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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book X Chapter 33: Aeneas kills Lausus | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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O storied youth! If olden worth may win believing ear, let not my song now fail of thee to sing, thy noble deeds, thy doom of death and pain! Mezentius, now encumbered and undone, fell backward, trailing from the broken shield his foeman's spear. His son leaped wildly forth to join the fray; and where Aeneas' hand lifted to strike, he faced the thrusting sword and gave the hero pause. His comrades raised applauding cries, as shielded by his son the father made retreat; their darts they hurl, and vex with flying spears the distant foe: Aeneas, wrathful, stands beneath his shield. As when the storm-clouds break in pelting hail, the swains and ploughmen from the furrows fly, and every traveller cowers in sure defence of river-bank or lofty shelving crag, while far and wide it pours; and by and by, each, when the sun returns, his task pursues: so great Aeneas, by assault o'erwhelmed, endured the cloud of battle, till its rage thundered no more; then with a warning word to Lausus with upbraiding voice he called: Why, O death-doomed, rush on to deeds too high for strength like thine. Thou art betrayed, rash boy, by thine own loyal heart! But none the less the youth made mad defence; while fiercer burned the Trojan's anger; and of Lausus' days the loom of Fate spun forth the last thin thread; for now Aeneas thrust his potent blade deep through the stripling's breast and out of sight; through the light shield it passed -- a frail defence to threaten with! -- and through the tunic fine his mother's hand had wrought with softest gold: blood filled his bosom, and on path of air down to the shades the mournful soul withdrew, its body quitting. As Anchises' son beheld the agonizing lips and brow so wondrous white in death, he groaned aloud in pity, and reached o'er him his right hand, touched to the heart such likeness to behold of his own filial love. Unhappy boy! What reward worthy of heroic deeds can I award thee now? Wear still those arms so proudly worn! And I will send thee home (Perhaps thou carest!) to the kindred shades and ashes of thy sires. But let it be some solace in thy pitiable doom that none but great Aeneas wrought thy fall. Then to the stripling's tardy followers he sternly called, and lifted from the earth with his own hand the fallen foe: dark blood defiled those princely tresses braided fair. |
791-832 hic mortis durae casum tuaque optima facta, si qua fidem tanto est operi latura uetustas, non equidem nec te, iuuenis memorande, silebo— ille pedem referens et inutilis inque ligatus cedebat clipeoque inimicum hastile trahebat. proripuit iuuenis seseque immiscuit armis, iamque adsurgentis dextra plagamque ferentis Aeneae subiit mucronem ipsumque morando sustinuit; socii magno clamore sequuntur, dum genitor nati parma protectus abiret, telaque coniciunt perturbantque eminus hostem missilibus. furit Aeneas tectusque tenet se. ac uelut effusa si quando grandine nimbi praecipitant, omnis campis diffugit arator omnis et agricola, et tuta latet arce uiator aut amnis ripis aut alti fornice saxi, dum pluit in terris, ut possint sole reducto exercere diem: sic obrutus undique telis Aeneas nubem belli, dum detonet omnis, sustinet et Lausum increpitat Lausoque minatur: 'quo moriture ruis maioraque uiribus audes? fallit te incautum pietas tua.' nec minus ille exsultat demens, saeuae iamque altius irae Dardanio surgunt ductori, extremaque Lauso Parcae fila legunt. ualidum namque exigit ensem per medium Aeneas iuuenem totumque recondit; transiit et parmam mucro, leuia arma minacis, et tunicam molli mater quam neuerat auro, impleuitque sinum sanguis; tum uita per auras concessit maesta ad Manis corpusque reliquit. At uero ut uultum uidit morientis et ora, ora modis Anchisiades pallentia miris, ingemuit miserans grauiter dextramque tetendit, et mentem patriae subiit pietatis imago. 'quid tibi nunc, miserande puer, pro laudibus istis, quid pius Aeneas tanta dabit indole dignum? arma, quibus laetatus, habe tua; teque parentum manibus et cineri, si qua est ea cura, remitto. hoc tamen infelix miseram solabere mortem: Aeneae magni dextra cadis.' increpat ultro cunctantis socios et terra subleuat ipsum sanguine turpantem comptos de more capillos. |