunx
the king’s consort, longed with strange love to join as her son;
adiungi generum miro properabat amore;
but the gods’ portents, with their many terrors, stood against it.
sed variis portenta deum terroribus obstant.
There was a laurel in the heart of the palace, in the high inner halls,
Laurus erat tecti medio in penetralibus altis,
its leaves held sacred, kept through many years in awe,
sacra comam multosque metu servata per annos,
which father Latinus, finding it when he laid his first
quam pater inventam, primas cum conderet arces,
stronghold, was said to have hallowed to Phoebus himself,
ipse ferebatur Phoebo sacrasse Latinus
and from it to have named his settlers the Laurentines.
Laurentisque ab ea nomen posuisse colonis.
Its crown—a dense swarm of bees (a marvel to tell),
Huius apes summum densae (mirabile dictu),
carried with a great humming across the clear air,
stridore ingenti liquidum trans aethera vectae,
beset; and with their feet linked each to each,
obsedere apicem, ex pedibus per mutua nexis
a sudden swarm hung down from the leafy bough.
examen subitum ramo frondente pependit.
At once the seer cried: "We behold a stranger
Continuo vates: Externum cernimus, inquit,
approaching—a man, and a host making for the same region
adventare virum et partis petere agmen easdem
from the selfsame quarter, and lording it on the topmost tower."
partibus ex isdem et summa dominarier arce.
Moreover, while she kindled the altars with pure torches,
Praeterea, castis adolet dum altaria taedis
and the maiden Lavinia stood beside her father,
et iuxta genitorem adstat Lavinia virgo,
she was seen—horror!—to catch fire in her long hair,
visa (nefas) longis comprendere crinibus ignem,
and all her finery to blaze with crackling flame,
atque omnem ornatum flamma crepitante cremari
her royal tresses alight, alight her crown
regalisque accensa comas, accensa coronam
bright with jewels; then, smoking in a tawny glare,
insignem gemmis, tum fumida lumine fulvo
to be wrapped in fire and scatter flame through all the house.
involvi ac totis Volcanum spargere tectis.
This truly was told as a thing dreadful and strange to behold:
Id vero horrendum ac visu mirabile ferri:
for they prophesied that she herself would shine in fame and fate,
namque fore inlustrem fama fatisque canebant
but that for her people it foretold a great war.
ipsam, sed populo magnum portendere bellum.
But the king, troubled by the portents, goes to the oracles of Faunus,
At rex sollicitus monstris oracula Fauni,
his prophesying father, and consults the groves beneath high
fatidici genitoris, adit lucosque sub alta
spring resounds and, in its shade, breathes out a deadly reek.
fonte sonat saevamque exhalat opaca mephitim.
Hither the Italian peoples and all the Oenotrian land
Hinc Italae gentes omnisque Oenotria tellus
come, in their doubts, for answers; here, when the priest
in dubiis responsa petunt; huc dona sacerdos
has brought his offerings and, in the silent night, has lain
cum tulit et caesarum ovium sub nocte silenti
upon the spread fleeces of slaughtered sheep and courted sleep,
pellibus incubuit stratis somnosque petivit,
he sees many phantoms flitting in wondrous shapes
multa modis simulacra videt volitantia miris
and hears manifold voices, and enjoys the converse
et varias audit voces fruiturque deorum
of the gods, and speaks with Acheron in deep Avernus.
conloquio atque imis Acheronta adfatur Avernis.
Here, then, father Latinus himself, seeking answers,
Hic et tum pater ipse petens responsa Latinus
was duly slaughtering a hundred woolly yearling ewes,
centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentis
and lay propped upon their backs and on the spread
atque harum effultus tergo stratisque iacebat
fleeces: a sudden voice came forth from the deep grove:
velleribus: subita ex alto vox reddita luco est:
"Do not seek, my son, to wed your daughter in a Latin match,
Ne pete conubiis natam sociare Latinis,
nor trust the bridal-chamber made ready:
O mea progenies, thalamis neu crede paratis:
strangers shall come as your sons, who by their blood
externi venient generi, qui sanguine nostrum
will lift our name to the stars, and from whose stock the grandsons
nomen in astra ferant quorumque a stirpe nepotes
shall see all things beneath their feet, wherever the returning Sun
omnia sub pedibus, qua Sol utrumque recurrens
looks on each Ocean—all turning and ruled at their command."
aspicit Oceanum, vertique regique videbunt.
These answers of father Faunus, and the warnings given in the silent
Haec responsa patris Fauni monitusque silenti
night, Latinus does not shut within his own lips,
nocte datos non ipse suo premit ore Latinus,
but Rumor, flying far and wide already through the towns
sed circum late volitans iam Fama per urbes
of Ausonia, had carried them, when the sons of Laomedon
Ausonias tulerat, cum Laomedontia pubes
made fast their fleet from the grassy slope of the bank.
gramineo ripae religavit ab aggere classem.
Aeneas and the foremost captains and fair Iulus
Aeneas primique duces et pulcher Iulus
lay their limbs beneath the boughs of a tall tree
corpora sub ramis deponunt arboris altae
and spread a feast, and set wheaten cakes upon the grass
instituuntque dapes et adorea liba per herbam
beneath their food (so Jupiter himself was prompting them)
subiciunt epulis (sic Iuppiter ipse monebat)
and piled the bread-bases high with fruits of the field.
et Cereale solum pomis agrestibus augent.
Here, by chance, when the rest was eaten, and the scarceness of food
Consumptis hic forte aliis ut vertere morsus
drove them to turn their teeth upon the meager bread,
exiguam in Cererem penuria adegit edendi
to assault with hand and reckless jaws the round
et violare manu malisque audacibus orbem
of the fated crust, and not to spare its broad quarters—
fatalis crusti patulis nec parcere quadris:
"Look—we are eating our very tables too!" said Iulus,
Heus! etiam mensas consumimus, inquit Iulus,
and no more, in jest. That utterance, once heard,
nec plura adludens. Ea vox audita laborum
first brought their toils to an end, and from the speaker’s mouth
prima tulit finem, primamque loquentis ab ore
his father caught it, and, struck by the omen, hushed him.
eripuit pater ac stupefactus numine pressit.
At once: "Hail, land owed to me by the fates,
Continuo: Salve fatis mihi debita tellus
and hail to you," he says, "faithful Penates of Troy:
vosque, ait, O fidi Troiae salvete penates:
here is our home, here our country. For my father Anchises
hic domus, haec patria est. Genitor mihi talia namque
(now I recall it) left me these secrets of fate:
(nunc repeto) Anchises fatorum arcana reliquit:
’When, my son, borne to unknown shores, hunger
cum te, nate, fames ignota ad litora vectum
shall force you, your food consumed, to eat your tables,
accisis coget dapibus consumere mensas,
then, weary, look for a home, and there remember
tum sperare domos defessus ibique memento
with your own hand to lay its first walls and raise a rampart.’
prima locare manu molirique aggere tecta.
This was that hunger; this was the last thing that awaited us,
Haec erat illa fames; haec nos suprema manebat,
to put an end to our wanderings.
exiliis positura modum.
So come, and gladly, at the first light of the sun,
Quare agite et primo laeti cum lumine solis
let us search out what lands these are, what men hold them, where the people’s walls stand,
quae loca, quive habeant homines, ubi moenia gentis,
and from the harbor strike out on diverging ways.
vestigemus et a portu diversa petamus.
Now pour your bowls to Jove, and with prayers call upon
Nunc pateras libate Iovi precibusque vocate
Anchises, my father, and set the wine again upon the boards."
Anchisen genitorem, et vina reponite mensis.
So having spoken, he wreathes his temples with a leafy bough
Sic deinde effatus frondenti tempora ramo
and prays to the genius of the place, and to Earth, first of the gods,
implicat et geniumque loci primamque deorum
and to the nymphs, and to the rivers as yet unknown,
Tellurem nymphasque et adhuc ignota precatur
then Night, and the rising constellations of Night,
flumina, tum Noctem Noctisque orientia signa
and Idaean Jove, and the Phrygian Mother in turn
Idaeumque Iovem Phrygiamque ex ordine matrem
he invokes, and his two parents, in heaven and in Erebus.
invocat et duplicis caeloque ereboque parentis.
Then the almighty Father, three times clear from high heaven,
Hic pater omnipotens ter caelo clarus ab alto
thundered, and with his own hand, shaking a cloud ablaze
intonuit radiisque ardentem lucis et auro
with shafts of light and gold, displayed it out of the sky.
ipse manu quatiens ostendit ab aethere nubem.
At once the rumor spreads through the Trojan ranks
Diditur hic subito Troiana per agmina rumor
that the day had come for founding their promised walls.
advenisse diem, quo debita moenia condant.
Vying with one another they renew the feast, and at the great omen
Certatim instaurant epulas atque omine magno
gladly set out the mixing-bowls and wreathe the wine.
crateras laeti statuunt et vina coronant.
When the next day with its first torch was lighting the lands,
Postera cum prima lustrabat lampade terras
the risen day, in different parties they explore the city,
orta dies, urbem et finis et litora gentis
the borders, the shores of the people: these are Numicus’ pools,
diversi explorant: haec fontis stagna Numici,
this the river Tiber, here the brave Latins dwell.
hunc Thybrim fluvium, hic fortis habitare Latinos.
Then the son of Anchises bids a hundred spokesmen, chosen
Tum satus Anchisa delectos ordine ab omni
from every rank, go to the king’s august walls,
centum oratores augusta ad moenia regis
all veiled with the boughs of Pallas,
ire iubet, ramis velatos Palladis omnis,
to bear the man gifts and beg peace for the Teucrians.
donaque ferre viro pacemque exposcere Teucris.
No delay: bidden, they hasten and are borne on swift
Haud mora, festinant iussi rapidisque feruntur
steps. He himself marks the walls with a shallow trench,
passibus. Ipse humili designat moenia fossa
and works the ground, and his first settlement on the shore,
moliturque locum primasque in litore sedes
camp-fashion, he rings with palisade and mound.
castrorum in morem pinnis atque aggere cingit.
And now, their journey done, the young men saw the towers
Iamque iter emensi turris ac tecta Latinorum
and lofty roofs of the Latins, and came up beneath the wall.
ardua cernebant iuvenes muroque subibant.
Before the city, boys and youth in their first bloom
Ante urbem pueri et primaevo flore iuventus
drill upon horses and break their chariots in the dust,
exercentur equis domitantque in pulvere currus
or draw the keen bow, or with their arms
aut acris tendunt arcus aut lenta lacertis
hurl the tough javelin, and vie in racing and in blows:
spicula contorquent cursuque ictuque lacessunt:
when a rider, galloping ahead, brings to the aged king’s ear
cum praevectus equo longaevi regis ad auris
the news that mighty men in unknown garb
nuntius ingentis ignota in veste reportat
had come. He bids them be summoned within the halls
advenisse viros. Ille intra tecta vocari
and took his seat amid them on his fathers’ throne.
imperat et solio medius consedit avito.
A building august and vast, lifted high on a hundred columns,
Tectum augustum ingens. centum sublime columnis,
stood at the city’s crown, the palace of Laurentine Picus,
urbe fuit summa, Laurentis regia Pici,
dread with its woods and the reverence of the fathers.
horrendum silvis et religione parentum.
Here to take up the scepter and first lift the rods of office
Hic sceptra accipere et primos attollere fasces
was the kings’ auspice; this their council-house and shrine,
regibus omen erat, hoc illis curia templum,
these the seats of the sacred feasts; here, a ram slain,
hae sacris sedes epulis, hic ariete caeso
the elders would sit down along the unbroken boards.
perpetuis soliti patres considere mensis.
Nay more, the likenesses of the ancient forefathers, ranked in order,
Quin etiam veterum effigies ex ordine avorum
carved from old cedar—Italus, and father Sabinus
antiqua e cedro, Italusque paterque Sabinus
the vine-planter, keeping the curved pruning-hook beneath his image,
vitisator, curvam servans sub imagine falcem,
and aged Saturn, and the image of two-faced Janus—
Saturnusque senex Ianique bifrontis imago
stood in the entrance; and other kings from the first beginning,
vestibulo astabant, aliique ab origine reges
and men who for their country had borne war-wounds in the fight.
Martiaque ob patriam pugnando volnera passi.
And many arms besides upon the sacred doorposts:
Multaque praeterea sacris in postibus arma,
captured chariots hang, and curving axes,
captivi pendent currus curvaeque secures
and helmet-crests, and the huge bars of city-gates,
et cristae capitum et portarum ingentia claustra
and javelins and shields and beaks wrenched from ships’ keels.
spiculaque clipeique ereptaque rostra carinis.
Picus himself sat there, with the Quirinal augur’s staff,
Ipse Quirinali lituo parvaque sedebat
girt in a short striped robe, bearing on his left the sacred shield,
succinctus trabea laevaque ancile gerebat
Picus, the tamer of horses—whom his consort, seized with desire,
Picus, equum domitor; quem capta cupidine coniunx
smote with a golden wand and transformed with potions:
aurea percussum virga versumque venenis
Circe made him a bird, and flecked his wings with colors.
fecit avem Circe sparsitque coloribus alas.
Within such a hall of the gods, on his fathers’ seat, Latinus,
Tali intus templo divom patriaque Latinus
seated, called the Teucrians to him into the halls,
sede sedens Teucros ad sese in tecta vocavit,
and to them as they entered spoke first these words with a calm voice:
atque haec ingressis placido prior edidit ore:
"Speak, sons of Dardanus—for we are not unaware of your city
Dicite, Dardanidae (neque enim nescimus et urbem
and your race, and we hear of you as you turn your course over the sea—
et genus, auditique advertitis aequore cursum),
what do you seek? What cause, or what want, has borne your ships
quid petitis? Quae causa rates aut cuius egentis
to the Ausonian shore across so many dark-blue shallows?
litus ad Ausonium tot per vada caerula vexit?
Whether driven off your course, or storm-tossed—
Sive errore viae seu tempestatibus acti,
such things as sailors often suffer on the high sea—
qualia multa mari nautae patiuntur in alto,
you have entered the river’s banks and lie at anchor in the harbor,
fluminis intrastis ripas portuque sedetis,
do not flee our welcome, nor fail to know the Latins
ne fugite hospitium neve ignorate Latinos
are Saturn’s people, righteous not by bond nor by laws,
Saturni gentem, haud vinclo nec legibus aequam,
but holding to their own will and the old god’s way.
sponte sua veterisque dei se more tenentem.
And indeed I remember—though the tale is dimmed by years—
Atque equidem memini (fama est obscurior annis)
that the Auruncan elders told how Dardanus, sprung
Auruncos ita ferre senes, his ortus ut agris
from these fields, made his way to the Idaean towns of Phrygia
Dardanus Idaeas Phrygiae penetravit ad urbes
and to Thracian Samos, that men now call Samothrace.
Threiciamque Samum, quae nunc Samothracia fertur.
From here—he, who set out from the Tyrrhenian seat of Corythus—
Hinc illum, Corythi Tyrrhena ab sede profectum,
the golden palace of the starry sky now receives
aurea nunc solio stellantis regia caeli
upon its throne, and by his altars swells the number of the gods."
accipit et numerum divorum altaribus auget.
He had ended, and Ilioneus followed his words thus:
Dixerat, et dicta Ilioneus sic voce secutus:
"King, noble seed of Faunus, no black storm
Rex, genus egregium Fauni, nec fluctibus actos,
drove us upon the waves to come to your lands,
atra subegit hiemps vestris succedere terris
nor did star or shore mislead us on our way:
nec sidus regione viae litusve fefellit:
by purpose, all of us, and with willing hearts, are we
consilio hanc omnes animisque volentibus urbem,
borne to this city, cast out from a realm that once was the greatest
adferimur, pulsi regnis, quae maxima quondam
the Sun beheld as it came from the rim of heaven.
extremo veniens Sol aspiciebat Olympo.
From Jove the origin of our line; in Jove as forefather
Ab Iove principium generis, Iove Dardana pubes
the Dardan race rejoices; the king himself, of Jove’s supreme stock,
gaudet avo, rex ipse Iovis de gente suprema,
Trojan Aeneas, has sent us to your threshold.
Troius Aeneas, tua nos ad limina misit.
How great a storm, loosed from cruel Mycenae, swept
Quanta per Idaeos saevis effusa Mycenis
across the Idaean plains, by what fates each world,
tempestas ierit campos, quibus actus uterque
of Europe and of Asia, was driven to clash—
Europae atque Asiae fatis concurrerit orbis,
of this has heard whoever the farthest land cuts off
audiit et siquem tellus extrema refuso
where Ocean flows back, and whoever the stretched belt of the four
summovet oceano et siquem extenta plagarum
zones holds apart in the midmost band of the unkind sun.
quattuor in medio dirimit plaga solis iniqui.
Borne out of that deluge over so many vast seas,
Diluvio ex illo tot vasta per aequora vecti
we ask a small dwelling-place for our fathers’ gods, a shore
dis sedem exiguam patriis litusque rogamus
that harms none, and water and air free to all.
innocuum et cunctis undamque auramque patentem.
We shall be no disgrace to your realm, nor shall your glory
Non erimus regno indecores, nec vestra feretur
be reckoned a small thing, nor the thanks for so great a deed grow dim,
fama levis tantique abolescet gratia facti,
nor shall Ausonia repent of taking Troy to her breast.
nec Troiam Ausonios gremio excepisse pigebit.
I swear by the destiny of Aeneas and his mighty hand,
Fata per Aeneae iuro dextramque potentem
whether one has tried it in good faith or in war and arms:
sive fide seu quis bello est expertus et armis:
many a people, many a nation—scorn us not that we hold out
multi nos populi, multae (ne temne, quod ultro
of our own will the fillets in our hands and words of entreaty—
praeferimus manibus vittas ac verba precantia)
have both desired us and wished to bind us to themselves;
et petiere sibi et voluere adiungere gentes;
but the gods’ decrees drove us to seek out your lands
sed nos fata deum vestras exquirere terras
by their commands. From here Dardanus sprang;
imperiis egere suis. Hinc Dardanus ortus;
hither he calls us back, and with mighty biddings Apollo urges us
huc repetit iussisque ingentibus urguet Apollo
to the Tyrrhenian Tiber and the sacred waters of Numicus’ spring.
Tyrrhenum ad Thybrim et fontis vada sacra Numici.
Moreover, he gives you these small gifts of his former fortune,
Dat tibi praeterea fortunae parva prioris
relics saved from Troy as it burned.
munera, reliquias Troia ex ardente receptas.
With this gold father Anchises poured libation at the altars;
Hoc pater Anchises auro libabat ad aras;
this was Priam’s regalia, when he gave laws in due form
hoc Priami gestamen erat, cum iura vocatis
to the assembled peoples—the scepter, the sacred tiara,
more daret populis, sceptrumque sacerque tiaras
and the robes, the handiwork of the women of Ilium."
Iliadumque labor vestes.
At such words of Ilioneus, Latinus holds his gaze
Talibus Ilionei dictis defixa Latinus
fixed, his face downcast, and clings motionless to the spot,
obtutu tenet ora soloque immobilis haeret
rolling his intent eyes. Not the embroidered purple
intentos volvens oculos. Nec purpura regem
moves the king, nor Priam’s scepter, so much
picta movet nec sceptra movent Priameia tantum,
as he lingers on his daughter’s marriage and her bridal-bed,
quantum in conubio natae thalamoque moratur,
and turns over in his breast the oracle of old Faunus:
et veteris Fauni voluit sub pectore sortem,
this is the man, by fate set forth from a foreign home,
hunc illum fatis externa ab sede profectum
foretold to be his son, and summoned to share the throne
portendi generum paribusque in regna vocari
on equal auspices—whose offspring should be in valor
auspiciis, huic progeniem virtute futuram
surpassing, and by their strength should hold the whole earth.
egregiam et totum quae viribus occupet orbem.
At last, glad, he says: "May the gods prosper our beginnings
tandem laetus ait: Di nostra incepta secundent
and their own omen; it shall be granted, Trojan, what you ask,
auguriumque suum; dabitur, Troiane, quod optas,
and I do not scorn your gifts. While Latinus is king
munera nec sperno. Non vobis rege Latino
you shall not lack the bounty of rich soil, nor the plenty of Troy.
divitis uber agri Troiaeve opulentia deerit.
Only let Aeneas himself, if his desire for us is so great,
Ipse modo Aeneas, nostri si tanta cupido est,
if he is eager to be joined in friendship and called ally,
si iungi hospitio properat sociusque vocari,
come, and not shrink from the faces of friends:
adveniat voltus neve exhorrescat amicos:
for him it shall be a bond of peace to have touched the monarch’s hand.
illi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni.
And you, for your part, bear now my charge back to your king.
vos contra regi mea nunc mandata referte.
I have a daughter, whom to wed to a man of our own nation
Est mihi nata, viro gentis quam iungere nostrae
neither the oracles from my father’s shrine, nor the many signs
non patrio ex adyto sortes, non plurima caelo
in heaven, permit: sons from foreign shores will come, they sing—
monstra sinunt: generos externis adfore ab oris,
this is what is left for Latium—who by their blood
hoc Latio restare canunt, qui sanguine nostrum
will lift our name to the stars. That the fates call for this man
nomen in astra ferant. Hunc illum poscere fata
I both believe, and, if my mind divines any truth, I pray for it."
et reor et, siquid veri mens augurat, opto.
So having spoken, the father chooses horses from all his store
haec effatus equos numero pater eligit omni
(three hundred sleek ones stood in the high stalls):
(stabant ter centum nitidi in praesaepibus altis):
at once he bids them led out in order for all the Teucrians,
omnibus extemplo Teucris iubet ordine duci
the swift-foot steeds, draped in purple and embroidered cloths;
instratos ostro alipedes pictisque tapetis;
golden collars hang down upon their breasts,
aurea pectoribus demissa monilia pendent,
caparisoned in gold, they champ tawny gold beneath their teeth;
tecti auro fulvum mandunt sub dentibus aurum;
and for the absent Aeneas, a chariot and a yoked pair
absenti Aeneae currum geminosque iugalis
of heavenly breed, snorting fire from their nostrils,
semine ab aetherio, spirantis naribus ignem,
of that stock which crafty Circe, by a mare she slipped
illorum de gente, patri quos daedala Circe
beneath her father’s stallion, had stolen and bred as bastards.
supposita de matre nothos furata creavit.
With such gifts and words of Latinus, the men of Aeneas
Talibus Aeneadae donis dictisque Latini
ride back high on their horses and carry peace home.
sublimes in equis redeunt pacemque reportant.
But lo, from Inachian Argos was returning
Ecce autem Inachiis sese referebat ab Argis
the fierce consort of Jove, and riding the air she held her way,
saeva Iovis coniunx aurasque invecta tenebat,
and joyful Aeneas and the Dardan fleet, from heaven, far off—
et laetum Aenean classemque ex aethere longe
all the way from Sicilian Pachynus—she descried.
Dardaniam Siculo prospexit ab usque Pachyno.
She sees them now raising roofs, now trusting to the land,
moliri iam tecta videt, iam fidere terrae,
their ships abandoned: she stood, transfixed with bitter grief.
deseruisse rates: stetit acri fixa dolore.
Then, shaking her head, she pours these words from her breast:
Tum quassans caput haec effundit pectore dicta:
"Alas, the hated breed, and the fates of the Phrygians
Heu stirpem invisam et fatis contraria nostris
set against my own! Could they not fall on the Sigean fields?
fata Phrygum! Num Sigeis occumbere campis,
Could the captured not be held captive? Did burning Troy
num capti potuere capi, num incensa cremavit
not consume its men? Through the midst of armies, the midst of fires,
Troia viros? Medias acies mediosque per ignis
they found their way. But my godhead, I suppose, lies at last
invenere viam. At, credo, mea numina tandem
weary of its hatreds, or, sated, I have rested.
fessa iacent odiis aut exsaturata quievi.
Nay, when they were driven from their country, through the hostile waves
Quin etiam patria excussos infesta per undas
I dared to hunt them, and to set myself against the fugitives over all the deep!
ausa sequi et profugis toto me opponere ponto!
The strength of sky and sea has been used up against the Teucrians.
Absumptae in Teucros vires caelique marisque.
What did the Syrtes, or Scylla, or vast Charybdis
Quid Syrtes aut Scylla mihi, quid vasta Charybdis
avail me? In the longed-for channel of the Tiber they lie sheltered,
profuit? Optato conduntur Thybridis alveo,
safe from the sea and from me. Mars had power to destroy
securi pelagi atque mei. Mars perdere gentem
the monstrous race of the Lapiths; the very father of the gods
immanem Lapithum valuit, concessit in iras
and what such crime did the Lapiths, or Calydon, deserve?
quod scelus aut Lapithis tantum aut Calydona merentem?
But I, the great consort of Jove, who could leave nothing undared,
Ast ego magna Iovis coniunx, nil linquere inausum
unhappy, who turned myself to every device,
quae potui infelix, quae memet in omnia verti,
am beaten by Aeneas. But if my power is not
vincor ab Aenea. Quod si mea numina non sunt
great enough, I shall not scruple to implore whatever there is anywhere:
magna satis, dubitem haud equidem implorare quod usquam est:
if I cannot bend the gods above, I will move Acheron.
flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.
It shall not be granted—so be it—to keep him from the Latin realm,
Non dabitur regnis, esto, prohibere Latinis,
and by the fates Lavinia remains his bride unmoved:
atque immota manet fatis Lavinia coniunx:
but to drag it out, to add delays to so great a matter, is permitted,
at trahere atque moras tantis licet addere rebus,
but to cut down the peoples of both kings is permitted.
at licet amborum populos exscindere regum.
At this price let son and father-in-law be joined—the price of their own:
Hac gener atque socer coeant mercede suorum:
with Trojan and Rutulian blood shall you be dowered, maiden,
sanguine Troiano et Rutulo dotabere, virgo,
and Bellona waits to attend your wedding. Not only the daughter
et Bellona manet te pronuba. Nec face tantum
of Cisseus, big with a torch, brought forth a bridal fire:
Cisseis praegnans ignis enixa iugalis
no, Venus too shall have her own such child, a second Paris,
quin idem Veneri partus suus et Paris alter
and again deadly nuptial torches for a Pergamum reborn."
funestaeque iterum recidiva in Pergama taedae.
When she had uttered this, dreadful, she sought the earth:
Haec ubi dicta dedit, terras Horrenda petivit:
she calls grief-bringing Allecto from the seat of the dread goddesses,
luctificam Allecto dirarum ab sede dearum
from the nether darkness—she to whose heart are dear sad wars,
infernisque ciet tenebris, cui tristia bella
and angers, and treacheries, and harmful crimes.
iraeque insidiaeque et crimina noxia cordi.
Her own father Pluto loathes her, the Tartarean
Odit et ipse pater Pluton, odere sorores
sisters loathe the monster: into so many shapes she turns,
Tartareae monstrum: tot sese vertit in ora,
so fierce her aspects, so thick she swarms, black with serpents.
tam saevae facies, tot pullulat atra colubris.
Her Juno goads with these words, and speaks thus:
Quam Iuno his acuit verbis ac talia fatur:
"Grant me this labor for my own, maiden born of Night,
Hunc mihi da proprium, virgo sata Nocte, laborem,
this service, lest our honor and unbroken fame
hanc operam, ne noster honos infractave cedat
give way, lest the brood of Aeneas by marriage win over
fama loco, neu conubiis ambire Latinum
Latinus, or be able to settle on Italy’s borders.
Aeneadae possint Italosve obsidere finis.
You can arm brothers of one heart for battle,
Tu potes unanimos armare in proelia fratres
and turn homes upside down with hatreds; you can bring the lash
atque odiis versare domos, tu verbera tectis
and funeral torches under roofs; yours are a thousand names,
funereasque inferre faces, tibi nomina mille,
a thousand arts of doing harm. Shake your teeming breast,
mille nocendi artes. Fecundum concute pectus,
shatter the settled peace, sow the seeds of war’s offenses:
disice compositam pacem, sere crimina belli:
let the young men at once want arms, demand them, and seize them."
arma velit poscatque simul rapiatque inventus.
Thereupon Allecto, infected with Gorgon venom,
Exin Gorgoneis Allecto infecta venenis
first makes for Latium and the lofty halls of the Laurentine king,
principio Latium et Laurentis tecta tyranni
and besets the silent threshold of Amata,
celsa petit tacitumque obsedit limen Amatae,
whom, over the Teucrians’ arrival and Turnus’ wedding,
quam super adventu Teucrum Turnique hymenaeis
a woman’s cares and angers were boiling as she burned.
femineae ardentem curaeque iraeque coquebant.
On her the goddess flings one serpent from her dark-blue hair
Huic dea caeruleis unum de crinibus anguem
and slides it into her bosom, to the depths of her heart,
conicit inque sinum praecordia ad intuma subdit,
so that, frenzied by the monster, she may set the whole house in turmoil.
quo furibunda domum monstro permisceat omnem.
It, gliding between her garments and her soft breast,
Ille inter vestes et levia pectora lapsus
coils with no touch felt, and deceives the raging woman,
volvitur attactu nullo fallitque furentem,
breathing into her its viper’s breath: for her neck it becomes
vipeream inspirans animam: fit tortile collo
a great twisted golden necklace, becomes the ribbon of her long fillet,
aurum ingens coluber, fit longae taenia vittae
and laces through her hair, and slips, gliding, over her limbs.
innectitque comas, et membris lubricus errat.
And while the first taint, stealing in with its moist venom,
Ac dum prima lues udo sublapsa veneno
works upon her senses and folds fire about her bones,
pertemptat sensus atque ossibus implicat ignem
and her mind has not yet caught the flame through all her breast,
necdum animus toto percepit pectore flammam,
she spoke more softly, in the wonted way of mothers,
mollius et solito matrum de more locuta est,
weeping much over her daughter and the Phrygian match:
multa super nata lacrimans Phrygiisque hymenaeis:
"Is Lavinia to be given to Teucrian exiles for a bride,
Exsulibusne datur ducenda Lavinia Teucris,
O father, and have you no pity for your daughter and yourself?
O genitor, nec te miseret gnataeque tuique?
No pity for her mother, whom at the first north wind he will abandon,
Nec matris miseret, quam primo aquilone relinquet
the faithless raider, making for the deep with the girl stolen away?
perfidus alta petens abducta virgine praedo?
Was it not thus the Phrygian shepherd stole into Lacedaemon
An non sic Phrygius penetrat Lacedaemona pastor
and bore Leda’s Helen away to the towns of Troy?
Ledaeamque Helenam Troianas vexit ad urbes?
What of your sacred troth, what of your old care for your kin,
Quid tua sancta fides, quid cura antiqua tuorum
and the right hand so often pledged to your kinsman Turnus?
et consanguineo totiens data dextera Turno?
If a son-in-law must be sought for the Latins from a foreign race,
Si gener externa petitur de gente Latinis
and that is settled, and your father Faunus’ orders press on you,
idque sedet Faunique premunt te iussa parentis,
then I count every land that lies free, apart from our scepter,
omnem equidem sceptris terram quae libera nostris
as foreign—and that, I think, is what the gods mean.
dissidet, externam reor et sic dicere divos.
And Turnus too—if the first source of his house be traced—
Et Turno, si prima domus repetatur origo,
Inachus Acrisiusque patres mediaeque Mycenae.
When with these words, all in vain, she had tried Latinus
His ubi nequiquam dictis experta Latinum
and sees him stand firm against her, and the serpent’s maddening
contra stare videt penitusque in viscera lapsum
poison has slipped deep into her vitals and roams through her whole body,
serpentis furiale malum totamque pererrat,
then truly the unhappy woman, driven by monstrous frenzies,
tum vero infelix, ingentibus excita monstris,
rages, distraught, without measure through the boundless city.
immensam sine more furit lymphata per urbem.
As at times a top, flying beneath the twirling whip,
Ceu quondam torto volitans sub verbere turbo,
which boys in a wide ring, around the empty courts,
quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum
intent on their game, keep spinning; driven by the thong
intenti ludo exercent; ille actus habena
it is whirled along the curving rounds; the unknowing,
curvatis fertur spatiis; stupet inscia supra
childish crowd stands amazed above, marveling at the spinning boxwood;
inpubesque manus, mirata volubile buxum;
the blows give it life: no slower in its course than that
dant animos plagae: non cursu segnior illo
she is driven through the midst of cities and fierce peoples.
per medias urbes agitur populosque feroces.
Nay more, into the woods, feigning the godhead of Bacchus,
Quin etiam in silvas, simulato numine Bacchi,
venturing a greater outrage, launching a greater madness,
maius adorta nefas maioremque orsa furorem
she flies out and hides her daughter in the leafy hills,
evolat et natam frondosis montibus abdit,
to wrest the marriage from the Teucrians and delay the torches,
quo thalamum eripiat Teucris taedasque moretur,
shrieking "Euhoe, Bacchus!"—crying that you alone are worthy
Euhoe Bacche, fremens, solum te virgine dignum
of the maiden, for it is for you she takes the soft thyrsus,
vociferans, etenim mollis tibi sumere thyrsos,
rings you in the dance, and feeds the sacred lock of hair for you.
te lustrare choro, sacrum tibi pascere crinem.
Rumor flies, and one and the same ardor drives the mothers,
Fama volat, furiisque accensas pectore matres
their breasts kindled with frenzy, to seek new dwellings:
idem omnis simul ardor agit nova quaerere tecta:
they have left their homes, give neck and hair to the winds,
deseruere domos, ventis dant colla comasque,
while others fill the sky with quavering howls,
ast aliae tremulis ululatibus aethera complent,
and, girt in fawn-skins, carry the vine-wreathed spear;
pampineasque gerunt incinctae pellibus hastas;
and she herself, in their midst, all afire, lifts a blazing pine
ipsa inter medias flagrantem fervida pinum
and chants the wedding-hymn of her daughter and Turnus,
sustinet ac natae Turnique canit hymenaeos,
rolling her bloodshot eyes, and on a sudden, grim,
sanguineam torquens aciem, torvumque repente
she cries: "Ho, mothers, hear me, wherever you are, women of Latium:
clamat: Io matres, audite, ubi quaeque, Latinae:
if in your faithful hearts any love for unhappy Amata
Siqua piis animis manet infelicis Amatae
remains, if care for a mother’s right still stings you,
gratia, si iuris materni cura remordet,
loose the fillets from your hair, take up the rites with me."
solvite crinalis vittas, capite orgia mecum.
So, through the woods, through the wild beasts’ desolate haunts,
Talem inter silvas, inter deserta ferarum,
Allecto drives the queen with the goads of Bacchus on every side.
reginam Allecto stimulis agit undique Bacchi.
After she seemed to have sharpened the first frenzies enough,
Postquam visa satis primos acuisse furores
and overturned the counsel and the whole house of Latinus,
consiliumque omnemque domum vertisse Latini,
straightway from here the grim goddess lifts herself on dusky wings
protinus hinc fuscis tristis dea tollitur alis
to the bold Rutulian’s walls—the city said to be founded
audacis Rutuli ad muros, quam dicitur urbem
borne there by the headlong south wind. That place of old
praecipiti delata noto. Locus Ardea quondam
the forefathers called Ardea, and still Ardea remains a great name,
dictus avis, et nunc magnum manet Ardea nomen,
but its fortune is past; here, in his high halls, Turnus
sed fortuna fuit; tectis hic Turnus in altis
was now taking his midnight rest in the black of night.
iam mediam nigra carpebat nocte quietem.
Allecto strips off her grim face and her Fury’s limbs,
Allecto torvam faciem et furialia membra
transforms herself into the looks of an old woman;
exuit, in vultus sese transformat anilis;
she plows her foul brow with wrinkles, puts on white
et frontem obscenam rugis arat, induit albos
hair bound with a fillet, then twines in a sprig of olive;
cum vitta crinis, tum ramum innectit olivae;
she becomes Calybe, the aged servant of Juno’s temple, its priestess,
fit Calybe Iunonis anus templique sacerdos
and presents herself before the youth’s eyes with these words:
et iuveni ante oculos his se cum vocibus offert:
"Turnus, will you bear so many toils spent for nothing,
Turne, tot incassum fusos patiere labores
and see your scepter signed over to Dardan settlers?
et tua Dardaniis transcribi sceptra colonis?
The king denies you the marriage and the dower bought with blood,
Rex tibi coniugium et quaesitas sanguine dotes
and a stranger is sought as heir to the throne.
abnegat, externusque in regnum quaeritur heres.
Go now, fool, offer yourself to thankless perils;
I nunc, ingratis offer te, inrise, periclis;
go, lay the Etruscan lines low; guard the Latins with peace.
Tyrrhenas, i, sterne acies; tege pace Latinos.
This very charge, while you lay in the calm of night,
Haec adeo tibi me, placida cum nocte iaceres,
the almighty daughter of Saturn herself bade me speak to you plainly.
ipsa palam fari omnipotens Saturnia iussit.
So up, and gladly prepare to arm the young men, to march them
Quare age et armari pubem portisque moveri
out of the gates to war, and to burn the Phrygian captains
laetus in arma para, et Phrygios qui flumine pulchro
who have settled by the fair river, and their painted ships.
consedere duces pictasque exure carinas.
The great might of heaven commands it. King Latinus himself,
Caelestum vis magna iubet. Rex ipse Latinus,
unless he consents to grant the marriage and to keep his word,
ni dare coniugium et dicto parere fatetur,
let him feel it, and at last make trial of Turnus in arms."
sentiat et tandem Turnum experiatur in armis.
At this the young man, mocking the seer, replies in turn
Hic iuvenis vatem inridens sic orsa vicissim
from his lips: "That fleets have sailed into the Tiber’s water,
ore refert: Classis invectas Thybridis undam
the news, as you suppose, has not escaped my ears.
non, ut rere, meas effugit nuntius auris.
Do not feign such fears for me; nor is royal Juno
Ne tantos mihi finge metus; nec regia Iuno
unmindful of us.
inmemor est nostri.
But you—worn out by mold, and spent of truth by age—
Sed te victa situ verique effeta senectus,
O mother, vexes you with cares for nothing, and amid the arms
o mater, curis nequiquam exercet et arma
of kings mocks a prophetess with false alarm.
regum inter falsa vatem formidine ludit.
Your charge is to tend the gods’ images and their shrines:
Cura tibi divom effigies et templa tueri:
war and peace are for men to manage, whose task is the waging of war."
bella viri pacemque gerent, quis bella gerenda.
At such words Allecto blazed into anger,
Talibus Allecto dictis exarsit in iras,
but a sudden trembling grips the youth’s limbs as he speaks,
at iuveni oranti subitus tremor occupat artus,
his eyes froze fast: with so many serpents the Fury hisses,
deriguere oculi: tot Erinys sibilat hydris
and so huge a shape reveals itself; then, rolling her flaming
tantaque se facies aperit; tum flammea torquens
eyes at him as he faltered and sought to say more,
lumina cunctantem et quaerentem dicere plura
she hurled him back, reared two serpents from her hair,
reppulit et geminos erexit crinibus anguis
cracked her lash, and with raving lips added this:
verberaque insonuit rabidoque haec addidit ore:
"See me, worn out by mold, whom old age, spent of truth,
En ego victa situ, quam veri effeta senectus
mocks amid the arms of kings with false alarm.
arma inter regum falsa formidine ludit.
Look upon this: I come from the seat of the dread sisters;
Respice ad haec: adsum dirarum ab sede sororum,
in my hand I bear war and death."
bella manu letumque gero.
So having spoken, she flung a torch at the youth and planted
Sic effata facem iuveni coniecit et atro
beneath his breast the brands smoking with their black glare.
lumine fumantis fixit sub pectore taedas.
A huge dread breaks his sleep, and sweat, bursting from
Olli somnum ingens rumpit pavor, ossaque et artus
his whole body, soaks his bones and limbs;
perfundit toto proruptus corpore sudor;
frantic he roars for arms, hunts arms in his bed and his halls;
arma amens fremit, arma toro tectisque requirit;
lust for the sword rages, and the accursed madness of war,
saevit amor ferri et scelerata insania belli,
and over all, wrath: as when with a great roar a fire
ira super: magno veluti cum flamma sonore
of brushwood is heaped beneath the ribs of a seething cauldron
virgea suggeritur costis undantis aëni
and the waters leap with the heat—within rages the flood,
exsultantque aestu latices, furit intus aquaï
smoking, and the stream brims high with foam,
fumidus atque alte spumis exuberat amnis,
and the wave no longer holds itself, and the black steam flies to the air.
nec iam se capit unda, volat vapor ater ad auras.
So, the peace defiled, he declares to the foremost of the young
Ergo iter ad regem polluta pace Latinum
a march against King Latinus, and bids arms be made ready,
indicit primis iuvenum et iubet arma parari,
to guard Italy, to drive the foe from her borders:
tutari Italiam, detrudere finibus hostem:
that he comes a match for both, for Teucrians and Latins alike.
se satis ambobus Teucrisque venire Latinisque.
When he had spoken this and called the gods to witness his vows,
Haec ubi dicta dedit divosque in vota vocavit,
the Rutulians vie in spurring one another to arms:
certatim sese Rutuli exhortantur in arma:
one is stirred by Turnus’ rare beauty of form and youth,
hunc decus egregium formae movet atque iuventae,
one by his kingly forebears, one by his hand renowned for deeds.
hunc atavi reges, hunc claris dextera factis.
While Turnus fills the Rutulians with daring spirit,
Dum Turnus Rutulos animis audacibus implet,
Allecto hastens against the Teucrians on Stygian wings,
Allecto in Teucros Stygiis se concitat alis,
spying with fresh cunning a place where, on the shore, fair
arte nova speculata locum, quo litore pulcher
Iulus was driving the wild game by ambush and the chase.
insidiis cursuque feras agitabat Iulus.
Here the maid of Cocytus casts a sudden madness on the hounds
Hic subitam canibus rabiem Cocytia virgo
and touches their nostrils with a scent they knew,
obicit et noto naris contingit odore,
to set them burning after a stag; this was the first cause
ut cervum ardentes agerent; quae prima laborum
of the troubles, and fired the country hearts for war.
causa fuit belloque animos accendit agrestis.
There was a stag of surpassing form, huge of antler,
Cervus erat forma praestanti et cornibus ingens,
which the sons of Tyrrhus, torn from its mother’s teat,
Tyrrhidae pueri quem matris ab ubere raptum
were rearing, and Tyrrhus their father, to whom the king’s
nutribant Tyrrhusque pater, cui regia parent
herds bow, and the wide keeping of the field is given in trust.
armenta et late custodia credita campi.
Their sister Silvia, with all her care, would deck its antlers,
Adsuetum imperiis soror omni Silvia cura
weaving them with soft garlands—it was tame to her bidding—
mollibus intexens ornabat cornua sertis
and combed the wild creature and bathed it in a clear spring.
pectebatque ferum puroque in fonte lavabat.
It, gentle to the hand and used to its master’s board,
Ille, manum patiens mensaeque adsuetus erili,
roamed the woods, and back again to the threshold it knew
errabat silvis rursusque ad limina nota
would bring itself home, however late the night.
ipse domum sera quamvis se nocte ferebat.
This stag, straying far, the maddened hounds of hunting Iulus
Hunc procul errantem rabidae venantis Iuli
roused, just as, by chance, down the easy stream
commovere canes, fluvio cum forte secundo
it was drifting and cooling its heat on the green bank.
deflueret ripaque aestus viridante levaret.
He too, fired with the love of high renown,
Ipse etiam, eximiae laudis succensus amore,
Ascanius aimed his shaft from the curved bow;
Ascanius curvo direxit spicula cornu;
nor did a god fail his wavering hand, and the reed, driven
nec dextrae erranti deus afuit, actaque multo
with a loud whir, passed through belly and flank.
perque uterum sonitu perque ilia venit harundo.
But the wounded beast fled back within the dwelling it knew,
Saucius at quadrupes nota intra tecta refugit
came moaning to its stall, and, bloodied, with its plaint,
successitque gemens stabulis questuque cruentus
like one beseeching, filled the whole house.
atque imploranti similis tectum omne replebat.
Silvia his sister first, striking her arms with her palms,
Silvia prima soror, palmis percussa lacertos,
cries out for help and calls together the hardy country-folk.
auxilium vocat et duros conclamat agrestis.
They—for the cruel scourge lurks in the silent woods—
Olli, pestis enim tacitis latet aspera silvis,
come up unawares: this one armed with a fire-hardened stake,
inprovisi adsunt, hic torre armatus obusto,
this with a knot-heavy cudgel: whatever each man lights on
stipitis hic gravidi nodis: quod cuique repertum
as he searches, his rage turns into a weapon. Tyrrhus calls up the ranks—
rimanti, telum ira facit. Vocat agmina Tyrrhus,
he who, as it happened, with wedges driven home was cleaving
quadrifidam quercum cuneis ut forte coactis
an oak in four—and snatching his axe, breathing monstrous fury.
scindebat, rapta spirans immane securi.
But the cruel goddess, from her watch, seizing the moment to harm,
At saeva e speculis tempus dea nacta nocendi
makes for the steading’s high roof, and from the topmost ridge
ardua tecta petit stabuli et de culmine summo
sounds the herdsmen’s signal, and on the curved horn
pastorale canit signum cornuque recurvo
strains a Tartarean voice, at which at once every
Tartaream intendit vocem, qua protinus omne
grove shuddered and the deep forests rang;
contremuit nemus et silvae insonuere profundae;
the lake of Trivia heard it far off, the river heard it,
audiit et Triviae longe lacus, audiit amnis
and trembling mothers pressed their children to their breasts.
et trepidae matres pressere ad pectora natos.
Then indeed, quick to the sound where the trumpet
Tum vero ad vocem celeres, qua bucina signum
gave its dread signal, snatching their weapons they rush from all sides,
dira dedit, raptis concurrunt undique telis
the unbroken farmers; and likewise the Trojan youth
indomiti agricolae; nec non et Troïa pubes
pour from the opened camp to Ascanius’ aid.
Ascanio auxilium castris effundit apertis.
They drew up their ranks. No longer with a rustic struggle,
Direxere acies. Non iam certamine agresti,
with hard clubs or fire-hardened stakes is it fought,
stipitibus duris agitur sudibusve praeustis,
but with two-edged steel they settle it, and far and wide a black
sed ferro ancipiti decernunt atraque late
harvest bristles with drawn swords, and the bronze flashes,
horrescit strictis seges ensibus aeraque fulgent
struck by the sun, and flings its light up to the clouds:
sole lacessita et lucem sub nubila iactant:
as when the swell first begins to whiten under the wind,
fluctus uti primo coepit cum albescere vento,
little by little the sea heaves itself, and rears its waves
paulatim sese tollit mare et altius undas
higher, then from its deepest bed surges up to the sky.
erigit, inde imo consurgit ad aethera fundo.
Here a young man, before the foremost line, by a whistling arrow—
Hic iuvenis primam ante aciem stridente sagitta,
Almo, who had been the eldest of Tyrrhus’ sons—
natorum Tyrrhi fuerat qui maximus, Almo,
is struck down; for the wound lodged beneath his throat and stopped
sternitur; haesit enim sub gutture volnus et udae
the channel of his liquid voice, and with blood shut up his thin life.
vocis iter tenuemque inclusit sanguine vitam.
Many men’s bodies lie around, and old Galaesus,
Corpora multa virum circa seniorque Galaesus,
while he offers himself a mediator for peace—the one most just
dum paci medium se offert, iustissimus unus
of men there was, and once the wealthiest in Ausonian fields:
qui fuit Ausoniisque olim ditissimus arvis:
his were five flocks of bleating sheep, five herds came home,
quinque greges illi balantum, quina redibant
and he turned the soil with a hundred ploughs.
armenta, et terram centum vertebat aratris.
And while these things are fought across the plains in equal war,
Atque ea per campos aequo dum Marte geruntur,
the goddess, now mistress of her promise made good, when she had dyed
promissi dea facta potens, ubi sanguine bellum
the war in blood and joined the deaths of the first fight,
imbuit et primae commisit funera pugnae,
leaves Hesperia, and through the airs of heaven’s vault,
deserit Hesperiam et caeli convexa per auras
victorious, addresses Juno with a haughty voice:
Iunonem victrix adfatur voce superba:
"See, discord is brought to its full for you in grievous war:
En, perfecta tibi bello discordia tristi:
bid them now come together in friendship and strike their treaties.
dic in amicitiam coeant et foedera iungant.
Since now I have spattered the Teucrians with Ausonian blood,
Quando quidem Ausonio respersi sanguine Teucros,
this too I will add, if your will toward me is fixed:
hoc etiam his addam, tua si mihi certa voluntas:
I will draw the neighboring towns into war by rumors,
finitimas in bella feram rumoribus urbes
and fire their hearts with love of frenzied war,
accendamque animos insani Martis amore,
that they come with aid from every side; I will sow arms through the fields."
undique ut auxilio veniunt; spargam arma per agros.
Then Juno in reply: "Of terror and of treachery there is enough;
Tum contra Iuno; Terrorum et fraudis abunde est;
the grounds of war stand fast, men fight close with arms,
stant belli causae, pugnatur comminus armis,
and the weapons chance first furnished, fresh blood has stained.
quae fors prima dedit sanguis novus imbuit arma.
Such a marriage, such a wedding let them keep,
Talia coniugia et talis celebrent hymenaeos
the noble seed of Venus and King Latinus himself.
egregium Veneris genus et rex ipse Latinus.
But that you should range too freely through heaven’s upper air
Te super aetherias errare licentius auras
that Father, the lord of highest Olympus, would not allow:
haud pater ille velit, summi regnator Olympi:
yield your place; I, if any further turn of these toils remain,
cede locis; ego, siqua super fortuna laborum est,
will guide it myself." Such words the daughter of Saturn had spoken.
ipsa regam. Talis dederat Saturnia voces.
But the other lifts her wings, hissing with serpents,
Illa autem attollit stridentis anguibus alas
and seeks the abode of Cocytus, leaving the heights above.
Cocytique petit sedem, supera ardua linquens.
There is a place in the heart of Italy, beneath high mountains,
Est locus Italiae medio sub montibus altis,
famed and storied on many a shore,
nobilis et fama multis memoratus in oris,
the vale of Amsanctus: a wooded flank, dark with thick leaves,
Amsancti valles: densis hunc frondibus atrum
hems it on either side, and in the midst a crashing
urguet utrimque latus nemoris, medioque fragosus
torrent roars among the rocks with its twisting eddy.
dat sonitum saxis et torto vertice torrens.
Here a dreadful cavern and the vents of cruel Dis
Hic specus horrendum et saevi spiracula Ditis
are shown, and a vast gulf, where Acheron has broken through,
monstrantur, ruptoque ingens Acheronte vorago
opens its pestilential jaws, into which the Fury, buried,
pestiferas aperit fauces, quis condita Erinys,
a hateful power, was lifting her weight from earth and heaven.
invisum numen, terras caelumque levabat.
Nor less meanwhile does the queen, Saturn’s daughter, set
Nec minus interea extremam Saturnia bello
the last hand to the war. All the host of shepherds rushes
imponit regina manum. Ruit omnis in urbem
into the city from the fight, and they carry back the slain—
pastorum ex acie numerus caesosque reportant
the boy Almo, and the marred face of Galaesus—
Almonem puerum foedatique ora Galaesi
and they implore the gods and call Latinus to witness.
implorantque deos obtestanturque Latinum.
Turnus is there, and amid the cry of slaughter and of fire
Turnus adest medioque in crimine caedis et igni
he doubles the alarm: that Teucrians are called to the throne,
terrorem ingeminat: Teucros in regna vocari,
that a Phrygian breed is mixed into the blood, that he is thrust from the door.
stirpem admisceri Phrygiam, se limine pelli.
Then those whose mothers, struck with Bacchic frenzy, leap
Tum quorum attonitae Baccho nemora avia matres
in their dancing-bands through the pathless groves (no light name, Amata’s),
insultant thiasis (neque enim leve nomen Amatae),
gathered from all sides come together and weary Mars with their cries.
undique collecti coeunt Martemque fatigant.
At once, against the omens, all clamor for accursed war,
Ilicet infandum cuncti contra omina bellum,
against the gods’ decrees, with their will turned awry,
contra fata deum perverso numine poscunt,
and vying they crowd about the halls of King Latinus.
certatim regis circumstant tecta Latini.
He, like an unmoved sea-cliff, stands firm,
Ille velut pelagi rupes immota resistit,
like a sea-cliff when a great roar comes against it,
ut pelagi rupes magno veniente fragore,
which holds fast by its own bulk amid the many waves baying around it;
quae sese multis circum latrantibus undis
in vain the reefs and the foam-washed rocks
mole tenet; scopuli nequiquam et spumea circum
bellow about it, and the weed, dashed on its flank, is hurled back.
saxa fremunt laterique inlisa refunditur alga.
But when no power is given to surmount the blind
Verum ubi nulla datur caecum exsuperare potestas
design, and events move at the nod of cruel Juno,
consilium et saevae nutu Iunonis eunt res,
the father, calling oft to witness the gods and the empty air:
multa deos aurasque pater testatus inanis:
"We are broken, alas, by the fates," he says, "and swept off in the storm!
Frangimur heu fatis, inquit, ferimurque procella!
You yourselves shall pay this price with your sacrilegious blood,
Ipsi has sacrilego pendetis sanguine poenas,
O wretches. You, Turnus, the sacrilege, you a bitter
O miseri. Te, Turne, nefas, te triste manebit
punishment shall await, and too late you shall court the gods with vows.
supplicium, votisque deos venerabere seris.
For my rest is won, and my whole harbor lies at the threshold;
Nam mihi parta quies, omnisque in limine portus;
I am robbed only of a happy death." And speaking no more,
funere felici spolior. Nec plura locutus
he shut himself within his halls and let drop the reins of rule.
saepsit se tectis rerumque reliquit habenas.
There was a usage in Hesperian Latium, which from then the Alban
Mos erat Hesperio in Latio, quem protinus urbes
cities held sacred—and now the greatest thing on earth,
Albanae coluere sacrum nunc maxima rerum
Rome, keeps it—when first they rouse Mars to battle,
Roma colit, cum prima movent in proelia Martem,
whether they make to bring war’s tears by force upon the Getae,
sive Getis inferre manu lacrimabile bellum
the Hyrcanians, or the Arabs, or to push on to the Indians,
Hyrcanisve Arabisve parant seu tendere ad Indos
to follow the Dawn and claim the standards back from the Parthians.
Auroramque sequi Parthosque reposcere signa.
There are twin gates of War (so they name them),
Sunt geminae belli portae (sic nomine dicunt)
hallowed by religion and by dread of fierce Mars;
religione sacrae et saevi formidine Martis;
a hundred bolts of bronze close them, and iron’s
centum aerei claudunt vectes aeternaque ferri
everlasting strength, nor does Janus the warder quit the threshold:
robora, nec custos absistit limine Ianus:
these, when the fathers’ resolve for battle is settled,
has, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae,
the consul himself, in the Quirinal robe and the Gabine girding,
ipse Quirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino
distinguished, unbars the shrieking gates,
insignis reserat stridentia limina consul,
himself calls for battle; then the rest of the youth follow,
ipse vocat pugnas; sequitur tum cetera pubes,
and the bronze horns blare together in hoarse assent.
aereaque adsensu conspirant cornua rauco.
By this rite, then, too, Latinus was bidden to proclaim
Hoc et tum Aeneadis indicere bella Latinus
war on the sons of Aeneas, and to unbar the grim gates.
more iubebatur tristisque recludere portas.
The father held back his hand from the touch, and, turning, shrank from
Abstinuit tactu pater aversusque refugit
the loathsome office, and buried himself in blind darkness.
foeda ministeria et caecis se condidit umbris.
Then the queen of the gods, gliding down from heaven, herself
Tum regina deum caelo delapsa morantis
with her hand thrust the lingering gates, and, the hinge turned,
impulit ipsa manu portas, et cardine verso
Saturn’s daughter breaks the iron-clad doorposts of war.
belli ferratos rumpit Saturnia postes.
Ausonia, unroused and unmoved before, takes fire;
Ardet inexcita Ausonia atque immobilis ante;
some make ready to march on foot over the plains, some, towering
Pars pedes ire parat campis, pars arduus altis
on tall horses, rage in the dust; all demand arms.
pulverulentus equis furit; omnes arma requirunt.
Some scour smooth shields and bright javelin-points
Pars levis clipeos et spicula lucida tergent
with rich grease, and whet axes on the stone;
arvina pingui subiguntque in cote secures;
and they delight to carry the standards and hear the trumpets’ call.
signaque ferre iuvat sonitusque audire tubarum.
Five great cities, no less, with anvils set,
Quinque adeo magnae positis incudibus urbes
Ardea and Crustumeri and tower-crowned Antemnae.
Ardea Crustumerique et turrigerae Antemnae.
They hollow safe coverings for the head, and bend willow
Tegmina tuta cavant capitum flectuntque salignas
wickerwork for shield-bosses; others beat out bronze cuirasses
umbonum cratis; alii thoracas aenos
or smooth greaves of pliant silver;
aut levis ocreas lento ducunt argento;
to this the ploughshare’s and the sickle’s honor, to this all the love
vomeris huc et falcis honos, huc omnis aratri
of the plough has given way; in the forges they recast their fathers’ swords.
cessit amor; recoquunt patrios fornacibus enses.
And now the clarions sound; the war-token, the signal, goes its round.
Classica iamque sonant; it bello tessera signum.
This man, in haste, snatches his helmet from the wall, that one
Hic galeam tectis trepidus rapit, ille frementis
forces his neighing horses to the yoke, puts on his shield and the corselet
ad iuga cogit equos clipeumque auroque trilicem
triple-meshed with gold, and girds on his faithful sword.
loricam induitur fidoque accingitur ense.
Throw open Helicon now, goddesses, and stir your songs—
Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque movete,
what kings were roused to war, what battle-lines, following each,
qui bello exciti reges, quae quemque secutae
filled the plains, with what men even then the Italian
complerint campos acies, quibus Itala iam tum
land, the nurturing land, was in flower, with what arms it blazed.
floruerit terra alma viris, quibus arserit armis.
For you remember, goddesses, and have the power to tell:
Et meministis enim, divae, et memorare potestis:
to us scarcely a faint breath of the story drifts down.
ad nos vix tenuis famae perlabitur aura.
First into the war, harsh from the Etruscan shores,
Primus init bellum Tyrrhenis asper ab oris
the despiser of the gods, Mezentius, enters, and arms his bands.
contemptor divom Mezentius agminaque armat.
Beside him his son Lausus, than whom none other was fairer,
Filius huic iuxta Lausus, quo pulchrior alter
save for the body of Laurentine Turnus—
non fuit excepto Laurentis corpore Turni,
Lausus, tamer of horses and queller of wild beasts,
Lausus, equum domitor debellatorque ferarum,
leads a thousand men, who followed him in vain from Agylla’s city,
ducit Agyllina nequiquam ex urbe secutos
a youth worthy to have known more joy in a father’s
mille viros, dignus, patriis qui laetior esset
rule, and to have had any father but Mezentius.
imperiis et cui pater haud Mezentius esset.
After these, over the turf, a chariot famed by the victor’s palm,
Post hos insignem palma per gramina currum
and conquering horses, displays the son of fair Hercules,
victoresque ostentat equos satus Hercule pulchro
fair Aventinus, and on his shield his father’s emblem,
pulcher Aventinus, clipeoque insigne paternum
a hundred snakes, and the Hydra ringed with serpents, he bears;
centum angues cinctamque gerit serpentibus hydram;
whom on the Aventine hill, in the wood, the priestess Rhea
bore in a stealthy birth to the coasts of light,
furtivum partu sub luminis edidit oras,
a woman wed to a god, after the Tirynthian, in triumph,
mixta deo mulier, postquam Laurentia victor
and washed the Iberian cattle in the Tuscan river.
Tyrrhenoque boves in flumine lavit Hiberas.
Javelins they bear in hand, and to war savage goads,
Pila manu saevosque gerunt in bella dolones
and fight with the tapering blade and the Sabellian pike.
et tereti pugnant mucrone veruque Sabello.
He himself on foot, swinging the huge hide of a lion,
Ipse pedes, tegumen torquens immane leonis,
shaggy with dreadful bristle, its white teeth
terribili impexum saeta cum dentibus albis
drawn over his head—so he came up to the royal halls,
indutus capiti, sic regia tecta subibat,
bristling, his shoulders bound in the garb of Hercules.
horridus, Herculeoque umeros innexus amictu.
Then twin brothers leave the Tiburtine walls,
Tum gemini fratres Tiburtia moenia linquunt,
and charge before the foremost line amid the thronging spears:
et primam ante aciem densa inter tela feruntur:
as when two cloud-born Centaurs come down from a high
ceu duo nubigenae cum vertice montis ab alto
mountain-peak, leaving Homole and snowy Othrys
at a headlong run; the great forest yields them
linquentes cursu rapido; dat euntibus ingens
room as they go, and the brushwood gives way with a mighty crash.
silva locum et magno cedunt virgulta fragore.
Nor was the founder of the Praenestine city wanting,
Nec Praenestinae fundator defuit urbis,
Caeculus, a king born of Vulcan among the country herds
Volcano genitum pecora inter agrestia regem
and found amid the hearth-coals, as every age believed.
inventumque focis omnis quem credidit aetas
A rustic legion attends him far and wide:
Caeculus. Hunc late legio comitatur agrestis:
the men who hold high Praeneste, and the fields of Gabine
quique altum Praeneste viri quique arva Gabinae
Juno, and the cold Anio, and the Hernican rocks
Iunonis gelidumque Anienem et roscida rivis
and whom you feed, father Amasenus. Not all of them have arms,
quos, Amasene pater. Non illis omnibus arma,
nor do shields or chariots clang: the greatest part scatter
nec clipei currusve sonant: pars maxima glandes
slingstones of livid lead, some carry javelins,
liventis plumbi spargit, pars spicula gestat
a pair in the hand, and tawny caps of wolf-hide
bina manu, fulvosque lupi de pelle galeros
cover their heads; they plant the bare sole of the left
tegmen habent capiti, vestigia nuda sinistri
foot, while a rawhide boot shields the other.
instituere pedis, crudus tegit altera pero.
whom it is given to none to lay low by fire or by steel,
quem neque fas igni cuiquam nec sternere ferro,
calls on a sudden to arms peoples long settled, and ranks
iam pridem resides populos desuetaque bello
grown strange to war, and handles the sword once more.
agmina in arma vocat subito ferrumque retractat.
These are the Fescennine ranks and the Aequi Falisci;
Hi Fescenninas acies Aequosque Faliscos.
these hold Soracte’s heights and the Flavinian fields,
Hi Soractis habent arces Flaviniaque arva
They marched in measured number, and sang their king,
Ibant aequati numero regemque canebant,
as at times the snowy swans amid the liquid clouds,
ceu quondam nivei liquida inter nubila cycni,
when they come back from feeding, and down their long necks
cum sese e pastu referunt et longa canoros
pour their melodious notes—the river rings, and the Asian
dant per colla modos, sonat amnis et Asia longe
marsh, struck far off, gives answer.
pulsa palus.
Nor would any think that bronze-mailed columns were massing
Nec quisquam aeratas acies ex agmine tanto
out of so great a throng, but rather an airy cloud
misceri putet, aeriam sed gurgite ab alto
of hoarse birds driven from the deep sea toward the shores.
urgueri volucrum raucarum ad litora nubem.
Lo, of the Sabines’ ancient blood, leading a great
Ecce Sabinorum prisco de sanguine magnum
column, Clausus, himself the match of a great column,
agmen agens Clausus magnique ipse agminis instar,
from whom now the Claudian tribe and house is spread
Claudia nunc a quo diffunditur et tribus et gens
through Latium, since Rome was shared in part with the Sabines.
per Latium, postquam in partem data Roma Sabinis.
With him a vast Amiternan cohort and the ancient Quirites,
Una ingens Amiterna cohors priscique Quirites,
all the band of Eretum and of olive-bearing Mutusca;
Ereti manus omnis oliviferaeque Mutuscae;
who hold Nomentum’s town, who the Rosean meads of Velinus,
qui Nomentum urbem, qui Rosea rura Velini,
who the crags of bristling Tetrica and Mount Severus,
qui Tetricae horrentis rupes montemque Severum
and dwell in Casperia and Foruli and by Himella’s stream,
Casperiamque colunt Forulosque et flumen Himellae,
who drink Tiber and Fabaris, whom cold Nursia sent,
qui Tiberim Fabarimque bibunt, quos frigida misit
and the levies of Horta and the Latin peoples,
Nursia, et Hortinae classes populique Latini,
and those between whom the Allia flows, dividing them—a name of ill omen:
quosque secans infaustum interluit Allia nomen:
as many as the waves that roll on the Libyan marble of the sea
quam multi Libyco volvuntur marmore fluctus
when fierce Orion hides himself in the winter swell;
saevus ubi Orion hibernis conditur undis;
or as the thick wheat-ears scorch under the early sun
vel cum sole novo densae torrentur aristae
on Hermus’ plain or in Lycia’s yellowing fields.
aut Hermi campo aut Lyciae flaventibus arvis.
The shields clang, and the earth quakes, terrified by the tramp of feet.
Scuta sonant pulsuque pedum conterrita tellus.
Hence the man of Agamemnon, foe to the Trojan name,
Hinc Agamemnonius, Troiani nominis hostis,
Halaesus, yokes his horses to the car, and for Turnus sweeps
curru iungit Halaesus equos Turnoque ferocis
a thousand fierce peoples along—who turn with the mattock the Massic
mille rapit populos, vertunt felicia Baccho
soil happy in its vines, and those whom from the high hills
Massica qui rastris et quos de collibus altis
the Auruncan elders sent, and the Sidicine
Aurunci misere patres, Sidicinaque iuxta
lowlands hard by, and those who leave Cales, and the dweller
aequora quique Cales linquunt, amnisque vadosi
by the shallow Volturnus’ stream, and with them the rough Saticulan
accola Volturni, pariterque Saticulus asper
and the band of the Osci. Smooth darts are their
Oscorumque manus. Teretes sunt aclydes illis
weapons, but their wont is to fit these to a supple strap;
tela, sed haec lento mos est aptare flagello;
a leather buckler guards the left, curved swords for close work.
laevas caetra tegit, falcati comminus enses.
Nor will you go unsung in our songs,
Nec tu carminibus nostris indictus abibis,
now grown old; but his son, not content with his father’s
iam senior; patriis sed non et filius arvis
fields, even then was pressing far and wide under his rule
contentus late iam tum dicione premebat
the Sarrastian peoples and the plains that Sarnus waters,
Sarrastis populos et quae rigat aequora Sarnus
and those who hold Rufrae and Batulum and Celemna’s fields,
quique Rufras Batulumque tenent atque arva Celemnae
and those on whom the walls of apple-rich Abella look down,
et quos maliferae despectant moenia Abellae,
wont to hurl the cateia in the Teutonic fashion,
Teutonico ritu soliti torquere cateias,
whose head-coverings are cork-bark stripped from the tree,
tegmina quis capitum raptus de subere cortex,
and their bronze targes flash, the brazen sword flashes.
aerataeque micant peltae, micat aereus ensis.
And mountainous Nersae sent you too to the fight,
Et te montosae misere in proelia Nersae,
whose folk above all are a rough breed, hardened by much
horrida praecipue cui gens adsuetaque multo
hunting in the woods—the Aequiculi, on stubborn soil.
venatu nemorum, duris Aequicula glaebis.
In arms they till the earth, and ever it pleases them
Armati terram exercent, semperque recentis
to haul home fresh plunder and to live by what they seize.
convectare iuvat praedas et vivere rapto.
Nay, a priest too came of the Marruvian people,
Quin et Marruvia venit de gente sacerdos,
his helmet decked above with foliage and fruitful olive,
fronde super galeam et felici comptus oliva.
sent by King Archippus, most valiant Umbro,
who on the viper-brood and the heavy-breathing water-snakes
vipereo generi et graviter spirantibus hydris
was wont to scatter sleep with his song and his hand,
spargere qui somnos cantuque manuque solebat
and calmed their rage, and by his art eased their bite.
mulcebatque iras et morsus arte levabat.
But to cure the stroke of a Dardan spear-point
Sed non Dardaniae medicari cuspidis ictum
he had no power, nor did the drowsy chants avail him
evaluit, neque eum iuvere in volnera cantus
against his wounds, nor the herbs sought on the Marsian hills.
somniferi et Marsis quaesitae montibus herbae.
you the clear lakes bewailed.
te liquidi flevere lacus.
There went to war as well the fairest offspring of Hippolytus,
Ibat et Hippolyti proles pulcherrima bello,
reared about the dewy shores of Egeria’s grove,
eductum Egeriae lucis umentia circum
where Diana’s altar stands, rich and easy to appease.
litora, pinguis ubi et placabilis ara Dianae.
For they tell, in story, that Hippolytus, when by his stepmother’s
Namque ferunt fama Hippolytum, postquam arte novercae
craft he had fallen, and paid his father’s vengeance with his blood,
occiderit patriasque explerit sanguine poenas
torn asunder by his panicked horses, came back again
turbatis distractus equis, ad sidera rursus
to the stars of heaven and the upper air of the sky,
aetheria et superas caeli venisse sub auras,
recalled by Paeonian herbs and by Diana’s love.
Paeoniis revocatum herbis et amore Dianae.
Then the almighty Father, in wrath that any mortal
Tum pater omnipotens, aliquem indignatus ab umbris
should rise from the shades of the lower world to the light of life,
mortalem infernis ad lumina surgere vitae,
himself struck the finder of such healing and such art,
ipse repertorem medicinae talis et artis
the son of Phoebus, with his bolt down to the Stygian waves.
fulmine Phoebigenam Stygias detrusit ad undas.
But kindly Trivia hides Hippolytus away in a secret
At Trivia Hippolytum secretis alma recondit
dwelling, and consigns him to the nymph Egeria and her grove,
sedibus et nymphae Egeriae nemorique relegat,
where, alone in the Italian woods, inglorious, he might wear out
solus ubi in silvis Italis ignobilis aevom
his days, and, his name changed, be Virbius.
exigeret versoque ubi nomine Virbius esset.
Whence too, from Trivia’s temple and her hallowed groves,
Unde etiam templo Triviae lucisque sacratis
horn-hoofed horses are barred, because on the shore, in terror
cornipedes arcentur equi, quod litore currum
of the sea-monsters, they spilled out chariot and young man alike.
et iuvenem monstris pavidi effudere marinis.
His son no less was driving his fiery horses across the level
Filius ardentis haud setius aequore campi
field, and racing in his chariot into the war.
exercebat equos curruque in bella ruebat.
Turnus himself among the first, of surpassing form,
Ipse inter primos praestanti corpore Turnus
moves, his weapons in hand, and by a whole head towers above.
vertitur arma tenens et toto vertice supra est.
His tall helmet, plumed with a threefold crest, upholds the Chimaera
Cui triplici crinita iuba galea alta Chimaeram
breathing Etnean fires from its throat:
sustinet, Aetnaeos efflantem faucibus ignis:
the more it roars and rages wild with its baleful flames,
tam magis illa fremens et tristibus effera flammis,
the more the fighting grows fierce with blood poured out.
quam magis effuso crudescunt sanguine pugnae.
blazoned in gold—now grown shaggy with bristles, now a heifer
auro insignibat, iam saetis obsita, iam bos
and father Inachus pouring his stream from a chased urn.
caelataque amnem fundens pater Inachus urna.
There follows a storm-cloud of footmen, and shielded
Insequitur nimbus peditum clipeataque totis
columns thicken over all the fields, the Argive youth
agmina densentur campis, Argivaque pubes
and the Auruncan bands, the Rutulians and the ancient Sicani,
Auruncaeque manus, Rutuli veteresque Sicani
and the Sacranian ranks and the Labici with painted shields;
et Sacranae acies et picti scuta Labici;
who plough your glades, O Tiber, and the sacred shore
qui saltus, Tiberine, tuos sacrumque Numici
of Numicus, and work the Rutulian hills with the share,
litus arant Rutulosque exercent vomere colles
and the ridge of Circe, over whose fields Jupiter of Anxur
Circaeumque iugum, quis Iuppiter Anxurus arvis
where Satura’s black fen lies, and cold through the deepest
qua Saturae iacet atra palus gelidusque per imas
valleys Ufens searches his way and sinks into the sea.
quaerit iter vallis atque in mare conditur Ufens.
Above these came Camilla, of the Volscian race,
leading a column of horse, squadrons in flower with bronze,
agmen agens equitum et florentis aere catervas,
a warrior-maid—not she who had trained her woman’s hands
bellatrix, non illa colo calathisve Minervae
to the distaff or Minerva’s wool-baskets, but a virgin to bear
femineas adsueta manus, sed proelia virgo
hard battle, and in the race of her feet to outstrip the winds.
dura pati cursuque pedum praevertere ventos.
She might fly over the topmost stalks of an unreaped
Illa vel intactae segetis per summa volaret
cornfield, nor in her course bruise the tender ears,
gramina nec teneras cursu laesisset aristas,
or hold her way poised above the mid-sea’s swelling
vel mare per medium fluctu suspensa tumenti
wave, swift, and never dip her soles in the brine.
ferret iter celeris nec tingueret aequore plantas.
Her all the young men, streaming from their houses and fields,
Illam omnis tectis agrisque effusa iuventus
and a crowd of mothers, marvel at and gaze after as she goes,
turbaque miratur matrum et prospectat euntem,
agape with stricken hearts: how the royal grace of purple
attonitis inhians animis, ut regius ostro
drapes her smooth shoulders, how the clasp of gold
velet honos levis umeros, ut fibula crinem
laces her hair, how she herself bears a Lycian quiver
auro internectat, Lyciam ut gerat ipsa pharetram
and a shepherd’s myrtle, tipped with a spear-point.
et pastoralem praefixa cuspide myrtum.
When from the Laurentine citadel Turnus raised aloft
Ut belli signum Laurenti Turnus ab arce
the signal of war, and the horns blared with hoarse song,
extulit et rauco strepuerunt cornua cantu,
and when he lashed his fierce horses and clashed his arms,
utque acris concussit equos utque impulit arma,
at once minds were thrown into turmoil; together in trembling
extemplo turbati animi, simul omne tumultu
uproar all Latium swears the oath, and the young men rage
coniurat trepido Latium saevitque iuventus
savagely. The foremost captains, Messapus and Ufens,
effera. Ductores primi Messapus et Ufens
and Mezentius, scorner of the gods, muster from every side
contemptorque deum Mezentius undique cogunt
their forces, and strip the broad fields of their tillers.
auxilia et latos vastant cultoribus agros.
to seek aid, and to tell that the Teucrians have settled in Latium,
qui petat auxilium et Latio consistere Teucros,
that Aeneas has come with his fleet, bringing his conquered Penates,
advectum Aenean classi victosque penatis
and says the fates demand that he be made king;
inferre et fatis regem se dicere posci
and to make plain that many peoples join themselves to the man,
edoceat multasque viro se adiungere gentis
the Dardanian, and that his name swells far through Latium.
Dardanio et late Latio increbrescere nomen.
What he contrives by these beginnings, what issue of the fight,
Quid struat his coeptis, quem, si Fortuna sequatur,
should Fortune follow, he longs for—this stands clearer
eventum pugnae cupiat, manifestius ipsi
to Diomedes himself than to King Turnus or King Latinus.
quam Turno regi aut regi apparere Latino.
So things went through Latium. All this the hero of Laomedon’s line,
Talia per Latium. Quae Laomedontius heros
seeing it all, tosses on a great tide of cares,
cuncta videns magno curarum fluctuat aestu,
and divides his swift mind now this way, now that,
atque animum nunc huc celerem, nunc dividit illuc.
snatches it into shifting parts and turns it through everything:
In partisque rapit varias perque omnia versat:
as when the quivering light of water in bronze basins,
sicut aquae tremulum labris ubi lumen aenis
struck back by the sun or the image of the radiant moon,
sole repercussum aut radiantis imagine lunae
flits far over every place, and now mounts up into the air
omnia pervolitat late loca iamque sub auras
and strikes the paneled ceiling of the lofty roof.
erigitur summique ferit lacuaria tecti.
It was night, and over all the lands the weary creatures,
Nox erat, et terras animalia fessa per omnis
the race of birds and of beasts, deep sleep held fast:
alituum pecudumque genus sopor altus habebat:
when Father Aeneas, on the bank and under the cold vault of heaven,
cum pater in ripa gelidique sub aetheris axe
his breast troubled by the grim war,
Aeneas, tristi turbatus pectora bello,
lay down and gave his limbs late rest.
procubuit seramque dedit per membra quietem.
To him the god of the place himself, Tiberinus of the lovely stream,
Huic deus ipse loci fluvio Tiberinus amoeno
seemed, an aged figure, to rise among the poplar leaves;
populeas inter senior se attollere frondes
a fine linen veiled him with a gray-green mantle,
visus; eum tenuis glauco velabat amictu
and shadowy reeds covered his hair,
carbasus, et crinis umbrosa tegebat harundo,
and thus he spoke, and with these words took his cares away:
tum sic adfari et curas his demere dictis:
"O born of the race of gods, you who bring back to us
O sate gente deum, Troianam ex hostibus urbem
the Trojan city from her foes and keep Pergama everlasting,
qui revehis nobis aeternaque Pergama servas,
awaited on Laurentine soil and the fields of Latium,
exspectate solo Laurenti arvisque Latinis,
here is your sure home, your sure Penates—do not give up;
hic tibi certa domus, certi, ne absiste, penates;
and be not frightened by the threats of war: all the swelling and the wrath
neu belli terrere minis: tumor omnis et irae
of the gods has passed away.
concessere deum.
And now—lest you think sleep feigns these things in vain—
Iamque tibi, ne vana putes haec fingere somnum,
a huge sow, found beneath the holm-oaks of the shore,
litoreis ingens inventa sub ilicibus sus,
having borne a litter of thirty head, shall lie,
triginta capitum fetus enixa, iacebit,
white, couched on the ground, her white young about her teats.
alba, solo recubans, albi circum ubera nati.
This shall be the city’s place, this the sure rest from your toils,
Hic locus urbis erit, requies ea certa laborum
from which, when thirty years have rolled their round,
ex quo ter denis urbem redeuntibus annis
Ascanius shall found Alba, of the bright name.
Ascanius clari condet cognominis Albam.
I sing no uncertain things. Now by what means you may, victorious,
Haud incerta cano. Nunc qua ratione quod instat
work clear of what presses on you, in few words (mark me) I will teach.
expedias victor, paucis (adverte) docebo.
On these shores the Arcadians, a race sprung from Pallas,
who as companions followed King Evander and his standards,
qui regem Euandrum comites, qui signa secuti,
chose a place and set a city on the hills,
delegere locum et posuere in montibus urbem
Pallanteum, from the name of their forefather Pallas.
Pallantis proavi de nomine Pallanteum.
These wage war unceasingly with the Latin nation;
Hi bellum adsidue ducunt cum gente Latina;
take these into your camp as allies and join treaties with them.
hos castris adhibe socios et foedera iunge.
I myself will lead you between my banks and straight upstream,
Ipse ego te ripis et recto flumine ducam,
so that, borne by oars, you may master the opposing current.
adversum remis superes subvectus ut amnem.
Up now, goddess-born, and as the first stars set
Surge age, nate dea, primisque cadentibus astris
duly bear prayers to Juno, and overcome her wrath
Iunoni fer rite preces iramque minasque
and threats with suppliant vows. To me, when victor, you shall
supplicibus supera votis. Mihi victor honorem
pay honor. I am he whom you see with brimming flood
persolves. Ego sum pleno quem flumine cernis
grazing the banks and cleaving the rich tilled fields,
stringentem ripas et pinguia culta secantem,
the dark-blue Tiber, the river most pleasing to heaven.
caeruleus Thybris, caelo gratissimus amnis.
Here is my great home; my fountain-head springs up among lofty cities."
Hic mihi magna domus, celsis caput urbibus, exit.
He spoke, then the river hid himself in his deep pool,
Dixit, deinde lacu fluvius se condidit alto,
seeking the depths; night and sleep left Aeneas.
ima petens; nox Aenean somnusque reliquit.
He rises and, gazing at the rising light
Surgit et aetherii spectans orientia solis
of the heavenly sun, duly lifts water from the river
lumina rite cavis undam de flumine palmis
in his cupped palms, and pours forth such words to heaven:
sustinet ac talis effundit ad aethera voces:
"Nymphs, Laurentine nymphs, from whom the rivers have their birth,
Nymphae, Laurentes nymphae, genus amnibus unde est,
and you, O Father Tiber, with your holy stream,
tuque, o Thybri tuo genitor cum flumine sancto,
receive Aeneas and at last ward off his perils.
accipite Aenean et tandem arcete periclis.
In whatever pool holds you, pitying our distress,
Quo te cumque lacus miserantem incommoda nostra
from whatever spring, from whatever soil you most fairly rise,
fonte tenet, quocumque solo pulcherrimus exis,
always with my honor, always with gifts shall you be thronged,
semper honore meo, semper celebrabere donis
horned river, ruler of the western waters.
corniger hesperidum fluvius regnator aquarum.
Only be near, and confirm your divine will more closely."
Adsis o tantum et propius tua numina firmes.
So he speaks, and picks two biremes from his fleet
sic memorat geminasque legit de classe biremis
and fits them with oars, and at once arms his comrades.
remigioque aptat, socios simul instruit armis.
But lo, a sudden marvel, wondrous to the eyes:
Ecce autem subitum atque oculis mirabile monstrum;
gleaming white through the wood, matched in hue with her white brood,
candida per silvam cum fetu concolor albo
a sow lay couched and was seen on the green shore.
procubuit viridique in litore conspicitur sus.
Her dutiful Aeneas—to you, yes, to you, mighty Juno—
Quam pius Aeneas tibi enim, tibi, maxuma Iuno,
slaughters, bearing the offering, and sets her with her brood at the altar.
mactat sacra ferens et cum grege sistit ad aram.
Tiber, all that night long, soothed his swelling stream,
Thybris ea fluvium, quam longa est, nocte tumentem
and, flowing back in a silent wave, so stood still
leniit, et tacita refluens ita substitit unda,
that, gentle, after the manner of a pool and a quiet marsh,
mitis ut in morem stagni placidaeque paludis
he spread his surface smooth, that the oar might have no struggle.
sterneret aequor aquis, remo ut luctamen abesset.
So they speed the journey begun, with favoring murmur;
Ergo iter inceptum celerant rumore secundo;
the oiled fir-hull glides through the shallows; the waves marvel,
labitur uncta vadis abies; mirantur et undae,
the unaccustomed grove marvels at the shields of men
miratur nemus insuetum fulgentia longe
flashing far on the river, and the painted keels afloat.
scuta virum fluvio pictasque innare carinas.
They wear out night and day with rowing,
Olli remigio noctemque diemque fatigant
and overcome the long bends, and are screened by varied
et longos superant flexus variisque teguntur
trees, and cut through the green woods on the calm surface.
arboribus viridisque secant placido aequore silvas.
The fiery sun had climbed the mid-circle of the sky,
Sol medium caeli conscenderat igneus orbem,
when far off they see walls and a citadel and the scattered
cum muros arcemque procul ac rara domorum
roofs of houses, which Roman power has now raised level
tecta vident, quae nunc Romana potentia caelo
with heaven, but then Evander held as a poor estate:
aequavit, tum res inopes Euandrus habebat:
swiftly they turn their prows and draw near the city.
ocius advertunt proras urbique propinquant.
By chance on that day the Arcadian king was paying solemn honor
Forte die sollemnem illo rex Arcas honorem
to the great son of Amphitryon and to the gods
Amphitryoniadae magno divisque ferebat
before the city in a grove. With him his son Pallas,
ante urbem in luco. Pallas huic filius una,
with him all the foremost of the young men and the humble senate,
una omnes iuvenum primi pauperque senatus
were offering incense, and warm blood smoked at the altars.
tura dabant, tepidusque cruor fumabat ad aras.
When they saw the tall ships, and gliding in among
Ut celsas videre rates atque inter opacum
the shadowy grove, and the men leaning on silent oars,
adlabi nemus et tacitis incumbere remis,
they are frightened at the sudden sight, and all, leaving
terrentur visu subito cunctique relictis
the tables, rise up. But bold Pallas forbids them
consurgunt mensis. Audax quos rumpere Pallas
to break off the rites, and snatching a spear flies to meet them himself,
sacra vetat raptoque volat telo obvius ipse
and from a mound afar: "Young men, what cause has driven you
et procul e tumulo: Iuvenes, quae causa subegit
to try these unknown ways? Where are you bound?" he says.
ignotas temptare vias, quo tenditis? inquit.
"What is your race? From what home? Do you bring peace here or war?"
Qui genus? Unde domo? Pacemne huc fertis an arma?
Then Father Aeneas speaks thus from the high stern
Tum pater Aeneas puppi sic fatur ab alta
and holds out in his hand a branch of peace-bearing olive:
paciferaeque manu ramum praetendit olivae:
"Trojan-born you see, and weapons hostile to the Latins,
Troiugenas ac tela vides inimica Latinis,
who drove us out, exiles, with arrogant war.
quos illi bello profugos egere superbo.
We seek Evander. Carry this word, and say that chosen
Euandrum petimus. Ferte haec et dicite lectos
leaders of Dardania have come, asking for allied arms."
Dardaniae venisse duces socia arma rogantis.
Pallas stood amazed, struck by so great a name:
Obstipuit tanto percussus nomine Pallas:
"Come ashore, whoever you are," he says, "and address my father
Egredere o quicumque es ait coramque parentem
face to face, and enter our home as a guest."
adloquere ac nostris succede penatibus hospes.
And he took his hand, and, clasping his right hand, clung to it.
excepitque manu dextramque amplexus inhaesit.
Going forward they enter the grove and leave the river behind.
Progressi subeunt luco fluviumque relinquunt.
Then Aeneas addresses the king with friendly words:
Tum regem Aeneas dictis adfatur amicis:
"Best of the Greek-born, to whom Fortune has willed that I
Optume Graiugenum, cui me Fortuna precari
should make my prayer and hold out boughs dressed with fillets,
et vitta comptos voluit praetendere ramos,
I felt no fear at all, though you were a Danaan captain, an Arcadian,
non equidem extimui, Danaum quod ductor et Arcas
and joined by stock to the twin sons of Atreus;
quodque a stirpe fores geminis coniunctus Atridis;
but my own worth, and the holy oracles of the gods,
sed mea me virtus et sancta oracula divom
our kindred forefathers, your fame spread through the world,
cognatique patres, tua terris didita fama,
have joined me to you, and by the fates have led me willing.
coniunxere tibi et fatis egere volentem.
Dardanus, first father and founder of the city of Ilium,
Dardanus, Iliacae primus pater urbis et auctor,
sprung, as the Greeks tell, from Electra daughter of Atlas,
Electra, ut Grai perhibent, Atlantide cretus,
came to the Teucrians; mightiest Atlas begot
advehitur Teucros; Electram maxumus Atlas
Electra, he who bears the heavenly spheres on his shoulder.
edidit, aetherios umero qui sustinet orbes
but Maia, if we believe at all what we have heard, Atlas—
at Maiam, auditis si quicquam credimus, Atlas,
the same Atlas begets, who lifts the stars of heaven.
idem Atlas generat, caeli qui sidera tollit.
So the line of us both splits off from a single blood.
Sic genus amborum scindit se sanguine ab uno.
Trusting in this, I sent no envoys, made no first
His fretus non legatos neque prima per artem
trials of you through craft: myself, my very self and my own
temptamenta tui pepigi: me, me ipse meumque
life I have offered, and come a suppliant to your doors.
obieci caput et supplex ad limina veni.
The same people that hunts you, the Daunian, with cruel war
Gens eadem, quae te, crudeli Daunia bello
pursues us; if they drive us out, they believe nothing will keep them
insequitur; nos si pellant, nihil afore credunt,
from putting all Hesperia wholly beneath their yoke,
quin omnem Hesperiam penitus sua sub iuga mittant
and holding the sea above and the sea that laps below.
et mare quod supra teneant quodque adluit infra.
Receive and give a pledge: we have hearts brave
Accipe daque fidem: sunt nobis fortia bello
in war, we have spirit, and youth proven in deeds."
pectora, sunt animi et rebus spectata iuventus.
Aeneas had spoken. The other, all the while, had been scanning
Dixerat Aeneas. Ille os oculosque loquentis
the face and eyes of the speaker, and his whole frame, with his gaze.
iamdudum et totum lustrabat lumine corpus.
Then thus he answers, briefly: "How gladly, bravest of the Teucrians,
Tum sic pauca refert: Ut te, fortissime Teucrum,
do I receive and acknowledge you! How I recall the words
accipio agnoscoque libens! Ut verba parentis
and the voice and the face of great Anchises, your father!
et vocem Anchisae magni voltumque recordor!
For I remember Priam, son of Laomedon, when, visiting the realms
Nam memini Hesionae visentem regna sororis
Then early youth was clothing my cheeks with its bloom,
Tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore iuventas,
and I marveled at the Teucrian chiefs, marveled too at the son
mirabarque duces Teucros, mirabar et ipsum
of Laomedon himself; but taller than them all walked
Laomedontiaden, sed cunctis altior ibat
Anchises: my mind burned with a youthful longing
Anchises: mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore
to address the hero and join my right hand to his.
compellare virum et dextrae coniungere dextram.
I went up, and eager led him beneath the walls of Pheneus.
Accessi et cupidus Phenei sub moenia duxi.
At parting he gave me a splendid quiver and Lycian arrows,
Ille mihi insignem pharetram Lyciasque sagittas
a cloak woven through with gold,
discedens chlamydemque auro dedit intertextam
and a pair of golden bridles which my Pallas now has.
frenaque bina meus quae nunc habet aurea Pallas.
Therefore the right hand you ask is already joined to me in treaty,
Ergo et quam petitis iuncta est mihi foedere dextra,
and when tomorrow’s light first gives itself back to the lands,
et lux cum primum terris se crastina reddet,
I will send you off glad with aid, and help you with my means.
auxilio laetos dimittam opibusque iuvabo.
Meanwhile these rites, since you have come here as friends,
Interea sacra haec, quando huc venistis amici,
the yearly rites, which it is wrong to put off, keep with us
annua, quae differre nefas, celebrate faventes
in good will, and even now grow used to your allies’ tables."
nobiscum et iam nunc sociorum adsuescite mensis.
When this was said, he bids the feast and the cups, once cleared,
Haec ubi dicta, dapes iubet et sublata reponi
be set back again, and himself seats the men on a grassy bench,
pocula gramineoque viros locat ipse sedili
and, on a couch and the shaggy hide of a lion, as the seat of honor,
praecipuumque toro et villosi pelle leonis
receives Aeneas and bids him to a throne of maple.
accipit Aenean solioque invitat acerno.
Then chosen youths and the altar’s priest vie to bring
Tum lecti iuvenes certatim araeque sacerdos
the roasted flesh of bulls, and pile in baskets
viscera tosta ferunt taurorum onerantque canistris
the gifts of toiled-for Ceres, and serve out Bacchus.
dona laboratae Cereris Bacchumque ministrant.
Aeneas feeds, and with him the Trojan youth,
Vescitur Aeneas simul et Troiana iuventus
on the long chine of an ox and the entrails of purification.
perpetui tergo bovis et lustralibus extis.
After hunger was banished and the desire of eating quelled,
Postquam exempta fames et amor compressus edendi,
King Evander says: "These solemn rites of ours,
rex Euandrus ait: Non haec sollemnia nobis,
this customary feast, this altar of so great a power,
has ex more dapes, hanc tanti numinis aram
no empty superstition, ignorant of the old gods,
vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum
has laid upon us: saved, Trojan guest, from savage perils,
inposuit: saevis, hospes Troiane, periclis
we keep them, and renew the honors he has earned.
servati facimus meritosque novamus honores.
First of all, look at this crag, hung with rocks,
Iam primum saxis suspensam hanc aspice rupem,
how the masses lie scattered afar, and the mountain dwelling
disiectae procul ut moles desertaque montis
stands deserted, and the cliffs have dragged down a huge ruin.
stat domus et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam.
Here was a cave, withdrawn in a vast recess,
Hic spelunca fuit, vasto summota recessu,
never reached by the sun’s rays; and always the ground
solis inaccessam radiis; semperque recenti
was warm with fresh slaughter, and, fixed to the proud doors,
caede tepebat humus, foribusque adfixa superbis
the faces of men hung pale with grim gore.
ora virum tristi pendebant pallida tabo.
This monster’s father was Vulcan: belching from his mouth
Huic monstro Volcanus erat pater: illius atros
those black fires, he bore himself along in his great bulk.
ore vomens ignis magna se mole ferebat.
Time at last brought to us too, who longed for it,
Attulit et nobis aliquando optantibus aetas
aid and the coming of a god. For the mightiest avenger,
auxilium adventumque dei. Nam maximus ultor,
proud in the slaying of triple Geryon and in his spoils,
tergemini nece Geryonae spoliisque superbus
Alcides was at hand, and drove his bulls this way in triumph,
Alcides aderat taurosque hac victor agebat
great ones, and the cattle filled the valley and the river.
ingentis, vallemque boves amnemque tenebant.
But the savage mind of Cacus, mad with frenzy, lest any crime
At furiis Caci mens effera, nequid inausum
or guile be left undared or untried,
aut intractatum scelerisve dolive fuisset,
drove off from their stalls four bulls of outstanding body,
quattuor a stabulis praestanti corpore tauros
and as many heifers of surpassing form;
avertit, totidem forma superante iuvencas;
and these, lest there be any footprints pointing straight,
atque hos, nequa forent pedibus vestigia rectis,
he dragged by the tail into his cave, the tracks of their path
cauda in speluncam tractos versisque viarum
reversed, and hid them, stolen away, in the murky rock:
indiciis raptos saxo occultabat opaco:
no signs led the searcher toward the cave.
quaerenti nulla ad speluncam signa ferebant.
Meanwhile, when now the son of Amphitryon was moving
Interea, cum iam stabulis saturata moveret
his sated herds from the stalls and making ready to depart,
Amphytrioniades armenta abitumque pararet,
at his leaving the oxen began to low, and to fill all the grove
discessu mugire boves atque omne querelis
with their complaints, and the hills were left with their clamor.
impleri nemus et colles clamore relinqui.
One of the cows gave back the call, and within the vast cave
reddidit una boum vocem vastoque sub antro
lowed, and, though guarded, foiled the hope of Cacus.
mugiit et Caci spem custodita fefellit.
At this indeed the grief of Alcides blazed up in frenzy
Hic vero Alcidae furiis exarserat atro
with black gall: he snatches his weapons in his hand, and the club
felle dolor: rapit arma manu nodisque gravatum
heavy with knots of oak, and at a run seeks the steeps of the airy mountain.
robur et aerii cursu petit ardua montis.
Then for the first time our people saw Cacus afraid
Tum primum nostri Cacum videre timentem
and troubled in his eyes: at once he flees, swifter than the East Wind,
turbatumque oculis: fugit ilicet ocior Euro
and makes for his cave; fear added wings to his feet.
speluncamque petit, pedibus timor addidit alas.
When he had shut himself in, and, the chains being broken, dropped down
Ut sese inclusit ruptisque immane catenis
the huge rock which by iron and his father’s craft
deiecit saxum, ferro quod et arte paterna
hung there, and barred and fortified the propped doorposts,
pendebat, fultosque emuniit obice postis,
behold, raging in spirit, the Tirynthian was there, and, scanning
ecce furens animis aderat Tirynthius omnemque
every approach, he turned his face this way and that,
accessum lustrans huc ora ferebat et illuc,
gnashing his teeth. Three times, hot with anger, he circles
dentibus infrendens. Ter totum fervidus ira
the whole Aventine hill, three times he tries the stony
lustrat Aventini montem, ter saxea temptat
threshold in vain, three times, weary, he sank down in the valley.
limina nequiquam, ter fessus valle resedit.
A sharp flint stood, with rocks sheer on every side,
Stabat acuta silex, praecisis undique saxis
rising up at the cave’s back, towering to the sight,
speluncae dorso insurgens, altissima visu,
a fit home for the nests of dread birds.
dirarum nidis domus opportuna volucrum.
This, as it leaned forward from the ridge toward the river on the left,
Hanc, ut prona iugo laevum incumbebat in amnem,
pressing from the right against it, he shook, and tore it loose
dexter in adversum nitens concussit et imis
from its lowest roots; then suddenly
avolsam solvit radicibus; inde repente
he thrust it, and at that thrust the vast sky thunders,
inpulit, inpulsu quo maximus intonat aether
the banks leap apart, and the river flows back in terror.
dissultant ripae refluitque exterritus amnis.
But the cavern and the huge palace of Cacus appeared, uncovered,
At specus et Caci detecta apparuit ingens
and the shadowy depths of the caverns lay open:
regia, et umbrosae penitus patuere cavernae:
no otherwise than if, by some force, the earth gaping deep
non secus ac siqua penitus vi terra dehiscens
should unbar the infernal seats and lay open the pallid
infernas reseret sedes et regna recludat
realms hated by the gods, and from above the monstrous abyss
pallida, dis invisa, superque immane barathrum
be seen, and the shades tremble at the light let in.
cernatur, trepident inmisso lumine manes.
So, caught suddenly in the unlooked-for light
Ergo insperata deprensum luce repente
and shut in the hollow rock and bellowing as never before,
inclusumque cavo saxo atque insueta rudentem
Alcides presses him from above with weapons, and calls all his arms
desuper Alcides telis premit omniaque arma
to aid, and bears down with boughs and huge millstones.
advocat et ramis vastisque molaribus instat.
But he—for now no escape from peril was left—
Ille autem, neque enim fuga iam super ulla pericli,
belches from his jaws a vast smoke (a marvel to tell)
faucibus ingentem fumum (mirabile dictu)
and wraps the dwelling in blinding murk,
evomit involvitque domum caligine caeca,
snatching sight from the eyes, and rolls up beneath the cave
prospectum eripiens oculis, glomeratque sub antro
a smoke-bearing night, its darkness mingled with fire.
fumiferam noctem commixtis igne tenebris.
Alcides bore it not in his spirit, and hurled himself
Non tulit Alcides animis seque ipse per ignem
headlong through the fire, where the smoke drives its billow
praecipiti iecit saltu, qua plurimus undam
thickest and the cave seethes vast with black cloud.
fumus agit nebulaque ingens specus aestuat atra.
Here, as Cacus vomited his vain fires in the dark,
Hic Cacum in tenebris incendia vana vomentem
he seizes him, knotting his grip, and clinging chokes him
corripit in nodum complexus et angit inhaerens
till the eyes are squeezed out and the throat drained dry of blood.
elisos oculos et siccum sanguine guttur.
At once the black house is thrown open, its doors wrenched off,
Panditur extemplo foribus domus atra revolsis,
and the stolen cattle and the forsworn plunder
abstractaeque boves abiurataeque rapinae
are shown to the sky, and by the feet the shapeless carcass
caelo ostenduntur, pedibusque informe cadaver
is dragged forth. They cannot fill their hearts with gazing
protrahitur. Nequeunt expleri corda tuendo
on the terrible eyes, the face, and the chest of the half-beast
terribilis oculos, voltum villosaque saetis
shaggy with bristles, and the fires quenched in his throat.
pectora semiferi atque extinctos faucibus ignis.
From that time the honor has been kept, and glad posterity
Ex illo celebratus honos, laetique minores
and the Pinarian house, the guardians of the rite of Hercules.
et domus Herculei custos Pinaria sacri.
This altar he set up in the grove, which we shall always
Hanc aram luco statuit, quae maxuma semper
call the Greatest, and the Greatest it shall always be.
dicetur nobis et erit quae maxuma semper.
So come, young men, in honor of such great glories
Quare agite, o iuvenes, tantarum in munere laudum
wreathe your hair with leaves, hold out the cups in your right hands,
cingite fronde comas et pocula porgite dextris
call on the god we share, and pour the wine with a willing heart."
communemque vocate deum et date vina volentes.
He had spoken, when the two-colored poplar, the tree of Hercules,
Dixerat, Herculea bicolor cum populus umbra
veiled his hair with its shade and hung woven in its leaves,
velavitque comas foliisque innexa pependit
and the sacred goblet filled his right hand. Swiftly all,
et sacer implevit dextram scyphus. Ocius omnes
glad, pour libation on the table and pray to the gods.
in mensam laeti libant divosque precantur.
Meanwhile, as Olympus sinks, the Evening Star draws nearer,
Devexo interea propior fit Vesper Olympo,
and now the priests, and Potitius at their head, were going,
iamque sacerdotes primusque Potitius ibant,
girt in skins after the custom, and bearing torches.
pellibus in morem cincti, flammasque ferebant.
They renew the banquet, and bring the welcome gifts
Instaurant epulas et mensae grata secundae
of a second course, and heap the altars with laden platters.
dona ferunt cumulantque oneratis lancibus aras.
Then the Salii, for the singing, gather round the kindled altars,
tum Salii ad cantus incensa altaria circum
their brows bound with poplar boughs,
populeis adsunt evincti tempora ramis,
here a chorus of young men, there of old; and they in song
hic iuvenum chorus, ille senum; qui carmine laudes
tell the praises and deeds of Hercules: how first he gripped
Herculeas et facta ferunt: ut prima novercae
and crushed in his hand the twin serpents, his stepmother’s monsters,
monstra manu geminosque premens eliserit angues,
how the same man shattered in war cities of renown,
ut bello egregias idem disiecerit urbes,
Troy and Oechalia, how a thousand hard labors
Troiamque Oechaliamque, ut duros mille labores
under King Eurystheus, by the will of unjust Juno,
rege sub Eurystheo fatis Iunonis iniquae
he endured. "You, unconquered, slay the cloud-born,
pertulerit. Tu nubigenas, invicte, bimembris
the two-formed, Hylaeus and Pholus, with your hand; you the Cretan
Hylaeeumque Pholumque, manu, tu Cresia mactas
The Stygian pools trembled at you, at you the doorkeeper of Orcus,
Te Stygii tremuere lacus, te ianitor Orci
lying over his half-gnawed bones in his bloody den;
ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento;
no shapes daunted you, not Typhoeus himself,
nec te ullae facies, non terruit ipse Typhoeus,
towering, weapons in hand; nor, when you lacked your wits,
arduus arma tenens; non te rationis egentem
did the Lernaean serpent ring you round with its swarm of heads.
Lernaeus turba capitum circumstetit anguis.
Hail, true offspring of Jove, glory added to the gods,
Salve, vera Iovis proles, decus addite divis,
come to us and to your rites with favoring step, propitious."
et nos et tua dexter adi pede sacra secundo.
Such things they celebrate in song; above all they add
Talia carminibus celebrant; super omnia Caci
the cave of Cacus, and the monster himself breathing fire.
speluncam adiciunt spirantemque ignibus ipsum.
All the grove rings with the din, and the hills give back the sound.
Consonat omne nemus strepitu collesque resultant.
Then, the sacred rites complete, they all betake themselves
Exim se cuncti divinis rebus ad urbem
back to the city. The king went, weighed down with age,
perfectis referunt. Ibat rex obsitus aevo
and kept Aeneas at his side as companion, and his son,
et comitem Aenean iuxta natumque tenebat
as he walked, and lightened the way with varied talk.
ingrediens varioque viam sermone levabat.
Aeneas marvels, and turns his ready eyes all around,
miratur facilisque oculos fert omnia circum
and is charmed by the places, and gladly inquires after
Aeneas capiturque locis et singula laetus
and hears, one by one, the memorials of the men of old.
exquiritque auditque virum monimenta priorum.
Then King Evander, founder of the Roman citadel:
Tum rex Euandrus, Romanae conditor arcis:
and a race of men born from trunks and hard oak,
gensque virum truncis et duro robore nata,
who had neither custom nor culture, and knew not to yoke bulls,
quis neque mos neque cultus erat, nec iungere tauros
or lay up wealth, or spare what they had won,
aut componere opes norant aut parcere parto,
but boughs and rough hunting fed them.
sed rami atque asper victu venatus alebat.
First came Saturn from heavenly Olympus,
Primus ab aetherio venit Saturnus Olympo,
fleeing the arms of Jove, an exile, his kingdom taken.
arma Iovis fugiens et regnis exsul ademptis.
He gathered the untaught race, scattered on the high mountains,
Is genus indocile ac dispersum montibus altis
and gave them laws, and chose that it be called Latium,
composuit legesque dedit Latiumque vocari
since he had lain hidden, safe upon these shores.
maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutis in oris.
The golden ages, as they tell, were under that king’s reign.
Aurea quae perhibent illo sub rege fuere
So in calm peace he ruled the peoples,
saecula. Sic placida populos in pace regebat,
until, little by little, a baser and discolored age
deterior donec paulatim ac decolor aetas
came on, and the madness of war, and the lust of having.
et belli rabies et amor successit habendi.
Then came the Ausonian band and the Sicanian tribes,
Tum manus Ausonia et gentes venere Sicanae,
and more than once the land of Saturn laid aside its name;
saepius et nomen posuit Saturnia tellus;
then came kings, and rough Thybris of monstrous body,
tum reges asperque immani corpore Thybris,
by his name; the old stream lost its true name, Albula;
diximus, amisit verum vetus Albula nomen;
me, driven from my homeland and seeking the farthest seas,
me pulsum patria pelagique extrema sequentem
almighty Fortune and inescapable fate
Fortuna omnipotens et ineluctabile fatum
set in these places, and the awful warnings of my mother,
his posuere locis matrisque egere tremenda
the nymph Carmentis, drove me on, and the god Apollo, my guide."
Carmentis nymphae monita et deus auctor Apollo.
Scarcely had he said this: then, going on, he shows both an altar
Vix ea dicta: dehinc progressus monstrat et aram
and the gate the Romans call by the name Carmental,
et Carmentalem Romani nomine portam
an ancient honor of the nymph Carmentis,
quam memorant, nymphae priscum Carmentis honorem,
the prophetess, who first foretold the coming
vatis fatidicae, cecinit quae prima futuros
greatness of the sons of Aeneas, and noble Pallanteum.
Aeneadas magnos et nobile Pallanteum.
From here he shows the great grove which fierce Romulus made
Hinc lucum ingentem quem Romulus acer Asylum
the Asylum, and, beneath the cold cliff, the Lupercal,
rettulit et gelida monstrat sub rupe Lupercal,
and calls the place to witness, and tells the death of his guest Argus.
testaturque locum et letum docet hospitis Argi.
From here he leads to the Tarpeian seat and the Capitol,
golden now, once bristling with woodland thickets.
aurea nunc, olim silvestribus horrida dumis.
Even then the dread holiness of the place frightened the trembling
Iam tum religio pavidos terrebat agrestis
countryfolk; even then they feared the wood and the rock.
dira loci, iam tum silvam saxumque tremebant.
"This grove," he says, "this hill with its leafy crest,
Hoc nemus, hunc, inquit, frondoso vertice collem
a god inhabits (which god is unknown): the Arcadians believe
(quis deus incertum est) habitat deus: Arcades ipsum
they have seen Jove himself, when often with his right hand
credunt se vidisse Iovem, cum saepe nigrantem
he shook the blackening aegis and roused the storm-clouds.
aegida concuteret dextra nimbosque cieret.
These two towns besides, with their walls thrown down,
Haec duo praeterea disiectis oppida muris,
you see—relics and memorials of the men of old.
reliquias veterumque vides monimenta virorum.
This citadel Father Janus, that one Saturn, founded:
Hanc Ianus pater, hanc Saturnus condidit arcem:
With such talk between them they came up to the dwelling
Talibus inter se dictis ad tecta subibant
of poor Evander, and saw the cattle here and there
pauperis Euandri passimque armenta videbant
lowing in the Roman Forum and the splendid Carinae.
Romanoque foro et lautis mugire Carinis.
When they had come to the house: "These thresholds," he says, "victorious
Ut ventum ad sedes: Haec, inquit, limina victor
Alcides crossed; this palace welcomed him.
Alcides subiit, haec illum regia cepit.
Dare, my guest, to scorn wealth, and shape yourself, too,
Aude, hospes, contemnere opes et te quoque dignum
worthy of the god, and come not harsh to our scant means."
finge deo rebusque veni non asper egenis.
He spoke, and beneath the gable of his narrow house
dixit et angusti subter fastigia tecti
led great Aeneas, and laid him on a couch
ingentem Aenean duxit stratisque locavit
propped with leaves and the hide of a Libyan bear.
effultum foliis et pelle Libystidis ursae.
Night rushes down and folds the earth in her dusky wings.
Nox ruit et fuscis tellurem amplectitur alis.
But Venus, the mother, not idly frightened in her heart
At Venus haud animo nequiquam exterrita mater
by the threats of the Laurentines and moved by the harsh uproar,
Laurentumque minis et duro mota tumultu
addresses Vulcan, and in the golden bridal chamber
Volcanum adloquitur thalamoque haec coniugis aureo
thus begins, and breathes divine love into her words:
incipit et dictis divinum adspirat amorem:
"While in war the Argive kings laid waste Pergama,
Dum bello Argolici vastabant Pergama reges
doomed, and the towers fated to fall to hostile fires,
debita casurasque inimicis ignibus arces,
I asked no aid for the wretched, no weapons
non ullum auxilium miseris, non arma rogavi
of your art and power, nor did I wish, dearest husband,
artis opisque tuae nec te, carissime coniunx,
to task your labors in vain,
incassumve tuos volui exercere labores,
though I owed very much to the sons of Priam
quamvis et Priami deberem plurima natis
and had often wept for the hard toil of Aeneas.
et durum Aeneae flevissem saepe laborem.
Now, by Jove’s commands, he has set foot on the Rutulians’ shores:
Nunc Iovis imperiis Rutulorum constitit oris:
so I, the same, come as a suppliant, and ask arms—
ergo eadem supplex venio et sanctum mihi numen
a mother for her son—of your power that is holy to me. The daughter of Nereus
arma rogo genetrix nato. Te filia Nerei,
could bend you with her tears, and the wife of Tithonus.
te potuit lacrimis Tithonia flectere coniunx.
Look what peoples gather, what cities sharpen
Aspice qui coeant populi, quae moenia clausis
the sword behind closed gates against me and the ruin of my own."
ferrum acuant portis in me exscidiumque meorum.
She had spoken, and with her snow-white arms, on this side and on that,
Dixerat et niveis hinc atque hinc diva lacertis
the goddess caresses him as he wavers, in a soft embrace. He at once
cunctantem amplexu molli fovet. Ille repente
took the wonted flame, and the familiar warmth pierced his marrow
accepit solitam flammam, notusque medullas
and ran through his loosened bones:
intravit calor et labefacta per ossa cucurrit:
no otherwise than when at times, the cloud burst with flashing thunder,
non secus atque olim tonitru cum rupta corusco
a fiery rift, glittering, runs through the storm-clouds with its light.
ignea rima micans percurrit lumine nimbos.
His wife felt it, glad in her wiles and conscious of her beauty.
Sensit laeta dolis et formae conscia coniunx.
Then the father speaks, bound fast by undying love:
Tum pater aeterno fatur devinctus amore:
"Why seek reasons from afar? Where, goddess, has gone
Quid causas petis ex alto? Fiducia cessit
your trust in me? Had a like care been yours then,
quo tibi, diva, mei? Similis si cura fuisset,
even then it would have been right for me to arm the Teucrians:
tum quoque fas nobis Teucros armare fuisset:
nor did the almighty Father, nor the fates, forbid
nec pater omnipotens Troiam nec fata vetabant
that Troy should stand and Priam live ten years more.
stare decemque alios Priamum superesse per annos.
And now, if you make ready for war and this is your purpose,
Et nunc, si bellare paras atque haec tibi mens est,
whatever care I can promise in my craft,
quidquid in arte mea possum promittere curae,
whatever can be wrought of iron or of molten electrum,
quod fieri ferro liquidove potest electro,
all that fire and blast can do—cease to doubt
quantum ignes animaeque valent, absiste precando
your own power by pleading." Having spoken these words,
viribus indubitare tuis. Ea verba locutus
he gave the embraces she longed for, and, sinking on his wife’s bosom,
optatos dedit amplexus placidumque petivit
sought peaceful sleep through his limbs.
coniugis infusus gremio per membra soporem.
Then, when first rest, the night now driven halfway
Inde ubi prima quies medio iam noctis abactae
on its course, had banished sleep—at the hour when a woman first,
curriculo expulerat somnum, cum femina primum,
one whose lot is to eke out life with the distaff and slender spinning,
cui tolerare colo vitam tenuique Minerva
stirs the ashes and the slumbering fires,
impositum, cinerem et sopitos suscitat ignes,
adding night to her work, and drives her maids by lamplight
noctem addens operi, famulasque ad lumina longo
through a long task, that she may keep her husband’s bed chaste
exercet penso, castum ut servare cubile
and be able to rear her little children:
coniugis et possit parvos educere natos:
just so the Lord of Fire, no slacker at that hour,
haud secus Ignipotens nec tempore segnior illo
rises from his soft couch to the work of the forge.
mollibus e stratis opera ad fabrilia surgit.
An island rises near the Sicanian flank and Aeolian
Insula Sicanium iuxta latus Aeoliamque
beneath which a cavern, and the Aetnaean grottoes of the Cyclopes,
quam subter specus et Cyclopum exesa caminis
eaten out by their furnaces, thunder, and the mighty blows on the anvils
antra Aetnaea tonant validique incudibus ictus
give back their groans, heard far, and there hiss in the caverns
auditi referunt gemitus striduntque cavernis
the bars of Chalybian steel, and the fire pants in the furnaces:
stricturae Chalybum et fornacibus ignis anhelat,
the house of Vulcan, and the land called Vulcania by name.
Volcani domus et Volcania nomine tellus.
Hither then the Lord of Fire came down from high heaven.
Hoc tunc ignipotens caelo descendit ab alto.
The Cyclopes were working iron in the vast cave,
Ferrum exercebant vasto Cyclopes in antro,
In their hands was a thunderbolt, shaped, in part already polished,
His informatum manibus iam parte polita
such as the Father hurls down in great number from all the sky
fulmen erat, toto genitor quae plurima caelo
to the earth; part remained unfinished.
deicit in terras, pars inperfecta manebat.
Three shafts of twisted hail they had added, three of watery cloud,
Tris imbris torti radios, tris nubis aquosae
three of ruddy fire, and three of the winged south wind:
addiderant, rutili tris ignis et alitis austri:
now they were blending into the work the dreadful flashings,
fulgores nunc horrificos sonitumque metumque
the noise and the terror, and the wrath of the pursuing flames.
miscebant operi flammisque sequacibus iras.
In another part they pressed on, for Mars, his chariot and flying wheels,
Parte alia Marti currumque rotasque volucris
with which he rouses men, with which he rouses cities;
instabant, quibus ille viros, quibus excitat urbes;
and the dread aegis, the armor of stormy Pallas,
aegidaque horriferam, turbatae Palladis arma,
they burnished eagerly with serpents’ scales and with gold,
certatim squamis serpentum auroque polibant
the intertwined snakes, and, on the goddess’s breast, the Gorgon
conexosque anguis ipsamque in pectore divae
herself, turning her eyes, her neck cut through.
Gorgona, desecto vertentem lumina collo.
"Take all away," he says, "and carry off the labors you have begun,
Tollite cuncta, inquit, coeptosque auferte labores,
Cyclopes of Aetna, and turn your mind to this:
Aetnaei Cyclopes, et huc advertite mentem:
arms must be made for a keen warrior. Now is the need of strength,
arma acri facienda viro. Nunc viribus usus,
now of swift hands, now of all your mastering skill.
nunc manibus rapidis, omni nunc arte magistra.
Cast off delays!" No more he said; and they
Praecipitate moras. Nec plura effatus; at illi
all bent swiftly to it, and shared the toil
ocius incubuere omnes pariterque laborem
in equal lots. Bronze flows in streams, and the ore of gold,
sortiti. Fluit aes rivis aurique metallum,
and wound-dealing steel melts in the vast furnace.
volnificusque chalybs vasta fornace liquescit.
They shape a huge shield, one against all the weapons
Ingentum clipeum informant, unum omnia contra
of the Latins, and weld circle upon circle, sevenfold,
tela Latinorum, septenosque orbibus orbes
in its rounds. Some with windy bellows
impediunt. Alii ventosis follibus auras
take in the blasts and give them back, others dip the hissing
accipiunt redduntque, alii stridentia tingunt
bronze in the trough. The cave groans under the laid-on anvils.
aera lacu. Gemit impositis incudibus antrum.
They, among themselves, with great force lift their arms
Illi inter sese multa vi bracchia tollunt
in time, and turn the mass with gripping tongs.
in numerum versantque tenaci forcipe massam.
While the Lemnian father hastens this on the Aeolian shores,
Haec pater Aeoliis properat dum Lemnius oris,
the kindly light rouses Evander from his lowly roof,
Euandrum ex humili tecto lux suscitat alma
and the morning songs of birds beneath his eaves.
et matutini volucrum sub culmine cantus.
The old man rises and draws a tunic over his limbs,
Consurgit senior tunicaque inducitur artus
and binds Tyrrhenian sandals about the soles of his feet;
et Tyrrhena pedum circumdat vincula plantis;
then to his side and shoulders he girds his Tegean sword,
tum lateri atque umeris Tegeaeum subligat ensem,
slinging back a panther’s hide that hangs from his left.
demissa ab laeva pantherae terga retorquens.
And besides, two guardian dogs from the high threshold
Nec non et gemini custodes limine ab alto
go before, and attend their master’s step.
praecedunt gressumque canes comitantur erilem.
The hero was making for the lodging and the privacy of his guest Aeneas,
Hospitis Aeneae sedem et secreta petebat
mindful of their talk and of the gift he had promised.
sermonum memor et promissi muneris heros.
No less did Aeneas bestir himself with the morning.
Nec minus Aeneas se matutinus agebat.
With the one went his son Pallas, with the other Achates as companion.
Filius huic Pallas, illi comes ibat Achates.
Meeting, they join right hands, and sit down in the middle
Congressi iungunt dextras mediisque residunt
of the house, and enjoy at last untrammeled talk.
aedibus et licito tandem sermone fruuntur.
The king first speaks thus:
Rex prior haec:
"Greatest leader of the Teucrians—while you are safe I will never
Maxume Teucrorum ductor, quo sospite numquam
own that the cause of Troy or her kingdom is conquered—
res equidem Troiae victas aut regna fatebor,
for us, as help in war, against so great a name
nobis ad belli auxilium pro nomine tanto
our strength is small: on this side we are shut in by the Tuscan river,
exiguae vires: hinc Tusco claudimur amni,
on that the Rutulian presses, and rings our wall with arms.
hinc Rutulus premit et murum circumsonat armis.
But I am preparing to join to you mighty peoples
Sed tibi ego ingentis populos opulentaque regnis
and camps rich with kingdoms—a deliverance that unlooked-for chance
iungere castra paro, quam fors inopina salutem
shows forth: you come here at the demand of the fates.
ostentat: fatis huc te poscentibus adfers.
Not far from here, founded on ancient rock, lies the dwelt-in
Haud procul hinc saxo incolitur fundata vetusto
seat of the city of Agylla, where once the Lydian
urbis Agyllinae sedes, ubi Lydia quondam
race, renowned in war, settled on the Etruscan heights.
gens, bello praeclara, iugis insedit Etruscis.
This, flourishing many years, a king then with arrogant
Hanc multos florentem annos rex deinde superbo
rule and savage arms held—Mezentius.
imperio et saevis tenuit Mezentius armis.
Why should I tell the unspeakable slaughters, the savage deeds
Quid memorem infandas caedes, quid facta tyranni
of the tyrant? May the gods keep them for his own head and his race!
effera? Di capiti ipsius generique reservent!
Nay, he would even bind dead bodies to the living,
Mortua quin etiam iungebat corpora vivis
fitting hand to hand and face to face,
componens manibusque manus atque oribus ora,
a kind of torture, and so, with the streaming filth and gore,
tormenti genus, et sanie taboque fluentis
in that wretched embrace, killed them by a lingering death.
complexu in misero longa sic morte necabat.
But at last the citizens, worn out, took arms against him
at fessi tandem cives infanda furentem
in his unspeakable madness, ringed him and his house round,
armati circumsistunt ipsumque domumque,
cut down his henchmen, hurled fire to the rooftops.
obtruncant socios, ignem ad fastigia iactant.
He, escaping amid the slaughter, fled into the fields
Ille inter caedem Rutulorum elapsus in agros
of the Rutulians, and took refuge in the arms of his host Turnus.
confugere et Turni defendier hospitis armis.
they demand back their king for punishment, with war at hand.
regem ad supplicium praesenti Marte reposcunt.
To these thousands, Aeneas, I will give you as leader.
his ego te, Aenea, ductorem milibus addam.
For all along the shore the ships crowd and roar,
Toto namque fremunt condensae litore puppes
and bid the advance; an aged soothsayer holds them back,
Signaque ferre iubent; retinet longaevus haruspex
flower and valor of the men of old, whom a just grief
flos veterum virtusque virum, quos iustus in hostem
carries against the foe, and Mezentius fires with deserved wrath,
fert dolor et merita accendit Mezentius ira,
to no Italian is it right to subject so great a nation:
nulli fas Italo tantam subiungere gentem:
choose foreign leaders.’ Then the Etruscan battle-line settled
externos optate duces; tum Etrusca resedit
on this plain, dismayed by the warnings of the gods.
hoc acies campo, monitis exterrita divom.
Tarchon himself has sent envoys to me, and the crown of the kingdom
Ipse oratores ad me regnique coronam
with the scepter, and entrusts me with the royal emblems,
cum sceptro misit mandatque insignia Tarchon,
that I should enter the camp and take up the Tyrrhenian realm.
succedam castris Tyrrhenaque regna capessam.
But old age, slow with cold and worn out by the years,
Sed mihi tarda gelu saeclisque effeta senectus
grudges me the command, and my strength comes too late for brave deeds.
invidet imperium seraeque ad fortia vires.
I would urge on my son, but that, mingled in blood through a Sabine mother,
natum exhortarer, ni mixtus matre Sabella
he draws part of his fatherland from here. You, to whom both in years
hinc partem patriae traheret. Tu, cuius et annis
and in race the fates are kind, whom the powers demand,
et generi fatum indulgent, quem numina poscunt,
go forward, O bravest leader of Teucrians and of Italians.
ingredere, o Teucrum atque Italum fortissime ductor.
This one besides, the hope and solace of my house,
hunc tibi praeterea, spes et solacia nostri,
Pallas, I will join to you; under you as master let him learn
Pallanta adiungam; sub te tolerare magistro
to bear soldiering and the heavy work of war, to look on your deeds,
militiam et grave Martis opus, tua cernere facta
and to admire you from his earliest years.
adsuescat primis et te miretur ab annis.
To him I will give two hundred Arcadian horsemen, the chosen
Arcadas huic equites bis centum, robora pubis
might of our youth, and as many Pallas, in his own name, to you."
lecta dabo totidemque suo tibi nomine Pallas.
Scarcely had he spoken, when, with eyes fixed downward,
Vix ea fatus erat, defixique ora tenebant
Aeneas, Anchises’ son, and faithful Achates held them so,
Aeneas Anchisiades et fidus Achates
and were turning over much hardship in their sorrowing hearts,
multaque dura suo tristi cum corde putabant,
had not the Cytherean given a sign in the open sky.
ni signum caelo Cytherea dedisset aperto.
For unforeseen, a flash quivered from heaven
Namque inproviso vibratus ab aethere fulgor
and came with a crash, and all things seemed suddenly to fall,
cum sonitu venit, et ruere omnia visa repente
and the Tyrrhenian blare of a trumpet to bellow through the air.
Tyrrhenusque tubae mugire per aethera clangor.
They look up; again and again the vast din rattles out:
Suspiciunt, iterum atque iterum fragor increpat ingens:
they see, among a cloud in a clear quarter of the sky,
arma inter nubem caeli regione serena
arms gleam red through the bright air, and, struck, ring out.
per sudum rutilare vident et pulsa tonare.
The others stood astonished in their hearts, but the Trojan hero
Obstipuere animis alii, sed Troius heros
knew the sound and the promise of his goddess mother.
agnovit sonitum et divae promissa parentis.
Then he speaks: "Do not, my host, do not, I beg, ask
Tum memorat: Ne vero, hospes, ne quaere profecto,
what fate these portents bring: it is I who am summoned by Olympus.
quem casum portenta ferant: ego poscor Olympo.
This sign my divine mother foretold she would send,
Hoc signum cecinit missuram diva creatrix,
if war should press on, and that she would bring Vulcan’s arms
si bellum ingrueret, Volcaniaque arma per auras
through the air to my aid.
laturam auxilio.
Ah, what slaughters threaten the wretched Laurentines;
Heu quantae miseris caedes Laurentibus instant;
what penalties, Turnus, you will pay me; how many shields of men,
quas poenas mihi, Turne, dabis; quam multa sub undas
how many helmets and brave bodies you will roll beneath your waves,
scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volves,
Father Tiber! Let them call for battle and break their treaties."
Thybri pater! Poscant acies et foedera rumpant.
When he had spoken these words, he raises himself from the high seat,
Haec ubi dicta dedit, solio se tollit ab alto
and first stirs to life the altars drowsing with Hercules’ fires,
et primum Herculeis sopitas ignibus aras
and gladly approaches yesterday’s hearth-god
excitat hesternumque larem parvosque penatis
and the little Penates: they slaughter chosen sheep by custom,
laetus adit: mactant lectas de more bidentis
Evander alike, and alike the Trojan youth.
Euandrus pariter, pariter Troiana iuventus.
Then from here he goes to the ships and revisits his comrades.
Post hinc ad navis graditur sociosque revisit.
Of their number he chooses those of outstanding valor
Quorum de numero qui sese in bella sequantur
to follow him into war; the rest are borne downstream
praestantis virtute legit; pars cetera prona
on the gliding water, and float idle with the favoring current,
fertur aqua segnisque secundo defluit amni,
to come as messengers to Ascanius of the news and his father.
nuntia ventura Ascanio rerumque patrisque.
Horses are given to the Teucrians as they seek the Tyrrhenian fields;
Dantur equi Teucris Tyrrhena petentibus arva;
they lead out for Aeneas a chosen one, which a tawny lion’s
ducunt exsortem Aeneae, quem fulva leonis
hide covers wholly, gleaming with golden claws.
pellis obit totum, praefulgens unguibus aureis.
Rumor flies, spread suddenly through the little town,
Fama volat parvam subito volgata per urbem,
that horsemen ride in haste to the shores of the Tyrrhenian king.
ocius ire equites Tyrrheni ad litora regis.
The mothers double their vows in fear, and nearer to danger
vota metu duplicant matres, propiusque periclo
goes their dread, and now the image of War looms larger.
it timor, et maior Martis iam apparet imago.
Then father Evander, clasping the right hand of his departing son,
tum pater Evandrus dextram complexus euntis
clings weeping, never sated, and speaks thus:
haeret inexpletus lacrimans, ac talia fatur:
"O if only Jupiter would bring back to me the years that are gone—
O mihi praeteritos referat si Iuppiter annos,
such as I was, when beneath Praeneste’s very walls I laid low
(qualis eram, cum primam aciem Praeneste sub ipsa
the front rank, and, victorious, burned the heaps of shields,
stravi scutorumque incendi victor acervos
and with this right hand sent King Erulus down to Tartarus,
et regem hac Erulum dextra sub Tartara misi,
to whom at birth his mother Feronia had given
nascenti cui tris animas Feronia mater
three lives (dreadful to tell); three sets of arms had to be plied,
(horrendum dictu) dederat; terna arma movenda,
three times he had to be laid low in death; yet that day this hand
ter Leto sternendus erat; cui tunc tamen omnis
took all his lives from him, and stripped him of as many suits of arms—
abstulit haec animas dextra et totidem exuit armis:
never now would I be torn from your sweet embrace,
non ego nunc dulci amplexu divellerer usquam,
my son; nor would Mezentius, our neighbor, ever
nate, tuo, neque finitimo Mezentius umquam
have heaped insult on this head, dealt so many cruel deaths
huic capiti insultans tot ferro saeva dedisset
with the sword, and widowed the city of so many citizens.
funera, tam multis viduasset civibus urbem.
But you, O gods above, and you, supreme ruler of the gods,
At vos, o superi, et divom tu maxume rector
Jupiter, take pity, I beg, on the Arcadian king,
Iuppiter, Arcadii, quaeso, miserescite regis
and hear a father’s prayers. If your powers,
et patrias audite preces. Si numina vestra
if the fates keep Pallas safe for me,
incolumem Pallanta mihi, si fata reservant,
if I live to see him and to come together with him:
si visurus eum vivo et venturus in unum:
I pray for life, I will endure to bear any toil.
vitam oro, patior quemvis durare laborem.
But if you, Fortune, threaten some unspeakable disaster,
Sin aliquem infandum casum, Fortuna, minaris:
now, O now let me break off this cruel life,
nunc O nunc liceat crudelem abrumpere vitam,
while my cares are still in doubt, while hope of the future is uncertain,
dum curae ambiguae, dum spes incerta futuri,
while you, dear boy, my late and only delight,
dum te, care puer, mea sera et sola voluptas,
I hold in my embrace, lest a heavier message
complexu teneo, gravior neu nuntius auris
wound my ears." These words the father poured out at the last parting:
volneret. Haec genitor digressu dicta supremo
his servants bore him, fainting, into the house.
fundebat: famuli conlapsum in tecta ferebant.
And now the cavalry had gone out through the open gates,
Iamque adeo exierat portis equitatus apertis,
Aeneas among the foremost, and faithful Achates,
Aeneas inter primos et fidus Achates,
then the other nobles of Troy, and Pallas himself in the column’s
inde alii Troiae proceres, ipse agmine Pallas
midst, conspicuous in his cloak and painted armor:
in medio chlamyde et pictis conspectus in armis:
as when the Morning Star, bathed in the wave of Ocean,
qualis ubi Oceani perfusus Lucifer unda,
whom Venus loves before the other fires of the stars,
quem Venus ante alios astrorum diligit ignis,
has lifted his holy face in the sky and dissolved the darkness.
extulit os sacrum caelo tenebrasque resolvit.
The trembling mothers stand on the walls and follow with their eyes
Stant pavidae in muris matres oculisque sequuntur
the cloud of dust and the squadrons gleaming with bronze.
pulveream nubem et fulgentis aere catervas.
They, through the thickets, where the way runs shortest,
Olli per dumos, qua proxuma meta viarum,
press on in arms; a shout goes up, and, the column formed,
armati tendunt; it clamor, et agmine facto
the hoof shakes the crumbling plain with its galloping beat.
quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum.
widely held sacred by the reverence of the fathers; on every side hollow
religione patrum late sacer; undique colles
hills shut it in, and ring the grove with dark fir.
inclusere cavi et nigra nemus abiete cingunt.
The story is that the ancient Pelasgians hallowed to Silvanus,
Silvano fama est veteres sacrasse Pelasgos,
the god of fields and flocks, both grove and festal day,
arvorum pecorisque deo, lucumque diemque,
they who first of old held the Latin borders:
qui primi finis aliquando habuere Latinos:
not far from here Tarchon and the Tyrrhenians held their camp
haud procul hinc Tarcho et Tyrrheni tuta tenebant
in a safe place, and from a high hill all the host
castra locis, celsoque omnis de colle videri
could now be seen, and it spread out over the broad fields.
iam poterat legio et latis tendebat in arvis.
Hither Father Aeneas and the youth chosen for war
Huc pater Aeneas et bello lecta iuventus
come up, and, weary, tend their horses and their bodies.
succedunt fessique et equos et corpora curant.
But Venus, the shining goddess, amid the clouds of heaven
At Venus aetherios inter dea candida nimbos
was at hand, bearing her gifts; and when she saw her son afar,
dona ferens aderat; natumque in valle reducta
withdrawn in a secluded valley by the cool stream,
ut procul egelido secretum flumine vidit,
she addressed him with such words and offered herself unbidden:
talibus adfata est dictis seque obtulit ultro:
"Behold the gifts perfected by my husband’s promised craft,
En perfecta mei promissa coniugis arte
that you may not, my son, soon hesitate to challenge to battle
munera, ne mox aut Laurentis, nate, superbos
either the proud Laurentines or fierce Turnus."
aut acrem dubites in proelia poscere Turnum.
The Cytherean spoke, and sought her son’s embrace,
Dixit et amplexus nati Cytherea petivit,
and set the radiant arms down beneath an oak that faced him.
arma sub adversa posuit radiantia quercu.
He, glad in the goddess’s gifts and so great an honor,
Ille, deae donis et tanto laetus honore,
cannot be sated, and rolls his eyes over each piece,
expleri nequit atque oculos per singula volvit
and marvels, and turns over in his hands and arms
miraturque interque manus et bracchia versat
the helmet, terrible with its crests and vomiting flames,
terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem
the death-dealing sword, the corselet stiff with bronze,
fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex aere rigentem
blood-red and huge, as when a dark-blue cloud
sanguineam ingentem, qualis cum caerula nubes
catches fire with the sun’s rays and gleams far off;
solis inardescit radiis longeque refulget;
then the smooth greaves of electrum and refined gold,
tum levis ocreas electro auroque recocto
and the spear, and the shield’s fabric, beyond all telling.
hastamque et clipei non enarrabile textum.
There the Lord of Fire, not unversed in prophecy nor ignorant
Illic res Italas Romanorumque triumphos
of the age to come, had wrought the history of Italy
haud vatum ignarus venturique inscius aevi
and the triumphs of the Romans; there all the line of the future
fecerat ignipotens, illic genus omne futurae
stock, sprung from Ascanius, and the wars fought in their order.
stirpis ab Ascanio. pugnataque in ordine bella.
He had made too, in the green cave of Mars, the she-wolf
Fecerat et viridi fetam Mavortis in antro
lying after her young, and about her teats the twin
procubuisse lupam, geminos huic ubera circum
boys hanging and playing, and licking their mother
ludere pendentis pueros et lambere matrem
unafraid, while she, with shapely neck bent back,
impavidos, illam tereti cervice reflexa
caressed them by turns and shaped their bodies with her tongue.
mulcere alternos et corpora fingere lingua.
Not far from this he had added Rome, and the Sabine women
Nec procul hinc Romam et raptas sine more Sabinas
ravished, against all custom, when the great Circus games were held
consessu caveae magnis circensibus actis
in the crowded theater, and a new war suddenly rising
addiderat subitoque novum consurgere bellum
for the sons of Romulus, and old Tatius, and stern Cures.
Romulidis Tatioque seni Curibusque severis.
Afterward the same kings, their strife laid aside,
Post idem inter se posito certamine reges
stood armed before the altar of Jove, holding bowls,
armati Iovis ante aram paterasque tenentes
and joined treaties over a slaughtered sow.
stabant et caesa iungebant foedera porca.
Not far from there swift four-horse cars had torn Mettus
Haud procul inde citae Mettum in diversa quadrigae
asunder in opposite ways (but you, man of Alba, should have kept your word),
distulerant, at tu dictis, Albane, maneres,
and Tullus dragged the entrails of the liar
raptabatque viri mendacis viscera Tullus
through the wood, and the briars, sprinkled, dripped with blood.
per silvam, et sparsi rorabant sanguine vepres.
be taken back, and pressed the city with a mighty siege:
accipere ingentique urbem obsidione premebat:
the sons of Aeneas rushed upon the sword for liberty’s sake.
Aeneadae in ferrum pro libertate ruebant.
Him you might see like one indignant and like one threatening,
Illum indignanti similem similemque minanti
stood before the temple and held the lofty Capitol,
stabat pro templo et Capitolia celsa tenebat,
and the palace bristled, new-built, with the thatch of Romulus.
Romuleoque recens horrebat regia culmo.
And here a silver goose, fluttering through the gilded
Atque hic auratis volitans argenteus anser
porticoes, was crying that the Gauls were at the threshold.
porticibus Gallos in limine adesse canebat.
The Gauls were there among the thickets and held the citadel,
Galli per dumos aderant arcemque tenebant,
shielded by the dark and the gift of the murky night:
defensi tenebris et dono noctis opacae:
golden was their hair, and golden their raiment,
aurea caesaries ollis atque aurea vestis,
they gleam in striped cloaks, and their milk-white necks
virgatis lucent sagulis, tum lactea colla
javelins in his hand, their bodies shielded by long shields.
gaesa manu, scutis protecti corpora longis.
Here he had hammered out the leaping Salii and the naked Luperci,
Hic exsultantis Salios nudosque Lupercos
the wool-tufted caps, and the shields fallen from heaven,
lanigerosque apices et lapsa ancilia caelo
and chaste matrons led the sacred rites through the city
extuderat, castae ducebant sacra per urbem
in soft cushioned carriages. Far from this he adds
pilentis matres in mollibus. Hinc procul addit
the seats of Tartarus too, the high gates of Dis,
Tartareas etiam sedes, alta ostia Ditis,
and the punishments of crimes, and you, Catiline, hanging
et scelerum poenas et te, Catilina, minaci
from a threatening crag and trembling at the faces of the Furies,
pendentem scopulo Furiarumque ora trementem,
Between these went the image of the swelling sea, far and wide,
Haec inter tumidi late maris ibat imago
in gold, but the blue waters foamed with white surge;
aurea, sed fluctu spumabant caerula cano;
and round about, bright in silver, dolphins in a ring
et circum argento clari delphines in orbem
swept the levels with their tails and cut the tide.
aequora verrebant caudis aestumque secabant.
In the center one could see the bronze-clad fleets, the wars of Actium,
In medio classis aeratas, Actia bella,
and you might behold all Leucate seething with battle arrayed,
cernere erat, totumque instructo Marte videres
and the waves blazing with gold.
fervere Leucaten auroque effulgere fluctus.
On this side Augustus Caesar, leading the Italians into battle,
Hinc Augustus agens Italos in proelia Caesar
with the fathers and the people, the Penates and the great gods,
cum patribus populoque, penatibus et magnis dis,
stands high on the stern; from his glad brows twin flames
stans celsa in puppi; geminas cui tempora flammas
stream forth, and his father’s star is revealed above his head.
laeta vomunt patriumque aperitur vertice sidus.
leads his column, towering; on whose brows, proud token of war,
arduus agmen agens; cui, belli insigne superbum,
shines the naval crown of beaks.
tempora navali fulgent rostrata corona.
On the other side, with barbaric wealth and motley arms, Antony,
Hinc ope barbarica variisque Antonius armis,
victorious from the peoples of the Dawn and the Red Sea’s shore,
victor ab Aurorae populis et litore rubro,
brings with him Egypt and the powers of the East and farthest
Aegyptum viresque Orientis et ultima secum
Bactra, and there follows him (the shame!) an Egyptian wife.
Bactra vehit, sequiturque (nefas) Aegyptia coniunx.
All rush on at once, and the whole sea foams, churned up
Una omnes ruere, ac totum spumare reductis
by the drawn-back oars and the three-pronged beaks.
convolsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.
They make for the deep: you would think the Cyclades, uprooted,
alta petunt: pelago credas innare revolsas
swam on the sea, or that high mountains clashed with mountains,
Cycladas aut montis concurrere montibus altos,
in such a mass the men bear down in their towered sterns.
tanta mole viri turritis puppibus instant.
Flaming tow is flung by hand, and the flying iron of the darts
stuppea flamma manu telisque volatile ferrum
is scattered; the fields of Neptune redden with fresh slaughter.
spargitur, arva nova Neptunia caede rubescunt.
The queen in the midst calls on her squadrons with the native sistrum,
Regina in mediis patrio vocat agmina sistro
nor yet does she look back at the twin serpents behind her.
necdum etiam geminos a tergo respicit anguis.
hold their weapons against Neptune and Venus and against Minerva.
contra Neptunum et Venerem contraque Minervam
In the midst of the battle Mars rages,
tela tenent. Saevit medio in certamine Mavors
engraved in iron, and the grim Dirae out of the sky,
caelatus ferro tristesque ex aethere Dirae,
whom Bellona follows with her bloody scourge.
quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello.
Apollo of Actium, beholding this, was bending his bow
Actius haec cernens arcum tendebat Apollo
from above: at that terror all Egypt and the Indians,
desuper: omnis eo terrore Aegyptus et Indi,
The queen herself was seen, the winds called up,
Ipsa videbatur ventis regina vocatis
to spread her sails and now, even now, to slacken the ropes.
vela dare et laxos iam iamque inmittere funis.
Her, amid the slaughter, pale with the death to come,
Illam inter caedes pallentem morte futura
the Lord of Fire had wrought, borne on by the waves and the Iapygian wind;
fecerat Ignipotens undis et Iapyge ferri,
while over against her the Nile, mourning with his great body,
contra autem magno maerentem corpore Nilum
and opening his folds, and with all his robe calling
pandentemque sinus et tota veste vocantem
the vanquished into his dark-blue lap and his hidden streams.
caeruleum in gremium latebrosaque flumina victos.
But Caesar, borne into the walls of Rome in triple triumph,
At Caesar, triplici invectus Romana triumpho
was consecrating to the gods of Italy his immortal vow,
moenia, dis Italis votum inmortale sacrabat,
three hundred mighty shrines throughout the whole city.
maxuma tercentum totam delubra per urbem.
The streets roared with rejoicing and games and applause;
Laetitia ludisque viae plausuque fremebant;
in every temple a chorus of matrons, in every one altars;
omnibus in templis matrum chorus, omnibus arae;
before the altars slain bullocks strewed the ground.
ante aras terram caesi stravere iuvenci.
He himself, seated at the snow-white threshold of gleaming Phoebus,
Ipse, sedens niveo candentis limine Phoebi,
reviews the gifts of the nations and fastens them to the proud
dona recognoscit populorum aptatque superbis
doorposts; the conquered peoples pass in a long line,
postibus; incedunt victae longo ordine gentes,
as varied in their tongues as in their dress and arms.
quam variae linguis, habitu tam vestis et armis.
Here Mulciber had fashioned the Nomad race and the loose-robed Africans,
Hic Nomadum genus et discinctos Mulciber Afros,
extremique hominum Morini, Rhenusque bicornis,
Such things over the shield of Vulcan, his mother’s gift,
Talia per clipeum Volcani, dona parentis,
he marvels at, and, ignorant of the events, delights in their image,
miratur rerumque ignarus imagine gaudet,
lifting on his shoulder the fame and the fates of his descendants.
attollens umero famamque et fata nepotum.
And while these things go forward in a region far apart,
Atque ea diversa penitus dum parte geruntur,
Saturnian Juno sent Iris down from heaven
Irim de caelo misit Saturnia Iuno
to bold Turnus. In the grove of his forefather
audacem ad Turnum. Luco tum forte parentis
To him the daughter of Thaumas spoke thus with rosy lips:
Ad quem sic roseo Thaumantias ore locuta est:
"Turnus, what none of the gods would dare to promise
Turne, quod optanti divom promittere nemo
to your prayer, lo, the rolling day has brought unbidden.
auderet, volvenda dies en attulit ultro.
Aeneas, leaving city and comrades and fleet,
Aeneas urbe et sociis et classe relicta
Nor is that enough: he has reached the farthest towns of Corythus
Nec satis: extremas Corythi penetravit ad urbes
and arms a Lydian band, the countryfolk he has gathered.
Lydorumque manum collectos armat agrestis.
Why hesitate? Now is the time to call for horses and cars.
Quid dubitas? Nunc tempus equos, nunc poscere currus.
Break off all delay and seize their troubled camp."
Rumpe moras omnis et turbata arripe castra.
She spoke, and rose into the sky on level wings,
Dixit et in caelum paribus se sustulit alis
and in flight cut a vast arc beneath the clouds.
ingentemque fuga secuit sub nubibus arcum.
The youth knew her, and lifted both palms to the stars,
Adgnovit iuvenis duplicisque ad sidera palmas
and with these words pursued her as she fled:
sustulit ac tali fugientem est voce secutus:
"Iris, glory of heaven, who has driven you through the clouds
Iri, decus caeli, quis te mihi nubibus actam
and brought you down to me on earth? Whence this sudden
detulit in terras? Unde haec tam clara repente
bright weather? I see the mid-heaven part
tempestas? Medium video discedere caelum
and the stars stray in the pole. I follow omens so great,
palantisque polo stellas. Sequor omina tanta,
whoever you are that call to arms." And, so speaking, to the water
quisquis in arma vocas. Et sic effatus ad undam
he went forward and drew the stream up from its brimming surface,
processit summoque hausit de gurgite lymphas,
praying much to the gods, and loaded the air with vows.
multa deos orans, oneravitque aethera votis.
And now the whole army was moving over the open plains,
Iamque omnis campis exercitus ibat apertis,
rich in horses, rich in embroidered raiment and gold;
dives equum, dives pictaï vestis et auri;
Messapus leads the front ranks, the sons of Tyrrhus
Messapus primas acies, postrema coercent
curb the rear, in the column’s midst the captain Turnus
Tyrrhidae iuvenes, medio dux agmine Turnus,
moves, bearing his arms, a whole head taller than all.
vertitur arma tenens et toto vertice supra est.
As deep Ganges, rising in silence from seven calm streams,
Ceu septem surgens sedatis amnibus altus
flows on, or the Nile, when with his rich flood
per tacitum Ganges aut pingui flumine Nilus
he ebbs from the fields and now has sunk into his bed.
cum refluit campis et iam se condidit alveo.
Here the Teucrians see a sudden cloud massing with black dust
Hic subitam nigro glomerari pulvere nubem
and darkness climbing over the plains.
prospiciunt Teucri ac tenebras insurgere campis.
First, from the rampart facing them, Caicus cries:
Primus ab adversa conclamat mole Caicus:
"What mass, O citizens, rolls there in black murk?
Quis globus, o cives, caligine volvitur atra?
Bring steel, quick, hand out weapons, climb the walls,
Ferte citi ferrum, date tela, ascendite muros,
the enemy is here, up!" With a huge shout, through every gate
hostis adest, heia! Ingenti clamore per omnis
the Teucrians take cover and crowd the walls.
condunt se Teucri portas et moenia complent.
For so, at his going, the best in arms,
Namque ita discedens praeceperat optumus armis
Aeneas, had charged them: if any crisis arose meanwhile,
Aeneas: siqua interea fortuna fuisset,
they should not dare to form a line nor trust the field;
neu struere auderent aciem neu credere campo;
only keep the camp and the walls safe behind the mound.
castra modo et tutos servarent aggere muros.
So, though shame and anger point them to close in fight,
Ergo etsi conferre manum pudor iraque monstrat,
they bar the gates nonetheless and do as charged,
obiciunt portas tamen et praecepta facessunt
and, armed, await the foe in the hollow towers.
armatique cavis expectant turribus hostem.
Turnus, flying ahead, had outstripped the slow column,
Turnus ut ante volans tardum praecesserat agmen
attended by twenty chosen horsemen, and at the city
viginti lectis equitum comitatus, et urbi
stands unforeseen; a Thracian horse with white markings
improvisus adest; maculis quem Thracius albis
bears him, and a golden helm with red crest guards his head.
portat equus cristaque tegit galea aurea rubra.
"Is there one, young men, who with me will be first on the foe?
Ecquis erit, mecum, iuvenes, qui primus in hostem?
Look!" he says, and whirling a javelin sends it skyward,
En, ait et iaculum attorquens emittit in auras,
the fight’s first stroke, and bears himself, towering, onto the field.
principium pugnae, et campo sese arduus infert.
His comrades take it up with a shout and follow with a roar
Clamore excipiunt socii fremituque sequuntur
dreadful to hear: they marvel at the Teucrians’ sluggish hearts,
horrisono: Teucrum mirantur inertia corda,
that the men give not themselves to the level field, nor bring
non aequo dare se campo, non obvia ferre
their arms to meet them, but hug the camp. This way and that,
arma viros, sed castra fovere. Huc turbidus atque huc
in turmoil, he ranges the walls on horseback, seeking entry where none lies.
lustrat equo muros aditumque per avia quaerit.
And as a wolf lying in wait by a crowded fold
Ac veluti pleno lupus insidiatus ovili
snarls at the pens, having borne the winds and rains,
cum fremit ad caulas, ventos perpessus et imbris,
past the dead of night; the lambs, safe beneath their dams,
nocte super media; tuti sub matribus agni
keep up their bleating, while he, fierce and relentless in rage,
balatum exercent, ille asper et improbus ira
storms at the prey beyond reach—the long-gathered madness
saevit in absentis, collecta fatigat edendi
to feed, and his gullet dry of blood, torment him:
ex longo rabies et siccae sanguine fauces:
no otherwise, as the Rutulian eyes the walls and camp,
haud aliter Rutulo muros et castra tuenti
his wrath kindles, grief burns in his hard bones.
ignescunt irae, duris dolor ossibus ardet.
By what means may he try the approach, what way
Qua temptet ratione aditus et quae via clausos
might shake the penned Teucrians from the rampart onto the plain?
excutiat Teucros vallo atque effundat in aequum?
The fleet, which lay hidden against the camp’s flank,
Classem, quae lateri castrorum adiuncta latebat,
fenced about by the mound and the river’s waters,
aggeribus saeptam circum et fluvialibus undis,
he assails, and calls his exulting comrades for fire,
invadit sociosque incendia poscit ovantis
and, ablaze, fills his hand with a burning pine.
atque manum pinu flagranti fervidus implet.
Then indeed they fall to it—Turnus’ presence drives them—
Tum vero incumbunt, urget praesentia Turni,
and all the youth gird themselves with black brands.
atque omnis facibus pubes accingitur atris.
They stripped the hearths; the smoking torch bears a pitchy glare,
Diripuere focos; piceum fert fumida lumen
and Vulcan flings the mingled embers to the stars.
taeda et commixtam Volcanus ad astra favillam.
What god, O Muses, turned such cruel fires from the Teucrians?
Quis deus, o musae, tam saeva incendia Teucris
Who drove so great a blaze from the ships?
avertit? Tantos ratibus quis depulit ignes?
Tell it. The belief is ancient, but the fame undying.
Dicite. Prisca fides facto, sed fama perennis.
At the time when first on Phrygian Ida Aeneas
Tempore quo primum Phrygia formabat in Ida
was shaping his fleet and making ready to seek the deep,
Aeneas classem et pelagi petere alta parabat,
the very Mother of the gods, the Berecyntian, is said
ipsa deum fertur genetrix Berecyntia magnum
to have addressed great Jove with these words: "Grant, my son,
vocibus his adfata Iovem: Da, nate, petenti,
to her who asks, what your dear parent begs now Olympus is yours.
quod tua cara parens domito te poscit Olympo.
A pine-wood I had, loved through many years,
Pinea silva mihi, multos dilecta per annos
a grove on the topmost height, where men brought offerings,
lucus in arce fuit summa, quo sacra ferebant,
dark with black pitch-pine and with maple beams:
nigranti picea trabibusque obscurus acernis:
these, when the youth of Dardania needed a fleet, I gave
has ego Dardanio iuveni, cum classis egeret,
gladly; now anxious dread wrings my troubled heart.
laeta dedi; nunc sollicitam timor anxius angit.
Loose my fears, and let a mother’s prayers avail in this:
Solve metus atque hoc precibus sine posse parentem:
let them not be broken by any voyage nor mastered by the whirlwind—
ne cursu quassatae ullo neu turbine venti
let it profit them to have sprung upon our mountains."
vincantur, prosit nostris in montibus ortas.
To her the son who wheels the stars of the world replied:
Filius huic contra, torquet qui sidera mundi:
"O mother, where do you summon the fates? What do you ask for these?
O genetrix, quo fata vocas, aut quid petis istis?
Shall keels fashioned by a mortal hand
Mortaline manu factae immortale carinae
hold immortal right? and shall the sure Aeneas traverse perils unsure—
fas habeant certusque incerta pericula lustret
Aeneas? To what god is power so great allowed?
Aeneas? Cui tanta deo permissa potestas?
No—rather, when, their task done, they shall hold one day
Immo ubi defunctae finem portusque tenebunt
the Ausonian harbors, whichever has escaped the waves
Ausonios olim, quaecumque evaserit undis
and carried the Dardanian leader to the Laurentine fields,
Dardaniumque ducem Laurentia vexerit arva,
I will strip their mortal shape and bid them be
mortalem eripiam formam magnique iubebo
and Galatea cleave the foaming deep with their breasts."
et Galatea secant spumantem pectore pontum.
He had spoken, and to seal it by the streams of his Stygian brother,
Dixerat idque ratum Stygii per flumina fratris,
by the banks that seethe with pitch and the black abyss,
per pice torrentis atraque voragine ripas
he nodded, and with his nod made all Olympus quake.
adnuit et totum nutu tremefecit Olympum.
So the promised day was at hand, and the Fates had filled
Ergo aderat promissa dies et tempora Parcae
the appointed span, when Turnus’ outrage warned the Mother
debita complerant, cum Turni iniuria Matrem
to drive the brands from her sacred ships.
admonuit ratibus sacris depellere taedas.
Here first a strange light flashed on their eyes, and a vast cloud
Hic primum nova lux oculis offulsit et ingens
seemed to race across the sky from the Dawn,
visus ab Aurora caelum transcurrere nimbus
and the choirs of Ida; then a dread voice through the air
Idaeique chori; tum vox horrenda per auras
fell, and filled the ranks of Trojans and Rutulians alike:
excidit et Troum Rutulorumque agmina complet:
"Do not rush, Teucrians, to defend my ships,
Ne trepidate meas, Teucri, defendere navis
nor arm your hands: sooner shall Turnus be given to burn
neve armate manus: maria ante exurere Turno
the seas than my sacred pines. Go you, set free,
quam sacras dabitur pinus. Vos ite solutae,
go, goddesses of the deep: your mother bids it."
ite deae pelagi: genetrix iubet. Et sua quaeque
And at once each ship breaks its cables from the banks,
continuo puppes abrumpunt vincula ripis
and like dolphins, with beaks plunged under,
delphinumque modo demersis aequora rostris
they seek the depths. Then in maiden form (a marvel),
ima petunt. Hinc virgineae (mirabile monstrum)
as many as the bronze prows that had stood at the shore,
quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae
so many faces rise again and ride the sea.
reddunt se totidem facies pontoque feruntur.
The Rutulians stood stunned in spirit; Messapus himself,
Obstipuere animis Rutuli, conterritus ipse
his horses panicked, was dismayed; the river too falters,
turbatis Messapus equis, cunctatur et amnis
sounding hoarse, and Tiberinus draws back his foot from the deep.
rauca sonans revocatque pedem Tiberinus ab alto.
But bold Turnus’ confidence did not fail;
At non audaci Turno fiducia cessit;
unbidden he lifts their spirits with words, unbidden chides:
ultro animos tollit dictis atque increpat ultro:
"These portents strike at the Trojans; from them Jupiter himself
Troianos haec monstra petunt, his Iuppiter ipse
has snatched their wonted aid, not waiting for Rutulian
auxilium solitum eripuit, non tela neque ignes
weapons or fires. So the seas are pathless now to the Teucrians,
exspectans Rutulos. Ergo maria invia Teucris
and no hope of flight: one half of their resource is taken away.
nec spes ulla fugae: rerum pars altera adempta est.
But the land is in our hands; so many thousands, the peoples
Terra autem in nostris manibus, tot milia gentes
of Italy, bear arms. The fated oracles do not frighten me,
arma ferunt Italae. Nil me fatalia terrent,
whatever the Phrygians flaunt before them, the gods’ replies:
siqua Phryges prae se iactant, responsa deorum:
enough has been granted to fate and to Venus, that the Trojans
sat fatis Venerique datum, tetigere quod arva
have touched fertile Ausonia’s fields. I too have, against them,
fertilis Ausoniae Troes. Sunt et mea contra
fates of my own: to cut down with the sword a guilty race
fata mihi, ferro sceleratam exscindere gentem,
that has stolen my bride: that grief touches not the sons of Atreus
coniuge praerepta: nec solos tangit Atridas
alone, nor may Mycenae alone take up arms.
iste dolor solisque licet capere arma Mycenis.
’But to have perished once is enough’—to have sinned, then,
Sed periisse semel satis est: peccare fuisset
would once have been enough, men loathing well-nigh the whole
ante satis penitus modo non genus omne perosos
race of women. Men to whom this trust in a midmost rampart
femineum. Quibus haec medii fiducia valli
and the delay of trenches—small barriers against death—
fossarumque morae, leti discrimina parva,
give heart! But did they not see the walls of Troy,
dant animos. At non viderunt moenia Troiae
built by Neptune’s hand, sink down into the flames?
Neptuni fabricata manu considere in ignis?
But you, my chosen, who stand ready to cleave the rampart
Sed vos, o lecti, ferro qui scindere vallum
with the sword and with me storm their trembling camp.
apparat et mecum invadit trepidantia castra.
I need no arms of Vulcan, no thousand keels
Non armis mihi Volcani, non mille carinis
against the Teucrians; let all the Etruscans join
est opus in Teucros; addant se protinus omnes
as their allies at once—they need not fear the dark
Etrusci socios, tenebras et inertia furta
and the cowardly theft of the Palladium, the citadel’s guards slain,
Palladii caesis summae custodibus arcis
nor shall we lurk in the blind belly of a horse:
ne timeant, nec equi caeca condemur in alvo:
openly, in daylight, I am resolved to ring their walls with fire.
luce palam certum est igni circumdare muros.
I’ll see they do not think they deal with Danaans and Pelasgian
Haud sibi cum Danais rem faxo et pube Pelasga
youth, whom Hector held off into the tenth year.
esse ferant, decumum quos distulit Hector in annum.
Now then, since the better part of the day is spent,
Nunc adeo, melior quoniam pars acta diei,
for what is left, glad in the work well done, refresh
quod superest, laeti bene gestis corpora rebus
your bodies, men, and look for the fight to be prepared."
procurate, viri, et pugnam sperate parari.
Meanwhile the charge of blockading the gates with sentry-watches
Interea vigilum excubiis obsidere portas
is given to Messapus, and of ringing the walls with fires.
cura datur Messapo et moenia cingere flammis.
Twice seven Rutulians, to hold the walls with their men,
Bis septem Rutuli, muros qui milite servent,
are chosen; and a hundred follow each of them,
delecti; ast illos centeni quemque sequuntur
young men crimson-crested and flashing with gold.
purpurei cristis iuvenes auroque corusci.
They run about, change the watches, and sprawled on the grass
Discurrunt variantque vices fusique per herbam
indulge in wine and tip up the bronze mixing-bowls.
indulgent vino et vertunt crateras aenos.
The fires blaze; the guard draws out the night,
Conlucent ignes, noctem custodia ducit
sleepless, in play.
insomnem ludo.
These things the Trojans watch from the rampart above, and in arms
Haec super e vallo prospectant Troes et armis
hold the heights, and, anxious with dread, they test the gates,
alta tenent, nec non trepidi formidine portas
and join up gangways and the battlements,
explorant pontisque et propugnacula iungunt,
and bear weapons. Mnestheus presses on, and keen Serestus,
tela gerunt. Instat Mnestheus acerque Serestus,
whom Father Aeneas, should adversity ever call,
quos pater Aeneas, siquando adversa vocarent,
had appointed leaders of the young and masters of affairs.
rectores iuvenum et rerum dedit esse magistros.
All the legion along the walls, the danger shared by lot,
Omnis per muros legio, sortita periclum,
keeps watch and works its turns, each at his post to guard.
excubat exercetque vices, quod cuique tuendum est.
Nisus was guard of a gate, fiercest in arms,
Nisus erat portae custos, acerrimus armis,
son of Hyrtacus, whom Ida the huntress had sent
Hyrtacides, comitem Aeneae quem miserat Ida
as Aeneas’ companion, swift with javelin and light arrows;
venatrix iaculo celerem levibusque sagittis;
beside him goes his comrade Euryalus, than whom no other
it iuxta comes Euryalus, quo pulchrior alter
among Aeneas’ men was fairer, nor put on Trojan arms,
non fuit Aeneadum Troiana neque induit arma,
a boy marking his unshaven cheeks with first youth.
ora puer prima signans intonsa iuventa.
One love was theirs, and side by side they rushed to war:
His amor unus erat, pariterque in bella ruebant:
then too they held the gate at a shared post.
tum quoque communi portam statione tenebant.
Nisus says: "Is it the gods that put this fire in our minds,
Nisus ait: Dine hunc ardorem mentibus addunt,
Euryalus, or does each man’s fierce desire become his god?
Euryale, an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido?
Long now my mind has driven me to attempt either a fight
Aut pugnam aut aliquid iamdudum invadere magnum
or some great thing, not content with peaceful rest.
mens agitat mihi nec placida contenta quietest.
You see what confidence in their fortune holds the Rutulians.
Cernis, quae Rutulos habeat fiducia rerum.
Their lights gleam sparse; loosened by sleep and wine
Lumina rara micant; somno vinoque soluti
they have sunk down; the places are still far and wide: hear now
procubuere; silent late loca: percipe porro,
what I am weighing, and what thought now rises in my heart.
quid dubitem et quae nunc animo sententia surgat.
To summon Aeneas—all of them, people and elders,
Aenean acciri omnes, populusque patresque,
demand it—and to send men who may bring back sure word.
exposcunt mittique viros, qui certa reportent.
If they promise you what I ask (for me, the fame of the deed
Si tibi quae posco promittunt (nam mihi facti
is enough), I think I can find, below that mound,
fama sat est), tumulo videor reperire sub illo
a way to the walls and battlements of Pallanteum."
posse viam ad muros et moenia Pallantea.
Euryalus stood amazed, struck with a great love of glory,
Obstipuit magno laudum percussus amore
and at once thus addresses his ardent friend:
Euryalus; simul his ardentem adfatur amicum:
"Me, then, do you refuse to join as comrade in your highest
Mene igitur socium summis adiungere rebus,
ventures, Nisus? Shall I send you alone into such perils?
Nise, fugis? Solum te in tanta pericula mittam?
rear me, brought up amid the Argive terror and Troy’s
Argolicum terrorem inter Troiaeque labores
toils; nor with you have I borne myself so,
sublatum erudiit, nec tecum talia gessi,
following great-souled Aeneas and his uttermost fate:
magnanimum Aenean et fata extrema secutus:
here, here is a spirit that scorns the light and counts
est hic, est animus lucis contemptor et istum
that honor you aim at well bought with a life."
qui vita bene credat emi, quo tendis, honorem.
Nisus to this: "Indeed I feared no such thing of you,
Nisus ad haec: Equidem de te nil tale verebar
nor would it be right—no; so may great Jupiter bring me back
nec fas, non, ita me referat tibi magnus ovantem
to you in triumph, or whoever beholds this with fair eyes.
Iuppiter aut quicumque oculis haec aspicit aequis.
But if anyone—as you see can happen in such a hazard—
Sed siquis, quae multa vides discrimine tali,
if either chance or a god should snatch me to ruin,
siquis in adversum rapiat casusve deusve,
I would have you survive; your years are worthier of life.
te superesse velim; tua vita dignior aetas.
Let there be one to commit me, snatched from battle or ransomed
Sit qui me raptum pugna pretiove redemptum
for a price, to the wonted earth; or, if Fortune forbid that,
mandet humo solita aut siqua id Fortuna vetabit,
to bring the absent his rites and honor him with a tomb.
absenti ferat inferias decoretque sepulchro.
Nor let me be cause of so great a grief to your wretched mother,
Neu matri miserae tanti sim causa doloris,
who alone of many mothers, boy, has dared
quae te sola, puer, multis e matribus ausa
to follow you, and cares nothing for great Acestes’ walls."
persequitur magni nec moenia curat Acestae,
But he: "In vain you weave your empty pretexts,
Ille autem: Causas nequiquam nectis inanis,
nor does my resolve, once set, give way and shift:
nec mea iam mutata loco sententia cedit:
let us hurry," he says. At once he rouses the watch; they
adceleremus, ait. Vigiles simul excitat, illi
come up and keep the relief; leaving his post,
succedunt servantque vices: statione relicta
he walks at Nisus’ side, and they seek the prince.
ipse comes Niso graditur, regemque requirunt.
All other creatures over the lands were loosing
Cetera per terras omnis animalia somno
their cares in sleep, their hearts forgetful of toil:
laxabant curas et corda oblita laborum:
the foremost leaders of the Teucrians and chosen youth
ductores Teucrum primi et delecta iuventus
were holding council on the highest matters of state,
consilium summis regni de rebus habebant,
what to do, and who should now be Aeneas’ messenger.
quid facerent quisve Aeneae iam nuntius esset.
They stand leaning on long spears, holding their shields,
Stant longis adnixi hastis, et scuta tenentes,
in the midst of the camp and field. Then Nisus and, with him,
castrorum et campi medio. Tum Nisus et una
Euryalus eagerly beg at once to be let in:
Euryalus confestim alacres admittier orant:
the matter is great, and worth the delay. First Iulus
rem magnam, pretiumque morae fore. Primus Iulus
received the anxious pair and bade Nisus speak.
accepit trepidos ac Nisum dicere iussit.
Then thus the son of Hyrtacus: "Hear with fair minds,
Tum sic Hyrtacides: Audite O mentibus aequis,
sons of Aeneas, and let not what we bring be judged
Aeneadae, neve haec nostris spectentur ab annis,
by our years. The Rutulians, slack with sleep and wine,
quae ferimus. Rutuli somno vinoque soluti
have fallen silent; we ourselves have spied a place for ambush,
conticuere; locum insidiis conspeximus ipsi,
which opens at the fork of the gate nearest the sea;
qui patet in bivio portae, quae proxuma ponto;
the fires are broken, and black smoke rises to the stars:
interrupti ignes, aterque ad sidera fumus
if you permit us to use the chance
erigitur: si fortuna permittitis uti
to seek Aeneas and the walls of Pallanteum,
quaesitum Aenean et moenia Pallantea,
soon you shall see us here with spoils, a great slaughter done,
mox hic cum spoliis ingenti caede peracta
returned. Nor does the road deceive us as we go:
adfore cernetis. Nec nos via fallit euntis:
we have seen, in the shadowy valleys, the city’s edge
vidimus obscuris primam sub vallibus urbem
by constant hunting, and have learned the whole river."
venatu adsiduo et totum cognovimus amnem.
Here Aletes, heavy with years and ripe in mind:
Hic annis gravis atque animi maturus Aletes:
"Gods of our fathers, under whose power Troy ever stands,
Di patrii, quorum semper sub numine Troia est,
you do not, after all, mean to destroy the Teucrians utterly,
non tamen omnino Teucros delere paratis,
since you have brought forth such spirits in the young and hearts
cum talis animos iuvenum et tam certa tulistis
so steadfast." So saying, he held their shoulders and right hands,
pectora. Sic memorans umeros dextrasque tenebat
of both, and wet his face and cheeks with tears.
amborum et voltum lacrimis atque ora rigabat.
"What rewards, men, what fit for praises such as these,
Quae vobis, quae digna, viri, pro laudibus istis
can I think may be paid you? The fairest, first,
praemia posse rear solvi? Pulcherrima primum
the gods and your own characters will give; then the rest
di moresque dabunt vestri; tum cetera reddet
dutiful Aeneas will repay forthwith, and Ascanius,
actutum pius Aeneas atque integer aevi
whole in his years, never forgetful of so great a service."
Ascanius, meriti tanti non immemor umquam.
"Nay, I—whose only safety lies in my father restored—"
Immo ego vos, cui sola salus genitore reducto,
Ascanius breaks in, "by the great Penates, Nisus,
excipit Ascanius, per magnos, Nise, penatis
by the Lar of Assaracus and gray Vesta’s inner shrine,
Assaracique larem et canae penetralia Vestae
I conjure you: whatever fortune and faith are mine,
obtestor; quaecumque mihi fortuna fidesque est,
I lay in your laps: call back my father,
in vestris pono gremiis: revocate parentem,
give him back to my sight; with him recovered, nothing is grief.
reddite conspectum; nihil illo triste recepto.
I will give two cups wrought of silver, rough with figures,
Bina dabo argento perfecta atque aspera signis
and two tripods, two great talents of gold,
et tripodas geminos, auri duo magna talenta,
an ancient mixing-bowl that Sidonian Dido gave.
cratera antiquum, quem dat Sidonia Dido.
But if indeed it falls to us to take Italy, to win
Si vero capere Italiam sceptrisque potiri
its scepter as victors and assign the lots of plunder,
contigerit victori et praedae dicere sortem,
you have seen on what horse Turnus rode, in what arms
vidisti quo Turnus equo, quibus ibat in armis
golden: that very steed, his shield and red crests,
aureus: ipsum illum, clipeum cristasque rubentis
I will set apart from the lot—from now your prize, Nisus.
excipiam sorti, iam nunc tua praemia, Nise.
Besides, my father will give twice six of the choicest women,
Praeterea bis sex genitor lectissima matrum
captives too, and to all of them their own arms,
corpora captivosque dabit suaque omnibus arma,
and over and above, what King Latinus himself holds of the plain.
insuper his campi quod rex habet ipse Latinus.
But you, whom my own age follows at a closer remove,
Te vero, mea quem spatiis propioribus aetas
boy worthy of reverence, already with all my heart
insequitur, venerande puer, iam pectore toto
I take to me and embrace as comrade in every chance.
accipio et comitem casus complector in omnis.
No glory shall be sought in my affairs without you;
Nulla meis sine te quaeretur gloria rebus;
whether I make peace or war, in you shall be my greatest trust
seu pacem seu bella geram, tibi maxima rerum
in deed and word." To him in answer thus speaks
verborumque fides. Contra quem talia fatur
Euryalus: "No day shall prove me unequal
Euryalus: Me nulla dies tam fortibus ausis
to ventures so bold; only let fortune fall
dissimilem arguerit; tantum, fortuna secunda
favorable or adverse. But above all gifts I ask
aut adversa cadat. Sed te super omnia dona
one thing of you: a mother I have, of Priam’s ancient line,
unum oro, genetrix Priami de gente vetusta
whom in her misery neither the land of Ilium held back
est mihi, quam miseram tenuit non Ilia tellus
as she went forth with me, nor the walls of King Acestes.
mecum excedentem, non moenia regis Acestae.
Her now, unknowing of whatever this peril is,
Hanc ego nunc ignaram huius quodcumque pericli est
I leave without farewell: the night and your right hand
inque salutatam linquo: nox et tua testis
are my witness, that I cannot bear a parent’s tears.
dextera, quod nequeam lacrumas perferre parentis
But you, I beg, comfort the helpless and aid the forsaken.
at tu, oro, solare inopem et succurre relictae.
Let me carry this hope of you, and I shall go the bolder
Hanc sine me spem ferre tui: audentior ibo
into every hazard." Struck to the heart, the Dardanians
in casus omnis. Percussa mente dedere
gave way to tears; before all the fair Iulus,
Dardanidae lacrimas; ante omnis pulcher Iulus,
and the image of a son’s love for a father wrung his soul.
atque animum patriae strinxit pietatis imago.
Then thus he speaks:
Tum sic effatur:
"Be sure of all things worthy of your mighty undertakings.
Sponde digna tuis ingentibus omnia coeptis.
For she shall be a mother to me, and only the name of Creusa
Namque erit ista mihi genetrix nomenque Creusae
shall be wanting, nor does small thanks await a son
solum defuerit, nec partum gratia talem
such as she bore. Whatever chances shall follow the deed,
parva manet. Casus factum quicumque sequentur,
I swear by this head, by which my father used to swear before:
per caput hoc iuro, per quod pater ante solebat:
what I promise you on your return and in success,
quae tibi polliceor reduci rebusque secundis,
these same shall abide for your mother and your kin."
haec eadem matrique tuae generique manebunt.
So he says, weeping; and from his shoulder he draws the sword
Sic ait inlacrimans; umero simul exuit ensem
with wondrous skill and fitted, handy, in an ivory sheath.
Gnosius atque habilem vagina aptarat eburna.
Mnestheus gives Nisus a hide, the shaggy spoils
Dat Niso Mnestheus pellem horrentisque leonis
of a lion; faithful Aletes exchanges helmets with him.
exuvias; galeam fidus permutat Aletes.
At once they march off armed; and all the band of chiefs,
Protinus armati incedunt; quos omnis euntis
young men and old, escort them as they go
primorum manus ad portas iuvenumque senumque
to the gates with vows. And the fair Iulus too,
prosequitur votis. Nec non et pulcher Iulus,
bearing beyond his years a man’s spirit and care,
ante annos animumque gerens curamque virilem,
gave many charges to be borne to his father: but the winds
multa patri mandata dabat portanda: sed aurae
tear them all apart and give them, void, to the clouds.
omnia discerpunt et nubibus inrita donant.
Gone out, they cross the trenches and through the night’s shadow
Egressi superant fossas noctisque per umbram
make for the hostile camp—though first to be the doom
castra inimica petunt, multis tamen ante futuri
of many. Everywhere on the grass, by sleep and wine,
exitio. Passim somno vinoque per herbam
they see bodies sprawled, the chariots tilted up on the shore,
corpora fusa vident, arrectos litore currus,
men among reins and wheels, and arms lying about,
inter lora rotasque viros, simul arma iacere,
and wine as well. First the son of Hyrtacus spoke thus:
vina simul. Prior Hyrtacides sic ore locutus:
"Euryalus, the hand must dare; the moment itself calls.
Euryale, audendum dextra; nunc ipsa vocat res.
Here lies our way. Do you, lest any band rise up
Hac iter est. Tu, ne qua manus se attollere nobis
behind us, keep watch and look well afar;
a tergo possit, custodi et consule longe;
these I will lay waste, and lead you by a broad swathe."
haec ego vasta dabo et lato te limite ducam.
So he says, and hushes his voice; at once with the sword
Sic memorat vocemque premit; simul ense superbum
he falls on proud Rhamnes, who by chance, on piled rugs
Rhamnetem adgreditur, qui forte tapetibus altis
heaped high, was breathing out sleep from all his breast.
exstructus toto proflabat pectore somnum.
A king himself, and to King Turnus a most welcome augur,
Rex idem et regi Turno gratissimus augur,
but not by augury could he ward off his doom.
sed non augurio potuit depellere pestem.
Three servants near him, lying careless among the weapons,
Tris iuxta famulos temere inter tela iacentis
he cuts down, and Remus’ armor-bearer and his charioteer,
armigerumque Remi premit aurigamque sub ipsis
caught beneath the very horses, and slices their drooping necks;
nanctus equis ferroque secat pendentia colla;
then he takes the master’s own head and leaves the trunk
tum caput ipsi aufert domino truncumque relinquit
sobbing with blood; the ground and the couches, warmed
sanguine singultantem; atro tepefacta cruore
terra torique madent. Nec non Lamyrumque Lamumque
notable in beauty, and lay overcome by the god of wine,
luserat, insignis facie, multoque iacebat
his limbs vanquished: happy, had he but matched
membra deo victus: felix, si protinus illum
that play to the night and prolonged it into the light.
aequasset nocti ludum in lucemque tulisset.
As an unfed lion, ranging through a crowded fold,
Impastus ceu plena leo per ovilia turbans
(for raging hunger drives him) gnaws and drags
(suadet enim vesana fames) manditque trahitque
the soft flock, dumb with fear, and growls with bloody jaws:
molle pecus mutumque metu, fremit ore cruento:
no less is Euryalus’ slaughter; he too, inflamed,
nec minor Euryali caedes; incensus et ipse
rages on, and among the nameless throng in the midst,
perfurit ac multam in medio sine nomine plebem,
Fadumque Herbesumque subit Rhoetumque Abarimque,
all unaware—but Rhoetus awake and seeing everything,
ignaros, Rhoetum vigilantem et cuncta videntem,
who in great fear was hiding behind a mixing-bowl;
sed magnum metuens se post cratera tegebat;
in his breast, close up, the whole sword
pectore in adverso totum cui comminus ensem
he buried as he rose, and drew it back full of death.
condidit adsurgenti et multa morte recepit.
He vomits up his crimson life and, with the blood,
Purpuream vomit ille animam et cum sanguine mixta
brings back the mingled wine as he dies; the other presses, hot in his stealth.
vina refert moriens; hic furto fervidus instat.
And now he was making for Messapus’ comrades; there he saw
Iamque ad Messapi socios tendebat; ibi ignem
the last fire failing, and the horses, duly tethered,
deficere extremum et religatos rite videbat
cropping the grass: when Nisus, briefly, spoke thus—
carpere gramen equos: breviter cum talia Nisus.
for he felt him carried away by too much killing and lust:
sensit enim nimia caede atque cupidine ferri:
"Let us leave off," he says, "for the unfriendly light draws near.
Absistamus, ait, nam lux inimica propinquat.
Vengeance enough is taken; a way is made through the foe."
Poenarum exhaustum satis est, via facta per hostis.
Many things of men, wrought of solid silver, they leave,
Multa virum solido argento perfecta relinquunt
arms and mixing-bowls together, and beautiful rugs.
armaque craterasque simul pulchrosque tapetas.
Euryalus takes Rhamnes’ trappings and the belt studded
Euryalus phaleras Rhamnetis et aurea bullis
with gold bosses, which once the richest Caedicus,
cingula, Tiburti Remulo ditissimus olim
to join in guest-friendship from afar, sent as gifts
quae mittit dona hospitio cum iungeret absens
to Remulus of Tibur; he, dying, gave them to his grandson to keep,
Caedicus, ille suo moriens dat habere nepoti,
and after his death the Rutulians won them in war and battle:
post mortem bello Rutuli pugnaque potiti
these he seizes and fits, in vain, on his brave shoulders.
haec rapit atque umeris nequiquam fortibus aptat.
Then Messapus’ helmet, handy and graced with crests,
Tum galeam Messapi habilem cristisque decoram
he puts on. They quit the camp and make for safety.
induit. Excedunt castris et tuta capessunt.
Meanwhile horsemen, sent ahead from the Latin city,
Interea praemissi equites ex urbe Latina,
while the rest of the legion waited drawn up on the plains,
cetera dum legio campis instructa moratur,
were going, bearing answers to King Turnus,
ibant et Turno regi responsa ferebant,
three hundred, all shield-bearers, under Volcens’ command.
tercentum, scutati omnes, Volcente magistro.
And now they were nearing the camp and coming up under the walls,
Iamque propinquabant castris murosque subibant,
when they see these two afar, turning off by the left-hand path,
cum procul hos laevo flectentis limite cernunt
and the helmet betrayed Euryalus in the half-light
et galea Euryalum sublustri noctis in umbra
of the night, the heedless one, and flashed back the rays.
prodidit immemorem radiisque adversa refulsit.
It was not seen for nothing. Volcens shouts from the column:
Haud temere est visum. Conclamat ab agmine Volcens
"Halt, men. What is your errand? Who are you, under arms?
State, viri. Quae causa viae? Quive estis in armis?
Where do you hold your road?" They make no answer at all,
Quove tenetis iter? Nihil illi tendere contra,
but speed their flight into the woods and trust the night.
sed celerare fugam in silvas et fidere nocti.
The horsemen throw themselves across the known crossways
Obiciunt equites sese ad divortia nota
on this side and that, and ring every outlet with a guard.
hinc atque hinc omnemque abitum custode coronant.
There was a wood, wide and bristling with thickets and black
Silva fuit late dumis atque ilice nigra
holm-oak, which dense briars filled on every side;
horrida, quam densi complerant undique sentes;
here and there a faint path gleamed through the hidden tracks.
rara per occultos lucebat semita calles.
Euryalus the dark of the branches and his burdensome plunder
Euryalum tenebrae ramorum onerosaque praeda
hamper, and fear deceives him as to the lie of the paths;
impediunt fallitque timor regione viarum;
Nisus gets away, and now, unawares, had escaped the foe
Nisus abit, iamque imprudens evaserat hostis
and the places later called Alban, from Alba’s name—
atque locos, qui post Albae de nomine dicti
then King Latinus kept his high stalls there—
Albani, tum rex stabula alta Latinus habebat,
when he halted and looked back in vain for his absent friend.
ut stetit et frustra absentem respexit amicum.
"Euryalus, ill-starred, in what place did I leave you?
Euryale infelix, qua te regione reliqui?
Or where shall I follow?"—retracing again the whole tangled
Quave sequar, rursus perplexum iter omne revolvens
way of the treacherous wood. And at once he reads his tracks
fallacis silvae? Simul et vestigia retro
backward, marked, and wanders through the silent thickets.
observata legit dumisque silentibus errat.
He hears horses, hears the noise and the calls of pursuers.
Audit equos, audit strepitus et signa sequentum.
No long time between, when a shout reaches his ears,
Nec longum in medio tempus, cum clamor ad auris
and he sees Euryalus, whom now the whole band,
pervenit ac videt Euryalum, quem iam manus omnis
by the treachery of place and night, in the sudden whirling uproar,
fraude loci et noctis, subito turbante tumultu,
has overpowered and drags off, struggling much in vain.
oppressum rapit et conantem plurima frustra.
What is he to do? By what force, with what arms, dare he
Quid faciat? Qua vi iuvenem, quibus audeat armis
rescue the youth? Shall he hurl himself, doomed to die, amid
eripere? An sese medios moriturus in enses
the swords, and hasten through wounds to a glorious death?
inferat et pulchram properet per volnera mortem?
Swiftly, drawing back his arm and whirling the spear-shaft,
Ocius adducto torquens hastile lacerto,
looking up to the high Moon, he prays thus aloud:
suspiciens altam Lunam sic voce precatur:
"You, goddess, you, be near and aid our toil,
Tu, dea, tu praesens nostro succurre labori,
glory of the stars and guardian of the groves, Latona’s child.
astrorum decus et nemorum Latonia custos.
If ever my father Hyrtacus brought gifts to your altars
Siqua tuis umquam pro me pater Hyrtacus aris
for me, if I myself increased them from my own hunting,
dona tulit, siqua ipse meis venatibus auxi
and hung them in your dome or fixed them to the sacred gables:
suspendive tholo aut sacra ad fastigia fixi:
let me scatter this throng, and guide my weapons through the air."
hunc sine me turbare globum et rege tela per auras.
He had spoken, and straining with his whole body, hurls
Dixerat, et toto conixus corpore ferrum
the iron: the flying spear cleaves the shadows of the night
conicit: hasta volans noctis diverberat umbras
snapping, drives through his midriff with splintered wood.
frangitur ac fisso transit praecordia ligno.
He rolls over, vomiting a warm stream from his breast,
Volvitur ille vomens calidum de pectore flumen
growing cold, and beats his flanks with long sobs.
frigidus et longis singultibus ilia pulsat.
They look about in every direction. The keener for this, the same man,
Diversi circumspiciunt. Hoc acrior idem
lo, was poising another weapon level with his ear.
ecce aliud summa telum librabat ab aure.
While they tremble, the spear goes through both Tagus’ temples,
Dum trepidant, it hasta Tago per tempus utrumque
hissing, and stuck, warmed, in the pierced brain.
stridens traiectoque haesit tepefacta cerebro.
Fierce Volcens rages, and nowhere can he see the weapon’s
Saevit atrox Volcens nec teli conspicit usquam
author, nor where, burning, he may hurl himself.
auctorem nec quo se ardens inmittere possit.
"You, though, meanwhile, with your warm blood shall pay me
Tu tamen interea calido mihi sanguine poenas
the penalty for both," he says; at once with drawn sword
persolves amborum, inquit; simul ense recluso
he went at Euryalus. Then indeed, terrified, frantic,
ibat in Euryalum. Tum vero exterritus, amens
Nisus cries out, nor could he hide himself longer
conclamat Nisus, nec se celare tenebris
in the darkness, nor bear so great a grief.
amplius aut tantum potuit perferre dolorem.
"On me, me—here am I who did it—turn your steel,
Me me, adsum qui feci, in me convertite ferrum,
O Rutulians; mine is all the guilt; he neither dared
O Rutuli, mea fraus omnis; nihil iste nec ausus
nor could—this heaven and the conscious stars I call to witness—
nec potuit, caelum hoc et conscia sidera testor,
he only loved too well an ill-starred friend."
tantum infelicem nimium dilexit amicum.
Such words he was uttering; but the sword, driven with force,
Talia dicta dabat; sed viribus ensis adactus
passed through the ribs and burst the white breast.
transabiit costas et candida pectora rumpit.
Euryalus rolls over in death, and over his fair limbs
Volvitur Euryalus leto, pulchrosque per artus
the blood runs, and his neck sinks down upon his shoulders:
it cruor, inque umeros cervix conlapsa recumbit:
as when a crimson flower, cut by the plough,
purpureus veluti cum flos succisus aratro
droops in death, or poppies on a weary stalk
languescit moriens lassove papavera collo
bow their heads, when by chance the rain weighs them down.
demisere caput, pluvia cum forte gravantur.
But Nisus rushes into their midst, and through them all
At Nisus ruit in medios solumque per omnis
makes for Volcens alone, on Volcens alone he hangs.
Volcentem petit in solo Volcente moratur.
About him the enemy, massed, on this side and that, at close range,
Quem circum glomerati hostes hinc comminus atque hinc
drive him back. None the less he presses on and whirls his sword,
proturbant. Instat non setius ac rotat ensem
lightning-swift, until in the face of the shouting Rutulian
fulmineum, donec Rutuli clamantis in ore
he buried it full, and, dying, took the foe’s life with him.
condidit adverso et moriens animam abstulit hosti.
Then he flung himself upon his lifeless friend,
Tum super exanimum sese proiecit amicum
stabbed through, and there at last found rest in a peaceful death.
confossus placidaque ibi demum morte quievit.
Fortunate pair! If my songs have any power,
Fortunati ambo! Siquid mea carmina possunt,
no day shall ever take you from the memory of time,
nulla dies umquam memori vos eximet aevo,
while the house of Aeneas dwells by the Capitol’s unmoved rock,
dum domus Aeneae Capitoli immobile saxum
and a Roman father holds the empire.
accolet imperiumque pater Romanus habebit.
The victorious Rutulians, masters of the booty and spoils,
Victores praeda Rutuli spoliisque potiti
bore lifeless Volcens, weeping, back to the camp.
Volcentem exanimum flentes in castra ferebant.
Nor was the grief less in the camp, with Rhamnes found
Nec minor in castris luctus Rhamnete reperto
bloodless, and so many of the chiefs slain at once in that slaughter,
exsangui et primis una tot caede peremptis,
and Serranus and Numa. A huge throng rushes to the very
Serranoque Numaque. Ingens concursus ad ipsa
bodies, to the half-dead men and the place still warm
corpora seminecisque viros tepidaque recentem
with fresh slaughter, and the runnels full of foaming blood.
caede locum et plenos spumanti sanguine rivos.
They recognize among themselves the spoils and the gleaming helmet
Agnoscunt spolia inter se galeamque nitentem
of Messapus, and the trappings recovered with much sweat.
Messapi et multo phaleras sudore receptas.
And now Aurora, leaving Tithonus’ saffron couch,
Et iam prima novo spargebat lumine terras
was sprinkling the earth with first new light:
Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile:
now with the sun poured forth, now with things laid bare by the light,
iam sole infuso, iam rebus luce retectis
Turnus, himself girt in arms, rouses his men
Turnus in arma viros, armis circumdatus ipse,
to arms, and drives his bronze-clad lines into battle,
suscitat, aeratasque acies in proelia cogit
each his own, and they whet their wrath with varied rumors.
quisque suas variisque acuunt rumoribus iras.
Nay, on uplifted spears (a piteous sight)
Quin ipsa arrectis (visu miserabile) in hastis
they fix the heads and follow them with loud shouting,
praefigunt capita et multo clamore sequuntur
the heads of Euryalus and Nisus.
Euryali et Nisi.
The hardy sons of Aeneas, on the left side of the walls,
Aeneadae duri murorum in parte sinistra
set their line against them—for the right is girt by the river—
opposuere aciem, nam dextera cingitur amni,
and hold the great trenches and on the high towers
ingentisque tenent fossas et turribus altis
stand grieving; the impaled faces of the men moved them at once,
stant maesti; simul ora virum praefixa movebant,
too well known to the wretched, and dripping with black gore.
nota nimis miseris atroque fluentia tabo.
Meanwhile winged Rumor, flying through the frightened city,
Interea pavidam volitans pennata per urbem
as messenger rushes on and glides to the ears of the mother
nuntia Fama ruit matrisque adlabitur auris
of Euryalus. But of a sudden warmth left the poor woman’s bones,
Euryali. At subitus miserae calor ossa reliquit,
the shuttle was struck from her hands and the spun threads unrolled.
excussi manibus radii revolutaque pensa.
Out she flies, ill-fated, and with a woman’s wailing,
Evolat infelix et femineo ululatu,
her hair torn, distracted, runs to the walls and the foremost
scissa comam, muros amens atque agmina cursu
ranks, heedless of the men, heedless of the danger
prima petit, non illa virum, non illa pericli
and the weapons; then she fills the heaven with her laments:
telorumque memor; caelum dehinc questibus implet:
"Is it thus I see you, Euryalus? You, the late
Hunc ego te, Euryale, aspicio? Tune illa senectae
comfort of my old age, could you leave me alone,
sera meae requies, potuisti linquere solam,
cruel one? Nor, when you were sent into such perils,
crudelis? Nec te, sub tanta pericula missum,
was your wretched mother given leave to say a last farewell?
adfari extremum miserae data copia matri?
Alas, on an unknown land you lie, given as prey to the dogs
Heu, terra ignota canibus data praeda Latinis
and birds of Latium, nor did I, your mother, lead you
alitibusque iaces, nec te, tua funera mater
out to your burial, or close your eyes or wash your wounds,
produxi pressive oculos aut volnera lavi,
covering you with the robe at which, hurrying nights and days,
veste tegens, tibi quam noctes festina diesque
I labored, and soothed an old woman’s cares at the loom.
urgebam et tela curas solabar anilis.
Where shall I follow, or what land now holds your limbs,
Quo sequar, aut quae nunc artus avolsaque membra
your torn-off body, the mangled corpse? Is this what of yourself,
et funus lacerum tellus habet? Hoc mihi de te,
my son, you bring me back? Is it for this I followed by land and sea?
nate, refers? Hoc sum terraque marique secuta?
Pierce me, if you have any pity, on me hurl all your weapons,
Figite me, siqua est pietas, in me omnia tela
O Rutulians, cut me down first with the steel:
conicite, o Rutuli, me primam absumite ferro:
or you, great father of the gods, take pity, and with your bolt
aut tu, magne pater divom, miserere tuoque
thrust this hated head down beneath Tartarus,
invisum hoc detrude caput sub Tartara telo,
since otherwise I cannot break off this cruel life."
quando aliter nequeo crudelem abrumpere vitam.
By this weeping their spirits were shaken, and a mournful
Hoc fletu concussi animi, maestusque per omnis
groan goes through them all: their strength for battle, broken, grows numb.
it gemitus: torpent infractae ad proelia vires.
Her, as she kindled their grief, Idaeus and Actor,
Illam incendentem luctus Idaeus et Actor
at Ilioneus’ bidding and that of much-weeping Iulus,
Illionei monitu et multum lacrimantis Iuli
catch up and bear in their arms back beneath the roofs.
corripiunt interque manus sub tecta reponunt.
But the trumpet, far off, with ringing bronze, blared
At tuba terribilem sonitum procul aere canoro
its terrible sound; a shout follows and the sky bellows back.
increpuit; sequitur clamor caelumque remugit.
The Volscians hasten, their tortoise-shield brought up evenly,
Adcelerant acta pariter testudine Volsci
and make ready to fill the trenches and tear down the rampart.
et fossas implere parant ac vellere vallum.
Some seek an entry and to climb the walls with ladders,
Quaerunt pars aditum et scalis ascendere muros,
where the line is thin and the ring of defenders shows gaps,
qua rara est acies interlucetque corona
not so crowded with men. Against them the Teucrians pour
non tam spissa viris. Telorum effundere contra
every kind of missile, and thrust them off with hard poles,
omne genus Teucri ac duris detrudere contis,
used by long war to defending walls.
adsueti longo muros defendere bello.
Stones too they rolled down with deadly weight, to see if
Saxa quoque infesto volvebant pondere, siqua
they could break through the sheltered line: yet under the dense
possent tectam aciem perrumpere: cum tamen omnis
tortoise it is easy to bear every blow;
ferre iuvat subter densa testudine casus;
but now they cannot hold. For where a huge mass threatens,
nec iam sufficiunt. Nam qua globus imminet ingens,
the Teucrians roll and topple a monstrous boulder,
immanem Teucri molem volvuntque ruuntque,
which laid the Rutulians low far and wide and broke open
quae stravit Rutulos late armorumque resolvit
their armor’s cover. No longer do the bold Rutulians care
tegmina. Nec curant caeco contendere Marte
to contend in blind warfare, but to drive the men from the rampart
amplius audaces Rutuli, sed pellere vallo
with missiles they strive.
missilibus certant.
In another quarter, dreadful to see, Mezentius brandished
Parte alia horrendus visu quassabat Etruscam
an Etruscan pine and brought up smoking fires;
pinum et fumiferos infert Mezentius ignis;
but Messapus, tamer of horses, Neptune’s offspring,
at Messapus equum domitor, Neptunia proles,
tears down the rampart and calls for ladders against the walls.
rescindit vallum et scalas in moenia poscit.
what carnage by the sword, what deaths there Turnus
quas ibi tum ferro strages, quae funera Turnus
then dealt, and whom each warrior sent down to Orcus;
ediderit, quem quisque virum demiserit Orco;
and unroll with me the vast borders of the war,
et mecum ingentis oras evolvite belli,
for you remember, goddesses, and have power to recall.
et meministis enim, divae, et memorare potestis.
There was a tower, of vast outlook and with high gangways,
Turris erat vasto suspectu et pontibus altis,
well-placed, which with all their might the Italians
opportuna loco, summis quam viribus omnes
strove to storm and to overthrow with the utmost force of their power,
expugnare Itali summaque evertere opum vi
while the Trojans in turn defended it with stones
certabant, Troes contra defendere saxis
and, packed close, hurled weapons through the hollow loopholes.
perque cavas densi tela intorquere fenestras.
Turnus first flung a blazing brand
Princeps ardentem coniecit lampada Turnus
and fixed the flame to the side, which, fanned wide by the wind,
et flammam adfixit lateri, quae plurima vento
seized the planks and clung to the eaten posts.
corripuit tabulas et postibus haesit adesis.
Within, men panicked and trembled, and in vain
Turbati trepidare intus frustraque malorum
wished to flee their ills. While they crowd together and shrink back
velle fugam. Dum se glomerant retroque residunt
to the part that is free of the plague, then under the weight the tower
in partem, quae peste caret, tum pondere turris
suddenly fell, and all the sky thunders with the crash.
procubuit subito et caelum tonat omne fragore.
Half-dead they come to the ground, the huge mass following after,
Semineces ad terram, immani mole secuta,
pierced by their own weapons, their breasts driven through
confixique suis telis et pectora duro
and Lycus escape. Of these, Helenor in his first youth,
et Lycus elapsi. Quorum primaevus Helenor,
whom the slave Licymnia had borne in secret to the Maeonian king
Maeonio regi quem serva Licymnia furtim
and sent to Troy with forbidden arms,
sustulerat vetitisque ad Troiam miserat armis,
light with naked sword and inglorious with a white shield;
ense levis nudo parmaque inglorius alba;
and he, when he saw himself amid Turnus’ thousands,
isque ubi se Turni media inter milia vidit,
with Latin lines standing on this side and on that:
hinc acies atque hinc acies adstare Latinas:
as a wild beast, hemmed by a dense ring of hunters,
ut fera, quae densa venantum saepta corona
rages against the weapons and, not unaware, hurls itself
contra tela furit seseque haud nescia morti
upon death, and with a leap is carried over the boar-spears,
inicit et saltu supra venabula fertur,
no otherwise the youth, doomed to die, into the midst of the foe
haud aliter iuvenis medios moriturus in hostis
rushes, and makes for where he sees the weapons thickest.
inruit et, qua tela videt densissima, tendit.
But Lycus, far better in the foot-race, between the foe
At pedibus longe melior Lycus inter et hostis
and the weapons, in flight gains the walls and strives to grasp
inter et arma fuga muros tenet altaque certat
the high battlements with his hand and to reach his comrades’ right hands.
prendere tecta manu sociumque attingere dextras.
Him Turnus, pursuing alike in the race and with his weapon,
Quem Turnus, pariter cursu teloque secutus,
taunts thus, the victor: "Did you hope, madman, to escape
increpat his victor: Nostrasne evadere, demens,
our hands?" And at once he seizes the man himself,
sperasti te posse manus? Simul adripit ipsum
dangling, and tears him down with a great part of the wall.
pendentem et magna muri cum parte revellit.
As when Jove’s armor-bearer, seeking the heights, has caught up
Qualis ubi aut leporem aut candenti corpore cycnum
in his hooked talons a hare or a white-bodied swan,
sustulit alta petens pedibus Iovis armiger uncis
or as the wolf of Mars has snatched from the fold
quaesitum aut matri multis balatibus agnum
a lamb its dam seeks with much bleating. On every side a shout
Martius a stabulis rapuit lupus. Undique clamor
goes up: they press in and fill the trenches they are driving forward;
tollitur: invadunt et fossas agere complent;
others fling blazing brands at the gable-tops.
ardentis taedas alii ad fastigia iactant.
Ilioneus, with a rock and a huge fragment of mountain,
Ilioneus saxo atque ingenti fragmine montis
lays low Lucetius, coming up to the gate and bearing fire;
Lucetium portae subeuntem ignisque ferentem,
the one good with the javelin, the other with the far-deceiving arrow,
hic iaculo bonus, hic longe fallente sagitta,
and Sagaris, and Idas standing before the high towers,
et Sagarim et summis stantem pro turribus Idan,
had grazed: he, madly, having thrown away his shield, put his hand
strinxerat: ille manum proiecto tegmine demens
to the wound; so an arrow, gliding on wings,
ad volnus tulit; ergo alis adlapsa sagitta
fixed his hand to his left side, and, sunk within,
et laevo infixa est lateri manus abditaque intus
broke with a deadly wound the breathing-passages of life.
spiramenta animae letali volnere rupit.
his cloak embroidered with the needle, bright with Iberian purple,
pictus acu chlamydem et ferrugine clarus Hibera,
notable in face, whom his father Arcens had sent,
insignis facie, genitor quem miserat Arcens,
streams, where the rich and gracious altar of Palicus stands:
flumina, pinguis ubi et placabilis ara Palici:
his spears laid by, Mezentius whirled a whistling sling
stridentem fundam positis Mezentius hastis
himself thrice round his head with the drawn-back thong,
ipse ter adducta circum caput egit habena
and with the molten lead clove the man’s temples
et media adversi liquefacto tempora plumbo
full, and stretched him outspread upon the deep sand.
diffidit ac multa porrectum extendit harena.
Then first in war, men say, Ascanius drew a swift arrow—
Tum primum bello celerem intendisse sagittam
he who before was wont to frighten only fleeing game—
dicitur ante feras solitus terrere fugaces
whose surname was Remulus, and who had lately wedded
cui Remulo cognomen erat, Turnique minorem
Turnus’ younger sister in marriage.
germanam nuper thalamo sociatus habebat.
He, before the front line, with things worthy and unworthy to tell,
Is primam ante aciem digna atque indigna relatu
shouting, his heart swollen with new royalty,
vociferans tumidusque novo praecordia regno
went on and bore himself loud with great clamor:
ibat et ingentem sese clamore ferebat:
"Are you not ashamed to be penned a second time by siege and rampart,
Non pudet obsidione iterum valloque teneri,
twice-captured Phrygians, and to set walls between you and death?
bis capti Phryges, et morti praetendere muros?
Look at the men who demand our brides for themselves by war!
En qui nostra sibi bello conubia poscunt!
What god, what madness drove you to Italy?
Quis deus Italiam, quae vos dementia adegit
No sons of Atreus are here, no Ulysses, smith of words:
Non hic Atridae nec fandi fictor Ulixes:
a race hard from the root, we carry our newborn sons first
durum a stirpe genus natos ad flumina primum
to the rivers and harden them in the cruel frost and the waters,
deferimus saevoque gelu duramus et undis,
our boys keep wakeful at the hunt and tire out the woods,
venatu invigilant pueri silvasque fatigant,
their sport is to wheel horses and bend the bow’s shafts.
flectere ludus equos et spicula tendere cornu.
But our youth, patient of toil and used to little,
At patiens operum parvoque adsueta iuventus
either tames the earth with mattocks or shakes towns in war.
aut rastris terram domat aut quatit oppida bello.
All our life is worn with iron, and with the reversed spear
Omne aevum ferro teritur, versaque iuvencum
we goad the backs of bullocks; nor does slow old age
terga fatigamus hasta; nec tarda senectus
weaken our strength of spirit or change our vigor:
debilitat vires animi mutatque vigorem:
we press the helmet on our gray hairs, and ever to bring in
canitiem galea premimus, semperque recentis
fresh plunder is our joy, and to live on what we seize.
comportare iuvat praedas et vivere rapto.
For you, raiment dyed with saffron and gleaming purple,
Vobis picta croco et fulgenti murice vestis,
sloth is your delight, you love to give yourselves to dances,
desidiae cordi, iuvat indulgere choreis,
and your tunics have sleeves and your bonnets ribbons.
et tunicae manicas et habent redimicula mitrae.
O Phrygian women in truth—for Phrygian men you are not—go over the high
O vere Phrygiae, neque enim Phryges, ite per alta
Dindyma, where the flute gives its two-toned song to the accustomed ear!
Dindyma ubi adsuetis biforem dat tibia cantum!
The timbrels call you, and the Berecyntian boxwood of the Idaean
Tympana vos buxusque vocat Berecyntia Matris
Mother: leave arms to men, and give way before the sword."
Idaeae sinite arma viris et cedite ferro.
As he flung out such taunts and chanted his dire words,
Talia iactantem dictis ac dira canentem
Ascanius bore it not, and, facing him, on the horsehair string
non tulit Ascanius nervoque obversus equino
he strained his shaft, and, drawing his arms apart,
contendit telum diversaque bracchia ducens
stood firm, first praying to Jove a suppliant with vows:
constitit, ante Iovem supplex per vota precatus:
"Almighty Jupiter, give assent to my bold undertaking.
Iuppiter omnipotens, audacibus adnue coeptis.
I myself will bring solemn gifts to your temples,
Ipse tibi ad tua templa feram sollemnia dona
and set before your altars a bullock with gilded brow,
et statuam ante aras aurata fronte iuvencum
white, holding its head as high as its mother,
candentem pariterque caput cum matre ferentem,
one that already butts with the horn and scatters the sand with its feet."
iam cornu petat et pedibus qui spargat harenam.
The Father heard, and from a clear quarter of the sky
Audiit et caeli Genitor de parte serena
thundered on the left, and at once the death-dealing bow sounds:
intonuit laevum, sonat una fatifer arcus:
off flies the drawn arrow with a fearful hiss,
effugit horrendum stridens adducta sagitta
and goes through Remulus’ head and pierces the hollow temples
perque caput Remuli venit et cava tempora ferro
with the iron. "Go, mock at valor with proud words!
traicit. I, verbis virtutem inlude superbis!
The twice-captured Phrygians send the Rutulians back this answer."
His capti Phryges haec Rutulis responsa remittunt.
Only this Ascanius. The Teucrians follow with a shout,
Hoc tantum Ascanius. Teucri clamore sequuntur
roar with joy, and lift their spirits to the stars.
laetitiaque fremunt animosque ad sidera tollunt.
Then by chance, in the tract of heaven, long-haired Apollo
Aetheria tum forte plaga crinitus Apollo
was looking down on the Ausonian lines and the city,
desuper Ausonias acies urbemque videbat,
seated on a cloud, and thus addresses the victor Iulus:
nube sedens, atque his victorem adfatur Iulum:
"Blessing on your new valor, boy: so one goes to the stars,
Macte nova virtute, puer: sic itur ad astra,
son of gods and sire of gods to be. By right all wars
dis genite et geniture deos. Iure omnia bella
that are to come shall rightly cease under the line of Assaracus,
gente sub Assaraci fato ventura resident,
and Troy cannot contain you." So speaking, from the high
nec te Troia capit. Simul haec effatus ab alto
air he cast himself down, parts the breathing breezes,
aethere se misit, spirantis dimovet auras
and seeks Ascanius. Then the form of his face is changed
Ascaniumque petit. Forma tum vertitur oris
to Dardanian Anchises and faithful guard at the door,
armiger ante fuit fidusque ad limina custos,
then the father set him as companion to Ascanius. Apollo went on,
tum comitem Ascanio pater addidit. Ibat Apollo
like the aged man in all things, in voice and color
omnia longaevo similis, vocemque coloremque
and white hair and arms grim with their clangor,
et crinis albos et saeva sonoribus arma,
and with these words addresses the ardent Iulus:
atque his ardentem dictis adfatur Iulum:
"Let it be enough, son of Aeneas, that Numanus has fallen
Sit satis, Aenide, telis impune Numanum
unpunished to your darts; this first glory great Apollo
oppetiisse tuis; primam hanc tibi magnus, Apollo
grants you, nor grudges that your arms equal his own:
concedit laudem et paribus non invidet armis:
but of the rest of the war, boy, forbear." So Apollo began,
cetera parce, puer, bello. Sic orsus Apollo
and in mid-speech left mortal sight,
mortalis medio aspectus sermone reliquit
and far off vanished from their eyes into thin air.
et procul in tenuem ex oculis evanuit auram.
The chiefs knew the god and his divine weapons,
Agnovere deum proceres divinaque tela
and the Dardanians heard the quiver rattling as he fled.
Dardanidae pharetramque fuga sensere sonantem.
So, by the words and the power of Phoebus, they hold back
Ergo avidum pugnae dictis ac numine Phoebi
Ascanius, eager for the fight, and they themselves again
Ascanium prohibent, ipsi in certamina rursus
go into the contests and send their lives into open peril.
succedunt animasque in aperta pericula mittunt.
A shout runs along the battlements all round the walls,
It clamor totis per propugnacula muris,
they bend their keen bows and whirl the throwing-thongs.
intendunt acris arcus amentaque torquent.
All the ground is strewn with weapons; then shields and hollow
Sternitur omne solum telis, tum scuta cavaeque
helmets give sound at the clash, the bitter fight rises:
dant sonitum flictu galeae, pugna aspera surgit:
as great as the rainstorm that, coming from the west with the showery Kids,
quantus ab occasu veniens pluvialibus Haedis
lashes the ground, as thick as the hail the storm-clouds
verberat imber humum, quam multa grandine nimbi
hurl into the shallows, when Jupiter, bristling with the south winds,
in vada praecipitant, cum Iuppiter horridus austris
wheels the watery tempest and bursts the hollow clouds in heaven.
torquet aquosam hiemem et caelo cava nubila rumpit.
youths matched with their native firs and mountains,
abietibus iuvenes patriis et montibus aequos,
open the gate that was entrusted to them by their captain’s command,
portam, quae ducis imperio commissa, recludunt,
trusting in their courage, and of their own will bid the foe within the walls.
freti animis, ultroque invitant moenibus hostem.
They themselves within stand right and left before the towers,
Ipsi intus dextra ac laeva pro turribus adstant,
armed in steel and flashing with crests on their high heads:
armati ferro et cristis capita alta corusci:
like, by the flowing rivers’ airy banks,
quales aëriae liquentia flumina circum,
twin oaks that rise up and lift their unshorn heads
consurgunt geminae quercus intonsaque caelo
to the sky and nod with their lofty crowns.
attollunt capita et sublimi vertice nutant.
The Rutulians burst the entrance when they saw it open,
inrumpunt aditus Rutuli ut videre patentis
with all their companies: but, turned, they gave their backs,
agminibus totis: at versi terga dedere
or laid down their lives on the very threshold of the gate.
aut ipso portae posuere in limine vitam.
Then wrath swells the more in the warring spirits;
Tum magis increscunt animis discordibus irae;
and now the Trojans, gathered, mass to the same point
et iam collecti Troes glomerantur eodem
and dare to close hand-to-hand and to sally farther out.
et conferre manum et procurrere longius audent.
To the captain Turnus, raging in another quarter
Ductori Turno diversa in parte furenti
and routing the men, word is brought that the foe
turbantique viros perfertur nuntius, hostem
seethes with fresh slaughter and offers his gates wide open.
fervere caede nova et portas praebere patentis.
He leaves his undertaking and, stirred by monstrous wrath,
Deserit inceptum atque immani concitus ira
rushes to the Dardanian gate and the proud brothers.
Dardaniam ruit ad portam fratresque superbos.
And first Antiphates—for he was foremost in the throng—
Et primum Antiphaten, is enim se primus agebat,
bastard son of a Theban mother to lofty Sarpedon,
Thebana de matre nothum Sarpedonis alti,
he lays low with a hurled javelin; the Italian cornel flies
coniecto sternit iaculo; volat Itala cornus
through the yielding air and, fixed in the gullet, passes deep
aëra per tenerum stomachoque infixa sub altum
beneath the breast: the cavern of the black wound gives back a wave,
pectus abit: reddit specus atri volneris undam
foaming, and the iron grows warm in the pierced lung.
spumantem, et fixo ferrum in pulmone tepescit.
then Bitias, blazing in his eyes and roaring in his spirit—
tum Bitian ardentem oculis animisque frementem
not with a javelin, for he would not have yielded his life to a javelin,
non iaculo, neque enim iaculo vitam ille dedisset,
but a great whistling falaric, hurled, came on,
sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica venit,
driven like a thunderbolt, which neither two bull’s-hide layers
fulminis acta modo, quam nec duo taurea terga
nor the trusty corselet with its double scale and gold
nec duplici squama lorica fidelis et auro
withstood: the giant limbs collapse and fall.
sustinuit: conlapsa ruunt immania membra.
The earth gives a groan, and the huge shield thunders over him.
Dat tellus gemitum, et clipeum super intonat ingens.
a pile of stone falls, which, built up first of great masses,
saxea pila cadit, magnis quam molibus ante
they cast into the sea; so it draws ruin
constructam ponto iaciunt; sic illa ruinam
headlong with it and, dashed deep, settles in the shallows:
prona trahit penitusque vadis inlisa recumbit:
the seas churn together, and the black sands are heaved up;
miscent se maria, et nigrae attolluntur harenae;
then with the din high Prochyta trembles, and the hard bed
tum sonitu Prochyta alta tremit durumque cubile
Here Mars, mighty in arms, gave spirit and strength
Hic Mars armipotens animum viresque Latinis
to the Latins and turned sharp goads beneath their breasts,
addidit et stimulos acris sub pectore vertit
and loosed on the Teucrians Flight and black Fear.
immisitque Fugam Teucris atrumque Timorem.
They gather from all sides, since the chance of battle is given,
Undique conveniunt, quoniam data copia pugnae
and the warrior-god has fallen upon their hearts.
bellatorque animo deus incidit.
Pandarus, when he sees his brother laid low in body,
Pandarus ut fuso germanum corpore cernit
and in what state their fortune stands, what hap is driving things,
et quo sit fortuna loco, qui casus agat res,
with great force he swings the gate on its turning hinge,
portam vi magna converso cardine torquet,
straining with his broad shoulders, and many of his own
obnixus latis umeris, multosque suorum
he leaves shut out beyond the walls in the hard fight;
moenibus exclusos duro in certamine linquit;
but others he shuts in with himself and takes them as they rush in,
ast alios secum includit recipitque ruentis,
fool, who did not see the Rutulian king in the midst of the press
demens, qui Rutulum in medio non agmine regem
bursting in, and shut him within the city of his own accord,
viderit inrumpentem ultroque incluserit urbi,
like a monstrous tiger among helpless cattle.
immanem veluti pecora inter inertia tigrim.
At once a strange light flashed in his eyes, and his arms
Continuo nova lux oculis effulsit, et arma
rang dreadfully; the crests tremble on his crown,
horrendum sonuere; tremunt in vertice cristae
blood-red, and from his shield he sends flashing lightnings:
sanguineae, clipeoque micantia fulmina mittit:
they know the hated face and the monstrous limbs,
agnoscunt faciem invisam atque immania membra
the sons of Aeneas, suddenly dismayed. Then huge Pandarus
turbati subito Aeneadae. Tum Pandarus ingens
darts out and, hot with wrath at his brother’s death,
emicat et mortis fraternae fervidus ira
cries: "This is no dower-palace of Amata,
effatur: Non haec dotalis regia Amatae,
nor does Ardea hold Turnus in the midst of his fathers’ walls.
nec muris cohibet patriis media Ardea Turnum.
You see a hostile camp; no power to get out from here."
Castra inimica vides; nulla hinc exire potestas.
To him, smiling with calm breast, Turnus:
Olli subridens sedato pectore Turnus:
"Begin, if you have any courage in your heart, and join hands:
Incipe, siqua animo virtus, et consere dextram:
here too you shall tell Priam that an Achilles was found."
hic etiam inventum Priamo narrabis Achillem.
He had spoken. The other, with all his strength, hurls
Dixerat. Ille rudem nodis et cortice crudo
a spear rough with knots and raw bark:
intorquet summis adnixus viribus hastam:
the breezes caught the blow; Saturnian Juno
excepere aurae volnus; Saturnia Iuno
turned it aside as it came, and the spear is fixed in the gate.
detorsit veniens, portaeque infigitur hasta.
"But this weapon, which my right hand wields with strength,
At non hoc telum, mea quod vi dextera versat,
you shall not escape; not such is the dealer of this stroke and wound."
effugies; neque enim is teli nec volneris auctor.
So he says, and rises to the sword raised high,
Sic ait et sublatum alte consurgit in ensem
and with the steel splits the brow midway between the temples,
et mediam ferro gemina inter tempora frontem
and the beardless cheeks, with a monstrous wound.
dividit inpubesque immani volnere malas.
A crash sounds, the earth is shaken by the huge weight:
Fit sonus, ingenti concussa est pondere tellus:
his collapsed limbs and arms befouled with brains
conlapsos artus atque arma cruenta cerebro
he strews on the ground in death, and the head, in equal halves,
sternit humi moriens, atque illi partibus aequis
hung this way and that from either shoulder.
huc caput atque illuc umero ex utroque pependit.
The Trojans scatter, turned in trembling terror:
Diffugiunt versi trepida formidine Troes:
and if at once that thought had come upon the victor,
et si continuo victorem ea cura subisset,
to break the bars by hand and let his comrades in through the gates,
rumpere claustra manu sociosque immittere portis,
that would have been the last day for the war and the nation;
ultimus ille dies bello gentique fuisset;
but fury and the mad lust of slaughter drove him, blazing,
sed furor ardentem caedisque insana cupido
against those before him.
egit in adversos.
then he snatches spears and hurls them into the backs
excipit; hinc raptas fugientibus ingerit hastas
of the fleeing, Juno supplying strength and spirit;
in tergum, Iuno vires animumque ministrat;
he adds Halys to their company, and Phegeus, his shield pierced through,
addit Halym comitem et confixa Phegea parma,
then men unaware on the walls and rousing the war-cry,
ignaros deinde in muris Martemque cientis
he, straining from the mound, on the right with brandished sword
vibranti gladio conixus ab aggere dexter
forestalls; from him, with one blow at close range, the head,
occupat; huic uno desectum comminus ictu
struck off with the helmet, lay far away. Then the slayer
cum galea longe iacuit caput. Inde ferarum
of wild beasts, Amycus, than whom no other was more skilled
vastatorem Amycum, quo non felicior alter
to anoint the darts by hand and arm the steel with poison,
ungere tela manu ferrumque armare veneno,
Cretheus, companion of the Muses, to whom songs always
Crethea Musarum comitem, cui carmina semper
and the lyre were dear, and to set numbers to the strings.
et citharae cordi numerosque intendere nervis.
Always he sang of horses and the arms of men and battles.
Semper equos atque arma virum pugnasque canebat.
At last the leaders, hearing of the slaughter of their men,
Tandem ductores audita caede suorum
gather, the Teucrians, Mnestheus and keen Serestus,
conveniunt Teucri, Mnestheus acerque Serestus,
and see their comrades straggling and the foe let in.
palantisque vident socios hostemque receptum.
And Mnestheus: "Where now your flight, where do you make for?" he says.
Et Mnestheus: Quo deinde fugam, quo tenditis? inquit.
"What other walls, what ramparts have you now beyond these?
Quos alios muros, quae iam ultra moenia habetis?
Shall one man, citizens, hemmed in on every side by your
Unus homo et vestris, o cives, undique saeptus
ramparts, deal such carnage unpunished through the city,
aggeribus tantas strages inpune per urbem
and send so many of the choicest youth to Orcus?
ediderit, iuvenum primos tot miserit Orco?
Have you no pity, no shame, you sluggards, for your luckless
Non infelicis patriae veterumque deorum
country and the old gods and for great Aeneas?"
et magni Aeneae, segnes, miseretque pudetque?
Kindled by such words, they take heart and in a dense column
Talibus accensi firmantur et agmine denso
make their stand. Turnus little by little draws off from the fight
consistunt. Turnus paulatim excedere pugna
and makes for the river and the part that the water rings;
et fluvium petere ac partem, quae cingitur unda;
the more fiercely for this the Teucrians press on with a great shout
acrius hoc Teucri clamore incumbere magno
and mass their force. As a crowd presses a savage lion
et glomerare manum. Ceu saevum turba leonem
with hostile weapons, while he, frightened,
cum telis premit infensis, at territus ille,
fierce, glaring grimly, gives ground backward, and neither
asper, acerba tuens, retro redit, et neque terga
his wrath nor his valor lets him turn his back, nor can he charge
ira dare aut virtus patitur, nec tendere contra
against them, much as he longs to, through the weapons and the men:
ille quidem hoc cupiens potis est per tela virosque:
no otherwise, uncertain, Turnus backward draws
haud aliter retro dubius vestigia Turnus
his unhurried steps, and his mind seethes with wrath.
improperata refert, et mens exaestuat ira.
Nay, even twice then he had charged into the enemy’s midst,
Quin etiam bis tum medios invaserat hostis,
twice routed their lines in disordered flight along the walls;
bis confusa fuga per muros agmina vertit;
but the whole band from the camp gathers quickly into one,
sed manus e castris propere coit omnis in unum,
nor does Saturnian Juno dare to supply him
nec contra vires audet Saturnia Iuno
with strength against them, for Jupiter sent down airy Iris
sufficere, aëriam caelo nam Iuppiter Irim
from heaven, bearing his sister no soft commands,
demisit germanae haud mollia iussa ferentem,
if Turnus should not withdraw from the high walls of the Teucrians.
ni Turnus cedat Teucrorum moenibus altis.
So the youth can no longer hold out with his shield
Ergo nec clipeo iuvenis subsistere tantum
nor with his hand: with weapons hurled from every side
nec dextra valet: iniectis sic undique telis
he is overwhelmed. The helmet rings about his hollow temples
obruitur. Strepit adsiduo cava tempora circum
with ceaseless clangor, and the solid bronze cracks under the stones,
tinnitu galea, et saxis solida aera fatiscunt,
the plumes are knocked from his head, and the boss does not suffice
discussaeque iubae capiti, nec sufficit umbo
against the blows: the Trojans redouble with spears, and the lightning
ictibus: ingeminant hastis et Troes et ipse
Mnestheus himself. Then over his whole body the sweat
fulmineus Mnestheus. Tum toto corpore sudor
flows, a pitch-black river, nor is there power to breathe,
liquitur et piceum, nec respirare potestas,
and sick panting shakes his weary limbs.
flumen agit; fessos quatit aeger anhelitus artus.
Then at last, headlong, with a leap, in all his armor,
Tum demum praeceps saltu sese omnibus armis
he gave himself to the river: it, with its tawny flood,
in fluvium dedit: ille suo cum gurgite flavo
received him as he came and bore him up on its gentle waves
accepit venientem ac mollibus extulit undis
and, the slaughter washed away, returned him glad to his comrades.
et laetum sociis abluta caede remisit.
Meanwhile the house of almighty Olympus is opened,
Panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi,
and the father of the gods and king of men calls a council
conciliumque vocat divom pater atque hominum rex
to his starry seat, whence, on high, he looks down on all
sideream in sedem, terras unde arduus omnis
the lands, the Dardanian camp, and the Latin peoples.
castraque Dardanidum adspectat populosque Latinos.
They take their seats in the hall of double doors; he himself begins:
Considunt tectis bipatentibus, incipit ipse:
"Great dwellers in heaven, why has your purpose
Caelicolae magni, quianam sententia vobis
turned back, and why do you strive so with hostile hearts?
versa retro tantumque animis certatis iniquis?
I had forbidden Italy to clash in war with the Teucrians.
Abnueram bello Italiam concurrere Teucris.
What discord is this against my ban? What fear has urged
Quae contra vetitum discordia? Quis metus aut hos
these or those to follow arms and provoke the sword?
aut hos arma sequi ferrumque lacessere suasit?
The just time for war will come—do not hasten it—
Adveniet iustum pugnae, ne arcessite, tempus,
when one day fierce Carthage shall loose upon the Roman towers
cum fera Karthago Romanis arcibus olim
great ruin and the opened Alps:
exitium magnum atque Alpes immittet apertas:
then it will be lawful to contend in hatred, then to ravage.
tum certare odiis, tum res rapuisse licebit.
Now hold off, and gladly frame the treaty that pleases me."
Nunc sinite et placitum laeti componite foedus.
So Jupiter, in few words; but golden Venus, in answer,
Iuppiter haec paucis; at non Venus aurea contra
not in few words replies:
pauca refert:
"O father, O eternal power over men and things!
O pater, O hominum rerumque aeterna potestas!
For what else is there now that we could implore?
Namque aliud quid sit, quod iam implorare queamus?
You see how the Rutulians exult, and how Turnus is borne
Cernis ut insultent Rutulli Turnusque feratur
through the midst, splendid on his horses, and swollen with success
per medios insignis equis tumidusque secundo
in war, rushes on? No longer do closed walls shield the Teucrians:
Marte ruat? Non clausa tegunt iam moenia Teucros:
nay, within the gates and on the very mounds of the ramparts
quin intra portas atque ipsis proelia miscent
they join battle, and the trenches run over with blood.
aggeribus moerorum et inundant sanguine fossas.
Aeneas is away, unknowing. Will you never let the siege
Aeneas ignarus abest. Numquamne levari
be lifted? Once more a foe threatens the walls
obsidione sines? Muris iterum imminet hostis
of a Troy newly rising, and again another army;
nascentis Troiae nec non exercitus alter;
and once more against the Teucrians, from Aetolian Arpi,
atque iterum in Teucros Aetolis surgit ab Arpis
rises the son of Tydeus. I do believe my wounds await me yet,
Tydides. Equidem credo, mea volnera restant
and I, your offspring, am held back by mortal arms.
et tua progenies mortalia demoror arma.
If without your leave and against your will the Trojans
Si sine pace tua atque invito numine Troes
sought Italy, let them pay for their sins, and do not aid them;
Italiam petiere, luant peccata neque illos
but if they followed so many oracles
iuveris auxilio; sin tot responsa secuti,
that the gods above and the dead gave: why now can anyone
quae superi manesque dabant: cur nunc tua quisquam
overturn your commands, or why found new fates?
vertere iussa potest aut cur nova condere fata?
Why recall the fleets burned on the Erycine shore,
Quid repetem exustas Erycino in litore classes,
why the king of tempests and the raging winds
quid tempestatum regem ventosque furentis
roused from Aeolia, or Iris driven through the clouds?
Aeolia excitos aut actam nubibus Irim?
Now even the dead—this part of things remained untried—
Nunc etiam manis, haec intemptata manebat
she stirs, and Allecto, suddenly loosed upon the upper world,
sors rerum, movet et superis immissa repente
has raged in bacchic fury through the Italians’ cities.
Allecto, medias Italum bacchata per urbes.
For empire I care nothing now: we hoped for that
Nil super imperio moveor: speravimus ista,
while fortune lasted; let those win whom you prefer to win.
dum fortuna fuit; vincant quos vincere mavis.
If there is no land your harsh consort would grant
Si nulla est regio, Teucris quam det tua coniunx
the Teucrians, by the smoking ruins, father, of overthrown
dura, per eversae, genitor, fumantia Troiae
Troy I beg: let it be allowed to withdraw from arms,
exscidia obtestor, liceat dimittere ab armis
safe, Ascanius—let your grandson be allowed to live.
incolumem Ascanium, liceat superesse nepotem.
Let Aeneas, by all means, be tossed on unknown seas
Aeneas sane ignotis iactetur in undis
and follow whatever way Fortune gives:
et, quamcumque viam dederit Fortuna, sequatur:
let me have power to shield this one and withdraw him from the dread fight.
hunc tegere et dirae valeam subducere pugnae.
and the house of Idalium: there, his arms laid by, inglorious,
Idaliaeque domus: positis inglorius armis
let him live out his days. Bid Carthage with great dominion
exigat hic aevum. Magna dicione iubeto
crush Ausonia: from him no hindrance then
Karthago premat Ausoniam: nihil urbibus inde
shall stand against the Tyrian cities. What use to have escaped
obstabit Tyriis. Quid pestem evadere belli
the plague of war and fled through the midst of Argive fires,
iuvit et Argolicos medium fugisse per ignes
and drained so many perils of sea and waste land,
totque maris vastaeque exhausta pericula terrae,
while the Teucrians seek Latium and a Pergama reborn?
dum Latium Teucri recidivaque Pergama quaerunt?
Were it not better to have settled on the last ashes
Non satius cineres patriae insedisse supremos
of their fatherland, the ground where Troy once was? Give back Xanthus and
atque solum, quo Troia fuit? Xanthum et Simoenta
Simois, I pray, to the wretched, and grant them, father,
redde, oro, miseris iterumque revolvere casus
to live the disasters of Ilium over again."
da, pater, Iliacos Teucris.
Then royal Juno,
Tum regia Iuno
driven by heavy fury: "Why do you force me to break
acta furore gravi: Quid me alta silentia cogis
my deep silence and spread abroad in words my covered grief?
rumpere et obductum verbis volgare dolorem?
Did any man or god compel Aeneas
Aenean hominum quisquam divomque subegit
to follow war or thrust himself as foe on King Latinus?
bella sequi aut hostem regi se inferre Latino?
He sought Italy with the fates as authors—so be it—
Italiam petiit fatis auctoribus, esto,
driven by Cassandra’s frenzies: did we urge him to leave
Cassandrae inpulsus furiis: num linquere castra
his camp, or to trust his life to the winds?
hortati sumus aut vitam committere ventis?
To entrust the war’s command to a boy, to entrust the walls
Num puero summam belli, num credere muros
and the Tyrrhenian alliance, or to stir up peaceful peoples?
Tyrrhenamque fidem, aut gentis agitare quietas?
What god drove him to treachery, what harsh power of mine?
Quis deus in fraudem, quae dura potentia nostra
Where is Juno here, or Iris sent down from the clouds?
egit? Ubi hic Iuno demissave nubibus Iris?
It is a shame, you say, that the Italians ring with flames
Indignum est Italos Troiam circumdare flammis
a rising Troy, and that Turnus stands on his native soil,
nascentem et patria Turnum consistere terra,
he whose grandsire is Pilumnus, whose mother the goddess Venilia:
cui Pilumnus avus, cui diva Venilia mater:
what of the Trojans bearing violence with the black brand on the Latins,
quid face Troianos atra vim ferre Latinis,
forcing alien fields beneath the yoke and driving off plunder?
arva aliena iugo premere atque avertere praedas?
What of their choosing fathers-in-law and tearing the betrothed from the lap,
Quid soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas,
begging peace with the hand, while fixing arms to the sterns?
pacem orare manu, praefigere puppibus arma?
You can snatch Aeneas from the hands of the Greeks,
Tu potes Aenean manibus subducere Graium
and spread mist and empty winds in the man’s place,
proque viro nebulam et ventos obtendere inanis,
you can turn a fleet into as many nymphs:
tu potes in totidem classem convertere nymphas:
is it monstrous that we have helped the Rutulians somewhat in turn?
nos aliquid Rutulos contra iuvisse nefandum est?
’Aeneas is away, unknowing’: unknowing let him stay away.
Aeneas ignarus abest: ignarus et absit.
You have Paphos and Idalium, you have high Cythera:
Est Paphus Idaliumque tibi, sunt alta Cythera:
why provoke a city teeming with wars and hearts that are fierce?
quid gravidam bellis urbem et corda aspera temptas?
Is it we who try to overturn from the foundation
Nosne tibi fluxas Phrygiae res vertere fundo
your Phrygia’s tottering state—we, or he who flung the wretched
conamur, nos, an miseros qui Troas Achivis
Trojans before the Achaeans? What cause was there for Europe
obiecit? Quae causa fuit, consurgere in arma
and Asia to rise in arms and break their treaties by theft?
Europamque Asiamque et foedera solvere furto?
Was it under my lead that the Dardanian adulterer stormed Sparta,
Me duce Dardanius Spartam expugnavit adulter,
or did I give the weapons or foster the war with lust?
aut ego tela dedi fovive cupidine bella?
Then it was right to fear for your own: now too late you rise
Tum decuit metuisse tuis: nunc sera querelis
with unjust complaints and fling out idle quarrels."
haud iustis adsurgis et inrita iurgia iactas.
So Juno pleaded, and all the heaven-dwellers
Talibus orabat Iuno, cunctique fremebant
murmured with varied assent, as when the first gusts,
caelicolae adsensu vario, ceu flamina prima
caught in the woods, murmur and roll their hidden
cum deprensa fremunt silvis et caeca volutant
sounds, betraying to sailors the winds to come.
murmura, venturos nautis prodentia ventos.
Then the almighty father, whose is the first power over things,
Tum pater omnipotens, rerum cui prima potestas,
begins; as he speaks, the high house of the gods falls silent,
infit; eo dicente deum domus alta silescit
and earth quakes to its base, the lofty air is still,
et tremefacta solo tellus, silet arduus aether,
then the West Winds dropped, the sea calms its level waters:
tum Zephyri posuere, premit placida aequora pontus:
"Receive then in your hearts, and fix these my words.
Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta.
Since it has not been permitted that the Ausonians join
Quandoquidem Ausonios coniungi foedere Teucris
in treaty with the Teucrians, and your discord finds no end:
haud licitum, nec vestra capit discordia finem:
whatever fortune each has today, whatever hope each pursues,
quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem,
be he Trojan or Rutulian, I will hold with no distinction.
Tros Rutulusne fuat nullo discrimine habebo.
Whether the camp is held in siege by the Italians’ fate,
Seu fatis Italum castra obsidione tenentur
or by Troy’s evil error and ill-omened warnings.
sive errore malo Troiae monitisque sinistris.
Nor do I free the Rutulians: each man’s own beginnings
Nec Rutulos solvo: sua cuique exorsa laborem
shall bring his toil and fortune. King Jupiter is the same to all.
fortunamque ferent. Rex Iuppiter omnibus idem.
The fates will find a way." By the streams of his Stygian brother,
Fata viam invenient. Stygii per flumina fratris,
by the banks seething with pitch and the black abyss,
per pice torrentis atraque voragine ripas
he nodded, and with his nod made all Olympus tremble.
adnuit et totum nutu tremefecit Olympum.
Here was the end of speaking. Then from his golden throne Jupiter
Hic finis fandi. Solio tum Iuppiter aureo
rises, whom the heaven-dwellers escort to the threshold in their midst.
surgit, caelicolae medium quem ad limina ducunt.
Meanwhile the Rutulians press round all the gates,
Interea Rutuli portis circum omnibus instant
to lay men low in slaughter and ring the walls with flames.
sternere caede viros et moenia cingere flammis.
But the legion of Aeneas’ men is held, hemmed in the rampart,
At legio Aeneadum vallis obsessa tenetur,
and no hope of escape. The wretched stand on the high towers
nec spes ulla fugae. Miseri stant turribus altis
in vain, and have ringed the walls with a thin crown of men:
nequiquam et rara muros cinxere corona
in the front rank; with these both the brothers of Sarpedon,
prima acies; hos germani Sarpedonis ambo
Straining with his whole body, Acmon of Lyrnesus bears a huge
Fert ingens toto conixus corpore saxum,
not less than his father Clytius nor than his brother Menestheus.
nec Clytio genitore minor nec fratre Menestheo.
These with javelins, those with stones strive to defend,
Hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis
to ply fire and fit arrows to the string.
molirique ignem nervoque aptare sagittas.
In their midst, Venus’ most rightful care,
Ipse inter medios, Veneris iustissima cura,
behold, the Dardanian boy, his noble head bared,
Dardanius caput ecce puer detectus honestum,
shining as a gem flashes set in tawny gold,
qualis gemma micat, fulvum quae dividit aurum,
an ornament for neck or head; or as ivory gleams,
aut collo decus aut capiti; vel quale per artem
set by art in boxwood or Orician terebinth:
inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho
his milk-white neck receives his loosened hair,
lucet ebur; fusos cervix cui lactea crinis
and a circlet binds it up with soft gold.
accipit et molli subnectens circulus auro.
aim wounds and arm your reeds with poison,
volnera dirigere et calamos armare veneno,
noble from a Maeonian house, where men work
Maeonia generose domo, ubi pinguia culta
the rich tilled fields and Pactolus waters them with gold.
exercentque viri Pactolusque inrigat auro.
Mnestheus too was there, whom the past glory of Turnus driven
Adfuit et Mnestheus, quem pulsi pristina Turni
from the rampart’s mound exalts on high,
aggere moerorum sublimem gloria tollit,
They between themselves had joined the struggles
Illi inter sese duri certamina belli
of hard war: Aeneas, at midnight, was cleaving the straits.
contulerant: media Aeneas freta nocte secabat.
For when, leaving Evander and entering the Etruscan camp,
Namque ut ab Euandro castris ingressus Etruscis
he goes to the king and tells the king his name and race,
regem adit et regi memorat nomenque genusque,
what he seeks and what he himself brings, what arms Mezentius
quidve petat quidve ipse ferat, Mezentius arma
is winning to his side, and teaches him the violent heart of Turnus,
quae sibi conciliet, violentaque pectora Turni
and warns what trust there is in human affairs,
edocet, humanis quae sit fiducia rebus
and mingles prayers with all: no delay is made, Tarchon
admonet immiscetque preces: haud fit mora, Tarchon
joins his forces and strikes a treaty; then, freed of fate,
iungit opes foedusque ferit; tum libera fati
the Lydian race boards the fleet at the gods’ command,
classem conscendit iussis gens Lydia divom,
entrusted to a foreign leader. The ship of Aeneas
externo commissa duci. Aeneia puppis
leads the way, with Phrygian lions yoked beneath the beak,
prima tenet, rostro Phrygios subiuncta leones,
and Ida looms above, most dear to the exiled Teucrians.
imminet Ida super, profugis gratissima Teucris.
Here great Aeneas sits and turns over within himself
Hic magnus sedet Aeneas secumque volutat
the war’s varied outcomes, and Pallas, clinging to his left
eventus belli varios, Pallasque sinistro
side, now asks about the stars, the path of the dark
adfixus lateri iam quaerit sidera, opacae
night, now what he has suffered by land and sea.
noctis iter, iam quae passus terraque marique.
Throw open now Helicon, goddesses, and stir your songs,
Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque movete,
what host meanwhile attends Aeneas from the Tuscan shores
quae manus interea Tuscis comitetur ab oris
and arms his ships and rides over the sea.
Aenean armetque rates pelagoque vehatur.
Massicus first cleaves the waters in his bronze-clad Tiger:
Massicus aerata princeps secat aequora tigri:
under him a thousand bands of youth, who left the walls of Clusium
sub quo mille manus iuvenum, qui moenia Clusi
and the light quivers on their shoulders, and the death-dealing bow.
gorytique leves umeris et letifer arcus.
With him grim Abas: his whole column shone in splendid arms,
Una torvus Abas: huic totum insignibus armis
and his ship gleamed with a gilded Apollo.
agmen et aurato fulgebat Apolline puppis.
the island rich in the Chalybes’ inexhaustible ores.
insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis.
Third, that interpreter of men and gods, Asilas,
Tertius ille hominum divomque interpres Asilas,
to whom the entrails of beasts, the stars of heaven obey,
cui pecudum fibrae, caeli cui sidera parent
the tongues of birds and the fires of the prophetic lightning,
et linguae volucrum et praesagi fulminis ignes,
sweeps a thousand on, dense in line and bristling with spears.
mille rapit densos acie atque horrentibus hastis.
an Etruscan city by soil. Most handsome Astur follows,
urbs Etrusca solo. Sequitur pulcherrimus Astur,
Astur, trusting in his horse and his shimmering arms.
Astur equo fidens et versicoloribus armis.
Three hundred they add (in all one mind to follow),
Tercentum adiciunt (mens omnibus una sequendi)
I will not pass you by, bravest in war of the Ligurian leaders,
Non ego te, Ligurum ductor fortissime bello,
from whose crest swan’s feathers rise,
cuius olorinae surgunt de vertice pennae,
the reproach, Love, of you and your kind, the mark of a father’s beauty.
crimen, Amor, vestrum formaeque insigne paternae.
Namque ferunt luctu Cycnum Phaethontis amati,
amid the poplar leaves and the shade of the sisters,
populeas inter frondes umbramque sororum
while he sang and soothed sad love with the Muse,
dum canit et maestum Musa solatur amorem,
drew on a hoary old age with soft plumage,
canentem molli pluma duxisse senectam,
leaving the earth and following the stars with his voice.
linquentem terras et sidera voce sequentem.
His son, attended by bands of his own age in the fleet,
Filius, aequalis comitatus classe catervas,
drives on with oars the huge Centaur: it
ingentem remis Centaurum promovet: ille
looms over the water and threatens the waves with a monstrous rock
instat aquae saxumque undis immane minatur
high up, and furrows the deep sea with its long keel.
arduus et longa sulcat maria alta carina.
Mantua, rich in ancestors; but not all of one stock:
Mantua, dives avis; sed non genus omnibus unum:
hers is a threefold race, four peoples under each race,
gens illi triplex, populi sub gente quaterni,
herself the head of the peoples, her strength from Tuscan blood.
ipsa caput populis, Tusco de sanguine vires.
From here too five hundred Mezentius arms against himself,
Hinc quoque quingentos in se Mezentius armat,
whom, with Benacus for their father, veiled in gray-green reeds,
quos patre Benaco velatus harundine glauca
with a hundred oars; the shallows foam, the marble surface churned.
verberat adsurgens, spumant vada marmore verso.
A monstrous Triton bears him, frightening the dark-blue
Hunc vehit immanis Triton et caerula concha
straits with his shell, whose shaggy brow, as far as the flanks,
exterrens freta, cui laterum tenus hispida nanti
shows a man as he swims, but his belly ends in a sea-beast:
frons hominem praefert, in pristim desinit alvus:
the foaming wave murmurs beneath his half-wild breast.
spumea semifero sub pectore murmurat unda.
So many chosen chiefs went in thrice ten ships
Tot lecti proceres ter denis navibus ibant
to Troy’s aid, and cleaved the salt plains with their bronze.
subsidio Troiae et campos salis aera secabant.
And now day had withdrawn from the sky, and kindly Phoebe
Iamque dies caelo concesserat almaque curru
in her night-wandering car was beating mid-Olympus:
noctivago Phoebe medium pulsabat Olympum:
Aeneas (for care gives his limbs no rest)
Aeneas (neque enim membris dat cura quietem)
himself sitting steers the helm and tends the sails.
ipse sedens clavumque regit velisque ministrat.
And behold, midway, a chorus of his own
Atque illi medio in spatio chorus ecce suarum
companions meets him: the nymphs whom kindly Cybele
occurrit comitum: nymphae, quas alma Cybebe
had bidden hold the godhead of the sea and be sea-nymphs
numen habere maris nymphasque e navibus esse
out of ships, were swimming abreast and cleaving the waves,
iusserat, innabant pariter fluctusque secabant,
as many as the bronze prows that had stood at the shore.
quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae.
They know their king from afar and circle him in their dances,
Agnoscunt longe regem lustrantque choreis,
of whom Cymodocea, the most skilled in speech,
quarum quae fandi doctissima Cymodocea
following behind, holds the stern with her right hand and rises
pone sequens dextra puppim tenet ipsaque dorso
with her back, and with her left rows softly under the silent waves,
eminet ac laeva tacitis subremigat undis,
then thus addresses the unknowing man: "Do you wake, race of gods,
tum sic ignarum adloquitur: Vigilasne, deum gens,
Aeneas? Wake, and let the ropes out to the sails.
Aenea? Vigila et velis immitte rudentis.
We are the pines from Ida’s sacred summit,
Nos sumus, Idaeae sacro de vertice pinus,
now nymphs of the sea, your fleet. When the treacherous
nunc pelagi nymphae, classis tua. Perfidus ut nos
Rutulian pressed us headlong with sword and flame,
praecipitis ferro Rutulus flammaque premebat,
unwilling we broke your bonds, and over the sea we seek
rupimus invitae tua vincula teque per aequor
you. This shape the Mother, pitying, remade for us,
quaerimus. Hanc Genetrix faciem miserata refecit
and gave us to be goddesses and pass our days beneath the waves.
et dedit esse deas aevumque agitare sub undis.
But the boy Ascanius is held within wall and trench
At puer Ascanius muro fossisque tenetur
amid the weapons and the Latins bristling for war.
tela inter media atque horrentis Marte Latinos.
Already the appointed places are held by the Arcadian horse,
Iam loca iussa tenent forti permixtus Etrusco
mingled with the brave Etruscan: to set his squadrons across
Arcas eques: medias illis opponere turmas,
their path, lest they join the camp, is Turnus’ fixed resolve.
ne castris iungant, certast sententia Turno.
Up now, and at the coming of Dawn bid your allies
Surge age et Aurora socios veniente vocari
first be called to arms, and take the shield which the unconquered
primus in arma iube et clipeum cape, quem dedit ipse
Fire-god himself gave, and ringed its rim with gold.
invictum Ignipotens atque oras ambiit auro.
Tomorrow’s light, if you think my words not idle,
Crastina lux, mea si non inrita dicta putaris,
shall look on huge heaps of Rutulian slaughter."
ingentis Rutulae spectabit caedis acervos.
She had spoken, and departing pushed with her right hand the tall
Dixerat, et dextra discedens impulit altam
stern, not unskilled in the way: it flies through the waves
haud ignara modi puppim: fugit illa per undas
swifter than a javelin and an arrow that matches the winds.
ocior et iaculo et ventos aequante sagitta.
Then the others speed their courses. Amazed and unknowing,
Inde aliae celerant cursus. Stupet inscius ipse
the Trojan son of Anchises lifts his spirit at the omen.
Tros Anchisiades; animos tamen omine tollit.
Then, looking up at the vault, he briefly prays:
Tum breviter super adspectans convexa precatur:
"Kindly Idaean mother of the gods, to whom Dindyma is dear,
Alma parens Idaea deum, cui Dindyma cordi
and the towered cities and the lions yoked to your reins,
turrigeraeque urbis biiugique ad frena leones,
be you now my leader in the fight, do you duly bring near
tu mihi nunc pugnae princeps, tu rite propinques
the augury, and stand by the Phrygians, goddess, with favoring step."
augurium Phrygibusque adsis pede, diva, secundo.
So much he said. And meanwhile the wheeling day reddened,
Tantum effatus. Et interea revoluta rubebat
now full with light, and had put the night to flight:
matura iam luce dies noctemque fugarat:
first he commands his allies to follow the standards,
principio sociis edicit, signa sequantur
and fit their hearts for arms and make ready for the fight.
atque animos aptent armis pugnaeque parent se.
And now he has the Teucrians and his own camp in sight,
Iamque in conspectu Teucros habet et sua castra,
standing high on the stern; then on his left he raised
stans celsa in puppi; clipeum cum deinde sinistra
the blazing shield. The Dardanians from the walls
extulit ardentem. Clamorem ad sidera tollunt
lift a shout to the stars, hope renewed wakes their wrath,
Dardanidae e muris, spes addita suscitat iras,
they hurl weapons by hand: as beneath the black clouds
tela manu iaciunt: quales sub nubibus atris
the Strymonian cranes give their signals and swim the air
Strymoniae dant signa grues atque aethera tranant
with a din, and flee the south winds with cheering clamor.
cum sonitu fugiuntque notos clamore secundo.
But to the Rutulian king and the Ausonian captains it seemed
At Rutulo regi ducibusque ea mira videri
a wonder, until they look back and see the sterns turned shoreward
Ausoniis, donec versas ad litora puppes
and the whole sea gliding in with fleets.
respiciunt totumque adlabi classibus aequor.
The peak of his helm blazes, and from the crown the flame
Ardet apex capiti cristisque a vertice flamma
streams from the crests, and the golden boss vomits vast fires:
funditur et vastos umbo vomit aureus ignes:
no otherwise than when on a clear night comets
non secus ac liquida siquando nocte cometae
glow blood-red and baleful, or the blaze of Sirius,
sanguinei lugubre rubent aut Sirius ardor,
that bears thirst and sickness to suffering mortals,
ille sitim morbosque ferens mortalibus aegris,
rises and saddens the sky with its sinister light.
nascitur et laevo contristat lumine caelum.
Yet bold Turnus’ confidence did not fail
Haud tamen audaci Turno fiducia cessit
to seize the shores first and drive the comers from the land.
litora praecipere et venientis pellere terra.
Unbidden he lifts their spirits with words and unbidden chides:
ultro animos tollit dictis atque increpat ultro
"What you prayed for in your vows is here, to break through by the hand;
Quod votis optastis, adest, perfringere dextra;
Mars himself is in your hands, men. Now let each be mindful
in manibus Mars ipse viris. Nunc coniugis esto
of his wife and home, now recall the great
quisque suae tectique memor, nunc magna referto
deeds, the praises of our fathers. Of our own will let us meet them at the water,
facta, patrum laudes. Ultro occurramus ad undam,
while they are afraid and their first steps falter as they land.
dum trepidi egressisque labant vestigia prima.
Fortune favors the bold."
Audentis Fortuna iuvat,
So he says, and turns over in his mind whom to lead against them
haec ait et secum versat, quos ducere contra
or to whom he may entrust the besieged walls.
vel quibus obsessos possit concredere muros.
Meanwhile Aeneas lands his comrades from the high sterns
Interea Aeneas socios de puppibus altis
by gangways. Many watch for the ebb
pontibus exponit. Multi servare recursus
of the slackening sea and trust themselves to the shallows with a leap,
languentis pelagi et brevibus se credere saltu,
others by the oars. Tarchon, having scanned the shores
per remos alii. Speculatus litora Tarchon,
where he looks for no shoals and no broken wave murmurs back,
qua vada non sperat nec fracta remurmurat unda,
but the sea glides in unhindered with the rising tide,
sed mare inoffensum crescenti adlabitur aestu,
suddenly turns his prow and entreats his comrades:
advertit subito proram sociosque precatur:
"Now, O chosen band, bend to the strong oars;
Nunc, o lecta manus, validis incumbite remis;
lift, drive the ships; cleave with your beaks this hostile
tollite, ferte rates; inimicam findite rostris
land, and let the keel itself furrow a track for itself.
hanc terram, sulcumque sibi premat ipsa carina.
I do not refuse to wreck the ship in such a mooring,
Frangere nec tali puppim statione recuso
once the land is seized." When Tarchon had spoken
arrepta tellure semel. Quae talia postquam
such words, his comrades rose to the oar-blades
effatus Tarchon, socii consurgere tonsis
and drove the foaming ships onto the Latin fields,
spumantisque rates arvis inferre Latinis,
until the beaks held dry ground and the keels settled,
donec rostra tenent siccum et sedere carinae
all unharmed—but not your ship, Tarchon.
omnes innocuae, sed non puppis tua, Tarchon.
For dashed on a shoal, while it hangs on the uneven ridge,
Namque inflicta vadis dorso dum pendet iniquo,
held in doubt long and wearying the waves,
anceps sustentata diu fluctusque fatigat,
it breaks up and sets the men down in the midst of the waters,
solvitur atque viros mediis exponit in undis
whom the fragments of oars and the floating thwarts
fragmina remorum quos et fluitantia transtra
entangle, and the ebbing wave drags back their feet at once.
impediunt, retrahitque pedem simul unda relabens.
No sluggish delay holds Turnus, but keenly he sweeps
Nec Turnum segnis retinet mora, sed rapit acer
his whole line against the Teucrians and sets it facing them on the shore.
totam aciem in Teucros et contra in litore sistit.
The trumpets sound. First Aeneas charged the rustic squadrons,
Signa canunt. Primus turmas invasit agrestis
an omen of the fight, and laid the Latins low,
Aeneas, omen pugnae, stravitque Latinos
made for Aeneas: him, with the sword, through the bronze seams,
Aenean petit: huic gladio perque aerea suta,
through the tunic stiff with gold, he gashes the bared side.
per tunicam squalentem auro latus haurit apertum.
Then he strikes Lichas, cut from his mother’s womb when she was dead
Inde Lichan ferit, exsectum iam matre perempta
and sacred to you, Phoebus: to escape the chance of the steel,
et tibi, Phoebe, sacrum: casus evadere ferri
to what end did it avail the babe? Nor far off hard Cisseus
quo licuit parvo? Nec longe Cissea durum
and huge Gyas, as they mowed down the ranks with the club,
immanemque Gyan, sternentis agmina clava,
he sent to Death: nothing availed them the arms of Hercules
deiecit Leto: nihil illos Herculis arma
companion of Alcides while the earth gave him heavy toils.
Alcidae comes usque gravis dum terra labores
he whirls a javelin and stops it in the shouting mouth.
intorquens iaculum clamanti sistit in ore.
You too, while you followed Clytius, your new joy,
Tu quoque, flaventem prima lanugine malas
his cheeks yellow with first down, ill-fated Cydon,
dum sequeris Clytium infelix, nova gaudia, Cydon,
laid low by the Dardanian hand, free at last of the loves
Dardania stratus dextra, securus amorum,
of youths that were ever yours, you would lie pitiable,
qui iuvenum tibi semper erant, miserande iaceres,
had not a packed troop of brothers met him, the sons of Phorcus,
ni fratrum stipata cohors foret obvia, Phorci
seven in number, and seven weapons
progenies, septem numero, septenaque tela
they hurl; some bound back, idle, from helm and shield,
coniciunt; partim galea clipeoque resultant
some that grazed the body kindly Venus turned aside.
inrita, deflexit partim stringentia corpus
Aeneas speaks to faithful Achates:
alma Venus. Fidum Aeneas adfatur Achaten:
"Hand me weapons: my right hand shall hurl none in vain
Suggere tela mihi: non ullum dextera frustra
against the Rutulians, of those that stood in the bodies of Greeks
torserit in Rutulos, steterunt quae in corpore Graium
on the fields of Ilium." Then he snatches a great spear
Iliacis campis. Tum magnam corripit hastam
and hurls it: flying, it pierces through the bronze of the shield
et iacit: illa volans clipei transverberat aera
of Maeon, and bursts the corselet together with the breast.
Maeonis et thoraca simul cum pectore rumpit.
His brother Alcanor comes to him and props his falling brother
Huic frater subit Alcanor fratremque ruentem
with his right hand: shot through the arm, the spear flies
sustentat dextra: traiecto missa lacerto
straight on and keeps its bloody course,
protinus hasta fugit servatque cruenta tenorem,
and the right hand hung dying from the shoulder by its sinews.
dexteraque ex umero nervis moribunda pependit.
Then Numitor, snatching a javelin from his brother’s body,
Tum Numitor iaculo fratris de corpore rapto
aimed at Aeneas; but it was not granted to strike him in return,
Aenean petiit; sed non et figere contra
and he only grazed the thigh of great Achates.
est licitum, magnique femur perstrinxit Achatae.
Here Clausus, trusting in his youthful frame, from Cures
Hic Curibus fidens primaevo corpore Clausus
comes up and strikes Dryops from afar with a stiff spear
advenit et rigida Dryopem ferit eminus hasta
driven hard beneath the chin, and, as the man speaks,
sub mentum graviter pressa pariterque loquentis
snatches both voice and life, the throat run through; but he
vocem animamque rapit traiecto gutture; at ille
strikes the earth with his brow and vomits thick gore from his mouth.
fronte ferit terram et crassum vomit ore cruorem.
and three whom their father Idas and their homeland Ismara send,
et tris, quos Idas pater et patria Ismara mittit,
he lays low by various chances. Halaesus rushes up,
per varios sternit casus. Accurrit Halaesus
and the Auruncan bands, and Neptune’s offspring comes on,
Auruncaeque manus, subit et Neptunia proles,
Messapus, famed for his horses. Now these, now those,
insignis Messapus equis. Expellere tendunt
strive to drive the foe back; the fight is on the very threshold
nunc hi, nunc illi; certatur limine in ipso
of Ausonia. As warring winds in the great sky
Ausoniae. Magno discordes aethere venti
raise their battles with equal spirit and force;
proelia ceu tollunt animis et viribus aequis;
neither they to each other, nor the clouds, nor the sea give way;
non ipsi inter se, non nubila, non mare cedit;
long the fight hangs in doubt, all stand straining against all:
anceps pugna diu, stant obnixa omnia contra:
no otherwise the Trojan lines and the Latin lines
haud aliter Troianae acies aciesque Latinae
clash; foot clings to foot and, packed, man to man.
concurrunt; haeret pede pes densusque viro vir.
But on the other side, where a torrent had driven rolling stones
At parte ex alia, qua saxa rotantia late
far and wide and shrubs torn from the banks,
impulerat torrens arbustaque diruta ripis,
when Pallas saw the Arcadians, unused to fight on foot,
Arcadas insuetos acies inferre pedestris
turning their backs to the pursuing Latins
ut vidit Pallas Latio dare terga sequaci
(since the ground’s rough nature had at last persuaded them
(aspera quis natura loci dimittere quando
to let go their horses), the one thing left in straits,
suasit equos), unum quod rebus restat egenis,
now with prayer, now with bitter words he kindles their valor:
nunc prece, nunc dictis virtutem accendit amaris:
"Where do you flee, comrades? By you and your brave deeds,
Quo fugitis, socii? Per vos et fortia facta,
by the name of Evander your leader and the wars he won,
per ducis Evandri nomen devictaque bella
and by my own hope, that now rivals my father’s glory,
Opemque meam, patriae quae nunc subit aemula laudi,
trust not in your feet. By the sword a way must be cut
fidite ne pedibus. Ferro rumpenda per hostis
through the foe. Where that thickest knot of men presses,
est via. Qua globus ille virum densissimus urget,
there your high country calls back you and Pallas your leader.
hac vos et Pallanta ducem patria alta reposcit.
No gods bear down on us; we are pressed by a mortal foe,
Numina nulla premunt, mortali urgemur ab hoste
mortals ourselves; as many lives and hands are ours.
mortales, totidem nobis animaeque manusque.
See, the sea shuts us in with its great barrier of water,
Ecce, maris magna claudit nos obice pontus,
now land for flight is wanting: shall we make for the sea, or Troy?"
deest iam terra fugae: pelagus Troiamne petemus?
So he says, and bursts into the thick of the foe.
Haec ait et medius densos prorumpit in hostis.
First to meet him, drawn on by unjust fates,
Obvius huic primum, fatis adductus iniquis,
is Lagus. Him, while he tugs at a stone of great weight,
fit Lagus. Hunc, magno vellit dum pondere saxum,
he pins with a hurled spear where the spine
intorto figit telo, discrimina costis
gave a parting between the ribs midway, and pulls back the spear
per medium qua spina dabat, hastamque receptat
that clung to the bones. Hisbo does not catch him off guard,
ossibus haerentem. Quem non super occupat Hisbo,
though he hoped for that: for Pallas, as he rushes on,
ille quidem hoc sperans: nam Pallas ante ruentem,
maddened, heedless at his comrade’s cruel death,
dum furit, incautum crudeli morte sodalis
takes him first and buries the sword in the swollen lung.
excipit atque ensem tumido in pulmone recondit.
Anchemolus, who dared defile his stepmother’s bed.
Anchemolum, thalamos ausum incestare novercae.
You too, twins, fell in the Rutulian fields,
Vos etiam, gemini, Rutulis cecidistis in agris,
indistinguishable to your own, a sweet confusion to your parents;
indiscreta suis gratusque parentibus error;
but now Pallas has given you a harsh distinction:
at nunc dura dedit vobis discrimina Pallas:
for from you, Thymber, Evander’s sword took the head;
nam tibi, Thymbre, caput Evandrius abstulit ensis;
you, Larides, your severed right hand seeks its own,
te decisa suum, Laride, dextera quaerit
and the half-living fingers twitch and clutch again at the sword.
semianimesque micant digiti ferrumque retractant.
The Arcadians, fired by his warning and beholding the glorious
Arcadas accensos monitu et praeclara tuentis
deeds of the man, mingled grief and shame arm against the foe.
facta viri mixtus dolor et pudor armat in hostis.
Then Pallas pierces Rhoeteus, fleeing past on his two-horse car—
Tum Pallas biiugis fugientem Rhoetea praeter
this much space and respite there was for Ilus;
traicit. Hoc spatium tantumque morae fuit Ilo;
for at Ilus from afar he had aimed his strong spear,
Ilo namque procul validam direxerat hastam,
which Rhoeteus, between them, intercepts, fleeing, noble Teuthras,
quam medius Rhoeteus intercipit, optime Teuthra,
from you and your brother Tyres, and, rolled from his car,
te fugiens fratremque Tyren, curruque volutus
half-dead he beats the Rutulian fields with his heels.
caedit semianimis Rutulorum calcibus arva.
And as when, in summer, with the longed-for winds risen,
Ac velut optato ventis aestate coortis
a shepherd sets scattered fires in the woods,
dispersa immittit silvis incendia pastor,
and suddenly, the middle catching, one bristling
correptis subito mediis extenditur una
Vulcanian line spreads over the broad fields;
horrida per latos acies Volcania campos;
he, sitting, looks down victorious over the exulting flames:
ille sedens victor flammas despectat ovantis:
no otherwise all the valor of your comrades unites in one
non aliter socium virtus coit omnis in unum
and aids you, Pallas. But Halaesus, keen in war,
teque iuvat, Palla. Sed bellis acer Halaesus
presses against them and gathers himself behind his arms.
tendit in adversos seque in sua conligit arma.
Hic mactat Ladona Pheretaque Demodocumque,
with his gleaming sword he lops off the right hand of Strymonius
Strymonio dextram fulgenti deripit ense
raised to his throat, strikes the face of Thoas with a stone
elatam in iugulum, saxo ferit ora Thoantis
and scattered the bones mixed with bloody brain.
ossaque dispersit cerebro permixta cruento.
His father, foreknowing the fates, had hidden Halaesus in the woods:
Fata canens silvis genitor celarat Halaesum:
when the old man loosed his whitening eyes in death,
ut senior leto canentia lumina solvit,
the Fates laid hands on him and doomed him to the weapons
iniecere manum Parcae telisque sacrarunt
of Evander. Him Pallas seeks, first praying thus:
Evandri. Quem sic Pallas petit ante precatus:
"Grant now, Father Tiber, to the steel I poise to throw,
Da nunc, Thybri pater, ferro, quod missile libro,
fortune and a way through hard Halaesus’ breast.
fortunam atque viam duri per pectus Halaesi.
These arms and the man’s spoils your oak shall have."
Haec arma exuviasque viri tua quercus habebit.
ill-fated, he gave his unguarded breast to the Arcadian shaft.
Arcadio infelix telo dat pectus inermum.
But Lausus, no small part of the war, lets not his ranks
At non caede viri tanta perterrita Lausus,
be dismayed by so great a slaying: first Abas,
pars ingens belli, sinit agmina: primus Abantem
set against him, he slays, the knot and stay of the fight.
oppositum interimit, pugnae nodumque moramque.
The sons of Arcadia are laid low, the Etruscans are laid low,
Sternitur Arcadiae proles, sternuntur Etrusci
and you, O Teucrians, bodies the Greeks could not destroy.
et vos, O Grais imperdita corpora, Teucri.
The hosts clash, equal in leaders and in strength.
Agmina concurrunt ducibusque et viribus aequis.
The rearmost thicken the lines, nor does the press let
Extremi addensent acies nec turba moveri
weapons and hands move. Here Pallas presses and drives on,
tela manusque sinit. Hinc Pallas instat et urget,
there against him Lausus, and their years differ little:
hinc contra Lausus, nec multum discrepat aetas:
splendid in beauty, but to whom Fortune had denied
egregii forma, sed quis Fortuna negarat
return to their fatherland. Yet that they should clash
in patriam reditus. Ipsos concurrere passus
the great ruler of Olympus did not suffer:
haud tamen inter se magni regnator Olympi:
soon their own fates await them, each beneath a mightier foe.
mox illos sua fata manent maiore sub hoste.
Meanwhile his kindly sister warns Turnus to take Lausus’
Interea soror alma monet succedere Lauso
place, who in his swift car cleaves the midmost line.
Turnum, qui volucri curru medium secat agmen.
When he saw his comrades: "It is time to leave the fight;
Ut vidit socios: Tempus desistere pugnae;
I alone make for Pallas, to me alone is Pallas
solus ego in Pallanta feror, soli mihi Pallas
owed; I could wish his very father were here to watch."
debetur; cuperem ipse parens spectator adesset.
So he says, and his comrades withdrew from the field as bidden.
Haec ait, et socii cesserunt aequore iusso.
And at the Rutulians’ withdrawal the youth, marveling
At Rutulum abscessu iuvenis tum iussa superba
at the proud command, stands amazed at Turnus, and over his huge
miratus stupet in Turno corpusque per ingens
frame rolls his eyes and scans it all from afar with grim gaze,
lumina volvit obitque truci procul omnia visu
and against the tyrant’s words goes with words like these:
talibus et dictis it contra dicta tyranni:
"Either I shall now be praised for the spoils of honor stripped away,
Aut spoliis ego iam raptis laudabor opimis
or for a glorious death: my father is equal to either lot.
aut leto insigni: sorti pater aequus utrique est.
Away with your threats." So saying he advances into the open.
Tolle minas. Fatus medium procedit in aequor.
The blood runs cold and gathers in the Arcadians’ hearts.
Frigidus Arcadibus coit in praecordia sanguis.
Turnus leapt down from his two-horse car, prepares to go on foot
Desiluit Turnus biiugis, pedes apparat ire
to close quarters; and as a lion, when from his high lookout he has seen
comminus; utque leo, specula cum vidit ab alta
a bull stand far off on the plains, planning the fight,
stare procul campis meditantem in proelia taurum,
he flies upon him: no other is the image of Turnus coming on.
advolat: haud alia est Turni venientis imago.
When Pallas believed him within reach of a hurled spear,
Hunc ubi contiguum missae fore credidit hastae,
he goes first, in case some chance should aid the venture
ire prior Pallas, siqua fors adiuvet ausum
of unequal strength, and thus speaks to the great heaven:
viribus imparibus, magnumque ita ad aethera fatur:
"By my father’s hospitality and the table you came to as a stranger,
Per patris hospitium et mensas, quas advena adisti,
I pray you, Alcides, be near my mighty undertaking.
te precor, Alcide, coeptis ingentibus adsis.
Let Turnus, half-dead, see me strip his bloody arms,
Cernat semineci sibi me rapere arma cruenta
and let his dying eyes endure their victor."
victoremque ferant morientia lumina Turni.
Alcides heard the youth, and deep within his heart
Audiit Alcides iuvenem magnumque sub imo
stifled a great groan and shed unavailing tears.
corde premit gemitum lacrimasque effundit inanis.
Then the Father addresses his son with kindly words:
Tum Genitor natum dictis adfatur amicis:
"Each has his appointed day; short and irretrievable is the span
Stat sua cuique dies, breve et inreparabile tempus
of life for all: but to lengthen fame by deeds,
omnibus est vitae: sed famam extendere factis,
this is valor’s work. Beneath the high walls of Troy
hoc virtutis opus. Troiae sub moenibus altis
so many sons of gods fell; nay, there died too
tot nati cecidere deum; quin occidit una
Sarpedon, my own offspring. Turnus too his own
Sarpedon, mea progenies. Etiam sua Turnum
fates call, and he has reached the goal of his allotted years."
fata vocant, metasque dati pervenit ad aevi.
So he speaks, and turns his eyes away from the Rutulian fields.
Sic ait atque oculos Rutulorum reicit arvis.
But Pallas hurls his spear with great strength
At Pallas magnis emittit viribus hastam
and snatches the gleaming sword from its hollow sheath.
vaginaque cava fulgentem deripit ensem.
Flying, it falls where the shoulder’s armor rises highest,
Illa volans umeri surgunt qua tegmina summa
and forcing a way through the shield’s edges,
incidit atque viam clipei molita per oras
at last grazed even the great body of Turnus.
tandem etiam magno strinxit de corpore Turni.
Here Turnus, long balancing an oaken shaft tipped
Hic Turnus ferro praefixum robur acuto
with sharp iron, hurls it at Pallas and thus speaks:
in Pallanta diu librans iacit atque ita fatur:
"See whether our weapon is not the more piercing."
Adspice, num mage sit nostrum penetrabile telum.
He had spoken; but the shield, with all its layers of iron and bronze,
Dixerat; at clipeum, tot ferri terga, tot aeris,
wrapped round so many times with bull’s hide,
quem pellis totiens obeat circumdata tauri,
the point pierces through the middle with a quivering blow,
vibranti cuspis medium transverberat ictu
and bursts the corselet’s guard and the great breast.
loricaeque moras et pectus perforat ingens.
He tears the warm weapon from the wound in vain:
Ille rapit calidum frustra de volnere telum:
by one and the same path blood and life follow.
una eademque via sanguis animusque sequuntur.
He falls upon the wound, his arms clanged over him,
Corruit in volnus, sonitum super arma dedere
and dying he seeks the hostile earth with bloody mouth.
et terram hostilem moriens petit ore cruento.
Over him Turnus, standing,
Quem Turnus super adsistens,
"Arcadians," he says, "remember and bear back these my words
Arcades, haec, inquit, memores mea dicta referte
to Evander: such as he earned, I send Pallas back.
Euandro; qualem meruit, Pallanta remitto.
Whatever honor of a tomb, whatever solace of burial there is,
Quisquis honos tumuli, quidquid solamen humandi est,
I grant freely. The welcome of Aeneas will have cost him
largior. Haud illi stabunt Aeneia parvo
not cheaply." And, so saying, with his left foot he pressed
hospitia. Et laevo pressit pede talia fatus
the lifeless youth, tearing away the baldric’s huge weight,
exanimem, rapiens immania pondera baltei
and the crime engraved on it—the band of young men foully
impressumque nefas, una sub nocte iugali
slain on one bridal night, and the bloody marriage-chambers,
caesa manus iuvenum foede thalamique cruenti,
in which spoil now Turnus exults and rejoices, its master.
quo nunc Turnus ovat spolio gaudetque potitus.
O mind of men, knowing nothing of fate and the lot to come,
Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae
or how to keep measure, lifted up by success!
et servare modum, rebus sublata secundis!
A time will come for Turnus when, for a great price, he will wish
Turno tempus erit, magno cum optaverit emptum
Pallas unharmed, and when he will hate these spoils
intactum Pallanta et cum spolia ista diemque
and this day. But his comrades with much groaning and tears
oderit. At socii multo gemitu lacrimisque
bear Pallas back, laid on his shield, in a throng.
impositum scuto referunt Pallanta frequentes.
O grief and great glory, returning to your father!
O dolor atque decus magnum rediture parenti
this first day gave you to war, this same day takes you away,
haec te prima dies bello dedit, haec eadem aufert,
yet you leave behind great heaps of Rutulians.
cum tamen ingentis Rutulorum linquis acervos.
And now not rumor of so great an ill, but a surer messenger
Nec iam fama mali tanti, sed certior auctor
flies to Aeneas: by a thin margin from death
advolat Aeneae, tenui discrimine leti
are his men, and it is time to help the routed Teucrians.
esse suos, versis tempus succurrere Teucris.
All nearest he mows with the sword, and through the broad line
Proxima quaeque metit gladio latumque per agmen
blazing he cuts a path with the steel, seeking you, Turnus, proud
ardens limitem agit ferro, te, Turne, superbum
with fresh slaughter. Pallas, Evander, are before his very
caede nova quaerens. Pallas, Euander, in ipsis
eyes—all of it—the tables he came to first as a stranger,
omnia sunt oculis, mensae, quas advena primas
and the right hands clasped. Four youths, sons of Sulmo,
tunc adiit, dextraeque datae. Sulmone creatos
and as many whom Ufens rears,
quattuor hic iuvenes, totidem, quos educat Ufens,
he seizes alive, to slay as offerings to the shades
viventis rapit, inferias quos immolet umbris
and drench the pyre’s flames with captive blood.
captivoque rogi perfundat sanguine flammas.
Then at Magus from afar he had aimed his hostile spear.
Inde Mago procul infensam contenderat hastam.
He ducks beneath with cunning, and the quivering spear flies over,
Ille astu subit ac tremibunda supervolat hasta,
and clasping his knees a suppliant he speaks thus:
et genua amplectens effatur talia supplex:
"By your father’s shade and the hope of rising Iulus,
Per patrios manis et spes surgentis Iuli
I beg you, save this life for a son and a father.
te precor, hanc animam serves natoque patrique.
I have a high house; deep buried lie talents
Est domus alta, iacent penitus defossa talenta
of chased silver, and weights of gold wrought
caelati argenti, sunt auri pondera facti
and unwrought are mine. The victory of the Teucrians does not
infectique mihi. Non hic victoria Teucrum
turn on this, nor will one life make so great a difference."
vertitur aut anima una dabit discrimina tanta.
He had spoken. Aeneas in answer returns him this:
Dixerat. Aeneas contra cui talia reddit:
"The many talents of silver and gold you tell of,
Argenti atque auri memoras quae multa talenta,
keep for your sons. These bargains of war Turnus
natis parce tuis. Belli commercia Turnus
has done away with first, now, when Pallas was slain.
sustulit ista prior iam tum Pallante perempto.
So judges the shade of my father Anchises, so judges Iulus."
Hoc patris Anchisae manes, hoc sentit Iulus.
So saying, he grips the helmet with his left hand and, bending back
Sic fatus galeam laeva tenet atque reflexa
the suppliant’s neck, drives the sword in to the hilt.
cervice orantis capulo tenus applicat ensem.
Not far off was Haemonides, priest of Phoebus and Trivia,
Nec procul Haemonides, Phoebi Triviaeque sacerdos,
his temples bound with the sacred fillet’s band,
infula cui sacra redimibat tempora vitta,
all gleaming in his robe and his splendid arms.
totus conlucens veste atque insignibus armis.
Meeting him, he drives him over the field, and, standing over the fallen,
Quem congressus agit campo lapsumque superstans
sacrifices him and covers him with his huge shadow; Serestus
immolat ingentique umbra tegit; arma Serestus
bears off the gathered arms on his shoulders, a trophy to you, King Gradivus.
lecta refert umeris, tibi, rex Gradive, tropaeum.
The lines are renewed by Caeculus, sprung of Vulcan’s stock,
Instaurant acies Volcani stirpe creatus
and Umbro, coming from the Marsian mountains:
Caeculus et veniens Marsorum montibus Umbro:
against them the Dardanian rages. With his sword the left hand
Dardanides contra furit. Anxuris ense sinistram
of Anxur and all the circle of his shield he had struck off;
et totum clipei ferro deiecerat orbem;
he had said something grand and believed power would back his word,
dixerat ille aliquid magnum vimque adfore verbo
and perhaps was lifting his thoughts to heaven
crediderat caeloque animum fortasse ferebat
and had promised himself gray hairs and long years:
canitiemque sibi et longos promiserat annos:
offered himself before the burning hero. He, with spear drawn back,
obvius ardenti sese obtulit. Ille reducta
pins the corselet and the shield’s huge bulk;
loricam clipeique ingens onus impedit hasta;
then the head of the man, pleading in vain and making ready to say
tum caput orantis nequiquam et multa parantis
much, he strikes to the ground, and over the warm trunk,
dicere deturbat terrae truncumque tepentem
rolling it on, speaks thus with hostile heart:
provolvens super haec inimico pectore fatur:
"Lie there now, you dread one. No noble mother
Istic nunc, metuende, iace. Non te optima mater
shall lay you in earth or load your limbs in an ancestral tomb:
condet humi patrioque onerabit membra sepulchro:
you shall be left to the wild birds, or, plunged in the flood,
alitibus linquere feris aut gurgite mersum
the wave shall bear you off, and hungry fish shall lick your wounds."
unda feret piscesque impasti volnera lambent.
son of great-souled Volcens, the richest in land
magnanimo Volcente satum, ditissimus agri
and a hundred hands, and blazed fire from fifty mouths
centenasque manus, quinquaginta oribus ignem
and breasts, when against the thunderbolts of Jove
pectoribusque arsisse, Iovis cum fulmina contra
he clashed with as many like shields and drew as many swords:
tot paribus streperet clipeis, tot stringeret enses:
so Aeneas raged victorious over all the field,
sic toto Aeneas desaevit in aequore victor,
once his sword-point had warmed. Nay, behold, against Niphaeus’
ut semel intepuit mucro. Quin ecce Niphaei
four-horse team and their fronting breasts he drives.
quadriiugis in equos adversaque pectora tendit.
And they, when they saw him striding far off and roaring grimly,
Atque illi longe gradientem et dira frementem
turned in fear and rushing backward,
ut videre, metu versi retroque ruentes
throw out their driver and sweep the car toward the shore.
effunduntque ducem rapiuntque ad litora currus.
into the midst, and his brother Liger; but the brother
in medios fraterque Liger; sed frater habenis
guides the horses by the reins, while keen Lucagus whirls his drawn sword.
flectit equos, strictum rotat acer Lucagus ensem.
Aeneas brooked not their raging in such heat:
Haud tulit Aeneas tanto fervore furentis:
he charged and loomed huge with leveled spear.
inruit adversaque ingens apparuit hasta.
To him Liger:
Cui Liger:
"No horses of Diomedes nor car of Achilles do you see,
Non Diomedis equos nec currum cernis Achillis
nor the fields of Phrygia: now the end of war and of life
aut Phrygiae campos: nunc belli finis et aevi
shall be given you in this land." Such words fly far
his dabitur terris. Vesano talia late
from raving Liger. But the Trojan hero
dicta volant Ligeri. Sed non et Troïus heros
makes ready no words in answer: for he hurls his javelin at the foe.
dicta parat contra: iaculum nam torquet in hostem.
As Lucagus, leaning forward over the lash with his weapon,
Lucagus ut pronus pendens in verbera telo
urges on his pair, and, thrusting forward his left foot,
admonuit biiugos, proiecto dum pede laevo
makes ready for the fight, the spear comes up through the lowest rim
aptet se pugnae, subit oras hasta per imas
of the gleaming shield, then pierces the left groin:
fulgentis clipei, tum laevum perforat inguen:
flung from the car, dying, he rolls upon the fields.
excussus curru moribundus volvitur arvis.
Him dutiful Aeneas addresses with bitter words:
Quem pius Aeneas dictis adfatur amaris:
"Lucagus, no cowardly flight of horses has betrayed
Lucage, nulla tuos currus fuga segnis equorum
your car, nor empty shadows turned them from the foe:
prodidit aut vanae vertere ex hostibus umbrae:
you yourself, leaping from the wheels, desert the yoke." So saying,
ipse rotis saliens iuga deseris. Haec ita fatus
he seized the pair; the brother, fallen from the same car,
arripuit biiugos; frater tendebat inertis
stretched out his helpless hands, ill-fated:
infelix palmas, curru delapsus eodem:
"By yourself, by the parents who gave you such greatness,
Per te, per qui te talem genuere parentes,
Trojan, spare this life and pity one who prays."
vir Troiane, sine hanc animam et miserere precantis.
To him pleading at length Aeneas: "Not such were the words
Pluribus oranti Aeneas: Haud talia dudum
you spoke just now. Die, and as a brother do not desert your brother."
dicta dabas. Morere et fratrem ne desere frater.
Then with the sword-point he opens the breast, life’s hiding-place.
Tum latebras animae pectus mucrone recludit.
Such deaths the Dardanian leader dealt across the fields,
Talia per campos edebat funera ductor
raging like a torrent of water or a black whirlwind.
Dardanius, torrentis aquae vel turbinis atri
At last they break out and leave the camp,
more furens. Tandem erumpunt et castra relinquunt
the boy Ascanius and the youth besieged in vain.
Ascanius puer et nequiquam obsessa iuventus.
Meanwhile Jupiter of his own accord addresses Juno:
Iunonem interea compellat Iuppiter ultro:
"O my sister, and at once my most beloved wife,
O germana mihi atque eadem gratissima coniunx,
as you thought, it is Venus—and your judgment does not deceive you—
ut rebare, Venus, nec te sententia fallit,
who upholds the Trojan strength, not hands quick in war
Troianas sustentat opes, non vivida bello
and a fierce spirit in the men, patient of danger."
dextra viris animusque ferox patiensque pericli.
To him Juno, submissively: "Why, O fairest husband,
Cui Iuno summissa Quid, o pulcherrime coniunx,
do you trouble me, sick and fearing your sad words?
sollicitas aegram et tua tristia dicta timentem?
If I had that power in love which once was mine and ought to be,
Si mihi, quae quondam fuerat quamque esse decebat,
this you would not deny me, almighty one,
vis in amore foret, non hoc mihi namque negares,
that I might both withdraw Turnus from the fight
omnipotens, quin et pugnae subducere Turnum
and keep him safe for his father Daunus.
et Dauno possem incolumem servare parenti.
Now let him perish and pay the Teucrians the penalty with his pious blood.
Nunc pereat Teucrisque pio det sanguine poenas.
Yet he draws his name from our lineage,
Ille tamen nostra deducit origine nomen
and Pilumnus is his fourth father, and often with lavish
Pilumnusque illi quartus pater et tua larga
hand he has loaded your thresholds with many gifts."
saepe manu multisque oneravit limina donis.
To her the king of ethereal Olympus thus briefly speaks:
Cui rex aetherii breviter sic fatur Olympi:
"If a delay of present death and a respite for the doomed
Si mora praesentis leti tempusque caduco
youth is asked, and you feel that I should ordain it so,
oratur iuveni meque hoc ita ponere sentis,
take Turnus off in flight and snatch him from the pressing fates:
tolle fuga Turnum atque instantibus eripe fatis
so far there is room for indulgence. But if some deeper pardon
hactenus indulsisse vacat. Sin altior istis
lies hidden beneath these prayers, and you think the whole
sub precibus venia ulla latet totumque moveri
war can be moved or changed, you feed on empty hopes."
mutarive putas bellum, spes pascis inanis.
And Juno, weeping: "What if what you grudge in word
Et Iuno adlacrimans: Quid si, quae voce gravaris,
you would grant in mind, and this life remained assured to Turnus?
mente dares atque haec Turno rata vita maneret?
Now a heavy end awaits the guiltless one—or I am borne
Nunc manet insontem gravis exitus, aut ego veri
far from the truth. Yet O, that I were rather mocked by false fear,
vana feror. Quod ut O potius formidine falsa
and you, who can, would bend your purposes to the better!"
ludar et in melius tua, qui potes, orsa reflectas!
When she had said this, at once from high heaven
Haec ubi dicta dedit, caelo se protinus alto
she cast herself, driving a storm, girt in cloud, through the air,
misit, agens hiemem nimbo succincta per auras,
and made for the Trojan line and the Laurentine camp.
Iliacamque aciem et Laurentia castra petivit.
Then the goddess from hollow cloud, a thin strengthless shade
Tum dea nube cava tenuem sine viribus umbram
in the likeness of Aeneas, a marvel to behold,
in faciem Aeneae, visu mirabile monstrum,
decks with Dardanian weapons, and counterfeits the shield
Dardaniis ornat telis clipeumque iubasque
and the plumes of the divine head, gives it empty words,
divini adsimulat capitis, dat inania verba,
gives sound without sense, and counterfeits the gait of one walking,
dat sine mente sonum gressusque effingit euntis,
such as the shapes that, men say, flit after death is met,
morte obita qualis fama est volitare figuras
or as the dreams that mock the slumbering senses.
aut quae sopitos deludunt somnia sensus.
But before the front lines the phantom exults gladly
At primas laeta ante acies exsultat imago
and goads the man with weapons and provokes him with its voice.
inritatque virum telis et voce lacessit.
Turnus presses it, and from afar hurls a whistling spear:
Instat cui Turnus stridentemque eminus hastam
it turns its back and gives ground.
conicit: illa dato vertit vestigia tergo.
Then indeed, when Turnus believed Aeneas turned away
Tum vero Aenean aversum ut cedere Turnus
and retreating, and in his turmoil drank an empty hope,
credidit atque animo spem turbidus hausit inanem,
"Where do you flee, Aeneas? Do not abandon the bride pledged you;
Quo fugis, Aenea? Thalamos ne desere pactos;
by this right hand shall be given the land sought over the waves."
hac dabitur dextra tellus quaesita per undas.
So shouting he follows, and brandishes his drawn
Talia vociferans sequitur strictumque coruscat
blade, nor sees that the winds bear off his joys.
mucronem nec ferre videt sua gaudia ventos.
By chance a ship, moored to the ledge of a high rock,
Forte ratis celsi coniuncta crepidine saxi
stood with gangways set out and bridge made ready,
expositis stabat scalis et ponte parato,
Hither the trembling phantom of the fleeing Aeneas
Huc sese trepida Aeneae fugientis imago
flings itself into hiding; nor does Turnus, no less keen, press on,
conicit in latebras; nec Turnus segnior instat
and overleaps all hindrance and bounds across the high gangway.
exsuperatque moras et pontis transilit altos.
Scarcely had he reached the prow: Saturnian Juno breaks the cable
Vix proram attigerat: rumpit Saturnia funem
and sweeps the torn-loose ship over the back-rolling waters.
avolsamque rapit revoluta per aequora navem.
But Aeneas, absent, calls Turnus to the fight;
Illum autem Aeneas absentem in praelia poscit;
and sends to death many men’s bodies that meet him:
obvia multa virum demittit corpora morti:
then the light phantom seeks its hiding no longer,
tum levis haud ultra latebras iam quaerit imago,
but, flying aloft, mingled with a black cloud.
sed sublime volans nubi se immiscuit atrae.
While meanwhile a whirlwind bears Turnus over the open sea.
Cum Turnum medio interea fert aequore turbo.
He looks back, unknowing of all and ungrateful for his rescue,
Respicit ignarus rerum ingratusque salutis
and with his voice lifts both hands to the stars:
et duplicis cum voce manus ad sidera tendit:
"Almighty father, did you judge me worthy of so great
Omnipotens genitor, tanton me crimine dignum
a crime, and will you that I pay such penalties?
duxisti et talis voluisti expendere poenas?
Where am I borne? Whence did I depart? What flight, and as whom, brings me back?
Quo feror? Unde abii? Quae me fuga quemve reducit?
Shall I see the Laurentine walls again, or the camp?
Laurentisne iterum muros aut castra videbo?
What of that band of men who followed me and my arms?
Quid manus illa virum, qui me meaque arma secuti?
All of whom (the horror!) I have left to an unspeakable death,
Quosne (nefas) omnis infanda in morte reliqui
and now I see them scattered, and hear the groans
et nunc palantis video gemitumque cadentum
of the falling! What am I doing? What earth can yawn deep
accipio! Quid ago? Aut quae iam satis ima dehiscat
enough for me? Rather, O winds, take pity on me:
terra mihi? Vos O potius miserescite venti:
on the rocks, on the crags—willing, I, Turnus, implore you—
in rupes, in saxa, volens vos Turnus adoro
bear the ship, and drive it into the cruel shoals of the Syrtes,
ferte ratem saevisque vadis immittite Syrtis,
where neither the Rutulians nor knowing rumor may follow me."
quo neque me Rutuli nec conscia fama sequatur.
So speaking, his mind wavers now this way, now that,
Haec memorans animo nunc huc, nunc fluctuat illuc,
whether, frantic at so great a disgrace, he should fall
an sese mucrone ob tantum dedecus amens
upon the sword and drive the cruel blade through his ribs,
induat et crudum per costas exigat ensem,
or fling himself into the midst of the waves and, swimming,
fluctibus an iaciat mediis et litora nando
make for the curving shores and give himself again to the Teucrians’ arms.
curva petat Teucrumque iterum se reddat in arma.
Thrice he tried each way; thrice mighty Juno
Ter conatus utramque viam, ter maxima Iuno
held him back and, pitying, restrained the youth’s purpose.
continuit iuvenemque animi miserata repressit.
He glides on, cleaving the deep, with wave and tide favoring,
Labitur alta secans fluctuque aestuque secundo
But meanwhile, at Jove’s prompting, Mezentius, ablaze,
At Iovis interea monitis Mezentius ardens
takes up the fight and assails the exulting Teucrians.
succedit pugnae Teucrosque invadit ovantis.
The Tuscan lines run together, and all against one,
Concurrunt Tyrrhenae acies atque omnibus uni,
against one man with their hatred and crowding weapons they press.
uni odiisque viro telisque frequentibus instant.
He, like a crag that juts into the vast sea,
Ille velut rupes, vastum quae prodit in aequor,
facing the fury of the winds and exposed to the deep,
obvia ventorum furiis expostaque ponto,
bears all the violence and threats of sky and sea,
vim cunctam atque minas perfert caelique marisque,
ipsa immota manens, prolem Dolichaonis Hebrum
sternit humi, cum quo Latagum Palmumque fugacem,
but Latagus full in the face he catches with a stone
sed Latagum saxo atque ingenti fragmine montis
and a huge fragment of mountain, and Palmus, hamstrung,
occupat os faciemque adversam, poplite Palmum
he leaves to roll, helpless, and gives the arms to Lausus
succiso volvi segnem sinit, armaque Lauso
to wear on his shoulders and fix the crests on his head.
donat habere umeris et vertice figere cristas.
bore to his father Amycus into the light, while, pregnant with a torch,
in lucem genitori Amyco dedit et face praegnans
one lies dead, while the Laurentine shore holds Mimas, far from home.
occubat, ignarum Laurens habet ora Mimanta.
And as a boar, driven from the high mountains by the bite
Ac velut ille canum morsu de montibus altis
has sheltered, or the Laurentine marsh many years,
defendit multosve palus Laurentia, silva
feeding in the reed-thicket, when he has come among the nets,
pastus harundinea, postquam inter retia ventum est,
halts and snorts fiercely and bristles his shoulders,
substitit infremuitque ferox et inhorruit armos,
and no one has the courage to rage at him or come nearer,
nec cuiquam irasci propiusque accedere virtus,
but with javelins and safe shouts from afar they press;
sed iaculis tutisque procul clamoribus instant;
he, undismayed, wheels slowly to every side,
ille autem impavidus partis cunctatur in omnis,
gnashing his teeth, and shakes the spears from his back:
dentibus infrendens, et tergo decutit hastas.
no otherwise, of those who have just wrath against Mezentius,
haud aliter, iustae quibus est Mezentius irae,
none has the heart to close with drawn steel;
non ulli est animus stricto concurrere ferro;
with missiles from afar and a huge shout they provoke him:
missilibus longe et vasto clamore lacessunt:
a Greek, an exile leaving his marriage unconsummated.
Graius homo, infectos linquens profugus hymenaeos.
When he saw him from afar stirring the midmost ranks,
Hunc ubi miscentem longe media agmina vidit,
bright with plumes and the purple of his promised bride:
purpureum pennis et pactae coniugis ostro:
as an unfed lion often, ranging the high stalls,
impastus stabula alta leo ceu saepe peragrans,
(for raging hunger drives him) if by chance he has spied
suadet enim vesana fames, si forte fugacem
a fleeing she-goat or a stag rising into its antlers,
conspexit capream aut surgentem in cornua cervum,
rejoices, gaping monstrously, his mane bristling, and clings
gaudet, hians immane, comasque arrexit et haeret
couched upon the entrails, his foul jaws washed
visceribus super accumbens, lavit inproba taeter
with grim gore,
ora cruor,
so Mezentius rushes eager into the thick of the foe.
sic ruit in densos alacer Mezentius hostis.
Ill-fated Acron is laid low, and with his heels beats
Sternitur infelix Acron et calcibus atram
the black earth as he dies, and bloodies the broken weapons.
tundit humum expirans infractaque tela cruentat.
or deal a blind wound with a hurled spear:
sternere nec iacta caecum dare cuspide volnus:
he ran to meet him face to face, and matched himself, man to man,
obvius adversoque occurrit seque viro vir
no better by stealth, but by brave arms.
contulit, haud furto melior, sed fortibus armis.
Then, leaning his foot on the fallen and on his spear:
Tum super abiectum posito pede nixus et hasta:
"No mean part of the war, men—tall Orodes lies low."
Pars belli haud temnenda, viri, iacet altus Orodes.
His comrades shout, taking up the glad paean.
Conclamant socii laetum paeana secuti.
But the other, dying: "Not unavenged, whoever you are,
Ille autem exspirans: Non me, quicumque es, inulto,
victor, nor for long shall you rejoice: you too the fates
victor, nec longum laetabere: te quoque fata
mark with a like end, and soon you shall hold these same fields."
prospectant paria atque eadem mox arva tenebis.
To which Mezentius, smiling with mingled wrath:
Ad quae subridens mixta Mezentius ira:
"Now die. As for me, let the father of gods and king of men
Nunc morere. Ast de me divom pater atque hominum rex
see to it." So saying, he drew the weapon from the body:
viderit. Hoc dicens eduxit corpore telum:
on him hard rest and an iron sleep press the eyes,
olli dura quies oculos et ferreus urget
and his lights are closed in everlasting night.
somnus, in aeternam clauduntur lumina noctem.
Messapus Clonius and Erichaetes son of Lycaon,
Messapus Croniumque Lycaoniumque Erichaeten,
the one lying on the ground from the fall of his unbridled horse,
illum infrenis equi lapsu tellure iacentem,
the other on foot. On foot too Lycian Agis had come on,
hunc peditem. Pedes et Lycius processerat Agis,
by ambush, with javelin and the far-deceiving arrow.
insidiis, iaculo et longe fallente sagitta.
Now heavy Mavors leveled the grief and the mutual
Iam gravis aequabat luctus et mutua Mavors
slaughter: alike they killed and alike they fell,
funera: caedebant pariter pariterque ruebant
victors and vanquished, and neither these nor those knew flight.
victores victique, neque his fuga nota neque illis.
The gods in Jove’s halls pity the vain wrath
Di Iovis in tectis iram miserantur inanem
of both sides, and that mortals have such toils:
amborum et tantos mortalibus esse labores:
here Venus, there facing her Saturnian Juno watch,
hinc Venus, hinc contra spectat Saturnia Iuno,
and pale Tisiphone rages in the midst of the thousands.
pallida Tisiphone media inter milia saevit.
But Mezentius, shaking his huge spear,
At vero ingentem quatiens Mezentius hastam
when on foot he strides through the greatest pools
cum pedes incedit medii per maxima Nerei
of mid-Nereus, cleaving a path, and stands shoulder-high above the waves,
stagna viam scindens, umero supereminet undas
or, bringing back an aged ash from the high mountains,
aut summis referens annosam montibus ornum
walks on the ground and hides his head among the clouds:
ingrediturque solo et caput inter nubila condit:
such is Mezentius as he bears himself on in his vast arms.
talis se vastis infert Mezentius armis.
Against him Aeneas, having marked him in the long line,
Huic contra Aeneas, speculatus in agmine longo,
makes ready to meet him. He stays undaunted,
obvius ire parat. Manet imperterritus ille,
awaiting his great-souled foe, and stands in his own bulk;
hostem magnanimum opperiens, et mole sua stat;
and having measured with his eye the space, as much as suffices the spear:
atque oculis spatium emensus, quantum satis hastae:
"My right hand—my god—and the weapon I poise to throw,
Dextra mihi deus et telum, quod missile libro,
now be near! I vow that you yourself, Lausus, clad in the spoils
nunc adsint! Voveo praedonis corpore raptis
stripped from the robber’s body, shall be a trophy
indutum spoliis ipsum te, Lause, tropaeum
over Aeneas." He spoke, and from afar hurled the whistling spear:
Aeneae. Dixit stridentemque eminus hastam
but it, flying, was struck off from the shield and far off
iecit; at illa volans clipeo est excussa proculque
Antores, companion of Hercules, who, sent from Argos,
Herculis Antoren comitem, qui missus ab Argis
had clung to Evander and settled in an Italian city.
haeserat Euandro atque Itala consederat urbe.
Ill-fated, he is laid low by a wound meant for another, and at the sky
Sternitur infelix alieno volnere caelumque
he looks, and dying remembers sweet Argos.
aspicit et dulcis moriens reminiscitur Argos
Then dutiful Aeneas casts his spear: through the round
tum pius Aeneas hastam iacit: illa per orbem
of triple hollow bronze, through the linen layers and the work
aere cavum triplici, per linea terga tribusque
woven of three bull-hides it passes, and lodged low
transit intextum tauris opus imaque sedit
in the groin, but did not carry its force home. Swiftly the sword
inguine, sed viris haud pertulit. Ocius ensem
Aeneas, glad at the sight of Tuscan blood,
Aeneas, viso Tyrrheni sanguine laetus,
snatches from his thigh and bears down hot on the faltering man.
eripit a femine et trepidanti fervidus instat.
Deeply Lausus groaned, in love for his dear father,
Ingemuit cari graviter genitoris amore,
when he saw it, and tears rolled down his face.
ut vidit, Lausus, lacrimaeque per ora volutae.
Here the chance of your harsh death and your noblest deeds,
Hic mortis durae casum tuaque optima facta,
if any age shall give belief to so great a work,
siqua fidem tanto est operi latura vetustas,
I will not, no, pass you over in silence, youth to be remembered.
non equidem nec te, iuvenis memorande, silebo.
He, drawing back his foot, helpless and hampered,
Ille pedem referens et inutilis inque ligatus
was giving ground and dragging the enemy shaft in his shield:
cedebat clipeoque inimicum hastile trahebat:
the youth burst forward and flung himself into the fray
prorupit iuvenis seseque immiscuit armis
and, as the right hand of Aeneas rose and aimed the blow,
iamque adsurgentis dextra plagamque ferentis
he came beneath the sword-point and, by delaying,
Aeneae subiit mucronem ipsumque morando
held him off. His comrades follow with a great shout,
sustinuit. Socii magno clamore sequuntur,
that the father might withdraw, sheltered by his son’s shield,
dum genitor nati parma protectus abiret,
and they hurl weapons and drive off the foe from afar
telaque coniciunt proturbantque eminus hostem
with missiles. Aeneas rages and keeps himself covered.
missilibus. Furit Aeneas tectusque tenet se.
And as when the storm-clouds pour down hail,
Ac velut effusa siquando grandine nimbi
every plowman scatters from the fields,
praecipitant, omnis campis diffugit arator
and every farmer, and the traveler hides in a safe refuge,
omnis et agricola et tuta latet arce viator,
on a river’s banks or under the vault of a high rock,
aut amnis ripis aut alti fornice saxi,
while it rains on the earth, so that, the sun brought back,
dum pluit in terris, ut possint sole reducto
they may work out the day: so, overwhelmed with weapons on every side,
exercere diem: sic obrutus undique telis
Aeneas bears the cloud of war, until all is thundered out,
Aeneas nubem belli, dum detonet omnis,
and chides Lausus and threatens Lausus:
sustinet et Lausum increpitat Lausoque minatur:
"Where do you rush, doomed to die, daring beyond your strength?
Quo moriture ruis maioraque viribus audes?
Your love betrays you to rashness." Yet no less does he
Fallit te incautum pietas tua. Nec minus ille
exult, the madman; and now fiercer wrath rises higher
exsultat demens; saevae iamque altius irae
in the Dardanian leader, and the Fates gather Lausus’
Dardanio surgunt ductori, extremaque Lauso
last threads: for through the youth’s middle Aeneas drives
Parcae fila legunt: validum namque exigit ensem
his strong sword and buries it whole.
per medium Aeneas iuvenem totumque recondit.
The point passed through the light shield, the threatener’s frail arms,
Transiit et parmam mucro, levia arma minacis,
and the tunic his mother had woven with soft gold,
et tunicam, molli mater quam neverat auro,
and the blood filled the folds; then his life through the air
implevitque sinum sanguis; tum vita per auras
withdrew, mournful, to the shades, and left the body.
concessit maesta ad manis corpusque reliquit.
But when the son of Anchises saw the dying face and features,
At vero ut voltum vidit morientis et ora,
the features wondrously pale,
ora modis Anchisiades pallentia miris,
he groaned in deep pity and stretched out his hand,
ingemuit miserans graviter dextramque tetendit,
and the image of a son’s love for a father came into his mind.
et mentem patriae subiit pietatis imago.
"What now, pitiable boy, for praises such as these
Quid tibi nunc, miserande puer, pro laudibus istis,
shall dutiful Aeneas give worthy of so noble a nature?
quid pius Aeneas tanta dabit indole dignum?
Keep your arms, in which you rejoiced; and to the shades
Arma, quibus laetatus, habe tua, teque parentum
and ashes of your parents, if that care be anything, I give you back.
manibus et cineri, siqua est ea cura, remitto.
This one comfort, poor youth, you shall have for your wretched death:
Hoc tamen infelix miseram solabere mortem:
you fall by great Aeneas’ hand." Then he chides
Aeneae magni dextra cadis. Increpat ultro
the lingering comrades, and himself lifts him from the ground,
cunctantis socios et terra sublevat ipsum,
his hair, dressed in the wonted way, befouled with blood.
sanguine turpantem comptos de more capillos.
Meanwhile his father, at the water of the Tiber’s stream,
Interea genitor Tiberini ad fluminis undam
was staunching his wounds with water and easing his body,
volnera siccabat lymphis corpusque levabat
leaning against a tree-trunk. Nearby his bronze helmet
arboris adclinis trunco. Procul aerea ramis
hangs from the branches, and his heavy arms rest on the meadow.
dependet galea et prato gravia arma quiescunt.
Chosen youths stand round; he himself, sick and gasping,
Stant lecti circum iuvenes: ipse aeger anhelans
eases his neck, his combed beard spread on his breast;
colla fovet, fusus propexam in pectore barbam;
he asks much about Lausus, and sends many
multa super Lauso rogitat multumque remittit
to call him back and bear the sad father’s commands.
qui revocent maestique ferant mandata parentis.
But his comrades were bearing the lifeless Lausus on his arms,
At Lausum socii exanimem super arma ferebant
weeping, a great youth conquered by a great wound.
flentes, ingentem atque ingenti volnere victum.
From afar his mind, foreboding ill, knew the groaning:
Agnovit longe gemitum praesaga mali mens:
he fouls his gray hair with much dust, and both
canitiem multo deformat pulvere et ambas
his palms he stretches to heaven, and clings to the body.
ad caelum tendit palmas et corpore inhaeret.
"Did so great a longing to live hold me, my son,
Tantane me tenuit vivendi, nate, voluptas,
that I let you whom I begot take the enemy hand
ut pro me hostili paterer succedere dextrae,
in my stead? Am I, your father, saved by these your wounds,
quem genui? Tuane haec genitor per volnera servor,
living by your death? Alas, now at last is exile
morte tua vivens? Heu, nunc misero mihi demum
bitter to me in my misery, now the wound is driven deep!
exitium infelix, nunc alte volnus adactum!
I too, my son, stained your name with my guilt,
Idem ego, nate, tuum maculavi crimine nomen,
driven by hatred from my throne and my father’s scepter.
pulsus ob invidiam solio sceptrisque paternis.
I owed my country and my people’s hatred a penalty:
Debueram patriae poenas odiisque meorum:
I should have given my own guilty life by every death!
omnis per mortis animam sontem ipse dedissem!
Now I live, and not yet do I leave men and the light.
Nunc vivo neque adhuc homines lucemque relinquo.
But leave it I shall." Saying this, he raises himself on his wounded
Sed linquam. Simul hoc dicens attollit in aegrum
thigh, and, though the pain of the deep wound slows him,
se femur et, quamvis dolor alto volnere tardet,
not cast down, bids his horse be led up. This was his glory,
haud deiectus equum duci iubet. Hoc decus illi,
this his comfort; on it he had gone victorious from all
hoc solamen erat; bellis hoc victor abibat
his wars. He speaks to the grieving beast and thus begins:
omnibus. Adloquitur maerentem et talibus infit:
"Rhaebus, long—if anything is long for mortals—
Rhaebe, diu, res siqua diu mortalibus ulla est,
have we lived. Either today you shall bring back, victorious, those spoils
viximus. Aut hodie victor spolia illa cruenti
and the head of bloody Aeneas, and be avenger with me
et caput Aeneae referes Lausique dolorum
of Lausus’ sufferings, or, if no force opens the way,
ultor eris mecum aut, aperit si nulla viam vis,
you shall fall with me; for I do not believe, bravest,
occumbes pariter; neque enim, fortissime, credo,
that you would brook another’s commands and deign to have Teucrian masters."
iussa aliena pati et dominos dignabere Teucros.
He spoke, and, taken on its back, settled his limbs
Dixit et exceptus tergo consueta locavit
in the wonted seat, and loaded both hands with sharp javelins,
membra manusque ambas iaculis oneravit acutis,
his head gleaming with bronze and shaggy with horsehair crest.
aere caput fulgens cristaque hirsutus equina.
So at a gallop he charged into the midst: there surges huge
Sic cursum in medios rapidus dedit: aestuat ingens
in one heart shame, and madness mixed with grief,
uno in corde pudor mixtoque insania luctu,
and love driven by furies, and valor conscious of itself.
et furiis agitatus amor et conscia virtus.
And here three times with a great voice he called Aeneas.
Atque hic Aenean magna ter voce vocavit.
Aeneas knew him indeed, and gladly prays:
Aeneas agnovit enim laetusque precatur:
"So may that father of the gods grant it, so high Apollo,
Sic pater ille deum faciat, sic altus Apollo,
that you begin to join battle!"
incipias conferre manum.
Only this he said, and advances to meet him with hostile spear.
Tantum effatus et infesta subit obvius hasta.
But the other: "Why, cruelest, now my son is taken,
Ille autem: Quid me erepto, saevissime, nato
do you frighten me? This was the only way you could destroy me.
terres? Haec via sola fuit, qua perdere posses.
We dread no death, nor spare we any of the gods.
Nec mortem horremus nec divom parcimus ulli.
Cease: for I come to die, and bring you first these
Desine: nam venio moriturus et haec tibi porto
gifts." He spoke, and whirled his weapon at the foe;
dona prius. Dixit telumque intorsit in hostem;
then another upon another he fixes and lets fly,
inde aliud super atque aliud figitque volatque
in a great circle, but the golden boss holds firm.
ingenti gyro, sed sustinet aureus umbo.
Thrice he rode round his standing foe in leftward circles,
Ter circum adstantem laevos equitavit in orbes
hurling weapons by hand; thrice the Trojan hero
tela manu iaciens, ter secum Troïus heros
carries round with him a monstrous forest on his bronze shield.
immanem aerato circumfert tegmine silvam.
Then, when it wearies him to drag out so many delays, to pluck
Inde ubi tot traxisse moras, tot spicula taedet
out so many darts, and he is hard pressed in the unequal fight,
vellere et urgetur pugna congressus iniqua,
turning much over in his mind, at last he bursts out, and between
multa movens animo iam tandem erumpit et inter
the war-horse’s hollow temples hurls his spear.
bellatoris equi cava tempora conicit hastam.
The beast rears upright and lashes the air with its hooves,
Tollit se arrectum quadrupes et calcibus auras
and, following the unseated rider down,
verberat effusumque equitem super ipse secutus
entangles him and, falling headlong, comes down on his thrown shoulder.
implicat eiectoque incumbit cernuus armo.
With shouting Trojans and Latins set the sky ablaze.
Clamore incendunt caelum Troesque Latinique.
Aeneas flies up and snatches the sword from its sheath
Advolat Aeneas vaginaque eripit ensem
and over him: "Where now is keen Mezentius and that
et super haec: Ubi nunc Mezentius acer et illa
fierce force of spirit?" In answer the Tuscan, when, looking up,
effera vis animi? Contra Tyrrhenus, ut auras
he drank the air of heaven and regained his sense:
suspiciens hausit caelum mentemque recepit:
"Bitter foe, why do you taunt and threaten death?
Hostis amare, quid increpitas mortemque minaris?
There is no wrong in killing, nor did I come so to battle,
Nullum in caede nefas, nec sic ad proelia veni,
nor did my Lausus make any such pact with you for me.
nec tecum meus haec pepigit mihi foedera Lausus.
This one thing I ask, if any mercy is for a conquered foe:
Unum hoc per siqua est victis venia hostibus oro:
let my body be covered with earth. I know the bitter hatreds
corpus humo patiare tegi. Scio acerba meorum
of my own stand round me: this fury, I beg, ward off,
circumstare odia: hunc, oro, defende furorem
and grant me a share of my son’s tomb."
et me consortem nati concede sepulchro.
So he speaks, and, not unaware, takes the sword in his throat,
Haec loquitur iuguloque haud inscius accipit ensem
and pours out his life over his arms in a welling tide of blood.
undantique animam diffundit in arva cruore.
Meanwhile rising Dawn left the Ocean:
Oceanum interea surgens Aurora reliquit:
Aeneas, though both his cares urge him to give time
Aeneas, quamquam et sociis dare tempus humandis
to burying his comrades, and his mind is troubled by the death,
praecipitant curae turbataque funere mens est,
was paying his vows to the gods, victorious, at first daybreak.
vota deum primo victor solvebat Eoo.
A huge oak, its branches lopped on every side,
Ingentem quercum decisis undique ramis
he set up on a mound and clothed it in gleaming arms,
constituit tumulo fulgentiaque induit arma,
the spoils of the chief Mezentius, a trophy to you, great one,
Mezenti ducis exuvias, tibi, magne, tropaeum,
mighty in war: he fits the crests dripping with blood,
bellipotens: aptat rorantis sanguine cristas
the man’s broken weapons, and the corselet pierced and struck
telaque trunca viri et bis sex thoraca petitum
in twelve places, and binds the bronze shield to its left arm,
perfossumque locis clipeumque ex aere sinistrae
and hangs the ivory-hilted sword from its neck.
subligat atque ensem collo suspendit eburnum.
Then his comrades—for all the crowding throng of captains
Tum socios, namque omnis eum stipata tegebat
hemmed him round—thus exulting he begins to exhort:
turba ducum, sic incipiens hortatur ovantis:
"The greatest deed is done, men; let all fear be gone,
Maxima res effecta, viri; timor omnis abesto,
for what remains: these are the spoils, the firstfruits
quod superest: haec sunt spolia et de rege superbo
from a proud king, and Mezentius, by my hands, is here.
primitiae, manibusque meis Mezentius hic est.
Now our road is to the king and the Latin walls.
Nunc iter ad regem nobis murosque Latinos.
Make ready your arms in spirit and forestall the war in hope,
Arma parate animis et spe praesumite bellum,
that no delay take us off guard, when first the gods grant
nequa mora ignaros, ubi primum vellere signa
to pluck up the standards and lead the young men from camp,
adnuerint superi pubemque educere castris,
and no sluggish resolve, slowed by fear, hinder us.
impediat segnisve metu sententia tardet.
Meanwhile let us commit to earth our comrades’ unburied
Interea socios inhumataque corpora terrae
bodies, the only honor there is deep under Acheron.
mandemus, qui solus honos Acheronte sub imo est.
Go," he says, "grace with last gifts those noble souls
Ite, ait, egregias animas, quae sanguine nobis
who with their own blood won this fatherland for us;
hanc patriam peperere suo, decorate supremis
and first to Evander’s mourning city let Pallas
muneribus, maestamque Evandri primus ad urbem
be sent, whom, in no way wanting in valor,
mittatur Pallas, quem non virtutis egentem
the black day took, and plunged in bitter death."
abstulit atra dies et funere mersit acerbo.
So he says, weeping, and turns his step back to the doors,
Sic ait inlacrimans recipitque ad limina gressum,
of Pallas laid out, he who once to Parrhasian Evander
servabat senior, qui Parrhasio Evandro
had been armor-bearer, but now, with less happy
armiger ante fuit, sed non felicibus aeque
omens, went given as guardian to a beloved ward.
tum comes auspiciis caro datus ibat alumno.
Around were all the band of servants and the Trojan throng,
Circum omnis famulumque manus Troianaque turba
and the women of Ilium, their hair loosed in mourning by custom.
et maestum Iliades crinem de more solutae.
But when Aeneas entered the high doors,
Ut vero Aeneas foribus sese intulit altis,
they raise a huge groan to the stars, beating
ingentem gemitum tunsis ad sidera tollunt
their breasts, and the hall bellows with mournful grief.
pectoribus, maestoque immugit regia luctu.
He himself, when he saw the propped head and face
Ipse caput nivei fultum Pallantis et ora
of snow-white Pallas, and the gaping wound on the smooth breast
ut vidit levique patens in pectore vulnus
made by the Ausonian point, thus speaks, his tears welling.
cuspidis Ausoniae, lacrimis ita fatur obortis.
"Was it you, poor boy," he says, "that Fortune, when she came
Tene, inquit, miserande puer, cum laeta veniret,
glad, grudged me, that you should not see my kingdom
invidit Fortuna mihi, ne regna videres
nor ride home victorious to your father’s house?
nostra neque ad sedes victor veherere paternas?
Not this the promise I gave of you to your father Evander
Non haec Evandro de te promissa parenti
at parting, when, embracing me as I went,
discedens dederam, cum me complexus euntem
he sent me to a great command and, fearful, warned me
mitteret in magnum imperium metuensque moneret
that the men were fierce, the battles with a hard race.
acris esse viros, cum dura proelia gente.
And now he indeed, much beguiled by empty hope,
Et nunc ille quidem spe multum captus inani
perhaps even makes vows and heaps the altars with gifts:
fors et vota facit cumulatque altaria donis:
we, mourning, escort with vain honor a lifeless youth
nos iuvenem exanimum et nil iam caelestibus ullis
who owes nothing now to any of the powers above.
debentem vano maesti comitamur honore.
Unhappy man, you will see your son’s cruel funeral!
Infelix, nati funus crudele videbis!
These our homecomings, the triumphs you awaited!
Hi nostri reditus expectatique triumphi!
This my great pledge! Yet not, Evander, by shameful
Haec mea magna fides! At non, Evandre, pudendis
wounds shall you see him struck down, nor, your son alive,
vulneribus pulsum adspicies nec sospite dirum
will you, a father, wish a dire death. Ah me, how great
optabis nato funus pater. Ei mihi, quantum
a bulwark you lose, Ausonia, and how great, Iulus!"
praesidium Ausonia et quantum tu perdis, Iule!
When he had wept these things, he bids the piteous body
Haec ubi deflevit, tolli miserabile corpus
be lifted, and sends a thousand men chosen from all
imperat et toto lectos ex agmine mittit
the host to attend the last honor
mille viros, qui supremum comitentur honorem
and share the father’s tears, a slight solace
intersintque patris lacrimis, solacia luctus
for a vast grief, but owed to the wretched father.
exigua ingentis, misero sed debita patri.
Others, not slow, weave wickerwork and a soft bier
Haud segnes alii crates et molle feretrum
of arbutus twigs and oaken withes,
arbuteis texunt virgis et vimine querno
and shade the heaped couch with a covering of leaves.
exstructosque toros obtentu frondis inumbrant.
Here they lay the youth high on a rustic strewing,
Hic iuvenem agresti sublimem stramine ponunt,
like a flower plucked by a girl’s thumb,
qualem virgineo demessum pollice florem
whether of soft violet or drooping hyacinth,
seu mollis violae seu languentis hyacinthi,
whose sheen and form have not yet gone:
cui neque fulgor adhuc necdum sua forma recessit:
but its mother earth no longer feeds it nor gives it strength.
non iam mater alit tellus viresque ministrat.
Then two robes, stiff with gold and purple,
Tum geminas vestes auroque ostroque rigentis
Aeneas brought out, which once for him, glad in her toil,
extulit Aeneas, quas illi laeta laborum
with her own hands Sidonian Dido
ipsa suis quondam manibus Sidonia Dido
had made and woven the webs through with fine gold.
fecerat et tenui telas discreverat auro.
One of these, a last honor, sadly upon the youth
Harum unam iuveni supremum maestus honorem
he puts, and veils with the robe the hair soon to burn,
induit arsurasque comas obnubit amictu,
and besides he heaps up the many prizes of the Laurentine fight
multaque praeterea Laurentis praemia pugnae
and bids the plunder be led in a long line.
aggerat et longo praedam iubet ordine duci.
He adds horses and the weapons with which he had stripped the foe.
Addit equos et tela, quibus spoliaverat hostem.
He had bound, too, the hands behind the backs of those he would send to the shades
Vinxerat et post terga manus, quos mitteret umbris
as offerings, to sprinkle the flames with their slain blood,
inferias, caeso sparsuros sanguine flammas,
and bids the chiefs themselves bear trunks clad in enemy
indutosque iubet truncos hostilibus armis
arms, with the hostile names fixed on them.
ipsos ferre duces inimicaque nomina figi.
Acoetes is led, ill-starred, worn out with age:
Ducitur infelix aevo confectus Acoetes:
now fouling his breast with his fists, now his face with his nails,
pectora nunc foedans pugnis, nunc unguibus ora
he falls down, flung full-length upon the earth.
sternitur et toto proiectus corpore terrae.~.~.
They lead too the chariots drenched in Rutulian blood.
Ducunt et Rutulo perfusos sanguine currus.
Behind, the war-horse Aethon, his trappings laid aside,
Post bellator equus positis insignibus Aethon
goes weeping, and wets his face with big drops.
it lacrimans guttisque umectat grandibus ora.
Others bear the spear and helmet, for the rest Turnus
Hastam alii galeamque ferunt, nam cetera Turnus
the victor holds. Then the mournful phalanx, the Teucrians follow,
victor habet. Tum maesta phalanx Teucrique sequuntur
and all the Tyrrhenians, and the Arcadians with arms reversed.
Tyrrhenique omnes et versis Arcades armis.
After the whole train of attendants had gone far ahead,
Postquam omnis longe comitum praecesserat ordo,
Aeneas halted and with a deep groan added these words:
substitit Aeneas gemituque haec addidit alto:
"Us the same grim fates of war call from here
Nos alias hinc ad lacrimas eadem horrida belli
to other tears: hail forever to me, great Pallas,
fata vocant: salve aeternum mihi, maxime Palla,
forever farewell." And saying no more, to the high
aeternumque vale. Nec plura effatus ad altos
walls he made his way and bore his step toward the camp.
tendebat muros gressumque in castra ferebat.
And now envoys were there from the Latin city,
Iamque oratores aderant ex urbe Latina,
veiled in olive branches and begging a favor:
velati ramis oleae veniamque rogantes:
that the bodies, which lay strewn by the sword across the plains,
corpora, per campos ferro quae fusa iacebant,
he would give back and let them pass to a mound of earth;
redderet ac tumulo sineret succedere terrae;
there is no strife with the conquered and those bereft of the air;
nullum cum victis certamen et aethere cassis;
let him spare those once called hosts and fathers-in-law.
parceret hospitibus quondam socerisque vocatis.
Them good Aeneas, as they begged things not to be scorned,
Quos bonus Aeneas haud aspernanda precantis
grants the favor, and adds these words besides:
prosequitur venia et verbis haec insuper addit:
"What unworthy fortune, Latins, has entangled you
Quaenam vos tanto fortuna indigna, Latini,
in so great a war, that you flee us, your friends?
implicuit bello, qui nos fugiatis amicos?
Do you beg of me peace for the dead, for those slain
Pacem me exanimis et Martis sorte peremptis
by the lot of war? Indeed I would grant it to the living too.
oratis? Equidem et vivis concedere vellem.
Nor would I have come, had not the fates given me a place and home,
Nec veni, nisi fata locum sedemque dedissent,
nor do I wage war with your nation: your king left our
nec bellum cum gente gero: rex nostra reliquit
friendship and trusted himself rather to Turnus’ arms.
hospitia et Turni potius se credidit armis.
It had been fairer that Turnus should face this death.
Aequius huic Turnum fuerat se opponere morti.
If he prepares to end the war by his hand, to drive out
Si bellum finire manu, si pellere Teucros
the Teucrians, he should have met me with these weapons:
apparat, his mecum decuit concurrere telis:
he would have lived to whom a god or his own right hand gave life.
vixet, cui vitam deus aut sua dextra dedisset.
Now go, and set the fire beneath your wretched citizens."
Nunc ite et miseris supponite civibus ignem.
Aeneas had spoken. They stood amazed and silent,
Dixerat Aeneas. Illi obstipuere silentes
and turned, kept their eyes and faces on one another.
conversique oculos inter se atque ora tenebant.
with hatred and accusation, thus in turn
infensus iuveni Turno sic ore vicissim
makes reply: "O man great in fame, greater in arms,
orsa refert: O fama ingens, ingentior armis
Trojan, with what praises can I raise you to heaven?
vir Troiane, quibus caelo te laudibus aequem?
Shall I wonder first at your justice or your toils in war?
Iustitiaene prius mirer belline laborum?
We indeed will bear this gratefully back to our native city,
Nos vero haec patriam grati referemus ad urbem
and you, if fortune gives a way, we will join
et te, siqua viam dederit fortuna, Latino
to King Latinus: let Turnus seek treaties for himself.
iungemus regi: quaerat sibi foedera Turnus.
Nay, it will be our joy to raise the fated mass of walls
Quin et fatalis murorum attollere moles
and carry the Trojan stones upon our shoulders."
saxaque subvectare umeris Troiana iuvabit.
He had said this, and all murmured the same with one voice.
Dixerat haec, unoque omnes eadem ore fremebant.
They agreed on twice six days, and, with peace as mediator,
Bis senos pepigere dies et pace sequestra
through the woods Teucrians and Latins mingled, unharmed,
per silvas Teucri mixtique inpune Latini
wandered the ridges. The tall ash rings with the iron axe,
erravere iugis. Ferro sonat alta bipenni
they overthrow pines driven up to the stars,
fraxinus, evertunt actas ad sidera pinus,
nor cease to split oaks with wedges and fragrant cedar,
robora nec cuneis et olentem scindere cedrum
nor to haul mountain-ash on groaning wagons.
nec plaustris cessant vectare gementibus ornos.
And now flying Rumor, herald of so great a grief,
Et iam Fama volans, tanti praenuntia luctus,
fills Evander and Evander’s house and walls,
Evandrum Evandrique domos et moenia replet,
she who but now bore word of Pallas victorious in Latium.
quae modo victorem Latio Pallanta ferebat.
The Arcadians rush to the gates and, by ancient custom,
Arcades ad portas ruere et de more vetusto
snatch funeral torches; the road shines with a long
funereas rapuere faces; lucet via longo
line of flames and divides the fields far and wide.
ordine flammarum et late discriminat agros.
The oncoming throng of Phrygians joins its wailing
Contra turba Phrygum veniens plangentia iungit
columns. When the mothers saw these approach the houses,
agmina. Quae postquam matres succedere tectis
they kindle the mournful city with their cries.
viderunt, maestam incendunt clamoribus urbem.
But no force can hold Evander back,
At non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere,
and he comes into their midst. When the bier was set down,
sed venit in medios. Feretro Pallanta reposto
he fell upon Pallas and clings, weeping and groaning,
procubuit super atque haeret lacrimansque gemensque,
and scarcely at last was a way for his voice unlocked by grief.
et via vix tandem vocis laxata dolore est.
"Not this the promise, O Pallas, you had given your father,
Non haec, O Palla, dederas promissa parenti,
that you would more warily trust yourself to savage Mars;
cautius ut saevo velles te credere Marti;
I was not unaware how much new glory in arms
haud ignarus eram, quantum nova gloria in armis
and the too-sweet honor of a first battle can do.
et praedulce decus primo certamine posset.
Wretched firstfruits of a youth, and the harsh first lessons
Primitiae iuvenis miserae bellique propinqui
of a war close at hand, and my vows and prayers
dura rudimenta et nulli exaudita deorum
heard by no god! And you, O most holy wife,
vota precesque meae! Tuque, O sanctissima coniunx,
happy in your death, not kept for this grief!
felix morte tua neque in hunc servata dolorem!
I, by living, have outlasted my fate, surviving
Contra ego vivendo vici mea fata, superstes
to remain a father. Would that, following the Trojans’ allied arms,
restarem ut genitor. Troum socia arma secutum
the Rutulians had buried me in their weapons! I should have given my own life,
obruerent Rutuli telis! Animam ipse dedissem
and this procession brought me, not Pallas, home,
atque haec pompa domum me, non Pallanta, referret,
nor would I blame you, Teucrians, nor the treaties, nor the right hands
nec vos arguerim, Teucri, nec foedera nec quas
we joined in friendship: that lot was owed
iunximus hospitio dextras: sors ista senectae
to my old age. But if an untimely death awaited
debita erat nostrae. Quod si immatura manebat
my son, it will be a joy that he fell leading the Teucrians
mors natum, caesis Volscorum milibus ante
into Latium, with thousands of Volscians slain before.
ducentem in Latium Teucros cecidisse iuvabit.
Nay, I could grace you, Pallas, with no other funeral
Quin ego non alio digner te funere, Palla,
than dutiful Aeneas, than the great Phrygians, than
quam pius Aeneas et quam magni Phryges et quam
the Tyrrhenian captains and the whole Tyrrhenian host.
Tyrrhenique duces, Tyrrhenum exercitus omnis.
Great trophies they bring, of those your hand gave to Death:
Magna tropaea ferunt, quos dat tua dextera Leto:
you too would now stand, a monstrous trophy-trunk in arms,
tu quoque nunc stares immanis truncus in armis,
Turnus, were your age equal and your strength the same in years.
esset par aetas et idem si robur ab annis,
But, unhappy, why do I keep the Teucrians from their arms?
Turne. Sed infelix Teucros quid demoror armis?
Go, and bear back to the king these charges, remembering:
Vadite et haec memores regi mandata referte:
that I drag out a hated life now Pallas is slain,
quod vitam moror invisam Pallante perempto,
your hand is the cause—Turnus, whom you see owed
dextera causa tua est, Turnum natoque patrique
to the son and the father. This one place alone is left
quam debere vides. Meritis vacat hic tibi solus
for your merits and your fortune. I seek no joys of life—
fortunaeque locus. Non vitae gaudia quaero,
nor would it be right—but to carry word to my son among the deep shades."
nec fas, sed nato Manis perferre sub imos.
Meanwhile Dawn had lifted her kindly light
Aurora interea miseris mortalibus almam
for wretched mortals, bringing back their work and toils:
extulerat lucem, referens opera atque labores:
now Father Aeneas, now Tarchon on the curving shore
iam pater Aeneas, iam curvo in litore Tarchon
had set up pyres. Hither each, by his fathers’ custom,
constituere pyras. Huc corpora quisque suorum
brought the bodies of his own, and as the dark fires were lit
more tulere patrum, subiectisque ignibus atris
the high sky is buried in darkness with the smoke.
conditur in tenebras altum caligine caelum.
Three times, girt in gleaming arms, they ran
Ter circum accensos cincti fulgentibus armis
round the kindled pyres, three times on horseback they circled
decurrere rogos, ter maestum funeris ignem
the mournful funeral fire and gave wailings with their mouths;
lustravere in equis ululatusque ore dedere;
the earth is sprinkled with tears, and the arms are sprinkled too:
spargitur et tellus lacrimis, sparguntur et arma:
there rises to heaven the cry of men and the blare of trumpets.
it caelo clamorque virum clangorque tubarum.
Here some cast into the fire spoils stripped
Hic alii spolia occisis derepta Latinis
from slain Latins, helmets and fair swords
coniciunt igni, galeas ensesque decoros
and bridles and glowing wheels; some, familiar gifts,
frenaque ferventisque rotas; pars munera nota,
the dead men’s own shields and their luckless weapons.
ipsorum clipeos et non felicia tela.
Many bodies of oxen are slain around to Death,
Multa boum circa mactantur corpora Morti,
and bristly swine, and cattle seized from all the fields
saetigerosque sues raptasque ex omnibus agris
they cut the throats of into the flame. Then along all the shore
in flammam iugulant pecudes. Tum litore toto
they watch their comrades burning and guard the half-charred
ardentis spectant socios semustaque servant
pyres, nor can be torn away, until dewy night
busta neque avelli possunt, nox umida donec
turns over the sky studded with blazing stars.
invertit caelum stellis ardentibus aptum.
No less, in another quarter, the wretched Latins
Nec minus et miseri diversa in parte Latini
built countless pyres, and of the bodies some,
innumeras struxere pyras, et corpora partim
many men’s, they bury in earth, and some, carried off,
multa virum terrae infodiunt avectaque partim
they raise to the neighboring fields and send back to the city,
finitimos tollunt in agros urbique remittunt,
the rest, a great heap of confused slaughter,
cetera confusaeque ingentem caedis acervum
they burn without number or honor: then on every side the vast
nec numero nec honore cremant: tunc undique vasti
fields blaze, vying, with thick-set fires.
certatim crebris conlucent ignibus agri.
The third dawn had driven the cold shadow from the sky:
Tertia lux gelidam caelo dimoverat umbram:
mourning, they raked the deep ash and the jumbled
maerentes altum cinerem et confusa ruebant
bones from the hearths, and loaded them with a warm mound of earth.
ossa focis tepidoque onerabant aggere terrae.
Now indeed within the houses, in rich Latinus’ city,
Iam vero in tectis, praedivitis urbe Latini,
was the chief uproar and the greatest part of the long grief.
praecipuus fragor et longi pars maxima luctus.
Here mothers and unhappy daughters-in-law, here the loving
Hic matres miseraeque nurus, hic cara sororum
breasts of mourning sisters, and boys orphaned of parents,
pectora maerentum puerique parentibus orbi
curse the dreadful war and Turnus’ marriage:
dirum exsecrantur bellum Turnique hymenaeos:
him, him alone they bid decide it with arms and the sword,
ipsum armis ipsumque iubent decernere ferro,
who claims for himself the kingdom of Italy and the first honors.
qui regnum Italiae et primos sibi poscat honores.
Savage Drances makes this heavier, and bears witness
ingravat haec saevus Drances solumque vocari
that Turnus alone is called for, alone demanded to the contest.
testatur, solum posci in certamina Turnum.
Yet at the same time much opinion, in various speeches,
Multa simul contra variis sententia dictis
speaks for Turnus, and the queen’s great name overshadows them,
pro Turno, et magnum reginae nomen obumbrat,
and his fame, earned by trophies, much sustains the man.
multa virum meritis sustentat fama tropaeis.
Amid these stirrings, in the midst of the blazing uproar,
Hos inter motus, medio in flagrante tumultu,
behold, on top of all, the sad envoys bring back answers
ecce super maesti magna Diomedis ab urbe
from great Diomedes’ city: that nothing was achieved
legati responsa ferunt: nihil omnibus actum
by all the outlay of so great efforts, that neither gifts nor gold
tantorum impensis operum, nil dona neque aurum
nor great prayers availed, and that other arms must be sought
nec magnas valuisse preces, alia arma Latinis
by the Latins, or peace begged from the Trojan king.
quaerenda aut pacem Troiano ab rege petendum.
King Latinus himself sinks under the vast grief.
Deficit ingenti luctu rex ipse Latinus.
That Aeneas is borne on by fate, with manifest divine will,
Fatalem Aenean manifesto numine ferri
the gods’ wrath warns, and the fresh graves before his eyes.
admonet ira deum tumulique ante ora recentes.
So he calls a great council, the chief of his people,
Ergo concilium magnum primosque suorum
summoned by his command, within the high doors.
imperio accitos alta intra limina cogit.
They gathered and flow to the royal halls
olli convenere fluuntque ad regia plenis
by crowded streets. In their midst sits, both greatest in age
tecta viis. Sedet in mediis et maximus aevo
and first in rule, with no glad brow, Latinus.
et primus sceptris haud laeta fronte Latinus.
And here he bids the envoys sent back from the Aetolian city
Atque hic legatos Aetola ex urbe remissos,
speak what they report, and demands the answers,
quae referant, fari iubet et responsa reposcit
all of them in their order. Then silence was made on every tongue,
ordine cuncta suo. Tum facta silentia linguis,
and Venulus, obeying the word, thus begins to speak:
et Venulus dicto parens ita farier infit:
"We have seen, O citizens, Diomedes and the Argive camp,
Vidimus, o cives, Diomedem Argivaque castra
and, the journey measured, overcame all its chances,
atque iter emensi casus superavimus omnis
and touched the hand by which the land of Ilium fell.
contigimusque manum, qua concidit Ilia tellus.
He was founding the city Argyripa, after the name of his fathers’ race,
Ille urbem Argyripam patriae cognomine gentis
After we entered and were given leave to speak face to face,
Postquam introgressi et coram data copia fandi,
we offer the gifts, tell our name and country,
munera praeferimus, nomen patriamque docemus,
who had brought war on us, what cause had drawn us to Arpi.
qui bellum intulerint, quae causa attraxerit Arpos.
Hearing us, he thus replied with calm lips:
Auditis ille haec placido sic reddidit ore:
’O fortunate peoples, kingdoms of Saturn,
O fortunatae gentes, Saturnia regna,
ancient Ausonians, what fortune disturbs your quiet
antiqui Ausonii, quae vos fortuna quietos
and urges you to provoke wars you do not know?
sollicitat suadetque ignota lacessere bella?
All of us who violated the fields of Ilium with the sword—
Quicumque Iliacos ferro violavimus agros,
I pass over what we drained, warring beneath the high walls,
mitto ea, quae muris bellando exhausta sub altis,
what men that Simois there weighs down—unspeakable
quos Simois premat ille viros, infanda per orbem
punishments through the world, and the penalties of our crimes we all paid,
supplicia et scelerum poenas expendimus omnes,
a band Priam might pity: of this the grim star of Minerva knows,
vel Priamo miseranda manus: scit triste Minervae
Driven from that campaign to scattered shores,
Militia ex illa diversum ad litus abacti
Atreus’ son Menelaus wanders in exile as far as the pillars
Atrides Protei Menelaus adusque columnas
of Proteus, and Ulysses saw the Cyclopes of Aetna.
exsulat, Aetnaeos vidit Cyclopas Ulixes.
Shall I tell of Neoptolemus’ kingdom overthrown, the Penates
Regna Neoptolemi referam versosque penates
of Idomeneus cast down? of the Locrians dwelling on the Libyan shore?
Idomenei? Libycone habitantis litore Locros?
The Mycenaean himself, leader of the great Achaeans,
Ipse Mycenaeus magnorum ductor Achivom
fell at his own threshold by the hand of an unspeakable wife:
coniugis infandae prima inter limina dextra
an adulterer lay in wait for conquered Asia’s victor.
oppetiit: devictam Asiam subsedit adulter.
That the gods grudged me, restored to my father’s altars,
Invidisse deos, patriis ut redditus aris
to see my longed-for wife and lovely Calydon?
coniugium optatum et pulchram Calydona viderem?
Now too portents, horrible to see, pursue me,
Nunc etiam horribili visu portenta sequuntur,
and my lost comrades have sought the air on wings
et socii amissi petierunt aethera pennis
and wander as birds about the rivers—alas, the dire
fluminibusque vagantur aves, heu dira meorum
punishments of my men—and fill the cliffs with tearful cries.
supplicia, et scopulos lacrimosis vocibus implent.
These things indeed I should have looked for from the time
Haec adeo ex illo mihi iam speranda fuerunt
when, mad, with the sword I assailed heavenly bodies
tempore, cum ferro caelestia corpora demens
and wounded the hand of Venus with a wound.
adpetii et Veneris violavi volnere dextram.
No, no, do not drive me to such battles:
Ne vero, ne me ad talis impellite pugnas:
I have no war with the Teucrians since Pergama
nec mihi cum Teucris ullum post eruta bellum
was torn down, nor do I recall or rejoice in the old evils.
Pergama, nec veterum memini laetorve malorum.
The gifts you bring me from your native shores,
Munera, quae patriis ad me portatis ab oris,
turn to Aeneas. We have stood against his harsh weapons
vertite ad Aenean. Stetimus tela aspera contra
and closed in hand-to-hand: trust one who knows how high
contulimusque manus: experto credite, quantus
he rises to the shield, with what whirlwind he hurls the spear.
in clipeum adsurgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam.
If besides the land of Ida had borne two such
Si duo praeterea talis Idaea tulisset
men, Dardanus would have come of himself to the Inachian cities,
terra viros, ultro Inachias venisset ad urbes
and Greece would mourn, her fates reversed.
Dardanus, et versis lugeret Graecia fatis.
Whatever delay there was at the walls of hard Troy,
Quidquid apud durae cessatum est moenia Troiae,
the victory of the Greeks stuck fast by the hands of Hector
Hectoris Aeneaeque manu victoria Graium
and Aeneas, and drew its steps back to the tenth year.
haesit et in decimum vestigia rettulit annum.
Both notable in spirit, both in surpassing arms,
Ambo animis, ambo insignes praestantibus armis
this one first in duty. Let your right hands meet in treaty
hic pietate prior. Coeant in foedera dextrae,
where it is given; but beware lest arms clash with arms.’
qua datur; ast armis concurrant arma cavete.
And what the king’s answers are, best of kings,
Et responsa simul quae sint, rex optime, regis
you have heard, and what his judgment is on the great war."
audisti et quae sit magno sententia bello.
Scarcely had the envoys spoken, and a confused murmur ran
Vix ea legati, variusque per ora cucurrit
over the troubled faces of the Ausonians: as rocks that hold back
Ausonidum turbata fremor: ceu saxa morantur
swift rivers make a murmur in the dammed eddy,
cum rapidos amnis, fit clauso gurgite murmur
and the near banks rustle with the chattering waves.
vicinaeque fremunt ripae crepitantibus undis.
As soon as their minds were calmed and the anxious faces stilled,
Ut primum placati animi et trepida ora quierunt,
the king, first invoking the gods, begins from his high throne:
praefatus divos solio rex infit ab alto:
"I could indeed have wished, Latins, to settle this highest matter
Ante equidem summa de re statuisse, Latini,
before, and it had been better, not at such a time
et vellem et fuerat melius, non tempore tali
to call a council, when the foe besets the walls.
cogere concilium, cum muros adsidet hostis.
We wage an untimely war, citizens, with a race of gods,
Bellum importunum, cives, cum gente deorum
with unconquered men whom no battles weary,
invictisque viris gerimus, quos nulla fatigant
and who, beaten, cannot leave off the sword.
proelia: nec victi possunt absistere ferro.
If you had any hope in the Aetolian arms you sought,
Spem siquam adscitis Aetolum habuistis in armis,
lay it down. Let each be his own hope, but how narrow that is you see;
ponite. Spes sibi quisque, sed haec quam angusta videtis;
in what ruin the rest of our affairs lies shattered,
cetera qua rerum iaceant perculsa ruina,
all is before your eyes and in your hands.
ante oculos interque manus sunt omnia vestras.
I blame no one: what valor at its utmost could do,
Nec quemquam incuso: potuit quae plurima virtus
it did; the fight was waged with the whole body of the realm.
esse, fuit; toto certatum est corpore regni.
Now then what is the resolve of my doubting mind
Nunc adeo quae sit dubiae sententia menti
I will set forth, and in few words—give heed—will teach.
expediam et paucis, animos adhibete, docebo.
I have an old domain next to the Tuscan river,
Est antiquus ager Tusco mihi proximus amni,
stretching west, its bounds beyond the Sicanians;
longus in occasum, finis super usque Sicanos;
the Aurunci and Rutulians sow it and with the plowshare work
Aurunci Rutulique serunt et vomere duros
its hard hills, and graze their roughest parts.
exercent colles atque horum asperrima pascunt.
Let all this region and the pine-clad tract of the high mountain
Haec omnis regio et celsi plaga pinea montis
pass to the Teucrians’ friendship, and let us name
cedat amicitiae Teucrorum, et foederis aequas
fair terms of treaty, and call them as allies into the realm.
dicamus leges sociosque in regna vocemus.
Let them settle, if such is their longing, and found walls.
Considant, si tantus amor, et moenia condant.
But if their mind is to seize other borders and another nation
Sin alios finis aliamque capessere gentem
and they can depart from our soil:
est animus possuntque solo decedere nostro:
let us build twice ten ships of Italian oak,
bis denas Italo texamus robore navis
or more if they can man them: all the timber lies by the water;
seu pluris complere valent, iacet omnis ad undam
let them prescribe the number and fashion of the keels,
materies, ipsi numerumque modumque carinis
and we will give the bronze, the hands, the dockyards.
praecipiant, nos aera manus navalia demus.
Moreover, to carry our words and confirm the treaty,
Praeterea qui dicta ferant et foedera firment
a hundred envoys of the foremost Latin stock
centum oratores prima de gente Latinos
it is my will should go, and hold out the boughs of peace in their hands,
ire placet pacisque manu praetendere ramos,
bearing gifts, talents of gold and ivory,
munera portantis aurique eborisque talenta
and the throne and robe, the emblems of our rule.
et sellam regni trabeamque insignia nostri.
Take counsel for the common good and aid our weary state."
Consulite in medium et rebus succurrite fessis.
Then Drances, hostile as ever, whom Turnus’ glory
Tum Drances idem infensus, quem gloria Turni
vexed with sidelong envy and bitter goads,
obliqua invidia stimulisque agitabat amaris,
lavish of wealth and better with his tongue, but with a hand
largus opum et lingua melior, sed frigida bello
cold in war, held no idle counselor in debate,
dextera, consiliis habitus non futilis auctor,
powerful in faction (his mother’s nobility gave him
seditione potens (genus huic materna superbum
a proud descent, but of his father it was uncertain),
nobilitas dabat, incertum de patre ferebat),
rises, and with these words loads and heaps up their wrath:
surgit et his onerat dictis atque aggerat iras:
"A matter dark to none, needing no voice of mine,
Rem nulli obscuram nostrae nec vocis egentem
you put to us, O good king: all confess they know
consulis, O bone rex: cuncti se scire fatentur,
what the people’s fortune brings, but mutter to speak it.
quid fortuna ferat populi, sed dicere mussant.
Let him grant freedom of speech and lower his blasts,
Det libertatem fandi flatusque remittat
he by whose ill-starred leadership and sinister ways
cuius ob auspicium infaustum moresque sinistros
(I will speak it, though he threaten me with arms and death)
(dicam equidem, licet arma mihi mortemque minetur)
we see so many lights of our captains fallen, and the whole
lumina tot cecidisse ducum totamque videmus
city sunk in grief, while he assaults the Trojan
consedisse urbem luctu, dum Troia temptat
camp, trusting in flight, and frightens heaven with arms.
castra fugae fidens et caelum territat armis.
One thing more to those gifts, the many you bid
Unum etiam donis istis, quae plurima mitti
be sent and offered to the Dardanians, one thing, best of kings,
Dardanidis dicique iubes, unum, optime regum,
add—and let no man’s violence overcome you—
adicias nec te ullius violentia vincat,
that you give your daughter to a noble son-in-law in worthy
quin natam egregio genero dignisque hymenaeis
wedlock, father, and bind this peace by an eternal treaty.
des, pater, et pacem hanc aeterno foedere iungas.
But if so great a terror holds our minds and hearts,
Quod si tantus habet mentes et pectora terror,
let us entreat the man himself and beg his leave:
ipsum obtestemur veniamque oremus ab ipso:
let him yield, give back his right to king and country.
cedat, ius proprium regi patriaeque remittat.
Why so often hurl your wretched citizens into open peril,
Quid miseros totiens in aperta pericula cives
O you, source and cause of these evils to Latium?
proicis, O Latio caput horum et causa malorum?
There is no safety in war: we all demand peace of you,
Nulla salus bello: pacem te poscimus omnes,
Turnus, and at once the one inviolable pledge of peace.
Turne, simul pacis solum inviolabile pignus.
I first—whom you make out hateful to yourself, and to be so
Primus ego, invisum quem tu tibi fingis, et esse
I care nothing—lo, a suppliant, I come. Take pity on your own,
nil moror, en supplex venio. Miserere tuorum,
lay down your spirit, and, beaten, depart. Enough deaths, routed,
pone animos et pulsus abi. Sat funera fusi
we have seen, and laid waste the broad fields.
vidimus ingentis et desolavimus agros.
Or if fame moves you, if you conceive such strength
Aut si fama movet, si tantum pectore robur
in your breast, and if a palace for a dowry is so dear to your heart,
concipis et si adeo dotalis regia cordi est,
dare, and bear your breast boldly against the foe.
aude atque adversum fidens fer pectus in hostem.
No doubt, that Turnus may win a royal bride,
Scilicet ut Turno contingat regia coniunx,
we, cheap lives, an unburied and unwept throng,
nos animae viles, inhumata infletaque turba,
must be strewn on the fields. You too, if you have any might,
sternamur campis. Etiam tu, siqua tibi vis,
if you have anything of your fathers’ war-spirit, look him in the face,
si patrii quid Martis habes, illum aspice contra,
who calls you."
qui vocat.
At such words the violence of Turnus blazed;
Talibus exarsit dictis violentia Turni;
he gives a groan and breaks out with these words from his deep breast:
dat gemitum rumpitque has imo pectore voces
"Plentiful indeed, Drances, is your store of speaking, always,
Larga quidem, Drance, semper tibi copia fandi
just when wars call for hands; and when the fathers are summoned
tum, cum bella manus poscunt, patribusque vocatis
you are first there. But the senate-house is not to be filled with words,
primus ades. Sed non replenda est curia verbis,
which fly grand and safe for you, while the rampart of the walls
quae tuto tibi magna volant, dum distinet hostem
keeps off the foe and the trenches do not flow with blood.
agger murorum nec inundant sanguine fossae.
So thunder on in eloquence—your wont—and charge me, Drances,
Proinde tona eloquio, solitum tibi, meque timoris
with cowardice, when your right hand has made so many heaps
argue tu, Drance, quando tot stragis acervos
of Teucrian slaughter and marked the fields here and there
Teucrorum tua dextra dedit passimque tropaeis
with trophies. What living valor can do,
insignis agros. Possit quid vivida virtus,
you may try; nor, surely, need we seek the enemy far:
experiare licet; nec longe scilicet hostes
they stand round the walls on every side.
quaerendi nobis: circumstant undique muros.
Shall we go against them? Why do you hold back? Will your Mars
Imus in adversos: quid cessas? An tibi Mavors
ever be in that windy tongue and those fleeing feet
ventosa in lingua pedibusque fugacibus istis
of yours?
semper erit?
I beaten? Or will anyone, foulest, justly charge that he is beaten
Pulsus ego? Aut quisquam merito, foedissime, pulsum
who shall see the Tiber swell, brimming with Trojan blood,
arguet, Iliaco tumidum qui crescere Thybrim
and the whole house of Evander, with its stock,
sanguine et Evandri totam cum stirpe videbit
laid low, and the Arcadians stripped of their arms?
procubuisse domum atque exutos Arcadas armis?
Not so did Bitias and huge Pandarus find me,
Haud ita me experti Bitias et Pandarus ingens
and the thousand I, victorious, sent that day beneath Tartarus,
et quos mille die victor sub Tartara misi,
shut within their walls and fenced by the hostile rampart.
inclusus muris hostilique aggere saeptus.
’There is no safety in war.’ Sing such things, madman,
Nulla salus bello. Capiti cane talia, demens,
to the Dardanian’s head and your own affairs. So cease
Dardanio rebusque tuis. Proinde omnia magno
not to throw all into confusion with great fear, and to exalt
ne cessa turbare metu atque extollere vires
the strength of a twice-conquered race, and decry the arms of Latinus.
gentis bis victae, contra premere arma Latini.
Now even the chiefs of the Myrmidons tremble at Phrygian arms,
Nunc et Myrmidonum proceres Phrygia arma tremescunt,
now too the son of Tydeus and the Larissaean Achilles,
nunc et Tydides et Larissaeus Achilles,
and the river Aufidus flees backward from the Adriatic waves.
amnis et Hadriacas retro fugit Aufidus undas.
Or when he feigns himself afraid before my reproaches,
Vel cum se pavidum contra mea iurgia fingit
the trickster’s crime, and sharpens his slander with fear.
artificis scelus et formidine crimen acerbat.
Never such a life as yours shall you lose by this hand—
Numquam animam talem dextra hac, absiste moveri,
cease to be alarmed—let it dwell with you and stay in that breast.
amittes: habitet tecum et sit pectore in isto.
Now, father, I return to you and your great counsels.
Nunc ad te et tua magna, pater, consulta revertor.
If you set no further hope in our arms,
Si nullam nostris ultra spem ponis in armis,
if we are so forsaken, and, our line once turned,
si tam deserti sumus et semel agmine verso
are utterly fallen, and Fortune has no return,
funditus occidimus neque habet Fortuna regressum?
let us pray for peace and stretch out helpless hands.
oremus pacem et dextras tendamus inertis.
And yet, O, if anything of our wonted valor were here!
Quamquam O, si solitae quicquam virtutis adesset!
To me that man is blessed before all and happy in his toils,
Ille mihi ante alios fortunatusque laborum
noble in spirit, who, that he might not see such a thing,
egregiusque animi, qui, nequid tale videret,
fell dying and once bit the ground with his mouth.
procubuit moriens et humum semel ore momordit.
But if we have wealth still, and youth as yet untouched,
Sin et opes nobis et adhuc intacta iuventus
and Italian cities and peoples left to help,
auxilioque urbes Italae populique supersunt,
and if for the Trojans too glory has come with much
sin et Troianis cum multo gloria venit
blood, they have their own deaths and a like storm
sanguine, sunt illis sua funera parque per omnis
over all: why do we fail, dishonored, on the very threshold?
tempestas: cur indecores in limine primo
Why does trembling seize our limbs before the trumpet?
deficimus? Cur ante tubam tremor occupat artus?
Many things the day and the changeful toil of shifting time
Multa dies variisque labor mutabilis aevi
has brought back to the better; many, revisiting them by turns,
rettulit in melius, multos alterna revisens
Fortune has mocked, then set again on firm ground.
lusit et in solido rursus Fortuna locavit.
The Aetolian and Arpi will be no help to us:
Non erit auxilio nobis Aetolus et Arpi:
that so many peoples sent, nor will small glory follow
tot populi misere duces, nec parva sequetur
the chosen of Latium and the Laurentine fields.
gloria delectos Latio et Laurentibus agris.
There is Camilla too, of the noble Volscian race,
Est et Volscorum egregia de gente Camilla,
leading a column of horse and squadrons blooming with bronze.
agmen agens equitum et florentis aere catervas.
But if the Teucrians demand me alone to the contest,
Quod si me solum Teucri in certamina poscunt
and that is your pleasure, and I so block the common good,
idque placet tantumque bonis communibus obsto,
Victory has not so loathed and fled these hands
non adeo has exosa manus Victoria fugit,
that I would refuse to dare anything for so great a hope.
ut tanta quicquam pro spe temptare recusem.
I will go against him with spirit, though he match the great Achilles
Ibo animis contra, vel magnum praestet Achillem
and put on arms equal to those made by Vulcan’s hands,
factaque Vulcani manibus paria induat arma
he may. To you and my father-in-law Latinus this life
ille licet. Vobis animam hanc soceroque Latino
I, Turnus, second in valor to none of the ancients,
Turnus ego, haud ulli veterum virtute secundus,
have devoted. ’Aeneas calls me alone’: and let him call, I pray,
devovi. Solum Aeneas vocat: et vocet oro,
and not Drances rather; whether this is the gods’ wrath,
nec Drances potius, sive est haec ira deorum,
let him pay it with death, or if it is valor and glory, let him win it."
morte luat, sive est virtus et gloria, tollat.
They were debating these doubtful matters among themselves,
Illi haec inter se dubiis de rebus agebant
contending; Aeneas was moving his camp and line of battle:
certantes; castra Aeneas aciemque movebat:
behold, a messenger rushes through the royal halls in huge
nuntius ingenti per regia tecta tumultu
uproar and fills the city with great alarms,
ecce ruit magnisque urbem terroribus implet,
that the Teucrians, drawn up in line, from the Tiber’s stream,
instructos acie Tiberino a flumine Teucros
and the Tyrrhenian band, are coming down over all the plains.
Tyrrhenamque manum totis descendere campis.
At once minds are thrown into turmoil, and the people’s
Extemplo turbati animi concussaque vulgi
hearts shaken, and their wrath roused by no gentle goads.
pectora et adrectae stimulis haud mollibus irae.
Trembling, they call for arms by hand, the youth roar for arms,
Arma manu trepidi poscunt, fremit arma iuventus,
the sad fathers weep and mutter. Here a great clamor
flent maesti mussantque patres. Hic undique clamor
rises into the air with discordant strife,
dissensu vario magnus se tollit in auras
no otherwise than when by chance in a high grove flocks
haud secus atque alto in luco cum forte catervae
of birds have settled, or on the fishy stream of Padusa
consedere avium piscosove amne Padusae
the hoarse swans give their sound through the babbling pools.
dant sonitum rauci per stagna loquacia cycni.
"Yes," says Turnus, seizing the moment, "O citizens,
Immo, ait, O cives adrepto tempore, Turnus,
call a council and praise peace, sitting at ease:
cogite concilium et pacem laudate sedentes:
they rush in arms upon the kingdom." And saying no more,
illi armis in regna ruunt. Nec plura locutus
he sprang up and swiftly bore himself out of the high halls.
corripuit sese et tectis citus extulit altis.
and lead," he says, "the Rutulians. Let Messapus, in arms,
duc, ait, et Rutulos. Equitem Messapus in armis
and Coras with his brother, spread the horse over the broad fields.
et cum fratre Coras latis diffundite campis.
Let part secure the city’s approaches and man the towers,
Pars aditus urbis firmet turrisque capessat,
the rest, where I command, bring their arms with me."
cetera, qua iusso, mecum manus inferat arma.
At once through all the city they run to the walls.
Ilicet in muros tota discurritur urbe.
The council itself and his great designs Father Latinus
Consilium ipse pater et magna incepta Latinus
abandons, and, troubled by the grim hour, puts off,
deserit ac tristi turbatus tempore differt
and much blames himself, that he had not of his own will received
multaque se incusat, qui non adceperit ultro
Dardanian Aeneas and taken him as son-in-law to the city.
Dardanium Aenean generumque adsciverit urbi.
Some dig trenches before the gates, or haul up stones
Praefodiunt alii portas aut saxa sudesque
and stakes. The hoarse trumpet gives the bloody signal
subvectant. Bello dat signum rauca cruentum
for war. Then a motley crown ringed the walls,
bucina. Tum muros varia cinxere corona
matrons and boys: the last task calls all.
matronae puerique: vocat labor ultimus omnis.
And to the temple and the high citadel of Pallas
Nec non ad templum summasque ad Palladis arces
the queen rides up with a great train of mothers,
subvehitur magna matrum regina caterva
bearing gifts, and at her side the maiden Lavinia,
dona ferens, iuxtaque comes Lavinia virgo,
cause of so great an ill, her lovely eyes cast down.
causa mali tanti, oculos deiecta decoros.
The mothers go up and make the temple steam with incense
Succedunt matres et templum ture vaporant
and pour mournful voices from the high threshold:
et maestas alto fundunt de limine voces:
"Mighty in arms, lady of war, Tritonian maid,
Armipotens, praeses belli, Tritonia virgo,
break with your hand the spear of the Phrygian robber and lay
frange manu telum Phrygii praedonis et ipsum
him low, prone, on the ground, and dash him beneath the high gates."
pronum sterne solo portisque effunde sub altis.
Turnus himself, raging, eagerly girds for battle.
Cingitur ipse furens certatim in proelia Turnus.
And now, having put on his ruddy corselet with its bronze
Iamque adeo rutilum thoraca indutus aenis
scales, he bristled, and had encased his calves in gold,
horrebat squamis surasque incluserat auro,
his temples still bare, and had girt the sword to his side,
tempora nudus adhuc, laterique adcinxerat ensem
and shone golden as he ran down from the high citadel,
fulgebatque alta decurrens aureus arce,
and exults in spirit and already in hope forestalls the foe:
exsultatque animis et spe iam praecipit hostem:
as when, its tethers snapped, a horse flees the stalls
qualis ubi abruptis fugit praesaepia vinclis
free at last and master of the open field,
tandem liber equus campoque potitus aperto
and either makes for the pastures and the herds of mares
aut ille in pastus armentaque tendit equarum
or, wont to be bathed in the familiar river,
aut adsuetus aquae perfundi flumine noto
darts out and neighs with neck arched high,
emicat adrectisque fremit cervicibus alte
exulting, and his mane plays over neck and shoulders.
luxurians, luduntque iubae per colla, per armos.
To meet him, with the Volscian line attending, Camilla
Obvia cui Volscorum acie comitante Camilla
came up, and at the very gates the queen leapt down
occurrit portisque ab equo regina sub ipsis
from her horse, whom the whole cohort, imitating, left
desiluit, quam tota cohors imitata relictis
their horses and glided to the ground; then she speaks thus:
ad terram defluxit equis; tum talia fatur:
"Turnus, if any trust is rightly the brave man’s own,
Turne, sui merito siqua est fiducia forti,
I dare, and promise to meet the squadron of Aeneas’ men
audeo et Aeneadum promitto occurrere turmae
and to go alone against the Tyrrhenian horse.
solaque Tyrrhenos equites ire obvia contra.
Let me try the first perils of war with my hand;
Me sine prima manu temptare pericula belli
do you stay on foot by the walls and guard the ramparts."
tu pedes ad muros subsiste et moenia serva.
Turnus to this, his eyes fixed on the awesome maiden:
Turnus ad haec, oculos horrenda in virgine fixus:
"O maiden, glory of Italy, what thanks can I tell,
O decus Italiae virgo, quas dicere grates
or what return prepare? But now, since your spirit
quasve referre parem? Sed nunc, est omnia quando
is above all this, share the task with me.
iste animus supra, mecum partire laborem.
Aeneas, as report assures and the scouts I sent
Aeneas, ut fama fidem missique reportant
bring back, has sent ahead, the reckless one, the light-armed
exploratores, equitum levia improbus arma
horse, to scour the plains; he himself, crossing the steep
praemisit, quaterent campos; ipse ardua montis
mountain wastes by the ridge, draws near the city.
per deserta iugo superans adventat ad urbem.
I am preparing an ambush of war on a curving woodland path,
Furta paro belli convexo in tramite silvae,
to block the two-way gorge with armed soldiery.
ut bivias armato obsidam milite fauces.
Do you receive the Tyrrhenian horse with joined standards;
Tu Tyrrhenum equitem conlatis excipe signis;
with you shall be keen Messapus and the Latin squadrons
tecum acer Messapus erit turmaeque Latinae
and the band of Tibur; take up too a leader’s charge."
Tiburtique manus, ducis et tu concipe curam.
So he says, and with like words urges Messapus to battle
Sic ait, et paribus Messapum in proelia dictis
and his allied captains, and goes on against the foe.
hortatur sociosque duces et pergit in hostem.
There is a valley of winding bends, fit for guile
Est curvo anfractu valles, adcommoda fraudi
and the tricks of arms, which on either side a dark slope
armorumque dolis, quam densis frondibus atrum
presses with dense foliage, where a thin path leads,
urget utrimque latus, tenuis quo semita ducit
and narrow jaws and grudging approaches bring one in.
angustaeque ferunt fauces aditusque maligni.
Above it, on the lookouts and the topmost peak of the mountain,
Hanc super in speculis summoque in vertice montis
lies a hidden level and safe retreats,
planities ignota iacet tutique receptus,
whether you would meet the fight on right or left,
seu dextra laevaque velis occurrere pugnae,
or press from the ridges and roll down great stones.
sive instare iugis et grandia volvere saxa.
Hither the young man hastens by the well-known lie of the roads,
Huc iuvenis nota fertur regione viarum
and seized the place and lay hidden in the treacherous woods.
arripuitque locum et silvis insedit iniquis.
one of her virgin companions and sacred band,
unam ex virginibus sociis sacraque caterva,
Latona’s daughter addressed, and sadly gave forth
compellabat et has tristis Latonia voces
these words: "Camilla goes to a cruel war,
ore dabat: Graditur bellum ad crudele Camilla,
O maiden, and in vain girds herself with our arms,
O virgo, et nostris nequiquam cingitur armis,
dear to me beyond others. For this is no new love
cara mihi ante alias. Neque enim novus iste Dianae
that has come to Diana and stirred my heart with sudden sweetness.
venit amor subitaque animum dulcedine movit.
When Metabus, driven by hatred from his throne for his arrogant power,
Pulsus ob invidiam regno viresque superbas
fleeing through the midst of the battles of war he carried off
infantem fugiens media inter proelia belli
the infant as a companion in exile, and from her mother’s name,
sustulit exsilio comitem matrisque vocavit
Casmilla, with a part changed, called her Camilla.
nomine Casmillae mutata parte Camillam.
Bearing her before him in his bosom, he sought the long ridges
Ipse sinu prae se portans iuga longa petebat
of lonely woods: cruel weapons pressed on every side,
solorum nemorum: tela undique saeva premebant
and the Volscians flitted about with their swarming soldiery.
et circumfuso volitabant milite Volsci.
Lo, midway in flight the Amasenus, brimming, foamed
Ecce fugae medio summis Amasenus abundans
over the tops of its banks: so great a rain had burst
spumabat ripis: tantus se nubibus imber
from the clouds. He, making to swim across, in love for the infant
ruperat. Ille, innare parans, infantis amore
is held back and fears for his dear burden. Turning all
tardatur caroque oneri timet. Omnia secum
over with himself, this plan, scarcely, of a sudden, settled:
versanti subito vix haec sententia sedit.
a huge weapon which by chance he bore in his strong hand,
Telum immane manu valida quod forte gerebat
the warrior—solid with knots and seasoned oak—
bellator, solidum nodis et robore cocto,
to this he binds his daughter, wrapped in bark and woodland cork,
huic natam, libro et silvestri subere clausam,
and ties her, handy, about the middle of the spear;
implicat atque habilem mediae circumligat hastae;
poising it with his huge right hand, he thus speaks to heaven:
quam dextra ingenti librans ita ad aethera fatur:
’Kindly dweller of the groves, Latona’s maid,
Alma, tibi hanc, nemorum cultrix, Latonia virgo,
I, her father, vow this girl your handmaid; yours first, through the air,
ipse pater famulam voveo; tua prima per auras
holding your weapon, a suppliant, she flees the foe. Receive her, I swear,
tela tenens supplex hostem fugit. Accipe, testor,
goddess, as your own, who now is committed to the doubtful breezes.’
diva tuam, quae nunc dubiis committitur auris.
He spoke, and with arm drawn back hurled the whirling
Dixit et adducto contortum hastile lacerto
shaft: the waters roared, and over the rushing river
immittit: sonuere undae, rapidum super amnem
poor Camilla flies on the whistling javelin.
infelix fugit in iaculo stridente Camilla.
But Metabus, with the great troop now pressing nearer,
At Metabus, magna propius iam urgente caterva,
gives himself to the river and, victorious, plucks the spear
dat sese fluvio atque hastam cum virgine victor
with the maiden, Trivia’s gift, from the grassy turf.
gramineo donum Triviae de caespite vellit.
No cities received him under roof or within walls,
Non illum tectis ullae, non moenibus urbes
nor would he in his wildness have yielded himself to them:
accepere neque ipse manus feritate dedisset:
he passed his life with shepherds on the lonely mountains.
pastorum et solis exegit montibus aevom.
Here, among the thickets and bristling lairs, his daughter
Hic natam in dumis interque horrentia lustra
on the teats of a herd-mare and with wild milk
armentalis equae mammis et lacte ferino
he nourished, milking the udder into her tender lips.
nutribat, teneris immulgens ubera labris.
And when the infant had set her first footprints
Utque pedum primis infans vestigia plantis
with her soles, he armed her palms with a sharp javelin
institerat, iaculo palmas armavit acuto
and hung the darts and bow from the little one’s shoulder.
spiculaque ex umero parvae suspendit et arcum.
Instead of gold for her hair, instead of a long mantle’s covering,
Pro crinali auro, pro longae tegmine pallae
a tiger’s hide hangs from her crown down her back.
tigridis exuviae per dorsum a vertice pendent.
Even then she hurled childish weapons with her tender hand
Tela manu iam tum tenera puerilia torsit
and whirled a sling on its smooth thong about her head
et fundam tereti circum caput egit habena
and brought down the Strymonian crane or the white swan.
Strymoniamque gruem aut album deiecit olorem.
Many a mother through the Tyrrhenian towns vainly
Multae illam frustra Tyrrhena per oppida matres
wished her for a daughter-in-law: content with Diana alone,
optavere nurum: sola contenta Diana
she keeps undefiled an everlasting love of weapons
aeternum telorum et virginitatis amorem
and of maidenhood. Would she had not been swept
intemerata colit. Vellem haud correpta fuisset
into such soldiering, trying to provoke the Teucrians:
militia tali, conata lacessere Teucros:
she would be dear to me and now one of my companions.
cara mihi comitumque foret nunc una mearum.
But come, since she is pressed by bitter fates,
Verum age, quandoquidem fatis urgetur acerbis,
glide down, nymph, from the sky and visit the Latin borders,
abere, nympha, polo finisque invise Latinos,
where, under an ill omen, the sad battle is joined.
tristis ubi infausto committitur omine pugna.
Take these, and draw an avenging arrow from the quiver:
Haec cape et ultricem pharetra deprome sagittam:
by this, whoever shall wound her sacred body,
hac quicumque sacrum violarit volnere corpus,
Trojan or Italian, shall pay me alike with his blood.
Tros Italusque, mihi pariter det sanguine poenas.
Afterward in a hollow cloud I will bear the body and arms
Post ego nube cava miserandae corpus et arma
of the pitiable girl, unspoiled, to a tomb, and lay them in her own land."
inspoliata feram tumulo patriaeque reponam.
She spoke; and the other, gliding down through the light airs of heaven,
Dixit; at illa levis caeli delapsa per auras
made a sound, her body wrapped in a black whirlwind.
insonuit, nigro circumdata turbine corpus.
But meanwhile the Trojan band draws near the walls,
At manus interea muris Troiana propinquat
and the Etruscan captains, and all the host of horse,
Etruscique duces equitumque exercitus omnis,
marshaled by number into squadrons. Over all the field
compositi numero in turmas. Fremit aequore toto
the prancing steed roars and fights the reined-in bit,
insultans sonipes et pressis pugnat habenis
wheeling this way and that; then far and wide the field
huc conversus et huc; tum late ferreus hastis
bristles iron with spears, and the plains blaze with uplifted arms.
horret ager campique armis sublimibus ardent.
And opposite Messapus and the swift Latins,
Nec non Messapus contra celeresque Latini
and Coras with his brother, and the squadron of the maiden Camilla,
et cum fratre Coras et virginis ala Camillae
appear facing them on the field, and level their spears far off
adversi campo apparent hastasque reductis
with hands drawn back, and brandish their darts,
protendunt longe dextris et spicula vibrant,
and the onset of men and the neighing of horses grows hot.
adventusque virum fremitusque ardescit equorum.
And now each side, advanced within a spear’s throw,
Iamque intra iactum teli progressus uterque
had halted: suddenly they burst out with a shout and urge on
substiterat: subito erumpunt clamore furentisque
their raging horses; at once from every side they pour weapons
exhortantur equos; fundunt simul undique tela
thick as snow, and the sky is curtained with shadow.
crebra nivis ritu caelumque obtexitur umbra.
meet with leveled spears, and first with a great crash
conixi incurrunt hastis primique ruina
give the sound of ruin, and shatter the galloping horses’
dant sonitum ingenti perfractaque quadrupedantum
breasts breast to breast: thrown off, Aconteus,
pectora pectoribus rumpunt: excussus Aconteus
like a thunderbolt or a weight driven from an engine,
fulminis in morem aut tormento ponderis acti
is flung far and scatters his life into the air.
praecipitat longe et vitam dispergit in auras.
At once the lines are thrown into confusion, and the Latins, turned,
Extemplo turbatae acies, versique Latini
fling their shields behind and wheel their horses to the walls.
reiciunt parmas et equos ad moenia vertunt.
The Trojans drive them; Asilas leads the squadrons foremost.
Troes agunt, princeps turmas inducit Asilas.
And now they were nearing the gates, and again the Latins
Iamque propinquabant portis, rursusque Latini
raise a shout and bend back the supple necks of their steeds:
clamorem tollunt et mollia colla reflectunt:
these flee, and far off are borne back, the reins let go.
hi fugiunt penitusque datis referuntur habenis.
As when the sea, running forward with alternate surge,
Qualis ubi alterno procurrens gurgite pontus
now rushes to the land and flings the wave over the rocks
nunc ruit ad terram scopulusque superiacit unda
in foam, and drenches the farthest sand in its sweep,
spumeus extremamque sinu perfundit arenam,
now swiftly back, sucking down the stones rolled by the tide,
nunc rapidus retro atque aestu revoluta resorbens
it flees and leaves the shore as the shallows ebb away:
saxa fugit litusque vado labente relinquit:
twice the Tuscans drove the Rutulians, turned, to the walls,
bis Tusci Rutulos egere ad moenia versos,
twice, flung back, they look behind, shielding their backs.
bis reiecti armis respectant terga tegentes.
But when, joined in battle a third time, they wholly
Tertia sed postquam congressi in proelia totas
entangled their lines together, and man chose his man:
implicuere inter se acies legitque virum vir:
then indeed the groans of the dying, and in deep blood
tum vero et gemitus morientum et sanguine in alto
arms and bodies, and, mingled with the slaughter of men,
armaque corporaque et permixti caede virorum
the half-dead horses roll; the bitter fight rises.
semianimes volvuntur equi, pugna aspera surgit.
Orsilochus, since he shrank from facing Remulus himself,
Orsilochus Remuli, quando ipsum horrebat adire,
hurled his spear at the horse and left the iron beneath its ear.
hastam intorsit equo ferrumque sub aure reliquit.
At which blow the steed rears in fury and, impatient of the wound,
Quo sonipes ictu furit arduus altaque iactat
flings up its legs, its breast upreared:
vulneris impatiens arrecto pectore crura:
he, thrown, rolls on the ground. Catillus lays low Iollas,
volvitur ille excussus humi. Catillus Iollan
and Herminius, huge in spirit, huge in body and arms,
ingentemque animis, ingentem corpore et armis
whose tawny hair flows from his bare head,
deicit Herminium, nudo cui vertice fulva
and bare are his shoulders, nor do wounds dismay him:
caesaries nudique umeri, nec vulnera terrent:
so huge he lies open to weapons. Through his broad shoulders the spear,
tantus in arma patet. Latos huic hasta per armos
driven, quivers, and folds the man double, transfixed with pain.
acta tremit duplicatque virum transfixa dolore.
Black blood pours everywhere; they deal death with the steel,
Funditur ater ubique cruor; dant funera ferro
contending, and seek a beautiful death through wounds.
certantes pulchramque petunt per vulnera mortem.
But amid the slaughter exults the Amazon,
At medias inter caedes exsultat Amazon,
one side bared for battle, quivered Camilla,
unum exserta latus pugnae, pharetrata Camilla,
and now with her hand scatters pliant javelins thick,
et nunc lenta manu spargens hastilia denset,
now her tireless right hand snatches the stout battle-axe;
nunc validam dextra rapit indefessa bipennem;
the golden bow rings from her shoulder, and the arms of Diana.
aureus ex umero sonat arcus et arma Dianae.
She even, if ever driven back she withdrew,
Illa etiam in tergum, siquando pulsa recessit,
aimed flying darts with her bow turned behind.
spicula converso fugientia dirigit arcu.
daughters of Italy, whom bright Camilla herself
Italides, quas ipsa decus sibi dia Camilla
chose as her glory and good handmaids of peace and war:
delegit pacisque bonas bellique ministras:
like Thracian Amazons, when they beat the streams
quales Threiciae cum flumina Thermodontis
of Thermodon and war in painted arms,
pulsant et pictis bellantur Amazones armis
whether round Hippolyte, or when warlike Penthesilea
seu circum Hippolyten, seu cum se Martia curru
returns in her car, and with a great shrilling tumult
Penthesilea refert, magnoque ululante tumultu
the columns of women exult with their crescent shields.
feminea exsultant lunatis agmina peltis.
Whom first with your weapon, whom last, fierce maiden,
Quem telo primum, quem postremum, aspera virgo,
do you strike down? Or how many dying bodies do you spread on the ground?
deicis? Aut quot humi morientia corpora fundis?
breast, full front, she pierces through with her long spear of fir:
adversi longa transverberat abiete pectus:
he, vomiting rivers of blood, falls and bites
sanguinis ille vomens rivos cadit atque cruentam
the bloody ground, and dying writhes upon his wound.
mandit humum moriensque suo se in volnere versat.
Tum Lirim Pagasumque super; quorum alter habenas
thrown as his horse is hamstrung, while he gathers the reins, the other,
suffosso revolutus equo dum colligit, alter
while he comes up and stretches an unarmed hand to the falling man,
dum subit ac dextram labenti tendit inermem,
both headlong fall together. To these she adds Amastrus,
praecipites pariterque ruunt. His addit Amastrum
son of Hippotas, and pursues, pressing on with her spear from afar,
Hippotaden, sequiturque incumbens eminus hasta
and as many darts as the maiden whirled from her hand,
quotque emissa manu contorsit spicula virgo,
so many Phrygian men fell. Far off Ornytus, the hunter, rode
tot Phrygii cecidere viri. Procul Ornytus armis
in strange arms and on an Iapygian horse,
ignotis et equo venator Iapyge fertur,
whose broad shoulders a hide stripped from a bullock
cui pellis latos umeros erepta iuvenco
covers, the fighter; and his head a wolf’s huge gaping jaws
pugnatori operit, caput ingens oris hiatus
and cheeks have masked, with their white teeth,
et malae texere lupi cum dentibus albis,
and a rustic hunting-spear arms his hand; he turns
agrestisque manus armat sparus; ipse catervis
in the midst of the throngs, and stands a whole head above all.
vertitur in mediis et toto vertice supra est.
Him she caught—no toil, the line being turned—
Hunc illa exceptum, neque enim labor agmine verso,
pierces him through, and over him speaks thus with hostile heart:
traicit et super haec inimico pectore fatur:
"Did you think, Tyrrhenian, you hunted wild beasts in the woods?
Silvis te, Tyrrhene, feras agitare putasti?
The day has come that, by a woman’s arms,
Advenit qui vestra dies muliebribus armis
refutes your boasts. Yet no light name to your fathers’
verba redarguerit. Nomen tamen haud leve patrum
shades shall you bear—that you fell by Camilla’s weapon."
manibus hoc referes, telo cecidisse Camillae.
At once Orsilochus and Butes, two of the largest bodies
Protinus Orsilochum et Buten, duo maxima Teucrum
among the Teucrians; but Butes, turned away, she pinned with her point
corpora, sed Buten aversum cuspide fixit
between corselet and helm, where the neck shows as he sits
loricam galeamque inter, qua colla sedentis
and the shield hangs from the left arm;
lucent et laevo dependet parma lacerto,
Orsilochus, fleeing and driven round in a great circle,
Orsilochum fugiens magnumque agitata per orbem
she eludes by an inner ring, and follows her pursuer,
eludit gyro interior sequiturque sequentem,
then, rising higher, drives the stout axe through the man’s
tum validam perque arma viro perque ossa securim
arms and bones, as he pleads and prays much,
altior exsurgens oranti et multa precanti
and redoubles the blow: the wound bathes his face with warm brain.
congeminat: vulnus calido rigat ora cerebro.
On her there fell, and stopped, terrified at the sudden sight,
Incidit huic subitoque aspectu territus haesit
the warrior son of Aunus, dweller in the Apennines,
Appenninicolae bellator filius Auni,
not the least of the Ligurians, while the fates let him deceive.
haud Ligurum extremus, dum fallere fata sinebant.
And he, when he saw that by no flight could he now escape the fight
Isque ubi se nullo iam cursu evadere pugnae
nor turn aside the pressing queen,
posse neque instantem reginam avertere cernit,
began to turn over guile in his counsel, and with cunning
consilio versare dolos ingressus et astu
begins thus: "What so glorious, if a woman trusts
incipit haec: Quid tam egregium, si femina forti
in a strong horse? Give up flight, and trust yourself to me
fidis equo? Dimitte fugam et te comminus aequo
at close quarters on level ground, and gird for a foot-fight:
mecum crede solo pugnaeque adcinge pedestri:
soon you shall learn whom windy glory brings to deceit."
iam nosces, ventosa ferat cui gloria fraudem.
He spoke; but she, raging and kindled with keen resentment,
Dixit, at illa furens acrique adcensa dolore
hands her horse to a companion and stands in equal arms,
tradit equum comiti paribusque resistit in armis,
on foot, with naked sword and plain shield, unafraid.
ense pedes nudo puraque interrita parma.
But the youth, thinking he had won by his trick, flies off,
At iuvenis, vicisse dolo ratus, avolat ipse,
without delay, and turning the reins is borne away in flight
haud mora, conversisque fugax aufertur habenis
and goads his swift steed with the iron heel.
quadrupedemque citum ferrata calce fatigat.
"Vain Ligurian, and lifted up in vain with proud spirit,
Vane Ligus frustraque animis elate superbis,
for nothing, slippery one, have you tried your fathers’ arts,
nequiquam patrias temptasti lubricus artis,
nor will your guile bear you back unhurt to lying Aunus,"
nec fraus te incolumem fallaci perferet Auno,
so speaks the maiden, and, fiery on swift feet,
haec fatur virgo et pernicibus ignea plantis
outruns the horse, and, seizing the bridle from the front,
transit equum cursu frenisque adversa prehensis
closes with him and takes vengeance from her enemy’s blood:
congreditur poenasque inimico ex sanguine sumit:
as easily as the hawk, the sacred bird, from a high crag
quam facile accipiter saxo sacer ales ab alto
overtakes on its wings a dove high up in the cloud
consequitur pennis sublimem in nube columbam
and, gripping it, holds it and disembowels it with hooked claws;
comprensamque tenet pedibusque eviscerat uncis;
then blood and plucked feathers fall from the sky.
tum cruor et vulsae labuntur ab aethere plumae.
But, not unmarked, the sower of men and gods
At non haec nullis hominum sator atque deorum
sits watching with his eyes, high on the top of Olympus:
observans oculis summo sedet altus Olympo:
the father rouses Tyrrhenian Tarchon to the savage battle
Tyrrhenum genitor Tarchonem in proelia saeva
and spurs his wrath with no gentle goads.
suscitat et stimulis haud mollibus incitat iras.
So among the slaughter and the yielding ranks Tarchon
Ergo inter caedes cedentiaque agmina Tarchon
rides his horse and goads the squadrons with varied cries,
fertur equo variisque instigat vocibus alas,
calling each by name, and rallies the routed to the fight.
nomine quemque vocans, reficitque in proelia pulsos.
"What fear, O you who will never grieve, O ever-sluggish
Quis metus, O numquam dolituri, O semper inertes
Tyrrhenians, what cowardice so great has come over your hearts?
Tyrrheni, quae tanta animis ignavia venit?
A woman drives you scattering and turns these lines!
Femina palantis agit atque haec agmina vertit!
To what end the sword? Why these idle weapons in our hands?
Quo ferrum quidve haec gerimus tela inrita dextris?
Yet not slow are you for Venus and the wars of night,
At non in Venerem segnes nocturnaque bella
or when the curved flute proclaims the dances of Bacchus,
aut ubi curva choros indixit tibia Bacchi,
waiting for the feast and the cups of the laden board—
exspectate dapes et plenae pocula mensae,
here is your love, this your zeal, while a favorable seer
hic amor, hoc studium, dum sacra secundus haruspex
announces the rites and the fat victim calls you to the high groves!"
nuntiet ac lucos vocet hostia pinguis in altos!
So saying, into the midst, ready to die himself,
Haec effatus equum in medios, moriturus et ipse,
he spurs his horse and stormily bears down on Venulus before him
concitat et Venulo adversum se turbidus infert
and, plucking the foe from his horse, clasps him with his right hand
dereptumque ab equo dextra complectitur hostem
and, driven on with great force, carries him off before his breast.
et gremium ante suum multa vi concitus aufert.
A shout rises to heaven, and all the Latins
Tollitur in caelum clamor, cunctique Latini
turned their eyes. Tarchon flies, fiery, over the field
convertere oculos. Volat igneus aequore Tarchon
bearing arms and man; then from the very tip of the man’s own spear
arma virumque ferens; tum summa ipsius ab hasta
he breaks off the iron and searches the exposed parts,
defringit ferrum et partis rimatur apertas,
where he may deal a deadly wound; against him, struggling,
qua vulnus letale ferat; contra ille repugnans
he holds the hand from his throat and meets force with force.
sustinet a iugulo dextram et vim viribus exit.
And as when, flying high, the tawny eagle bears off a snatched
Utque volans alte raptum cum fulva draconem
serpent, and has tangled its feet and clung with its talons,
fert aquila implicuitque pedes atque unguibus haesit,
but the wounded snake twists its sinuous coils
saucius at serpens sinuosa volumina versat
and bristles with raised scales and hisses with its mouth,
adrectisque horret squamis et sibilat ore,
rearing high; the eagle no less presses with hooked
arduus insurgens; illa haud minus urget obunco
beak the struggler, and at once beats the air with its wings:
luctantem rostro, simul aethera verberat alis:
no otherwise Tarchon, exulting, bears off his prey
haud aliter praedam Tiburtum ex agmine Tarchon
from the Tiburtine ranks. Following their leader’s example and success,
portat ovans. Ducis exemplum eventumque secuti
with his javelin, and with much craft beforehand, circles
velocem iaculo et multa prior arte Camillam
the swift Camilla and tries what chance may be easiest.
circuit et quae sit fortuna facillima, temptat.
Wherever the raging maiden bore herself through the midst of the line,
Qua se cumque furens medio tulit agmine virgo,
there Arruns comes after and silently tracks her steps;
hac Arruns subit et tacitus vestigia lustrat;
where she returns victorious and bears her foot back from the foe,
qua victrix redit illa pedemque ex hoste reportat,
there the young man stealthily turns his swift reins aside.
hac iuvenis furtim celeris detorquet habenas.
These approaches and now these he tries, and ranges
Hos aditus iamque hos aditus omnemque pererrat
all the circuit on every side, and shakes, relentless, his sure spear.
undique circuitum et certam quatit improbus hastam.
By chance Chloreus, sacred to Cybele and once her priest,
Forte sacer Cybelo Chloreus olimque sacerdos
shone conspicuous far off in his Phrygian arms
insignis longe Phrygiis fulgebat in armis
and drove his foaming horse, which a hide knit with bronze
spumantemque agitabat equum, quem pellis aënis
scales, feather-like, joined with gold, covered.
in plumam squamis auro conserta tegebat.
He himself, bright with foreign dark-red and purple,
Ipse, peregrina ferrugine clarus et ostro,
golden was the bow on his shoulders, and golden the seer’s
aureus ex umeris erat arcus et aurea vati
helmet; then his saffron cloak and its rustling folds
cassida; tum croceam chlamydemque sinusque crepantis
of linen he had gathered into a knot with tawny gold,
carbaseos fulvo in nodum collegerat auro
his tunic embroidered with the needle, and his barbarian leg-coverings.
pictus acu tunicas et barbara tegmina crurum.
Him the maiden—whether to fix Trojan arms on a temple,
Hunc virgo, sive ut templis praefigeret arma
or to deck herself in captured gold
Troïa, captivo sive ut se ferret in auro
as a huntress—him alone out of all the contest of battle
venatrix, unum ex omni certamine pugnae
blindly she followed, and all heedless through the line
caeca sequebatur totumque incauta per agmen
burned with a woman’s love of spoil and plunder,
femineo praedae et spoliorum ardebat amore,
when at last from his ambush, the moment seized,
telum ex insidiis cum tandem tempore capto
Arruns lets fly his weapon and thus prays aloud to the gods:
concitat et superos Arruns sic voce precatur:
"Highest of gods, Apollo, guardian of holy Soracte,
Summe deum, sancti custos Soractis Apollo,
whom we foremost worship, for whom the pine-fire on its heap
quem primi colimus, cui pineus ardor acervo
is fed, and trusting in our devotion through the midst of the fire
pascitur et medium freti pietate per ignem
we worshippers press our many steps over the deep embers,
cultores multa premimus vestigia pruna,
grant, father, that this disgrace be wiped from our arms,
da, pater, hoc nostris aboleri dedecus armis,
almighty one. I seek no spoils, no trophy of the maiden
omnipotens. Non exuvias pulsaeve tropaeum
struck down, nor any plunder (other deeds will bring me
virginis aut spolia ulla peto (mihi cetera laudem
praise): only let this dire plague, struck by my wound,
facta ferent): haec dira meo dum vulnere pestis
fall, and I will return inglorious to my native towns."
pulsa cadat, patrias remeabo inglorius urbes.
Phoebus heard, and granted in his mind that part of the vow
Audiit et voti Phoebus succedere partem
should succeed, part he scattered to the flying winds:
mente dedit, partem volucris dispersit in auras:
that he should lay Camilla low in sudden death, undone,
sterneret ut subita turbatam morte Camillam,
he granted his prayer; that his high homeland should see him return,
adnuit oranti; reducem ut patria alta videret,
he did not, and the gusts turned the words to the South Winds.
non dedit, inque Notos vocem vertere procellae.
So when the spear, hurled from his hand, gave its sound through the air,
Ergo ut missa manu sonitum dedit hasta per auras,
all the Volscians turned their keen minds and bore their eyes
convertere animos acris oculosque tulere
toward the queen. She herself was mindful of nothing—not the breeze
cuncti ad reginam Volsci. Nihil ipsa nec aurae
nor the sound nor the weapon coming from the sky,
nec sonitus memor aut venientis ab aethere teli,
until the spear, carried home beneath the bared breast,
hasta sub exsertam donec perlata papillam
stuck and, driven deep, drank the maiden’s blood.
haesit virgineumque alte bibit acta cruorem.
Her frightened companions run together and catch
Concurrunt trepidae comites dominamque ruentem
their falling mistress. Before all, Arruns flees in terror,
suscipiunt. Fugit ante omnis exterritus Arruns,
with joy mixed with fear, and no longer dares trust
laetitia mixtoque metu, nec iam amplius hastae
his spear, nor to face the maiden’s weapons.
credere nec telis occurrere virginis audet.
And as a wolf, before the hostile weapons follow,
Ac velut ille, prius quam tela inimica sequantur,
at once hides himself, trackless, in the high mountains,
continuo in montis sese avius abdidit altos
a shepherd or a great bullock slain,
occiso pastore lupus magnove iuvenco,
conscious of his bold deed, and drooping his tail
conscius audacis facti, caudamque remulcens
he tucks it, trembling, under his belly and seeks the woods:
subiecit pavitantem utero silvasque petivit:
no otherwise Arruns, in turmoil, took himself from sight
haud secus ex oculis se turbidus abstulit Arruns
and, content with flight, plunged into the midst of the arms.
contentusque fuga mediis se immiscuit armis.
She, dying, draws at the weapon with her hand, but between the bones,
Illa manu moriens telum trahit, ossa sed inter
at the ribs, the iron point stands fast in the deep wound:
ferreus ad costas alto stat vulnere mucro:
she sinks, bloodless, her eyes sink cold in death,
labitur exsanguis, labuntur frigida leto
the color once bright has left her face.
lumina, purpureus quondam color ora reliquit.
Then, expiring, thus to Acca, one of her age-mates,
Tum sic exspirans Accam ex aequalibus unam
faithful beyond the rest, who alone of Camilla’s
adloquitur fidam ante alias, quae sola Camillae,
with whom to share her cares; and thus she speaks:
quicum partiri curas; atque haec ita fatur:
"Thus far, sister Acca, I could; now the bitter wound
Hactenus, Acca soror, potui: nunc vulnus acerbum
undoes me, and all around grows black with darkness.
conficit, et tenebris nigrescunt omnia circum.
Flee, and carry to Turnus these last commands:
Effuge et haec Turno mandata novissima perfer:
let him take my place in the fight and keep the Trojans from the city.
succedat pugnae Troianosque arceat urbe.
And now farewell." With these words she was letting go the reins,
Iamque vale. Simul his dictis linquebat habenas,
sinking to earth against her will. Then, cold, little by little
ad terram non sponte fluens. Tum frigida toto
she loosed herself from all her body, and laid down her drooping neck
paulatim exsolvit se corpore lentaque colla
and her head seized by death; her arms forsake her,
et captum leto posuit caput, arma relinquunt,
and her life with a groan flees, resentful, to the shades.
vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub umbras.
Then indeed an immeasurable clamor, rising, strikes the golden
Tum vero immensus surgens ferit aurea clamor
stars: with Camilla cast down, the fight grows fiercer,
sidera: deiecta crudescit pugna Camilla,
they charge in a mass, all the force of the Teucrians together,
incurrunt densi simul omnis copia Teucrum
and the Tyrrhenian captains and Evander’s Arcadian squadrons.
Tyrrhenique duces Evandrique Arcades alae.
But Trivia’s warder Opis, long since on the mountains,
At Triviae custos iamdudum in montibus Opis
sits high on the peaks and watches the battle, unafraid.
alta sedet summis spectatque interrita pugnas.
And when, far off amid the clamor of the raging youth,
Utque procul medio iuvenum in clamore furentum
she saw Camilla punished with a sad death,
prospexit tristi multatam morte Camillam,
she groaned and gave forth these words from her deep heart:
ingemuitque deditque has imo pectore voces:
"Alas, too cruel, maiden, too cruel the penalty you have paid,
Heu nimium, virgo, nimium crudele luisti
for trying to provoke the Teucrians in war!
supplicium, Teucros conata lacessere bello!
Nor did it profit you, alone in the thickets, to have worshiped Diana,
Nec tibi desertae in dumis coluisse Dianam
or to have borne our arrows on your shoulder.
profuit aut nostras umero gessisse sagittas.
Yet your queen has not left you unhonored
Non tamen indecorem tua te regina reliquit
now at the last in death, nor shall this death be nameless
extrema iam in morte, neque hoc sine nomine letum
among the nations, nor will you bear the fame of being unavenged.
per gentis erit aut famam patieris inultae.
For whoever wounded your body,
Nam quicumque tuum violavit vulnere corpus,
shall pay with a deserved death." There was, beneath the high mountain,
morte luet merita. Fuit ingens monte sub alto
an ancient Laurentine, roofed with shady holm-oak:
antiqui Laurentis opacaque ilice tectum:
here the goddess, fairest, with a swift rush first
hic dea se primum rapido pulcherrima nisu
halts, and watches Arruns from the high mound.
sistit et Arruntem tumulo speculatur ab alto.
When she saw him rejoicing in spirit and swelling with vain pride,
Ut vidit laetantem animis ac vana tumentem,
"Why," she says, "do you go off another way? Hither turn your step,
Cur, inquit, diversus abis? Huc dirige gressum,
hither come, doomed to die, that you may take a worthy reward
huc periture veni, capias ut digna Camillae
for Camilla. Shall you too die by the weapons of Diana?"
praemia. Tune etiam telis moriere Dianae?
She spoke, and the Thracian drew a winged arrow
dixit, et aurata volucrem Threissa sagittam
from her gilded quiver, and bent the bow in anger,
deprompsit pharetra cornuque infensa tetendit
and drew it far, until the curved tips
et duxit longe, donec curvata coirent
met one another, and with hands now level she touched,
inter se capita et manibus iam tangeret aequis,
with the left the iron’s edge, with the right the string at her breast.
laeva aciem ferri, dextra nervoque papillam.
At once the whir of the weapon and the sounding air
Extemplo teli stridorem aurasque sonantis
Arruns heard together, and the iron stuck in his body.
audiit una Arruns, haesitque in corpore ferrum.
Him, gasping out his last and groaning, his comrades,
Illum exspirantem socii atque extrema gementem
forgetful, leave in the unknown dust of the plains,
obliti ignoto camporum in pulvere linquunt,
Opis on her wings is borne off to ethereal Olympus.
Opis ad aetherium pennis aufertur Olympum.
First, her mistress lost, Camilla’s light squadron flees;
Prima fugit domina amissa levis ala Camillae;
and the scattered captains and the forsaken maniples
disiectique duces desolatique manipli
seek safety, and turning their horses make for the walls.
tuta petunt et equis aversi ad moenia tendunt.
Nor can any with weapons hold off the pressing Teucrians,
Nec quisquam instantis Teucros letumque ferentis
who bring death, or stand against them,
sustentare valet telis aut sistere contra,
but they carry their bows slack on drooping shoulders,
sed laxos referunt umeris languentibus arcus,
and the horses’ hooves shake the crumbling plain with their gallop.
quadrupedumque putrem cursu quatit ungula campum.
A dust, dark and turbid with murk, rolls toward the walls,
Volvitur ad muros caligine turbidus atra
and from the watchtowers the mothers, beating their breasts,
pulvis, et e speculis percussae pectora matres
raise a woman’s cry to the stars of heaven.
femineum clamorem ad caeli sidera tollunt.
Those who first burst at a run through the open gates,
Qui cursu portas primi inrupere patentis,
these the hostile throng presses, mingled in their column;
hos inimica super mixto premit agmine turba;
nor do they escape a wretched death, but on the very threshold,
nec miseram effugiunt mortem, sed limine in ipso,
within their native walls and among the safety of homes,
moenibus in patriis atque inter tuta domorum
run through, they breathe out their lives. Some close the gates:
confixi exspirant animas. Pars claudere portas:
they dare not open a way for their comrades nor receive
nec sociis aperire viam nec moenibus audent
into the walls those who beg, and a most piteous slaughter arises
accipere orantis, oriturque miserrima caedes
of those defending the entrance with arms and those rushing onto the arms.
defendentum armis aditus inque arma ruentum.
Shut out before the eyes and the weeping faces of their parents,
Exclusi ante oculos lacrumantumque ora parentum
some, the rout driving them, roll headlong into the trenches,
pars in praecipitis fossas urgente ruina
some, blind and driven, with reins let loose,
volvitur, immissis pars caeca et concita frenis
batter at the gates and the doorposts hard with the bar.
arietat in portas et duros obice postis.
The very mothers from the walls, in utmost striving,
Ipsae de muris summo certamine matres,
(true love of country shows the way), when they saw Camilla,
monstrat amor verus patriae, ut videre Camillam,
trembling, hurl weapons by hand, and with hard oak
tela manu trepidae iaciunt ac robore duro
and stakes and fire-hardened poles they ape the iron,
stipitibus ferrum sudibusque imitantur obustis
headlong, and burn to die first before the walls.
praecipites primaeque mori pro moenibus ardent.
Meanwhile in the woods the cruelest news fills Turnus,
Interea Turnum in silvis saevissimus implet
and Acca brings the young man word of the vast tumult:
nuntius, et iuveni ingentem fert Acca tumultum:
the Volscian lines destroyed, Camilla fallen,
deletas Volscorum acies, cecidisse Camillam,
the foe pressing on, hostile, and, with the war going their way,
ingruere infensos hostis et Marte secundo
seizing all, and that panic is now carried to the walls.
omnia corripuisse, metum iam ad moenia ferri.
He, raging—and so Jove’s harsh will drives him—
Ille furens, et saeva Iovis sic numina pellunt,
leaves the hills he had beset, quits the rough woods.
deserit obsessos collis, nemora aspera linquit.
Scarcely had he gone from sight and held the plain,
Vix e conspectu exierat campumque tenebat,
when Father Aeneas, entering the now open glades,
cum pater Aeneas saltus ingressus apertos
crosses the ridge and comes out of the shadowy wood.
exsuperatque iugum silvaque evadit opaca.
So both, swift, are borne toward the walls and with their whole
Sic ambo ad muros rapidi totoque feruntur
column, nor are they far apart by many paces;
agmine nec longis inter se passibus absunt;
and at once Aeneas saw far off the plains smoking
ac simul Aeneas fumantis pulvere campos
with dust, and beheld the Laurentine columns,
prospexit longe Laurentiaque agmina vidit,
and Turnus knew fierce Aeneas in his arms,
et saevum Aenean adgnovit Turnus in armis
and heard the tramp of feet and the snorting of the horses.
adventumque pedum flatusque audivit equorum.
And at once they would join battle and try the fight,
Continuoque ineant pugnas et proelia temptent,
had not rosy Phoebus already bathed his weary horses
ni roseus fessos iam gurgite Phoebus Hibero
in the Iberian flood and, the day failing, brought back the night:
tinguat equos noctemque die labente reducat:
they encamp before the city and wall their ramparts.
considunt castris ante urbem et moenia vallant.
When Turnus sees the Latins broken, the war against them,
Turnus ut infractos adverso Marte Latinos
failing, and now his own promises called in,
defecisse videt, sua nunc promissa reposci,
himself marked by every eye, unappeasable he blazes
se signari oculis, ultro implacabilis ardet
and lifts his spirit. As in the Punic fields
attollitque animos. Poenorum qualis in arvis
a lion, wounded in the breast by the hunters’ grievous stroke,
saucius ille gravi venantum vulnere pectus
only then rouses himself to battle, and joyfully
tum demum movet arma leo gaudetque comantis
shakes the muscles of his maned neck, and snaps
excutiens cervice toros fixumque latronis
the robber’s planted spear undismayed, and roars with bloody jaws:
inpavidus frangit telum et fremit ore cruento:
no otherwise the violence swells in kindled Turnus.
haud secus adcenso gliscit violentia Turno.
Then thus he addresses the king, and so, stormy, begins:
Tum sic adfatur regem atque ita turbidus infit:
"There is no delay in Turnus; there is no cause for the cowardly
Nulla mora in Turno; nihil est quod dicta retractent
sons of Aeneas to take back their words or refuse their pact.
ignavi Aeneadae, nec quae pepigere recusent.
I close with him. Bring the rites, father, and draw up the treaty.
Congredior, fer sacra, pater, et concipe foedus.
Either with this hand I will send the Dardanian beneath Tartarus,
Aut hac Dardanium dextra sub Tartara mittam,
the deserter of Asia (let the Latins sit and watch),
desertorem Asiae (sedeant spectentque Latini),
and alone refute with the sword the common reproach,
et solus ferro crimen commune refellam,
or let him have us beaten, and Lavinia go to him as wife."
aut habeat victos, cedat Lavinia coniunx.
To him with calm heart Latinus replied:
Olli sedato respondit corde Latinus:
"O youth surpassing in spirit, by how much you yourself
O praestans animi iuvenis, quantum ipse feroci
excel in fierce valor, by so much the more is it right for me
virtute exsuperas, tanto me impensius aequum est
to take care, and, fearing, to weigh all the chances.
consulere atque omnis metuentem expendere casus.
You have the realm of your father Daunus, you have many towns
Sunt tibi regna patris Dauni, sunt oppida capta
taken by your hand, and Latinus too has gold and good will;
multa manu, nec non aurumque animusque Latino est;
there are other unwed maidens in Latium and the Laurentine fields,
sunt aliae innuptae Latio et Laurentibus arvis,
and of no mean birth. Let me lay open these things, hard to say,
nec genus indecores. Sine me haec haud mollia fatu
with all guile set aside, and at once drink this into your heart.
sublatis aperire dolis, simul hoc animo hauri.
For me to wed my daughter to any of her former suitors
Me natam nulli veterum sociare procorum
was not right, and that all, gods and men, foretold.
fas erat, idque omnes divique hominesque canebant.
Overcome by love of you, overcome by our kindred blood
Victus amore tui, cognato sanguine victus
and the tears of my grieving wife, I broke all bonds:
coniugis et maestae lacrumis, vincla omnia rupi:
I snatched the betrothed from her bridegroom, took up impious arms.
promissam eripui genero, arma impia sumpsi.
From that time what chances, what wars, Turnus, pursue me,
Ex illo qui me casus, quae, Turne, sequantur
you see, and what great toils you first endure.
bella, vides, quantos primus patiare labores.
Twice beaten in great battle, we scarcely guard from the city
Bis magna victi pugna vix urbe tuemur
the hopes of Italy; the Tiber’s waters still grow warm
spes Italas; recalent nostro Thybrina fluenta
with our blood, and the vast plains whiten with bones.
sanguine adhuc campique ingentes ossibus albent.
Whither am I turned so often? What madness changes my mind?
Quo referor totiens? Quae mentem insania mutat?
If, with Turnus dead, I am ready to take them as allies,
Si Turno exstincto socios sum adscire paratus,
why do I not rather, while he is safe, end the strife?
cur non incolumi potius certamina tollo?
What will your kinsmen the Rutulians, what will the rest of
Quid consanguinei Rutuli, quid cetera dicet
Italy say, if to death I betray you—may Chance refute the word!—
Italia, ad mortem si te—Fors dicta refutet!—
you, who seek my daughter and marriage with us?
prodiderim, natam et conubia nostra petentem?
Look on the changing chances of war; pity your aged
Respice res bello varias; miserere parentis
father, whom now his native Ardea, mourning, holds far
longaevi, quem nunc maestum patria Ardea longe
apart." In no way is the violence of Turnus
dividit. Haudquaquam dictis violentia Turni
bent by the words: it swells the more, and sickens at the cure.
flectitur: exsuperat magis aegrescitque medendo.
As soon as he could speak, he pressed on thus:
Ut primum fari potuit, sic institit ore:
"The care you bear for me, I beg you, best of men, for me
Quam pro me curam geris, hanc precor, optime, pro me
lay it down, and let me bargain death for glory.
deponas letumque sinas pro laude pacisci:
I too, father, scatter weapons, and no feeble steel
et nos tela, pater, ferrumque haud debile dextra
my right hand scatters; and from my wound too blood follows.
spargimus; et nostro sequitur de volnere sanguis.
Far from him will be his goddess mother, to hide his flight
longe illi dea mater erit, quae nube fugacem
in a woman’s cloud and conceal herself in empty shadows."
feminea tegat et vanis sese occulat umbris.
But the queen, terrified at the new prospect of the fight,
At regina, nova pugnae conterrita sorte,
wept and, to warn her ardent son-in-law, held him fast:
flebat et ardentem generum monitura tenebat:
"Turnus, by these tears, by any honor of Amata
Turne, per has ego te lacrimas, per siquis Amatae
that touches your heart (you are now my one hope, you the rest
tangit honos animum (spes tu nunc una, senectae
of my unhappy age, the glory and rule of Latinus
tu requies miserae, decus imperiumque Latini
rest with you, on you the whole tottering house leans).
te penes, in te omnis domus inclinata recumbit).
One thing I beg: cease to join battle with the Teucrians.
unum oro: desiste manum committere Teucris.
Whatever chances await you in that contest,
Qui te cumque manent isto certamine casus,
await me too, Turnus: with you I will leave this hateful
et me, Turne, manent: simul haec invisa relinquam
light, nor as a captive see Aeneas my son-in-law."
lumina nec generum Aenean captiva videbo.
Lavinia received her mother’s voice with tears,
Accepit vocem lacrimis Lavinia matris
her burning cheeks bathed, on whom a deep blush
flagrantis perfusa genas, quoi plurimus ignem
kindled its fire and ran over her heated face.
subiecit rubor et calefacta per ora cucurrit.
As when one stains Indian ivory with blood-red dye,
Indum sanguineo veluti violaverit ostro
or as white lilies, mingled with many a rose,
siquis ebur, aut mixta rubent ubi lilia multa
blush red: such colors the maiden showed in her face.
alba rosa: talis virgo dabat ore colores.
Love troubles him, and he fixes his gaze on the maiden:
Illum turbat amor, figitque in virgine voltus:
he burns the more for arms, and briefly addresses Amata.
ardet in arma magis paucisque adfatur Amatam.
"Do not, I beg, do not with tears nor with so dire an omen
Ne, quaeso, ne me lacrimis neve omine tanto
follow me as I go to the contests of harsh Mars,
prosequere in duri certamina Martis euntem,
O mother; for Turnus is not free to delay his death.
O mater; neque enim Turno mora libera mortis.
Idmon, take these my words as messenger to the Phrygian
Nuntius haec Idmon Phrygio mea dicta tyranno
tyrant—words he will not like: when tomorrow’s Dawn first
haud placitura refer: cum primum crastina caelo
reddens in the sky, borne on her crimson wheels,
puniceis invecta rotis Aurora rubebit,
let him not lead the Teucrians against the Rutulians; let Teucrian arms
non Teucros agat in Rutulos, Teucrum arma quiescant
and Rutulian rest; with our own blood let us decide the war,
et Rutuli; nostro dirimamus sanguine bellum,
on that field let Lavinia be sought as bride."
illo quaeratur coniunx Lavinia campo.
When he had said this and swiftly withdrew into the house,
Haec ubi dicta dedit rapidusque in tecta recessit.
he calls for his horses and rejoices to see them neighing before him,
poscit equos gaudetque tuens ante ora frementis,
which outdid the snows in whiteness, the winds in speed.
qui candore nives anteirent, cursibus auras.
The eager charioteers stand round and pat
Circumstant properi aurigae manibusque lacessunt
their breasts with hollowed hands and comb their maned necks.
pectora plausa cavis et colla comantia pectunt.
Then he himself wraps round his shoulders a corselet stiff
Ipse dehinc auro squalentem alboque orichalco
with gold and white orichalc; at once he fits for the wielding
circumdat loricam umeris; simul aptat habendo
both sword and shield and the horns of his red crest.
ensemque clipeumque et rubrae cornua cristae.
the sword which the Fire-god himself had made for his father
ensem, quem Dauno ignipotens deus ipse parenti
Daunus, and tempered, white-hot, in the Stygian wave.
fecerat et Stygia candentem tinxerat unda.
Then the strong spear which, propped against a great column
Exin quae mediis ingenti adnixa columnae
in the midst of the hall, was standing, he snatches with force,
aedibus adstabat, validam vi corripit hastam,
crying: "Now, O spear that never failed my call,
vociferans: Nunc, O numquam frustrata vocatus
now the time is here: you mighty Actor
hasta meos, nunc tempus adest: te maximus Actor
once bore, now the right hand of Turnus bears you. Grant me to lay low the body
te Turni nunc dextra gerit. Da sternere corpus
and to tear with my strong hand the corselet, wrenched off,
loricamque manu valida lacerare revulsam
of the half-man Phrygian, and to foul in the dust his hair
semiviri Phrygis et foedare in pulvere crinis
curled with the hot iron and dripping with myrrh."
vibratos calido ferro murraque madentis.
By these furies he is driven; from his whole burning face
His agitur furiis; totoque ardentis ab ore
sparks fly off, fire flashes from his keen eyes:
scintillae absistunt, oculis micat acribus ignis:
as when a bull, before the first battles, raises
mugitus veluti cum prima in proelia taurus
his terrifying bellows and tries to vent his wrath in his horns,
terrificos ciet atque irasci in cornua temptat,
leaning against a tree-trunk, and lashes the winds
arboris obnixus trunco, ventosque lacessit
with blows, or scatters sand in prelude to the fight.
ictibus aut sparsa ad pugnam proludit harena.
No less meanwhile, fierce in his mother’s arms,
Nec minus interea maternis saevos in armis
Aeneas whets his war-spirit and rouses himself with wrath,
Aeneas acuit Martem et se suscitat ira,
glad that the war is to be settled by the offered treaty,
oblato gaudens componi foedere bellum,
then comforts his comrades and the fear of sad Iulus,
tum socios maestique metum solatur Iuli,
teaching them the fates, and bids men bear sure answers
fata docens, regique iubet responsa Latino
back to King Latinus and tell the terms of peace.
certa referre viros et pacis dicere leges.
Scarcely was the next day sprinkling the mountain-tops with light,
Postera vix summos spargebat lumine montis
newly risen, when first from the deep flood the horses
orta dies, cum primum alto se gurgite tollunt
of the Sun lift themselves and breathe out light from raised nostrils:
solis equi lucemque elatis naribus efflant:
a field for the contest, beneath the walls of the great city,
campum ad certamen magnae sub moenibus urbis
the Rutulians and Teucrians measured out and made ready,
dimensi Rutulique viri Teucrique parabant
and in the midst the hearths and grassy altars
in medioque focos et dis communibus aras
to the common gods. Others brought spring-water and fire,
gramineas. Alii fontemque ignemque ferebant,
veiled in the apron and their temples bound with vervain.
velati limo et verbena tempora vincti.
The legion of the Ausonians advances, and the javelin-columns
Procedit legio Ausonidum, pilataque plenis
pour from the crowded gates. On this side all the Trojan
agmina se fundunt portis. Hinc Troïus omnis
and Tyrrhenian host rushes out in varied arms,
Tyrrhenusque ruit variis exercitus armis,
drawn up with steel no otherwise than if the harsh fight of Mars
haud secus instructi ferro, quam si aspera Martis
were calling; and amid the thousands the leaders themselves
pugna vocet; nec non mediis in milibus ipsi
flit about, splendid in gold and purple,
ductores auro volitant ostroque decori,
both Mnestheus of Assaracus’ line and brave Asilas
et genus Assaraci Mnestheus et fortis Asilas
and Messapus, tamer of horses, Neptune’s offspring.
et Messapus equum domitor, Neptunia proles.
And when at the given signal each withdrew to his own ground,
Utque dato signo spatia in sua quisque recessit,
they fix their spears in the earth and lean their shields against them.
defigunt tellure hastas et scuta reclinant.
Then mothers pouring out in eagerness, and the unarmed crowd,
Tum studio effusae matres et volgus inermum
and feeble old men, beset the towers and the roofs of houses,
invalidique senes turris ac tecta domorum
others stand at the lofty gates.
obsedere, alii portis sublimibus adstant.
But Juno, from the height now held to be Alban—
At Iuno e summo, qui nunc Albanus habetur,
then the hill had neither name nor honor nor glory—
tum neque nomen erat nec honos aut gloria monti,
looking out from the mound, watched the field, and both
prospiciens tumulo campum aspectabat et ambas
the lines, of Laurentum and of Troy, and the city of Latinus.
Laurentum Troumque acies urbemque Latini.
At once thus she addressed the sister of Turnus,
Extemplo Turni sic est adfata sororem
goddess to goddess, who over pools and sounding rivers
diva deam, stagnis quae fluminibusque sonoris
presides (this honor the high king of heaven, Jupiter,
praesidet (hunc illi rex aetheris altus honorem
had consecrated to her for her ravished maidenhood):
Iuppiter erepta pro virginitate sacravit):
"Nymph, glory of the rivers, most dear to my heart,
Nympha, decus fluviorum, animo gratissima nostro,
you know how I have set you alone, of all the Latin women
scis ut te cunctis unam, quaecumque Latinae
who climbed the thankless bed of great-souled Jove,
magnanimi Iovis ingratum ascendere cubile,
before all others, and gladly placed you in a part of heaven:
praetulerim caelique lubens in parte locarim:
While Fortune seemed to allow it, and the Fates suffered
Qua visa est Fortuna pati Parcaeque sinebant
things to go well for Latium, I shielded Turnus and your walls:
cedere res Latio, Turnum et tua moenia texi:
now I see the youth meet fates unequal to his own,
nunc iuvenem imparibus video concurrere fatis,
and the day of the Fates and the hostile power draw near.
Parcarumque dies et vis inimica propinquat.
This battle I cannot look on with my eyes, nor the treaty.
Non pugnam aspicere hanc oculis, non foedera possum.
If you, for your brother, dare anything more present,
Tu pro germano siquid praesentius audes,
go on: it is fitting. Perhaps better things will follow for the wretched."
perge: decet. Forsan miseros meliora sequentur.
Scarcely this, when Juturna poured tears from her eyes
Vix ea, cum lacrimas oculis Iuturna profudit
and three and four times struck her comely breast with her hand.
terque quaterque manu pectus percussit honestum.
"This is no time for tears," says Saturnian Juno:
Non lacrumis hoc tempus, ait Saturnia Iuno:
"Hasten, and snatch your brother from death, if there be any way,
Adcelera et fratrem, siquis modus, eripe morti,
or do you rouse war and shatter the treaty conceived:
aut tu bella cie conceptumque excute foedus:
I am your warrant for the daring." So having urged her, she left her
auctor ego audendi. Sic exhortata reliquit
uncertain and troubled by the grim wound in her mind.
incertam et tristi turbatam volnere mentis.
Meanwhile the kings: in his huge bulk Latinus
Interea reges, ingenti mole Latinus
rides in a four-horse car, around whose temples
quadriiugo vehitur curru, cui tempora circum
twelve gilded rays gird his gleaming brow,
aurati bis sex radii fulgentia cingunt,
the token of the Sun his grandsire; Turnus goes in a white pair,
Solis avi specimen; bigis it Turnus in albis,
brandishing in his hand two spears with broad iron heads;
bina manu lato crispans hastilia ferro;
on this side Father Aeneas, origin of the Roman stock,
hinc pater Aeneas, Romanae stirpis origo,
blazing with his starry shield and heavenly arms,
sidereo flagrans clipeo et caelestibus armis,
and beside him Ascanius, the second hope of great Rome,
et iuxta Ascanius, magnae spes altera Romae,
come forth from the camp, and a priest in pure raiment
procedunt castris, puraque in veste sacerdos
brought the young of a bristly sow and an unshorn ewe
saetigeri fetum suis intonsamque bidentem
and set the beasts at the blazing altars.
adtulit admovitque pecus flagrantibus aris.
They, turning their eyes to the rising sun,
Illi ad surgentem conversi lumina solem
give salted meal from their hands, and mark the brows
dant fruges manibus salsas et tempora ferro
of the beasts with the knife, and pour from bowls on the altars.
summa notant pecudum paterisque altaria libant.
Then dutiful Aeneas, his sword drawn, prays thus:
Tum pius Aeneas stricto sic ense precatur:
"Be now my witness, Sun, and you, Earth, to my call,
Esto nunc Sol testis et haec mihi Terra vocanti,
for whose sake I could endure so great toils,
quam propter tantos potui perferre labores,
and almighty Father, and you, Saturnian consort,
et pater omnipotens et tu Saturnia coniunx,
now kinder, now, goddess, I pray; and you, famed Mavors,
iam melior, iam, diva, precor, tuque inclute Mavors,
father, who wheel all wars beneath your power;
cuncta tuo qui bella, pater, sub numine torques;
and the springs and rivers I call, and whatever reverence
fontisque fluviosque voco, quaeque aetheris alti
is in the high air, and what powers are in the dark-blue sea:
religio et quae caeruleo sunt numina ponto:
if perchance the victory fall to Ausonian Turnus,
cesserit Ausonio si fors victoria Turno,
it is agreed that the conquered withdraw to Evander’s city,
convenit Evandri victos discedere ad urbem,
Iulus shall leave the fields, nor afterward will the sons of Aeneas
cedet Iulus agris, nec post arma ulla rebelles
in revolt bear any arms or assail these realms with the sword;
Aeneadae referent ferrove haec regna lacessent,
but if Victory grant our war-god to us
sin nostrum adnuerit nobis Victoria Martem
(as I rather think, and may the gods rather confirm it),
(ut potius reor et potius di numine firment),
I will not bid the Italians obey the Teucrians,
non ego nec Teucris Italos parere iubebo
nor do I seek the kingdom for myself: let both nations,
nec mihi regna peto: paribus se legibus ambae
unconquered, join under equal laws in an eternal treaty.
invictae gentes aeterna in foedera mittant.
I will give the rites and gods; let my father-in-law Latinus keep the arms,
Sacra deosque dabo; socer arma Latinus habeto,
the solemn command—my father-in-law; for me the Teucrians
imperium sollemne socer; mihi moenia Teucri
shall build the walls, and Lavinia shall give the city her name."
constituent, urbique dabit Lavinia nomen.
So Aeneas first; then thus Latinus follows,
Sic prior Aeneas; sequitur sic deinde Latinus
looking up to heaven and stretching his right hand to the stars:
suspiciens caelum tenditque ad sidera dextram:
"By these same things, Aeneas—earth, sea, stars—I swear,
Haec eadem, Aenea, terram mare sidera iuro
and the twin offspring of Latona, and two-faced Janus,
Latonaeque genus duplex Ianumque bifrontem
and the power of the gods below, and the shrines of harsh Dis;
vimque deum infernam et duri sacraria Ditis;
let the Father hear this, who sanctions treaties with the thunderbolt.
audiat haec genitor, qui foedera fulmine sancit.
I touch the altars, I call to witness the fires between us and the gods:
Tango aras, medios ignis et numina testor:
no day shall break this peace and treaty for the Italians,
nulla dies pacem hanc Italis nec foedera rumpet,
however things fall out; nor shall any force turn me, willing,
quo res cumque cadent; nec me vis ulla volentem
not though it pour the land into the waves,
avertet, non, si tellurem effundat in undas
mingling them in deluge, and dissolve heaven into Tartarus;
diluvio miscens caelumque in Tartara solvat;
as surely as this scepter (for in his right hand he chanced to bear a scepter)
ut sceptrum hoc (dextra sceptrum nam forte gerebat)
shall never put forth light foliage in shoots nor shade,
numquam fronde levi fundet virgulta nec umbras,
since once, cut in the woods from its lowest root,
cum semel in silvis imo de stirpe recisum
it lacks its mother and has laid down its leaves and boughs to the iron—
matre caret posuitque comas et bracchia ferro,
once a tree, now the craftsman’s hand has enclosed it
olim arbos, nunc artificis manus aere decoro
in seemly bronze and given it to the Latin fathers to bear."
inclusit patribusque dedit gesture gestare Latinis.
With such words they were confirming the treaty between them
Talibus inter se firmabant foedera dictis
in the sight of the chiefs. Then duly they slay the hallowed
conspectu in medio procerum. Tum rite sacratas
beasts into the flame and tear the entrails from the living,
in flammam iugulant pecudes et viscera vivis
and heap the altars with laden platters.
eripiunt cumulantque oneratis lancibus aras.
But to the Rutulians that fight had long seemed unequal,
At vero Rutulis inpar ea pugna videri
and their hearts were stirred with shifting feeling;
iamdudum et vario misceri pectora motu;
the more now, as they see closer the unmatched strength.
tum magis, ut propius cernunt non viribus aequis.
It helps that Turnus, advancing with silent step,
Adiuvat incessu tacito progressus et aram
worships the altar in supplication, his eyes downcast,
suppliciter venerans demisso lumine Turnus
his cheeks wasting, and the pallor on his youthful body.
tabentesque genae et iuvenali in corpore pallor.
As soon as his sister Juturna saw this talk
Quem simul ac Iuturna soror crebrescere vidit
grow, and the wavering hearts of the crowd shift,
sermonem et volgi variare labantia corda,
into the midst of the ranks, having taken the form of Camers,
in medias acies, formam adsimulata Camerti,
whose lineage from his forefathers was great, and the renown
cui genus a proavis ingens clarumque paternae
of his father’s valor was bright, and he himself most keen in arms,
nomen erat virtutis, et ipse acerrimus armis,
into the midst of the ranks she casts herself, not ignorant of her purpose,
in medias dat sese acies haud nescia rerum
and sows various rumors, and speaks thus:
rumoresque serit varios ac talia fatur:
"Are you not ashamed, O Rutulians, to expose one life
Non pudet, O Rutuli, pro cunctis talibus unam
for all such men? Are we not equal in number
obiectare animam? Numerone an viribus aequi
or in strength? See, all are here, both Trojans and Arcadians
non sumus? En omnes et Troes et Arcades hi sunt
and the fated bands, Etruria hostile to Turnus:
fatalesque manus, infensa Etruria Turno:
we should scarcely have a foe each, if we met them by turns.
vix hostem, alterni si congrediamur, habemus.
He indeed will rise to the gods, at whose altars he devotes himself,
Ille quidem ad superos, quorum se devovet aris,
and live on the lips of men in fame:
succedet fama vivusque per ora feretur:
we, our country lost, shall be forced to obey proud
nos patria amissa dominis parere superbis
masters—we who now sit idle in the fields."
cogemur, qui nunc lenti consedimus arvis.
By such words the resolve of the young men was kindled
Talibus incensa est iuvenum sententia dictis
more and more, and a murmur creeps through the ranks;
iam magis atque magis, serpitque per agmina murmur;
the very Laurentines are changed, and the Latins themselves.
ipsi Laurentes mutati ipsique Latini.
Those who but now hoped for rest from the fight and safety
Qui sibi iam requiem pugnae rebusque salutem
for their state, now want arms and pray the treaty
sperabant, nunc arma volunt foedusque precantur
undone, and pity Turnus’ unequal lot.
infectum et Turni sortem miserantur iniquam.
To these Juturna adds another, a greater thing, and gives
His aliud maius Iuturna adiungit et alto
a sign in the high sky, than which none more potent
dat signum caelo, quo non praesentius ullum
ever troubled Italian minds and deceived them with a portent.
turbavit mentes Italas monstroque fefellit.
For Jove’s tawny bird, flying in the ruddy air,
Namque volans rubra fulvus Iovis ales in aethra
was harrying the shore-birds and the clamorous throng
litoreas agitabat aves turbamque sonantem
of the winged flock, when of a sudden, swooping to the waters,
agminis aligeri, subito cum lapsus ad undas
the greedy bird snatches a splendid swan in its hooked claws.
cycnum excellentem pedibus rapit improbus uncis.
The Italians raised their spirits, and all the birds,
Adrexere animos Itali, cunctaeque volucres
wheeling, turn their flight with a cry—a wonder to see—
convertunt clamore fugam, mirabile visu,
and darken the air with their wings, and through the breezes
aetheraque obscurant pennis hostemque per auras
press the foe in a formed cloud, until, overcome by force and by the very
facta nube premunt, donec vi victus et ipso
weight, the bird gave way, and dropped its prey from its talons
pondere defecit, praedamque ex unguibus ales
into the river, and fled deep into the clouds.
proiecit fluvio penitusque in nubila fugit.
Then indeed the Rutulians hail the omen with a shout
Tum vero augurium Rutuli clamore salutant
and free their hands; and first Tolumnius the augur:
expediuntque manus; primusque Tolumnius augur
"This it was, this," he says, "that I often sought in my vows.
Hoc erat, hoc, votis, inquit, quod saepe petivi.
I accept it and know the gods; with me, me as leader, snatch up
Adcipio adgnoscoque deos; me, me duce ferrum
the sword, O wretched ones, whom the shameless stranger
corripite, O miseri, quos improbus advena bello
frightens with war like helpless birds, and ravages your shores
territat invalidas ut aves et litora vestra
with force: he too will seek flight and far out on the deep
vi populat: petet ille fugam penitusque profundo
will spread his sails. Do you with one mind close your squadrons
vela dabit. Vos unanimi densete catervas
and defend in battle the king snatched from you."
et regem vobis pugna defendite raptum.
He spoke, and hurled his weapon at the opposing foe,
Dixit et adversos telum contorsit in hostis
running forward: the whistling cornel-shaft gives its sound and cleaves
procurrens: sonitum dat stridula cornus et auras
the air, unerring. At once with this, at once a great shout, and all
certa secat. Simul hoc, simul ingens clamor et omnes
the wedges thrown into turmoil and hearts heated with uproar.
turbati cunei calefactaque corda tumultu.
The flying spear, where by chance nine most beautiful brothers
Hasta volans, ut forte novem pulcherrima fratrum
stood opposite, whom one faithful Tyrrhenian wife had borne
corpora constiterant contra, quos fida crearat
one of these, at the waist, where the stitched belt chafes the belly
horum unum ad medium, teritur qua sutilis alvo
and the clasp bites the joinings of the sides,
balteus et laterum iuncturas fibula mordet
a youth of outstanding beauty and in flashing arms,
egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis
it pierces through the ribs and spills him on the tawny sand.
transadigit costas fulvaque effundit harena.
But the brothers, a spirited band kindled with grief,
At fratres, animosa phalanx accensaque luctu,
some draw their swords with their hands, some snatch up
pars, gladios stringunt manibus, pars missile ferrum
the throwing-iron and rush blindly on. Against them the columns
corripiunt caecique ruunt. Quos agmina contra
of Laurentum run; on this side again, dense, flood in
procurrunt Laurentum, hinc densi rursus inundant
the Trojans and the men of Agylla and Arcadians in painted arms:
Troes Agyllinique et pictis Arcades armis:
so one passion holds them all, to decide it with the sword.
sic omnis amor unus habet decernere ferro.
They tore up the altars; over all the sky goes a turbid
Diripuere aras, it toto turbida caelo
storm of weapons, and an iron rain assails,
tempestas telorum ac ferreus ingruit imber,
and they carry off the bowls and the hearths. Latinus himself flees,
craterasque focosque ferunt. Fugit ipse Latinus
bearing back the slighted gods, the treaty undone.
pulsatos referens infecto foedere divos.
Others bridle their chariots or with a leap fling
Infrenant alii currus aut corpora saltu
their bodies onto the horses, and are there with drawn swords.
subiciunt in equos et strictis ensibus adsunt.
Messapus, eager to confound the treaty, drives at the king,
Messapus regem regisque insigne gerentem,
Tyrrhenian Aulestes, who bore a king’s emblem,
Tyrrhenum Aulesten, avidus confundere foedus,
with his horse head-on: he, falling back, goes down
adverso proterret equo: ruit ille recedens
and, wretched, rolls back upon the altars set behind him,
et miser oppositis a tergo involvitur aris
on his head and shoulders. But Messapus, burning, flies up
in caput inque umeros. At fervidus advolat hasta
with his spear, and, as the man pleads much, with the beam-like weapon
Messapus teloque orantem multa trabali
strikes him heavily from his high horse, and thus speaks:
desuper altus equo graviter ferit atque ita fatur:
"He has it; this is a better victim given to the great gods."
Hoc habet, haec melior magnis data victima divis.
The Italians run together and strip the warm limbs.
Concurrunt Itali spoliantque calentia membra.
Corynaeus, meeting him, snatches a charred brand from the altar
Obvius ambustum torrem Corynaeus ab ara
and, as Ebysus comes on and aims a blow,
corripit et venienti Ebuso plagamque ferenti
forestalls his face with the flames: the man’s great beard flared up
occupat os flammis: olli ingens barba reluxit
and, scorched, gave off a stench. Following up himself,
nidoremque ambusta dedit. Super ipse secutus
he seizes with his left the hair of the dazed foe
caesariem laeva turbati corripit hostis
and, pressing his knee, bears him down to the ground:
inpressoque genu nitens terrae adplicat ipsum:
so he strikes the side with his stiff sword. Podalirius, following
sic rigido latus ense ferit. Podalirius Alsum
with naked sword the shepherd Alsus, who rushed through the weapons in the front,
pastorem primaque acie per tela ruentem,
looms over him: but the other, with his axe,
ense sequens nudo superimminet: ille securi
splits the brow midway and the chin, the blade drawn back,
adversi frontem mediam mentumque reducta
and drenches the arms far and wide with scattered blood.
disicit et sparso late rigat arma cruore.
On him hard rest and an iron sleep press the eyes,
Olli dura quies oculos et ferreus urget
and his lights are buried in everlasting night.
somnus, in aeternam conduntur lumina noctem.
But dutiful Aeneas was stretching out his unarmed hand,
At pius Aeneas dextram tendebat inermem
his head bared, and calling his men with a shout:
nudato capite atque suos clamore vocabat:
"Where do you rush? What is this sudden discord that rises?
Quo ruitis? Quaeve ista repens discordia surgit?
O restrain your wrath! The treaty is already struck, and all
O cohibete iras! Ictum iam foedus et omnes
the terms agreed; the right to fight is mine alone;
compositae leges; mihi ius concurrere soli;
let me, and put away your fears; I will make the treaty
me sinite atque auferte metus; ego foedera faxo
firm by my hand; these rites now owe me Turnus."
firma manu; Turnum debent haec iam mihi sacra.
Amid these cries, in the midst of such words,
Has inter voces, media inter talia verba
behold, a whistling arrow on its wings glided to the man,
ecce viro stridens alis adlapsa sagitta est
uncertain by what hand sped, by what whirl driven,
incertum qua pulsa manu, quo turbine adacta,
who brought the Rutulians so great a glory—chance or god—
quis tantam Rutulis laudem, casusne deusne,
was hidden: the notable glory of the deed was suppressed,
adtulerit: pressa est insignis gloria facti.
and no one boasted of wounding Aeneas.
nec sese Aeneae iactavit vulnere quisquam.
When Turnus saw Aeneas withdrawing from the line
Turnus ut Aenean cedentem ex agmine vidit
and the captains in confusion, he blazes, hot with sudden hope:
turbatosque duces, subita spe fervidus ardet:
he calls for horses and arms together, and with a proud leap
poscit equos atque arma simul saltuque superbus
darts into the car and works the reins with his hands.
emicat in currum et manibus molitur habenas.
Flying on, he gives many brave bodies of men to Death,
Multa virum volitans dat fortia corpora Leto,
rolls many half-dead, or tramples the ranks with his car,
semineces volvit multos aut agmina curru
or hurls snatched spears at the fleeing.
proterit aut raptas fugientibus ingerit hastas.
As when by the streams of cold Hebrus, roused,
Qualis apud gelidi cum flumina concitus Hebri
blood-red Mavors clangs on his shield and, stirring war,
sanguineus Mavors clipeo increpat atque furentis
looses his maddened horses; they over the open plain
bella movens immittit equos; illi aequore aperto
fly before the South and West Winds; farthest Thrace
ante Notos Zephyrumque volant; gemit ultima pulsu
groans at the beat of their feet; and round about the faces of black Terror
Thraca pedum; circumque atrae Formidinis ora
and Wrath and Ambush, the god’s retinue, are driven:
Iraeque Insidiaeque, dei comitatus, aguntur:
such is Turnus as, eager, amid the battles
talis equos alacer media inter proelia Turnus
he lashes his horses smoking with sweat, piteously
fumantis sudore quatit, miserabile caesis
trampling the slain foe; the swift hoof scatters
hostibus insultans; spargit rapida ungula rores
bloody dew, and gore is trodden mixed with sand.
sanguineos, mixtaque cruor calcatur harena.
Iamque neci Sthenelumque dedit Thamyrumque Pholumque,
these two at close quarters, that one from afar; from afar both
hunc congressus et hunc, illum eminus; eminus ambo
sons of Imbrasus, Glaucus and Lades, whom Imbrasus himself
had reared in Lycia and decked with matching arms,
nutrierat Lycia paribusque ornaverat armis,
either to close in hand-to-hand or to outstrip the winds on horseback.
vel conferre manum vel equo praevertere ventos.
In another part Eumedes bears himself into the midst of the fight,
Parte alia media Eumedes in proelia fertur,
recalling his grandsire in name, his father in spirit and hands,
nomine avum referens, animo manibusque parentem,
who once, to approach the Danaans’ camp as a spy,
qui quondam, castra ut Danaum speculator adiret,
dared to demand for himself the car of Peleus’ son as his price;
ausus Pelidae pretium sibi poscere currus;
him the son of Tydeus, for such daring, paid
illum Tydides alio pro talibus ausis
with another reward, and he aspires not to Achilles’ horses.
adfecit pretio, nec equis adspirat Achillis.
When Turnus marked him far off on the open field,
Hunc procul ut campo Turnus prospexit aperto,
first pursuing him with a light javelin through the long void,
ante levi iaculo longum per inane secutus
he halts his two-horse team and leaps from the car and,
sistit equos biiugis et curru desilit atque
coming upon the half-dead, fallen man, with his foot on the neck
semianimi lapsoque supervenit et pede collo
he wrenches the sword from his right hand and dyes it, gleaming,
impresso dextrae mucronem extorquet et alto
deep in his throat, and adds these words besides:
fulgentem tinguit iugulo atque haec insuper addit:
"There, Trojan—lie there and measure out the fields
En agros et quam bello, Troiane, petisti,
and the Hesperia you sought in war: these are the rewards
Hesperiam metire iacens: haec praemia qui me
that those win who dare try me with the sword; so they found their walls."
ferro ausi temptare ferunt, sic moenia condunt.
As his companion he sends Asbytes with a hurled spear,
Huic comitem Asbyten coniecta cuspide mittit.
and Chloreus and Sybaris and Dares and Thersilochus,
Chloreaque Sybarimque Daretaque Thersilochumque
and Thymoetes, thrown over the neck of his plunging horse.
et sternacis equi lapsum cervice Thymoeten.
And as when the breath of Edonian Boreas roars
Ac velut Edoni Boreae cum spiritus alto
where the winds have leaned, the clouds give way and flee the sky:
qua venti incubuere, fugam dant nubila caelo:
so for Turnus, wherever he cuts his way, the ranks give way
sic Turno, quacumque viam secat, agmina cedunt
and the lines, turned, scatter; his own onset bears him on,
conversaeque ruunt acies; fert impetus ipsum,
and the breeze, against his speeding car, shakes his flying crest.
et cristam adverso curru quatit aura volantem.
Phegeus did not bear his pressing on and his roaring spirit:
Non tulit instantem Phegeus animisque frementem:
he threw himself before the car, and with his right hand wrenched aside
obiecit sese ad currum et spumantia frenis
the foaming, bridled mouths of the driven horses.
ora citatorum dextra detorsit equorum.
While he is dragged and hangs from the yoke, the broad lance,
Dum trahitur pendetque iugis, hunc lata retectum
as he is left exposed, reaches him, and, fixed, bursts the double-mesh
lancea consequitur rumpitque infixa bilicem
corselet, and just tastes the surface of his body with the wound.
loricam et summum degustat volnere corpus.
Yet he, his shield set against the foe, turned to face him
Ille tamen clipeo obiecto conversus in hostem
and went on, seeking aid with his drawn sword:
ibat et auxilium ducto mucrone petebat:
when the wheel and the axle, driven on by the rush,
cum rota praecipitem et procursu concitus axis
flung him headlong and spilled him on the ground, and Turnus, following,
impulit effunditque solo, Turnusque secutus
between the lowest helm and the topmost edges of the corselet
imam inter galeam summi thoracis et oras
took off his head with the sword and left the trunk to the sand.
abstulit ense caput truncumque reliquit harenae.
And while Turnus, victorious, deals these deaths across the fields,
Atque ea dum campis victor dat funera Turnus,
meanwhile Mnestheus and faithful Achates and Ascanius
interea Aenean Mnestheus et fidus Achates
as companion set the bleeding Aeneas in the camp,
Ascaniusque comes castris statuere cruentum,
leaning on his long spear at every other step.
alternos longa nitentem cuspide gressus.
He rages and struggles to pluck out the weapon, its reed broken,
Saevit et infracta luctatur arundine telum
and calls for help, the nearest way: that they
eripere auxilioque viam, quae proxima, poscit
cut open the wound with the broad sword, and the dart’s hiding-place
ense secent lato vulnus telique latebram
lay wide, and send him back into the war.
rescindant penitus seseque in bella remittant.
And now came Iapyx, beloved of Phoebus before others,
Iamque aderat Phoebo ante alios dilectus Iapyx
son of Iasus, to whom once, caught by keen love,
Iasides, acri quondam cui captus amore
Apollo himself, glad, would have given his own arts, his gifts,
ipse suas artes, sua munera, laetus Apollo
augury and the lyre and the swift arrows.
augurium citharamque dabat celerisque sagittas.
He, to lengthen the fated life of his dying father,
Ille ut depositi proferret fata parentis,
chose rather to know the powers of herbs and the practice
scire potestates herbarum usumque medendi
of healing, and, inglorious, to ply the silent arts.
maluit et mutas agitare inglorius artes.
He stood chafing bitterly, leaning on his huge spear,
Stabat acerba fremens, ingentem nixus in hastam
Aeneas, amid a great press of youths and mourning Iulus,
Aeneas magno iuvenum et maerentis Iuli
unmoved by their tears. The old man, his cloak girt back
concursu, lacrimis immobilis. Ille retorto
in the manner of Paeon,
Paeonium in morem senior succinctus amictu
with his healing hand and the potent herbs of Phoebus
multa manu medica Phoebique potentibus herbis
busies himself in vain, in vain with his right hand he works
nequiquam trepidat, nequiquam spicula dextra
at the dart and grips the iron with the gripping forceps.
sollicitat prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum.
No Fortune guides the way, his patron Apollo gives
Nulla viam Fortuna regit, nihil auctor Apollo
no aid; and over the fields the fierce dread grows more and more,
subvenit; et saevus campis magis ac magis horror
and the evil is nearer. Now they see the sky
crebrescit propiusque malum est. Iam pulvere caelum
stand thick with dust: the horsemen come up, and darts fall thick
stare vident: subeunt equites, et spicula castris
in the midst of the camp. There rises to heaven the grim cry
densa cadunt mediis. It tristis ad aethera clamor
of warring youths falling under harsh Mars.
bellantum iuvenum et duro sub Marte cadentum.
Here Venus, shaken by her son’s undeserved pain,
Hic Venus, indigno nati concussa dolore,
as his mother plucks dittany from Cretan Ida,
dictamnum genetrix Cretaea carpit ab Ida,
a stalk with downy leaves and crowned with a purple
puberibus caulem foliis et flore comantem
flower; that herb is not unknown to the wild goats
purpureo; non illa feris incognita capris
when winged arrows have stuck in their backs:
gramina, cum tergo volucres haesere sagittae:
this Venus, her face wrapped in a dim cloud,
hoc Venus, obscuro faciem circumdata nimbo,
brought down; with this she secretly steeps the water
detulit; hoc fusum labris splendentibus amnem
poured in the gleaming basins, healing it, and sprinkles
inficit occulte medicans spargitque salubris
the juices of health-giving ambrosia and fragrant panacea.
ambrosiae sucos et odoriferam panaceam.
With this water the aged Iapyx bathed the wound,
Fovit ea volnus lympha longaevus Iapyx
unknowing, and suddenly all the pain fled
ignorans, subitoque omnis de corpore fugit
from the body, and all the blood stayed in the depth of the wound;
quippe dolor, omnis stetit imo volnere sanguis;
and now, following his hand with none forcing it, the arrow
iamque secuta manum nullo cogente sagitta
fell out, and new strength returned, as of old.
excidit, atque novae rediere in pristina vires.
"Quick, hasten arms for the man! Why do you stand?" Iapyx
Arma citi properate viro! Quid statis? Iapyx
cries out, and first kindles their spirit against the foe.
conclamat primusque animos adcendit in hostem.
"This comes not from human powers, not from the master’s art,
Non haec humanis opibus, non arte magistra
nor does my hand save you, Aeneas:
proveniunt neque te, Aenea, mea dextera servat:
a greater god is at work and sends you back to greater deeds."
maior agit deus atque opera ad maiora remittit.
He, greedy for the fight, had cased his calves in gold
Ille avidus pugnae suras incluserat auro
on this side and that, and hates delay, and brandishes his spear.
hinc atque hinc oditque moras hastamque coruscat.
After the shield is handy at his side and the corselet on his back,
Postquam habilis lateri clipeus loricaque tergo est,
he embraces Ascanius, his arms thrown round him,
Ascanium fusis circum complectitur armis
and, lightly kissing him through the helmet, speaks:
summaque per galeam delibans oscula fatur:
"Learn valor from me, my boy, and true toil,
Disce, puer, virtutem ex me verumque laborem,
fortune from others. Now my hand shall guard you
fortunam ex aliis. Nunc te mea dextera bello
in war and lead you among great rewards.
defensum dabit et magna inter praemia ducet.
Do you take care, when soon your years have ripened,
Tu facito, mox cum matura adoleverit aetas,
to remember, and, as you recall in your heart the examples of your kin,
sis memor, et te animo repetentem exempla tuorum
let both your father Aeneas and your uncle Hector stir you."
et pater Aeneas et avunculus excitet Hector.
When he had said this, he bore himself out the gates, vast,
Haec ubi dicta dedit, portis sese extulit ingens,
shaking his huge weapon; and at once in a dense column
telum immane manu quatiens; simul agmine denso
Antheus and Mnestheus rush, and all the throng,
Antheusque Mnestheusque ruunt omnisque relictis
the camp left behind, pours out: then with blinding dust the plain
turba fluit castris: tum caeco pulvere campus
is churned, and the roused earth trembles at the beat of feet.
miscetur pulsuque pedum tremit excita tellus.
Turnus saw them coming from the rampart opposite,
Vidit ab adverso venientis aggere Turnus,
the Ausonians saw, and a cold tremor ran through
videre Ausonii, gelidusque per ima cucurrit
their inmost bones: first before all, Juturna among the Latins
ossa tremor: prima ante omnis Iuturna Latinos
heard and knew the sound, and, trembling, fled.
audiit adgnovitque sonum et tremefacta refugit.
He flies, and over the open field sweeps his dark column.
Ille volat campoque atrum rapit agmen aperto.
As when, a star bursting, a storm-cloud moves to land
Qualis ubi ad terras abrupto sidere nimbus
across the middle of the sea; the wretched farmers, alas,
it mare per medium; miseris heu praescia longe
their hearts foreknowing from afar, shudder—it will bring ruin
horrescunt corda agricolis, dabit ille ruinas
to the trees and havoc to the crops, it will lay all low far and wide;
arboribus stragemque satis, ruet omnia late;
before it the winds fly and bear the sound to the shores:
ante volant sonitumque ferunt ad litora venti:
such is the Rhoetean leader driving his column against
talis in adversos ductor Rhoeteius hostis
the foe, and each, in close-packed wedges,
agmen agit, densi cuneis se quisque coactis
masses together. Thymbraeus strikes heavy Osiris with the sword,
adglomerant. Ferit ense gravem Thymbraeus Osirim,
and Gyas Ufens; Tolumnius the augur himself falls,
Ufentemque Gyas; cadit ipse Tolumnius augur,
who first had hurled a weapon at the opposing foe.
primus in adversos telum qui torserat hostis.
A shout rises to heaven, and the Rutulians, turned in their turn,
Tollitur in caelum clamor, versique vicissim
give their backs in dusty flight across the fields.
pulverulenta fuga Rutuli dant terga per agros.
He himself deigns not to lay the fleeing low to Death,
Ipse neque aversos dignatur sternere Morti
nor those who meet him on equal footing, nor those bearing weapons
nec pede congressos aequo nec tela ferentis
does he pursue: Turnus alone in the thick murk
insequitur: solum densa in caligine Turnum
he tracks, searching, and Turnus alone he calls to the contest.
vestigat lustrans, solum in certamina poscit.
Struck with fear at this in her mind, the maiden Juturna
Hoc concussa metu mentem Iuturna virago
and leaves him fallen far from the pole:
excutit et longe lapsum temone relinquit:
she takes his place and guides the waving reins with her hands,
ipsa subit manibusque undantis flectit habenas,
bearing all—the voice and body and arms of Metiscus.
cuncta gerens, vocemque et corpus et arma Metisci.
As when a black swallow flits through the great house
Nigra velut magnas domini cum divitis aedes
of a rich lord and on her wings ranges the high halls,
pervolat et pennis alta atria lustrat hirundo,
gathering small food and morsels for her chattering nest,
pabula parva legens nidisque loquacibus escas,
and now in the empty porticoes, now round the damp
et nunc porticibus vacuis, nunc umida circum
pools she twitters: like her Juturna through the midst of the foe
stagna sonat: similis medios Iuturna per hostis
is borne by the horses, and, flying, ranges all in her swift car,
fertur equis rapidoque volans obit omnia curru
and now here, now there, shows her brother exulting,
iamque hic germanum iamque hic ostentat ovantem
but lets him not close in fight, and flies far off the path.
nec conferre manum patitur, volat avia longe.
No less Aeneas, to meet her, threads the winding circles
Haud minus Aeneas tortos legit obvius orbes
and tracks the man, and through the scattered ranks with a great
vestigatque virum et disiecta per agmina magna
voice calls him. As often as he cast his eyes on the foe
voce vocat. Quotiens oculos coniecit in hostem
and tried to match the flight of the wing-footed horses by running,
alipedumque fugam cursu temptavit equorum,
so often Juturna wheeled the car away.
aversos totiens currus Iuturna retorsit.
Alas, what is he to do? In vain he tosses on a shifting tide,
Heu quid agat? Vario nequiquam fluctuat aestu,
and different cares call his mind to opposite ends.
diversaeque vocant animum in contraria curae.
At him Messapus, as he chanced to carry in his left hand two
Huic Messapus, uti laeva duo forte gerebat
pliant light shafts tipped with iron,
lenta levis cursu praefixa hastilia ferro,
whirling one of these, aims it with a sure stroke.
horum unum certo contorquens dirigit ictu.
Aeneas halted and gathered himself behind his arms,
Substitit Aeneas et se collegit in arma,
sinking on his knee; yet the driven spear bore off the topmost
poplite subsidens; apicem tamen incita summum
peak of his helm and struck the crests from its crown.
hasta tulit summasque excussit vertice cristas.
Then indeed his wrath rises; driven by the treachery,
Tum vero adsurgunt irae; insidiisque subactus,
when he perceived the horses turned away and the car borne off,
diversos ubi sensit equos currumque referri,
much calling Jove and the altars of the broken treaty to witness,
multa Iovem et laesi testatus foederis aras
now at last he charges into the midst and, the war favoring,
iam tandem invadit medios et Marte secundo
terrible, with no distinction rouses savage slaughter
terribilis saevam nullo discrimine caedem
and looses all the reins of his wrath.
suscitat irarumque omnis effundit habenas.
What god now will unfold for me in song so many bitter things,
Quis mihi nunc tot acerba deus, quis carmine caedes
the varied slaughter and the deaths of captains, whom over all the field
diversas obitumque ducum, quos aequore toto
now Turnus, now in turn the Trojan hero, drives to death?
inque vicem nunc Turnus agit, nunc Troius heros,
Was it your pleasure, Jupiter, that with so great a clash
expediat? Tanton placuit concurrere motu,
should meet the nations that were to be at peace forever?
Iuppiter, aeterna gentis in pace futuras?
stayed the rushing Teucrians—and, not long delaying him,
pugna loco statuit Teucros, haud multa morantem
strikes him in the side, and where death is swiftest drives
excipit in latus et, qua fata celerrima, crudum
the cruel sword through the ribs and the cage of the breast.
transadigit costas et cratis pectoris ensem.
Turnus, on foot, meets Amycus thrown from his horse and his brother Diores,
Turnus equo deiectum Amycum fratremque Dioren,
the one coming on he strikes with the long spear,
congressus pedes, hunc venientem cuspide longa,
the other with the sword, and hangs the severed heads of both
hunc mucrone ferit curruque abscisa duorum
from his car and carries them dripping with blood.
suspendit capita et rorantia sanguine portat.
the other, brothers sent from Lycia and Apollo’s fields,
hic fratres Lycia missos et Apollinis agris
an Arcadian, whose craft had been around the streams of fish-rich Lerna,
Arcada, piscosae cui circum flumina Lernae
and his home was poor, nor knew he the gifts
ars fuerat pauperque domus nec nota potentum
of the mighty, and his father sowed on hired land.
munera conductaque pater tellure serebat.
And as fires set going from different quarters
Ac velut immissi diversis partibus ignes
in a parched wood and thickets rustling with laurel,
arentem in silvam et virgulta sonantia lauro,
or where, in swift descent from the high mountains,
aut ubi decursu rapido de montibus altis
the foaming rivers roar and run to the sea,
dant sonitum spumosi amnes et in aequora currunt
each laying waste its own path: no less swiftly both,
quisque suum populatus iter: non segnius ambo
Aeneas and Turnus, rush through the battles; now, now
Aeneas Turnusque ruunt per proelia; nunc nunc
wrath surges within, their hearts that know not how to yield
fluctuat ira intus, rumpuntur nescia vinci
are bursting, now with all their strength they go for wounds.
pectora, nunc totis in volnera viribus itur.
Murranus here, sounding his forefathers and the ancient names
Murranum hic, atavos et avorum antiqua sonantem
of his grandsires, his whole line traced through Latin kings,
nomina per regesque actum genus omne Latinos,
headlong with a crag and the whirl of a huge stone
praecipitem scopulo atque ingentis turbine saxi
he flings out and spills on the ground: him the reins and yoke
excutit effunditque solo: hunc lora et iuga subter
the wheels rolled under, and over him, with thick beat, the hoof
provolvere rotae, crebro super ungula pulsu
of the driven horses, unmindful of their master, tramples.
incita nec domini memorum proculcat equorum.
He meets Hyllus, charging and roaring monstrously in spirit,
Ille ruenti Hyllo animisque immane frementi
and hurls his weapon at the gilded temples:
occurrit telumque aurata ad tempora torquet:
through the helm the spear stood fixed in his brain.
olli per galeam fixo stetit hasta cerebro.
Nor did your right hand save you from Turnus, Cretheus,
Dextera nec tua te, Graium fortissime Cretheu
as Aeneas came on: he gave his breast to meet the steel,
Aenea veniente sui: dedit obvia ferro
nor did the bronze shield’s delay avail the wretched man.
pectora, nec misero clipei mora profuit aerei.
You too the Laurentine fields saw, Aeolus,
Te quoque Laurentes viderunt, Aeole, campi
fall and strew the ground far and wide with your body.
oppetere et late terram consternere tergo.
You fall, whom the Argive phalanxes could not lay low,
Occidis, Argivae quem non potuere phalanges
nor Achilles, overthrower of Priam’s realm;
sternere nec Priami regnorum eversor Achilles;
here were the goals of your death: a high home beneath Ida,
hic tibi mortis erant metae: domus alta sub Ida,
a high home at Lyrnesus, on Laurentine soil your tomb.
Lyrnesi domus alta, solo Laurente sepulchrum.
So the whole lines were turned, and all the Latins,
Totae adeo conversae acies, omnesque Latini,
all the Dardanians, Mnestheus and keen Serestus
omnes Dardanidae, Mnestheus acerque Serestus
and Messapus, tamer of horses, and brave Asilas
et Messapus equum domitor et fortis Asilas
and the Tuscan phalanx and Evander’s Arcadian squadrons,
Tuscorumque phalanx Evandrique Arcades alae,
each man for himself strives with the utmost force of his might:
pro se quisque viri summa nituntur opum vi:
no delay, no rest, they strain in the vast struggle.
nec mora nec requies, vasto certamine tendunt.
Here his fairest mother put into Aeneas’ mind
Hic mentem Aeneae genetrix pulcherrima misit,
that he should go to the walls and turn his column on the city
iret ut ad muros urbique adverteret agmen
swiftly, and confound the Latins with sudden ruin.
ocius et subita turbaret clade Latinos.
He, as tracking Turnus through the scattered ranks
Ille ut vestigans diversa per agmina Turnum
he cast his eyes this way and that, beholds the city
huc atque huc acies circumtulit, aspicit urbem
untouched by so great a war and quiet, unpunished.
immunem tanti belli atque impune quietam.
At once the image of a greater battle fires him:
Continuo pugnae adcendit maioris imago:
he calls Mnestheus and Sergestus and brave Serestus,
Mnesthea Sergestumque vocat fortemque Serestum
his captains, and takes a mound, to which the rest of the Teucrian
ductores tumulumque capit, quo cetera Teucrum
legion runs together, nor, packed close, do they lay down
concurrit legio nec scuta aut spicula densi
their shields or darts. Standing in their midst on the high mound he speaks:
deponunt. Celso medius stans aggere fatur:
"Let there be no delay to my words; Jupiter stands on this side;
Nequa meis esto dictis mora; Iuppiter hac stat,
let no one go more slowly for me because the venture is sudden.
neu quis ob inceptum subitum mihi segnior ito.
The city today, the cause of the war, the very realm of Latinus,
Urbem hodie, causam belli, regna ipsa Latini,
unless they confess to take the bridle and, beaten, obey,
ni frenum accipere et victi parere fatentur,
I will raze, and lay its smoking roofs level with the ground.
eruam et aequa solo fumantia culmina ponam.
Am I to wait, forsooth, until it please Turnus
Scilicet exspectem, libeat dum proelia Turno
to bear my battle and, beaten, wish to fight again?
nostra pati rursusque velit concurrere victus?
This is the head, O citizens, this the sum of the accursed war:
Hoc caput, O cives, haec belli summa nefandi:
bring torches quickly and reclaim the treaty with flames."
ferte faces propere foedusque reposcite flammis.
He had spoken, and all, with spirits vying alike,
Dixerat, atque animis pariter certantibus omnes
form a wedge and are borne in a dense mass to the walls.
dant cuneum densaque ad muros mole feruntur.
Ladders appeared unforeseen, and sudden fire.
Scalae improviso subitusque apparuit ignis.
Some run to the gates and slaughter the foremost,
Discurrunt alii ad portas primosque trucidant,
others hurl steel and darken the air with weapons.
ferrum alii torquent et obumbrant aethera telis.
He himself among the first stretches his hand beneath the walls
Ipse inter primos dextram sub moenia tendit
and with a great voice accuses Latinus,
Aeneas magnaque incusat voce Latinum
and calls the gods to witness that he is forced to battle again,
testaturque deos, iterum se ad proelia cogi,
that the Italians are twice now his foes, that this is a second treaty broken.
bis iam Italos hostis, haec altera foedera rumpi.
Discord rises among the trembling citizens:
Exoritur trepidos inter discordia civis:
some bid unbar the city and throw open the gates
urbem alii reserare iubent et pandere portas
to the Dardanians, and drag the king himself to the walls,
Dardanidis ipsumque trahunt in moenia regem,
others bear arms and press on to defend the walls.
arma ferunt alii et pergunt defendere muros.
As when a shepherd has tracked bees shut in a hollow
Inclusas ut cum latebroso in pumice pastor
rock and filled it with bitter smoke:
vestigavit apes fumoque implevit amaro:
they within, alarmed for their state, run about through their waxen
illae intus trepidae rerum per cerea castra
camp and whet their anger with loud buzzings;
discurrunt magnisque acuunt stridoribus iras;
the black reek rolls through their dwellings, then with blind murmur
volvitur ater odor tectis, tum murmure caeco
the rock sounds within, and the smoke goes out to the empty air.
intus saxa sonant, vacuas it fumus ad auras.
This fortune too befell the weary Latins,
Accidit haec fessis etiam fortuna Latinis,
which shook the whole city to its base with grief.
quae totam luctu concussit funditus urbem.
When the queen from the house sees the foe coming,
Regina ut tectis venientem prospicit hostem,
the walls assailed, fire flying to the roofs,
incessi muros, ignis ad tecta volare,
nowhere the Rutulian lines to oppose, no columns of Turnus:
nusquam acies contra Rutulas, nulla agmina Turni:
the unhappy woman believes the young man slain in the contest
infelix pugnae iuvenem in certamine credit
of battle, and, her mind suddenly troubled by grief,
exstinctum et, subito mentem turbata dolore,
cries that she is the cause, the guilt, the source of the evils,
se causam clamat crimenque caputque malorum,
and, raving, having uttered much in her mournful frenzy,
multaque per maestum demens effata furorem
doomed to die she tears with her hand her purple robes
purpureos moritura manu discindit amictus
and ties the knot of a hideous death from a high beam.
et nodum informis leti trabe nectit ab alta.
When the wretched Latin women learned of this disaster,
Quam cladem miserae postquam accepere Latinae,
her daughter Lavinia first tore her golden hair
filia prima manu flavos Lavinia crinis
and rosy cheeks with her hand; then all the rest about her
et roseas laniata genas, tum cetera circum
rave: the halls ring far with beating of breasts.
turba furit: resonant late plangoribus aedes.
From here the unhappy news spreads through the whole city.
Hinc totam infelix volgatur fama per urbem.
Their spirits sink; Latinus goes with garment rent,
Demittunt mentes; it scissa veste Latinus,
stunned by his wife’s fate and the city’s ruin,
coniugis attonitus fatis urbisque ruina,
fouling his gray hair, befouled with filthy dust.
canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans.
And much he blames himself, that he had not before received
Multaque se incusat, qui non acceperit ante
Dardanian Aeneas and of his own will taken him as son-in-law.
Dardanium Aenean generumque adsciverit ultro.
Meanwhile, the warrior Turnus on the field’s far edge
Interea extremo bellator in aequore Turnus
pursues a few stragglers, now slower, and now
palantis sequitur paucos iam segnior atque
less and less glad of his horses’ success.
iam minus atque minus successu laetus equorum
To him the breeze brought, with blind terrors,
attulit hunc illi caecis terroribus aura
a mingled cry, and struck his straining ears
commixtum clamorem adrectasque impulit aures
the sound of the confused city and its joyless murmur.
confusae sonus urbis et inlaetabile murmur.
"Ah me! Why are the walls thrown into such grief?
Ei mihi! Quid tanto turbantur moenia luctu?
What clamor so great pours from the far-off city?"
Quisve ruit tantus diversa clamor ab urbe?
So he says, and frantic, the reins drawn in, he halts.
Sic ait adductisque amens subsistit habenis.
And to him his sister, turned into the likeness of the charioteer
Atque huic, in faciem soror ut conversa Metisci
Metiscus, as she guided car and horses and reins,
aurigae currumque et equos et lora regebat,
meets him with such words: "This way, Turnus, let us pursue
talibus occurrit dictis: Hac, Turne, sequamur
the Trojan-born, where victory first opens the way;
Troiugenas, qua prima viam victoria pandit;
there are others who can defend the houses with their hands.
sunt alii, qui tecta manu defendere possint.
Aeneas presses on the Italians and joins battle:
Ingruit Aeneas Italis et proelia miscet:
let us too send savage deaths among the Teucrians with our hand.
et nos saeva manu mittamus funera Teucris.
You will withdraw inferior neither in number of kills nor in honor."
Nec numero inferior pugnae nec honore recedes.
Turnus to this:
Turnus ad haec:
"O sister—and long ago I knew you, when first by craft
O soror, et dudum adgnovi, cum prima per artem
you broke the treaty and gave yourself to this war,
foedera turbasti teque haec in bella dedisti,
and now in vain you deceive me, goddess. But who from Olympus
et nunc nequiquam fallis dea. Sed quis Olympo
willed you, sent down, to bear such toils?
demissam tantos voluit te ferre labores?
Was it that you might see your wretched brother’s cruel death?
An fratris miseri letum ut crudele videres?
For what am I doing? Or what safety does Fortune now promise?
Nam quid ago? Aut quae iam spondet Fortuna salutem?
I myself saw, before my own eyes, Murranus, calling me by name,
Vidi oculos ante ipse meos me voce vocantem
than whom no other is dearer to me,
Murranum, quo non superat mihi carior alter,
fall, a giant overcome by a giant wound.
oppetere ingentem atque ingenti volnere victum.
Unhappy Ufens has died, that he might not see our disgrace;
Occidit infelix nostrum ne dedecus Ufens
the Teucrians possess his body and arms.
adspiceret; Teucri potiuntur corpore et armis.
Shall I endure that our homes be destroyed (that one thing was lacking
Exscindine domos (id rebus defuit unum)
to our plight), and not with my hand refute the words of Drances?
perpetiar, dextra nec Drancis dicta refellam?
Shall I turn my back, and shall this land see Turnus in flight?
Terga dabo et Turnum fugientem haec terra videbit?
Is it so wretched a thing to die? You, O shades,
Usque adeone mori miserum est? Vos O mihi Manes
be kind to me, since the will of the gods above is turned away!
este boni, quoniam superis aversa voluntas!
A pure soul, and innocent of that reproach, I will come down
Sancta ad vos anima atque istius nescia culpae
to you, never unworthy of my great forefathers."
descendam, magnorum haud umquam indignus avorum.
Scarcely had he said this: lo, through the midst of the foe
Vix ea fatus erat: medios volat ecce per hostis
flies Saces, borne on a foaming horse, his face wounded
vectus equo spumante Saces, adversa sagitta
by an arrow full in front, and rushes up, calling on Turnus by name:
saucius ora, ruitque implorans nomine Turnum:
"Turnus, in you is the last hope of safety: pity your people.
Turne, in te suprema salus: miserere tuorum.
Aeneas lightens with his arms and threatens to cast down
Fulminat Aeneas armis summasque minatur
the highest towers of the Italians and give them to destruction;
deiecturum arces Italum exscidioque daturum;
and already torches fly to the roofs. On you the Latins
iamque faces ad tecta volant. In te ora Latini,
turn their faces, on you their eyes; King Latinus himself mutters,
in te oculos referunt; mussat rex ipse Latinus,
uncertain whom to call son-in-law or to what treaty to turn.
quos generos vocet aut quae sese ad foedera flectat.
Besides, the queen, your most faithful, has fallen
Praeterea regina, tui fidissima, dextra
by her own hand and, terrified, has fled the light.
occidit ipsa sua lucemque exterrita fugit.
Alone before the gates Messapus and keen Atinas
Soli pro portis Messapus et acer Atinas
hold up the line. Around them on either side dense phalanxes
sustentant aciem. Circum hos utrimque phalanges
stand, and a crop of drawn sword-points bristles,
stant densae, strictisque seges mucronibus horret
an iron harvest: while you wheel your car on the deserted grass."
ferrea: tu currum deserto in gramine versas.
Turnus stood amazed, bewildered by the shifting picture
Obstipuit varia confusus imagine rerum
of things, and stood in silent gaze. There surges huge
Turnus et obtutu tacito stetit. Aestuat ingens
in one heart shame, and madness mixed with grief,
uno in corde pudor mixtoque insania luctu
and love driven by furies, and valor conscious of itself.
et furiis agitatus amor et conscia virtus.
As soon as the shadows were scattered and light returned to his mind,
Ut primum discussae umbrae et lux reddita menti,
he turned the burning orbs of his eyes toward the walls
ardentis oculorum orbes ad moenia torsit
in turmoil, and from the wheels looked back at the great city.
turbidus eque rotis magnam respexit ad urbem.
But lo, a whirl of flame, rolling up between the storeys,
Ecce autem flammis inter tabulata volutus
surged to the sky and held a tower,
ad caelum undabat vortex turrimque tenebat,
the tower which he himself had raised of jointed beams
turrim, compactis trabibus quam eduxerat ipse
and set wheels beneath and laid high gangways.
subdideratque rotas pontisque instraverat altos.
"Now, now, sister, the fates prevail; cease to delay;
Iam iam fata, soror, superant; absiste morari;
where the god and where harsh Fortune call, let us follow.
quo deus et quo dura vocat Fortuna, sequamur.
It is fixed to close with Aeneas, fixed to bear whatever is bitter
Stat conferre manum Aeneae, stat quidquid acerbi est
in death; nor shall you see me dishonored, sister,
morte pati; neque me indecorem, germana, videbis
any more. Let me, I beg, rage out this madness first."
amplius. Hunc, oro, sine me furere ante furorem.
He spoke, and leapt swiftly from the car onto the fields,
Dixit et e curru saltum dedit ocius arvis
and through foes, through weapons rushes, and his grieving sister
perque hostis, per tela ruit maestamque sororem
leaves, and in swift career breaks through the midmost ranks.
deserit ac rapido cursu media agmina rumpit.
And as a rock headlong from a mountain’s peak,
Ac veluti montis saxum de vertice praeceps
when it falls torn loose by the wind, whether a turbid rain
cum ruit avulsum vento, seu turbidus imber
has washed it free, or age, creeping under the years, has loosed it;
proluit aut annis solvit sublapsa vetustas;
the relentless mass is borne down the steep with a great rush
fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu
and leaps along the ground, rolling with it woods,
exsultatque solo, silvas armenta virosque
herds, and men: so through the scattered ranks Turnus
involvens secum: disiecta per agmina Turnus
rushes to the city walls, where most the ground is soaked
sic urbis ruit ad muros, ubi plurima fuso
with spilled blood and the air whistles with spear-shafts,
sanguine terra madet striduntque hastilibus aurae,
and he signals with his hand and at once begins with a great voice:
significatque manu et magno simul incipit ore:
"Forbear now, Rutulians, and you, Latins, hold your weapons;
Parcite iam, Rutuli, et vos tela inhibete, Latini;
whatever the fortune, it is mine: more justly I alone
quaecumque est Fortuna, mea est: me verius unum
should pay the treaty for you, and decide it by the sword."
pro vobis foedus luere et decernere ferro.
All withdrew from between and gave space.
Discessere omnes medii spatiumque dedere.
But Father Aeneas, hearing the name of Turnus,
At pater Aeneas audito nomine Turni
leaves both the walls and leaves the high towers,
deserit et muros et summas deserit arces
and hurls aside all delay, breaks off all his works,
praecipitatque moras omnis, opera omnia rumpit,
exulting with joy, and thunders dreadfully in his arms;
laetitia exsultans, horrendumque intonat armis;
vast as Athos, or vast as Eryx, or as father Apennine himself,
quantus Athos aut quantus Eryx aut ipse coruscis
when he roars with his quivering holm-oaks, and rejoices,
cum fremit ilicibus quantus gaudetque nivali
raising his snowy crest to the breezes.
vertice se attollens pater Appenninus ad auras.
Now indeed Rutulians and Trojans, vying, and all
Iam vero et Rutuli certatim et Troes et omnes
the Italians turned their eyes, both those who held the high
convertere oculos Itali, quique alta tenebant
walls and those battering the lowest walls with the ram,
moenia quique imos pulsabant ariete muros,
and laid the arms from their shoulders. Latinus himself stands amazed
armaque deposuere umeris. Stupet ipse Latinus
that two mighty men, born in different quarters of the world,
ingentis, genitos diversis partibus orbis,
have met together and are deciding it with the sword.
inter se coiisse viros et cernere ferro.
And they, as the fields lay open on the cleared plain,
Atque illi, ut vacuo patuerunt aequore campi,
with a swift rush, their spears hurled from afar,
procursu rapido, coniectis eminus hastis,
fall on the fight with shields and sounding bronze.
invadunt Martem clipeis atque aere sonoro.
The earth gives a groan; then thick sword-strokes
Dat gemitum tellus; tum crebros ensibus ictus
they redouble: chance and valor are mingled into one.
congeminant: fors et virtus miscentur in unum.
when two bulls, their brows lowered for deadly battle,
cum duo conversis inimica in proelia tauri
charge together; the herdsmen, afraid, draw back,
frontibus incurrunt; pavidi cessere magistri,
all the herd stands dumb with fear, and the heifers mutter,
stat pecus omne metu mutum mussantque iuvencae,
which shall lord it over the wood, which all the herds shall follow;
quis nemori imperitet, quem tota armenta sequantur;
they between themselves deal wounds with great force,
illi inter sese multa vi volnera miscent
and straining drive in their horns and bathe their necks
cornuaque obnixi infigunt et sanguine largo
and shoulders in streaming blood: all the grove bellows back with the groaning:
colla armosque lavant; gemitu nemus omne remugit:
no otherwise Trojan Aeneas and the Daunian hero
non alitur Tros Aeneas et Daunius heros
clash with their shields; a huge crash fills the air.
concurrunt clipeis; ingens fragor aethera complet.
Jupiter himself holds up two scales with the beam balanced
Iuppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances
and lays in the differing fates of the two,
sustinet et fata imponit diversa duorum,
whom the struggle dooms, and with whose weight death sinks down.
quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum;
Turnus darts out, thinking it safe, and with his whole body
Emicat hic, impune putans, et corpore toto
rises high to the sword lifted aloft
alte sublatum consurgit Turnus in ensem
and strikes: the Trojans cry out and the anxious Latins,
et ferit: exclamant Troes trepidique Latini,
and both lines are on edge. But the treacherous sword
arrectaeque amborum acies. At perfidus ensis
shatters in mid-stroke and fails the burning man,
frangitur in medioque ardentem deserit ictu
unless flight come to his aid. He flees, swifter than the East Wind,
ni fuga subsidio subeat. Fugit ocior euro,
when he saw the strange hilt and his unarmed right hand.
ut capulum ignotum dextramque aspexit inermem.
The tale is that headlong, when he was mounting his yoked horses
Fama est praecipitem, cum prima in proelia iunctos
for the first battle, his father’s blade left behind,
conscendebat equos, patrio mucrone relicto,
in his haste he snatched the sword of his charioteer Metiscus.
dum trepidat, ferrum aurigae rapuisse Metisci.
And that, for a long while, as the scattering Teucrians gave their backs,
Idque diu, dum terga dabant palantia Teucri,
sufficed: but after it came to the divine arms of Vulcan,
suffecit: postquam arma dei ad Volcania ventumst,
the mortal blade, like brittle ice, shattered at the blow
mortalis mucro glacies ceu futilis ictu
it leaped apart; the fragments glitter on the tawny sand.
dissiluit; fulva resplendent fragmina harena.
So Turnus, frantic, in headlong flight seeks the open spaces,
Ergo amens diversa fuga petit aequora Turnus
and now this way, now that, weaves uncertain circles;
et nunc huc, inde huc incertos implicat orbes
for on every side the Teucrians have hemmed him in a dense ring,
undique enim densa Teucri inclusere corona,
and on this side a vast marsh, on that the steep walls enclose him.
atque hinc vasta palus, hinc ardua moenia cingunt.
No less Aeneas, though the arrow-slowed
Nec minus Aeneas, quamquam tardata sagitta
knees at times hamper him and refuse the running,
interdum genua impediunt cursumque recusant,
pursues, and hotly presses foot on the trembling man’s foot:
insequitur trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget:
as when a hound has caught a stag penned by a river
inclusum veluti siquando flumine nanctus
or hedged by the terror of the crimson feather,
cervum aut puniceae saeptum formidine pinnae
and presses it with running and with baying;
venator cursu canis et latratibus instat;
but the stag, frightened by the snare and the high bank,
ille autem, insidiis et ripa territus alta,
flees and flees back a thousand ways; but the keen Umbrian hound
mille fugit refugitque vias; at vividus Umber
hangs on, open-mouthed, now, now has him, and, as if holding,
haeret hians, iam iamque tenet similisque tenenti
snaps its jaws and is cheated by an empty bite.
increpuit malis morsuque elusus inani est.
Then indeed a shout arises, and the banks and the pools
Tum vero exoritur clamor, ripaeque lacusque
echo round, and all the sky thunders with the uproar.
responsant circa et caelum tonat omne tumultu.
He, while he flees, at the same time chides all the Rutulians,
Ille simul fugiens Rutulos simul increpat omnis,
calling each by name, and demands his well-known sword.
nomine quemque vocans, notumque efflagitat ensem.
Aeneas, on his side, threatens death and present
Aeneas mortem contra praesensque minatur
destruction, if any draw near, and frightens the trembling men,
exitium, si quisquam adeat, terretque trementis
threatening to raze the city, and, wounded, presses on.
excisurum urbem minitans et saucius instat.
Five circles they complete at a run, and as many unwind
Quinque orbis explent cursu totidemque retexunt
this way and that; for no light or sporting prizes
huc illuc; neque enim levia aut ludicra petuntur
are sought, but they contend for the life and blood of Turnus.
praemia, sed Turni de vita et sanguine certant.
By chance a wild olive, sacred to Faunus, with bitter leaves,
Forte sacer Fauno foliis oleaster amaris
had stood here, a wood once revered by sailors,
hic steterat, nautis olim venerabile lignum,
where, saved from the waves, they used to fix their gifts
servati ex undis ubi figere dona solebant
to the Laurentine god and hang up their vowed garments;
Laurenti divo et votas suspendere vestes,
but the Teucrians had cut down the sacred stock,
sed stirpem Teucri nullo discrimine sacrum
with no distinction, that they might fight on a clear field.
sustulerant, puro ut possent concurrere campo.
Here Aeneas’ spear stood; here its rush had borne it,
Hic hasta Aeneae stabat, huc impetus illam
fixed, and the clinging root held it.
detulerat fixam et lenta in radice tenebat.
The Dardanian bent over it and would have torn the iron free
Incubuit voluitque manu convellere ferrum
with his hand, and pursued with the weapon him whom he could not
Dardanides teloque sequi, quem prendere cursu
catch by running. Then indeed Turnus, frantic with fear,
non poterat. Tum vero amens formidine Turnus
"Faunus, I beg, have pity," he says, "and you, best Earth,
Faune, precor, miserere, inquit, tuque optima ferrum
hold the iron, if I have always kept your honors,
terra tene, colui vestros si semper honores,
which the sons of Aeneas have made profane by war."
quos contra Aeneadae bello fecere profanos.
He spoke, and called the god’s help in no empty vows.
Dixit opemque dei non cassa in vota vocavit.
For long struggling and lingering in the tough stock,
Namque diu luctans lentoque in stirpe moratus
by no strength could Aeneas force apart the grip
viribus haud ullis valuit discludere morsus
of the oak. While he strives, keen and pressing,
roboris Aeneas. Dum nititur acer et instat,
once more changed into the face of the charioteer Metiscus,
rursus in aurigae faciem mutata Metisci
the Daunian goddess runs up and gives her brother back his sword.
procurrit fratrique ensem dea Daunia reddit.
That Venus, indignant the bold nymph should be allowed this,
Quod Venus audaci nymphae indignata licere
drew near and wrenched the spear from the deep root.
adcessit telumque alta ab radice revellit.
They, uplifted, renewed in arms and spirit,
Olli sublimes armis animisque refecti,
this one trusting in his sword, that one keen and towering with his spear,
hic gladio fidens, hic acer et arduus hasta,
stand facing each other for the contests of panting Mars.
adsistunt contra certamina Martis anheli.
Meanwhile the king of almighty Olympus addresses Juno,
Iunonem interea rex omnipotentis Olympi
watching the battle from a tawny cloud:
adloquitur fulva pugnas de nube tuentem:
"What now will be the end, consort? What at last remains?
Qua iam finis erit, coniunx? Quid denique restat?
You know yourself, and confess you know, that Aeneas
Indigetem Aenean scis ipsa et scire fateris
is owed to heaven as a native god, and is raised by the fates to the stars.
deberi caelo fatisque ad sidera tolli.
What do you contrive, or in what hope do you cling in the cold clouds?
Quid struis, aut qua spe gelidis in nubibus haeres?
Was it fitting that a god be violated by a mortal’s wound,
Mortalin decuit violari volnere divom,
or that the sword (for what could Juturna do without you?)
aut ensem (quid enim sine te Iuturna valeret?)
be given back, snatched up, to Turnus, and the force of the beaten grow?
ereptum reddi Turno et vim crescere victis?
Cease now at last, and be bent by our prayers,
Desine iam tandem precibusque inflectere nostris,
lest so great a grief eat you in silence, and your sweet lips
ni te tantus edit tacitam dolor et mihi curae
often send back to me sad cares as my concern—
saepe tuo dulci tristes ex ore recursent,
it has come to the end. You have been able to harry the Trojans
ventum ad supremum est. Terris agitare vel undis
over lands or waves, to kindle an unspeakable war,
Troianos potuisti, infandum adcendere bellum,
to mar a house and mingle a marriage with grief:
deformare domum et luctu miscere hymenaeos:
I forbid you to attempt further." So Jupiter began;
ulterius temptare veto. Sic Iuppiter orsus;
so the Saturnian goddess in answer, with downcast face:
sic dea submisso contra Saturnia voltu:
"Because indeed that will of yours is known to me, great
Ista quidem quia nota mihi tua, magne, voluntas,
Jupiter, I have left both Turnus and the earth, unwilling;
Iuppiter, et Turnum et terras invita reliqui;
nor would you now see me, alone in my airy seat,
nec tu me aeria solam nunc sede videres
suffering things worthy and unworthy, but, girt with flames, beneath the very
digna indigna pati, sed flammis cincta sub ipsa
battle-line I would stand and drag the Teucrians into hostile fights.
starem acie traheremque inimica in proelia Teucros.
Juturna, I confess, I urged to aid her wretched brother,
Iuturnam misero, fateor, succurrere fratri
and approved her daring greater things for his life,
suasi et pro vita maiora audere probavi,
yet not that she should hurl weapons, not draw the bow:
non ut tela tamen, non ut contenderet arcum:
I swear by the implacable head of the Stygian spring,
adiuro Stygii caput implacabile fontis,
the one dread that is given to the gods above.
una superstitio superis quae reddita divis.
And now I yield indeed, and, loathing them, leave the battles.
Et nunc cedo equidem pugnasque exosa relinquo.
This one thing, which is held by no law of fate,
Illud te, nulla fati quod lege tenetur,
I implore you, for Latium, for the majesty of your kin:
pro Latio obtestor, pro maiestate tuorum:
when soon by happy marriage—so be it—they make
cum iam conubis pacem felicibus, esto,
peace, when soon they join laws and treaties,
component, cum iam leges et foedera iungent,
do not bid the native Latins change their old name,
ne vetus indigenas nomen mutare Latinos
nor become Trojans and be called Teucrians,
neu Troas fieri iubeas Teucrosque vocari
nor change their speech or alter their dress.
aut vocem mutare viros aut vertere vestem.
Let Latium be, let there be Alban kings through the ages,
Sit Latium, sint Albani per saecula reges,
let the Roman stock be mighty in Italian valor:
sit Romana potens Itala virtute propago:
Troy has fallen; let her have fallen, with her name."
occidit, occideritque sinas cum nomine Troia.
To her, smiling, the maker of men and things:
Olli subridens hominum rerumque repertor
"You are the sister of Jove and the second child of Saturn:
Es germana Iovis Saturnique altera proles:
such great floods of wrath you roll beneath your breast.
irarum tantos volvis sub pectore fluctus.
But come, lay down the rage begun in vain;
Verum age et inceptum frustra submitte furorem
I grant what you wish, and I yield, conquered and willing.
do quod vis, et me victusque volensque remitto.
The Ausonians shall keep their fathers’ speech and ways,
Sermonem Ausonii patrium moresque tenebunt,
and as it is, so shall their name be; the Teucrians shall only
utque est nomen erit; commixti corpore tantum
sink in, blended in the body. The custom and rites of worship
subsident Teucri. Morem ritusque sacrorum
I will add, and make them all Latins of one tongue.
adiciam faciamque omnis uno ore Latinos.
Hence the race that will rise mingled with Ausonian blood
Hinc genus Ausonio mixtum quod sanguine surget,
you will see go above men, above the gods, in piety,
supra homines, supra ire deos pietate videbis,
nor will any nation equally celebrate your honors."
nec gens ulla tuos aeque celebrabit honores.
Juno assented to this, and, gladdened, turned back her purpose.
Adnuit his Iuno et mentem laetata retorsit.
Meanwhile she departs from heaven and leaves the cloud.
Interea excedit caelo nubemque relinquit.
This done, the Father turns over with himself another thing,
His actis aliud genitor secum ipse volutat
and makes ready to part Juturna from her brother’s arms.
Iuturnamque parat fratris dimittere ab armis.
There are, men say, twin plagues, named the Dirae,
Dicuntur geminae pestes cognomine Dirae,
bore at one and the same birth, and bound round with equal
uno eodemque tulit partu paribusque revinxit
coils of serpents, and added windy wings.
serpentum spiris ventosasque addidit alas.
These at Jove’s throne and on the threshold of the harsh king
Hae Iovis ad solium saevique in limine regis
appear and sharpen the fear of suffering mortals,
adparent acuuntque metum mortalibus aegris,
whenever the king of the gods devises horrible death and disease,
siquando letum horrificum morbosque deum rex
or terrifies guilty cities with war.
molitur meritas aut bello territat urbes.
One of these Jupiter sent down swiftly from the height of heaven
Harum unam celerem demisit ab aethere summo
and bade her meet Juturna as an omen.
Iuppiter inque omen Iuturnae occurrere iussit.
She flies and is borne to earth in a swift whirlwind.
Illa volat celerique ad terram turbine fertur.
No otherwise than an arrow driven through a cloud from the string,
Non secus ac nervo per nubem impulsa sagitta,
which a Parthian, having armed it with the gall of cruel poison,
armatam saevi Parthus quam felle veneni,
a Parthian or a Cydonian, has hurled, a shaft past cure,
Parthus sive Cydon, telum immedicabile, torsit,
hissing and unseen it leaps through the swift shadows:
stridens et celeris incognita transilit umbras:
such was the daughter of Night as she bore herself down and sought the earth.
talis se sata Nocte tulit terrasque petivit.
When she sees the Trojan lines and the ranks of Turnus,
Postquam acies videt Iliacas atque agmina Turni,
drawn suddenly into the shape of a small bird,
alitis in parvae subitam conlecta figuram,
which sometimes on tombs or deserted gables
quae quondam in bustis aut culminibus desertis
sits by night and sings late, ill-omened, through the dark,
nocte sedens serum canit importuna per umbras,
in this shape changed, the plague flits before Turnus’ face
hanc versa in faciem Turni se pestis ob ora
to and fro, sounding, and beats his shield with her wings.
fertque refertque sonans clipeumque everberat alis.
A strange numbness loosed his limbs with terror,
Olli membra novus solvit formidine torpor,
his hair stood up with horror, and his voice stuck in his throat.
adrectaeque horrore comae, et vox faucibus haesit.
But when from afar Juturna knew the Dira’s whir and wings,
At procul ut Dirae stridorem adgnovit et alas,
the unhappy nymph tears her loosened hair,
infelix crinis scindit Iuturna solutos,
the sister fouling her face with her nails and her breast with her fists:
unguibus ora soror foedans et pectora pugnis:
"How now, Turnus, can your sister help you?
Quid nunc te tua, Turne, potest germana iuvare?
Or what is left for hardened me? By what art can I prolong
Aut quid iam durae superat mihi? Qua tibi lucem
your light? Can I set myself against such a portent?
arte morer? Talin possum me opponere monstro?
Now, now I leave the field. Do not, foul birds, terrify me
Iam iam linquo acies. Ne me terrete timentem,
who am already afraid: I know the beat of your wings
obscenae volucres: alarum verbera nosco
and the deadly sound, nor do the proud commands
letalemque sonum, nec fallunt iussa superba
of great-souled Jove deceive me. Is this his return for my maidenhood?
magnanimi Iovis. Haec pro virginitate reponit?
To what end did he give me eternal life? Why was the lot of death
Quo vitam dedit aeternam? Cur mortis ademptast
taken from me? Now at least I could end such griefs
condicio? Possem tantos finire dolores
and go a companion to my wretched brother through the shades!
nunc certe et misero fratri comes ire per umbras!
I, immortal? Or will anything of mine be sweet to me
Immortalis ego? Aut quicquam mihi dulce meorum
without you, brother? O what earth deep enough will yawn
te sine, frater, erit? O quae satis ima dehiscet
for me, and send a goddess down to the lowest shades?"
terra mihi Manisque deam demittet ad imos?
Having said only this, she veiled her head in a gray-green mantle,
Tantum effata caput glauco contexit amictu
groaning much, and the goddess hid herself in the deep river.
multa gemens et se fluvio dea condidit alto.
Aeneas presses on against him and brandishes his spear,
Aeneas instat contra telumque coruscat
huge as a tree, and thus speaks from his fierce heart:
ingens arboreum et saevo sic pectore fatur:
"What delay is there now? Or why, Turnus, do you still draw back?
Quae nunc deinde mora est? Aut quid iam, Turne, retractas?
Not by running, but hand to hand with savage arms we must contend.
Non cursu, saevis certandum est comminus armis.
Turn yourself into every shape, and gather whatever
Verte omnis tete in facies et contrahe quidquid
you avail by spirit or by craft; choose to seek the steep stars
sive animis sive arte vales; opta ardua pennis
on wings, or to hide yourself shut in the hollow earth."
astra sequi clausumve cava te condere terra.
He, shaking his head: "Your hot words do not frighten me,
Ille caput quassans Non me tua fervida terrent
fierce one: the gods frighten me, and Jupiter my foe."
dicta, ferox: di me terrent et Iuppiter hostis.
Saying no more, he looks about for a huge stone,
Nec plura effatus saxum circumspicit ingens,
an ancient, huge stone, that by chance lay on the field,
saxum antiquum ingens, campo quod forte iacebat,
set as a boundary, to settle disputes over the fields.
limes agro positus, litem ut discerneret arvis.
Scarcely could twice six chosen men lift it on their necks,
Vix illud lecti bis sex cervice subirent,
of such frames as earth now brings forth in men:
qualia nunc hominum producit corpora tellus:
he, snatching it with trembling hand, was whirling it at the foe,
ille manu raptum trepida torquebat in hostem
rising higher and roused by his run, the hero.
altior insurgens et cursu concitus heros.
But he knows not himself as he runs, nor as he goes,
Sed neque currentem se nec cognoscit euntem
nor as he lifts his hands or heaves the monstrous stone;
tollentemve manus saxumve immane moventem;
his knees give way, his blood is curdled cold with frost.
genua labant, gelidus concrevit frigore sanguis.
Then the man’s very stone, rolled through the empty void,
Tum lapis ipse viri, vacuum per inane volutus,
neither crossed all the space nor carried home its blow.
nec spatium evasit totum neque pertulit ictum.
And as in dreams, when languid rest by night has pressed
Ac velut in somnis, oculos ubi languida pressit
our eyes, we seem to wish in vain to stretch our eager
nocte quies, nequiquam avidos extendere cursus
running, and, sick, in the midst of our efforts
velle videmur et in mediis conatibus aegri
sink down, the tongue avails not, nor in the body the wonted
succidimus, non lingua valet, non corpore notae
strength suffices, nor do voice or words follow:
sufficiunt vires, nec vox aut verba sequuntur:
so for Turnus, by whatever valor he sought a way,
sic Turno, quacumque viam virtute petivit,
the dread goddess denies success. Then in his breast feelings
successum dea dira negat. Tum pectore sensus
shift and waver. He gazes at the Rutulians and the city,
vertuntur varii. Rutulos aspectat et urbem
and hesitates in fear, and trembles that death is at hand;
cunctaturque metu letumque instare tremescit;
and sees neither where to escape, nor by what force to make at the foe,
nec quo se eripiat, nec qua vi tendat in hostem,
nor anywhere his car or his charioteer-sister.
nec currus usquam videt aurigamve sororem.
As he wavers, Aeneas brandishes the fatal spear,
Cunctanti telum Aeneas fatale coruscat,
having marked his chance with his eyes, and with all his body
sortitus fortunam oculis, et corpore toto
hurls it from afar. Never do stones, sped from a wall-
eminus intorquet. Murali concita numquam
engine, roar so, nor do such crashes burst
tormento sic saxa fremunt, nec fulmine tanti
from the thunderbolt. It flies, like a black whirlwind,
dissultant crepitus. Volat atri turbinis instar
the spear, bearing dire destruction, and lays open the edges
exitium dirum hasta ferens orasque recludit
of the corselet and the outermost circles of the sevenfold shield.
loricae et clipei extremos septemplicis orbes.
Hissing, it passes through the middle of the thigh. Struck,
Per medium stridens transit femur. Incidit ictus
huge Turnus falls to the ground, his knee doubled under.
ingens ad terram duplicato poplite Turnus.
The Rutulians rise with a groan, and all the
Consurgunt gemitu Rutuli, totusque remugit
mountain round bellows back, and the high woods far and wide return the cry.
mons circum, et vocem late nemora alta remittunt.
He, lowly and suppliant, lifting his eyes and his pleading
Ille humilis supplexque oculos, dextramque precantem
right hand, "Indeed I have earned it, nor do I beg off," he says:
protendens, Equidem merui nec deprecor, inquit:
"use your fortune. If any care for a wretched parent
utere sorte tua. Miseri te siqua parentis
can touch you, I beg (such a father, too, was yours,
tangere cura potest, oro (fuit et tibi talis
Anchises), pity the old age of Daunus,
Anchises genitor), Dauni miserere senectae
and give me back, or, if you prefer, my body stripped of light,
et me seu corpus spoliatum lumine mavis
to my own. You have conquered, and the Ausonians have seen me,
redde meis. Vicisti, et victum tendere palmas
beaten, stretch out my hands; Lavinia is yours as wife:
Ausonii videre; tua est Lavinia coniunx:
press your hatred no further." Fierce in his arms stood
ulterius ne tende odiis. Stetit acer in armis
Aeneas, rolling his eyes, and checked his right hand;
Aeneas, volvens oculos, dextramque repressit;
and now, now more and more, as he hesitated, the speech
et iam iamque magis cunctantem flectere sermo
had begun to sway him, when on the high shoulder appeared
coeperat, infelix umero cum apparuit alto
the ill-starred baldric, and the belt gleamed with its familiar studs,
balteus et notis fulserunt cingula bullis
of the boy Pallas, whom Turnus had laid low with a wound
Pallantis pueri, victum quem volnere Turnus
and now wore on his shoulders the hostile emblem.
straverat atque umeris inimicum insigne gerebat.
He, when with his eyes he had drunk in the trophy of his cruel grief,
Ille, oculis postquam saevi monimenta doloris
the spoils, kindled with fury and terrible
exuviasque hausit, furiis accensus et ira
in wrath: "Are you, clad in the spoils of my own,
terribilis, Tune hinc spoliis indute meorum
to be snatched from me hence? Pallas it is who with this wound, Pallas
eripiare mihi? Pallas te hoc volnere, Pallas
slays you, and exacts the penalty from your guilty blood,"
immolat et poenam scelerato ex sanguine sumit,
saying this, he buries the steel, burning, in the breast
hoc dicens ferrum adverso sub pectore condit
before him. And the other’s limbs are loosed with cold,
fervidus. Ast illi solvuntur frigore membra
and his life with a groan flees, resentful, to the shades.
vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub umbras.