Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  And in their souls the love of Mars and maddening fire shall fling

  undique ut auxilio ueniant; spargam arma per agros.’

  Till all strike in, and all the lea crops of my sowing bear.”

  tum contra Iuno: ‘terrorum et fraudis abunde est:

  But Juno answered: “Full enough there is of fraud and fear;

  stant belli causae, pugnatur comminus armis,

  Fast stands the stumbling-block of war, and hand to hand they fight:

  quae fors prima dedit sanguis nouus imbuit arma.

  The sword that Fate first gave to them hath man’s death stained aright

  talia coniugia et talis celebrent hymenaeos 555

  Forsooth let King Latinus now and Venus’ noble son

  egregium Veneris genus et rex ipse Latinus.

  Join hand to hand, and hold high feast for such a wedding won.

  te super aetherias errare licentius auras

  But thee, the Father of the Gods, lord of Olympus high,

  haud pater ille uelit, summi regnator Olympi.

  Will nowise have a-wandering free beneath the worldly sky:

  cede locis. ego, si qua super fortuna laborum est,

  Give place; and whatso more of toil Fortune herein may make

  ipsa regam.’ talis dederat Saturnia uoces; 560

  Myself shall rule.” Such words as these Saturnian Juno spake,

  illa autem attollit stridentis anguibus alas

  And on the wing the Evil rose, with snaky sweeping whirr,

  Cocytique petit sedem supera ardua linquens.

  Seeking Cocytus’ house, and left the light world’s steep of air.

  est locus Italiae medio sub montibus altis,

  Midst Italy a place there is ‘neath mountains high set down,

  nobilis et fama multis memoratus in oris,

  Whose noble tale in many a land hath fame and great renown,

  Amsancti ualles; densis hunc frondibus atrum 565

  The valley of Amsanctus called, hemmed in by woody steep

  urget utrimque latus nemoris, medioque fragosus

  On either side, and through whose midst a rattling stream doth leap,

  dat sonitum saxis et torto uertice torrens.

  With clattering stones and eddying whirl: a strange den gapeth there,

  hic specus horrendum et saeui spiracula Ditis

  The very breathing-hole of Dis; an awful place of fear,

  monstrantur, ruptoque ingens Acheronte uorago

  A mighty gulf of baneful breath that Acheron hath made

  pestiferas aperit fauces, quis condita Erinys, 570

  When he brake forth: therein as now the baneful Fury laid

  inuisum numen, terras caelumque leuabat.

  Her hated godhead, lightening so the load of earth and heaven.

  Nec minus interea extremam Saturnia bello

  No less meanwhile did Saturn’s Queen still turn her hand to leaven

  imponit regina manum. ruit omnis in urbem

  That war begun. The shepherd folk rush from the battle-wrack

  pastorum ex acie numerus, caesosque reportant

  Into the city of the king, bearing their dead aback,

  Almonem puerum foedatique ora Galaesi, 575

  Almo the lad, Galæsus slain with changed befoulèd face.

  implorantque deos obtestanturque Latinum.

  They bid Latinus witness bear, and cry the Gods for grace.

  Turnus adest medioque in crimine caedis et igni

  Turnus is there, and loads the tale of bale-fire and the sword,

  terrorem ingeminat: Teucros in regna uocari,

  And swells the fear: “The land shall have a Teucrian host for lord:

  stirpem admisceri Phrygiam, se limine pelli.

  With Phrygians shall ye foul your race and drive me from your door.”

  tum quorum attonitae Baccho nemora auia matres 580

  Then they, whose mothers midst the wood God Bacchus overbore,

  insultant thiasis (neque enim leue nomen Amatae)

  To lead the dance — Amata’s name being held in nowise light —

  undique collecti coeunt Martemque fatigant.

  Together draw from every side, and weary for the fight.

  ilicet infandum cuncti contra omina bellum,

  Yea, all with froward heart and voice cry out for war and death,

  contra fata deum peruerso numine poscunt.

  That signs of heaven forbid so sore, that high God gainsayeth,

  certatim regis circumstant tecta Latini; 585

  And King Latinus’ house therewith beset they eagerly;

  ille uelut pelago rupes immota resistit,

  But he unmoved against them stands as crag amid the sea;

  ut pelagi rupes magno ueniente fragore,

  As crag amid the sea, that stands unmoved and huge to meet

  quae sese multis circum latrantibus undis

  The coming crash, while plenteously the waves bark round its feet:

  mole tenet; scopuli nequiquam et spumea circum

  Vain is the roaring on the rocks and rattling shingly crash,

  saxa fremunt laterique inlisa refunditur alga. 590

  The wrack from off its smitten sides falls down amid the wash.

  uerum ubi nulla datur caecum exsuperare potestas

  But when no might is given him their blindness to o’ercome,

  consilium, et saeuae nutu Iunonis eunt res,

  And by the road fell Juno would the matter must win home,

  multa deos aurasque pater testatus inanis

  Sore called the father on the Gods and emptiness of air:

  ‘frangimur heu fatis’ inquit ‘ferimurque procella!

  “Ah, broken by the Fates,” he cried, “amid the storm we bear!

  ipsi has sacrilego pendetis sanguine poenas, 595

  Ye with your godless blood yourselves shall pay the penalty,

  o miseri. te, Turne, nefas, te triste manebit

  Unhappy men! But Turnus, thou, thine ill deed bideth thee

  supplicium, uotisque deos uenerabere seris.

  With woe enough, and overlate the Gods shalt thou adore.

  nam mihi parta quies, omnisque in limine portus

  For me, my rest is gained, my foot the threshold passeth o’er;

  funere felici spolior.’ nec plura locutus

  Yet is my happy ending spilled.” Nor further would he say;

  saepsit se tectis rerumque reliquit habenas. 600

  But, hedged within his house, he cast the reins of rule away.

  Mos erat Hesperio in Latio, quem protinus urbes

  In Latium of the Westland world a fashion was whilome,

  Albanae coluere sacrum, nunc maxima rerum

  Thence hallowed of the Alban folk, held holy thence by Rome,

  Roma colit, cum prima mouent in proelia Martem,

  Earth’s mightiest thing: and this they used what time soe’er they woke

  siue Getis inferre manu lacrimabile bellum

  Mars unto battle; whether they against the Getic folk,

  Hyrcanisue Arabisue parant, seu tendere ad Indos 605

  Ind, Araby, Hyrcanian men, fashioned the woeful wrack,

  Auroramque sequi Parthosque reposcere signa:

  Or mid the dawn from Parthian men the banners bade aback.

  sunt geminae Belli portae (sic nomine dicunt)

  For twofold are the Gates of War — still bear they such a name —

  religione sacrae et saeui formidine Martis;

  Hallowed by awe of Mars the dread, and worship of his fame,

  centum aerei claudunt uectes aeternaque ferri

  Shut by an hundred brazen bolts, and iron whose avail

  robora, nec custos absistit limine Ianus. 610

  Shall never die: nor ever thence doth door-ward Janus fail.

  has, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae,

  Now when amid the Fathers’ hearts fast is the war-rede grown,

  ipse Q
uirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino

  The Consul, girt in Gabine wise, and with Quirinus gown

  insignis reserat stridentia limina consul,

  Made glorious, doth himself unbar the creaking door-leaves great,

  ipse uocat pugnas; sequitur tum cetera pubes,

  And he himself cries on the war; whom all men follow straight,

  aereaque adsensu conspirant cornua rauco. 615

  The while their brazen yea-saying the griding trumpets blare.

  hoc et tum Aeneadis indicere bella Latinus

  In e’en such wise Latinus now was bidden to declare

  more iubebatur tristisque recludere portas.

  The battle ‘gainst Æneas’ folk, and ope the gates of woe.

  abstinuit tactu pater auersusque refugit

  But from their touch the Father shrank, and fleeing lest he do

  foeda ministeria, et caecis se condidit umbris.

  The evil deed, in eyeless dark he hideth him away.

  tum regina deum caelo delapsa morantis 620

  Then slipped the Queen of Gods from heaven, and ended their delay;

  impulit ipsa manu portas, et cardine uerso

  For back upon their hinges turned the Seed of Saturn bore

  Belli ferratos rumpit Saturnia postis.

  The tarrying leaves, and burst apart the iron Gates of War,

  ardet inexcita Ausonia atque immobilis ante;

  And all Ausonia yet unstirred brake suddenly ablaze:

  pars pedes ire parat campis, pars arduus altis

  And some will go afoot to field, and some will wend their ways

  puluerulentus equis furit; omnes arma requirunt. 625

  Aloft on horses dusty-fierce: all seek their battle-gear.

  pars leuis clipeos et spicula lucida tergent

  Some polish bright the buckler’s face and rub the pike-point clear

  aruina pingui subiguntque in cote securis;

  With fat of sheep; and many an axe upon the wheel is worn.

  signaque ferre iuuat sonitusque audire tubarum.

  They joy to rear the banners up and hearken to the horn.

  quinque adeo magnae positis incudibus urbes

  And now five mighty cities forge the point and edge anew

  tela nouant, Atina potens Tiburque superbum, 630

  On new-raised anvils; Tibur proud, Atina staunch to do,

  Ardea Crustumerique et turrigerae Antemnae.

  Ardea and Crustumerium’s folk, Antemnæ castle-crowned.

  tegmina tuta cauant capitum flectuntque salignas

  They hollow helming for the head; they bend the withe around

  umbonum cratis; alii thoracas aenos

  For buckler-boss: or other some beat breast-plates of the brass,

  aut leuis ocreas lento ducunt argento;

  Or from the toughened silver bring the shining greaves to pass.

  uomeris huc et falcis honos, huc omnis aratri 635

  Now fails all prize of share and hook, all yearning for the plough;

  cessit amor; recoquunt patrios fornacibus ensis.

  The swords their fathers bore afield anew they smithy now.

  classica iamque sonant, it bello tessera signum;

  Now is the gathering-trumpet blown; the battle-token speeds;

  hic galeam tectis trepidus rapit, ille trementis

  And this man catches helm from wall; this thrusteth foaming steeds

  ad iuga cogit equos, clipeumque auroque trilicem

  To collar; this his shield does on, and mail-coat threesome laid

  loricam induitur fidoque accingitur ense. 640

  Of golden link, and girdeth him with ancient trusty blade.

  Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque mouete,

  O Muses, open Helicon, and let your song awake

  qui bello exciti reges, quae quemque secutae

  To tell what kings awoke to war, what armies for whose sake

  complerint campos acies, quibus Itala iam tum

  Filled up the meads; what men of war sweet mother Italy

  floruerit terra alma uiris, quibus arserit armis;

  Bore unto flower and fruit as then; what flame of fight ran high:

  et meministis enim, diuae, et memorare potestis; 645

  For ye remember, Holy Ones, and ye may tell the tale;

  ad nos uix tenuis famae perlabitur aura.

  But we — a slender breath of fame scarce by our ears may sail.

  Primus init bellum Tyrrhenis asper ab oris

  Mezentius first, the foe of Gods, fierce from the Tuscan shore

  contemptor diuum Mezentius agminaque armat.

  Unto the battle wends his way, and armeth host of war:

  filius huic iuxta Lausus, quo pulchrior alter

  Lausus, his son, anigh him wends; — no lovelier man than he,

  non fuit excepto Laurentis corpore Turni; 650

  Save Turnus, the Laurentine-born, the crown of all to see. —

  Lausus, equum domitor debellatorque ferarum,

  Lausus, the tamer of the horse, the wood-deer’s following bane,

  ducit Agyllina nequiquam ex urbe secutos

  Who led from Agyllina’s wall a thousand men in vain.

  mille uiros, dignus patriis qui laetior esset

  Worthy was he to have more mirth than ‘neath Mezentius’ sway;

  imperiis et cui pater haud Mezentius esset.

  Worthy that other sire than he had given him unto day.

  Post hos insignem palma per gramina currum 655

  The goodly Aventinus next, glorious with palm of prize,

  uictoresque ostentat equos satus Hercule pulchro

  Along the grass his chariot shows and steeds of victories,

  pulcher Auentinus, clipeoque insigne paternum

  Sprung from the goodly Hercules, marked by his father’s shield,

  centum anguis cinctamque gerit serpentibus Hydram;

  Where Hydra girded hundred-fold with adders fills the field:

  collis Auentini silua quem Rhea sacerdos

  Him Rhea the priestess on a day gave to the sun-lit earth,

  furtiuum partu sub luminis edidit oras, 660

  On wooded bent of Aventine, in secret stolen birth;

  mixta deo mulier, postquam Laurentia uictor

  The woman mingled with a God, what time that, Geryon slain,

  Geryone exstincto Tirynthius attigit arua,

  The conquering man of Tiryns touched the fair Laurentian plain,

  Tyrrhenoque boues in flumine lauit Hiberas.

  And washed amidst the Tuscan stream the bulls Iberia bred.

  pila manu saeuosque gerunt in bella dolones,

  These bear in war the bitter glaive and darts with pilèd head:

  et tereti pugnant mucrone ueruque Sabello. 665

  With slender sword and Sabine staff the battle they abide;

  ipse pedes, tegimen torquens immane leonis,

  But he afoot and swinging round a monstrous lion’s hide,

  terribili impexum saeta cum dentibus albis

  Whose bristly brow and terrible with sharp white teeth a-row

  indutus capiti, sic regia tecta subibat,

  Hooded his head, beneath the roof where dwelt the king did go

  horridus Herculeoque umeros innexus amictu.

  All shaggy rough, his shoulders clad with Herculean cloak.

  Tum gemini fratres Tiburtia moenia linquunt, 670

  Then next twin brethren wend away from Tibur’s town and folk,

  fratris Tiburti dictam cognomine gentem,

  Whose brother-born, Tiburtus, erst had named that citied place;

  Catillusque acerque Coras, Argiua iuuentus,

  Catillus, eager Coras they, men of the Argive race;

  et primam ante aciem densa inter tela feruntur:

  In forefront of the battle-wood, mid thick of sleet they fare,

  ceu duo nubigenae cum uertice montis ab alto

  Like as two centaurs cloud-begot, that down th
e mountains bear,

  descendunt Centauri Homolen Othrymque niualem 675

  Leaving the high-piled Homole, and Othrys of the snow

  linquentes cursu rapido; dat euntibus ingens

  With hurrying hoofs: the mighty wood yields to them as they go;

  silua locum et magno cedunt uirgulta fragore.

  The tangle of the thicket-place before them gives aback.

  Nec Praenestinae fundator defuit urbis,

  Nor did Præneste’s raiser-up from field of battle lack,

  Volcano genitum pecora inter agrestia regem

  That Cæculus, whom king of men mid cattle of the mead,

  inuentumque focis omnis quem credidit aetas, 680

  All ages of the world have trowed was Vulcan’s very seed

  Caeculus. hunc legio late comitatur agrestis:

  Found on the hearth: from wide away gathered his rustic band:

  quique altum Praeneste uiri quique arua Gabinae

  Those housed upon Præneste’s steep; they of the Juno land

  Iunonis gelidumque Anienem et roscida riuis

  Of Gabii: abiders near cool Anio, they that dwell

  Hernica saxa colunt, quos diues Anagnia pascis,

  On Hernic rocks, the stream-bedewed: they whom thou feedest well,

  quos Amasene pater. non illis omnibus arma 685

  Anagnia rich; the foster-sons of Amasenus’ coast.

  nec clipei currusue sonant; pars maxima glandes

  Not all had arms, or clash of shield, or war-wain; but the most

  liuentis plumbi spargit, pars spicula gestat

  Cast the grey plummets forth, and some, the dart in hand they bear,

  bina manu, fuluosque lupi de pelle galeros

  And on the head the fallow fell of woodland wolf they wear

  tegmen habent capiti; uestigia nuda sinistri

  For helming: now with all of them the left foot goes aground,

  instituere pedis, crudus tegit altera pero. 690

  Naked and bare; but with the hide untanned the left is bound.

  At Messapus, equum domitor, Neptunia proles,

  Messapus lo, the horse-tamer, a child by Neptune won,

  quem neque fas igni cuiquam nec sternere ferro,

  Ne’er by the fire to be spilled, nor by the steel undone;

  iam pridem resides populos desuetaque bello

  His folk this long while sunk in peace, a battle-foolish band,

  agmina in arma uocat subito ferrumque retractat.

  He calleth suddenly to fight, and taketh sword in hand;

  hi Fescenninas acies Aequosque Faliscos, 695

  Æqui Falisci are of these, Fescennium’s folk of fight,

  hi Soractis habent arces Flauiniaque arua

  These lie upon Flavinium’s lea, and hold Soracte’s hight,