Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. He spoke; Ilioneus this answer made:
  2. “O King, great heir of Faunus! No dark storm
  3. impelled us o'er the flood thy realm to find.
  4. Nor star deceived, nor strange, bewildering shore
  5. threw out of our true course; but we are come
  6. by our free choice and with deliberate aim
  7. to this thy town, though exiled forth of realms
  8. once mightiest of all the sun-god sees
  9. when moving from his utmost eastern bound.
  10. From Jove our line began; the sons of Troy
  11. boast Jove to be their sire, and our true King
  12. is of Olympian seed. To thine abode
  13. Trojan Aeneas sent us. How there burst
  14. o'er Ida's vales from dread Mycenae's kings
  15. a tempest vast, and by what stroke of doom
  16. all Asia's world with Europe clashed in war,
  17. that lone wight hears whom earth's remotest isle
  18. has banished to the Ocean's rim, or he
  19. whose dwelling is the ample zone that burns
  20. betwixt the changeful sun-god's milder realms,
  21. far severed from the world. We are the men
  22. from war's destroying deluge safely borne
  23. over the waters wide. We only ask
  24. some low-roofed dwelling for our fathers' gods,
  25. some friendly shore, and, what to all is free,
  26. water and air. We bring no evil name
  27. upon thy people; thy renown will be
  28. but wider spread; nor of a deed so fair
  29. can grateful memory die. Ye ne'er will rue
  30. that to Ausonia's breast ye gathered Troy.
  31. I swear thee by the favored destinies
  32. of great Aeneas, by his strength of arm
  33. in friendship or in war, that many a tribe
  34. (O, scorn us not, that, bearing olive green,
  35. with suppliant words we come), that many a throne
  36. has sued us to be friends. But Fate's decree
  37. to this thy realm did guide. Here Dardanus
  38. was born; and with reiterate command
  39. this way Apollo pointed to the stream
  40. of Tiber and Numicius' haunted spring.
  41. Lo, these poor tributes from his greatness gone
  42. Aeneas sends, these relics snatched away
  43. from Ilium burning: with this golden bowl
  44. Anchises poured libation when he prayed;
  45. and these were Priam's splendor, when he gave
  46. laws to his gathered states; this sceptre his,
  47. this diadem revered, and beauteous pall,
  48. handwork of Asia's queens.” So ceased to speak
  49. Ilioneus. But King Latinus gazed
  50. unanswering on the ground, all motionless
  51. save for his musing eyes. The broidered pall
  52. of purple, and the sceptre Priam bore,
  53. moved little on his kingly heart, which now
  54. pondered of giving to the bridal bed
  55. his daughter dear. He argues in his mind
  56. the oracle of Faunus:—might this be
  57. that destined bridegroom from an alien land,
  58. to share his throne, to get a progeny
  59. of glorious valor, which by mighty deeds
  60. should win the world for kingdom? So at last
  61. with joyful brow he spoke: “Now let the gods
  62. our purpose and their own fair promise bless!
  63. Thou hast, O Trojan, thy desire. Thy gifts
  64. I have not scorned; nor while Latinus reigns
  65. shall ye lack riches in my plenteous land,
  66. not less than Trojan store. But where is he,
  67. Aeneas' self? If he our royal love
  68. so much desire, and have such urgent mind
  69. to be our guest and friend, let him draw near,
  70. nor turn him from well-wishing looks away!
  71. My offering and pledge of peace shall be
  72. to clasp your monarch's hand. Bear back, I pray,
  73. this answer to your King: my dwelling holds
  74. a daughter, whom with husband of her blood
  75. great signs in heaven and from my father's tomb
  76. forbid to wed. A son from alien shores
  77. they prophesy for Latium's heir, whose seed
  78. shall lift our glory to the stars divine.
  79. I am persuaded this is none but he,
  80. that man of destiny; and if my heart
  81. be no false prophet, I desire it so.”
  82. Thus having said, the sire took chosen steeds
  83. from his full herd, whereof, well-groomed and fair,
  84. three hundred stood within his ample pale.
  85. Of these to every Teucrian guest he gave
  86. a courser swift and strong, in purple clad
  87. and broidered housings gay; on every breast
  88. hung chains of gold; in golden robes arrayed,
  89. they champed the red gold curb their teeth between.
  90. For offering to Aeneas, he bade send
  91. a chariot, with chargers twain of seed
  92. ethereal, their nostrils breathing fire:
  93. the famous kind which guileful Circe bred,
  94. cheating her sire, and mixed the sun-god's team
  95. with brood-mares earthly born. The sons of Troy,
  96. such gifts and greetings from Latinus bearing,
  97. rode back in pomp his words of peace to bring.