LIBER IX ATQUE ea diversa penitus dum parte geruntur, ad quem sic roseo Thaumantias ore locuta est : Aeneas urbe et sociis et classe relicta sceptra Palatini sedemque petit Euandri. MPR 5 15 nec satis extremas Corythi penetravit ad urbes 10 Lydorumque manum collectos armat agrestis. quid dubitas? nunc tempus equos, nunc poscere currus. rumpe moras omnis et turbata arripe castra." dixit et in caelum paribus se sustulit alis ingentemque fuga secuit sub nubibus arcum. adgnovit iuvenis duplicisque ad sidera palmas sustulit ac tali fugientem est voce secutus: “Iri, decus caeli, quis te mihi nubibus actam detulit in terras? unde haec tam clara repente tempestas? medium video discedere caelum palantisque polo stellas. sequor omina tanta, 11 manus P1. et collectos 1. 17 et MR. 21 20 sequar M. 1 Corythus had founded Cortona, the principal Etruscan city. BOOK IX AND while in the far distance such deeds befell, Saturnian Juno sent Iris from heaven to gallant Turnus, who as it chanced was then seated within a hallowed vale, in the grove of his sire Pilumnus. To him, with roseate lips, thus spake the child of Thaumas: 6 "Turnus, that which no god had dared to promise to thy prayers, lo, the circling hour has brought unasked! Aeneas, leaving town, comrades, and fleet, seeks the Palatine realm, and Evander's dwelling. Nor does that suffice; he has won his way to Corythus' utmost cities,1 and is mustering in armed bands the Lydian country-folk. Why hesitate? Now, now is the hour to call for steed and car; break off delay, and seize the bewildered camp!" She spake, and on poised wings rose into the sky, cleaving in flight her mighty bow beneath the clouds. The youth knew her, and, raising his two upturned hands to heaven, with such words pursued her flight: "Iris, glory of the sky, who has brought thee down to me, wafted upon the clouds to earth? Whence this sudden brightness of the air? I see the heavens part asunder, and the stars that roam in the firmament. I follow the mighty omen, whoso thou art 2 cf. Aen. v. 657-8. 3 The mist veiling the heavens is rent asunder, revealing the stars beyond. VOL. II. I quisquis in arma vocas.' et sic effatus ad undam processit summoque hausit de gurgite lymphas, multa deos orans, oneravitque aethera votis. Iamque omnis campis exercitus ibat apertis, dives equum, dives pictaï vestis et auri (Messapus primas acies, postrema coercent Tyrrhidae iuvenes, medio dux agmine Turnus), ceu septem surgens sedatis amnibus altus per tacitum Ganges aut pingui flumine Nilus cum refluit campis et iam se condidit alveo. hic subitam nigro glomerari pulvere nubem prospiciunt Teucri ac tenebras insurgere campis. primus ab adversa conclamat mole Caïcus: "quis globus, o cives, caligine volvitur atra? ferte citi ferrum, date tela, ascendite muros, hostis adest, heia!" ingenti clamore per omnis condunt se Teucri portas et moenia complent. namque ita discedens praeceperat optimus armis Aeneas, si qua interea fortuna fuisset, FMPR neu struere auderent aciem neu credere campo; castra modo et tutos servarent aggere muros. ergo etsi conferre manum pudor iraque monstrat, obiciunt portas tamen et praecepta facessunt, armatique cavis exspectant turribus hostem. Turnus, ut ante volans tardum praecesserat agmen, viginti lectis equitum comitatus, et urbi improvisus adest: maculis quem Thracius albis portat equus cristaque tegit galea aurea rubra. "ecquis erit, mecum, iuvenes, qui primus in hostem? en"-ait et iaculum attorquens emittit in auras, 22 et omitted P2. 25 omnis] adeo M2. 29 vertitur arma tenens et toto vertice supra est. verse, given by inferior MSS., is taken from VII. 784. 33 magno P1 42 acies R. 52 intorquens M. 37 scandite M2: et scandite FR. 35 40 45 50 This that callest to arms!" And with these words he went onward to the river, and took up water from the brimming flood, calling oft on the gods and burdening heaven with vows. 25 And now all the army was advancing on the open plain, rich in horses, rich in broidered robes and gold -Messapus marshalling the van, the sons of Tyrrheus the rear, and Turnus their captain in the centre of the line :-even as Ganges, rising high in silence with his seven peaceful streams, or Nile, when his rich flood ebbs from the fields, and at length he is sunk into his channel. Here the Teucrians descry a sudden cloud gathering in black dust, and darkness rising on the plains. First cries Caïcus from the rampart's front: "What mass, my countrymen, rolls onward in murky gloom? Quick with the sword! Serve weapons, climb the walls! The enemy is upon us, ho!" With mighty clamour the Teucrians seek shelter through all the gates and man the ramparts. For so at his departure, Aeneas, bravest of warriors, had charged; were aught to chance meanwhile, they should not dare to array their line or trust the field; let them but guard camp and walls, secure behind their mound. Therefore, though shame and wrath prompt to conflict, yet they bar the gates and do his bidding, awaiting the foe under arms and within covert of the towers. Turnus, as he had flown forward in advance of his tardy column, with a following of twenty chosen horse comes upon the city unobserved: a Thracian steed, spotted with white, bears the prince, and a golden helm with crimson crest guards his head. "Gallants, is there one, who with me will be first against the foe to-lo!" he cries, and whirling a javelin sends it skyward-the pre 115 principium pugnae, et campo sese arduus infert. clamorem excipiunt socii fremituque sequuntur horrisono; Teucrum mirantur inertia corda, non aequo dare se campo, non obvia ferre arma viros, sed castra fovere. huc turbidus atque huc lustrat equo muros aditumque per avia quaerit ac veluti pleno lupus insidiatus ovili 55 65 MPR 70 cum fremit ad caulas, ventos perpessus et imbris, 60 nocte super media; tuti sub matribus agni balatum exercent; ille asper et improbus ira saevit in absentis; collecta fatigat edendi ex longo rabies et siccae sanguine fauces: haud aliter Rutulo muros et castra tuenti ignescunt irae, duris dolor ossibus ardet. qua temptet ratione aditus, et quae via clausos excutiat Teucros vallo atque effundat in aequum? classem, quae lateri castrorum adiuncta latebat, aggeribus saeptam circum et fluvialibus undis, invadit sociosque incendia poscit ovantis atque manum pinu flagranti fervidus implet. tum vero incumbunt (urget praesentia Turni) atque omnis facibus pubes accingitur atris. diripuere focos; piceum fert fumida lumen taeda et commixtam Volcanus ad astra favillam. Quis deus, o Musae, tam saeva incendia Teucris avertit? tantos ratibus quis depulit ignis? dicite. prisca fides facto, sed fama perennis. tempore quo primum Phrygia formabat in Ida Aeneas classem et pelagi petere alta parabat, ipsa deum fertur genetrix Berecyntia magnum 53 campis R. 75 80 54 clamore FRy2, known to Servius. 66 durus Py1. After ardet Conington and most earlier editors place a comma. 67 qua via FMP2y, Servius: quae via P1R, known to Servius. 68 aequor P1F2. 79 sed] sit R. 77 qui Py1. 82 genetrix fertur R. |