by Virgil
uulneris impatiens arrecto pectore crura,
The legs of him and breast aloft: his master flung away,
uoluitur ille excussus humi. Catillus Iollan 640
Rolls on the earth: Catillus there doth swift Iolas slay;
ingentemque animis, ingentem corpore et armis
Yea, and Herminius, big of soul, and big of limbs and gear,
deicit Herminium, nudo cui uertice fulua
Who went with head by nothing helmed save locks of yellow hair,
caesaries nudique umeri nec uulnera terrent;
Who went with shoulders all unarmed, as one without a dread,
tantus in arma patet. latos huic hasta per armos
So open unto fight was he; but through his shoulders sped
acta tremit duplicatque uirum transfixa dolore. 645
The quivering spear, and knit him up twi-folded in his pain.
funditur ater ubique cruor; dant funera ferro
So black blood floweth everywhere; men deal out iron bane,
certantes pulchramque petunt per uulnera mortem.
And, struggling, seek out lovely death amid the wounds and woe.
At medias inter caedes exsultat Amazon
But through the middle of the wrack doth glad Camilla go,
unum exserta latus pugnae, pharetrata Camilla,
The quivered war-maid, all one side stripped naked for the play;
et nunc lenta manu spargens hastilia denset, 650
And now a cloud of limber shafts she scattereth wide away,
nunc ualidam dextra rapit indefessa bipennem;
And now with all unwearied hand catcheth the twi-bill strong.
aureus ex umero sonat arcus et arma Dianae.
The golden bow is at her back, and Dian’s arrow-song.
illa etiam, si quando in tergum pulsa recessit,
Yea, e’en and if she yielded whiles, and showed her back in flight,
spicula conuerso fugientia derigit arcu.
From back-turned bow the hurrying shaft she yet would aim aright.
at circum lectae comites, Larinaque uirgo 655
About her were her chosen maids, daughters of Italy,
Tullaque et aeratam quatiens Tarpeia securim,
Larina, Tulla, and Tarpeia, with brazen axe on high,
Italides, quas ipsa decus sibi dia Camilla
Whom that divine Camilla chose for joy and fame’s increase,
delegit pacisque bonas bellique ministras:
Full sweet and goodly hand-maidens in battle and in peace:
quales Threiciae cum flumina Thermodontis
E’en as the Thracian Amazons thresh through Thermodon’s flood,
pulsant et pictis bellantur Amazones armis, 660
When they in painted war-gear wend to battle and to blood:
seu circum Hippolyten seu cum se Martia curru
Or those about Hippolyta, or round the wain of Mars
Penthesilea refert, magnoque ululante tumultu
Wherein Panthesilea wends, when hubbub of the wars
feminea exsultant lunatis agmina peltis.
The maiden-folk exulting raise, and moony shields uprear.
Quem telo primum, quem postremum, aspera uirgo,
Whom first, whom last, O bitter Maid, didst thou overthrow with spear?
deicis? aut quot humi morientia corpora fundis? 665
How many bodies of the slain laidst thou upon the field?
Eunaeum Clytio primum patre, cuius apertum
Eunæus, Clytius’ son, was first, whose breast for lack of shield
aduersi longa transuerberat abiete pectus.
The fir-tree long smit through and through, as there he stood in face;
sanguinis ille uomens riuos cadit atque cruentam
He poureth forth a sea of blood, and, falling in his place,
mandit humum moriensque suo se in uulnere uersat.
Bites the red earth, and dying writhes about the bitter bane.
tum Lirim Pagasumque super, quorum alter habenas 670
Liris and Pagasus she slays; one, catching at the rein
suffuso reuolutus equo dum colligit, alter
Of his embowelled steed rolls o’er, the other as he ran
dum subit ac dextram labenti tendit inermem,
To aid, and stretched his swordless hand unto the fallen man,
praecipites pariterque ruunt. his addit Amastrum
Fell headlong too, and there they lie: with these Amastus wends,
Hippotaden, sequiturque incumbens eminus hasta
The son of Hippotas; her spear in chase of men she sends,
Tereaque Harpalycumque et Demophoonta Chromimque; 675
Harpalycus, Demophoön, Tereus, and Chromis stout
quotque emissa manu contorsit spicula uirgo,
As many as her maiden hand the whirling darts send out
tot Phrygii cecidere uiri. procul Ornytus armis
So many Phrygian falls there are. Far off, in uncouth gear,
ignotis et equo uenator Iapyge fertur,
The hunter Ornytus upon Apulian steed doth fare,
cui pellis latos umeros erepta iuuenco
Whose warring shoulders bigly wrought with stripped-off bullock’s hide
pugnatori operit, caput ingens oris hiatus 680
Are covered; but his head is helmed with wood-wolf’s gaping wide,
et malae texere lupi cum dentibus albis,
A monstrous mouth, wherein are left the teeth all gleaming white:
agrestisque manus armat sparus; ipse cateruis
A wood-spear arms the hand of him, he wheels amid the fight,
uertitur in mediis et toto uertice supra est.
And by the head he overtops all other men about.
hunc illa exceptum (neque enim labor agmine uerso)
Him she o’ertakes, no troublous deed amid the fleeing rout,
traicit et super haec inimico pectore fatur: 685
And, slaying him, from bitter heart this word withal she spake:
‘siluis te, Tyrrhene, feras agitare putasti?
“Tuscan, thou deem’dst thee hunting still the deer amid the brake;
aduenit qui uestra dies muliebribus armis
The day has come when women’s arms have cast thy boasting back:
uerba redargueret. nomen tamen haud leue patrum
Yet going to thy fathers’ ghosts a word thou shalt not lack
manibus hoc referes, telo cecidisse Camillae.’
To praise thy life; for thou mayst say, Camilla was my bane.”
Protinus Orsilochum et Buten, duo maxima Teucrum 690
Orsilochus and Butes next, two huge-wrought Trojans, gain
corpora, sed Buten auersum cuspide fixit
Death at her hands: Butes aback she smit through with the spear
loricam galeamque inter, qua colla sedentis
Betwixt the mail-coat and the helm, wherethrough the neck doth peer
lucent et laeuo dependet parma lacerto;
As there he sits, and on his left hangs down the target round;
Orsilochum fugiens magnumque agitata per orbem
But from Orsilochus she flees, wide circling o’er the ground,
eludit gyro interior sequiturque sequentem; 695
Then, slipping inward of the ring, chaseth the chaser there,
tum ualidam perque arma uiro perque ossa securim
And, rising high, her mighty axe driveth through bones and gear.
altior exsurgens oranti et multa precanti
With blow on blow, mid all his prayers and crying out for grace,
congeminat; uulnus calido rigat ora cerebro.
Until his hot and bloody brain is flooding all his face.
incidit huic subitoque aspectu territus haesit
A man haps on her now, and stands afeard such sight to see;
Appenninicolae bellator filius Auni, 700
Of Aunus of the Apennines the warring son was he,
haud L
igurum extremus, dum fallere fata sinebant.
Great of Ligurians, while the Fates his guile would yet allow:
isque ubi se nullo iam cursu euadere pugnae
But he, since fleeing out of fight, would nought avail him now,
posse neque instantem reginam auertere cernit,
Nor knew he how in any wise to turn the Queen away,
consilio uersare dolos ingressus et astu
With rede of guile and cunning words began to play the play:
incipit haec: ‘quid tam egregium, si femina forti 705
“What deed of fame, for woman’s heart to trust a horse’s might?
fidis equo? dimitte fugam et te comminus aequo
Wilt thou not set thy speed aside, and ‘gainst me dare the fight
mecum crede solo pugnaeque accinge pedestri:
On equal ground, and gird thyself for foot-fight face to face?
iam nosces uentosa ferat cui gloria fraudem.’
See then to whom the windy fame shall bring the victory’s grace!”
dixit, at illa furens acrique accensa dolore
He spake; but she, in bitter rage, and stung to her heart’s root,
tradit equum comiti paribusque resistit in armis 710
Unto her fellow gave her steed and faced him there afoot,
ense pedes nudo puraque interrita parma.
Most unafeard, with naked glaive and target bare and white.
at iuuenis uicisse dolo ratus auolat ipse
Thereat the youth deemed guile had won, and turned at once to flight;
(haud mora), conuersisque fugax aufertur habenis
Nought tarrying but to turn the reins, he fleeth on his road,
quadripedemque citum ferrata calce fatigat.
And ever with his iron heel the four-foot thing doth goad.
‘uane Ligus frustraque animis elate superbis, 715
“Empty Ligurian, all in vain thine high heart dost thou raise,
nequiquam patrias temptasti lubricus artis,
And all in vain thou triest today thy father’s crafty ways.
nec fraus te incolumem fallaci perferet Auno.’
Nor shall thy lying bring thee safe to lying Aunus’ head.”
haec fatur uirgo, et pernicibus ignea plantis
So spake the maid, and all afire on flying feet she sped,
transit equum cursu frenisque aduersa prehensis
Outwent the horse and crossed his road, and catching at the rein,
congreditur poenasque inimico ex sanguine sumit: 720
There made her foeman pay for all with bloody steel-wrought bane,
quam facile accipiter saxo sacer ales ab alto
As easily the holy hawk from craggy place on high
consequitur pennis sublimem in nube columbam
In winged chase follows on the dove aloft along the sky,
comprensamque tenet pedibusque euiscerat uncis;
And taketh her in hookèd hold with bitter feet to tear,
tum cruor et uulsae labuntur ab aethere plumae.
While blood and riven feathers fall from out the upper air.
At non haec nullis hominum sator atque deorum 725
Nathless the Sower of manfolk and all the Godly Kind,
obseruans oculis summo sedet altus Olympo.
Upon Olympus set aloft, to this was nothing blind,
Tyrrhenum genitor Tarchonem in proelia saeua
And Tarchon of the Tyrrhene folk he stirreth up to war,
suscitat et stimulis haud mollibus inicit iras.
And stingeth all the heart of him with anger bitter-sore;
ergo inter caedes cedentiaque agmina Tarchon
Who, borne on horse ‘twixt death of men and faltering war-array,
fertur equo uariisque instigat uocibus alas 730
Goads on his bands unto the fight, and many a word doth say,
nomine quemque uocans, reficitque in proelia pulsos.
And calleth each man by his name, and bids the beaten stand:
‘quis metus, o numquam dolituri, o semper inertes
“What fear, O hearts that nought may shame, O folk of deedless hand,
Tyrrheni, quae tanta animis ignauia uenit?
What dastardy, O Tyrrhene folk, hath now so caught your souls?
femina palantis agit atque haec agmina uertit!
A woman drives us scattering wide, and back our war-wall rolls.
quo ferrum quidue haec gerimus tela inrita dextris? 735
Why bear our hands these useless spears, this steel not made for fight?
at non in Venerem segnes nocturnaque bella,
Ye are not slack in Venus’ play or battle of the night,
aut ubi curua choros indixit tibia Bacchi.
Or when the crookèd fife gives sign that Bacchus’ dance is toward
exspectate dapes et plenae pocula mensae
Well wait ye onset of the feast and cups of plenteous board:
(hic amor, hoc studium) dum sacra secundus haruspex
Your love, your hearts, are there, whereas the lucky priest doth bid
nuntiet ac lucos uocet hostia pinguis in altos!’ 740
The holy words, and victims fat call to the thickets hid.”
haec effatus equum in medios moriturus et ipse
He spake, and, fain of death himself, against the foemen spurs,
concitat, et Venulo aduersum se turbidus infert
And full in face of Venulus his eager body bears,
dereptumque ab equo dextra complectitur hostem
And catcheth him by arm about, and tears him from his horse,
et gremium ante suum multa ui concitus aufert.
And bears him off on saddle-bow in grip of mighty force:
tollitur in caelum clamor cunctique Latini 745
Then goes the clamour up to heaven, and all the Latin eyes
conuertere oculos. uolat igneus aequore Tarchon
Turn thitherward: but fiery-swift across the field he flies,
arma uirumque ferens; tum summa ipsius ab hasta
Bearing the weapons and the man; then from his foeman’s spear
defringit ferrum et partis rimatur apertas,
Breaks off the head, and searches close for opening here and there
qua uulnus letale ferat; contra ille repugnans
Whereby to give the deadly wound: the foe doth ever fight,
sustinet a iugulo dextram et uim uiribus exit. 750
Thrusting the hand from threatened throat, and puts back might with might.
utque uolans alte raptum cum fulua draconem
As when a yellow erne aloft skyward a dragon draws,
fert aquila implicuitque pedes atque unguibus haesit,
And knits him up within her feet and gripping of her claws:
saucius at serpens sinuosa uolumina uersat
But still the wounded serpent turns in many a winding fold,
arrectisque horret squamis et sibilat ore
And bristles all his spiky scales, and hissing mouth doth hold
arduus insurgens, illa haud minus urget obunco 755
Aloft against her; she no less through all his struggles vain
luctantem rostro, simul aethera uerberat alis:
Drives hookèd beak, and still with wings beats through the airy plain;
haud aliter praedam Tiburtum ex agmine Tarchon
E’en so from those Tiburtine ranks glad Tarchon bears the prey:
portat ouans. ducis exemplum euentumque secuti
And, following on their captain’s deed, fall on amid the fray
Maeonidae incurrunt. tum fatis debitus Arruns
Mæonia’s sons. But Arruns now, the foredoomed man of fate,
uelocem iaculo et multa prior arte Camillam 760
Encompassing Camilla’s ways with spear and guile, doth wait
circuit, et quae sit fortuna facillima temptat.
On all her goings; spying out what hap is easiest.
qua se cumque furens me
dio tulit agmine uirgo,
Now, wheresoe’er the hot-heart maid amid the battle pressed,
hac Arruns subit et tacitus uestigia lustrat;
There Arruns winds, and silently holds watch on all her ways:
qua uictrix redit illa pedemque ex hoste reportat,
And when from forth the foe she comes, bearing the victory’s praise,
hac iuuenis furtim celeris detorquet habenas. 765
Still speedily in privy wise the rein he turns about:
hos aditus iamque hos aditus omnemque pererrat
This way he tries, that way he tries, still wandering in and out
undique circuitum et certam quatit improbus hastam.
On all sides; shaking spear of doom with evil heart of guile.
Forte sacer Cybelo Chloreus olimque sacerdos
Now Chloreus, bond of Cybele and priest upon a while,
insignis longe Phrygiis fulgebat in armis
Afar as happed in Phrygian gear gleamed out upon his steed,
spumantemque agitabat equum, quem pellis aenis 770
Foaming and goodly: clad was he in skin-wrought battle-weed,
in plumam squamis auro conserta tegebat.
With brazen scales done feather-wise, and riveted with gold,
ipse peregrina ferrugine clarus et ostro
And grand was he in outland red and many a purple fold;
spicula torquebat Lycio Gortynia cornu;
Gortynian arrows from afar with Lycian horn he sped;
aureus ex umeris erat arcus et aurea uati
Gold rang the bow upon his back; gold-mitred was his head
cassida; tum croceam chlamydemque sinusque crepantis 775
In priestly wise; his saffron scarf, the crackling folds of it
carbaseos fuluo in nodum collegerat auro
Of linen fine, in knot about a red-gold buckle knit;
pictus acu tunicas et barbara tegmina crurum.
His kirtle was embroidered fair, his hosen outland-wrought.
hunc uirgo, siue ut templis praefigeret arma
The maiden, whether Trojan gear for temple-gate she sought,
Troia, captiuo siue ut se ferret in auro
Or whether she herself would wend, glorious in war-got gold,
uenatrix, unum ex omni certamine pugnae 780
Amidst of all the press of arms this man in chase must hold
caeca sequebatur totumque incauta per agmen
Blind as a hunter; all unware amidst the war-array
femineo praedae et spoliorum ardebat amore,
She burned with all a woman’s lust for spoil of men and prey:
telum ex insidiis cum tandem tempore capto
When now, the time at last being seized, from out its lurking-place
