The Broken Sword, Flight of Turnus, and Renewed Combat — Virgil, Aeneid Book 12 (lines 718–797), Latin & English

718

stat pecus omne metu mutum mussantque iuvencae,

All the herd stands mute with fear, and the heifers mutter,

quis nemori imperitet, quem tota armenta sequantur;

who should rule the forest, whom the whole herd should follow;

720

illi inter sese multa vi volnera miscent

they deal many a wound among themselves with mighty force,

cornuaque obnixi infigunt et sanguine largo

and pushing, fix their horns, and with streaming blood

colla armosque lavant; gemitu nemus omne remugit:

bathe their necks and shoulders; the whole forest bellows back with their groans:

non alitur Tros Aeneas et Daunius heros

even so Trojan Aeneas and the Daunian hero

concurrunt clipeis; ingens fragor aethera complet.

clash with their shields; a mighty crash fills the sky.

725

Iuppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances

Jupiter himself holds up two scales with balanced tongue,

sustinet et fata imponit diversa duorum,

and places on them the diverse fates of the two,

quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum;¹

whom the struggle should doom, and with which weight death should sink;

Emicat hic, impune putans, et corpore toto

Here Turnus springs forward, thinking it safe, and with his whole body

alte sublatum consurgit Turnus in ensem

rises to his sword raised high,

730

et ferit: exclamant Troes trepidique Latini,

and strikes: the Trojans and the anxious Latins cry out,

arrectaeque amborum acies. At perfidus ensis

and the battle lines of both are aroused. But the treacherous sword

frangitur in medioque ardentem deserit ictu

breaks, and deserts him in his passion in mid-stroke,

ni fuga subsidio subeat.² Fugit ocior euro,

unless flight should come to his aid. He flees swifter than the east wind,

ut capulum ignotum dextramque aspexit inermem.

when he beheld the unknown hilt and his unarmed right hand.

735

Fama est praecipitem, cum prima in proelia iunctos

The story is that in his headlong haste, when he was mounting

conscendebat equos, patrio mucrone relicto,

his yoked horses for the first battles, having left his father’s blade behind,

dum trepidat, ferrum aurigae rapuisse Metisci.

while he was trembling with excitement, he snatched the sword of his charioteer Metiscus.

Idque diu, dum terga dabant palantia Teucri,

And for a long time, while the scattered Trojans were turning their backs,

suffecit: postquam arma dei ad Volcania ventumst,

it sufficed; but after it came to the god-made armor of Vulcan,

740

mortalis mucro glacies ceu futilis ictu

the mortal blade, like brittle ice, at the blow

dissiluit; fulva resplendent fragmina harena.

flew apart; the fragments glitter on the yellow sand.

Ergo amens diversa fuga petit aequora Turnus

Therefore, frantic, Turnus seeks different parts of the plain in flight,

et nunc huc, inde huc incertos implicat orbes

and now here, then there, winds uncertain circles;

undique enim densa Teucri inclusere corona,

for on all sides the Trojans have enclosed him in a dense ring,

745

atque hinc vasta palus, hinc ardua moenia cingunt.

and on this side a vast marsh, on that side high walls gird him round.

Nec minus Aeneas, quamquam tardata sagitta

No less does Aeneas pursue, though his knees, slowed by the arrow,

interdum genua impediunt cursumque recusant,

sometimes hinder him and refuse to run,

insequitur trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget:

he follows, and hot with rage presses hard on the heel of his trembling foe:

inclusum veluti siquando flumine nanctus

just as when a hunting hound has found a stag enclosed

750

cervum aut puniceae saeptum formidine pinnae

by a river, or hemmed in by the terror of the crimson feather,

venator cursu canis et latratibus instat;

and presses on him with running and barking;

ille autem, insidiis et ripa territus alta,

but the stag, terrified by the snares and the high bank,

mille fugit refugitque vias; at vividus Umber

flees and flees back a thousand ways; yet the eager Umbrian hound

haeret hians, iam iamque tenet similisque tenenti

clings with open mouth, and now, even now, has him, and as though he held him,

755

increpuit malis morsuque elusus inani est.

snaps his jaws, and is baffled by an empty bite.

Tum vero exoritur clamor, ripaeque lacusque

Then indeed a shout arises, and the banks and lakes

responsant circa et caelum tonat omne tumultu.

echo around, and the whole sky thunders with the tumult.

Ille simul fugiens Rutulos simul increpat omnis,

He, fleeing, at the same time chides all the Rutulians,

nomine quemque vocans, notumque efflagitat ensem.

calling each by name, and demands his well-known sword.

760

Aeneas mortem contra praesensque minatur

Aeneas, on the other hand, threatens death and instant

exitium, si quisquam adeat, terretque trementis

destruction, if anyone should approach, and terrifies the trembling men,

excisurum urbem minitans et saucius instat.

threatening to raze the city, and, though wounded, presses on.

Quinque orbis explent cursu totidemque retexunt

Five circles they complete in their course, and as many they unweave

huc illuc; neque enim levia aut ludicra petuntur

this way and that; for no light or playful prizes

765

praemia, sed Turni de vita et sanguine certant.

are sought, but they strive for the life and blood of Turnus.

Forte sacer Fauno foliis oleaster amaris

By chance a wild olive, sacred to Faunus with bitter leaves,

hic steterat, nautis olim venerabile lignum,

had stood here, a tree once revered by sailors,

servati ex undis ubi figere dona solebant

where, saved from the waves, they were accustomed to fix their gifts

Laurenti divo et votas suspendere vestes,

to the Laurentine god, and hang up their vowed garments;

770

sed stirpem Teucri nullo discrimine sacrum

but the Trojans, with no distinction, had removed

sustulerant, puro ut possent concurrere campo.

the sacred trunk, so that they might clash on a clear field.

Hic hasta Aeneae stabat, huc impetus illam

Here stood Aeneas’ spear; hither its force had carried it

detulerat fixam et lenta in radice tenebat.

and held it fast in the tough root.

Incubuit voluitque manu convellere ferrum

The Dardanian bent over, and wished to pluck out the iron with his hand,

775

Dardanides teloque sequi, quem prendere cursu

and to pursue with the weapon the one whom he could not catch by running.

non poterat. Tum vero amens formidine Turnus

Then indeed Turnus, frantic with fear,

Faune, precor, miserere, inquit, tuque optima ferrum

said: “Faunus, I pray, have pity, and you, most gracious earth,

terra tene, colui vestros si semper honores,

hold fast the iron, if I have always cherished your honors,

quos contra Aeneadae bello fecere profanos.

which, on the contrary, the sons of Aeneas have made profane by war.”

780

Dixit opemque dei non cassa in vota vocavit.

He spoke, and called the help of the god in no fruitless vows.

Namque diu luctans lentoque in stirpe moratus

For struggling long and lingering over the tough stump,

viribus haud ullis valuit discludere morsus

Aeneas was not able by any strength to open the grip

roboris Aeneas. Dum nititur acer et instat,

of the hard wood. While he strives fiercely and presses on,

rursus in aurigae faciem mutata Metisci

changed again into the likeness of the charioteer Metiscus,

785

procurrit fratrique ensem dea Daunia reddit.

the Daunian goddess runs forward and restores the sword to her brother.

Quod Venus audaci nymphae indignata licere³

At which Venus, indignant that such a thing was permitted to the bold nymph,

adcessit telumque alta ab radice revellit.

approached and plucked the weapon from the deep root.

Olli sublimes armis animisque refecti,

They, towering high, restored in arms and spirit,

hic gladio fidens, hic acer et arduus hasta,

one trusting in his sword, the other fierce and towering with his spear,

790

adsistunt contra certamina Martis anheli.

stand opposed to the contests of panting Mars.

Iunonem interea rex omnipotentis Olympi

Meanwhile, the king of omnipotent Olympus addresses Juno

adloquitur fulva pugnas de nube tuentem:

as she watches the battles from a golden cloud:

Qua iam finis erit, coniunx? Quid denique restat?

”What end will there be now, wife? What finally remains?

Indigetem Aenean scis ipsa et scire fateris

You yourself know, and confess that you know, that Aeneas as a hero-god

795

deberi caelo fatisque ad sidera tolli.

is due to heaven and by the fates is to be raised to the stars.

Quid struis, aut qua spe gelidis in nubibus haeres?

What are you scheming, or with what hope do you linger in the cold clouds?

Mortalin decuit violari volnere divom,

Was it fitting that a god be violated by a mortal’s wound?”

Syntax notes3 items

12.727quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum
This line consists of indirect questions depending on the main clause action of placing the fates on the scales ('fata imponit'). The phrase 'quem damnet labor' (whom the struggle should doom/condemn as the loser) personifies the physical struggle (labor) as a judge. The clause 'quo letum' indicates onto which side death (letum) inclines, linking the motion of the scale to the mortal destiny.
12.733ni fuga subsidio subeat
This is a conditional clause ('ni...' / 'unless...') where the apodosis (consequence) is dramatically omitted. The context implies that Turnus would have perished immediately upon his sword breaking (an assumed apodosis like 'perierat' or 'slain'), but fortunately his flight came to his aid.
12.786Quod Venus audaci nymphae indignata licere
The 'quod' is a relative pronoun in the neuter accusative, referring back to the preceding action (Juturna returning the sword) or acting as a connector to the infinitive clause 'audaci nymphae licere' depending on 'indignata'. It expresses Venus's anger at such a bold intervention being permitted to a nymph.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:12.718-12.797