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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VIII Chapter 21: Venus appears | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
Such the discourse. With meditative brows and downcast eyes Aeneas and Achates, sad at heart, mused on unnumbered perils yet to come. But out of cloudless sky Cythera's Queen gave sudden signal: from th' ethereal dome a thunder-peal and flash of quivering fire tumultuous broke, as if the world would fall, and bellowing Tuscan trumpets shook the air. All eyes look up. Again and yet again crashed the terrible din, and where the sky looked clearest hung a visionary cloud, whence through the brightness blazed resounding arms. All hearts stood still. But Troy's heroic son knew that his mother in the skies redeemed her pledge in sound of thunder: so he cried, Seek not, my friend, seek not thyself to read the meaning of the omen. T is to me Olympus calls. My goddess-mother gave long since her promise of a heavenly sign if war should burst; and that her power would bring a panoply from Vulcan through the air, to help us at our need. Alas, what deaths over Laurentum's ill-starred host impend! O Turnus, what a reckoning thou shalt pay to me in arms! O Tiber, in thy wave what helms and shields and mighty soldiers slain shall in confusion roll! Yea, let them lead their lines to battle, and our league abjure! Events: Aeneas visits Evander, The Gods interfere in the Aeneid |
520-540 Vix ea fatus erat, defixique ora tenebant Aeneas Anchisiades et fidus Achates, multaque dura suo tristi cum corde putabant, ni signum caelo Cytherea dedisset aperto. namque improuiso uibratus ab aethere fulgor cum sonitu uenit et ruere omnia uisa repente, Tyrrhenusque tubae mugire per aethera clangor. suspiciunt, iterum atque iterum fragor increpat ingens. arma inter nubem caeli in regione serena per sudum rutilare uident et pulsa tonare. obstipuere animis alii, sed Troius heros agnouit sonitum et diuae promissa parentis. tum memorat: 'ne uero, hospes, ne quaere profecto quem casum portenta ferant: ego poscor Olympo. hoc signum cecinit missuram diua creatrix, si bellum ingrueret, Volcaniaque arma per auras laturam auxilio. heu quantae miseris caedes Laurentibus instant! quas poenas mihi, Turne, dabis! quam multa sub undas scuta uirum galeasque et fortia corpora uolues, Thybri pater! poscant acies et foedera rumpant.' |