Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. Now Agamemnon's kinsman, cruel foe
  2. to the mere name of Troy, Halaesus, yokes
  3. the horses of his car and summons forth
  4. a thousand savage clans at Turnus' call :
  5. rude men whose mattocks to the Massic hills
  6. bring Bacchus' bounty, or by graybeard sires
  7. sent from Auruncan upland and the mead
  8. of Sidicinum; out of Cales came
  9. its simple folk; and dwellers by the stream
  10. of many-shoaled Volturnus, close-allied
  11. with bold Saticulan or Oscan swains.
  12. Their arms are tapered javelins, which they wear
  13. bound by a coiling thong; a shield conceals
  14. the left side, and they fight with crooked swords.
  1. Nor shalt thou, Oebalus, depart unsung,
  2. whom minstrels say the nymph Sebethis bore
  3. to Telon, who in Capri was a king
  4. when old and gray; but that disdaining son
  5. quitted so small a seat, and conquering sway
  6. among Sarrastian folk and those wide plains
  7. watered by Sarnus' wave, became a king
  8. over Celenna, Rufrae, Batulum,
  9. and where among her apple-orchards rise
  10. Abella's walls. All these, as Teutons use,
  11. hurl a light javelin; for helm they wear
  12. stripped cork-tree bark; the crescent of their shields
  13. is gleaming bronze, and gleaming bronze the sword.
  1. Next Ufens, mountain-bred, from Nersae came
  2. to join the war; of goodly fame was he
  3. for prosperous arms: his Aequian people show
  4. no gentle mien, but scour the woods for prey,
  5. or, ever-armed, across the stubborn glebe
  6. compel the plough; though their chief pride and joy
  7. are rapine, violence, and plundered store.
  1. Next after these, his brows and helmet bound
  2. with noble olive, from Marruvium came
  3. a priest, brave Umbro, ordered to the field
  4. by King Archippus: o'er the viper's brood,
  5. and venomed river-serpents he had power
  6. to scatter slumber with wide-waving hands
  7. and wizard-songs. His potent arts could soothe
  8. their coiling rage and heal the mortal sting:
  9. but 'gainst a Trojan sword no drug had he,
  10. nor could his drowsy spells his flesh repair,
  11. nor gathered simples from the Marsic hills.
  12. Thee soon in wailing woods Anguitia mourned,
  13. thee, Fucinus, the lake of crystal wave,
  14. thee, many a mountain-tarn!
  1. Next, Virbius in martial beauty rode,
  2. son of Hippolytus, whose mother, proud
  3. Aricia, sent him in his flower of fame
  4. out of Egeria's hills and cloudy groves
  5. where lies Diana's gracious, gifted fane.
  6. For legend whispers that Hippolytus,
  7. by step-dame's plot undone, his life-blood gave
  8. to sate his vengeful father, and was rent
  9. in sunder by wild horses; but the grave
  10. to air of heaven and prospect of the stars
  11. restored him;—for Diana's love and care
  12. poured out upon him Paeon's healing balm.
  13. But Jove, almighty Sire, brooked not to see
  14. a mortal out of death and dark reclimb
  15. to light of life, and with a thunderbolt
  16. hurled to the Stygian river Phoebus' son,
  17. who dared such good elixir to compound.
  18. But pitying Trivia hid Hippolytus
  19. in her most secret cave, and gave in ward
  20. to the wise nymph Egeria in her grove;
  21. where he lived on inglorious and alone,
  22. ranging the woods of Italy, and bore
  23. the name of Virbius. 'T is for this cause
  24. the hallowed woods to Trivia's temple vowed
  25. forbid loud-footed horses, such as spilled
  26. stripling and chariot on the fatal shore,
  27. scared by the monsters peering from the sea.
  28. Yet did the son o'er that tumultuous plain
  29. his battle-chariot guide and plunging team.
  1. Lo, Turnus strides conspicuous in the van,
  2. full armed, of mighty frame, his lordly head
  3. high o'er his peers emerging! His tall helm
  4. with flowing triple crest for ensign bears
  5. Chimaera, whose terrific lips outpour
  6. volcanic fires; where'er the menace moves
  7. of her infernal flames and wrathful frown,
  8. there wildest flows the purple flood of war.
  9. On his smooth shield deep graven in the gold
  10. is horned Io—wondrous the device!—
  11. a shaggy heifer-shape the maiden shows;
  12. Argus is watching her, while Inachus
  13. pours forth his river from the pictured urn.
  14. A storm of tramping troops, to Turnus sworn,
  15. throngs all the widespread plain with serried shields:
  16. warriors of Argos, and Auruncan bands,
  17. Sicani, Rutuli, Sacranian hosts,
  18. Labicum's painted shields; all who till
  19. thy woodland vales, O Tiber! or the shore
  20. Numicius hallows; all whose ploughs upturn
  21. Rutulia's hills, or that Circaean range
  22. where Jove of Anxur guards, and forests green
  23. make fair Feronia glad; where lie the fens
  24. of Satura, and Ufens' icy wave
  25. through lowland valleys seeks his seaward way.
  1. Last came Camilla, of the Volscians bred,
  2. leading her mail-clad, radiant chivalry;
  3. a warrior-virgin, of Minerva's craft
  4. of web and distaff, fit for woman's toil,
  5. no follower she; but bared her virgin breast
  6. to meet the brunt of battle, and her speed
  7. left even the winds behind; for she would skim
  8. an untouched harvest ere the sickle fell,
  9. nor graze the quivering wheat-tops as she ran;
  10. or o'er the mid-sea billows' swollen surge
  11. so swiftly race, she wet not in the wave
  12. her flying feet. For sight of her the youth
  13. from field and fortress sped, and matrons grave
  14. stood wondering as she passed, well-pleased to see
  15. her royal scarf in many a purple fold
  16. float off her shining shoulder, her dark hair
  17. in golden clasp caught fast, and how she bore
  18. for arms a quiver of the Lycian mode,
  19. and shepherd's shaft of myrtle tipped with steel.