The Death of Laocoon and the Entry of the Horse — Virgil, Aeneid Book 2 (lines 157–240), Latin & English

157

fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura,¹

”It is right for me to untie the sacred laws of the Greeks,

fas odisse viros, atque omnia ferre sub auras,

it is right to hate the men, and to bring all things to the light

si qua tegunt; teneor patriae nec legibus ullis.

if they hide anything; nor am I bound by any laws of my country.

160

Tu modo promissis maneas, servataque serves

Only do you stand by your promises, and may Troy, preserved,

Troia fidem, si vera feram, si magna rependam.

keep her faith, if I bring true things, if I pay back a great reward.

Omnis spes Danaum et coepti fiducia belli

All the hope of the Greeks and confidence in the war they had begun

Palladis auxiliis semper stetit. Impius ex quo

always stood by the help of Pallas. But indeed, from the time when the impious

Tydides sed enim scelerumque inventor Ulixes,

son of Tydeus and Ulysses, the inventor of crimes,

165

fatale adgressi sacrato avellere templo

having attempted to tear away the fatal Palladium from her sacred temple,

Palladium, caesis summae custodibus arcis,

after slaying the guards of the highest citadel,

corripuere sacram effigiem, manibusque cruentis

snatched the sacred image, and with bloody hands

virgineas ausi divae contingere vittas;

dared to touch the maidenly headbands of the goddess;

ex illo fluere ac retro sublapsa referri²

from that time the hope of the Greeks began to flow away and, slipping backward, to be carried away,

170

spes Danaum, fractae vires, aversa deae mens.

their strength was broken, and the mind of the goddess turned away.

Nec dubiis ea signa dedit Tritonia monstris.

Nor did Tritonia give those signs with doubtful portents.

Vix positum castris simulacrum, arsere coruscae

Scarcely was the image placed in the camp, when glittering flames

luminibus flammae arrectis, salsusque per artus

shone from her wide-open eyes, and a salty sweat

sudor iit, terque ipsa solo—mirabile dictu—

ran through her limbs, and three times she herself—wonderful to relate—

175

emicuit, parmamque ferens hastamque trementem.

sprang up from the ground, carrying her shield and her trembling spear.

Extemplo temptanda fuga canit aequora Calchas,

At once Calchas declares that the seas must be attempted in flight,

nec posse Argolicis exscindi Pergama telis,

and that Pergama cannot be destroyed by Argive weapons

omina ni repetant Argis, numenque reducant,

unless they seek the omens again at Argos, and bring back the divinity

quod pelago et curvis secum avexere carinis.

which they carried away with them on the sea in their curved ships.

180

Et nunc, quod patrias vento petiere Mycenas,

And now, because they have sought their native Mycenae with the wind,

arma deosque parant comites, pelagoque remenso

they are preparing arms and gods as companions, and, having remeasured the sea,

improvisi aderunt: ita digerit omina Calchas.

they will be here unexpected: so Calchas interprets the omens.

Hanc pro Palladio moniti, pro numine laeso

Being warned, they set up this image in place of the Palladium, in place of the violated divinity,

effigiem statuere, nefas quae triste piaret.

to expiate their sorrowful sacrilege.

185

Hanc tamen immensam Calchas attollere molem

Yet Calchas ordered them to raise this immense mass

roboribus textis caeloque educere iussit,

with woven timbers and build it up to the sky,

ne recipi portis, aut duci in moenia possit,

so that it could not be received through the gates, or be drawn into the walls,

neu populum antiqua sub religione tueri.

nor protect the people under their ancient religion.

Nam si vestra manus violasset dona Minervae,³

For if your hand had violated the gift of Minerva,

190

tum magnum exitium (quod di prius omen in ipsum

then a great destruction (which omen may the gods first turn

convertant!) Priami imperio Phrygibusque futurum;

upon Calchas himself!) would come upon the empire of Priam and the Phrygians;

sin manibus vestris vestram ascendisset in urbem,

but if by your hands it had ascended into your city,

ultro Asiam magno Pelopea ad moenia bello

Asia of its own accord would come to the walls of Pelops with a great war,

venturam, et nostros ea fata manere nepotes.

and those fates would await our descendants.”

195

Talibus insidiis periurique arte Sinonis

By such treacheries and the art of perjured Sinon

credita res, captique dolis lacrimisque coactis,

the story was believed, and we were captured by deceits and forced tears,

quos neque Tydides, nec Larisaeus Achilles,

we whom neither the son of Tydeus, nor Larisaean Achilles,

non anni domuere decem, non mille carinae.

nor ten years, nor a thousand ships subdued.

Hic aliud maius miseris multoque tremendum

Here another greater and much more terrifying event

200

obicitur magis, atque improvida pectora turbat.

is presented to the miserable ones, and confuses their unprovided minds.

Laocoön, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,

Laocoon, chosen by lot as priest for Neptune,

sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.

was sacrificing a huge bull at the solemn altars.

Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta—

But behold, two snakes from Tenedos through the calm deep—

horresco referens—immensis orbibus angues

I shudder relating it—with immense coils

205

incumbunt pelago, pariterque ad litora tendunt;

lean upon the sea, and together stretch toward the shores;

pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque

their breasts, raised up among the waves, and their bloody

sanguineae superant undas; pars cetera pontum

crests rise above the waters; the other part skims the sea

pone legit, sinuatque immensa volumine terga.

behind, and curves their immense backs in a coil.

Fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arva tenebant,

A sound is made as the salt water foams; and now they held the fields,

210

ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni,⁴

and, their burning eyes suffused with blood and fire,

sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.

they licked their hissing mouths with vibrating tongues.

Diffugimus visu exsangues: illi agmine certo

We flee, bloodless at the sight; they in a steady line

Laocoönta petunt; et primum parva duorum

seek Laocoon; and first each serpent, having embraced

corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque

the small bodies of his two sons,

215

implicat, et miseros morsu depascitur artus;

entwines them, and feeds upon their miserable limbs with bites;

post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem

afterward, they seize Laocoon himself as he comes to help and brings weapons,

corripiunt, spirisque ligant ingentibus; et iam

and bind him with immense coils; and now,

bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum

having twice embraced his waist, twice having placed their scaly backs around his

terga dati,⁵ superant capite et cervicibus altis.

neck, they tower over him with their heads and lofty necks.

220

Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos,

At the same time he stretches with his hands to tear apart the knots,

perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,

his headbands drenched with gore and black poison,

clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:

at the same time he raises horrendous cries to the stars:

quales mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram

such as the bellowing when a wounded bull flees the altar

taurus, et incertam excussit cervice securim.

and has shaken the uncertain ax from its neck.

225

At gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones

But the two serpents escape by gliding to the highest shrines

effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,

and seek the citadel of fierce Tritonis,

sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.

and are hidden under the feet of the goddess and under the circle of her shield.

Tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis

Then indeed a new fear creeps through the trembling hearts of all,

insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem

and they say that Laocoon has deservedly paid for his crime,

230

Laocoönta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur

who harmed the sacred oak with his spearpoint,

laeserit, et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.

and hurled his wicked spear against its back.

Ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae

They shout together that the image must be led to its seat and the divinity

numina conclamant.

of the goddess must be implored.

Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.

We divide the walls and open the ramparts of the city.

235

Accingunt omnes operi, pedibusque rotarum

All gird themselves for the work, and place under its feet

subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo

the glidings of wheels, and stretch hempen bonds around its

intendunt: scandit fatalis machina muros,

neck: the fatal engine climbs the walls,

feta armis. Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae

pregnant with arms. Boys and unmarried girls around

sacra canunt, funemque manu contingere gaudent.

sing sacred songs, and rejoice to touch the rope with their hands.

240

Illa subit, mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi.

It enters, and glides threateningly into the midst of the city.

Syntax notes5 items

2.157fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura
In the accusative and infinitive construction, 'mihi' is a dative of reference with the indeclinable noun 'fas' ('it is right for me'). The infinitives 'resolvere', 'odisse', and 'ferre' are placed in parallel as subjective infinitives governed by 'fas [est]'.
2.169fluere ac retro sublapsa referri
The infinitives 'fluere' and 'referri' are historical infinitives, used in place of imperfect indicative verbs to vividify the narrative. Their grammatical subject is 'spes'.
2.189si vestra manus violasset dona Minervae
In this conditional sentence, the pluperfect subjunctives 'violasset' (syncope for 'violavisset') and 'ascendisset' represent a past contrary-to-fact condition, while the apodoses are rendered as accusative and infinitives ('futurum [esse]', 'venturam [esse]') because they are framed in indirect speech.
2.210ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni
The perfect participle 'suffecti' acts in a middle-voice sense (Greek middle), retaining 'oculos' as an accusative of specification (Greek accusative), literally meaning 'having filled their burning eyes with respect to blood and fire'.
2.218collo squamea circum / terga dati
The phrase 'circum dati' is an instance of tmesis (for 'circumdati', meaning 'having wrapped around'). The verb governs 'collo' in the dative case and 'terga' as a direct object in the accusative.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:2.157-2.240