Diana's Account of Camilla and the Impending Cavalry Battle — Virgil, Aeneid Book 11 (lines 533–610), Latin & English

533

unam ex virginibus sociis sacraque caterva,

To Opis, one of her companion virgins and of her sacred band,

compellabat et has tristis Latonia voces

Latonia was calling, and she gave forth these sad voices

535

ore dabat: Graditur bellum ad crudele Camilla,

from her mouth: “Camilla goes to cruel war,

O virgo, et nostris nequiquam cingitur armis,

O virgin, and she is girded in vain with our arms,

cara mihi ante alias. Neque enim novus iste Dianae¹

dear to me before others. For this love of Diana’s

venit amor subitaque animum dulcedine movit.

is not new, nor has it moved her mind with sudden sweetness.

Pulsus ob invidiam regno viresque superbas

Driven from his kingdom because of hatred and proud power,

540

Priverno antiqua Metabus cum excederet urbe,

when Metabus was leaving the ancient city of Privernum,

infantem fugiens media inter proelia belli

fleeing in the midst of the sharp battles of war,

sustulit exsilio comitem matrisque vocavit

he took up the infant as a companion for his exile, and called her,

nomine Casmillae mutata parte Camillam.

changing a part of her mother Casmilla’s name, Camilla.

Ipse sinu prae se portans iuga longa petebat

He himself, carrying her in his bosom before him, sought the long ridges

545

solorum nemorum: tela undique saeva premebant

of lonely forests; savage weapons pressed him from all sides,

et circumfuso volitabant milite Volsci.

and the Volscians were hovering about with poured-around soldiery.

Ecce fugae medio summis Amasenus abundans

Lo, in the middle of their flight, the Amasenus, overflowing,

spumabat ripis: tantus se nubibus imber

was foaming over its highest banks: so great a rain had burst

ruperat. Ille, innare parans, infantis amore

from the clouds. He, preparing to swim across, is delayed

550

tardatur caroque oneri timet. Omnia secum

by love for his infant, and fears for his dear burden. Turning all things

versanti² subito vix haec sententia sedit.

over in his mind, suddenly with difficulty this decision was settled.

Telum immane manu valida quod forte gerebat

A huge weapon which by chance the warrior was carrying

bellator, solidum nodis et robore cocto,

in his strong hand, solid with knots and seasoned oak,

huic natam, libro et silvestri subere clausam,

to this he binds his daughter, enclosed in bark and wild cork,

555

implicat atque habilem mediae circumligat hastae;

and ties her manageably to the middle of the spear;

quam dextra ingenti librans ita ad aethera fatur:

which, balancing in his huge right hand, he speaks thus to the heavens:

Alma, tibi hanc, nemorum cultrix, Latonia virgo,

’Kind one, to you, dweller of the groves, Latonian virgin,

ipse pater famulam voveo; tua prima per auras

I myself, her father, vow this girl as a handmaid; holding your first

tela tenens supplex hostem fugit. Accipe, testor,

weapons, she flees the enemy through the air as a suppliant. Receive, I beseech you, O goddess,

560

diva tuam, quae nunc dubiis committitur auris.

your own, who is now committed to the uncertain breezes.’

Dixit et adducto contortum hastile lacerto

He spoke, and with drawn-back arm hurls the spinning spear:

immittit: sonuere undae, rapidum super amnem

the waters resounded; over the rapid river

infelix fugit in iaculo stridente Camilla.

unhappy Camilla flies on the whistling spear.

At Metabus, magna propius iam urgente caterva,

But Metabus, since a great crowd was now pressing closer,

565

dat sese fluvio atque hastam cum virgine victor

gives himself to the river, and as victor plucks the spear with the maiden,

gramineo donum Triviae de caespite vellit.

a gift to Trivia, from the grassy turf.

Non illum tectis ullae, non moenibus urbes

No cities received him in their homes, nor within

accepere neque ipse manus feritate dedisset:³

their walls, nor would he himself have yielded because of his wildness;

pastorum et solis exegit montibus aevom.

he spent his life among shepherds and on lonely mountains.

570

Hic natam in dumis interque horrentia lustra

Here, in the thickets and among wild lairs,

armentalis equae mammis et lacte ferino

he nourished his daughter on the breasts of a herd mare

nutribat, teneris immulgens ubera labris.

and the milk of wild beasts, milking the udders into her tender lips.

Utque pedum primis infans vestigia plantis

And as soon as the infant had planted her first footsteps

institerat, iaculo palmas armavit acuto

on the soles of her feet, he armed her hands with a sharp javelin,

575

spiculaque ex umero parvae suspendit et arcum.

and hung arrows and a bow from the shoulder of the little one.

Pro crinali auro, pro longae tegmine pallae

Instead of gold for her hair, instead of the covering of a long robe,

tigridis exuviae per dorsum a vertice pendent.

the spoil of a tigress hangs from her head down her back.

Tela manu iam tum tenera puerilia torsit

Even then she hurled childish weapons with her tender hand,

et fundam tereti circum caput egit habena

and swung a sling with smooth thong around her head,

580

Strymoniamque gruem aut album deiecit olorem.

and brought down a Strymonian crane or a white swan.

Multae illam frustra Tyrrhena per oppida matres

Many mothers through Tyrrhenian towns wished for her in vain

optavere nurum: sola contenta Diana

as a daughter-in-law: content with Diana alone,

aeternum telorum et virginitatis amorem

undefiled, she cherishes an eternal love of weapons

intemerata colit. Vellem⁴ haud correpta fuisset

and of virginity. ‘I wish she had not been swept away

585

militia tali, conata lacessere Teucros:

by such warfare, attempting to challenge the Teucrians:

cara mihi comitumque foret nunc una mearum.

she would now be dear to me and one of my companions.

Verum age, quandoquidem fatis urgetur acerbis,

But come, since she is pressed by bitter fates,

labere, nympha, polo finisque invise Latinos,

glide down, nymph, from heaven, and visit the Latin borders,

tristis ubi infausto committitur omine pugna.

where the sad battle is joined with unfavorable omen.

590

Haec cape et ultricem pharetra deprome sagittam:

Take these, and draw an avenging arrow from the quiver:

hac quicumque sacrum violarit volnere corpus,

by this, whoever violates her sacred body with a wound,

Tros Italusque, mihi pariter det sanguine poenas.

Trojan or Italian, let him pay the penalty to me equally with his blood.

Post ego nube cava miserandae corpus et arma

Afterwards, in a hollow cloud, I will carry the body of the pitiable girl and her unspoiled

inspoliata feram tumulo patriaeque reponam.

armor to a tomb, and restore them to her native land.’

595

Dixit; at illa levis caeli delapsa per auras

She spoke; but the other, gliding down through the light breezes of heaven,

insonuit, nigro circumdata turbine corpus.

made a sound, her body enveloped in a black whirlwind.

At manus interea muris Troiana propinquat

But meanwhile the Trojan band approaches the walls,

Etruscique duces equitumque exercitus omnis,

and the Etruscan leaders and the whole army of horsemen,

compositi numero in turmas. Fremit aequore toto

arranged by number into squadrons. Over the whole plain

600

insultans sonipes et pressis pugnat habenis

the prancing steed neighs, and fights against the tight reins,

huc conversus et huc; tum late ferreus hastis

turning now here, now there; then far and wide the iron field bristles

horret ager campique armis sublimibus ardent.

with spears, and the plains burn with uplifted arms.

Nec non Messapus contra celeresque Latini

Likewise Messapus and the swift Latins on the opposite side,

et cum fratre Coras et virginis ala Camillae

and Coras with his brother, and the wing of the virgin Camilla,

605

adversi campo apparent hastasque reductis

appear in the opposing plain, and hold out

protendunt longe dextris et spicula vibrant,

their spears far forward with drawn-back right hands, and brandish their darts,

adventusque virum fremitusque ardescit equorum.

and the advance of the men and the neighing of the horses burn hot.

Iamque intra iactum teli progressus uterque

And now each army, having advanced within javelin throw,

substiterat: subito erumpunt clamore furentisque

had halted: suddenly they burst forth with a shout and urge on their raging

610

exhortantur equos; fundunt simul undique tela

horses; at the same time they pour forth weapons from all sides,

Syntax notes4 items

11.537Dianae
The third-person 'Dianae' (of/for Diana) is used by Diana herself in self-reference. It can be interpreted as either an objective genitive (love for Diana) or a subjective genitive (Diana's love). In this context, it is more natural to understand it as her own enduring love for Camilla (subjective genitive).
11.551versanti
The present participle 'versanti' (turning over) is in the dative, agreeing with the implied subject Metabus. It functions as a dative of reference or interest, indicating that while he was turning all options over in his mind, this decision (sententia) finally settled (sedit) upon him.
11.568dedisset
The pluperfect subjunctive 'dedisset' (with 'manus', meaning 'to surrender' or 'to yield') expresses the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition, or a past potential action ('he would not have yielded').
11.584Vellem
The imperfect subjunctive 'Vellem' (I would wish), accompanied by the pluperfect subjunctive dependent clause 'haud correpta fuisset', expresses a strong regret for a past unfulfilled wish (that she had not been swept away by such warfare).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:11.533-11.610