Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. But when first the light
  2. of reason to his blinded soul returned,
  3. he strained his flaming eyeballs to behold
  4. the distant wall, and from his chariot gazed
  5. in wonder at the lordly citadel.
  6. For, lo, a pointed peak of flame uprolled
  7. from tier to tier, and surging skyward seized
  8. a tower—the very tower his own proud hands
  9. had built of firm-set beams and wheeled in place,
  10. and slung its Iofty bridges high in air.
  11. “Fate is too strong, my sister! Seek no more
  12. to stay the stroke. But let me hence pursue
  13. that path where Heaven and cruel Fortune call.
  14. Aeneas I must meet; and I must bear
  15. the bitterness of death, whate'er it be.
  16. O sister, thou shalt look upon my shame
  17. no longer. But first grant a madman's will!”
  18. He spoke; and leaping from his chariot, sped
  19. through foes and foemen's spears, not seeing now
  20. his sister's sorrow, as in swift career
  21. he burst from line to line. Thus headlong falls
  22. a mountain-boulder by a whirlwind flung
  23. from lofty peak, or loosened by much rain,
  24. or by insidious lapse of seasons gone;
  25. the huge, resistless crag goes plunging down
  26. by leaps and bounds, o'erwhelming as it flies
  27. tall forests, Bocks and herds, and mortal men:
  28. so through the scattered legions Turnus ran
  29. straight to the city walls, where all the ground
  30. was drenched with blood, and every passing air
  31. shrieked with the noise of spears. His lifted hand
  32. made sign of silence as he loudly called:
  33. “Refrain, Rutulians! O ye Latins all,
  34. your spears withhold! The issue of the fray
  35. is all my own. I only can repair
  36. our broken truce by judgment of the sword.”
  37. Back fell the hostile lines, and cleared the field.
  1. But Sire Aeneas, hearing Turnus' name,
  2. down the steep rampart from the citadel
  3. unlingering tried, all lesser task laid by,
  4. with joy exultant and dread-thundering arms.
  5. Like Athos' crest he loomed, or soaring top
  6. of Eryx, when the nodding oaks resound,
  7. or sovereign Apennine that lifts in air
  8. his forehead of triumphant snow. All eyes
  9. of Troy, Rutulia, and Italy
  10. were fixed his way; and all who kept a guard
  11. on lofty rampart, or in siege below
  12. were battering the foundations, now laid by
  13. their implements and arms. Latinus too
  14. stood awestruck to behold such champions, born
  15. in lands far-sundered, met upon one field
  16. for one decisive stroke of sword with sword.
  17. Swift striding forth where spread the vacant plain,
  18. they hurled their spears from far; then in close fight
  19. the brazen shields rang. Beneath their tread
  20. Earth groaned aloud, as with redoubling blows
  21. their falchions fell; nor could a mortal eye
  22. 'twixt chance and courage the dread work divide.
  23. As o'er Taburnus' top, or spacious hills
  24. of Sila, in relentless shock of war,
  25. two bulls rush brow to brow, while terror-pale
  26. the herdsmen fly; the herd is hushed with fear;
  27. the heifers dumbly marvel which shall be
  28. true monarch of the grove, whom all the kine
  29. obedient follow; but the rival twain,
  30. commingling mightily wound after wound,
  31. thrust with opposing horns, and bathe their necks
  32. in streams of blood; the forest far and wide
  33. repeats their bellowing rage: not otherwise
  34. Trojan Aeneas and King Daunus' son
  35. clashed shield on shield, till all the vaulted sky
  36. felt the tremendous sound. The hand of Jove
  37. held scales in equipoise, and threw thereon
  38. th' unequal fortunes of the heroes twain:
  39. one to vast labors doomed and one to die.
  1. Soon Turnus, reckless of the risk, leaped forth,
  2. upreached his whole height to his lifted sword,
  3. and struck: the Trojans and the Latins pale
  4. cried mightily, and all eyes turned one way
  5. expectant. But the weak, perfidious sword
  6. broke off, and as the blow descended, failed
  7. its furious master, whose sole succor now
  8. was flight; and swifter than the wind he flew.
  9. But, lo! a hilt of form and fashion strange
  10. lay in his helpless hand. For in his haste,
  11. when to the battle-field his team he drove,
  12. his father's sword forgotten (such the tale),
  13. he snatched Metiscus' weapon. This endured
  14. to strike at Trojan backs, as he pursued,
  15. but when on Vulcan's armory divine
  16. its earthly metal smote, the brittle blade
  17. broke off like ice, and o'er the yellow sands
  18. in flashing fragments scattered. Turnus now
  19. takes mad flight o'er the distant plain, and winds
  20. in wavering gyration round and round;
  21. for Troy's close ring confines him, and one way
  22. a wide swamp lies, one way a frowning wall.