Aeneid

"When Heav'n had overturn'd the Trojan state

Postquam res Asiae Priamique evertere gentem

And Priam's throne, by too severe a fate;

immeritam visum Superis, ceciditque superbum

When ruin'd Troy became the Grecians' prey,

Ilium, et omnis humo fumat Neptunia Troia,

And Ilium's lofty tow'rs in ashes lay;

diversa exsilia et desertas quaerere terras

Warn'd by celestial omens, we retreat,

auguriis agimur divom, classemque sub ipsa

To seek in foreign lands a happier seat.

Antandro et Phrygiae molimur montibus Idae,

Near old Antandros, and at Ida's foot,

incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,

The timber of the sacred groves we cut,

contrahimusque viros. Vix prima inceperat aestas,

And build our fleet; uncertain yet to find

et pater Anchises dare fatis vela iubebat;

What place the gods for our repose assign'd.

litora cum patriae lacrimans portusque relinquo

Friends daily flock; and scarce the kindly spring

et campos, ubi Troia fuit: feror exsul in altum

Began to clothe the ground, and birds to sing,

cum sociis natoque Penatibus et magnis dis.

When old Anchises summon'd all to sea:

Terra procul vastis colitur Mavortia campis,

The crew my father and the Fates obey.

Thraces arant, acri quondam regnata Lycurgo,

With sighs and tears I leave my native shore,

hospitium antiquum Troiae sociique Penates,

And empty fields, where Ilium stood before.

dum Fortuna fuit. Feror huc, et litore curvo

My sire, my son, our less and greater gods,

moenia prima loco, fatis ingressus iniquis,

All sail at once, and cleave the briny floods.

Aeneadasque meo nomen de nomine fingo.

"Against our coast appears a spacious land,

Sacra Dionaeae matri divisque ferebam

Which once the fierce Lycurgus did command,

auspicibus coeptorum operum, superoque nitentem

(Thracia the name- the people bold in war;

caelicolum regi mactabam in litore taurum.

Vast are their fields, and tillage is their care,)

Forte fuit iuxta tumulus, quo cornea summo

A hospitable realm while Fate was kind,

virgulta et densis hastilibus horrida myrtus.

With Troy in friendship and religion join'd.

Accessi, viridemque ab humo convellere silvam

I land; with luckless omens then adore

conatus, ramis tegerem ut frondentibus aras,

Their gods, and draw a line along the shore;

horrendum et dictu video mirabile monstrum.

I lay the deep foundations of a wall,

Nam, quae prima solo ruptis radicibus arbos

And Aenos, nam'd from me, the city call.

vellitur, huic atro liquuntur sanguine guttae,

To Dionaean Venus vows are paid,

et terram tabo maculant. Mihi frigidus horror

And all the pow'rs that rising labors aid;

membra quatit, gelidusque coit formidine sanguis.

A bull on Jove's imperial altar laid.

Rursus et alterius lentum convellere vimen

Not far, a rising hillock stood in view;

insequor, et causas penitus temptare latentis:

Sharp myrtles on the sides, and cornels grew.

ater et alterius sequitur de cortice sanguis.

There, while I went to crop the sylvan scenes,

Multa movens animo nymphas venerabar agrestis

And shade our altar with their leafy greens,

Gradivumque patrem, Geticis qui praesidet arvis,

I pull'd a plant- with horror I relate

rite secundarent visus omenque levarent.

A prodigy so strange and full of fate.

Tertia sed postquam maiore hastilia nisu

The rooted fibers rose, and from the wound

adgredior, genibusque adversae obluctor harenae—

Black bloody drops distill'd upon the ground.

eloquar, an sileam?—gemitus lacrimabilis imo

Mute and amaz'd, my hair with terror stood;

auditur tumulo, et vox reddita fertur ad auris:

Fear shrunk my sinews, and congeal'd my blood.

Quid miserum, Aenea, laceras? Iam parce sepulto;

Mann'd once again, another plant I try:

parce pias scelerare manus. Non me tibi Troia

That other gush'd with the same sanguine dye.

externum tulit, aut cruor hic de stipite manat.

Then, fearing guilt for some offense unknown,

Heu, fuge crudelis terras, fuge litus avarum:

With pray'rs and vows the Dryads I atone,

nam Polydorus ego; hic confixum ferrea texit

With all the sisters of the woods, and most

telorum seges et iaculis increvit acutis.

The God of Arms, who rules the Thracian coast,

Tum vero ancipiti mentem formidine pressus

That they, or he, these omens would avert,

obstipui, steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit.

Release our fears, and better signs impart.

Hunc Polydorum auri quondam cum pondere magno

Clear'd, as I thought, and fully fix'd at length

infelix Priamus furtim mandarat alendum

To learn the cause, I tugged with all my strength:

Threicio regi, cum iam diffideret armis

I bent my knees against the ground; once more

Dardaniae, cingique urbem obsidione videret.

The violated myrtle ran with gore.

Ille, ut opes fractae Teucrum, et Fortuna recessit,

Scarce dare I tell the sequel: from the womb

res Agamemnonias victriciaque arma secutus,

Of wounded earth, and caverns of the tomb,

fas omne abrumpit; Polydorum obtruncat, et auro

A groan, as of a troubled ghost, renew'd

vi potitur. Quid non mortalia pectora cogis,

My fright, and then these dreadful words ensued:

auri sacra fames? Postquam pavor ossa reliquit,

'Why dost thou thus my buried body rend?

delectos populi ad proceres primumque parentem

O spare the corpse of thy unhappy friend!

monstra deum refero, et quae sit sententia posco.

Spare to pollute thy pious hands with blood:

Omnibus idem animus, scelerata excedere terra,

The tears distil not from the wounded wood;

linqui pollutum hospitium, et dare classibus austros.

But ev'ry drop this living tree contains

Ergo instauramus Polydoro funus, et ingens

Is kindred blood, and ran in Trojan veins.

aggeritur tumulo tellus; stant Manibus arae,

O fly from this unhospitable shore,

caeruleis maestae vittis atraque cupresso,

Warn'd by my fate; for I am Polydore!

et circum Iliades crinem de more solutae;

Here loads of lances, in my blood embrued,

inferimus tepido spumantia cymbia lacte

Again shoot upward, by my blood renew'd.'

sanguinis et sacri pateras, animamque sepulchro

"My falt'ring tongue and shiv'ring limbs declare

condimus, et magna supremum voce ciemus.

My horror, and in bristles rose my hair.

Inde, ubi prima fides pelago, placataque venti

When Troy with Grecian arms was closely pent,

dant maria et lenis crepitans vocat Auster in altum,

Old Priam, fearful of the war's event,

deducunt socii navis et litora complent:

This hapless Polydore to Thracia sent:

Loaded with gold, he sent his darling, far

From noise and tumults, and destructive war,

Committed to the faithless tyrant's care;

Who, when he saw the pow'r of Troy decline,

Forsook the weaker, with the strong to join;

Broke ev'ry bond of nature and of truth,

And murder'd, for his wealth, the royal youth.

O sacred hunger of pernicious gold!

What bands of faith can impious lucre hold?

Now, when my soul had shaken off her fears,

I call my father and the Trojan peers;

Relate the prodigies of Heav'n, require

What he commands, and their advice desire.

All vote to leave that execrable shore,

Polluted with the blood of Polydore;

But, ere we sail, his fun'ral rites prepare,

Then, to his ghost, a tomb and altars rear.

In mournful pomp the matrons walk the round,

With baleful cypress and blue fillets crown'd,

With eyes dejected, and with hair unbound.

Then bowls of tepid milk and blood we pour,

And thrice invoke the soul of Polydore.

"Now, when the raging storms no longer reign,

provehimur portu, terraeque urbesque recedunt.

But southern gales invite us to the main,

Sacra mari colitur medio gratissima tellus

We launch our vessels, with a prosp'rous wind,

Nereidum matri et Neptuno Aegaeo,

And leave the cities and the shores behind.

quam pius arquitenens oras et litora circum

"An island in th' Aegaean main appears;

errantem Mycono e celsa Gyaroque revinxit,

Neptune and wat'ry Doris claim it theirs.

immotamque coli dedit et contemnere ventos.

It floated once, till Phoebus fix'd the sides

Huc feror; haec fessos tuto placidissima portu

To rooted earth, and now it braves the tides.

accipit: egressi veneramur Apollinis urbem.

Here, borne by friendly winds, we come ashore,

Rex Anius, rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos

With needful ease our weary limbs restore,

vittis et sacra redimitus tempora lauro,

And the Sun's temple and his town adore.

occurrit; veterem Anchisen adgnovit amicum.

"Anius, the priest and king, with laurel crown'd,

Iungimus hospitio dextras, et tecta subimus.

His hoary locks with purple fillets bound,

Templa dei saxo venerabar structa vetusto:

Who saw my sire the Delian shore ascend,

Da propriam, Thymbraee, domum; da moenia fessis

Came forth with eager haste to meet his friend;

et genus et mansuram urbem; serva altera Troiae

Invites him to his palace; and, in sign

Pergama, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli.

Of ancient love, their plighted hands they join.

Quem sequimur? Quove ire iubes? Ubi ponere sedes?

Then to the temple of the god I went,

Da, pater, augurium, atque animis inlabere nostris.

And thus, before the shrine, my vows present:

Vix ea fatus eram: tremere omnia visa repente,

'Give, O Thymbraeus, give a resting place

liminaque laurusque dei, totusque moveri

To the sad relics of the Trojan race;

mons circum, et mugire adytis cortina reclusis.

A seat secure, a region of their own,

Submissi petimus terram, et vox fertur ad auris:

A lasting empire, and a happier town.

Dardanidae duri, quae vos a stirpe parentum

Where shall we fix? where shall our labors end?

prima tulit tellus, eadem vos ubere laeto

Whom shall we follow, and what fate attend?

accipiet reduces. Antiquam exquirite matrem:

Let not my pray'rs a doubtful answer find;

hic domus Aeneae cunctis dominabitur oris,

But in clear auguries unveil thy mind.'

et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis.

Scarce had I said: he shook the holy ground,

Haec Phoebus; mixtoque ingens exorta tumultu

The laurels, and the lofty hills around;

laetitia, et cuncti quae sint ea moenia quaerunt,

And from the tripos rush'd a bellowing sound.

quo Phoebus vocet errantis iubeatque reverti?

Prostrate we fell; confess'd the present god,

Tum genitor, veterum volvens monumenta virorum,

Who gave this answer from his dark abode:

Audite, O proceres ait et spes discite vestras:

'Undaunted youths, go, seek that mother earth

Creta Iovis magni medio iacet insula ponto;

From which your ancestors derive their birth.

mons Idaeus ubi, et gentis cunabula nostrae.

The soil that sent you forth, her ancient race

Centum urbes habitant magnas, uberrima regna;

In her old bosom shall again embrace.

maximus unde pater, si rite audita recordor,

Thro' the wide world th' Aeneian house shall reign,

Teucrus Rhoeteas primum est advectus in oras,

And children's children shall the crown sustain.'

optavitque locum regno. Nondum Ilium et arces

Thus Phoebus did our future fates disclose:

Pergameae steterant; habitabant vallibus imis.

A mighty tumult, mix'd with joy, arose.

hinc mater cultrix Cybeli Corybantiaque aera

"All are concern'd to know what place the god

Idaeumque nemus; hinc fida silentia sacris,

Assign'd, and where determin'd our abode.

et iuncti currum dominae subiere leones.

My father, long revolving in his mind

Ergo agite, et, divom ducunt qua iussa, sequamur;

The race and lineage of the Trojan kind,

placemus ventos et Gnosia regna petamus.

Thus answer'd their demands: 'Ye princes, hear

Nec longo distant cursu; modo Iuppiter adsit,

Your pleasing fortune, and dispel your fear.

tertia lux classem Cretaeis sistet in oris.

The fruitful isle of Crete, well known to fame,

Sic fatus, meritos aris mactavit honores,

Sacred of old to Jove's imperial name,

taurum Neptuno, taurum tibi, pulcher Apollo

In the mid ocean lies, with large command,

nigram Hiemi pecudem, Zephyris felicibus albam.

And on its plains a hundred cities stand.

Fama volat pulsum regnis cessisse paternis

Another Ida rises there, and we

Idomenea ducem, desertaque litora Cretae

From thence derive our Trojan ancestry.

hoste vacare domos, sedesque adstare relictas.

From thence, as 't is divulg'd by certain fame,

Linquimus Ortygiae portus, pelagoque volamus,

To the Rhoetean shores old Teucrus came;

bacchatamque iugis Naxon viridemque Donysam,

There fix'd, and there the seat of empire chose,

Olearon, niveamque Paron, sparsasque per aequor

Ere Ilium and the Trojan tow'rs arose.

Cycladas, et crebris legimus freta consita terris.

In humble vales they built their soft abodes,

Nauticus exoritur vario certamine clamor;

Till Cybele, the mother of the gods,

hortantur socii: Cretam proavosque petamus!

With tinkling cymbals charm'd th' Idaean woods,

Prosequitur surgens a puppi ventus euntis

She secret rites and ceremonies taught,

et tandem antiquis Curetum adlabimur oris.

And to the yoke the savage lions brought.

Ergo avidus muros optatae molior urbis,

Let us the land which Heav'n appoints, explore;

Pergameamque voco, et laetam cognomine gentem

Appease the winds, and seek the Gnossian shore.

hortor amare focos arcemque attollere tectis.

If Jove assists the passage of our fleet,

Iamque fere sicco subductae litore puppes;

The third propitious dawn discovers Crete.'

conubiis arvisque novis operata iuventus;

Thus having said, the sacrifices, laid

iura domosque dabam: subito cum tabida membris,

On smoking altars, to the gods he paid:

corrupto caeli tractu, miserandaque venit

A bull, to Neptune an oblation due,

arboribusque satisque lues et letifer annus.

Another bull to bright Apollo slew;

Linquebant dulcis animas, aut aegra trahebant

A milk-white ewe, the western winds to please,

corpora; tum sterilis exurere Sirius agros;

And one coal-black, to calm the stormy seas.

arebant herbae, et victum seges aegra negabat.

Ere this, a flying rumor had been spread

Rursus ad oraclum Ortygiae Phoebumque remenso

That fierce Idomeneus from Crete was fled,

Expell'd and exil'd; that the coast was free

From foreign or domestic enemy.

"We leave the Delian ports, and put to sea;

By Naxos, fam'd for vintage, make our way;

Then green Donysa pass; and sail in sight

Of Paros' isle, with marble quarries white.

We pass the scatter'd isles of Cyclades,

That, scarce distinguish'd, seem to stud the seas.

The shouts of sailors double near the shores;

They stretch their canvas, and they ply their oars.

'All hands aloft! for Crete! for Crete!' they cry,

And swiftly thro' the foamy billows fly.

Full on the promis'd land at length we bore,

With joy descending on the Cretan shore.

With eager haste a rising town I frame,

Which from the Trojan Pergamus I name:

The name itself was grateful; I exhort

To found their houses, and erect a fort.

Our ships are haul'd upon the yellow strand;

The youth begin to till the labor'd land;

And I myself new marriages promote,

Give laws, and dwellings I divide by lot;

hortatur pater ire mari, veniamque precari:

When rising vapors choke the wholesome air,

quam fessis finem rebus ferat; unde laborum

And blasts of noisome winds corrupt the year;

temptare auxilium iubeat; quo vertere cursus.

The trees devouring caterpillars burn;

Nox erat, et terris animalia somnus habebat:

Parch'd was the grass, and blighted was the corn:

effigies sacrae divom Phrygiique Penates,

Nor 'scape the beasts; for Sirius, from on high,

quos mecum a Troia mediisque ex ignibus urbis

With pestilential heat infects the sky:

extuleram, visi ante oculos adstare iacentis

My men- some fall, the rest in fevers fry.

in somnis, multo manifesti lumine, qua se

Again my father bids me seek the shore

plena per insertas fundebat luna fenestras;

Of sacred Delos, and the god implore,

tum sic adfari et curas his demere dictis:

To learn what end of woes we might expect,

Quod tibi delato Ortygiam dicturus Apollo est,

And to what clime our weary course direct.

hic canit, et tua nos en ultro ad limina mittit.

"'T was night, when ev'ry creature, void of cares,

Nos te, Dardania incensa, tuaque arma secuti,

The common gift of balmy slumber shares:

nos tumidum sub te permensi classibus aequor,

The statues of my gods (for such they seem'd),

idem venturos tollemus in astra nepotes,

Those gods whom I from flaming Troy redeem'd,

imperiumque urbi dabimus: tu moenia magnis

Before me stood, majestically bright,

magna para, longumque fugae ne linque laborem.

Full in the beams of Phoebe's ent'ring light.

Mutandae sedes: non haec tibi litora suasit

Then thus they spoke, and eas'd my troubled mind:

Delius, aut Cretae iussit considere Apollo.

'What from the Delian god thou go'st to find,

Est locus, Hesperiam Grai cognomine dicunt,

He tells thee here, and sends us to relate.

terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glaebae;

Those pow'rs are we, companions of thy fate,

Oenotri coluere viri; nunc fama minores

Who from the burning town by thee were brought,

Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem:

Thy fortune follow'd, and thy safety wrought.

hae nobis propriae sedes; hinc Dardanus ortus,

Thro' seas and lands as we thy steps attend,

Iasiusque pater, genus a quo principe nostrum.

So shall our care thy glorious race befriend.

Surge age, et haec laetus longaevo dicta parenti

An ample realm for thee thy fates ordain,

haud dubitanda refer: Corythum terrasque requirat

A town that o'er the conquer'd world shall reign.

Ausonias; Dictaea negat tibi Iuppiter arva.

Thou, mighty walls for mighty nations build;

Talibus attonitus visis et voce deorum—

Nor let thy weary mind to labors yield:

nec sopor illud erat, sed coram adgnoscere voltus

But change thy seat; for not the Delian god,

velatasque comas praesentiaque ora videbar;

Nor we, have giv'n thee Crete for our abode.

tum gelidus toto manabat corpore sudor

A land there is, Hesperia call'd of old,

corripio e stratis corpus, tendoque supinas

(The soil is fruitful, and the natives bold-

ad caelum cum voce manus, et munera libo

Th' Oenotrians held it once,) by later fame

intemerata focis. Perfecto laetus honore

Now call'd Italia, from the leader's name.

Anchisen facio certum, remque ordine pando.

lasius there and Dardanus were born;

Adgnovit prolem ambiguam geminosque parentes,

From thence we came, and thither must return.

seque novo veterum deceptum errore locorum.

Rise, and thy sire with these glad tidings greet.

Tum memorat: Nate, Iliacis exercite fatis,

Search Italy; for Jove denies thee Crete.'

sola mihi talis casus Cassandra canebat.

"Astonish'd at their voices and their sight,

Nunc repeto haec generi portendere debita nostro,

(Nor were they dreams, but visions of the night;

et saepe Hesperiam, saepe Itala regna vocare.

I saw, I knew their faces, and descried,

Sed quis ad Hesperiae venturos litora Teucros

In perfect view, their hair with fillets tied;)

crederet, aut quem tum vates Cassandra moveret?

I started from my couch; a clammy sweat

Cedamus Phoebo, et moniti meliora sequamur.

On all my limbs and shiv'ring body sate.

Sic ait, et cuncti dicto paremus ovantes.

To heav'n I lift my hands with pious haste,

Hanc quoque deserimus sedem, paucisque relictis

And sacred incense in the flames I cast.

vela damus, vastumque cava trabe currimus aequor.

Thus to the gods their perfect honors done,

Postquam altum tenuere rates, nec iam amplius ullae

More cheerful, to my good old sire I run,

adparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus,

And tell the pleasing news. In little space

tum mihi caeruleus supra caput adstitit imber,

He found his error of the double race;

noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris.

Not, as before he deem'd, deriv'd from Crete;

Continuo venti volvunt mare, magnaque surgunt

No more deluded by the doubtful seat:

aequora; dispersi iactamur gurgite vasto;

Then said: 'O son, turmoil'd in Trojan fate!

involvere diem nimbi, et nox umida caelum

Such things as these Cassandra did relate.

abstulit; ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes.

This day revives within my mind what she

Excutimur cursu, et caecis erramus in undis.

Foretold of Troy renew'd in Italy,

Ipse diem noctemque negat discernere caelo,

And Latian lands; but who could then have thought

nec meminisse viae media Palinurus in unda.

That Phrygian gods to Latium should be brought,

Tris adeo incertos caeca caligine soles

Or who believ'd what mad Cassandra taught?

erramus pelago, totidem sine sidere noctes.

Now let us go where Phoebus leads the way.'

Quarto terra die primum se attollere tandem

"He said; and we with glad consent obey,

visa, aperire procul montis, ac volvere fumum.

Forsake the seat, and, leaving few behind,

Vela cadunt, remis insurgimus; haud mora nautae

We spread our sails before the willing wind.

adnixi torquent spumas et caerula verrunt.

Now from the sight of land our galleys move,

Servatum ex undis Strophadum me litora primum

With only seas around and skies above;

accipiunt; Strophades Graio stant nomine dictae,

When o'er our heads descends a burst of rain,

insulae Ionio in magno, quas dira Celaeno

And night with sable clouds involves the main;

Harpyiaeque colunt aliae, Phineia postquam

The ruffling winds the foamy billows raise;

clausa domus, mensasque metu liquere priores.

The scatter'd fleet is forc'd to sev'ral ways;

Tristius haud illis monstrum, nec saevior ulla

The face of heav'n is ravish'd from our eyes,

pestis et ira deum Stygiis sese extulit undis.

And in redoubled peals the roaring thunder flies.

Cast from our course, we wander in the dark.

No stars to guide, no point of land to mark.

Ev'n Palinurus no distinction found

Betwixt the night and day; such darkness reign'd around.

Three starless nights the doubtful navy strays,

Without distinction, and three sunless days;

The fourth renews the light, and, from our shrouds,

We view a rising land, like distant clouds;

The mountain-tops confirm the pleasing sight,

And curling smoke ascending from their height.

The canvas falls; their oars the sailors ply;

From the rude strokes the whirling waters fly.

At length I land upon the Strophades,

Safe from the danger of the stormy seas.

Those isles are compass'd by th' Ionian main,

The dire abode where the foul Harpies reign,

Forc'd by the winged warriors to repair

To their old homes, and leave their costly fare.

Monsters more fierce offended Heav'n ne'er sent

From hell's abyss, for human punishment:

With virgin faces, but with wombs obscene,

Foul paunches, and with ordure still unclean;

With claws for hands, and looks for ever lean.

Virginei volucrum voltus, foedissima ventris

"We landed at the port, and soon beheld

proluvies, uncaeque manus, et pallida semper

Fat herds of oxen graze the flow'ry field,

ora fame.

And wanton goats without a keeper stray'd.

Huc ubi delati portus intravimus, ecce

With weapons we the welcome prey invade,

laeta boum passim campis armenta videmus,

Then call the gods for partners of our feast,

caprigenumque pecus nullo custode per herbas.

And Jove himself, the chief invited guest.

Inruimus ferro, et divos ipsumque vocamus

We spread the tables on the greensward ground;

in partem praedamque Iovem; tum litore curvo

We feed with hunger, and the bowls go round;

exstruimusque toros, dapibusque epulamur opimis.

When from the mountain-tops, with hideous cry,

At subitae horrifico lapsu de montibus adsunt

And clatt'ring wings, the hungry Harpies fly;

Harpyiae, et magnis quatiunt clangoribus alas,

They snatch the meat, defiling all they find,

diripiuntque dapes, contactuque omnia foedant

And, parting, leave a loathsome stench behind.

immundo; tum vox taetrum dira inter odorem.

Close by a hollow rock, again we sit,

Rursum in secessu longo sub rupe cavata,

New dress the dinner, and the beds refit,

arboribus clausi circum atque horrentibus umbris,

Secure from sight, beneath a pleasing shade,

instruimus mensas arisque reponimus ignem:

Where tufted trees a native arbor made.

rursum ex diverso caeli caecisque latebris

Again the holy fires on altars burn;

turba sonans praedam pedibus circumvolat uncis,

And once again the rav'nous birds return,

polluit ore dapes. Sociis tunc, arma capessant,

Or from the dark recesses where they lie,

edico, et dira bellum cum gente gerendum.

Or from another quarter of the sky;

Haud secus ac iussi faciunt, tectosque per herbam

With filthy claws their odious meal repeat,

disponunt enses et scuta latentia condunt.

And mix their loathsome ordures with their meat.

Ergo ubi delapsae sonitum per curva dedere

I bid my friends for vengeance then prepare,

litora, dat signum specula Misenus ab alta

And with the hellish nation wage the war.

aere cavo. Invadunt socii, et nova proelia temptant,

They, as commanded, for the fight provide,

obscenas pelagi ferro foedare volucres:

And in the grass their glitt'ring weapons hide;

sed neque vim plumis ullam nec volnera tergo

Then, when along the crooked shore we hear

accipiunt, celerique fuga sub sidera lapsae

Their clatt'ring wings, and saw the foes appear,

semesam praedam et vestigia foeda relinquunt.

Misenus sounds a charge: we take th' alarm,

Una in praecelsa consedit rupe Celaeno,

And our strong hands with swords and bucklers arm.

infelix vates, rumpitque hanc pectore vocem:

In this new kind of combat all employ

Bellum etiam pro caede boum stratisque iuvencis,

Their utmost force, the monsters to destroy.

Laomedontiadae, bellumne inferre paratis,

In vain- the fated skin is proof to wounds;

et patrio Harpyias insontis pellere regno?

And from their plumes the shining sword rebounds.

Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta,

At length rebuff'd, they leave their mangled prey,

quae Phoebo pater omnipotens, mihi Phoebus Apollo

And their stretch'd pinions to the skies display.

praedixit, vobis Furiarum ego maxuma pando.

Yet one remain'd- the messenger of Fate:

Italiam cursu petitis, ventisque vocatis

High on a craggy cliff Celaeno sate,

ibitis Italiam, portusque intrare licebit;

And thus her dismal errand did relate:

sed non ante datam cingetis moenibus urbem,

'What! not contented with our oxen slain,

quam vos dira fames nostraeque iniuria caedis

Dare you with Heav'n an impious war maintain,

ambesas subigat malis absumere mensas.

And drive the Harpies from their native reign?

Dixit, et in silvam pennis ablata refugit.

Heed therefore what I say; and keep in mind

At sociis subita gelidus formidine sanguis

What Jove decrees, what Phoebus has design'd,

deriguit; cecidere animi, nec iam amplius armis,

And I, the Furies' queen, from both relate-

sed votis precibusque iubent exposcere pacem,

You seek th' Italian shores, foredoom'd by fate:

sive deae, seu sint dirae obscenaeque volucres.

Th' Italian shores are granted you to find,

Et pater Anchises passis de litore palmis

And a safe passage to the port assign'd.

numina magna vocat, meritosque indicit honores:

But know, that ere your promis'd walls you build,

Di, prohibete minas; di, talem avertite casum,

My curses shall severely be fulfill'd.

et placidi servate pios! Tum litore funem

Fierce famine is your lot for this misdeed,

deripere, excussosque iubet laxare rudentes.

Reduc'd to grind the plates on which you feed.'

Tendunt vela Noti; fugimus spumantibus undis,

She said, and to the neighb'ring forest flew.

qua cursum ventusque gubernatorque vocabat.

Our courage fails us, and our fears renew.

Iam medio adparet fluctu nemorosa Zacynthos

Hopeless to win by war, to pray'rs we fall,

Dulichiumque Sameque et Neritos ardua saxis.

And on th' offended Harpies humbly call,

Effugimus scopulos Ithacae, Laertia regna,

And whether gods or birds obscene they were,

et terram altricem saevi exsecramur Ulixi.

Our vows for pardon and for peace prefer.

Mox et Leucatae nimbosa cacumina montis

But old Anchises, off'ring sacrifice,

et formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo.

And lifting up to heav'n his hands and eyes,

Hunc petimus fessi et parvae succedimus urbi;

Ador'd the greater gods: 'Avert,' said he,

ancora de prora iacitur, stant litore puppes.

'These omens; render vain this prophecy,

Ergo insperata tandem tellure potiti,

And from th' impending curse a pious people free!'

lustramurque Iovi votisque incendimus aras,

"Thus having said, he bids us put to sea;

Actiaque Iliacis celebramus litora ludis.

We loose from shore our haulsers, and obey,

Exercent patrias oleo labente palaestras

And soon with swelling sails pursue the wat'ry way.

nudati socii; iuvat evasisse tot urbes

Amidst our course, Zacynthian woods appear;

Argolicas, mediosque fugam tenuisse per hostis.

And next by rocky Neritos we steer:

Interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum,

We fly from Ithaca's detested shore,

et glacialis hiemps aquilonibus asperat undas.

And curse the land which dire Ulysses bore.

Aere cavo clipeum. magni gestamen Abantis,

At length Leucate's cloudy top appears,

postibus adversis figo, et rem carmine signo:

And the Sun's temple, which the sailor fears.

Resolv'd to breathe a while from labor past,

Our crooked anchors from the prow we cast,

And joyful to the little city haste.

Here, safe beyond our hopes, our vows we pay

To Jove, the guide and patron of our way.

The customs of our country we pursue,

And Trojan games on Actian shores renew.

Our youth their naked limbs besmear with oil,

And exercise the wrastlers' noble toil;

Pleas'd to have sail'd so long before the wind,

And left so many Grecian towns behind.

The sun had now fulfill'd his annual course,

And Boreas on the seas display'd his force:

I fix'd upon the temple's lofty door

The brazen shield which vanquish'd Abas bore;

The verse beneath my name and action speaks:

'These arms Aeneas took from conqu'ring Greeks.'

Then I command to weigh; the seamen ply

Their sweeping oars; the smoking billows fly.

The sight of high Phaeacia soon we lost,

And skimm'd along Epirus' rocky coast.

"Then to Chaonia's port our course we bend,

AENEAS HAEC DE DANAIS VICTORIBVS ARMA.

And, landed, to Buthrotus' heights ascend.

Linquere tum portus iubeo et considere transtris:

Here wondrous things were loudly blaz'd fame:

certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt.

How Helenus reviv'd the Trojan name,

Protinus aërias Phaeacum abscondimus arces,

And reign'd in Greece; that Priam's captive son

litoraque Epiri legimus portuque subimus

Succeeded Pyrrhus in his bed and throne;

Chaonio, et celsam Buthroti accedimus urbem.

And fair Andromache, restor'd by fate,

Hic incredibilis rerum fama occupat auris,

Once more was happy in a Trojan mate.

Priamiden Helenum Graias regnare per urbes,

I leave my galleys riding in the port,

coniugio Aeacidae Pyrrhi sceptrisque potitum,

And long to see the new Dardanian court.

et patrio Andromachen iterum cessisse marito.

By chance, the mournful queen, before the gate,

Obstipui, miroque incensum pectus amore,

Then solemniz'd her former husband's fate.

compellare virum et casus cognoscere tantos.

Green altars, rais'd of turf, with gifts she crown'd,

Progredior portu, classis et litora linquens,

And sacred priests in order stand around,

sollemnis cum forte dapes et tristia dona

And thrice the name of hapless Hector sound.

ante urbem in luco falsi Simoentis ad undam

The grove itself resembles Ida's wood;

libabat cineri Andromache, Manisque vocabat

And Simois seem'd the well-dissembled flood.

Hectoreum ad tumulum, viridi quem caespite inanem

But when at nearer distance she beheld

et geminas, causam lacrimis, sacraverat aras.

My shining armor and my Trojan shield,

Ut me conspexit venientem et Troïa circum

Astonish'd at the sight, the vital heat

arma amens vidit, magnis exterrita monstris

Forsakes her limbs; her veins no longer beat:

deriguit visu in medio, calor ossa reliquit;

She faints, she falls, and scarce recov'ring strength,

labitur, et longo vix tandem tempore fatur:

Thus, with a falt'ring tongue, she speaks at length:

Verane te facies, verus mihi nuntius adfers,

"'Are you alive, O goddess-born ?' she said,

nate dea? Vivisne, aut, si lux alma recessit,

'Or if a ghost, then where is Hector's shade?'

Hector ubi est? Dixit, lacrimasque effudit et omnem

At this, she cast a loud and frightful cry.

implevit clamore locum. Vix pauca furenti

With broken words I made this brief reply:

subicio, et raris turbatus vocibus hisco:

'All of me that remains appears in sight;

Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco;

I live, if living be to loathe the light.

ne dubita, nam vera vides.

No phantom; but I drag a wretched life,

Heu, quis te casus deiectam coniuge tanto

My fate resembling that of Hector's wife.

excipit, aut quae digna satis fortuna revisit

What have you suffer'd since you lost your lord?

Hectoris Andromachen? Pyrrhin’ conubia servas?

By what strange blessing are you now restor'd?

Deiecit vultum et demissa voce locuta est:

Still are you Hector's? or is Hector fled,

O felix una ante alias Priameïa virgo,

And his remembrance lost in Pyrrhus' bed?'

hostilem ad tumulum Troiae sub moenibus altis

With eyes dejected, in a lowly tone,

iussa mori, quae sortitus non pertulit ullos,

After a modest pause she thus begun:

nec victoris eri tetigit captiva cubile!

"'O only happy maid of Priam's race,

nos, patria incensa, diversa per aequora vectae,

Whom death deliver'd from the foes' embrace!

stirpis Achilleae fastus iuvenemque superbum,

Commanded on Achilles' tomb to die,

servitio enixae, tulimus: qui deinde, secutus

Not forc'd, like us, to hard captivity,

Ledaeam Hermionen Lacedaemoniosque hymenaeos,

Or in a haughty master's arms to lie.

me famulo famulamque Heleno transmisit habendam.

In Grecian ships unhappy we were borne,

Ast illum, ereptae magno inflammatus amore

Endur'd the victor's lust, sustain'd the scorn:

coniugis et scelerum Furiis agitatus, Orestes

Thus I submitted to the lawless pride

excipit incautum patriasque obtruncat ad aras.

Of Pyrrhus, more a handmaid than a bride.

Morte Neoptolemi regnorum reddita cessit

Cloy'd with possession, he forsook my bed,

pars Heleno, qui Chaonios cognomine campos

And Helen's lovely daughter sought to wed;

Chaoniamque omnem Troiano a Chaone dixit,

Then me to Trojan Helenus resign'd,

Pergamaque Iliacamque iugis hanc addidit arcem.

And his two slaves in equal marriage join'd;

Sed tibi qui cursum venti, quae fata dedere?

Till young Orestes, pierc'd with deep despair,

Aut quisnam ignarum nostris deus adpulit oris?

And longing to redeem the promis'd fair,

Quid puer Ascanius? superatne et vescitur aura,

Before Apollo's altar slew the ravisher.

quem tibi iam Troia—

By Pyrrhus' death the kingdom we regain'd:

Ecqua tamen puero est amissae cura parentis?

At least one half with Helenus remain'd.

Ecquid in antiquam virtutem animosque virilis

Our part, from Chaon, he Chaonia calls,

et pater Aeneas et avunculus excitat Hector?

And names from Pergamus his rising walls.

Talia fundebat lacrimans longosque ciebat

But you, what fates have landed on our coast?

incassum fletus, cum sese a moenibus heros

What gods have sent you, or what storms have toss'd?

Priamides multis Helenus comitantibus adfert,

Does young Ascanius life and health enjoy,

adgnoscitque suos, laetusque ad limina ducit,

Sav'd from the ruins of unhappy Troy?

et multum lacrimas verba inter singula fundit.

O tell me how his mother's loss he bears,

Procedo, et parvam Troiam simulataque magnis

What hopes are promis'd from his blooming years,

Pergama, et arentem Xanthi cognomine rivum

How much of Hector in his face appears?'

adgnosco, Scaeaeque amplector limina portae.

She spoke; and mix'd her speech with mournful cries,

Nec non et Teucri socia simul urbe fruuntur:

And fruitless tears came trickling from her eyes.

illos porticibus rex accipiebat in amplis;

"At length her lord descends upon the plain,

aulaï medio libabant pocula Bacchi,

In pomp, attended with a num'rous train;

impositis auro dapibus, paterasque tenebant.

Receives his friends, and to the city leads,

Iamque dies alterque dies processit, et aurae

And tears of joy amidst his welcome sheds.

vela vocant tumidoque inflatur carbasus austro.

Proceeding on, another Troy I see,

His vatem adgredior dictis ac talia quaeso:

Or, in less compass, Troy's epitome.

Troiugena, interpres divom, qui numina Phoebi,

A riv'let by the name of Xanthus ran,

And I embrace the Scaean gate again.

My friends in porticoes were entertain'd,

And feasts and pleasures thro' the city reign'd.

The tables fill'd the spacious hall around,

And golden bowls with sparkling wine were crown'd.

Two days we pass'd in mirth, till friendly gales,

Blown from the supplied our swelling sails.

Then to the royal seer I thus began:

'O thou, who know'st, beyond the reach of man,

The laws of heav'n, and what the stars decree;

Whom Phoebus taught unerring prophecy,

From his own tripod, and his holy tree;

Skill'd in the wing'd inhabitants of air,

What auspices their notes and flights declare:

O say- for all religious rites portend

A happy voyage, and a prosp'rous end;

And ev'ry power and omen of the sky

Direct my course for destin'd Italy;

But only dire Celaeno, from the gods,

A dismal famine fatally forebodes-

O say what dangers I am first to shun,

What toils vanquish, and what course to run.'

"The prophet first with sacrifice adores

qui tripodas, Clarii laurus, qui sidera sentis,

The greater gods; their pardon then implores;

et volucrum linguas et praepetis omina pennae,

Unbinds the fillet from his holy head;

fare age—namque omnem cursum mihi prospera dixit

To Phoebus, next, my trembling steps he led,

religio, et cuncti suaserunt numine divi

Full of religious doubts and awful dread.

Italiam petere et terras temptare repostas:

Then, with his god possess'd, before the shrine,

sola novum dictuque nefas Harpyia Celaeno

These words proceeded from his mouth divine:

prodigium canit, et tristis denuntiat iras,

'O goddess-born, (for Heav'n's appointed will,

obscenamque famem—quae prima pericula vito?

With greater auspices of good than ill,

Quidve sequens tantos possim superare labores?

Foreshows thy voyage, and thy course directs;

Hic Helenus, caesis primum de more iuvencis,

Thy fates conspire, and Jove himself protects,)

exorat pacem divom, vittasque resolvit

Of many things some few I shall explain,

sacrati capitis, meque ad tua limina, Phoebe,

Teach thee to shun the dangers of the main,

ipse manu multo suspensum numine ducit,

And how at length the promis'd shore to gain.

atque haec deinde canit divino ex ore sacerdos:

The rest the fates from Helenus conceal,

Nate dea,—nam te maioribus ire per altum

And Juno's angry pow'r forbids to tell.

auspiciis manifesta fides: sic fata deum rex

First, then, that happy shore, that seems so nigh,

sortitur, volvitque vices; is vertitur ordo—

Will far from your deluded wishes fly;

pauca tibi e multis, quo tutior hospita lustres

Long tracts of seas divide your hopes from Italy:

aequora et Ausonio possis considere portu,

For you must cruise along Sicilian shores,

expediam dictis; prohibent nam cetera Parcae

And stem the currents with your struggling oars;

scire Helenum farique vetat Saturnia Iuno.

Then round th' Italian coast your navy steer;

Principio Italiam, quam tu iam rere propinquam

And, after this, to Circe's island veer;

vicinosque, ignare, paras invadere portus,

And, last, before your new foundations rise,

longa procul longis via dividit invia terris.

Must pass the Stygian lake, and view the nether skies.

Ante et Trinacria lentandus remus in unda,

Now mark the signs of future ease and rest,

et salis Ausonii lustrandum navibus aequor,

And bear them safely treasur'd in thy breast.

infernique lacus, Aeaeaeque insula Circae,

When, in the shady shelter of a wood,

quam tuta possis urbem componere terra:

And near the margin of a gentle flood,

signa tibi dicam, tu condita mente teneto:

Thou shalt behold a sow upon the ground,

cum tibi sollicito secreti ad fluminis undam

With thirty sucking young encompass'd round;

litoreis ingens inventa sub ilicibus sus

The dam and offspring white as falling snow-

triginta capitum fetus enixa iacebit.

These on thy city shall their name bestow,

alba, solo recubans, albi circum ubera nati,

And there shall end thy labors and thy woe.

is locus urbis erit, requies ea certa laborum.

Nor let the threaten'd famine fright thy mind,

Nec tu mensarum morsus horresce futuros:

For Phoebus will assist, and Fate the way will find.

fata viam invenient, aderitque vocatus Apollo.

Let not thy course to that ill coast be bent,

Has autem terras, Italique hanc litoris oram,

Which fronts from far th' Epirian continent:

proxuma quae nostri perfunditur aequoris aestu,

Those parts are all by Grecian foes possess'd;

effuge; cuncta malis habitantur moenia Grais.

The salvage Locrians here the shores infest;

Hic et Narycii posuerunt moenia Locri,

There fierce Idomeneus his city builds,

et Sallentinos obsedit milite campos

And guards with arms the Salentinian fields;

Lyctius Idomeneus; hic illa ducis Meliboei

And on the mountain's brow Petilia stands,

parva Philoctetae subnixa Petelia muro.

Which Philoctetes with his troops commands.

Quin, ubi transmissae steterint trans aequora classes,

Ev'n when thy fleet is landed on the shore,

et positis aris iam vota in litore solves,

And priests with holy vows the gods adore,

purpureo velare comas adopertus amictu,

Then with a purple veil involve your eyes,

ne qua inter sanctos ignis in honore deorum

Lest hostile faces blast the sacrifice.

hostilis facies occurrat et omina turbet.

These rites and customs to the rest commend,

Hunc socii morem sacrorum, hunc ipse teneto:

That to your pious race they may descend.

hac casti maneant in religione nepotes.

"'When, parted hence, the wind, that ready waits

Ast ubi digressum Siculae te admoverit orae

For Sicily, shall bear you to the straits

ventus, et angusti rarescent claustra Pelori,

Where proud Pelorus opes a wider way,

laeva tibi tellus et longo laeva petantur

Tack to the larboard, and stand off to sea:

aequora circuitu: dextrum fuge litus et undas.

Veer starboard sea and land. Th' Italian shore

Haec loca vi quondam et vasta convolsa ruina—

And fair Sicilia's coast were one, before

tantum aevi longinqua valet mutare vetustas—

An earthquake caus'd the flaw: the roaring tides

dissiluisse ferunt, cum protinus utraque tellus

The passage broke that land from land divides;

una foret; venit medio vi pontus et undis

And where the lands retir'd, the rushing ocean rides.

Hesperium Siculo latus abscidit, arvaque et urbes

Distinguish'd by the straits, on either hand,

litore diductas angusto interluit aestu.

Now rising cities in long order stand,

Dextrum Scylla latus, laevum implacata Charybdis

And fruitful fields: so much can time invade

obsidet, atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos

The mold'ring work that beauteous Nature made.

sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras

Far on the right, her dogs foul Scylla hides:

erigit alternos et sidera verberat unda.

Charybdis roaring on the left presides,

At Scyllam caecis cohibet spelunca latebris,

And in her greedy whirlpool sucks the tides;

ora exsertantem et navis in saxa trahentem.

Then spouts them from below: with fury driv'n,

Prima hominis facies et pulchro pectore virgo

The waves mount up and wash the face of heav'n.

pube tenus, postrema immani corpore pristis,

But Scylla from her den, with open jaws,

delphinum caudas utero commissa luporum.

The sinking vessel in her eddy draws,

Praestat Trinacrii metas lustrare Pachyni

Then dashes on the rocks. A human face,

cessantem, longos et circumflectere cursus,

And virgin bosom, hides her tail's disgrace:

Her parts obscene below the waves descend,

With dogs inclos'd, and in a dolphin end.

'T is safer, then, to bear aloof to sea,

And coast Pachynus, tho' with more delay,

Than once to view misshapen Scylla near,

And the loud yell of wat'ry wolves to hear.

"'Besides, if faith to Helenus be due,

And if prophetic Phoebus tell me true,

Do not this precept of your friend forget,

Which therefore more than once I must repeat: