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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book V Chapter 19: Archer's contest | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
Forthwith Aeneas summons all who will to contest of swift arrows, and displays reward and prize. With mighty hand he rears a mast within th' arena, from the ship of good Sergestus taken; and thereto a fluttering dove by winding cord is bound for target of their shafts. Soon to the match the rival bowmen came and cast the lots into a brazen helmet. First came forth Hippocoon's number, son of Hyrtacus, by cheers applauded; Mnestheus was the next, late victor in the ship-race, Mnestheus crowned with olive-garland; next Eurytion, brother of thee, O bowman most renowned, Pandarus, breaker of the truce, who hurled his shaft upon the Achaeans, at the word the goddess gave. Acestes' lot and name came from the helmet last, whose royal hand the deeds of youth dared even yet to try. Each then with strong arm bends his pliant bow, each from the quiver plucks a chosen shaft. First, with loud arrow whizzing from the string, the young Hippocoon with skyward aim cuts through the yielding air; and lo! his barb pierces the very wood, and makes the mast tremble; while with a fluttering, frighted wing the bird tugs hard, -- and plaudits fill the sky. Boldly rose Mnestheus, and with bow full-drawn aimed both his eye and shaft aloft; but he failing, unhappy man, to bring his barb up to the dove herself, just cut the cord and broke the hempen bond, whereby her feet were captive to the tree: she, taking flight, clove through the shadowing clouds her path of air. But swiftly -- for upon his waiting bow he held a shaft in rest -- Eurytion invoked his brother's shade, and, marking well the dove, whose happy pinions fluttered free in vacant sky, pierced her, hard by a cloud; lifeless she fell, and left in light of heaven her spark of life, as, floating down, she bore the arrow back to earth. |
485-518 Protinus Aeneas celeri certare sagitta inuitat qui forte uelint et praemia dicit, ingentique manu malum de naue Seresti erigit et uolucrem traiecto in fune columbam, quo tendant ferrum, malo suspendit ab alto. conuenere uiri deiectamque aerea sortem accepit galea, et primus clamore secundo Hyrtacidae ante omnis exit locus Hippocoontis; quem modo nauali Mnestheus certamine uictor consequitur, uiridi Mnestheus euinctus oliua. tertius Eurytion, tuus, o clarissime, frater, Pandare, qui quondam iussus confundere foedus in medios telum torsisti primus Achiuos. extremus galeaque ima subsedit Acestes, ausus et ipse manu iuuenum temptare laborem Tum ualidis flexos incuruant uiribus arcus pro se quisque uiri et depromunt tela pharetris, primaque per caelum neruo stridente sagitta Hyrtacidae iuuenis uolucris diuerberat auras, et uenit aduersique infigitur arbore mali. intremuit malus micuitque exterrita pennis ales, et ingenti sonuerunt omnia plausu. post acer Mnestheus adducto constitit arcu alta petens, pariterque oculos telumque tetendit. |