Aeneid

Virgil

Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.

  1. Now all is panic: holding their light shields
  2. behind their backs, the Latin horse wheel round,
  3. retreating to the wall, the Trojan foe
  4. in close pursuit. Asilas, chieftain proud,
  5. led on th' assault. Hard by the city gates
  6. the Latins wheeled once more and pressed the rein
  7. strong on the yielding neck; the charging foe
  8. took flight and hurried far with loose-flung rein.
  9. 'T was like the shock and onset of the sea
  10. that landward hurls the alternating flood
  11. and hides high cliffs in foam,—the tawny sands
  12. upflinging as it rolls; then, suddenly
  13. whirled backward on the reingulfing waves,
  14. it quits the ledges, and with ebbing flow
  15. far from the shore retires. The Tuscans twice
  16. drive back the flying Rutules to the town;
  17. and twice repulsed, with shields to rearward thrown,
  18. glare back at the pursuer; but conjoined
  19. in the third battle-charge, both armies merge
  20. confusedly together in grim fight
  21. of man to man; then follow dying groans,
  22. armor blood-bathed and corpses, and strong steeds
  23. inextricably with their masters slain,
  24. so fierce the fray. Orsilochus—afraid
  25. to front the warrior's arms—launched forth a spear
  26. at Remulus' horse, and left the fatal steel
  27. clinging below its ear; the charger plunged
  28. madly, and tossed its trembling hoofs in air,
  29. sustaining not the wound; the rider fell,
  30. flung headlong to the ground. Catillus slew
  31. Iollas; and then struck Herminius down,
  32. great-bodied and great-hearted, who could wield
  33. a monster weapon, and whose yellow hair
  34. from naked head to naked shoulder flowed.
  35. By wounds unterrified he dared oppose
  36. his huge bulk to the foe: the quivering spear
  37. pierced to his broad back, and with throes of pain
  38. bowed the man double and clean clove him through.
  39. Wide o'er the field th' ensanguined horror flowed,
  40. where fatal swords were crossed and cut their way
  41. through many a wound to famous death and fair.