Aeneid

The gates of heav'n unfold: Jove summons all

Panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi,

The gods to council in the common hall.

conciliumque vocat divom pater atque hominum rex

Sublimely seated, he surveys from far

sideream in sedem, terras unde arduus omnis

The fields, the camp, the fortune of the war,

castraque Dardanidum adspectat populosque Latinos.

And all th' inferior world. From first to last,

Considunt tectis bipatentibus, incipit ipse:

The sov'reign senate in degrees are plac'd.

Caelicolae magni, quianam sententia vobis

Then thus th' almighty sire began: "Ye gods,

versa retro tantumque animis certatis iniquis?

Natives or denizens of blest abodes,

Abnueram bello Italiam concurrere Teucris.

From whence these murmurs, and this change of mind,

Quae contra vetitum discordia? Quis metus aut hos

This backward fate from what was first design'd?

aut hos arma sequi ferrumque lacessere suasit?

Why this protracted war, when my commands

Adveniet iustum pugnae, ne arcessite, tempus,

Pronounc'd a peace, and gave the Latian lands?

cum fera Karthago Romanis arcibus olim

What fear or hope on either part divides

exitium magnum atque Alpes immittet apertas:

Our heav'ns, and arms our powers on diff'rent sides?

tum certare odiis, tum res rapuisse licebit.

A lawful time of war at length will come,

Nunc sinite et placitum laeti componite foedus.

(Nor need your haste anticipate the doom),

Iuppiter haec paucis; at non Venus aurea contra

When Carthage shall contend the world with Rome,

pauca refert:

Shall force the rigid rocks and Alpine chains,

O pater, O hominum rerumque aeterna potestas!

And, like a flood, come pouring on the plains.

Namque aliud quid sit, quod iam implorare queamus?

Then is your time for faction and debate,

Cernis ut insultent Rutulli Turnusque feratur

For partial favor, and permitted hate.

per medios insignis equis tumidusque secundo

Let now your immature dissension cease;

Marte ruat? Non clausa tegunt iam moenia Teucros:

Sit quiet, and compose your souls to peace."

quin intra portas atque ipsis proelia miscent

Thus Jupiter in few unfolds the charge;

aggeribus moerorum et inundant sanguine fossas.

But lovely Venus thus replies at large:

Aeneas ignarus abest. Numquamne levari

"O pow'r immense, eternal energy,

obsidione sines? Muris iterum imminet hostis

(For to what else protection can we fly?)

nascentis Troiae nec non exercitus alter;

Seest thou the proud Rutulians, how they dare

atque iterum in Teucros Aetolis surgit ab Arpis

In fields, unpunish'd, and insult my care?

Tydides. Equidem credo, mea volnera restant

How lofty Turnus vaunts amidst his train,

et tua progenies mortalia demoror arma.

In shining arms, triumphant on the plain?

Si sine pace tua atque invito numine Troes

Ev'n in their lines and trenches they contend,

Italiam petiere, luant peccata neque illos

And scarce their walls the Trojan troops defend:

iuveris auxilio; sin tot responsa secuti,

The town is fill'd with slaughter, and o'erfloats,

quae superi manesque dabant: cur nunc tua quisquam

With a red deluge, their increasing moats.

vertere iussa potest aut cur nova condere fata?

Aeneas, ignorant, and far from thence,

Quid repetem exustas Erycino in litore classes,

Has left a camp expos'd, without defense.

quid tempestatum regem ventosque furentis

This endless outrage shall they still sustain?

Aeolia excitos aut actam nubibus Irim?

Shall Troy renew'd be forc'd and fir'd again?

Nunc etiam manis, haec intemptata manebat

A second siege my banish'd issue fears,

sors rerum, movet et superis immissa repente

And a new Diomede in arms appears.

Allecto, medias Italum bacchata per urbes.

One more audacious mortal will be found;

Nil super imperio moveor: speravimus ista,

And I, thy daughter, wait another wound.

dum fortuna fuit; vincant quos vincere mavis.

Yet, if with fates averse, without thy leave,

Si nulla est regio, Teucris quam det tua coniunx

The Latian lands my progeny receive,

dura, per eversae, genitor, fumantia Troiae

Bear they the pains of violated law,

exscidia obtestor, liceat dimittere ab armis

And thy protection from their aid withdraw.

incolumem Ascanium, liceat superesse nepotem.

But, if the gods their sure success foretell;

Aeneas sane ignotis iactetur in undis

If those of heav'n consent with those of hell,

et, quamcumque viam dederit Fortuna, sequatur:

To promise Italy; who dare debate

hunc tegere et dirae valeam subducere pugnae.

The pow'r of Jove, or fix another fate?

Est Amathus, est celsa mihi Paphus atque Cythera

What should I tell of tempests on the main,

Idaliaeque domus: positis inglorius armis

Of Aeolus usurping Neptune's reign?

exigat hic aevum. Magna dicione iubeto

Of Iris sent, with Bacchanalian heat

Karthago premat Ausoniam: nihil urbibus inde

T' inspire the matrons, and destroy the fleet?

obstabit Tyriis. Quid pestem evadere belli

Now Juno to the Stygian sky descends,

iuvit et Argolicos medium fugisse per ignes

Solicits hell for aid, and arms the fiends.

totque maris vastaeque exhausta pericula terrae,

That new example wanted yet above:

dum Latium Teucri recidivaque Pergama quaerunt?

An act that well became the wife of Jove!

Non satius cineres patriae insedisse supremos

Alecto, rais'd by her, with rage inflames

atque solum, quo Troia fuit? Xanthum et Simoenta

The peaceful bosoms of the Latian dames.

redde, oro, miseris iterumque revolvere casus

Imperial sway no more exalts my mind;

da, pater, Iliacos Teucris.

(Such hopes I had indeed, while Heav'n was kind;)

Tum regia Iuno

Now let my happier foes possess my place,

acta furore gravi: Quid me alta silentia cogis

Whom Jove prefers before the Trojan race;

rumpere et obductum verbis volgare dolorem?

And conquer they, whom you with conquest grace.

Aenean hominum quisquam divomque subegit

Since you can spare, from all your wide command,

bella sequi aut hostem regi se inferre Latino?

No spot of earth, no hospitable land,

Italiam petiit fatis auctoribus, esto,

Which may my wand'ring fugitives receive;

Cassandrae inpulsus furiis: num linquere castra

(Since haughty Juno will not give you leave;)

hortati sumus aut vitam committere ventis?

Then, father, (if I still may use that name,)

Num puero summam belli, num credere muros

By ruin'd Troy, yet smoking from the flame,

Tyrrhenamque fidem, aut gentis agitare quietas?

I beg you, let Ascanius, by my care,

Quis deus in fraudem, quae dura potentia nostra

Be freed from danger, and dismiss'd the war:

egit? Ubi hic Iuno demissave nubibus Iris?

Inglorious let him live, without a crown.

Indignum est Italos Troiam circumdare flammis

The father may be cast on coasts unknown,

nascentem et patria Turnum consistere terra,

Struggling with fate; but let me save the son.

cui Pilumnus avus, cui diva Venilia mater:

Mine is Cythera, mine the Cyprian tow'rs:

quid face Troianos atra vim ferre Latinis,

In those recesses, and those sacred bow'rs,

arva aliena iugo premere atque avertere praedas?

Obscurely let him rest; his right resign

Quid soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas,

To promis'd empire, and his Julian line.

pacem orare manu, praefigere puppibus arma?

Then Carthage may th' Ausonian towns destroy,

Tu potes Aenean manibus subducere Graium

Nor fear the race of a rejected boy.

proque viro nebulam et ventos obtendere inanis,

What profits it my son to scape the fire,

tu potes in totidem classem convertere nymphas:

Arm'd with his gods, and loaded with his sire;

nos aliquid Rutulos contra iuvisse nefandum est?

To pass the perils of the seas and wind;

Aeneas ignarus abest: ignarus et absit.

Evade the Greeks, and leave the war behind;

Est Paphus Idaliumque tibi, sunt alta Cythera:

To reach th' Italian shores; if, after all,

quid gravidam bellis urbem et corda aspera temptas?

Our second Pergamus is doom'd to fall?

Nosne tibi fluxas Phrygiae res vertere fundo

Much better had he curb'd his high desires,

conamur, nos, an miseros qui Troas Achivis

And hover'd o'er his ill-extinguish'd fires.

To Simois' banks the fugitives restore,

And give them back to war, and all the woes before."

Deep indignation swell'd Saturnia's heart:

"And must I own," she said, "my secret smart-

What with more decence were in silence kept,

And, but for this unjust reproach, had slept?

Did god or man your fav'rite son advise,

With war unhop'd the Latians to surprise?

By fate, you boast, and by the gods' decree,

He left his native land for Italy!

Confess the truth; by mad Cassandra, more

Than Heav'n inspir'd, he sought a foreign shore!

Did I persuade to trust his second Troy

To the raw conduct of a beardless boy,

With walls unfinish'd, which himself forsakes,

And thro' the waves a wand'ring voyage takes?

When have I urg'd him meanly to demand

The Tuscan aid, and arm a quiet land?

Did I or Iris give this mad advice,

Or made the fool himself the fatal choice?

You think it hard, the Latians should destroy

With swords your Trojans, and with fires your Troy!

Hard and unjust indeed, for men to draw

Their native air, nor take a foreign law!

That Turnus is permitted still to live,

To whom his birth a god and goddess give!

But yet is just and lawful for your line

To drive their fields, and force with fraud to join;

Realms, not your own, among your clans divide,

And from the bridegroom tear the promis'd bride;

Petition, while you public arms prepare;

Pretend a peace, and yet provoke a war!

'T was giv'n to you, your darling son to shroud,

To draw the dastard from the fighting crowd,

And, for a man, obtend an empty cloud.

From flaming fleets you turn'd the fire away,

And chang'd the ships to daughters of the sea.

But is my crime- the Queen of Heav'n offends,

If she presume to save her suff'ring friends!

Your son, not knowing what his foes decree,

You say, is absent: absent let him be.

obiecit? Quae causa fuit, consurgere in arma

Yours is Cythera, yours the Cyprian tow'rs,

Europamque Asiamque et foedera solvere furto?

The soft recesses, and the sacred bow'rs.

Me duce Dardanius Spartam expugnavit adulter,

Why do you then these needless arms prepare,

aut ego tela dedi fovive cupidine bella?

And thus provoke a people prone to war?

Tum decuit metuisse tuis: nunc sera querelis

Did I with fire the Trojan town deface,

haud iustis adsurgis et inrita iurgia iactas.

Or hinder from return your exil'd race?

Talibus orabat Iuno, cunctique fremebant

Was I the cause of mischief, or the man

caelicolae adsensu vario, ceu flamina prima

Whose lawless lust the fatal war began?

cum deprensa fremunt silvis et caeca volutant

Think on whose faith th' adult'rous youth relied;

murmura, venturos nautis prodentia ventos.

Who promis'd, who procur'd, the Spartan bride?

Tum pater omnipotens, rerum cui prima potestas,

When all th' united states of Greece combin'd,

infit; eo dicente deum domus alta silescit

To purge the world of the perfidious kind,

et tremefacta solo tellus, silet arduus aether,

Then was your time to fear the Trojan fate:

tum Zephyri posuere, premit placida aequora pontus:

Your quarrels and complaints are now too late."

Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta.

Thus Juno. Murmurs rise, with mix'd applause,

Quandoquidem Ausonios coniungi foedere Teucris

Just as they favor or dislike the cause.

haud licitum, nec vestra capit discordia finem:

So winds, when yet unfledg'd in woods they lie,

quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem,

In whispers first their tender voices try,

Tros Rutulusne fuat nullo discrimine habebo.

Then issue on the main with bellowing rage,

Seu fatis Italum castra obsidione tenentur

And storms to trembling mariners presage.

sive errore malo Troiae monitisque sinistris.

Then thus to both replied th' imperial god,

Nec Rutulos solvo: sua cuique exorsa laborem

Who shakes heav'n's axles with his awful nod.

fortunamque ferent. Rex Iuppiter omnibus idem.

(When he begins, the silent senate stand

Fata viam invenient. Stygii per flumina fratris,

With rev'rence, list'ning to the dread command:

per pice torrentis atraque voragine ripas

The clouds dispel; the winds their breath restrain;

adnuit et totum nutu tremefecit Olympum.

And the hush'd waves lie flatted on the main.)

Hic finis fandi. Solio tum Iuppiter aureo

"Celestials, your attentive ears incline!

surgit, caelicolae medium quem ad limina ducunt.

Since," said the god, "the Trojans must not join

Interea Rutuli portis circum omnibus instant

In wish'd alliance with the Latian line;

sternere caede viros et moenia cingere flammis.

Since endless jarrings and immortal hate

At legio Aeneadum vallis obsessa tenetur,

Tend but to discompose our happy state;

nec spes ulla fugae. Miseri stant turribus altis

The war henceforward be resign'd to fate:

nequiquam et rara muros cinxere corona

Each to his proper fortune stand or fall;

Asius Imbrasides Hicetaoniusque Thymoetes

Equal and unconcern'd I look on all.

Assaracique duo et senior cum Castore Thymbris,

Rutulians, Trojans, are the same to me;

prima acies; hos germani Sarpedonis ambo

And both shall draw the lots their fates decree.

et Clarus et Thaemon Lycia comitantur ab alta.

Let these assault, if Fortune be their friend;

Fert ingens toto conixus corpore saxum,

And, if she favors those, let those defend:

haud partem exiguam montis, Lyrnesius Acmon,

The Fates will find their way." The Thund'rer said,

nec Clytio genitore minor nec fratre Menestheo.

And shook the sacred honors of his head,

Hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis

Attesting Styx, th' inviolable flood,

molirique ignem nervoque aptare sagittas.

And the black regions of his brother god.

Ipse inter medios, Veneris iustissima cura,

Trembled the poles of heav'n, and earth confess'd the nod.

Dardanius caput ecce puer detectus honestum,

This end the sessions had: the senate rise,

qualis gemma micat, fulvum quae dividit aurum,

And to his palace wait their sov'reign thro' the skies.

aut collo decus aut capiti; vel quale per artem

Meantime, intent upon their siege, the foes

inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho

Within their walls the Trojan host inclose:

lucet ebur; fusos cervix cui lactea crinis

They wound, they kill, they watch at ev'ry gate;

accipit et molli subnectens circulus auro.

Renew the fires, and urge their happy fate.

Te quoque magnanimae viderunt, Ismare, gentes

Th' Aeneans wish in vain their wanted chief,

volnera dirigere et calamos armare veneno,

Hopeless of flight, more hopeless of relief.

Maeonia generose domo, ubi pinguia culta

Thin on the tow'rs they stand; and ev'n those few

exercentque viri Pactolusque inrigat auro.

A feeble, fainting, and dejected crew.

Adfuit et Mnestheus, quem pulsi pristina Turni

Yet in the face of danger some there stood:

aggere moerorum sublimem gloria tollit,

The two bold brothers of Sarpedon's blood,

et Capys: hinc nomen Campanae ducitur urbi.

Asius and Acmon; both th' Assaraci;

Illi inter sese duri certamina belli

Young Haemon, and tho' young, resolv'd to die.

contulerant: media Aeneas freta nocte secabat.

With these were Clarus and Thymoetes join'd;

Namque ut ab Euandro castris ingressus Etruscis

Tibris and Castor, both of Lycian kind.

regem adit et regi memorat nomenque genusque,

From Acmon's hands a rolling stone there came,

quidve petat quidve ipse ferat, Mezentius arma

So large, it half deserv'd a mountain's name:

quae sibi conciliet, violentaque pectora Turni

Strong-sinew'd was the youth, and big of bone;

edocet, humanis quae sit fiducia rebus

His brother Mnestheus could not more have done,

admonet immiscetque preces: haud fit mora, Tarchon

Or the great father of th' intrepid son.

iungit opes foedusque ferit; tum libera fati

Some firebrands throw, some flights of arrows send;

classem conscendit iussis gens Lydia divom,

And some with darts, and some with stones defend.

externo commissa duci. Aeneia puppis

Amid the press appears the beauteous boy,

prima tenet, rostro Phrygios subiuncta leones,

The care of Venus, and the hope of Troy.

imminet Ida super, profugis gratissima Teucris.

His lovely face unarm'd, his head was bare;

Hic magnus sedet Aeneas secumque volutat

In ringlets o'er his shoulders hung his hair.

eventus belli varios, Pallasque sinistro

His forehead circled with a diadem;

adfixus lateri iam quaerit sidera, opacae

Distinguish'd from the crowd, he shines a gem,

noctis iter, iam quae passus terraque marique.

Enchas'd in gold, or polish'd iv'ry set,

Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque movete,

Amidst the meaner foil of sable jet.

quae manus interea Tuscis comitetur ab oris

Nor Ismarus was wanting to the war,

Aenean armetque rates pelagoque vehatur.

Directing pointed arrows from afar,

Massicus aerata princeps secat aequora tigri:

And death with poison arm'd- in Lydia born,

sub quo mille manus iuvenum, qui moenia Clusi

Where plenteous harvests the fat fields adorn;

quique urbem liquere Cosas, quis tela sagittae

Where proud Pactolus floats the fruitful lands,

gorytique leves umeris et letifer arcus.

And leaves a rich manure of golden sands.

Una torvus Abas: huic totum insignibus armis

There Capys, author of the Capuan name,

agmen et aurato fulgebat Apolline puppis.

And there was Mnestheus too, increas'd in fame,

Sescentos illi dederat Populonia mater

Since Turnus from the camp he cast with shame.

expertos belli iuvenes, ast Ilva trecentos

Thus mortal war was wag'd on either side.

insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis.

Meantime the hero cuts the nightly tide:

Tertius ille hominum divomque interpres Asilas,

For, anxious, from Evander when he went,

cui pecudum fibrae, caeli cui sidera parent

He sought the Tyrrhene camp, and Tarchon's tent;

et linguae volucrum et praesagi fulminis ignes,

Expos'd the cause of coming to the chief;

mille rapit densos acie atque horrentibus hastis.

His name and country told, and ask'd relief;

Hos parere iubent Alpheae ab origine Pisae,

Propos'd the terms; his own small strength declar'd;

urbs Etrusca solo. Sequitur pulcherrimus Astur,

What vengeance proud Mezentius had prepar'd:

What Turnus, bold and violent, design'd;

Then shew'd the slipp'ry state of humankind,

And fickle fortune; warn'd him to beware,

And to his wholesome counsel added pray'r.

Tarchon, without delay, the treaty signs,

And to the Trojan troops the Tuscan joins.

They soon set sail; nor now the fates withstand;

Their forces trusted with a foreign hand.

Aeneas leads; upon his stern appear

Two lions carv'd, which rising Ida bear-

Ida, to wand'ring Trojans ever dear.

Under their grateful shade Aeneas sate,

Revolving war's events, and various fate.

His left young Pallas kept, fix'd to his side,

And oft of winds enquir'd, and of the tide;

Oft of the stars, and of their wat'ry way;

And what he suffer'd both by land and sea.

Now, sacred sisters, open all your spring!

The Tuscan leaders, and their army sing,

Which follow'd great Aeneas to the war:

Their arms, their numbers, and their names declare.

A thousand youths brave Massicus obey,

Borne in the Tiger thro' the foaming sea;

From Asium brought, and Cosa, by his care:

For arms, light quivers, bows and shafts, they bear.

Fierce Abas next: his men bright armor wore;

His stern Apollo's golden statue bore.

Six hundred Populonia sent along,

All skill'd in martial exercise, and strong.

Three hundred more for battle Ilva joins,

An isle renown'd for steel, and unexhausted mines.

Asylas on his prow the third appears,

Who heav'n interprets, and the wand'ring stars;

From offer'd entrails prodigies expounds,

And peals of thunder, with presaging sounds.

A thousand spears in warlike order stand,

Sent by the Pisans under his command.

Fair Astur follows in the wat'ry field,

Proud of his manag'd horse and painted shield.

Gravisca, noisome from the neighb'ring fen,

Astur equo fidens et versicoloribus armis.

And his own Caere, sent three hundred men;

Tercentum adiciunt (mens omnibus una sequendi)

With those which Minio's fields and Pyrgi gave,

qui Caerete domo, qui sunt Minionis in arvis,

All bred in arms, unanimous, and brave.

et Pyrgi veteres intempestaeque Graviscae.

Thou, Muse, the name of Cinyras renew,

Non ego te, Ligurum ductor fortissime bello,

And brave Cupavo follow'd but by few;

transierim, Cinyre, et paucis comitate Cupavo,

Whose helm confess'd the lineage of the man,

cuius olorinae surgunt de vertice pennae,

And bore, with wings display'd, a silver swan.

crimen, Amor, vestrum formaeque insigne paternae.

Love was the fault of his fam'd ancestry,

Namque ferunt luctu Cycnum Phaethontis amati,

Whose forms and fortunes in his ensigns fly.

populeas inter frondes umbramque sororum

For Cycnus lov'd unhappy Phaeton,

dum canit et maestum Musa solatur amorem,

And sung his loss in poplar groves, alone,

canentem molli pluma duxisse senectam,

Beneath the sister shades, to soothe his grief.

linquentem terras et sidera voce sequentem.

Heav'n heard his song, and hasten'd his relief,

Filius, aequalis comitatus classe catervas,

And chang'd to snowy plumes his hoary hair,

ingentem remis Centaurum promovet: ille

And wing'd his flight, to chant aloft in air.

instat aquae saxumque undis immane minatur

His son Cupavo brush'd the briny flood:

arduus et longa sulcat maria alta carina.

Upon his stern a brawny Centaur stood,

Ille etiam patriis agmen ciet Ocnus ab oris,

Who heav'd a rock, and, threat'ning still to throw,

fatidicae Mantus et Tusci filius amnis,

With lifted hands alarm'd the seas below:

qui muros matrisque dedit tibi, Mantua, nomen,

They seem'd to fear the formidable sight,

Mantua, dives avis; sed non genus omnibus unum:

And roll'd their billows on, to speed his flight.

gens illi triplex, populi sub gente quaterni,

Ocnus was next, who led his native train

ipsa caput populis, Tusco de sanguine vires.

Of hardy warriors thro' the wat'ry plain:

Hinc quoque quingentos in se Mezentius armat,

The son of Manto by the Tuscan stream,

quos patre Benaco velatus harundine glauca

From whence the Mantuan town derives the name-

Mincius infesta ducebat in aequora pinu.

An ancient city, but of mix'd descent:

It gravis Aulestes centenaque arbore fluctum

Three sev'ral tribes compose the government;

verberat adsurgens, spumant vada marmore verso.

Four towns are under each; but all obey

Hunc vehit immanis Triton et caerula concha

The Mantuan laws, and own the Tuscan sway.

exterrens freta, cui laterum tenus hispida nanti

Hate to Mezentius arm'd five hundred more,

frons hominem praefert, in pristim desinit alvus:

Whom Mincius from his sire Benacus bore:

spumea semifero sub pectore murmurat unda.

Mincius, with wreaths of reeds his forehead cover'd o'er.

Tot lecti proceres ter denis navibus ibant

These grave Auletes leads: a hundred sweep

subsidio Troiae et campos salis aera secabant.

With stretching oars at once the glassy deep.

Iamque dies caelo concesserat almaque curru

Him and his martial train the Triton bears;

noctivago Phoebe medium pulsabat Olympum:

High on his poop the sea-green god appears:

Aeneas (neque enim membris dat cura quietem)

Frowning he seems his crooked shell to sound,

ipse sedens clavumque regit velisque ministrat.

And at the blast the billows dance around.

Atque illi medio in spatio chorus ecce suarum

A hairy man above the waist he shows;

occurrit comitum: nymphae, quas alma Cybebe

A porpoise tail beneath his belly grows;

numen habere maris nymphasque e navibus esse

And ends a fish: his breast the waves divides,

iusserat, innabant pariter fluctusque secabant,

And froth and foam augment the murm'ring tides.

quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae.

Full thirty ships transport the chosen train

Agnoscunt longe regem lustrantque choreis,

For Troy's relief, and scour the briny main.

quarum quae fandi doctissima Cymodocea

Now was the world forsaken by the sun,

pone sequens dextra puppim tenet ipsaque dorso

And Phoebe half her nightly race had run.

eminet ac laeva tacitis subremigat undis,

The careful chief, who never clos'd his eyes,

tum sic ignarum adloquitur: Vigilasne, deum gens,

Himself the rudder holds, the sails supplies.

Aenea? Vigila et velis immitte rudentis.

A choir of Nereids meet him on the flood,

Nos sumus, Idaeae sacro de vertice pinus,

Once his own galleys, hewn from Ida's wood;

nunc pelagi nymphae, classis tua. Perfidus ut nos

But now, as many nymphs, the sea they sweep,

praecipitis ferro Rutulus flammaque premebat,

As rode, before, tall vessels on the deep.

rupimus invitae tua vincula teque per aequor

They know him from afar; and in a ring

quaerimus. Hanc Genetrix faciem miserata refecit

Inclose the ship that bore the Trojan king.

et dedit esse deas aevumque agitare sub undis.

Cymodoce, whose voice excell'd the rest,

At puer Ascanius muro fossisque tenetur

Above the waves advanc'd her snowy breast;

tela inter media atque horrentis Marte Latinos.

Her right hand stops the stern; her left divides

Iam loca iussa tenent forti permixtus Etrusco

The curling ocean, and corrects the tides.

Arcas eques: medias illis opponere turmas,

She spoke for all the choir, and thus began

ne castris iungant, certast sententia Turno.

With pleasing words to warn th' unknowing man:

Surge age et Aurora socios veniente vocari

"Sleeps our lov'd lord? O goddess-born, awake!

primus in arma iube et clipeum cape, quem dedit ipse

Spread ev'ry sail, pursue your wat'ry track,

invictum Ignipotens atque oras ambiit auro.

And haste your course. Your navy once were we,

Crastina lux, mea si non inrita dicta putaris,

From Ida's height descending to the sea;

ingentis Rutulae spectabit caedis acervos.

Till Turnus, as at anchor fix'd we stood,

Dixerat, et dextra discedens impulit altam

Presum'd to violate our holy wood.

haud ignara modi puppim: fugit illa per undas

Then, loos'd from shore, we fled his fires profane

ocior et iaculo et ventos aequante sagitta.

(Unwillingly we broke our master's chain),

Inde aliae celerant cursus. Stupet inscius ipse

And since have sought you thro' the Tuscan main.

Tros Anchisiades; animos tamen omine tollit.

The mighty Mother chang'd our forms to these,

Tum breviter super adspectans convexa precatur:

And gave us life immortal in the seas.

Alma parens Idaea deum, cui Dindyma cordi

But young Ascanius, in his camp distress'd,

turrigeraeque urbis biiugique ad frena leones,

By your insulting foes is hardly press'd.

tu mihi nunc pugnae princeps, tu rite propinques

Th' Arcadian horsemen, and Etrurian host,

augurium Phrygibusque adsis pede, diva, secundo.

Advance in order on the Latian coast:

Tantum effatus. Et interea revoluta rubebat

To cut their way the Daunian chief designs,

matura iam luce dies noctemque fugarat:

Before their troops can reach the Trojan lines.

principio sociis edicit, signa sequantur

Thou, when the rosy morn restores the light,

atque animos aptent armis pugnaeque parent se.

First arm thy soldiers for th' ensuing fight:

Iamque in conspectu Teucros habet et sua castra,

Thyself the fated sword of Vulcan wield,

stans celsa in puppi; clipeum cum deinde sinistra

And bear aloft th' impenetrable shield.

extulit ardentem. Clamorem ad sidera tollunt

To-morrow's sun, unless my skill be vain,

Dardanidae e muris, spes addita suscitat iras,

Shall see huge heaps of foes in battle slain."

tela manu iaciunt: quales sub nubibus atris

Parting, she spoke; and with immortal force

Strymoniae dant signa grues atque aethera tranant

Push'd on the vessel in her wat'ry course;

cum sonitu fugiuntque notos clamore secundo.

For well she knew the way. Impell'd behind,

At Rutulo regi ducibusque ea mira videri

The ship flew forward, and outstripp'd the wind.

Ausoniis, donec versas ad litora puppes

The rest make up. Unknowing of the cause,

respiciunt totumque adlabi classibus aequor.

The chief admires their speed, and happy omens draws.

Ardet apex capiti cristisque a vertice flamma

Then thus he pray'd, and fix'd on heav'n his eyes:

funditur et vastos umbo vomit aureus ignes:

"Hear thou, great Mother of the deities.

With turrets crown'd! (on Ida's holy hill

Fierce tigers, rein'd and curb'd, obey thy will.)

Firm thy own omens; lead us on to fight;

And let thy Phrygians conquer in thy right."

He said no more. And now renewing day

Had chas'd the shadows of the night away.

He charg'd the soldiers, with preventing care,

Their flags to follow, and their arms prepare;

Warn'd of th' ensuing fight, and bade 'em hope the war.

Now, his lofty poop, he view'd below

His camp incompass'd, and th' inclosing foe.

His blazing shield, imbrac'd, he held on high;

The camp receive the sign, and with loud shouts reply.

Hope arms their courage: from their tow'rs they throw

Their darts with double force, and drive the foe.

Thus, at the signal giv'n, the cranes arise

Before the stormy south, and blacken all the skies.

King Turnus wonder'd at the fight renew'd,

Till, looking back, the Trojan fleet he view'd,

The seas with swelling canvas cover'd o'er,

And the swift ships descending on the shore.

The Latians saw from far, with dazzled eyes,

The radiant crest that seem'd in flames to rise,

And dart diffusive fires around the field,

And the keen glitt'ring the golden shield.

Thus threat'ning comets, when by night they rise,

Shoot sanguine streams, and sadden all the skies:

So Sirius, flashing forth sinister lights,

Pale humankind with plagues and with dry famine fright:

Yet Turnus with undaunted mind is bent

To man the shores, and hinder their descent,

And thus awakes the courage of his friends:

"What you so long have wish'd, kind Fortune sends;

In ardent arms to meet th' invading foe:

You find, and find him at advantage now.

Yours is the day: you need but only dare;

Your swords will make you masters of the war.

Your sires, your sons, your houses, and your lands,

And dearest wifes, are all within your hands.

Be mindful of the race from whence you came,

non secus ac liquida siquando nocte cometae

And emulate in arms your fathers' fame.

sanguinei lugubre rubent aut Sirius ardor,

Now take the time, while stagg'ring yet they stand

ille sitim morbosque ferens mortalibus aegris,

With feet unfirm, and prepossess the strand:

nascitur et laevo contristat lumine caelum.

Fortune befriends the bold." Nor more he said,

Haud tamen audaci Turno fiducia cessit

But balanc'd whom to leave, and whom to lead;

litora praecipere et venientis pellere terra.

Then these elects, the landing to prevent;

ultro animos tollit dictis atque increpat ultro

And those he leaves, to keep the city pent.

Quod votis optastis, adest, perfringere dextra;

Meantime the Trojan sends his troops ashore:

in manibus Mars ipse viris. Nunc coniugis esto

Some are by boats expos'd, by bridges more.

quisque suae tectique memor, nunc magna referto

With lab'ring oars they bear along the strand,

facta, patrum laudes. Ultro occurramus ad undam,

Where the tide languishes, and leap aland.

dum trepidi egressisque labant vestigia prima.

Tarchon observes the coast with careful eyes,

Audentis Fortuna iuvat,

And, where no ford he finds, no water fries,

haec ait et secum versat, quos ducere contra

Nor billows with unequal murmurs roar,

vel quibus obsessos possit concredere muros.

But smoothly slide along, and swell the shore,

Interea Aeneas socios de puppibus altis

That course he steer'd, and thus he gave command:

pontibus exponit. Multi servare recursus

"Here ply your oars, and at all hazard land:

languentis pelagi et brevibus se credere saltu,

Force on the vessel, that her keel may wound

per remos alii. Speculatus litora Tarchon,

This hated soil, and furrow hostile ground.

qua vada non sperat nec fracta remurmurat unda,

Let me securely land- I ask no more;

sed mare inoffensum crescenti adlabitur aestu,

Then sink my ships, or shatter on the shore."

advertit subito proram sociosque precatur:

This fiery speech inflames his fearful friends:

Nunc, o lecta manus, validis incumbite remis;

They tug at ev'ry oar, and ev'ry stretcher bends;

tollite, ferte rates; inimicam findite rostris

They run their ships aground; the vessels knock,

hanc terram, sulcumque sibi premat ipsa carina.

(Thus forc'd ashore,) and tremble with the shock.

Frangere nec tali puppim statione recuso

Tarchon's alone was lost, that stranded stood,

arrepta tellure semel. Quae talia postquam

Stuck on a bank, and beaten by the flood:

effatus Tarchon, socii consurgere tonsis

She breaks her back; the loosen'd sides give way,

spumantisque rates arvis inferre Latinis,

And plunge the Tuscan soldiers in the sea.

donec rostra tenent siccum et sedere carinae

Their broken oars and floating planks withstand

omnes innocuae, sed non puppis tua, Tarchon.

Their passage, while they labor to the land,

Namque inflicta vadis dorso dum pendet iniquo,

And ebbing tides bear back upon th' uncertain sand.

anceps sustentata diu fluctusque fatigat,

Now Turnus leads his troops without delay,

solvitur atque viros mediis exponit in undis

Advancing to the margin of the sea.

fragmina remorum quos et fluitantia transtra

The trumpets sound: Aeneas first assail'd

impediunt, retrahitque pedem simul unda relabens.

The clowns new-rais'd and raw, and soon prevail'd.

Nec Turnum segnis retinet mora, sed rapit acer

Great Theron fell, an omen of the fight;

totam aciem in Teucros et contra in litore sistit.

Great Theron, large of limbs, of giant height.

Signa canunt. Primus turmas invasit agrestis

He first in open field defied the prince:

Aeneas, omen pugnae, stravitque Latinos

But armor scal'd with gold was no defense

occiso Therone, virum qui maximus ultro

Against the fated sword, which open'd wide

Aenean petit: huic gladio perque aerea suta,

His plated shield, and pierc'd his naked side.

per tunicam squalentem auro latus haurit apertum.

Next, Lichas fell, who, not like others born,

Inde Lichan ferit, exsectum iam matre perempta

Was from his wretched mother ripp'd and torn;

et tibi, Phoebe, sacrum: casus evadere ferri

Sacred, O Phoebus, from his birth to thee;

quo licuit parvo? Nec longe Cissea durum

For his beginning life from biting steel was free.

immanemque Gyan, sternentis agmina clava,

Not far from him was Gyas laid along,

deiecit Leto: nihil illos Herculis arma

Of monstrous bulk; with Cisseus fierce and strong:

nec validae iuvere manus genitorque Melampus,

Vain bulk and strength! for, when the chief assail'd,

Alcidae comes usque gravis dum terra labores

Nor valor nor Herculean arms avail'd,

praebuit. Ecce Pharo, voces dum iactat inertis,

Nor their fam'd father, wont in war to go

intorquens iaculum clamanti sistit in ore.

With great Alcides, while he toil'd below.

Tu quoque, flaventem prima lanugine malas

The noisy Pharos next receiv'd his death:

dum sequeris Clytium infelix, nova gaudia, Cydon,

Aeneas writh'd his dart, and stopp'd his bawling breath.

Dardania stratus dextra, securus amorum,

Then wretched Cydon had receiv'd his doom,

qui iuvenum tibi semper erant, miserande iaceres,

Who courted Clytius in his beardless bloom,

ni fratrum stipata cohors foret obvia, Phorci

And sought with lust obscene polluted joys:

progenies, septem numero, septenaque tela

The Trojan sword had curd his love of boys,

coniciunt; partim galea clipeoque resultant

Had not his sev'n bold brethren stopp'd the course

inrita, deflexit partim stringentia corpus

Of the fierce champions, with united force.

alma Venus. Fidum Aeneas adfatur Achaten:

Sev'n darts were thrown at once; and some rebound

Suggere tela mihi: non ullum dextera frustra

From his bright shield, some on his helmet sound:

torserit in Rutulos, steterunt quae in corpore Graium

The rest had reach'd him; but his mother's care

Iliacis campis. Tum magnam corripit hastam

Prevented those, and turn'd aside in air.

et iacit: illa volans clipei transverberat aera

The prince then call'd Achates, to supply

Maeonis et thoraca simul cum pectore rumpit.

The spears that knew the way to victory-

Huic frater subit Alcanor fratremque ruentem

"Those fatal weapons, which, inur'd to blood,

sustentat dextra: traiecto missa lacerto

In Grecian bodies under Ilium stood:

protinus hasta fugit servatque cruenta tenorem,

Not one of those my hand shall toss in vain

dexteraque ex umero nervis moribunda pependit.

Against our foes, on this contended plain."

Tum Numitor iaculo fratris de corpore rapto

He said; then seiz'd a mighty spear, and threw;

Aenean petiit; sed non et figere contra

Which, wing'd with fate, thro' Maeon's buckler flew,

est licitum, magnique femur perstrinxit Achatae.

Pierc'd all the brazen plates, and reach'd his heart:

Hic Curibus fidens primaevo corpore Clausus

He stagger'd with intolerable smart.

advenit et rigida Dryopem ferit eminus hasta

Alcanor saw; and reach'd, but reach'd in vain,

sub mentum graviter pressa pariterque loquentis

His helping hand, his brother to sustain.

vocem animamque rapit traiecto gutture; at ille

A second spear, which kept the former course,

fronte ferit terram et crassum vomit ore cruorem.

From the same hand, and sent with equal force,

Tres quoque Threicios Boreae de gente suprema

His right arm pierc'd, and holding on, bereft

et tris, quos Idas pater et patria Ismara mittit,

His use of both, and pinion'd down his left.

per varios sternit casus. Accurrit Halaesus

Then Numitor from his dead brother drew

Auruncaeque manus, subit et Neptunia proles,

Th' ill-omen'd spear, and at the Trojan threw:

insignis Messapus equis. Expellere tendunt

Preventing fate directs the lance awry,

nunc hi, nunc illi; certatur limine in ipso

Which, glancing, only mark'd Achates' thigh.

Ausoniae. Magno discordes aethere venti

In pride of youth the Sabine Clausus came,

proelia ceu tollunt animis et viribus aequis;

And, from afar, at Dryops took his aim.

non ipsi inter se, non nubila, non mare cedit;

The spear flew hissing thro' the middle space,

anceps pugna diu, stant obnixa omnia contra:

And pierc'd his throat, directed at his face;

haud aliter Troianae acies aciesque Latinae

It stopp'd at once the passage of his wind,

concurrunt; haeret pede pes densusque viro vir.

And the free soul to flitting air resign'd:

At parte ex alia, qua saxa rotantia late

His forehead was the first that struck the ground;

Lifeblood and life rush'd mingled thro' the wound.

He slew three brothers of the Borean race,

And three, whom Ismarus, their native place,

Had sent to war, but all the sons of Thrace.

Halesus, next, the bold Aurunci leads:

The son of Neptune to his aid succeeds,

Conspicuous on his horse. On either hand,

These fight to keep, and those to win, the land.

With mutual blood th' Ausonian soil is dyed,

While on its borders each their claim decide.

As wintry winds, contending in the sky,

With equal force of lungs their titles try:

They rage, they roar; the doubtful rack of heav'n

Stands without motion, and the tide undriv'n:

Each bent to conquer, neither side to yield,

They long suspend the fortune of the field.

Both armies thus perform what courage can;

Foot set to foot, and mingled man to man.

But, in another part, th' Arcadian horse

With ill success ingage the Latin force:

For, where th' impetuous torrent, rushing down,

Huge craggy stones and rooted trees had thrown,

They left their coursers, and, unus'd to fight

On foot, were scatter'd in a shameful flight.

Pallas, who with disdain and grief had view'd

His foes pursuing, and his friends pursued,

Us'd threat'nings mix'd with pray'rs, his last resource,

With these to move their minds, with those to fire their force

"Which way, companions? whether would you run?

By you yourselves, and mighty battles won,

By my great sire, by his establish'd name,

And early promise of my future fame;

By my youth, emulous of equal right

To share his honors- shun ignoble flight!

Trust not your feet: your hands must hew way

Thro' yon black body, and that thick array:

'T is thro' that forward path that we must come;

There lies our way, and that our passage home.

Nor pow'rs above, nor destinies below

Oppress our arms: with equal strength we go,

With mortal hands to meet a mortal foe.

impulerat torrens arbustaque diruta ripis,

See on what foot we stand: a scanty shore,

Arcadas insuetos acies inferre pedestris

The sea behind, our enemies before;

ut vidit Pallas Latio dare terga sequaci

No passage left, unless we swim the main;

(aspera quis natura loci dimittere quando

Or, forcing these, the Trojan trenches gain."

suasit equos), unum quod rebus restat egenis,

This said, he strode with eager haste along,

nunc prece, nunc dictis virtutem accendit amaris:

And bore amidst the thickest of the throng.

Quo fugitis, socii? Per vos et fortia facta,

Lagus, the first he met, with fate to foe,

per ducis Evandri nomen devictaque bella

Had heav'd a stone of mighty weight, to throw:

Opemque meam, patriae quae nunc subit aemula laudi,

Stooping, the spear descended on his chine,

fidite ne pedibus. Ferro rumpenda per hostis

Just where the bone distinguished either loin:

est via. Qua globus ille virum densissimus urget,

It stuck so fast, so deeply buried lay,

hac vos et Pallanta ducem patria alta reposcit.

That scarce the victor forc'd the steel away.

Numina nulla premunt, mortali urgemur ab hoste

Hisbon came on: but, while he mov'd too slow

mortales, totidem nobis animaeque manusque.

To wish'd revenge, the prince prevents his blow;

Ecce, maris magna claudit nos obice pontus,

For, warding his at once, at once he press'd,

deest iam terra fugae: pelagus Troiamne petemus?

And plung'd the fatal weapon in his breast.

Haec ait et medius densos prorumpit in hostis.

Then lewd Anchemolus he laid in dust,

Obvius huic primum, fatis adductus iniquis,

Who stain'd his stepdam's bed with impious lust.

fit Lagus. Hunc, magno vellit dum pondere saxum,

And, after him, the Daucian twins were slain,

intorto figit telo, discrimina costis

Laris and Thymbrus, on the Latian plain;

per medium qua spina dabat, hastamque receptat

So wondrous like in feature, shape, and size,

ossibus haerentem. Quem non super occupat Hisbo,

As caus'd an error in their parents' eyes-

ille quidem hoc sperans: nam Pallas ante ruentem,

Grateful mistake! but soon the sword decides

dum furit, incautum crudeli morte sodalis

The nice distinction, and their fate divides:

excipit atque ensem tumido in pulmone recondit.

For Thymbrus' head was lopp'd; and Laris' hand,

Hinc Sthenium petit et Rhoeti de gente vetusta

Dismember'd, sought its owner on the strand:

Anchemolum, thalamos ausum incestare novercae.

The trembling fingers yet the fauchion strain,

Vos etiam, gemini, Rutulis cecidistis in agris,

And threaten still th' intended stroke in vain.

Daucia, Laride Thymberque, simillima proles,

Now, to renew the charge, th' Arcadians came:

indiscreta suis gratusque parentibus error;

Sight of such acts, and sense of honest shame,

at nunc dura dedit vobis discrimina Pallas:

And grief, with anger mix'd, their minds inflame.

nam tibi, Thymbre, caput Evandrius abstulit ensis;

Then, with a casual blow was Rhoeteus slain,

te decisa suum, Laride, dextera quaerit

Who chanc'd, as Pallas threw, to cross the plain:

semianimesque micant digiti ferrumque retractant.

The flying spear was after Ilus sent;

Arcadas accensos monitu et praeclara tuentis

But Rhoeteus happen'd on a death unmeant:

facta viri mixtus dolor et pudor armat in hostis.