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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book I Chapter 28: Images of the Trojan war | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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So saying, he received into his heart that visionary scene, profoundly sighed, and let his plenteous tears unheeded flow. There he beheld the citadel of Troy girt with embattled foes; here, Greeks in flight some Trojan onset 'scaped; there, Phrygian bands before tall-plumed Achilles' chariot sped. The snowy tents of Rhesus spread hard by (he sees them through his tears), where Diomed in night's first watch burst o'er them unawares with bloody havoc and a host of deaths; then drove his fiery coursers o'er the plain before their thirst or hunger could be stayed on Trojan corn or Xanthus' cooling stream. Here too was princely Troilus, despoiled, routed and weaponless, O wretched boy! Ill-matched against Achilles! His wild steeds bear him along, as from his chariot's rear he falls far back, but clutches still the rein; his hair and shoulders on the ground go trailing, and his down-pointing spear-head scrawls the dust. Elsewhere, to Pallas' ever-hostile shrine, daughters of Ilium, with unsnooded hair, and lifting all in vain her hallowed pall, walked suppliant and sad, beating their breasts, with outspread palms. But her unswerving eyes the goddess fixed on earth, and would not see. Achilles round the Trojan rampart thrice had dragged the fallen Hector, and for gold was making traffic of the lifeless clay. Aeneas groaned aloud, with bursting heart, to see the spoils, the car, the very corpse of his lost friend, -- while Priam for the dead stretched forth in piteous prayer his helpless hands. There too his own presentment he could see surrounded by Greek kings; and there were shown hordes from the East, and black-browed Memnon's arms; her band of Amazons, with moon-shaped shields, Penthesilea led; her martial eye flamed on from troop to troop; a belt of gold beneath one bare, protruded breast she bound -- a warrior-virgin braving mail-clad men. Events: Aeneas in Carthago, Trojan War, The Amazons help the Trojans |
464-493 Sic ait, atque animum pictura pascit inani, multa gemens, largoque umectat flumine voltum. Namque videbat, uti bellantes Pergama circum hac fugerent Graii, premeret Troiana iuventus, hac Phryges, instaret curru cristatus Achilles. Nec procul hinc Rhesi niveis tentoria velis adgnoscit lacrimans, primo quae prodita somno Tydides multa vastabat caede cruentus, ardentisque avertit equos in castra, prius quam pabula gustassent Troiae Xanthumque bibissent. Parte alia fugiens amissis Troilus armis, infelix puer atque impar congressus Achilli, fertur equis, curruque haeret resupinus inani, lora tenens tamen; huic cervixque comaeque trahuntur per terram, et versa pulvis inscribitur hasta. Interea ad templum non aequae Palladis ibant crinibus Iliades passis peplumque ferebant, suppliciter tristes et tunsae pectora palmis; diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat. Ter circum Iliacos raptaverat Hectora muros, exanimumque auro corpus vendebat Achilles. Tum vero ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo, ut spolia, ut currus, utque ipsum corpus amici, tendentemque manus Priamum conspexit inermis. Se quoque principibus permixtum adgnovit Achivis, Eoasque acies et nigri Memnonis arma. Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis Penthesilea furens, mediisque in milibus ardet, aurea subnectens exsertae cingula mammae, bellatrix, audetque viris concurrere virgo. |