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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VIII Chapter 14: The tale of Evander | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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Such worship o'er, all take the homeward way back to the town. The hospitable king, though bowed with weight of years, kept at his side Aeneas and his son, and as they fared, with various discourse beguiled the way. Aeneas scanned with quick-admiring eyes the region wide, and lingered with delight now here, now there, inquiring eagerly of each proud monument of heroes gone. Then king Evander, he who builded first On Palatine, spoke thus: These groves erewhile their native nymphs and fauns enjoyed, with men from trees engendered and stout heart of oak. Nor laws nor arts they knew; nor how to tame burls to the yoke, nor fill great barns with store and hoard the gathered grain; but rudely fared on wild fruits and such food as hunters find. Then Saturn from Olympian realms came down, in flight from Jove's dread arms, his sceptre lost, and he an exiled king. That savage race he gathered from the mountain slopes; and gave wise laws and statutes; so that latent land was Latium, hid land where he hid so long. The golden centuries by legends told were under that good king, whose equal sway untroubled peace to all his peoples gave. But after slow decline arrived an age degenerate and of a darker hue, prone to insensate war and greed of gain. Then came Sicanian and Ausonian tribes, and oft the land of Saturn lost its name. New chieftains rose, and Thybris, giant king and violent, from whom th' Italians named the flooding Tiber, which was called no more the Albula, its true and ancient style. Myself, in exile from my fatherland sailing uncharted seas, was guided here by all-disposing Chance and iron laws of Destiny. With prophecy severe Carmentis, my nymph-mother, thrust me on, warned by Apollo's word. Event: Aeneas visits Evander |
306-336 Exim se cuncti diuinis rebus ad urbem perfectis referunt. ibat rex obsitus aeuo, et comitem Aenean iuxta natumque tenebat ingrediens uarioque uiam sermone leuabat. miratur facilisque oculos fert omnia circum Aeneas, capiturque locis et singula laetus exquiritque auditque uirum monimenta priorum. tum rex Euandrus Romanae conditor arcis: 'haec nemora indigenae Fauni Nymphaeque tenebant gensque uirum truncis et duro robore nata, quis neque mos neque cultus erat, nec iungere tauros aut componere opes norant aut parcere parto, sed rami atque asper uictu uenatus alebat. primus ab aetherio uenit Saturnus Olympo arma Iouis fugiens et regnis exsul ademptis. is genus indocile ac dispersum montibus altis composuit legesque dedit, Latiumque uocari maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris. aurea quae perhibent illo sub rege fuere saecula: sic placida populos in pace regebat, deterior donec paulatim ac decolor aetas et belli rabies et amor successit habendi. tum manus Ausonia et gentes uenere Sicanae, saepius et nomen posuit Saturnia tellus; tum reges asperque immani corpore Thybris, a quo post Itali fluuium cognomine Thybrim diximus; amisit uerum uetus Albula nomen. me pulsum patria pelagique extrema sequentem Fortuna omnipotens et ineluctabile fatum his posuere locis, matrisque egere tremenda Carmentis nymphae monita et deus auctor Apollo.' |