Prizes for the Ship Race and Preparations for the Footrace — Virgil, Aeneid Book 5 (lines 239–320), Latin & English

239

Dixit, eumque imis sub fluctibus audiit omnis

He spoke, and under the deep waves the whole choir

240

Nereidum Phorcique chorus Panopeaque virgo,

of the Nereids and of Phorcus, and the virgin Panopea heard him,

et pater ipse manu magna Portunus euntem

and father Portunus himself with his great hand impelled him

impulit; illa Noto citius volucrique sagitta

as he went; the ship fled to land swifter than the South wind

ad terram fugit, et portu se condidit alto.

or a winged arrow, and hid herself in the deep harbor.

Tum satus Anchisa, cunctis ex more vocatis,

Then the son of Anchises, all being summoned according to custom,

245

victorem magna praeconis voce Cloanthum

declares Cloanthus victor with the loud voice of the herald,

declarat viridique advelat tempora lauro,

and veils his temples with green laurel,

muneraque in naves ternos optare iuvencos,

and gives gifts to be chosen for the ships, three bullocks each,

vinaque et argenti magnum dat ferre¹ talentum.

and wines and a great talent of silver to carry away.

Ipsis praecipuos ductoribus addit honores:

To the leaders themselves he adds special honors:

250

victori chlamydem auratam, quam plurima circum

to the victor a gold-embroidered cloak, around which a rich

purpura maeandro duplici Meliboea cucurrit,

Meliboean purple ran in a double meandering wave,

intextusque puer frondosa regius Ida

and woven in was the royal boy on leafy Ida,

veloces iaculo cervos cursuque fatigat,

tiring swift stags with javelin and chase,

acer, anhelanti similis, quem praepes ab Ida

keen, and like one panting, whom the swift arm-bearer of Jove

255

sublimem pedibus rapuit² Iovis armiger uncis;

snatched aloft from Ida with his crooked claws;

longaevi palmas nequiquam ad sidera tendunt

the aged guardians in vain stretch their palms to the stars,

custodes, saevitque canum latratus in auras.

and the fierce barking of dogs rages into the air.

At qui deinde locum tenuit virtute secundum,

But to him who next held the second place by his valor,

levibus huic hamis consertam auroque trilicem

to this man he gives a triple coat of mail, woven with light rings

260

loricam, quam Demoleo detraxerat ipse

and gold, which Demoleos himself, as victor,

victor apud rapidum Simoënta sub Ilio alto,

had stripped by the swift Simois under high Ilium,

donat habere viro, decus et tutamen in armis.

to have for his own, an honor and a defense in arms.

Vix illam famuli Phegeus Sagarisque ferebant

The servants Phegeus and Sagaris with difficulty bore it,

multiplicem, conixi umeris; indutus at olim

heavy with its many folds, straining with their shoulders; but once

265

Demoleos cursu palantes Troas agebat.

Demoleos, wearing it, used to drive the scattered Trojans at full speed.

Tertia dona facit geminos ex aere lebetas,

The third gifts he makes a pair of bronze kettles,

cymbiaque argento perfecta atque aspera signis.

and cups finished in silver and rough with figures.

Iamque adeo donati omnes opibusque superbi

And now indeed they all, thus gifted and proud of their wealth,

puniceis ibant evincti tempora taenis,

were marching with their temples bound with scarlet ribbons,

270

cum saevo e scopulo multa vix arte revolsus,

when, torn from the cruel rock with much difficulty and skill,

amissis remis atque ordine debilis uno,

with lost oars and weak with a single tier,

inrisam sine honore ratem Sergestus agebat.

Sergestus was bringing back his mocked ship without honor.

Qualis saepe viae deprensus in aggere serpens,³

Just as often a snake, caught on the rise of a road,

aerea quem obliquum rota transiit, aut gravis ictu

which a bronze wheel has run over crosswise, or a traveler with a heavy blow

275

seminecem liquit saxo lacerumque viator;

has left half-dead and mangled with a stone;

nequiquam longos fugiens dat corpore tortus,

in vain trying to escape, it gives long twists with its body,

parte ferox, ardensque oculis, et sibila colla

in part fierce, burning with its eyes, and raising on high

arduus attollens, pars volnere clauda retentat

its hissing neck, while the part crippled by the wound holds it back

nexantem nodis seque in sua membra plicantem:

as it twists in knots and folds itself upon its own limbs:

280

tali remigio navis se tarda movebat;

with such rowing the slow ship was moving itself;

vela facit tamen, et velis subit ostia plenis.

yet she makes sail, and enters the harbor’s mouth with full sails.

Sergestum Aeneas promisso munere donat,

Aeneas presents Sergestus with the promised gift,

servatam ob navem laetus sociosque reductos.

joyful on account of the saved ship and the companions brought back.

Olli serva datur, operum haud ignara Minervae,

To him a female slave is given, not unskilled in the works of Minerva,

285

Cressa genus, Pholoë, geminique sub ubere nati.

a Cretan by birth, Pholoe, and her twin sons at her breast.

Hoc pius Aeneas misso certamine tendit

This contest being dismissed, pious Aeneas proceeds

gramineum in campum, quem collibus undique curvis

into a grassy plain, which forests on all sides with curving hills

cingebant silvae, mediaque in valle theatri

enclosed, and in the middle of the valley was the circus

circus erat; quo se multis cum milibus heros

of a theater; whither the hero with many thousands

290

consessu medium tulit exstructoque resedit.

betook himself into the midst of the assembly and sat down on a raised seat.

Hic, qui forte velint⁴ rapido contendere cursu,

Here, whoever by chance might wish to contend in rapid race,

invitat pretiis animos, et praemia ponit.

he invites their minds with rewards, and sets up prizes.

Undique conveniunt Teucri mixtique Sicani,

From all sides gather the Teucrians and Sicanians mixed,

Nisus et Euryalus primi,

Nisus and Euryalus the first,

295

Euryalus forma insignis viridique iuventa,

Euryalus remarkable for his beauty and green youth,

Nisus amore pio pueri; quos deinde secutus

Nisus for his pious love for the boy; whom next followed

regius egregia Priami de stirpe Diores;

royal Diores from the noble stock of Priam;

hunc Salius simul et Patron, quorum alter Acarnan,

him Salius and Patron followed together, of whom one was an Acarnanian,

alter ab Arcadio Tegeaeae sanguine gentis;

the other of the Arcadian blood of the Tegeaean race;

300

tum duo Trinacrii iuvenes, Helymus Panopesque,

then two Trinacrian youths, Helymus and Panopes,

adsueti silvis, comites senioris Acestae;

accustomed to the woods, companions of the aged Acestes;

multi praeterea, quos fama obscura recondit.

many besides, whom obscure fame hides.

Aeneas quibus in mediis sic deinde locutus:

In the midst of whom Aeneas then spoke thus:

Accipite haec animis, laetasque advertite mentes:

”Receive these things in your minds, and turn your joyful attention:

305

nemo ex hoc numero mihi non donatus abibit.

no one of this number shall depart from me without a gift.

Gnosia bina dabo levato lucida ferro

I will give two Gnosian darts, bright with polished iron,

spicula caelatamque argento ferre bipennem;

and a double-ax carved with silver to carry away;

omnibus hic erit unus honos. Tres praemia primi

this one honor shall be for all. The first three shall receive

accipient flavaque caput nectentur oliva.

prizes and have their heads bound with yellow olive.

310

Primus equum phaleris insignem victor habeto;

Let the first victor have a horse distinguished with trappings;

alter Amazoniam pharetram plenamque sagittis

the second an Amazonian quiver, full of Thracian

Threïciis, lato quam circum amplectitur auro

arrows, which a belt girdles around with broad gold,

balteus et tereti subnectit fibula gemma;

and a buckle subnects with a polished gem;

tertius Argolica hac galea contentus abito.

let the third go away content with this Argolic helmet.”

315

Haec ubi dicta, locum capiunt, signoque repente

When these words were said, they take their places, and suddenly,

corripiunt spatia audito, limenque relinquunt,

the signal heard, they seize the course and leave the threshold,

effusi nimbo similes, simul ultima signant.

poured forth like a storm-cloud, at the same time they mark the goal.

Primus abit longeque ante omnia corpora Nisus

First goes Nisus, and far before all bodies

emicat, et ventis et fulminis ocior alis;

he springs forth, swifter than the winds and the wings of lightning;

320

proximus huic, longo sed proxumus intervallo,

next to him, but next by a long interval,

Syntax notes4 items

5.247–248optare ... ferre
The infinitives optare and ferre are governed directly by the verb dat (line 248) as an object or to express purpose ("gives [the permission/right] to choose... and to carry away"), a poetic usage mimicking the Greek infinitive of purpose.
5.252–255intextusque puer ... rapuit
An ekphrastic description of the mythological rape of Ganymede woven (intextus) into the cloak. The text shifts seamlessly from the vivid present tense describing the scene depicted (fatigat) to the perfect tense describing the mythological event itself (rapuit), endowing the static embroidery with dramatic narrative motion.
5.273–280Qualis saepe ... serpens
A highly elaborated simile introduced by Qualis saepe, which spans several lines before reaching the main clause in line 280 (tali remigio...). The contrast between the snake's fierce active part (parte ferox) and its crippled, dragging part (pars volnere clauda) closely mirrors the movement of Sergestus's damaged ship, which struggles to move despite its oars being shattered on one side.
5.291qui forte velint
The subjunctive velint in the relative clause (with an omitted antecedent) expresses a hypothetical characteristic or restriction ("whoever might chance to wish"), describing the class of potential competitors invited by Aeneas.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:5.239-5.320