by Virgil
obsedere fores, has seruant agmine denso. 450
The nether doorways of the place in close arrayment hedge.
instaurati animi regis succurrere tectis
Blazed up our hearts again to aid this palace of a king,
auxilioque leuare uiros uimque addere uictis.
To stead their toil, to vanquished men a little help to bring.
Limen erat caecaeque fores et peruius usus
A door there was, a secret pass into the common way
tectorum inter se Priami, postesque relicti
Of all King Priam’s houses there, that at the backward lay
a tergo, infelix qua se, dum regna manebant, 455
As one goes by: in other days, while yet the lordship was,
saepius Andromache ferre incomitata solebat
Hapless Andromache thereby unto the twain would pass
ad soceros et auo puerum Astyanacta trahebat.
Alone, or leading to the king Astyanax her boy.
euado ad summi fastigia culminis, unde
And thereby now I gain the tower, whence wretched men of Troy
tela manu miseri iactabant inrita Teucri.
In helpless wise from out their hands were casting darts aloof.
turrim in praecipiti stantem summisque sub astra 460
There was a tower, a sheer hight down, builded from highest roof
eductam tectis, unde omnis Troia uideri
Up toward the stars; whence we were wont on Troy to look adown,
et Danaum solitae naues et Achaica castra,
And thence away the Danaan ships, the Achæan tented town.
adgressi ferro circum, qua summa labantis
Against the highest stage hereof the steel about we bear,
iuncturas tabulata dabant, conuellimus altis
Just where the joints do somewhat give: this from its roots we tear,
sedibus impulimusque; ea lapsa repente ruinam 465
And heave it up and over wall, whose toppling at the last
cum sonitu trahit et Danaum super agmina late
Bears crash and ruin, and wide away the Danaans are down cast
incidit. ast alii subeunt, nec saxa nec ullum
Beneath its fall: but more come on: nor drift of stones doth lack,
telorum interea cessat genus.
Nor doth all kind of weapon-shot at any while grow slack.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primoque in limine Pyrrhus
Lo, Pyrrhus in the very porch forth to the door doth pass
exsultat telis et luce coruscus aena: 470
Exulting; bright with glittering points and flashing of the brass;
qualis ubi in lucem coluber mala gramina pastus,
— E’en as a snake to daylight come, on evil herbage fed,
frigida sub terra tumidum quem bruma tegebat,
Who, swollen, ‘neath the chilly soil hath had his winter bed,
nunc, positis nouus exuuiis nitidusque iuuenta,
And now, his ancient armour doffed, and sleek with youth new found,
lubrica conuoluit sublato pectore terga
With front upreared his slippery back he coileth o’er the ground
arduus ad solem, et linguis micat ore trisulcis. 475
Up ‘neath the sun; his three-cleft tongue within his mouth gleams clear: —
una ingens Periphas et equorum agitator Achillis,
And with him Periphas the huge, Achilles’ charioteer,
armiger Automedon, una omnis Scyria pubes
Now shield-bearer Automedon and all the Scyrian host
succedunt tecto et flammas ad culmina iactant.
Closed on the walls and on the roof the blazing firebrands tost.
ipse inter primos correpta dura bipenni
Pyrrhus in forefront of them all catches a mighty bill,
limina perrumpit postisque a cardine uellit 480
Beats in the hardened door, and tears perforce from hinge and sill
aeratos; iamque excisa trabe firma cauauit
The brazen leaves; a beam hewn through, wide gaped the oak hard knit
robora et ingentem lato dedit ore fenestram.
Into a great-mouthed window there, and through the midst of it
apparet domus intus et atria longa patescunt;
May men behold the inner house; the long halls open lie;
apparent Priami et ueterum penetralia regum,
Bared is the heart of Priam’s home, the place of kings gone by;
armatosque uident stantis in limine primo. 485
And close against the very door all armèd men they see.
at domus interior gemitu miseroque tumultu
That inner house indeed was mazed with wail and misery,
miscetur, penitusque cauae plangoribus aedes
The inmost chambers of the place an echoing hubbub hold
femineis ululant; ferit aurea sidera clamor.
Of women’s cries, whose clamour smites the far-off stars of gold,
tum pauidae tectis matres ingentibus errant
And through the house so mighty great the fearful mothers stray,
amplexaeque tenent postis atque oscula figunt. 490
And wind their arms about the doors, and kisses on them lay.
instat ui patria Pyrrhus; nec claustra nec ipsi
But Pyrrhus with his father’s might comes on; no bolt avails,
custodes sufferre ualent; labat ariete crebro
No man against the might of him; the door all battered fails,
ianua, et emoti procumbunt cardine postes.
The door-leaves torn from off of hinge tumble and lie along:
fit uia ui; rumpunt aditus primosque trucidant
Might maketh road; through passage forced the entering Danaans throng,
immissi Danai et late loca milite complent. 495
And slay the first and fill the place with armour of their ranks.
non sic, aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis
Nay nought so great is foaming flood that through its bursten banks
exiit oppositasque euicit gurgite moles,
Breaks forth, and beateth down the moles that ‘gainst its going stand.
fertur in arua furens cumulo camposque per omnis
And falls a fierce heap on the plain, and over all the land
cum stabulis armenta trahit. uidi ipse furentem
Drags off the herds and herd-houses. There saw I Pyrrhus wild
caede Neoptolemum geminosque in limine Atridas, 500
With death of men amidst the door, and either Atreus’ child;
uidi Hecubam centumque nurus Priamumque per aras
And Hecuba and hundred wives her sons wed saw I there,
sanguine foedantem quos ipse sacrauerat ignis.
And Priam fouling with his blood the very altars fair
quinquaginta illi thalami, spes tanta nepotum,
Whose fires he hallowed: fifty beds the hope of house to be,
barbarico postes auro spoliisque superbi
The doorways proud with outland gold and war-got bravery
procubuere; tenent Danai qua deficit ignis. 505
Sunk into ash; where fire hath failed the Danaans are enow.
Forsitan et Priami fuerint quae fata requiras.
Belike what fate on Priam fell thou askest me to show:
urbis uti captae casum conuulsaque uidit
For when he saw the city lost, and his own house-door stormed,
limina tectorum et medium in penetralibus hostem,
And how in bowels of his house the host of foemen swarmed,
arma diu senior desueta trementibus aeuo
The ancient man in vain does on the arms long useless laid
circumdat nequiquam umeris et inutile ferrum 510
About his quaking back of eld, and girds himself with blade
cingitur, ac densos fertur moriturus in hostis.
Of no avail, and fareth forth amid the press to die.
aedi
bus in mediis nudoque sub aetheris axe
A very midmost of the courts beneath the naked sky
ingens ara fuit iuxtaque ueterrima laurus
A mighty altar stood: anear a bay exceeding old,
incumbens arae atque umbra complexa penatis.
The altar and the Gods thereof did all in shadow hold;
hic Hecuba et natae nequiquam altaria circum, 515
And round about that altar-stead sat Hecuba the queen,
praecipites atra ceu tempestate columbae,
And many daughters: e’en as doves all huddled up are seen
condensae et diuum amplexae simulacra sedebant.
‘Neath the black storm they cling about the dear God’s images.
ipsum autem sumptis Priamum iuuenalibus armis
But when in arms of early days King Priam now she sees,
ut uidit, ‘quae mens tam dira, miserrime coniunx,
She crieth: ‘O unhappy spouse! what evil heart hast thou,
impulit his cingi telis? aut quo ruis?’ inquit. 520
With weapons thus to gird thyself, or whither wilt thou now?
‘non tali auxilio nec defensoribus istis
Today availeth no such help, and no such warder’s stay
tempus eget; non, si ipse meus nunc adforet Hector.
May better aught; not even were my Hector here today.
huc tandem concede; haec ara tuebitur omnis,
But come thou hither unto me; this altar all shall save,
aut moriere simul.’ sic ore effata recepit
Or we shall die together here!’ Her arms about she gave
ad sese et sacra longaeuum in sede locauit. 525
And took him, and the elder set adown in holy stead.
Ecce autem elapsus Pyrrhi de caede Polites,
But lo! now one of Priam’s sons, Polites, having fled
unus natorum Priami, per tela, per hostis
From Pyrrhus’ murder through the swords and through the foeman’s throng,
porticibus longis fugit et uacua atria lustrat
Runs wounded through the empty hall from out the cloister long,
saucius. illum ardens infesto uulnere Pyrrhus
And burning Pyrrhus, hard at heel, the deadly hurt doth bear,
insequitur, iam iamque manu tenet et premit hasta. 530
And grip of hand is on him now, and now the point of spear.
ut tandem ante oculos euasit et ora parentum,
But as he rushed before their eyes, his parents’ face beneath
concidit ac multo uitam cum sanguine fudit.
He fell, and with most plenteous blood shed forth his latest breath;
hic Priamus, quamquam in media iam morte tenetur,
Then Priam, howsoever nigh the very death might grip,
non tamen abstinuit nec uoci iraeque pepercit:
Refrained him nothing at the sight, but voice and wrath let slip:
‘at tibi pro scelere,’ exclamat, ‘pro talibus ausis 535
‘Ah, for such wickedness,’ he cried, ‘for daring such a deed,
di, si qua est caelo pietas quae talia curet,
If aught abide in heaven as yet such things as this to heed,
persoluant grates dignas et praemia reddant
May the Gods give thee worthy thanks, and pay thee well-earned prize,
debita, qui nati coram me cernere letum
That thou hast set the death of sons before my father’s eyes,
fecisti et patrios foedasti funere uultus.
That thou thy murder’s fouling thus in father’s face hast flung.
at non ille, satum quo te mentiris, Achilles 540
Not he, Achilles, whence indeed thou liar hast never sprung,
talis in hoste fuit Priamo; sed iura fidemque
Was such a foe to Priam erst; for shamfast meed he gave
supplicis erubuit corpusque exsangue sepulcro
To law and troth of suppliant men, and rendered to the grave
reddidit Hectoreum meque in mea regna remisit.’
The bloodless Hector dead, and me sent to mine own again.’
sic fatus senior telumque imbelle sine ictu
So spake the elder, and cast forth a toothless spear and vain,
coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum, 545
That forthwith from the griding brass was put aback all spent,
et summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit.
And from the shield-boss’ outer skin hung down, for nothing sent.
cui Pyrrhus: ‘referes ergo haec et nuntius ibis
Then Pyrrhus cried: ‘Yea tell him this, go take the tidings down
Pelidae genitori. illi mea tristia facta
To Peleus’ son my father then, of Pyrrhus worser grown
degeneremque Neoptolemum narrare memento.
And all these evil deeds of mine! take heed to tell the tale!
nunc morere.’ hoc dicens altaria ad ipsa trementem 550
Now die!’ And to the altar-stone him quivering did he hale,
traxit et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati,
And sliding in his own son’s blood so plenteous: in his hair
implicuitque comam laeua, dextraque coruscum
Pyrrhus his left hand wound, his right the gleaming sword made bare,
extulit ac lateri capulo tenus abdidit ensem.
That even to the hilts thereof within his flank he hid.
haec finis Priami fatorum, hic exitus illum
Such was the end of Priam’s day, such faring forth fate bid,
sorte tulit Troiam incensam et prolapsa uidentem 555
Troy all aflame upon the road, all Pergamus adown.
Pergama, tot quondam populis terrisque superbum
He, of so many peoples once the mighty lord and crown,
regnatorem Asiae. iacet ingens litore truncus,
So many lands of Asia once, a trunk beside the sea
auulsumque umeris caput et sine nomine corpus.
Huge with its headless shoulders laid, a nameless corpse is he.
At me tum primum saeuus circumstetit horror.
Then first within the compassing of bitter fear I was;
obstipui; subiit cari genitoris imago, 560
The image of my father dear by me all mazed did pass,
ut regem aequaeuum crudeli uulnere uidi
When I beheld the like-aged king gasping his life away
uitam exhalantem, subiit deserta Creusa
Through cruel wound: upon mine eyes forlorn Creusa lay,
et direpta domus et parui casus Iuli.
The wasted house, my little one, Iulus’, evil end.
respicio et quae sit me circum copia lustro.
I look aback to see what folk about me yet do wend,
deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu 565
But all, foredone, had fallen away, their weary bodies spent,
ad terram misere aut ignibus aegra dedere.
Some all amid the fire had cast, some unto earth had sent.
[Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae
Alone was I of all men now, when lo, in Vesta’s house
seruantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem
Abiding, and in inmost nook silent and lurking close,
Tyndarida aspicio; dant claram incendia lucem
Helen the seed of Tyndarus! the clear fires give her light
erranti passimque oculos per cuncta ferenti. 570
As there she strayeth, turning eyes on every shifting sight;
illa sibi infestos euersa ob Pergama Teucros
She, fearful of the Teucrian wrath for Pergamus undone,
et Danaum poenam et deserti coniugis iras
And fearful of the Danaan wrath and husband left alone,
praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys,
The wasting fury both of Troy and land where she was born,
abdiderat sese atque aris inuisa sedebat.
She hid her by the altar
-stead, a thing of Gods forlorn.
exarsere ignes animo; subit ira cadentem 575
Forth blazed the wildfire in my soul, wrath stirred me up to slake
ulcisci patriam et sceleratas sumere poenas.
My vengeance for my dying home, and ill’s atonement take.
‘scilicet haec Spartam incolumis patriasque Mycenas
What! should she come to Sparta safe, and her Mycenæ then,
aspiciet, partoque ibit regina triumpho?
And in the hard-won triumphing go forth a Queen of men,
coniugiumque domumque patris natosque uidebit
And see her husband and her home, her parents and her sons,
Iliadum turba et Phrygiis comitata ministris? 580
Served by the throng of Ilian wives and Phrygian vanquished ones?
occiderit ferro Priamus? Troia arserit igni?
Shall Priam so be slain with sword; shall Troy so blaze aloft;
Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus?
Shall the sea-beach the Dardan blood have sweat so oft and oft
non ita. namque etsi nullum memorabile nomen
For this? Nay, nay: and though forsooth no deed to blaze abroad
feminea in poena est, habet haec uictoria laudem;
The slaying of a woman be, nor gaineth fame’s reward,
exstinxisse nefas tamen et sumpsisse merentis 585
Yet still to quench an evil thing and pay the well-earned meed
laudabor poenas, animumque explesse iuuabit
Is worthy praise, and joy it were unto the full to feed
ultricis ~famam et cineres satiasse meorum.’
My heart’s fell flame, and satisfy these ashes well beloved.
talia iactabam et furiata mente ferebar,]
Such things my soul gave forth; such things in furious heart I moved.
cum mihi se, non ante oculis tam clara, uidendam
When lo, my holy mother now, ne’er seen by eyes of mine
obtulit et pura per noctem in luce refulsit 590
So clear before, athwart the dark in simple light did shine;
alma parens, confessa deam qualisque uideri
All God she was; of countenance and measure was she nought,
caelicolis et quanta solet, dextraque prehensum
But her the heaven-abiders see; so my right hand she caught,
continuit roseoque haec insuper addidit ore:
And held me, and from rosy mouth moreover added word:
‘nate, quis indomitas tantus dolor excitat iras?
‘O son, what anger measureless thy mighty grief hath stirred?
quid furis? aut quonam nostri tibi cura recessit? 595
Why ragest thou? or whither then is gone thy heed of me?
non prius aspicies ubi fessum aetate parentem
