by Virgil
desidiae cordi, iuuat indulgere choreis, 615
Sleeve-coated folk, O ribbon-coifed, not even Phrygian men,
et tunicae manicas et habent redimicula mitrae.
But Phrygian wives, to Dindymus the high go get ye then!
o uere Phrygiae, neque enim Phryges, ite per alta
To hear the flute’s twi-mouthèd song as ye are wont to do!
Dindyma, ubi adsuetis biforem dat tibia cantum.
The Berecynthian Mother’s box and cymbals call to you
tympana uos buxusque uocat Berecyntia Matris
From Ida: let men deal with war, and drop adown your swords.”
Idaeae; sinite arma uiris et cedite ferro.’ 620
That singer of such wicked speech, that caster forth of words,
Talia iactantem dictis ac dira canentem
Ascanius brooked not: breasting now his horse-hair full at strain,
non tulit Ascanius, neruoque obuersus equino
He aimed the shaft, and therewithal drew either arm atwain,
contendit telum diuersaque bracchia ducens
And stood so; but to Jupiter first suppliant fell to pray:
constitit, ante Iouem supplex per uota precatus:
“O Jove Almighty, to my deeds, thus new-begun, nod yea,
‘Iuppiter omnipotens, audacibus adnue coeptis. 625
And I myself unto thy fane the yearly gifts will bear,
ipse tibi ad tua templa feram sollemnia dona,
And bring before thine altar-stead a snow-white gilt-horned steer,
et statuam ante aras aurata fronte iuuencum
Whose head unto his mother’s head is evenly upborne,
candentem pariterque caput cum matre ferentem,
Of age to spurn the sand with hoof and battle with the horn.”
iam cornu petat et pedibus qui spargat harenam.’
The Father heard, and out of heaven, wherein no cloud-fleck hung,
audiit et caeli genitor de parte serena 630
His leftward thunder fell, wherewith the fateful bow outrung,
intonuit laeuum, sonat una fatifer arcus.
The back-drawn shaft went whistling forth with dreadful sound, and sped
effugit horrendum stridens adducta sagitta
To pierce the skull of Remulus and hollow of his head:
perque caput Remuli uenit et caua tempora ferro
“Go to, then, and thy mocking words upon men’s valour call,
traicit. ‘i, uerbis uirtutem inlude superbis!
The twice-caught Phrygians answer back Rutulians herewithal.”
bis capti Phryges haec Rutulis responsa remittunt’: 635
This only word Ascanius spake: the Teucrians raise their cry
hoc tantum Ascanius. Teucri clamore sequuntur
And shout for joy, and lift their heart aloft unto the sky.
laetitiaque fremunt animosque ad sidera tollunt.
Long-haired Apollo then by hap high-set in airy place,
Aetheria tum forte plaga crinitus Apollo
Looked down upon Ausonian host and leaguered city’s case,
desuper Ausonias acies urbemque uidebat
And thus the victor he bespeaks from lofty seat of cloud:
nube sedens, atque his uictorem adfatur Iulum: 640
“Speed on in new-born valour, child! this is the starward road,
‘macte noua uirtute, puer, sic itur ad astra,
O son of Gods and sire of Gods! Well have the Fates ordained
dis genite et geniture deos. iure omnia bella
That ‘neath Assaracus one day all war shall be refrained.
gente sub Assaraci fato uentura resident,
No Troy shall hold thee.”
nec te Troia capit.’ simul haec effatus ab alto
With that word he stoops from heaven aloft
aethere se mittit, spirantis dimouet auras 645
And puts away on either side the wind that meets him soft,
Ascaniumque petit; forma tum uertitur oris
And seeks Ascanius: changed is he withal, and putteth on
antiquum in Buten. hic Dardanio Anchisae
The shape of Butes old of days, shield-bearer time agone
armiger ante fuit fidusque ad limina custos;
Unto Anchises, Dardan king, and door-ward true and tried;
tum comitem Ascanio pater addidit. ibat Apollo
But with Ascanius now his sire had bidden him abide.
omnia longaeuo similis uocemque coloremque 650
Like this old man in every wise, voice, hue, and hoary hair,
et crinis albos et saeua sonoribus arma,
And arms that cried on cruel war, now did Apollo fare,
atque his ardentem dictis adfatur Iulum:
And to Iulus hot of heart in such wise went his speech:
‘sit satis, Aenide, telis impune Numanum
“Enough, O child of Æneas, that thou with shaft didst reach
oppetiisse tuis. primam hanc tibi magnus Apollo
Numanus’ life unharmed thyself, great Phoebus grants thee this,
concedit laudem et paribus non inuidet armis; 655
Thy first-born praise, nor grudgeth thee like weapons unto his.
cetera parce, puer, bello.’ sic orsus Apollo
But now refrain thy youth from war.” So spake Apollo then,
mortalis medio aspectus sermone reliquit
And in the midmost of his speech fled sight of mortal men,
et procul in tenuem ex oculis euanuit auram.
And faded from their eyes away afar amid the air.
agnouere deum proceres diuinaque tela
The Dardan dukes, they knew the God and holy shooting-gear,
Dardanidae pharetramque fuga sensere sonantem. 660
And as he fled away from them they heard his quiver shrill.
ergo auidum pugnae dictis ac numine Phoebi
Therefore Ascanius, fain of fight, by Phoebus’ word and will
Ascanium prohibent, ipsi in certamina rursus
They hold aback: but they themselves fare to the fight again,
succedunt animasque in aperta pericula mittunt.
And cast their souls amidst of all the perils bare and plain.
it clamor totis per propugnacula muris,
Then goes the shout adown the wall, along the battlement;
intendunt acris arcus amentaque torquent. 665
The javelin-thongs are whirled about, the sharp-springed bows are bent,
sternitur omne solum telis, tum scuta cauaeque
And all the earth is strewn with shot: the shield, the helmet’s cup,
dant sonitum flictu galeae, pugna aspera surgit:
Ring out again with weapon-dint, and fierce the fight springs up.
quantus ab occasu ueniens pluuialibus Haedis
As great as, when the watery kids are setting, beats the rain
uerberat imber humum, quam multa grandine nimbi
Upon the earth; as plentiful as when upon the main
in uada praecipitant, cum Iuppiter horridus Austris 670
The hail-clouds fall, when Jupiter, fierce with the southern blasts,
torquet aquosam hiemem et caelo caua nubila rumpit.
Breaks up the hollow clouds of heaven and watery whirl downcasts.
Pandarus et Bitias, Idaeo Alcanore creti,
Now Pandarus and Bitias stark, Idan Alcanor’s seed.
quos Iouis eduxit luco siluestris Iaera
They whom Iæra of the woods in Jove’s brake nursed with heed,
abietibus iuuenes patriis et montibus aequos,
Youths tall as firs or mountain-cliffs that in their country are,
portam, quae ducis imperio commissa, recludunt 675
The gate their lord hath bid them keep, these freely now unbar,
freti armis, ultroque inuitant moenibus hostem.
And freely bid the foeman in, trusting to stroke of hand;
ipsi intus dextra ac laeua pro tu
rribus astant
But they themselves to right and left before the gate-towers stand,
armati ferro et cristis capita alta corusci:
Steel-clad, and with their lofty heads crested with glittering gleams;
quales aeriae liquentia flumina circum
E’en as amid the air of heaven, beside the flowing streams
siue Padi ripis Athesim seu propter amoenum 680
On rim of Padus, or anigh soft Athesis and sweet,
consurgunt geminae quercus intonsaque caelo
Twin oak-trees spring, and tops unshorn uprear the skies to meet,
attollunt capita et sublimi uertice nutant.
And with their heads high over earth nod ever in the wind.
inrumpunt aditus Rutuli ut uidere patentis:
So now the Rutuli fall on when clear the way they find,
continuo Quercens et pulcher Aquiculus armis
But Quercens, and Æquicolus the lovely war-clad one,
et praeceps animi Tmarus et Mauortius Haemon 685
And Tmarus of the headlong soul, and Hæmon, Mavors’ son,
agminibus totis aut uersi terga dedere
Must either turn their backs in flight, with all their men of war,
aut ipso portae posuere in limine uitam.
Or lay adown their lovèd lives on threshold of the door.
tum magis increscunt animis discordibus irae,
Then bitterer waxeth battle-rage in hate-fulfillèd hearts,
et iam collecti Troes glomerantur eodem
And there the Trojans draw to head and gather from all parts,
et conferre manum et procurrere longius audent. 690
Eager to deal in handy strokes, full fierce afield to fare.
Ductori Turno diuersa in parte furenti
But as duke Turnus through the fight was raging otherwhere,
turbantique uiros perfertur nuntius, hostem
Confounding folk, there came a man with tidings that the foe,
feruere caede noua et portas praebere patentis.
Hot with new death, the door-leaves wide to all incomers throw.
deserit inceptum atque immani concitus ira
Therewith he leaves the work in hand, and, stirred by anger’s goad,
Dardaniam ruit ad portam fratresque superbos. 695
Against the Dardan gate goes forth, against the brethren proud:
et primum Antiphaten (is enim se primus agebat),
There first Antiphates he slew, who fought amid the first,
Thebana de matre nothum Sarpedonis alti,
The bastard of Sarpedon tall, by Theban mother nursed.
coniecto sternit iaculo: uolat Itala cornus
With javelin-cast he laid him low: the Italian cornel flies
aera per tenerum stomachoque infixa sub altum
Through the thin air, pierceth his maw, and ‘neath his breast-bone lies
pectus abit; reddit specus atri uulneris undam 700
Deep down; the hollow wound-cave pours a flood of gore and foam,
spumantem, et fixo ferrum in pulmone tepescit.
And warm amid him lies the steel, amid his lung gone home.
tum Meropem atque Erymanta manu, tum sternit Aphidnum,
Then Meropes’, and Erymas’, Aphidnus’ lives he spilled;
tum Bitian ardentem oculis animisque frementem,
Then Bitias of the flaming eyes and heart with ire fulfilled; —
non iaculo (neque enim iaculo uitam ille dedisset),
Not with the dart, for to no dart his life-breath had he given; —
sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica uenit 705
But whirled and whizzing mightily came on the sling-spear, driven
fulminis acta modo, quam nec duo taurea terga
Like lightning-flash; against whose dint two bull-hides nought availed,
nec duplici squama lorica fidelis et auro
Nor yet the golden faithful fence of war-coat double-scaled:
sustinuit; conlapsa ruunt immania membra,
His fainting limbs fell down afield, and earth gave out a groan,
dat tellus gemitum et clipeum super intonat ingens.
And rang the thunder of his shield huge on his body thrown:
talis in Euboico Baiarum litore quondam 710
E’en as upon Euboean shore of Baiæ falleth whiles
saxea pila cadit, magnis quam molibus ante
A stony pillar, which built up of mighty bonded piles
constructam ponto iaciunt, sic illa ruinam
They set amid the sea: suchwise it draggeth mighty wrack
prona trahit penitusque uadis inlisa recumbit;
Headlong adown, and deep in sea it lieth dashed aback:
miscent se maria et nigrae attolluntur harenae,
The seas are blent, black whirl of sand goes up confusedly;
tum sonitu Prochyta alta tremit durumque cubile 715
And with the noise quakes Prochytas, and quakes Inarimè,
Inarime Iouis imperiis imposta Typhoeo.
The unsoft bed by Jove’s command upon Typhoeus laid.
Hic Mars armipotens animum uirisque Latinis
Then Mars, the mighty in the war, brings force and strength to aid
addidit et stimulos acris sub pectore uertit,
The Latin men, and in their hearts he stirs his bitter goads,
immisitque Fugam Teucris atrumque Timorem.
The while with fleeing and black fear the Teucrian heart he loads:
undique conueniunt, quoniam data copia pugnae, 720
From everywhither run the folk, since here is battle rich,
bellatorque animo deus incidit.
And in all hearts the war-god wakes.
Pandarus, ut fuso germanum corpore cernit
But Pandarus, beholding now his brother laid to earth,
et quo sit fortuna loco, qui casus agat res,
And whitherward wends Fortune now, and what Time brings to birth,
portam ui multa conuerso cardine torquet
Back-swinging on the hinge again with might the door-leaf sends,
obnixus latis umeris, multosque suorum 725
By struggle of his shoulders huge; and many of his friends
moenibus exclusos duro in certamine linquit;
Shut outward of the walls he leaves, amid the fierce debate;
ast alios secum includit recipitque ruentis,
While others, with himself shut in, poured backward through the gate.
demens, qui Rutulum in medio non agmine regem
Madman! who saw not how the king Rutulian mid the band
uiderit inrumpentem ultroque incluserit urbi,
Came rushing, but amidst the town now shut him with his hand,
immanem ueluti pecora inter inertia tigrim. 730
E’en as a tiger pent amidst a helpless flock of sheep.
continuo noua lux oculis effulsit et arma
Then dreadfully his armour rings, light from his eyes doth leap, —
horrendum sonuere, tremunt in uertice cristae
A strange new light: the blood-red crest upon his helm-top quakes,
sanguineae clipeoque micantia fulmina mittit.
And from the circle of his shield a glittering lightning breaks.
agnoscunt faciem inuisam atque immania membra
Sudden Æneas’ frighted folk behold his hated face
turbati subito Aeneadae. tum Pandarus ingens 735
And mighty limbs: but Pandarus breaks forth amid the place
emicat et mortis fraternae feruidus ira
Huge, and his heart afire with rage for his lost brother’s death.
effatur: ‘non haec dotalis regia Amatae,
“Nay, this is not Amata’s home, the dowry house,” he saith,
nec muris cohibet patriis media Ardea Turnum.
“Nor yet doth Ardea’s midmost wall hold kindred Turnus in:
castra inimica uides, nulla hinc exire potestas.’
&n
bsp; The foeman’s camp thou seest, wherefrom thou hast no might to win.”
olli subridens sedato pectore Turnus: 740
But from his all untroubled breast laughed Turnus, as he said:
‘incipe, si qua animo uirtus, et consere dextram,
“Begin, if thou hast heart thereto, let hand to hand be laid!
hic etiam inuentum Priamo narrabis Achillem.’
Thou shalt tell Priam how thou found’st a new Achilles here.”
dixerat. ille rudem nodis et cortice crudo
He spake: the other put all strength to hurling of his spear,
intorquet summis adnixus uiribus hastam;
A shaft all rough with knots, and still in its own tree-bark bound.
excepere aurae, uulnus Saturnia Iuno 745
Straightway the thin air caught it up, but that swift-speeding wound
detorsit ueniens, portaeque infigitur hasta.
Saturnian Juno turned aside and set it in the door.
‘at non hoc telum, mea quod ui dextera uersat,
— “But now thou ‘scapest not this steel mine own hand maketh sure,
effugies, neque enim is teli nec uulneris auctor’:
Nought such as thine the weapon-smith, the wound-smith — —” With the word
sic ait, et sublatum alte consurgit in ensem
He riseth up unto the high uprising of the sword,
et mediam ferro gemina inter tempora frontem 750
Wherewith betwixt the temples twain he clave his midmost head,
diuidit impubisque immani uulnere malas.
And with a fearful wound apart the cheeks unbearded shred.
fit sonus, ingenti concussa est pondere tellus;
Then came a sound, and shook the earth ‘neath the huge weight of him:
conlapsos artus atque arma cruenta cerebro
With armour wet with blood and brain, with fainting, slackened limb,
sternit humi moriens, atque illi partibus aequis
He strewed the ground in death; his head, sheared clean and evenly,
huc caput atque illuc umero ex utroque pependit. 755
From either shoulder hanging down, this side and that did lie.
Diffugiunt uersi trepida formidine Troes,
Then turn and flee the Trojan folk, by quaking terror caught;
et si continuo uictorem ea cura subisset,
And if the conquering man as then one moment had had thought
rumpere claustra manu sociosque immittere portis,
To burst the bolts and let his folk in through the opened door,
ultimus ille dies bello gentique fuisset.
That day had been the last of days for Trojans and their war.
sed furor ardentem caedisque insana cupido 760