Turnus's Departure and the Prowess of Mezentius — Virgil, Aeneid Book 10 (lines 683–758), Latin & English

683

fluctibus an iaciat¹ mediis et litora nando

or whether he should cast himself into the middle of the waves and, by swimming, seek

curva petat Teucrumque iterum se reddat in arma.

the curved shores and restore himself again to the Trojan weapons.

685

Ter conatus utramque viam, ter maxima Iuno

Thrice he attempted both ways; thrice greatest Juno

continuit iuvenemque animi² miserata repressit.

withheld the youth and, pitying him in his heart, restrained him.

Labitur alta secans fluctuque aestuque secundo

He glides along, cutting the deep, with favorable wave and tide,

et patris antiquam Dauni defertur ad urbem.

and is carried down to the ancient city of his father Daunus.

At Iovis interea monitis Mezentius ardens

But meanwhile, by the warnings of Jupiter, burning Mezentius

690

succedit pugnae Teucrosque invadit ovantis.

succeeds to the battle and attacks the exulting Trojans.

Concurrunt Tyrrhenae acies atque omnibus uni,

The Tyrrhenian ranks rush together, and all against one,

uni odiisque viro telisque frequentibus instant.

against one man, they press with all their hatred and frequent weapons.

Ille velut rupes, vastum quae prodit in aequor,

He, like a cliff which juts out into the vast sea,

obvia ventorum furiis expostaque ponto,

exposed to the furies of the winds and braving the deep,

695

vim cunctam atque minas perfert caelique marisque,

endures all the force and threats of both sky and sea,

ipsa immota manens, prolem Dolichaonis Hebrum

itself remaining unmoved, lays low Hebrus, son of Dolichaon,

sternit humi, cum quo Latagum Palmumque fugacem,

on the ground; with him Latagus and fleeing Palmus,

sed Latagum saxo atque ingenti fragmine montis

but Latagus, with a stone and a huge fragment of a mountain,

occupat os faciemque adversam, poplite Palmum

he forestalls in the mouth and facing countenance; Palmus, with hamstringed

700

succiso volvi segnem sinit, armaque Lauso

poplite, he allows to roll sluggishly, and gives his armor to Lausus

donat habere³ umeris et vertice figere cristas.

to have on his shoulders and to fix the crests upon his head.

Nec non Euanthen Phrygium Paridisque Mimanta

Nor does he spare Phrygian Euanthes and Mimas,

aequalem comitemque, una quem nocte Theano

the equal and companion of Paris, whom in one night Theano

in lucem genitori Amyco dedit et face praegnans

brought into the light for his father Amycus, and the daughter of Cisseus,

705

Cisseis regina Parin creat: urbe paterna

pregnant with a torch, gave birth to Paris; Paris lies in his father’s city,

occubat, ignarum Laurens habet ora Mimanta.

while the Laurentine coast holds the stranger Mimas.

Ac velut ille canum morsu de montibus altis

And just as that wild boar, driven by the bite of dogs

actus aper, multos Vesulus quem pinifer annos

from the high mountains, whom pine-bearing Vesulus has defended for many

defendit multosve palus Laurentia, silva

years, or the Laurentian marsh for many, fed in the reedy

710

pastus harundinea, postquam inter retia ventum est,

forest, when he has come among the nets,

substitit infremuitque ferox et inhorruit armos,

stands still, roars fiercely, and bristles his shoulders;

nec cuiquam irasci propiusque accedere virtus,

nor has anyone the courage to grow angry or draw nearer,

sed iaculis tutisque procul clamoribus instant;

but they press upon him from afar with javelins and safe shouts;

ille autem impavidus partis cunctatur in omnis,

but he, undaunted, hesitates in all directions,

dentibus infrendens, et tergo decutit hastas.

gnashing his teeth, and shakes off the spears from his back; —

haud aliter, iustae quibus est Mezentius irae,⁴

not otherwise, those to whom Mezentius is a subject of just anger,

715

non ulli est animus stricto concurrere ferro;

none has the courage to meet him with drawn sword;

missilibus longe et vasto clamore lacessunt:

they provoke him from afar with missiles and a vast shout.

Venerat antiquis Corythi de finibus Acron,

Acron had come from the ancient borders of Corythus,

720

Graius homo, infectos linquens profugus hymenaeos.

a Greek, leaving a half-celebrated marriage as an exile.

Hunc ubi miscentem longe media agmina vidit,

When Mezentius saw him from afar confusing the middle ranks,

purpureum pennis et pactae coniugis ostro:

shining purple with feathers and the scarlet of his pledged bride:

impastus stabula alta leo ceu saepe peragrans,

as an unfed lion, often ranging through high pastures,

suadet enim vesana fames, si forte fugacem

for mad hunger drives him, if by chance he beholds a fleeing

725

conspexit capream aut surgentem in cornua cervum,

wild doe or a stag rising with high horns,

gaudet, hians immane, comasque arrexit et haeret

rejoices, gaping monstrously, and has bristled his mane, and clings

visceribus super accumbens, lavit inproba taeter

crouching over the entrails, while foul blood bathes his greedy

ora cruor,

mouth; —

sic ruit in densos alacer Mezentius hostis.

thus eager Mezentius rushes into the thickest of the enemies.

730

Sternitur infelix Acron et calcibus atram

Unfortunate Acron is laid low and, expiring, beats the dark

tundit humum expirans infractaque tela cruentat.

ground with his heels and stains the broken weapons with blood.

Atque idem fugientem haud est dignatus Oroden

And the same did not deign to lay low the fleeing

sternere nec iacta caecum dare cuspide volnus:

Orodes, nor to inflict a hidden wound with a thrown spear:

obvius adversoque occurrit seque viro vir

he ran to meet him face to face, and man engaged with man,

735

contulit, haud furto melior, sed fortibus armis.

not superior by stealth, but by brave weapons.

Tum super abiectum posito pede nixus et hasta:

Then, leaning on his spear and pressing with his foot upon the prostrate foe:

Pars belli haud temnenda, viri, iacet altus Orodes.

”A portion of the war not to be despised, men, high Orodes lies here.”

Conclamant socii laetum paeana secuti.

His comrades shout together, following with a joyful paean.

Ille autem exspirans: Non me, quicumque es, inulto,

But he, expiring: “Not unavenged shall I be, whoever you are,

740

victor, nec longum laetabere: te quoque fata

o victor, nor shall you rejoice long; equal fates also

prospectant paria atque eadem mox arva tenebis.

await you, and soon you shall hold the same fields.”

Ad quae subridens mixta Mezentius ira:

To whom Mezentius, smiling with mixed anger:

Nunc morere. Ast de me divom pater atque hominum rex

”Now die. But concerning me, let the father of the gods and king of men

viderit.⁵ Hoc dicens eduxit corpore telum:

see to it.” Saying this, he drew the weapon from the body;

745

olli dura quies oculos et ferreus urget

a harsh rest and iron sleep press upon his eyes,

somnus, in aeternam clauduntur lumina noctem.

their lights are closed into an eternal night.

Caedicus Alcathoum obtruncat, Sacrator Hydaspen

Caedicus cuts down Alcathous, Sacrator Hydaspes,

Partheniumque Rapo et praedurum viribus Orsen,

Rapo kills Parthenius and Orses, outstanding in strength;

Messapus Croniumque Lycaoniumque Erichaeten,

Messapus slays Clonius and Lycaonian Erichaetes,

750

illum infrenis equi lapsu tellure iacentem,

the former lying on the ground from the fall of his unbridled horse,

hunc peditem. Pedes et Lycius processerat Agis,

the latter on foot. On foot also Lycian Agis had advanced,

quem tamen haud expers Valerus virtutis avitae

whom nevertheless Valerus, not lacking his ancestral courage,

deicit; at Thronium Salius Saliumque Nealces

overthrows; and Salius slays Thronius, and Nealces slays Salius,

insidiis, iaculo et longe fallente sagitta.

by ambush, with a javelin and a far-deceiving arrow.

755

Iam gravis aequabat luctus et mutua Mavors

Now heavy Mars was equaling the griefs and mutual

funera: caedebant pariter pariterque ruebant

deaths: they slew alike and alike fell,

victores victique, neque his fuga nota neque illis.

the victors and the vanquished, nor was flight known to these or to those.

Di Iovis in tectis iram miserantur inanem

The gods in the dwellings of Jupiter pity the empty anger

Syntax notes5 items

10.683iaciat
Along with the subsequent petat and reddat, this is a deliberative subjunctive (present tense). It continues from the preceding an sese mucrone ... induat, reflecting Turnus's internal monologue and anxious hesitation.
10.686animi
A genitive of specification or relation (possibly a remnant of the locative, meaning 'in respect of the mind'), which modifies the participle miserata ('pitying in her heart'). It is distinct from the standard objective genitive of feeling governed by verbs of pity.
10.701donat habere
A poetic construction mimicking the Greek infinitive of purpose or result, where the verb donat ('gives') directly governs the infinitive habere ('to have'). In prose, this would typically be expressed with a gerundive (donat habenda) or a final clause (ut habeat).
10.714quibus est Mezentius irae
A double dative construction composed of the dative of possession quibus ('for whom') and the dative of purpose/result irae ('as an object of anger'), meaning 'those for whom Mezentius was a source of just anger'.
10.744viderit
Future perfect tense (third-person singular). It is used to express a definitive future outcome or a sense of leaving the matter to another ('the king of men will see to it/will care for it'), indicating defiance or resignation.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:10.683-10.758