by Virgil
Here will I make a waste forsooth, and wide thy way shall be.”
haec ego uasta dabo et lato te limite ducam.’
He speaks, and hushes all his voice, and so with naked blade
sic memorat uocemque premit, simul ense superbum
Falls on proud Rhamnes; who, as happed, on piled-up carpets laid,
Rhamnetem adgreditur, qui forte tapetibus altis 325
Amid his sleep was blowing forth great voice from inner breast.
exstructus toto proflabat pectore somnum,
A king he was; king Turnus’ seer, of all belovèd best;
rex idem et regi Turno gratissimus augur,
Yet nought availed his wizardry to drive his bane away.
sed non augurio potuit depellere pestem.
Three thralls unware, as heeding nought amid the spears they lay,
tris iuxta famulos temere inter tela iacentis
He endeth: Remus’ shield-bearer withal and charioteer,
armigerumque Remi premit aurigamque sub ipsis 330
Caught ‘neath the very steeds: his sword their drooping necks doth shear;
nactus equis ferroque secat pendentia colla.
Then from their lord he takes the head, and leaves the trunk to spout
tum caput ipsi aufert domino truncumque relinquit
Gushes of blood: the earth is warm with black gore all about.
sanguine singultantem; atro tepefacta cruore
The beds are wet. There Lamyrus and Lamus doth he slay,
terra torique madent. nec non Lamyrumque Lamumque
And young Serranus fair of face, who played the night away
et iuuenem Serranum, illa qui plurima nocte 335
For many an hour, until his limbs ‘neath God’s abundance failed,
luserat, insignis facie, multoque iacebat
And down he lay: ah! happier ‘twere if he had still prevailed
membra deo uictus — felix, si protinus illum
To make the live-long night one game until the morning cold.
aequasset nocti ludum in lucemque tulisset:
As famished lion Nisus fares amid the sheep-filled fold,
impastus ceu plena leo per ouilia turbans
When ravening hunger driveth on; the soft things, dumb with dread,
(suadet enim uesana fames) manditque trahitque 340
He draggeth off, devouring them, and foams from mouth blood-red.
molle pecus mutumque metu, fremit ore cruento.
Nor less the death Euryalus hath wrought; for all aflame
nec minor Euryali caedes; incensus et ipse
He wades in wrath, and on the way slays many lacking name:
perfurit ac multam in medio sine nomine plebem,
Fadus, Herbesus therewithal, Rhoetus and Abaris;
Fadumque Herbesumque subit Rhoetumque Abarimque
Unwary they: but Rhoetus waked, and looking on all this,
ignaros; Rhoetum uigilantem et cuncta uidentem, 345
Fulfilled of fear was hiding him behind a wine-jar pressed:
sed magnum metuens se post cratera tegebat.
The foe was on him as he rose; the sword-blade pierced his breast
pectore in aduerso totum cui comminus ensem
Up to the hilts, and drew aback abundant stream of death.
condidit adsurgenti et multa morte recepit.
His purple life he poureth forth, and, dying, vomiteth
purpuream uomit ille animam et cum sanguine mixta
Blent blood and wine. On death-stealth still onward the Trojan went,
uina refert moriens, hic furto feruidus instat. 350
And toward Messapus’ leaguer drew, where watch-fires well-nigh spent
iamque ad Messapi socios tendebat; ibi ignem
He saw, and horses all about, tethered in order due,
deficere extremum et religatos rite uidebat
Cropping the grass: but Nisus spake in hasty words and few,
carpere gramen equos, breuiter cum talia Nisus
Seeing him borne away by lust of slaughter overmuch:
(sensit enim nimia caede atque cupidine ferri)
“Hold we our hands, for dawn our foe hasteth the world to touch:
‘absistamus’ ait, ‘nam lux inimica propinquat. 355
Deep have we drunk of death, and cut a road amid the foe.”
poenarum exhaustum satis est, uia facta per hostis.’
The gear of men full goodly-wrought of silver through and through
multa uirum solido argento perfecta relinquunt
They leave behind, and bowls therewith, and carpets fashioned fair.
armaque craterasque simul pulchrosque tapetas.
Natheless Euryalus caught up the prophet Rhamnes’ gear
Euryalus phaleras Rhamnetis et aurea bullis
And gold-bossed belt, which Cædicus, the wealthy man of old,
cingula, Tiburti Remulo ditissimus olim 360
Sent to Tiburtine Remulus, that he his name might hold,
quae mittit dona, hospitio cum iungeret absens,
Though far he were; who, dying, gave his grandson their delight;
Caedicus; ille suo moriens dat habere nepoti;
And he being dead, Rutulian men won them in war and fight
post mortem bello Rutuli pugnaque potiti:
These now he takes, and all for nought does on his valorous breast,
haec rapit atque umeris nequiquam fortibus aptat.
And dons Messapus’ handy helm with goodly-fashioned crest,
tum galeam Messapi habilem cristisque decoram 365
Wherewith they leave the camp and gain the road that safer lay.
induit. excedunt castris et tuta capessunt.
But horsemen from the Latin town meantime were on the way,
Interea praemissi equites ex urbe Latina,
Sent on before to carry word to Turnus, lord and king,
cetera dum legio campis instructa moratur,
While in array amid the fields the host was tarrying.
ibant et Turno regi responsa ferebant,
Three hundred knights, all shielded folk, ‘neath Volscens do they fare.
ter centum, scutati omnes, Volcente magistro. 370
And now they drew anigh the camp and ‘neath its rampart were,
iamque propinquabant castris murosque subibant
When from afar they saw the twain on left-hand footway lurk;
cum procul hos laeuo flectentis limite cernunt,
Because Euryalus’ fair helm mid glimmer of the mirk
et galea Euryalum sublustri noctis in umbra
Betrayed the heedless youth, and flashed the moonbeams back again.
prodidit immemorem radiisque aduersa refulsit.
Nor was the sight unheeded: straight cries Volscens midst his men:
haud temere est uisum. conclamat ab agmine Volcens: 375
“Stand ho! why thus afoot, and why in weapons do ye wend,
‘state, uiri. quae causa uiae? quiue estis in armis?
And whither go ye?” Nought had they an answer back to send,
quoue tenetis iter?’ nihil illi tendere contra,
But speed their fleeing mid the brake, and trust them to the night;
sed celerare fugam in siluas et fidere nocti.
The horsemen cast themselves before each crossway known aright,
obiciunt equites sese ad diuortia nota
And every outgoing there is with guard they girdle round.
hinc atque hinc, omnemque aditum custode coronant. 380
Rough was the wood; a thicket-place where black holm-oaks abound,
silua fuit late dumis atque ilice nigra
And with the tanglement of thorns choked up on every side,
horrida, quam densi complerant undique sentes;
The road but glimmering faintly out from where the foot-tracks hide.
rara per occultos lucebat semita callis.
The blackness of overhanging b
oughs and heavy battle-prey
Euryalum tenebrae ramorum onerosaque praeda
Hinder Euryalus, and fear beguiles him of the way.
impediunt, fallitque timor regione uiarum. 385
Nisus comes out, and now had won unwitting from the foe,
Nisus abit; iamque imprudens euaserat hostis
And reached the place from Alba’s name called Alban Meadows now;
atque locos qui post Albae de nomine dicti
Where King Latinus had as then his high-built herd-houses.
Albani (tum rex stabula alta Latinus habebat),
So there he stands, and, looking round, his fellow nowhere sees:
ut stetit et frustra absentem respexit amicum:
“Hapless Euryalus! ah me, where have I left thy face?
‘Euryale infelix, qua te regione reliqui? 390
Where shall I seek thee, gathering up that tangle of the ways
quaue sequar?’ rursus perplexum iter omne reuoluens
Through the blind wood?” So therewithal he turns upon his track,
fallacis siluae simul et uestigia retro
Noting his footsteps, and amid the hushed brake strays aback,
obseruata legit dumisque silentibus errat.
Hearkening the horse-hoofs and halloos and calls of following folk.
audit equos, audit strepitus et signa sequentum;
Nor had he long abided there, ere on his ears outbroke
nec longum in medio tempus, cum clamor ad auris 395
Great clamour, and Euryalus he sees, whom all the band
peruenit ac uidet Euryalum, quem iam manus omnis
Hath taken, overcome by night, and blindness of the land,
fraude loci et noctis, subito turbante tumultu,
And wildering tumult: there in vain he strives in battle-play.
oppressum rapit et conantem plurima frustra.
Ah, what to do? What force to dare, what stroke to snatch away
quid faciat? qua ui iuuenem, quibus audeat armis
The youth? Or shall he cast himself amid the swords to die,
eripere? an sese medios moriturus in enses 400
And hasten down the way of wounds to lovely death anigh?
inferat et pulchram properet per uulnera mortem?
Then swiftly, with his arm drawn back and brandishing his spear,
ocius adducto torquet hastile lacerto
He looks up at the moon aloft, and thuswise poureth prayer:
suspiciens altam Lunam et sic uoce precatur:
“To aid, thou Goddess! Stay my toil, and let the end be good!
‘tu, dea, tu praesens nostro succurre labori,
Latonian glory of the stars, fair watcher of the wood,
astrorum decus et nemorum Latonia custos. 405
If ever any gift for me upon thine altars gave
si qua tuis umquam pro me pater Hyrtacus aris
My father Hyrtacus; if I for thee the hunting drave;
dona tulit, si qua ipse meis uenatibus auxi
If aught I hung upon thy dome, or set upon thy roof,
suspendiue tholo aut sacra ad fastigia fixi,
Give me to break their gathered host, guide thou my steel aloof!”
hunc sine me turbare globum et rege tela per auras.’
He spake, and in the shafted steel set all his body’s might,
dixerat et toto conixus corpore ferrum 410
And hurled it: flying forth the spear clave through the dusk of night,
conicit. hasta uolans noctis diuerberat umbras
And, reaching Sulmo turned away, amidst his back it flew,
et uenit auersi in tergum Sulmonis ibique
And brake there; but the splintering shaft his very heart pierced through,
frangitur, ac fisso transit praecordia ligno.
And o’er he rolleth, vomiting the hot stream from his breast:
uoluitur ille uomens calidum de pectore flumen
Then heave his flanks with long-drawn sobs and cold he lies at rest.
frigidus et longis singultibus ilia pulsat. 415
On all sides then they peer about: but, whetted on thereby,
diuersi circumspiciunt. hoc acrior idem
The quivering shaft from o’er his ear again he letteth fly.
ecce aliud summa telum librabat ab aure.
Amid their wilderment the spear whistleth through either side
dum trepidant, it hasta Tago per tempus utrumque
Of Tagus’ temples, and wet-hot amidst his brain doth bide.
stridens traiectoque haesit tepefacta cerebro.
Fierce Volscens rageth, seeing none who might the spear-shot send,
saeuit atrox Volcens nec teli conspicit usquam 420
Or any man on whom his wrath and heat of heart to spend.
auctorem nec quo se ardens immittere possit.
“But thou, at least, with thine hot blood shalt pay the due award
‘tu tamen interea calido mihi sanguine poenas
For both,” he cries; and therewithal, swift drawing forth the sword,
persolues amborum’ inquit; simul ense recluso
He falleth on Euryalus. Then, wild with all affright,
ibat in Euryalum. tum uero exterritus, amens,
Nisus shrieks out, and cares no more to cloak himself with night,
conclamat Nisus nec se celare tenebris 425
And hath no heart to bear against so great a misery.
amplius aut tantum potuit perferre dolorem:
“On me, me! Here — I did the deed! turn ye the sword on me,
‘me, me, adsum qui feci, in me conuertite ferrum,
Rutulians! — all the guilt is mine: he might not do nor dare.
o Rutuli! mea fraus omnis, nihil iste nec ausus
May heaven and those all-knowing stars true witness of it bear!
nec potuit; caelum hoc et conscia sidera testor;
Only with too exceeding love he loved his hapless friend.”
tantum infelicem nimium dilexit amicum.’ 430
Such words he poured forth, but the sword no less its way doth wend,
talia dicta dabat, sed uiribus ensis adactus
Piercing the flank and rending through the goodly breast of him;
transadigit costas et candida pectora rumpit.
And rolls Euryalus in death: in plenteous blood they swim
uoluitur Euryalus leto, pulchrosque per artus
His lovely limbs, his drooping neck low on his shoulder lies:
it cruor inque umeros ceruix conlapsa recumbit:
As when the purple field-flower faints before the plough and dies,
purpureus ueluti cum flos succisus aratro 435
Or poppies when they hang their heads on wearied stems outworn,
languescit moriens, lassoue papauera collo
When haply by the rainy load their might is overborne.
demisere caput pluuia cum forte grauantur.
Then Nisus falls amidst of them, and Volscens seeks alone
at Nisus ruit in medios solumque per omnis
For aught that any man may do: save him he heedeth none.
Volcentem petit, in solo Volcente moratur.
About him throng the foe: all round the strokes on him are laid
quem circum glomerati hostes hinc comminus atque hinc 440
To thrust him off: but on he bears, whirling his lightning blade,
proturbant. instat non setius ac rotat ensem
Till full in Volscens’ shouting mouth he burieth it at last,
fulmineum, donec Rutuli clamantis in ore
Tearing the life from out the foe, as forth his own life passed.
condidit aduerso et moriens animam abstulit hosti.
Then, ploughed with wounds, he cast him down upon his lifeless friend,
tum super exanimum sese proiecit amicum
And so in quietness of death gat resting in the end.
confossus, placidaque ibi demum morte quieuit. 445
O happy twain, if anywise my song-craft may avail,
Fortunati ambo! si quid mea carmina possunt,
From out the memory of the world no day shall blot your tale,
nulla dies umquam memori uos eximet aeuo,
While on the rock-fast Capitol Æneas’ house abides,
dum domus Aeneae Capitoli immobile saxum
And while the Roman Father still the might of empire guides.
accolet imperiumque pater Romanus habebit.
The Rutuli, victorious now with spoils and prey of war,
Victores praeda Rutuli spoliisque potiti 450
But sorrowing still, amid the camp the perished Volscens bore.
Volcentem exanimum flentes in castra ferebant.
Nor in the camp was grief the less, when they on Rhamnes came
nec minor in castris luctus Rhamnete reperto
Bloodless; and many a chief cut off by one death and the same;
exsangui et primis una tot caede peremptis,
Serranus dead and Numa dead: a many then they swarm
Serranoque Numaque. ingens concursus ad ipsa
About the dead and dying men, and places wet and warm
corpora seminecisque uiros, tepidaque recentem 455
With new-wrought death, and runnels full with plenteous foaming blood.
caede locum et pleno spumantis sanguine riuos.
Then one by one the spoils they note; the glittering helm and good
agnoscunt spolia inter se galeamque nitentem
Messapus owned: the gear such toil had won back from the dead.
Messapi et multo phaleras sudore receptas.
But timely now Aurora left Tithonus’ saffron bed,
Et iam prima nouo spargebat lumine terras
And over earth went scattering wide the light of new-born day:
Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile. 460
The sun-flood flowed, and all the world unveiled by daylight lay.
iam sole infuso, iam rebus luce retectis
Then Turnus, clad in arms himself, wakes up the host to arms,
Turnus in arma uiros armis circumdatus ipse
And every lord to war-array bids on his brazen swarms;
suscitat: aeratasque acies in proelia cogunt,
And men with diverse tidings told their battle-anger whet.
quisque suos, uariisque acuunt rumoribus iras.
Moreover (miserable sight!) on upraised spears they set
quin ipsa arrectis (uisu miserabile) in hastis 465
Those heads, and follow them about with most abundant noise,
praefigunt capita et multo clamore sequuntur
Euryalus and Nisus dead. Meanwhile Æneas’ hardy sons upon their leftward wall
Euryali et Nisi.