Aeneid

Virgil

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

  1. So spake the river-god, and sank from view
  2. down to his deepest cave; then night and sleep
  3. together from Aeneas fled away.
  4. He rose, and to the orient beams of morn
  5. his forehead gave; in both his hollowed palms
  6. he held the sacred waters of the stream,
  7. and called aloud: “O ye Laurentian nymphs,
  8. whence flowing rills be born, and chiefly thou,
  9. O Father Tiber, worshipped stream divine,
  10. accept Aeneas, and from peril save!
  11. If in some hallowed lake or haunted spring
  12. thy power, pitying my woes, abides,
  13. or wheresoe'er the blessed place be found
  14. whence first thy beauty flows, there evermore
  15. my hands shall bring thee gift and sacrifice.
  16. O chief and sovereign of Hesperian streams,
  17. O river-god that hold'st the plenteous horn,
  18. protect us, and confirm thy words divine!”
  19. He spoke; then chose twin biremes from the fleet,
  20. gave them good gear and armed their loyal crews.
  1. But, lo! a sudden wonder met his eyes:
  2. white gleaming through the grove, with all her brood
  3. white like herself, on the green bank the Sow
  4. stretched prone. The good Aeneas slew her there,
  5. Great Juno, for a sacrifice to thee,
  6. himself the priest, and with the sucklings all
  7. beside shine altar stood. So that whole night
  8. the god of Tiber calmed his swollen wave,
  9. ebbing or lingering in silent flow,
  10. till like some gentle lake or sleeping pool
  11. his even waters lay, and strove no more
  12. against the oarsmen's toil. Upon their way
  13. they speed with joyful sound; the well-oiled wood
  14. slips through the watery floor; the wondering waves,
  15. and all the virgin forests wondering,
  16. behold the warriors in far-shining arms
  17. their painted galleys up the current drive.
  18. O'er the long reaches of the winding flood
  19. their sturdy oars outweary the slow course
  20. of night and day. Fair groves of changeful green
  21. arch o'er their passage, and they seem to cleave
  22. green forests in the tranquil wave below.
  23. Now had the flaming sun attained his way
  24. to the mid-sphere of heaven, when they discerned
  25. walls and a citadel in distant view,
  26. with houses few and far between; 't was there,
  27. where sovran Rome to-day has rivalled Heaven,
  28. Evander's realm its slender strength displayed:
  29. swiftly they turned their prows and neared the town.
  1. It chanced th' Arcadian King had come that day
  2. to honor Hercules, Amphitryon's son,
  3. and to the powers divine pay worship due
  4. in groves outside the wall. Beside him stood
  5. Pallas his son, his noblest men-at-arms,
  6. and frugal senators, who at the shrines
  7. burnt incense, while warm blood of victims flowed.
  8. But when they saw the tall ships in the shade
  9. of that dark forest plying noiseless oars,
  10. the sudden sight alarmed, and all the throng
  11. sprang to its feet and left the feast divine.
  12. But dauntless Pallas bade them give not o'er
  13. the sacred festival, and spear in hand
  14. flew forward to a bit of rising ground,
  15. and cried from far: “Hail, warriors! what cause
  16. drives you to lands unknown, and whither bound?
  17. Your kin, your country? Bring ye peace or war?”
  18. Father Aeneas then held forth a bough
  19. of peaceful olive from the lofty ship,
  20. thus answering : “Men Trojan-born are we,
  21. foes of the Latins, who have driven us forth
  22. with insolent assault. We fain would see
  23. Evander. Pray, deliver this, and say
  24. that chosen princes of Dardania
  25. sue for his help in arms.” So wonder fell
  26. on Pallas, awestruck at such mighty name.
  27. O, come, whoe'er thou art,” he said, “and speak
  28. in presence of my father. Enter here,
  29. guest of our hearth and altar.” He put forth
  30. his right hand in true welcome, and they stood
  31. with lingering clasp; then hand in hand advanced
  32. up the steep woodland, leaving Tiber's wave.
  1. Aeneas to Evander speaking fair,
  2. these words essayed: “O best of Grecian-born!
  3. whom Fortune's power now bids me seek and sue,
  4. lifting this olive-branch with fillets bound,
  5. I have not feared thee, though I know thou art
  6. a Greek, and an Arcadian king, allied
  7. to the two sons of Atreus. For behold,
  8. my conscious worth, great oracles from Heaven,
  9. the kinship of our sires, thy own renown
  10. spread through the world—all knit my cause with thine,
  11. all make me glad my fates have so decreed.
  12. The sire and builder of the Trojan town
  13. was Dardanus; but he, Electra's child,
  14. came over sea to Teucria; the sire
  15. of fair Electra was great Atlas, he
  16. whose shoulder carries the vast orb of heaven.
  17. But thy progenitor was Mercury,
  18. and him conceiving, Maia, that white maid,
  19. on hoar Cyllene's frosty summit bore.
  20. But Maia's sire, if aught of truth be told,
  21. was Atlas also, Atlas who sustains
  22. the weight of starry skies. Thus both our tribes
  23. are one divided stem. Secure in this,
  24. no envoys have I sent, nor tried thy mind
  25. with artful first approaches, but myself,
  26. risking my person and my life, have come
  27. a suppliant here. For both on me and thee
  28. the house of Daunus hurls insulting war.
  29. If us they quell, they doubt not to obtain
  30. lordship of all Hesperia, and subdue
  31. alike the northern and the southern sea.
  32. Accept good faith, and give! Behold, our hearts
  33. quail not in battle; souls of fire are we,
  34. and warriors proved in many an action brave.”
  1. Aeneas ceased. The other long had scanned
  2. the hero's face, his eyes, and wondering viewed
  3. his form and mien divine; in answer now
  4. he briefly spoke: “With hospitable heart,
  5. O bravest warrior of all Trojan-born,
  6. I know and welcome thee. I well recall
  7. thy sire Anchises, how he looked and spake.
  8. For I remember Priam, when he came
  9. to greet his sister, Queen Hesione,
  10. in Salamis, and thence pursued his way
  11. to our cool uplands of Arcadia.
  12. The bloom of tender boyhood then was mine,
  13. and with a wide-eyed wonder I did view
  14. those Teucrian lords, Laomedon's great heir,
  15. and, towering highest in their goodly throng,
  16. Anchises, whom my warm young heart desired
  17. to speak with and to clasp his hand in mine.
  18. So I approached, and joyful led him home
  19. to Pheneus' olden wall. He gave me gifts
  20. the day he bade adieu; a quiver rare
  21. filled with good Lycian arrows, a rich cloak
  22. inwove with thread of gold, and bridle reins
  23. all golden, now to youthful Pallas given.
  24. Therefore thy plea is granted, and my hand
  25. here clasps in loyal amity with thine.
  26. To-morrow at the sunrise thou shalt have
  27. my tribute for the war, and go thy way
  28. my glad ally. But now this festival,
  29. whose solemn rite 't were impious to delay,
  30. I pray thee celebrate, and bring with thee
  31. well-omened looks and words. Allies we are!
  32. Use this our sacred feast as if your own.”