Aeneid
Virgil
Vergil. The Aeneid of Virgil. Williams, Theodore, C, translator. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1910.
- Encircled by these pictures ran the waves
- of vast, unrestful seas in flowing gold,
- where seemed along the azure crests to fly
- the hoary foam, and in a silver ring
- the tails of swift, emerging dolphins lashed
- the waters bright, and clove the tumbling brine.
- For the shield's central glory could be seen
- great fleets of brazen galleys, and the fight
- at Actium; where, ablaze with war's array,
- Leucate's peak glowed o'er the golden tide.
- Caesar Augustus led Italia's sons
- to battle: at his side concordant moved
- Senate and Roman People, with their gods
- of hearth and home, and all Olympian Powers.
- Uplifted on his ship he stands; his brows
- beneath a double glory smile, and bright
- over his forehead beams the Julian star.
- in neighboring region great Agrippa leads,
- by favor of fair winds and friendly Heaven,
- his squadron forth: upon his brows he wears
- the peerless emblem of his rostral crown.
- Opposing, in barbaric splendor shine
- the arms of Antony: in victor's garb
- from nations in the land of morn he rides,
- and from the Red Sea, bringing in his train
- Egypt and Syria, utmost Bactria's horde,
- and last—O shameless!—his Egyptian spouse.
- All to the fight make haste; the slanted oars
- and triple beaks of brass uptear the waves
- to angry foam, as to the deep they speed
- like hills on hill-tops hurled, or Cyclades
- drifting and clashing in the sea: so vast
- that shock of castled ships and mighty men!
- Swift, arrowy steel and balls of blazing tow
- rain o'er the waters, till the sea-god's world
- flows red with slaughter. In the midst, the Queen,
- sounding her native timbrel, wildly calls
- her minions to the fight, nor yet can see
- two fatal asps behind. Her monster-gods,
- barking Anubis, and his mongrel crew,
- on Neptune, Venus, and Minerva fling
- their impious arms; the face of angry Mars,
- carved out of iron, in the centre frowns,
- grim Furies fill the air; Discordia strides
- in rent robe, mad with joy; and at her side,
- bellona waves her sanguinary scourge.
- There Actian Apollo watched the war,
- and o'er it stretched his bow; which when they knew,
- Egyptian, Arab, and swart Indian slave,
- and all the sons of Saba fled away
- in terror of his arm. The vanquished Queen
- made prayer to all the winds, and more and more
- flung out the swelling sail: on wind-swept wave
- she fled through dead and dying; her white brow
- the Lord of Fire had cunningly portrayed
- blanched with approaching doom. Beyond her lay
- the large-limbed picture of the mournful Nile,
- who from his bosom spread his garments wide,
- and offered refuge in his sheltering streams
- and broad, blue breast, to all her fallen power.
- But Caesar in his triple triumph passed
- the gates of Rome, and gave Italia's gods,
- for grateful offering and immortal praise,
- three hundred temples; all the city streets
- with game and revel and applauding song
- rang loud; in all the temples altars burned
- and Roman matrons prayed; the slaughtered herds
- strewed well the sacred ground. The hero, throned
- at snow-white marble threshold of the fane
- to radiant Phoebus, views the gift and spoil
- the nations bring, and on the portals proud
- hangs a perpetual garland: in long file
- the vanquished peoples pass, of alien tongues,
- of arms and vesture strange. Here Vulcan showed
- ungirdled Afric chiefs and Nomads bold,
- Gelonian bowmen, men of Caria,
- and Leleges. Euphrates seemed to flow
- with humbler wave; the world's remotest men,
- Morini came, with double-horned Rhine,
- and Dahae, little wont to bend the knee,
- and swift Araxes, for a bridge too proud.