What help was it for the Trojans to escape war’s doom and thread their flight through Argive fires, to have exhausted all those perils of sea and desolate lands, while they seek Latium and the towers of a Troy rebuilt? Were it not better to have clung to the last ashes of their country, and the ground where once was Troy? Give back, I pray, Xanthus and Simoïs to a wretched people, and let the Teucrians again, O Lord, circle through the fates of Ilium.’ Bid Carthage in high lordship rule Ausonia thence will nothing arise to check the Tyrian cities. Amanthus is mine, high Paphos and Cythera, and my house of Idalia there, far from arms, let him spend an inglorious life. Aeneas may well be tossed over unknown seas and follow wheresoever fortune open a path him let me avail to shelter and withdraw from the turmoil of battle. If thy cruel wife leave no region free to Teucrians, by the smoking ruins of desolated Troy, O father, I beseech thee, grant Ascanius unhurt retreat from arms, grant that my son’s child survive. In no wise am I moved for empire that was our hope while Fortune stood let those conquer whom thou wilt. But if so many oracles guided them, given by god and ghost, why may aught now reverse thine ordinance or write destiny anew? Why should I recall the fleets burned on the coast of Eryx? why the king of storms, and the raging winds roused from Aeolia, or Iris sped down the clouds? Now hell too is stirred (this share of the world was yet untried) and Allecto suddenly let loose above to riot through the Italian towns. Let them expiate their sin aid not such with thy succour. If the Trojans have sought Italy without thy leave and defiant of thy deity, Truly I think my wounds are yet to come, and I thy child am keeping some mortal weapons idle. Wilt thou never then let our leaguer be raised? Again a foe overhangs the walls of infant Troy and another army, and a second son of Tydeus rises from Aetolian Arpi against the Trojans. ‘O Lord, O everlasting Governor of men and things - for what else may we yet supplicate? - beholdest thou how the Rutulians brave it, and Turnus, borne charioted through the ranks, proudly sweeps down the tide of battle? Bar and bulwark no longer shelter the Trojans nay, within the gates and even on the mounted walls they clash in battle and make the trenches swim with blood. Thus Jupiter in brief but not briefly golden Venus returns in answer: . . . Then hatred may grapple with hatred, then hostilities be opened now let them be, and cheerfully join in the treaty we ordain.’ ‘Potentates of heaven, wherefore is your decree turned back, and your minds thus jealously at strife? I forbade Italy to join battle with the Teucrians why this quarrel in face of my injunction? What terror has bidden one or another run after arms and tempt the sword? The due time of battle will arrive, call it not forth, when furious Carthage shall one day sunder the Alps to hurl ruin full on the towers of Rome. They sit down within from doorway to doorway: their lord begins: M EANWHILE the heavenly house omnipotent unfolds her doors, and the father of gods and king of men calls a council in the starry dwelling whence he looks sheer down on the whole earth, the Dardanian camp, and the peoples of Latium. Durham, Ph.D., New York: the Modern Library 1934 pp. 190-213. From Virgil’s Works, The Aeneid, Eclogues, Georgics translated by J.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |