Latinus Receives the Trojan Envoys and Ilioneus — Virgil, Aeneid Book 7 (lines 164–245), Latin & English

164

aut acris tendunt arcus aut lenta lacertis

They either bend sharp bows or with their arms

165

spicula contorquent cursuque ictuque lacessunt:

hurl pliant darts, and challenge one another in running and striking:

cum¹ praevectus equo longaevi regis ad auris

when, riding ahead on a horse, a messenger reports to the ears of the aged king

nuntius ingentis ignota in veste reportat

that mighty men in unknown attire have arrived.

advenisse viros. Ille intra tecta vocari

He orders them to be called inside the dwellings,

imperat et solio medius consedit avito.

and sat in the midst on his ancestral throne.

170

Tectum augustum ingens. centum sublime columnis,

A grand and vast building, sublime with a hundred columns,

urbe fuit summa, Laurentis regia Pici,

was at the top of the city, the palace of Laurentian Picus,

horrendum silvis et religione parentum.

awesome for its woods and the reverence of the ancestors.

Hic sceptra accipere et primos attollere fasces

Here for kings to receive the sceptre and raise the first fasces

regibus omen erat,² hoc illis curia templum,

was an omen; this was their senate-house and temple,

175

hae sacris sedes epulis, hic ariete caeso

these the seats for sacred feasts; here, a ram having been slain,

perpetuis soliti patres considere mensis.

the elders were accustomed to sit at long tables.

Quin etiam veterum effigies ex ordine avorum

Moreover, the statues of their ancient ancestors in order,

antiqua e cedro, Italusque paterque Sabinus

made of ancient cedar—Italus, and father Sabinus,

vitisator, curvam servans sub imagine falcem,

the vine-planter, keeping a curved sickle beneath his image,

180

Saturnusque senex Ianique bifrontis imago

and aged Saturn, and the image of double-faced Janus—

vestibulo astabant, aliique ab origine reges

were standing in the vestibule, and other kings from the origin,

Martiaque ob patriam pugnando volnera passi.

and those who suffered martial wounds fighting for their fatherland.

Multaque praeterea sacris in postibus arma,

And besides, on the sacred doorposts hung many arms:

captivi pendent currus curvaeque secures

captured chariots, curved battle-axes,

185

et cristae capitum et portarum ingentia claustra

helmet-crests, massive bars of gates,

spiculaque clipeique ereptaque rostra carinis.

darts, shields, and beaks torn from ships.

Ipse Quirinali lituo parvaque sedebat

He himself was sitting with his Quirinal staff and girt with

succinctus trabea laevaque ancile gerebat

a small trabea, and in his left hand he bore the sacred shield—

Picus, equum domitor; quem capta cupidine coniunx

Picus, tamer of horses; whom his wife, seized with desire,

190

aurea percussum virga versumque venenis

Circe, having struck with her golden wand and changed with poisons,

fecit avem Circe³ sparsitque coloribus alas.

made into a bird and sprinkled his wings with colors.

Tali intus templo divom patriaque Latinus

Sitting on such an ancestral seat within such a temple

sede sedens Teucros ad sese in tecta vocavit,

of the gods, Latinus called the Trojans to himself into the palace,

atque haec ingressis placido prior edidit ore:

and as they entered, he first spoke to them with a calm countenance:

195

Dicite, Dardanidae (neque enim nescimus et urbem

’Speak, descendants of Dardanus (for we are not ignorant of either your city

et genus, auditique advertitis aequore cursum),

or your race, and we heard you were directing your course across the sea),

quid petitis? Quae causa rates aut cuius egentis⁴

what do you seek? What cause has carried your ships, or in need of what

litus ad Ausonium tot per vada caerula vexit?

has it borne you across so many blue waves to the Ausonian shore?

Sive errore viae seu tempestatibus acti,

Whether by error of the way or driven by tempests,

200

qualia multa mari nautae patiuntur in alto,

such things as sailors suffer many on the deep sea,

fluminis intrastis ripas portuque sedetis,

you have entered the banks of our river and sit in our harbor,

ne fugite hospitium neve ignorate Latinos

do not shun our hospitality, nor be ignorant of the Latins,

Saturni gentem, haud vinclo nec legibus aequam,

the race of Saturn, just not by constraint or laws,

sponte sua veterisque dei se more tenentem.

but holding themselves of their own free will and by the custom of the ancient god.

205

Atque equidem memini (fama est obscurior annis)

And indeed I remember (though the rumor is obscured by years)

Auruncos ita ferre senes, his ortus ut agris

that the Auruncan elders so related, how Dardanus, born in these fields,

Dardanus Idaeas Phrygiae penetravit ad urbes

penetrated to the Idaean cities of Phrygia

Threiciamque Samum, quae nunc Samothracia fertur.

and Thracian Samos, which is now called Samothrace.

Hinc illum, Corythi Tyrrhena ab sede profectum,

From here, having set out from the Etruscan seat of Corythus,

210

aurea nunc solio stellantis regia caeli

the golden palace of the starry heaven now receives him on a throne

accipit et numerum divorum altaribus auget.

and increases the number of the gods at the altars.’

Dixerat, et dicta Ilioneus sic voce secutus:

He had spoken, and Ilioneus followed his words with this speech:

Rex, genus egregium Fauni, nec fluctibus actos,

’O King, illustrious offspring of Faunus, neither has a black tempest,

atra subegit hiemps vestris succedere terris

driving us through the waves, compelled us to take refuge in your lands,

215

nec sidus regione viae litusve fefellit:

nor has any star or shore deceived us in the direction of our path:

consilio hanc omnes animisque volentibus urbem,

by design and with willing minds we all are carried

adferimur, pulsi regnis, quae maxima quondam

to this city, driven from kingdoms which once the Sun,

extremo veniens Sol aspiciebat Olympo.

coming from the far edge of heaven, beheld as the greatest.

Ab Iove principium generis, Iove Dardana pubes

From Jupiter is the origin of our race; in Jupiter as their ancestor

220

gaudet avo, rex ipse Iovis de gente suprema,

the Dardan youth rejoice; our king himself, of the supreme race of Jupiter,

Troius Aeneas, tua nos ad limina misit.

Trojan Aeneas, sent us to your thresholds.

Quanta per Idaeos saevis effusa Mycenis

How great a storm, poured forth from fierce Mycenae,

tempestas ierit campos, quibus actus uterque

went through the Idaean plains, by what fates driven each world

Europae atque Asiae fatis concurrerit orbis,

of Europe and Asia clashed,

225

audiit et siquem⁵ tellus extrema refuso

he has heard, both whom the extremest land removes by the receding

summovet oceano et siquem extenta plagarum

ocean, and whom the zone of the unfavorable sun,

quattuor in medio dirimit plaga solis iniqui.

extended in the midst of the four zones, separates.

Diluvio ex illo tot vasta per aequora vecti

Carried from that deluge through so many vast seas,

dis sedem exiguam patriis litusque rogamus

we ask of you a small home for our ancestral gods, a harmless shore,

230

innocuum et cunctis undamque auramque patentem.

and water and air open to all.

Non erimus regno indecores, nec vestra feretur

We shall not be a disgrace to your kingdom, nor shall your

fama levis tantique abolescet gratia facti,

fame be reported lightly, nor shall the gratitude for so great a deed fade,

nec Troiam Ausonios gremio excepisse pigebit.

or shall it repent the Ausonians to have received Troy in their bosom.

Fata per Aeneae iuro dextramque potentem

I swear by the fates of Aeneas and his powerful right hand,

235

sive fide seu quis bello est expertus et armis:

whether any has experienced it in loyalty, or in war and arms:

multi nos populi, multae (ne temne,⁶ quod ultro

many peoples, many nations (do not despise us because we

praeferimus manibus vittas ac verba precantia)

voluntarily offer fillets in our hands and words of prayer)

et petiere sibi et voluere adiungere gentes;

have both sought us for themselves and wished to ally us to them;

sed nos fata deum vestras exquirere terras

but the fates of the gods drove us by their commands

240

imperiis egere suis. Hinc Dardanus ortus;

to seek out your lands. From here Dardanus arose;

huc repetit iussisque ingentibus urguet Apollo

hither Apollo recalls us and urges us with mighty commands

Tyrrhenum ad Thybrim et fontis vada sacra Numici.

to the Etruscan Tiber and the sacred pools of the fountain of Numicus.

Dat tibi praeterea fortunae parva prioris

Besides, he gives to you these small gifts of his former fortune,

munera, reliquias Troia ex ardente receptas.

relics rescued from burning Troy.

245

Hoc pater Anchises auro libabat ad aras;

With this gold, father Anchises used to pour libations at the altars;’

Syntax notes6 items

7.166cum
An instance of cum inversum (inverted cum-clause). While the main clause describes the ongoing scene of youths training, the sudden and important event of the messenger's arrival is introduced by cum with the indicative historical present reportat.
7.174regibus omen erat
regibus is a dative of reference ('for the kings'). The subject of the copula is the infinitive phrase accipere et attollere (to receive the sceptre and raise the fasces).
7.189quem ... fecit avem Circe
A double accusative construction with quem (Picus) as the direct object and avem as the object complement. percussum and versum are perfect participles agreeing with quem.
7.197cuius egentis
egentis is the accusative plural of the participle egens ('needing, lacking'), agreeing with rates. cuius is a neuter genitive singular governed by egentis ('ships in need of what').
7.225siquem … siquem
si quem = si aliquem. Although structured as a conditional clause, it functions as a concessive or generalizing emphasis, meaning 'even if someone (in the farthest land / in the unfavorable sun zone)'.
7.236ne temne
A negative imperative ('do not despise'). The subordinate clause quod ultro praeferimus... (the fact that we voluntarily offer) serves as the object of temne.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:7.164-7.245