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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book XII Chapter 26: Turnus announces the duel | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
But when first the light of reason to his blinded soul returned, he strained his flaming eyeballs to behold the distant wall, and from his chariot gazed in wonder at the lordly citadel. For, lo, a pointed peak of flame uprolled from tier to tier, and surging skyward seized a tower -- the very tower his own proud hands had built of firm-set beams and wheeled in place, and slung its lofty bridges high in air. Fate is too strong, my sister! Seek no more to stay the stroke. But let me hence pursue that path where Heaven and cruel Fortune call. Aeneas I must meet; and I must bear the bitterness of death, whate'er it be. O sister, thou shalt look upon my shame no longer. But first grant a madman's will! He spoke; and leaping from his chariot, sped through foes and foemen's spears, not seeing now his sister's sorrow, as in swift career he burst from line to line. Thus headlong falls a mountain-boulder by a whirlwind flung from lofty peak, or loosened by much rain, or by insidious lapse of seasons gone; the huge, resistless crag goes plunging down by leaps and bounds, o'erwhelming as it flies tall forests, woods and herds, and mortal men: so through the scattered legions Turnus ran straight to the city walls, where all the ground was drenched with blood, and every passing air shrieked with the noise of spears. His lifted hand made sign of silence as he loudly called: Refrain, Rutulians! O ye Latins all, your spears withhold! The issue of the fray is all my own. I only can repair our broken truce by judgment of the sword. Back fell the hostile lines, and cleared the field. Event: Renewal of the war. |
672-696 Ecce autem flammis inter tabulata uolutus ad caelum undabat uertex turrimque tenebat, turrim compactis trabibus quam eduxerat ipse subdideratque rotas pontisque instrauerat altos. 'iam iam fata, soror, superant, absiste morari; quo deus et quo dura uocat Fortuna sequamur. stat conferre manum Aeneae, stat, quidquid acerbi est, morte pati, neque me indecorem, germana, uidebis amplius. hunc, oro, sine me furere ante furorem.' dixit, et e curru saltum dedit ocius aruis perque hostis, per tela ruit maestamque sororem deserit ac rapido cursu media agmina rumpit. ac ueluti montis saxum de uertice praeceps cum ruit auulsum uento, seu turbidus imber proluit aut annis soluit sublapsa uetustas; fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu exsultatque solo, siluas armenta uirosque inuoluens secum: disiecta per agmina Turnus sic urbis ruit ad muros, ubi plurima fuso sanguine terra madet striduntque hastilibus aurae, significatque manu et magno simul incipit ore: 'parcite iam, Rutuli, et uos tela inhibete, Latini. quaecumque est fortuna, mea est; me uerius unum pro uobis foedus luere et decernere ferro.' discessere omnes medii spatiumque dedere. |