Home Introduction Persons Geogr. Sources Events Mijn blog(Nederlands)
Religion Subjects Images Queries Links Contact Do not fly Iberia
This is a non-commercial site. Any revenues from Google ads are used to improve the site.

Custom Search
Quote of the day: The red hair and large limbs of the inha
Notes
Display Latin text
The Aeneid by Virgil
translated by Theodore C. Williams
Book III Chapter 15: Prophecy of Helenus
Next chapter
Return to index
Previous chapter
Day followed day,
while favoring breezes beckoned us to sea,
and swelled the waiting canvas as they blew.
Then to the prophet-priest I [Note 1] made this prayer:
“Offspring of Troy, interpreter of Heaven!
Who knowest Phoebus' power, and readest well
the tripod, stars, and vocal laurel leaves
to Phoebus dear, who know'st of every bird
the ominous swift wing or boding song,
o, speak! For all my course good omens showed,
and every god admonished me to sail
in quest of Italy's far-distant shores;
but lone Celaeno, heralding strange woe,
foretold prodigious horror, vengeance dark,
and vile, unnatural hunger. How elude
such perils? Or by what hard duty done
may such huge host of evils vanquished be?"
Then Helenus, with sacrifice of kine
in order due, implored the grace of Heaven,
unloosed the fillets from his sacred brow,
and led me, Phoebus, to thy temple's door,
awed by th' o'er-brooding godhead, whose true priest,
with lips inspired, made this prophetic song:

Note 1: I = Aeneas

Events: The wanderings of Aeneas, Prophecy of Helenus

356-373
Iamque dies alterque dies processit, et aurae
uela uocant tumidoque inflatur carbasus Austro:
his uatem adgredior dictis ac talia quaeso:
'Troiugena, interpres diuum, qui numina Phoebi,
qui tripodas Clarii et laurus, qui sidera sentis
et uolucrum linguas et praepetis omina pennae,
fare age (namque omnis cursum mihi prospera dixit
religio, et cuncti suaserunt numine diui
Italiam petere et terras temptare repostas;
sola nouum dictuque nefas Harpyia Celaeno
prodigium canit et tristis denuntiat iras
obscenamque famem), quae prima pericula uito?
quidue sequens tantos possim superare labores?'
hic Helenus caesis primum de more iuuencis
exorat pacem diuum uittasque resoluit
sacrati capitis, meque ad tua limina, Phoebe,
ipse manu multo suspensum numine ducit,
atque haec deinde canit diuino ex ore sacerdos: