Where
fortune seemed to allow and the Destinies granted Latinus' estate to
prosper, I shielded Turnus and thy city.
fortune seemed to allow and the Destinies granted Latinus' estate to
prosper, I shielded Turnus and thy city.
Virgil - Aeneid
The eager charioteers stand
round and pat their chests with clapping hollowed hands, and comb their
tressed manes. Himself next he girds on his shoulders the corslet stiff
with gold and pale mountain-bronze, and buckles on the sword and shield
and scarlet-plumed [90-124]helmet-spikes: that sword the divine Lord of
Fire had himself forged for his father Daunus and dipped glowing in the
Stygian wave. Next, where it stood amid his dwelling leaning on a massy
pillar, he strongly seizes his stout spear, the spoil of Actor the
Auruncan, and brandishes it quivering, and cries aloud: 'Now, O spear
that never hast failed at my call, now the time is come; thee princely
Actor once, thee Turnus now wields in his grasp. Grant this strong hand
to strike down the effeminate Phrygian, to rend and shatter the corslet,
and defile in dust the locks curled with hot iron and wet with myrrh. '
Thus madly he runs on: sparkles leap out from all his blazing face, and
his keen eyes flash fire: even as the bull when before his first fight
he bellows awfully, and drives against a tree's trunk to make trial of
his angry horns, and buffets the air with blows or scatters the sand in
prelude of battle.
And therewithal Aeneas, terrible in his mother's armour, kindles for
warfare and awakes into wrath, rejoicing that offer of treaty stays the
war. Comforting his comrades and sorrowing Iulus' fear, he instructs
them of destiny, and bids bear answer of assurance to King Latinus, and
name the laws of peace.
Scarcely did the morrow shed on the mountain-tops the beams of risen
day, as the horses of the sun begin to rise from the deep flood and
breathe light from their lifted nostrils; Rutulian and Teucrian men
measured out and made ready a field of battle under the great city's
ramparts, and midway in it hearth-fires and grassy altars to the gods of
both peoples; while others bore spring water and fire, draped in
priestly dress and their brows bound with grass of the field. The
Ausonian army issue forth, and crowd through the gates in streaming
serried columns. On this side all the Trojan and Tyrrhenian host pour in
diverse armament, girt with iron even as though the harsh battle-strife
[125-158]called them forth. Therewith amid their thousands the captains
dart up and down, splendid in gold and purple, Mnestheus, seed of
Assaracus, and brave Asilas, and Messapus, tamer of horses, brood of
Neptune: then each on signal given retired to his own ground; they plant
their spears in the earth and lean their shields against them. Mothers
in eager abandonment, and the unarmed crowd and feeble elders beset
towers and house-roofs, or stand at the lofty gates.
But Juno, on the summit that is now called the Alban--then the mountain
had neither name nor fame or honour--looked forth from the hill and
surveyed the plain and double lines of Laurentine and Trojan, and
Latinus' town. Straightway spoke she thus to Turnus' sister, goddess to
goddess, lady of pools and noisy rivers: such worship did Jupiter the
high king of air consecrate to her for her stolen virginity:
'Nymph, grace of rivers, best beloved of our soul, thou knowest how out
of all the Latin women that ever rose to high-hearted Jove's thankless
bed, thee only have I preferred and gladly given part and place in
heaven. Learn thy woe, that thou blame not me for it, Juturna.
Where
fortune seemed to allow and the Destinies granted Latinus' estate to
prosper, I shielded Turnus and thy city. Now I see him joining battle
with unequal fates, and the day of doom and deadly force draws nigh.
Mine eyes cannot look on this battle and treaty: thou, if thou darest
aught of more present help for the brother of thy blood, go on; it
befits thee. Haply relief shall follow misery. '
Scarcely thus: when Juturna's eyes overbrimmed with tears, and thrice
and again she smote her hand on her gracious breast. 'This is not time
for tears,' cries Juno, daughter of Saturn: 'hasten and snatch thy
brother, if it may be, from his death; or do thou waken war, and make
[159-191]the treaty abortive. I encourage thee to dare. ' With such
urgence she left her, doubting and dismayed, and grievously wounded in
soul.
Meanwhile the kings go forth; Latinus in mighty pomp rides in his
four-horse chariot; twelve gilded rays go glittering round his brows,
symbol of the Sun his ancestor; Turnus moves behind a white pair,
clenching in his hand two broad-headed spears. On this side lord Aeneas,
fount of the Roman race, ablaze in starlike shield and celestial arms,
and close by Ascanius, second hope of mighty Rome, issue from the camp;
and the priest, in spotless raiment, hath brought the young of a bristly
sow and an unshorn sheep of two years old, and set his beasts by the
blazing altars. They, turning their eyes towards the sunrising, scatter
salted corn from their hands and clip the beasts with steel over the
temples, and pour cups on the altars. Then Aeneas the good, with sword
drawn, thus makes invocation:
'Be the Sun now witness, and this Earth to my call, for whose sake I
have borne to suffer so sore travail, and the Lord omnipotent, and thou
his wife, at last, divine daughter of Saturn, at last I pray more
favourable; and thou, mighty Mavors, who wieldest all warfare in
lordship beneath thy sway; and on the Springs and Rivers I call, and the
Dread of high heaven, and the divinities of the blue seas: if haply
victory fall to Turnus the Ausonian, the vanquished make covenant to
withdraw to Evander's city; Iulus shall quit the soil; nor ever
hereafter shall the Aeneadae return in arms to renew warfare, or attack
this realm with the sword. But if Victory grant battle to us and ours
(as I think the rather, and so the rather may the gods seal their will),
I will not bid Italy obey my Teucrians, nor do I claim the realm for
mine; let both nations, unconquered, join treaty for ever under equal
law. Gods [192-225]and worship shall be of my giving: my father Latinus
shall bear the sword, and have a father's prescribed command. For me my
Teucrians shall establish a city, and Lavinia give the town her name. '
Thus Aeneas first: thereon Latinus thus follows:
'By these same I swear, O Aeneas, by Earth, Sea, Sky, and the twin brood
of Latona and Janus the double-facing, and the might of nether gods and
grim Pluto's shrine; this let our Father hear, who seals treaties with
his thunderbolt.
round and pat their chests with clapping hollowed hands, and comb their
tressed manes. Himself next he girds on his shoulders the corslet stiff
with gold and pale mountain-bronze, and buckles on the sword and shield
and scarlet-plumed [90-124]helmet-spikes: that sword the divine Lord of
Fire had himself forged for his father Daunus and dipped glowing in the
Stygian wave. Next, where it stood amid his dwelling leaning on a massy
pillar, he strongly seizes his stout spear, the spoil of Actor the
Auruncan, and brandishes it quivering, and cries aloud: 'Now, O spear
that never hast failed at my call, now the time is come; thee princely
Actor once, thee Turnus now wields in his grasp. Grant this strong hand
to strike down the effeminate Phrygian, to rend and shatter the corslet,
and defile in dust the locks curled with hot iron and wet with myrrh. '
Thus madly he runs on: sparkles leap out from all his blazing face, and
his keen eyes flash fire: even as the bull when before his first fight
he bellows awfully, and drives against a tree's trunk to make trial of
his angry horns, and buffets the air with blows or scatters the sand in
prelude of battle.
And therewithal Aeneas, terrible in his mother's armour, kindles for
warfare and awakes into wrath, rejoicing that offer of treaty stays the
war. Comforting his comrades and sorrowing Iulus' fear, he instructs
them of destiny, and bids bear answer of assurance to King Latinus, and
name the laws of peace.
Scarcely did the morrow shed on the mountain-tops the beams of risen
day, as the horses of the sun begin to rise from the deep flood and
breathe light from their lifted nostrils; Rutulian and Teucrian men
measured out and made ready a field of battle under the great city's
ramparts, and midway in it hearth-fires and grassy altars to the gods of
both peoples; while others bore spring water and fire, draped in
priestly dress and their brows bound with grass of the field. The
Ausonian army issue forth, and crowd through the gates in streaming
serried columns. On this side all the Trojan and Tyrrhenian host pour in
diverse armament, girt with iron even as though the harsh battle-strife
[125-158]called them forth. Therewith amid their thousands the captains
dart up and down, splendid in gold and purple, Mnestheus, seed of
Assaracus, and brave Asilas, and Messapus, tamer of horses, brood of
Neptune: then each on signal given retired to his own ground; they plant
their spears in the earth and lean their shields against them. Mothers
in eager abandonment, and the unarmed crowd and feeble elders beset
towers and house-roofs, or stand at the lofty gates.
But Juno, on the summit that is now called the Alban--then the mountain
had neither name nor fame or honour--looked forth from the hill and
surveyed the plain and double lines of Laurentine and Trojan, and
Latinus' town. Straightway spoke she thus to Turnus' sister, goddess to
goddess, lady of pools and noisy rivers: such worship did Jupiter the
high king of air consecrate to her for her stolen virginity:
'Nymph, grace of rivers, best beloved of our soul, thou knowest how out
of all the Latin women that ever rose to high-hearted Jove's thankless
bed, thee only have I preferred and gladly given part and place in
heaven. Learn thy woe, that thou blame not me for it, Juturna.
Where
fortune seemed to allow and the Destinies granted Latinus' estate to
prosper, I shielded Turnus and thy city. Now I see him joining battle
with unequal fates, and the day of doom and deadly force draws nigh.
Mine eyes cannot look on this battle and treaty: thou, if thou darest
aught of more present help for the brother of thy blood, go on; it
befits thee. Haply relief shall follow misery. '
Scarcely thus: when Juturna's eyes overbrimmed with tears, and thrice
and again she smote her hand on her gracious breast. 'This is not time
for tears,' cries Juno, daughter of Saturn: 'hasten and snatch thy
brother, if it may be, from his death; or do thou waken war, and make
[159-191]the treaty abortive. I encourage thee to dare. ' With such
urgence she left her, doubting and dismayed, and grievously wounded in
soul.
Meanwhile the kings go forth; Latinus in mighty pomp rides in his
four-horse chariot; twelve gilded rays go glittering round his brows,
symbol of the Sun his ancestor; Turnus moves behind a white pair,
clenching in his hand two broad-headed spears. On this side lord Aeneas,
fount of the Roman race, ablaze in starlike shield and celestial arms,
and close by Ascanius, second hope of mighty Rome, issue from the camp;
and the priest, in spotless raiment, hath brought the young of a bristly
sow and an unshorn sheep of two years old, and set his beasts by the
blazing altars. They, turning their eyes towards the sunrising, scatter
salted corn from their hands and clip the beasts with steel over the
temples, and pour cups on the altars. Then Aeneas the good, with sword
drawn, thus makes invocation:
'Be the Sun now witness, and this Earth to my call, for whose sake I
have borne to suffer so sore travail, and the Lord omnipotent, and thou
his wife, at last, divine daughter of Saturn, at last I pray more
favourable; and thou, mighty Mavors, who wieldest all warfare in
lordship beneath thy sway; and on the Springs and Rivers I call, and the
Dread of high heaven, and the divinities of the blue seas: if haply
victory fall to Turnus the Ausonian, the vanquished make covenant to
withdraw to Evander's city; Iulus shall quit the soil; nor ever
hereafter shall the Aeneadae return in arms to renew warfare, or attack
this realm with the sword. But if Victory grant battle to us and ours
(as I think the rather, and so the rather may the gods seal their will),
I will not bid Italy obey my Teucrians, nor do I claim the realm for
mine; let both nations, unconquered, join treaty for ever under equal
law. Gods [192-225]and worship shall be of my giving: my father Latinus
shall bear the sword, and have a father's prescribed command. For me my
Teucrians shall establish a city, and Lavinia give the town her name. '
Thus Aeneas first: thereon Latinus thus follows:
'By these same I swear, O Aeneas, by Earth, Sea, Sky, and the twin brood
of Latona and Janus the double-facing, and the might of nether gods and
grim Pluto's shrine; this let our Father hear, who seals treaties with
his thunderbolt.
