Landing in Thrace and the Omen of Polydorus — Virgil, Aeneid Book 3 (lines 1–80), Latin & English

Postquam res Asiae Priamique evertere gentem

After it seemed good to the gods above to overturn the power of Asia and Priam’s innocent

immeritam visum Superis, ceciditque superbum

race, and proud Ilium fell,

Ilium, et omnis humo fumat Neptunia Troia,

and all Neptunian Troy smokes from the ground,

diversa exsilia et desertas quaerere terras

we are driven by divine auguries to seek distant exiles and deserted lands,

auguriis agimur divom, classemque sub ipsa

and we build a fleet under the very walls of Antandros

Antandro et Phrygiae molimur montibus Idae,

and the mountains of Phrygian Ida,

incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,

uncertain whither the fates may bear us, where it may be granted us to settle,

contrahimusque viros. Vix prima inceperat aestas,

and we muster our men. Hardly had the first summer begun,

et pater Anchises dare fatis vela iubebat;

when my father Anchises ordered us to give our sails to the fates;

litora cum patriae lacrimans portusque relinquo

then weeping I leave the shores and harbors of my country

et campos, ubi Troia fuit: feror exsul in altum

and the plains where Troy once was. I am borne an exile into the deep

cum sociis natoque Penatibus et magnis dis.

with my companions and my son, the Penates, and the great gods.

Terra procul vastis colitur Mavortia campis,

A land of Mavors lies afar, of vast plains, inhabited,

Thraces arant, acri quondam regnata Lycurgo,

which Thracians till, once ruled by fierce Lycurgus,

hospitium antiquum Troiae sociique Penates,

an ancient guest-land of Troy and with allied Penates,

dum Fortuna fuit. Feror huc, et litore curvo

while Fortune lasted. Hither I am borne, and on the winding shore

moenia prima loco, fatis ingressus iniquis,

I lay my first walls, having entered under unfriendly fates,

Aeneadasque meo nomen de nomine fingo.

and from my own name I fashion the name Aeneadae.

Sacra Dionaeae matri divisque ferebam

I was offering sacrifices to my Dionean mother and the gods

auspicibus coeptorum operum, superoque nitentem

who favor our begun works, and to the high

caelicolum regi mactabam in litore taurum.

king of the heavenly dwellers I was slaying a sleek bull on the shore.

Forte fuit iuxta tumulus, quo cornea summo

By chance there was a mound nearby, on whose top were cornel

virgulta et densis hastilibus horrida myrtus.

copses and a myrtle bristling with dense spear-shafts.

Accessi, viridemque ab humo convellere silvam

I drew near, and as I attempted to tear the green growth

conatus, ramis tegerem ut frondentibus aras,

from the soil, so that I might cover the altars with leafy boughs,

horrendum et dictu¹ video mirabile monstrum.

I see a portent dreadful and wondrous to relate.

Nam, quae prima solo ruptis radicibus arbos

For, the first tree that is pulled from the ground with broken roots,

vellitur, huic atro liquuntur sanguine guttae,

from this drops of black blood ooze,

et terram tabo maculant. Mihi frigidus horror

and stain the earth with gore. A cold horror

membra quatit, gelidusque coit formidine sanguis.

shakes my limbs, and my chilled blood freezes with fear.

Rursus et alterius lentum convellere vimen

Again I proceed to tear away the tough shoot of another,

insequor, et causas penitus temptare latentis:

and to probe thoroughly the hidden causes;

ater et alterius sequitur de cortice sanguis.

from the bark of the second also, black blood follows.

Multa movens animo nymphas venerabar agrestis

Pondering many things in my mind, I prayed to the rustic nymphs

Gradivumque patrem, Geticis qui praesidet arvis,

and father Gradivus, who presides over the Getic fields,

rite secundarent² visus omenque levarent.

that they would duly make favorable what was seen and lighten the omen.

Tertia sed postquam maiore hastilia nisu

But when with greater effort I attack the third

adgredior, genibusque adversae obluctor harenae—

shoots, and struggle on my knees against the opposing sand—

eloquar, an sileam?³—gemitus lacrimabilis imo

shall I speak, or keep silent?—a tearful groan from the bottom of the mound

auditur tumulo, et vox reddita fertur ad auris:

is heard, and an answering voice is borne to my ears:

Quid miserum, Aenea, laceras? Iam parce sepulto;

”Why, Aeneas, do you tear a miserable wretch? Spare me now that I am buried;

parce pias scelerare manus. Non me tibi Troia

spare staining your pious hands. Troy did not bear me

externum tulit, aut cruor hic de stipite manat.

as a stranger to you, nor does this blood flow from a mere stock.

Heu, fuge crudelis terras, fuge litus avarum:

Alas! flee the cruel lands, flee the greedy shore.

nam Polydorus ego; hic confixum ferrea texit

For I am Polydorus. Here an iron harvest of weapons covered me,

telorum seges et iaculis increvit acutis.

transfixed, and grew up into sharp javelins.”

Tum vero ancipiti mentem formidine pressus

Then indeed, pressed in mind by a double fear,

obstipui, steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit.

I was astounded, and my hair stood on end, and my voice clung to my throat.

Hunc Polydorum auri quondam cum pondere magno

This Polydorus, formerly with a great weight of gold,

infelix Priamus furtim mandarat alendum

unhappy Priam had secretly entrusted to the Thracian king

Threicio regi, cum iam diffideret armis

to be brought up, when he already despaired of the arms

Dardaniae, cingique urbem obsidione videret.

of Dardania and saw the city girded with siege.

Ille, ut opes fractae Teucrum, et Fortuna recessit,

The king, when the power of the Teucrians was broken and Fortune departed,

res Agamemnonias victriciaque arma secutus,

following Agamemnon’s cause and victorious arms,

fas omne abrumpit; Polydorum obtruncat, et auro

broke every sacred law; he slaughtered Polydorus, and by force

vi potitur. Quid⁴ non mortalia pectora cogis,

seized the gold. To what do you not compel mortal hearts,

auri sacra fames? Postquam pavor ossa reliquit,

accursed hunger for gold? After fear left my bones,

delectos populi ad proceres primumque parentem

I report the portents of the gods to the chosen leaders of the people and first of all to my father,

monstra deum refero, et quae sit sententia posco.

and ask what their judgment is.

Omnibus idem animus, scelerata excedere terra,

All have the same mind, to depart from the accursed land,

linqui pollutum hospitium, et dare classibus austros.

to leave the polluted guest-land, and to give the south winds to our fleets.

Ergo instauramus Polydoro funus, et ingens

Therefore we perform funeral rites anew for Polydorus, and a vast amount

aggeritur tumulo tellus; stant Manibus arae,

of earth is heaped upon the mound; altars stand to the Shades,

caeruleis maestae vittis atraque cupresso,

mournful with dark-blue bands and black cypress,

et circum Iliades crinem de more solutae;

and around stand Trojan women, with their hair let loose according to custom;

inferimus tepido spumantia cymbia lacte

we offer foaming bowls of warm milk

sanguinis et sacri pateras, animamque sepulchro

and platters of sacred blood, and we lay the soul to rest in the tomb,

condimus, et magna supremum voce ciemus.

and call upon it for the last time with a loud voice.

Inde, ubi prima fides pelago, placataque venti

Thereupon, as soon as trust can be placed in the sea, and the winds

dant maria et lenis crepitans vocat Auster in altum,

grant calm waters, and the gentle whispering South Wind calls to the deep,

deducunt socii navis et litora complent:

my companions launch the ships and crowd the shores;

provehimur portu, terraeque urbesque recedunt.

we sail forth from the harbor, and lands and cities recede.

Sacra mari colitur medio gratissima tellus

A sacred land is inhabited in the midst of the sea, most pleasing

Nereidum matri et Neptuno Aegaeo,

to the mother of the Nereids and to Aegean Neptune,

quam pius arquitenens oras et litora circum

which the pious Archer-God, as it drifted about shores and coasts,

errantem Mycono e celsa Gyaroque revinxit,

bound fast to lofty Myconos and Gyaros,

immotamque coli dedit et contemnere ventos.

and granted that it be inhabited unmoved and despise the winds.

Huc feror; haec fessos tuto placidissima portu

Hither I am borne; this most peaceful land receives us, weary, in its safe harbor.

accipit: egressi veneramur Apollinis urbem.

Landing, we worship the city of Apollo.

Rex Anius, rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos

King Anius, both king of men and priest of Phoebus,

Syntax notes4 items

3.26dictu
Supine in -u modifying the adjective mirabile ("wondrous to relate"), expressing respect or specification.
3.36rite secundarent
Subjunctive in a subordinate clause of purpose or petition after venerabar, with the tense sequence governed by the historical main verb, and the conjunction ut omitted.
3.39eloquar, an sileam?
Deliberative subjunctives in a double rhetorical question as the narrator addresses his own dilemma.
3.56quid
Accusative of inner object forming a double accusative construction with mortalia pectora under the transitive verb cogis ("to what do you not drive...").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:3.1-3.80