Aeneid

Virgil

Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.

  1. Encircled by these pictures ran the waves
  2. of vast, unrestful seas in flowing gold,
  3. where seemed along the azure crests to fly
  4. the hoary foam, and in a silver ring
  5. the tails of swift, emerging dolphins lashed
  6. the waters bright, and clove the tumbling brine.
  7. For the shield's central glory could be seen
  8. great fleets of brazen galleys, and the fight
  9. at Actium; where, ablaze with war's array,
  10. Leucate's peak glowed o'er the golden tide.
  11. Caesar Augustus led Italia's sons
  12. to battle: at his side concordant moved
  13. Senate and Roman People, with their gods
  14. of hearth and home, and all Olympian Powers.
  15. Uplifted on his ship he stands; his brows
  16. beneath a double glory smile, and bright
  17. over his forehead beams the Julian star.
  18. in neighboring region great Agrippa leads,
  19. by favor of fair winds and friendly Heaven,
  20. his squadron forth: upon his brows he wears
  21. the peerless emblem of his rostral crown.
  22. Opposing, in barbaric splendor shine
  23. the arms of Antony: in victor's garb
  24. from nations in the land of morn he rides,
  25. and from the Red Sea, bringing in his train
  26. Egypt and Syria, utmost Bactria's horde,
  27. and last—O shameless!—his Egyptian spouse.
  28. All to the fight make haste; the slanted oars
  29. and triple beaks of brass uptear the waves
  30. to angry foam, as to the deep they speed
  31. like hills on hill-tops hurled, or Cyclades
  32. drifting and clashing in the sea: so vast
  33. that shock of castled ships and mighty men!
  34. Swift, arrowy steel and balls of blazing tow
  35. rain o'er the waters, till the sea-god's world
  36. flows red with slaughter. In the midst, the Queen,
  37. sounding her native timbrel, wildly calls
  38. her minions to the fight, nor yet can see
  39. two fatal asps behind. Her monster-gods,
  40. barking Anubis, and his mongrel crew,
  41. on Neptune, Venus, and Minerva fling
  42. their impious arms; the face of angry Mars,
  43. carved out of iron, in the centre frowns,
  44. grim Furies fill the air; Discordia strides
  45. in rent robe, mad with joy; and at her side,
  46. bellona waves her sanguinary scourge.
  47. There Actian Apollo watched the war,
  48. and o'er it stretched his bow; which when they knew,
  49. Egyptian, Arab, and swart Indian slave,
  50. and all the sons of Saba fled away
  51. in terror of his arm. The vanquished Queen
  52. made prayer to all the winds, and more and more
  53. flung out the swelling sail: on wind-swept wave
  54. she fled through dead and dying; her white brow
  55. the Lord of Fire had cunningly portrayed
  56. blanched with approaching doom. Beyond her lay
  57. the large-limbed picture of the mournful Nile,
  58. who from his bosom spread his garments wide,
  59. and offered refuge in his sheltering streams
  60. and broad, blue breast, to all her fallen power.
  61. But Caesar in his triple triumph passed
  62. the gates of Rome, and gave Italia's gods,
  63. for grateful offering and immortal praise,
  64. three hundred temples; all the city streets
  65. with game and revel and applauding song
  66. rang loud; in all the temples altars burned
  67. and Roman matrons prayed; the slaughtered herds
  68. strewed well the sacred ground. The hero, throned
  69. at snow-white marble threshold of the fane
  70. to radiant Phoebus, views the gift and spoil
  71. the nations bring, and on the portals proud
  72. hangs a perpetual garland: in long file
  73. the vanquished peoples pass, of alien tongues,
  74. of arms and vesture strange. Here Vulcan showed
  75. ungirdled Afric chiefs and Nomads bold,
  76. Gelonian bowmen, men of Caria,
  77. and Leleges. Euphrates seemed to flow
  78. with humbler wave; the world's remotest men,
  79. Morini came, with double-horned Rhine,
  80. and Dahae, little wont to bend the knee,
  81. and swift Araxes, for a bridge too proud.