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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book X Chapter 5: The siege is continued | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
Meanwhile at every gate the Rutule foe urges the slaughter on, and closes round the battlements with ring of flame. The host of Trojans, prisoned in the palisades, lies in strict siege and has no hope to fly. In wretched plight they man the turrets tall, to no avail, and with scant garrison the ramparts crown. In foremost line of guard are Asius Imbrasides, the twin Assaraci, and Hicetaon's son Thymoetes, and with Castor at his side the veteran Thymbris; then the brothers both of slain Sarpedon, and from Lycian steep Clarus and Themon. With full-straining thews lifting a rock, which was of some huge hill no fragment small, Lyrnesian Acmon stood; nor less than Clytius his sire he seemed, nor Mnestheus his great brother. Some defend the wall with javelins; some hurl down stones or firebrands, or to the sounding string fit arrows keen. But lo! amid the throng, well worth to Venus her protecting care, the Dardan boy [Note 1], whose princely head shone forth without a helm, like radiant jewel set in burnished gold for necklace or for crown; or like immaculate ivory inclosed in boxwood or Orician terebinth; his tresses o'er his white neck rippled down, confined in circlet of soft twisted gold. Thee, too, the warrior nations gaze upon, high-nurtured Ismarus, inflicting wounds with shafts of venomed reed: Maeonia's vale thy cradle was, where o'er the fruitful fields well-tilled and rich, Pactolus pours his gold. Mnestheus was there, who, for his late repulse of Turnus from the rampart, towered forth in glory eminent; there Capys stood, whose name the Capuan citadel shall bear. Note 1: boy = Ascanius |
118-145 Interea Rutuli portis circum omnibus instant sternere caede uiros et moenia cingere flammis. at legio Aeneadum uallis obsessa tenetur nec spes ulla fugae. miseri stant turribus altis nequiquam et rara muros cinxere corona Asius Imbrasides Hicetaoniusque Thymoetes Assaracique duo et senior cum Castore Thymbris, prima acies; hos germani Sarpedonis ambo et Clarus et Thaemon Lycia comitantur ab alta. fert ingens toto conixus corpore saxum, haud partem exiguam montis, Lyrnesius Acmon, nec Clytio genitore minor nec fratre Menestheo. hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis molirique ignem neruoque aptare sagittas. ipse inter medios, Veneris iustissima cura, Dardanius caput, ecce, puer detectus honestum, qualis gemma micat fuluum quae diuidit aurum, aut collo decus aut capiti, uel quale per artem inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho lucet ebur; fusos ceruix cui lactea crinis accipit et molli subnectens circulus auro. te quoque magnanimae uiderunt, Ismare, gentes uulnera derigere et calamos armare ueneno, Maeonia generose domo, ubi pinguia culta exercentque uiri Pactolusque inrigat auro. adfuit et Mnestheus, quem pulsi pristina Turni aggere murorum sublimem gloria tollit, et Capys: hinc nomen Campanae ducitur urbi. |