Aeneid
Virgil
Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.
- Meanwhile the Teucrian legions to the wall
- draw near, with Tuscan lords and cavalry
- in numbered troops arrayed. Loud-footed steeds
- prance o'er the field, to manage of the rein
- rebellious, but turned deftly here or there.
- The iron harvest of keen spears spreads far,
- and all the plain burns bright with lifted steel.
- Messapus and swift Latin cavalry,
- Coras his brother, and th' attending train
- of the fair maid Camilla, form their lines
- in the opposing field. Their poised right hands
- point the long lances forward, and light shafts
- are brandished in the air; the warrior hosts
- on steeds of fire come kindling as they ride.
- One instant, at a spear-throw's space, each line
- its motion stays; then with one sudden cry
- they rush forth, spurring on each frenzied steed.
- From-every side the multitudinous spears
- pour down like snowflakes, mantling heaven in shade.
- Now with contending spears and straining thews,
- Tyrrhenus, and Aconteus, champion bold,
- ride forward; with the onset terrible
- loudly their armor rings; their chargers twain
- crash breast to breast, and like a thunderbolt
- Aconteus drops, or like a ponderous stone
- hurled from a catapult; full length he falls,
- surrend'ring to the winds his fleeting soul.
- Now all is panic: holding their light shields
- behind their backs, the Latin horse wheel round,
- retreating to the wall, the Trojan foe
- in close pursuit. Asilas, chieftain proud,
- led on th' assault. Hard by the city gates
- the Latins wheeled once more and pressed the rein
- strong on the yielding neck; the charging foe
- took flight and hurried far with loose-flung rein.
- 'T was like the shock and onset of the sea
- that landward hurls the alternating flood
- and hides high cliffs in foam,—the tawny sands
- upflinging as it rolls; then, suddenly
- whirled backward on the reingulfing waves,
- it quits the ledges, and with ebbing flow
- far from the shore retires. The Tuscans twice
- drive back the flying Rutules to the town;
- and twice repulsed, with shields to rearward thrown,
- glare back at the pursuer; but conjoined
- in the third battle-charge, both armies merge
- confusedly together in grim fight
- of man to man; then follow dying groans,
- armor blood-bathed and corpses, and strong steeds
- inextricably with their masters slain,
- so fierce the fray. Orsilochus—afraid
- to front the warrior's arms—launched forth a spear
- at Remulus' horse, and left the fatal steel
- clinging below its ear; the charger plunged
- madly, and tossed its trembling hoofs in air,
- sustaining not the wound; the rider fell,
- flung headlong to the ground. Catillus slew
- Iollas; and then struck Herminius down,
- great-bodied and great-hearted, who could wield
- a monster weapon, and whose yellow hair
- from naked head to naked shoulder flowed.
- By wounds unterrified he dared oppose
- his huge bulk to the foe: the quivering spear
- pierced to his broad back, and with throes of pain
- bowed the man double and clean clove him through.
- Wide o'er the field th' ensanguined horror flowed,
- where fatal swords were crossed and cut their way
- through many a wound to famous death and fair.
- Swift through the midmost slaughter proudly strides
- the quiver-girt Camilla, with one breast
- thrust naked to the fight, like Amazon.
- Oft from her hand her pliant shafts she rains,
- or whirls with indefatigable arm
- a doughty battle-axe; her shoulder bears
- Diana's sounding arms and golden bow.
- Sometimes retreating and to flight compelled,
- the maiden with a rearward-pointing bow
- shoots arrows as she flies. Around her move
- her chosen peers, Larina, virgin brave,
- Tarpeia, brandishing an axe of bronze,
- and Tulla, virgins out of Italy
- whom the divine Camilla chose to be
- her glory, each a faithful servitress
- in days of peace or war. The maids of Thrace
- ride thus along Thermodon's frozen flood,
- and fight with blazoned Amazonian arms
- around Hippolyta; or when returns
- Penthesilea in triumphal car
- 'mid acclamations shrill, and all her host
- of women clash in air the moon-shaped shield.
- What warrior first, whom last, did thy strong spear,
- fierce virgin, earthward fling? Or what thy tale
- of prostrate foes laid gasping on the ground?
- Eunaeus first, the child of Clytius' Ioins,
- whose bared breast, as he faced his foe, she pierced
- with fir-tree javelin; from his lips outpoured
- the blood-stream as he fell; and as he bit
- the gory dust, he clutched his mortal wound.
- Then Liris, and upon him Pagasus
- she slew: the one clung closer to the reins
- of his stabbed horse, and rolled off on the ground;
- the other, flying to his fallen friend,
- reached out a helpless hand; so both of these
- fell on swift death together. Next in line
- she smote Amastrus, son of Hippotas;
- then, swift-pursuing, pierced with far-flung spear
- Tereus, Harpalycus, Demophoon,
- and Chromis; every shaft the virgin threw
- laid low its Phrygian warrior. From afar
- rode Ornytus on his Apulian steed,
- bearing a hunter's uncouth arms; for cloak
- he wore upon his shoulders broad a hide
- from some wild bull stripped off; his helmet was
- a wolf's great, gaping mouth, with either jaw
- full of white teeth; the weapon in his hand,
- a farmer's pole. He strode into the throng,
- head taller than them all. But him she seized
- and clove him through (his panic-stricken troop
- gave her advantage), and with wrathful heart
- she taunted thus the fallen: “Didst thou deem
- this was a merry hunting in the wood
- in chase of game? Behold, thy fatal day
- befalls thee at a woman's hand, and thus
- thy boasting answers. No small glory thou
- unto the ghosts of thy dead sires wilt tell,
- that 't was Camilla's javelin struck thee down.”
- The turn of Butes and Orsilochus
- came next, who were the Trojans, hugest twain:
- yet Butes with her javelin-point she clove
- from rearward, 'twixt the hauberk and the helm,
- just where the horseman's neck showed white, and where
- from shoulder leftward slung the light-weight shield.
- From swift Orsilochus she feigned to fly,
- through a wide circle sweeping, craftily
- taking the inside track, pursuing so
- her own pursuer; then she raised herself
- to her full height, and through the warrior's helm
- drove to his very skull with doubling blows
- of her strong battle-axe,—while he implored
- her mercy with loud prayers: his cloven brain
- spilt o'er his face. Next in her pathway came—
- but shrank in startled fear—the warrior son
- of Aunus, haunter of the Apennine,
- not least of the Ligurians ere his doom
- cut short a life of lies. He, knowing well
- no flight could save him from the shock of arms
- nor turn the royal maid's attack, began
- with words of cunning and insidious guile:
- “What glory is it if a girl be bold,
- on sturdy steed depending? Fly me not!
- But, venturing with me on this equal ground,
- gird thee to fight on foot. Soon shalt thou see
- which one of us by windy boast achieves
- a false renown.” He spoke; but she, to pangs
- of keenest fury stung, gave o'er her steed
- in charge of a companion, and opposed
- her foe at equal vantage, falchion drawn,
- on foot, and, though her shield no blazon bore,
- of fear incapable. But the warrior fled,
- thinking his trick victorious, and rode off
- full speed, with reins reversed,—his iron heel
- goading his charger's flight. Camilla cried:
- “Ligurian cheat! In vain thy boastful heart
- puffs thee so large; in vain thou hast essayed
- thy father's slippery ways; nor shall thy trick
- bring thee to guileful Aunus safely home.”
- Herewith on winged feet that virgin bold
- flew past the war-horse, seized the streaming rein,
- and, fronting him, took vengeance on her foe
- in bloody strokes: with not less ease a hawk,
- dark bird of omen, from his mountain crag
- pursues on pinions strong a soaring dove
- to distant cloud, and, clutching with hooked claws,
- holds tight and rips,—while through celestial air
- the torn, ensanguined plumage floats along.