- Source
- Vergil. The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics Of Virgil. Greenough, J.B., editor. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1881.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:12.400-12.479
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Through Venus' secret remedy, Aeneas' wound is miraculously healed, and after a brief exhortation to his son Ascanius, he returns to the battlefield. While Aeneas pursues Turnus alone, Juturna disguises herself as Turnus' charioteer to keep her brother away from the deadly pursuit.
concursu, lacrimis immobilis.1 Ille retorto
unmoved by the gathering and the tears. The elder, having girt his garment
Paeonium in morem senior succinctus amictu
turned back in the Paeonian fashion,
multa manu medica Phoebique potentibus herbis
tries many things in vain with his healing hand and the potent herbs of Phoebus,
nequiquam trepidat, nequiquam spicula dextra
in vain he busies himself, in vain with his right hand
sollicitat prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum.
he solicits the arrow-head and grasps the iron with tenacious forceps.
Nulla viam Fortuna regit, nihil auctor Apollo
No Fortune guides his path, Apollo the author gives no
subvenit; et saevus campis magis ac magis horror
aid; and the cruel dread on the plains increases more and more
crebrescit propiusque malum est. Iam pulvere caelum
and the evil is closer. Now they see the sky stand thick
stare vident: subeunt equites, et spicula castris
with dust: the horsemen approach, and dense arrows
densa cadunt mediis. It tristis ad aethera clamor
fall in the middle of the camp. A sad clamor goes to the ether
bellantum iuvenum et duro sub Marte cadentum.
of young men fighting and falling under harsh Mars.
Hic Venus, indigno nati concussa dolore,
Here Venus, shaken by the undeserved pain of her son,
dictamnum genetrix Cretaea carpit ab Ida,
plucks dittany as a mother from Cretan Ida,
puberibus caulem foliis et flore comantem
a stalk with downy leaves and blooming with a purple
purpureo; non illa feris incognita capris
flower; those herbs are not unknown to wild goats
gramina,2 cum tergo volucres haesere sagittae:
when swift arrows have stuck in their backs:
hoc Venus, obscuro faciem circumdata nimbo,
this Venus, her face surrounded by a dark cloud,
detulit; hoc fusum labris splendentibus amnem
brought down; with this she infects the water poured in the shining vessel,
inficit3 occulte medicans spargitque salubris
secretly medicating it, and scatters the healthy juices
ambrosiae sucos et odoriferam panaceam.
of ambrosia and fragrant panacea.
Fovit ea volnus lympha longaevus Iapyx
With that water the aged Iapyx bathed the wound,
ignorans, subitoque omnis de corpore fugit
not knowing it, and suddenly indeed all pain fled from his body,
quippe dolor, omnis stetit imo volnere sanguis;
all blood stopped in the depth of the wound;
iamque secuta manum nullo cogente sagitta
and now following the hand, with no one compelling, the arrow
excidit, atque novae rediere in pristina vires.
fell out, and new strength returned to its former state.
Arma citi properate viro! Quid statis? Iapyx
”Hasten weapons quickly for the man! Why do you stand?” Iapyx
conclamat primusque animos adcendit in hostem.
cries out, and is the first to kindle their spirits against the enemy.
Non haec humanis opibus, non arte magistra
”These do not come by human resources, nor by a master art,
proveniunt neque te, Aenea, mea dextera servat:
nor does my right hand save you, Aeneas:
maior agit deus atque opera ad maiora remittit.
a greater god is at work and sends you back to greater deeds.”
Ille avidus pugnae suras incluserat auro
He, eager for battle, had enclosed his shins in gold
hinc atque hinc oditque moras hastamque coruscat.
on this side and that, and hates delays and brandishes his spear.
Postquam habilis lateri clipeus loricaque tergo est,
After the shield is fitted to his side and the corslet to his back,
Ascanium fusis circum complectitur armis
he embraces Ascanius, throwing his armed arms around him,
summaque per galeam delibans oscula fatur:
and lightly kissing him through the helmet, he says:
Disce, puer, virtutem ex me verumque laborem,
”Learn, boy, virtue from me and true labor,
fortunam ex aliis. Nunc te mea dextera bello
fortune from others. Now my right hand in war
defensum dabit4 et magna inter praemia ducet.
will keep you defended and lead you among great rewards.
Tu facito, mox cum matura adoleverit aetas,
You make sure that, soon when mature age has grown up,
sis memor, et te animo repetentem exempla tuorum5
you are mindful, and as you recall the examples of your kin in your mind,
et pater Aeneas et avunculus excitet Hector.
let both your father Aeneas and your uncle Hector excite you.”
Haec ubi dicta dedit, portis sese extulit ingens,
When he gave these words, huge he bore himself out of the gates,
telum immane manu quatiens; simul agmine denso
brandishing a monstrous weapon in his hand; at the same time in a dense column
Antheusque Mnestheusque ruunt omnisque relictis
both Antheus and Mnestheus rush, and all the crowd
turba fluit castris: tum caeco pulvere campus
flows from the abandoned camp: then the plain is mixed with blind dust
miscetur pulsuque pedum tremit excita tellus.
and the excited earth trembles with the beating of feet.
Vidit ab adverso venientis aggere Turnus,
Turnus saw them coming from the opposite bank,
videre Ausonii, gelidusque per ima cucurrit
the Ausonians saw them, and a cold tremor ran through
ossa tremor: prima ante omnis Iuturna Latinos
the depths of their bones: first before all the Latins, Juturna
audiit adgnovitque sonum et tremefacta refugit.
heard and recognized the sound, and terrified took flight.
Ille volat campoque atrum rapit agmen aperto.
He flies and sweeps his dark column over the open plain.
Qualis ubi ad terras abrupto sidere6 nimbus
Just as when a storm-cloud, a star being broken, goes to the lands
it mare per medium; miseris heu praescia longe
through the middle of the sea; alas, the hearts of the wretched farmers,
horrescunt corda agricolis, dabit ille ruinas
foreseeing from afar, shudder; it will give ruin to trees
arboribus stragemque satis, ruet omnia late;
and destruction to crops, it will ruin everything far and wide;
ante volant sonitumque ferunt ad litora venti:
the winds fly ahead and carry the sound to the shores:
talis in adversos ductor Rhoeteius hostis
such does the Rhoeteian leader drive his column against
agmen agit, densi cuneis se quisque coactis
the opposing enemies; they gather themselves, dense in packed wedges.
adglomerant. Ferit ense gravem Thymbraeus Osirim,
Thymbraeus strikes heavy Osiris with his sword,
Archetium Mnestheus, Epulonem obtruncat Achates
Mnestheus slays Archetius, Achates cuts down Epulo,
Ufentemque Gyas; cadit ipse Tolumnius augur,
and Gyas Ufens; Tolumnius the augur himself falls,
primus in adversos telum qui torserat hostis.
who first had hurled his weapon against the opposing enemies.
Tollitur in caelum clamor, versique vicissim
A clamor is raised to heaven, and turned in their turn,
pulverulenta fuga Rutuli dant terga per agros.
the Rutulians in dusty flight turn their backs through the fields.
Ipse neque aversos dignatur sternere Morti
He himself does not deign to lay low those turned away to Death,
nec pede congressos aequo nec tela ferentis
nor does he pursue those meeting him on equal foot, nor those carrying
insequitur: solum densa in caligine Turnum
weapons: Turnus alone in the dense darkness
vestigat lustrans, solum in certamina poscit.
he tracks, scanning, and him alone he demands for combat.
Hoc concussa metu mentem Iuturna virago
Juturna, the warrior maiden, her mind shaken by this fear,
aurigam Turni media inter lora Metiscum
Metiscus, the charioteer of Turnus, in the midst of the reins
excutit et longe lapsum temone relinquit:
knocks out and leaves him fallen far from the pole:
ipsa subit manibusque undantis flectit habenas,
she herself takes his place and with her hands guides the wavy reins,
cuncta gerens,7 vocemque et corpus et arma Metisci.
wearing everything, both the voice and body and weapons of Metiscus.
Nigra velut magnas domini cum divitis aedes
Just as when a black swallow flies through the great house of a rich lord
pervolat et pennis alta atria lustrat hirundo,
and with her wings traverses the lofty atriums,
pabula parva legens nidisque loquacibus escas,
gathering small foods and morsels for her chirping nests,
et nunc porticibus vacuis, nunc umida circum
and now in the empty porticoes, now around the wet
stagna sonat: similis medios Iuturna per hostis
pools she chatters: similar through the midst of the enemies Juturna
fertur equis rapidoque volans obit omnia curru
is borne by the horses, and flying in her rapid chariot she traverses all,
iamque hic germanum iamque hic ostentat ovantem
and now here, now there, she displays her triumphant brother.
- 12.400concursu, lacrimis immobilis
immobilis ("unmoved") refers to Aeneas, continuing from the previous section. It describes his steadfast stance, remaining unaffected by the surrounding crowd and tears.
- 12.414non illa feris incognita capris / gramina
The double negation (litotes) non...incognita ("not unknown") emphasizes that wild goats' usage of this herb (dittany) when wounded by arrows was a well-known natural phenomenon.
- 12.417hoc fusum labris splendentibus amnem / inficit
hoc is the neuter accusative singular referring to the dittany, while amnem ("river," poetically used here for the water poured into the vessel) is the direct object. labris splendentibus ("shining lips/rims") acts as an ablative of place, describing the infusion of the herb into the container.
- 12.437defensum dabit
The combination of the perfect participle defensum and dabit (from do) is an intensive colloquial and poetic construction (equivalent to "will keep you defended") rather than a simple future tense (defendet), emphasizing the absolute guarantee of protection.
- 12.439te animo repetentem exempla tuorum
te is the direct object of the main verb excitet (line 440), and the present participle repetentem agrees with it. The structure implies that as Ascanius recalls the examples of his ancestors in his mind, he should be inspired by his father Aeneas and uncle Hector.
- 12.451abrupto sidere
Ablative absolute. sidere (star, or a constellation bringing storms) being "burst/broken" describes the sudden and violent onset of a tempest.
- 12.472cuncta gerens
gerens here has the sense of "wearing," "carrying," or "imitating." It describes Juturna fully assuming Metiscus' voice, body, and armor to completely disguise herself as him.