Celaeno's Dire Prophecy and Meeting with Andromache — Virgil, Aeneid Book 3 (lines 238–318), Latin & English

238

Ergo ubi delapsae sonitum per curva dedere

Therefore when, having swooped down, they gave their noise through the curved

litora, dat signum specula Misenus ab alta

shores, Misenus gives the signal from his high lookout

240

aere cavo. Invadunt socii, et nova proelia temptant,

with hollow bronze. My companions rush in, and try novel battles,

obscenas pelagi ferro foedare¹ volucres:

to wound the filthy birds of the sea with iron:

sed neque vim plumis ullam nec volnera tergo

but they receive neither any violence on their feathers nor wounds on their backs,

accipiunt, celerique fuga sub sidera lapsae

and having glided in swift flight under the stars,

semesam praedam et vestigia foeda relinquunt.

they leave behind the half-eaten prey and foul traces.

245

Una in praecelsa consedit rupe Celaeno,

Alone on a very lofty rock sat Celaeno,

infelix vates, rumpitque hanc pectore vocem:

an ill-omened prophetess, and breaks forth this voice from her breast:

Bellum etiam pro caede boum stratisque iuvencis,

”Is it even war in return for the slaughter of our cattle and slain bullocks,

Laomedontiadae, bellumne inferre paratis,

O sons of Laomedon, is it war you prepare to bring,

et patrio Harpyias insontis pellere regno?

and to drive the innocent Harpies from their ancestral kingdom?

250

Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta,

Receive therefore these words in your minds and fix them,

quae Phoebo pater omnipotens, mihi Phoebus Apollo

which the omnipotent father foretold to Phoebus, and Phoebus Apollo to me,

praedixit, vobis Furiarum ego maxuma pando.

and I, the greatest of the Furies, reveal to you.

Italiam cursu petitis, ventisque vocatis

You seek Italy on your course, and having invoked the winds

ibitis Italiam, portusque intrare licebit;

you shall go to Italy, and it shall be permitted to enter her harbors;

255

sed non ante datam cingetis moenibus urbem,

but you shall not gird the given city with walls before

quam vos dira fames nostraeque iniuria caedis

a dread hunger and the injustice of our slaughter

ambesas subigat malis² absumere mensas.

shall force you to consume your gnawed tables with your jaws.”

Dixit, et in silvam pennis ablata refugit.

She spoke, and having been carried away on wings, fled back into the forest.

At sociis subita gelidus formidine sanguis

But the cold blood of my companions with sudden dread

260

deriguit; cecidere animi, nec iam amplius armis,

froze; their spirits fell, and no longer with arms,

sed votis precibusque iubent exposcere pacem,

but with vows and prayers they bid to entreat for peace,

sive deae, seu sint dirae obscenaeque volucres.

whether they be goddesses, or dread and filthy birds.

Et pater Anchises passis de litore palmis

And father Anchises, with hands outstretched from the shore,

numina magna vocat, meritosque indicit honores:

calls upon the great divinities, and ordains due honors:

265

Di, prohibete minas; di, talem avertite casum,

”Gods, avert these threats; gods, turn away such a misfortune,

et placidi servate pios! Tum litore funem

and placidly preserve the pious!” Then he orders to tear away

deripere, excussosque iubet laxare rudentes.

the cable from the shore, and to loosen the shaken ropes.

Tendunt vela Noti; fugimus spumantibus undis,

The South winds stretch the sails; we flee on the foaming waves,

qua cursum ventusque gubernatorque vocabat.

where the wind and the pilot called our course.

270

Iam medio adparet fluctu nemorosa Zacynthos

Now in the midst of the wave appears woody Zacynthos,

Dulichiumque Sameque et Neritos ardua saxis.

and Dulichium and Same and Neritos lofty with rocks.

Effugimus scopulos Ithacae, Laertia regna,

We escape the rocks of Ithaca, the kingdoms of Laertes,

et terram altricem saevi exsecramur Ulixi.

and curse the land that nurtured cruel Ulixes.

Mox et Leucatae nimbosa cacumina montis

Soon also the cloud-capped summits of Mount Leucata

275

et formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo.

and Apollo, dreaded by sailors, is opened to view.

Hunc petimus fessi et parvae succedimus urbi;

Weary we seek this place and enter the small city;

ancora de prora iacitur, stant litore puppes.

the anchor is cast from the prow, the sterns stand on the shore.

Ergo insperata tandem tellure potiti,

Therefore, having at last obtained the unhoped-for land,

lustramurque Iovi votisque incendimus aras,

we perform lustrations to Jupiter and kindle the altars with vows,

280

Actiaque Iliacis celebramus litora ludis.

and celebrate the Actian shores with Trojan games.

Exercent patrias oleo labente palaestras

My stripped companions practice their ancestral wrestling

nudati socii; iuvat evasisse tot urbes

with slippery oil; it is a joy to have escaped so many Argolic

Argolicas, mediosque fugam tenuisse per hostis.

cities, and to have held our flight through the midst of enemies.

Interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum,

Meanwhile the sun rolls around the great year,

285

et glacialis hiemps aquilonibus asperat undas.

and icy winter sharpens the waves with North winds.

Aere cavo clipeum, magni gestamen Abantis,

A shield of hollow bronze, once the bearing of great Abas,

postibus adversis figo, et rem carmine signo:

I fix on the confronting doorposts, and mark the deed with a verse:

AENEAS HAEC DE DANAIS VICTORIBVS ARMA.³

”AENEAS THESE ARMS FROM THE VICTORIOUS DANAI.”

Linquere tum portus iubeo et considere transtris:

Then I order to leave the harbors and to sit on the benches:

290

certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt.

with rivalry my companions strike the sea and sweep the waters.

Protinus aërias Phaeacum abscondimus arces,

Immediately we hide the airy citadels of the Phaeacians,

litoraque Epiri legimus portuque subimus

and coast along the shores of Epirus and enter the Chaonian

Chaonio, et celsam Buthroti accedimus urbem.

harbor, and approach the lofty city of Buthrotum.

Hic incredibilis rerum fama occupat auris,

Here an incredible rumor of events occupies our ears,

295

Priamiden Helenum Graias regnare per urbes,

that Helenus, son of Priam, was reigning through Greek cities,

coniugio Aeacidae Pyrrhi sceptrisque potitum,

having obtained the wife and scepters of Pyrrhus, descendant of Aeacus,

et patrio⁴ Andromachen iterum cessisse marito.

and that Andromache had again yielded to a husband of her own country.

Obstipui, miroque incensum pectus amore,

I was amazed, and my breast was inflamed with a wonderful desire

compellare⁵ virum et casus cognoscere tantos.

to address the man and to learn of such great events.

300

Progredior portu, classis et litora linquens,

I advance from the harbor, leaving the fleet and the shores,

sollemnis cum forte dapes et tristia dona

just when by chance Andromache was offering solemn feast and mournful gifts

ante urbem in luco falsi Simoentis ad undam

before the city in a grove by the stream of a false Simois

libabat cineri Andromache, Manisque vocabat

to the ashes, and was calling the Manes

Hectoreum ad tumulum, viridi quem caespite inanem

at the tomb of Hector, which empty with green turf

305

et geminas, causam lacrimis, sacraverat aras.

and twin altars, a cause for tears, she had consecrated.

Ut me conspexit venientem et Troïa circum

When she beheld me coming and saw Trojan arms around me,

arma amens vidit, magnis exterrita monstris

distracted, terrified by these great portents,

deriguit visu in medio, calor ossa reliquit;

she stiffened in the midst of her sight, heat left her bones;

labitur, et longo vix tandem tempore fatur:

she faints, and at last after a long time scarcely speaks:

310

Verane te facies, verus mihi nuntius adfers,

”Do you bring yourself to me as a true face, a true messenger,

nate dea? Vivisne, aut, si lux alma recessit,

O goddess-born? Do you live, or, if the nourishing light has departed,

Hector ubi est? Dixit, lacrimasque effudit et omnem

where is Hector?”

implevit clamore locum. Vix pauca furenti

She spoke, and poured forth tears, and filled

subicio, et raris turbatus vocibus hisco:

the whole place with her crying. Scarcely do I throw in a few words to her raving,

315

Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco;

and troubled I open my mouth with broken words:

ne dubita, nam vera vides.

”Indeed I live, and drag out life through all extremes;

Heu, quis te casus deiectam coniuge tanto

do not doubt, for you see true things.

excipit, aut quae digna satis fortuna revisit

Alas, what misfortune receives you, cast down from so great a husband, or what sufficiently worthy fortune revisits you,

+ extra markers: 3.319 (translation introduced markers absent in the source; merged into this section)

Syntax notes5 items

3.241foedare
The infinitive foedare acts as the object of the preceding verb temptant (attempt), or as an appositional infinitive explaining the nature of the nova proelia (novel battles).
3.257malis
Not from the adjective malus (bad) or the noun mālus (mast), but the ablative plural of the feminine noun mala, -ae (jaw, cheek), expressing the instrument: 'with jaws' or 'with teeth'.
3.288AENEAS HAEC DE DANAIS VICTORIBVS ARMA
A typical dedicatory inscription where the verb (such as consecrat or figit) is omitted. It denotes that these are weapons dedicated by Aeneas, taken from the victorious Greeks (Danai).
3.297patrio
An adjective meaning 'of one's country' or 'patriotic'. It refers to Helenus being a Trojan like Andromache herself, highlighting that she has passed once again to a husband of her own nation after being enslaved by the Greek Pyrrhus.
3.299compellare
The infinitive is used after the noun amor (desire) or the participle incensum (inflamed), expressing purpose or the content of the desire, akin to the Greek-style infinitive of purpose or poetic usage modifying a noun.

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-lat2:3.238-3.318