Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli, 30 34-49. Scarce had the remnants of the Trojan host, on its voyage westward, left the shores of Sicily, when Juno wrathfully pondered thus in her heart: "Shall Troy gain the mastery over Italy in my despite? Pallas could destroy the Argive fleet to expiate the crime of Ajax, and how shall I maintain my honour, foiled by one miserable tribe?" 50 55 Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans Nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus austris, Aeoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro Luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras Imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat. Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis Circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce Sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras; Ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum Quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras. Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, Hoc metuens, molemque et montes insuper altos Imposuit, regemque dedit, qui foedere certo Et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas. Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est: "Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex Et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento, 60 65 Incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes, 70 Aeolus haec contra: "Tuus, o regina, quid optes, Explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est. Tu mihi, quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque Concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom, Nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.” 80. 81-123. Therewith Aeolus struck the mountain-side, and forth rushed the raging winds upon the Trojan fleet, with thunder and lightning and brooding darkness. In his agony of fear Aeneas cried," Thrice happy they who fell beneath the walls of Troy! O that I might then have fallen before Diomede, that I were lying where Hector lies, and Sarpedon, by the swirling Simois!" Even as he spoke, the tempest crashed upon his fleet. Ship after ship was dashed on the reefs or driven on the shoals; one lost its pilot, another foundered in mid-sea, and all were in evil case. Interea magno misceri murmure pontum, 125 130 Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur: "Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri? Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, Venti, Quos ego-! Sed motos praestat componere fluctus. 135 Maturate fugam, regique haec dicite vestro: Non illi imperium pelagi saevumque tridentem, 140 Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat, Sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam 149 155 157-197. The storm-tossed Trojans steered for the Libyan coast and found a safe roadstead for the seven ships that survived, in a land-locked haven, with rocky forest-crowned shores. Eagerly they disembarked to rest on dry land, lit a fire, and set about preparing a meal with what victual the sea had not utterly destroyed. Aeneas scaled the cliff in hope of sighting his missing ships; but though no sign of these was visible, he saw three stags followed by a herd of deer. Seven heads he secured, for each crew one; and having divided the wine given him by Acestes in Sicily, he addressed his men: "O socii,-neque enim ignari sumus ante malorumO passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem. Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantes Accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopia saxa Experti: revocate animos, maestumque timorem 200 Mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. 205 210 Talia voce refert, curisque ingentibus aeger Spem voltu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem. Illi se praedae accingunt dapibusque futuris: · Tergora deripiunt costis et viscera nudant; Pars in frusta secant veribusque trementia figunt;. Litore aena locant alii, flammasque ministrant. Tum victu revocant vires, fusique per herbam Implentur veteris Bacchi pinguisque ferinae. Postquam exempta fames epulis mensaeque remotae, Amissos longo socios sermone requirunt, · Spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant, Sive extrema pati nec iam exaudire vocatos. Et iam finis erat, cum Iuppiter aethere summo Despiciens mare velivolum terrasque iacentes Litoraque et latos populos, sic vertice caeli Constitit et Libyae defixit lumina regnis. 215 225 Atque illum tales iactantem pectore curas Adloquitur Venus: "O qui res hominumque deumque 230 Quid Troes potuere, quibus, tot funera passis, 235 240 250 Hoc equidem occasum Troiae tristesque ruinas 255 265 Magnanimum Aenean; neque me sententia vertit. 260 270 275 |