Latinus Welcomes Envoys and Juno's Wrath — Virgil, Aeneid Book 7 (lines 246–324), Latin & English

246

hoc Priami gestamen erat, cum iura vocatis

’This was the attire of Priam when he gave laws to the assembled

more daret populis, sceptrumque sacerque tiaras

peoples in due custom, this sceptre, and the sacred tiara,

Iliadumque labor vestes.

and the garments, the labor of Iliad women.’

Talibus Ilionei dictis defixa Latinus

With such words of Ilioneus, Latinus holds his face down

250

obtutu tenet ora soloque immobilis haeret

in a steady gaze and clings motionless to the ground,

intentos volvens oculos. Nec purpura regem

rolling his intent eyes. Neither does the embroidered purple

picta movet nec sceptra movent Priameia tantum,

move the king, nor do Priam’s sceptres move him so much

quantum in conubio natae thalamoque moratur,

as he dwells on the marriage and bridal chamber of his daughter,

et veteris Fauni voluit sub pectore sortem,

and revolves under his breast the oracle of ancient Faunus:

255

hunc illum¹ fatis externa ab sede profectum

that this very man, having set out from an external seat, was foretold

portendi generum paribusque in regna vocari

by the fates as his son-in-law, and was called to the kingdom

auspiciis, huic progeniem virtute futuram

with equal auspices; that from him would be a progeny renowned in valor,

egregiam et totum quae viribus occupet orbem.

which should occupy the whole world with its strength.

tandem laetus ait: Di nostra incepta secundent

At length he says with joy: ‘May the gods prosper our undertakings

260

auguriumque suum; dabitur, Troiane, quod optas,

and their own omen! It shall be given, Trojan, what you wish,

munera nec sperno. Non vobis rege Latino²

nor do I despise your gifts. While Latinus is king,

divitis uber agri Troiaeve opulentia deerit.

the richness of a fertile land or the wealth of Troy shall not be lacking to you.

Ipse modo Aeneas, nostri si tanta cupido est,

Only let Aeneas himself, if there is so great a desire for us,

si iungi hospitio properat sociusque vocari,

if he hastens to be joined in hospitality and to be called an ally,

265

adveniat voltus neve exhorrescat amicos:

come here and not dread our friendly countenances:

illi pacis erit dextram tetigisse tyranni.

it shall be a sign of peace for him to have touched the right hand of the ruler.

vos contra regi mea nunc mandata referte.

You, on the other hand, report my messages now to your king.

Est mihi nata, viro gentis quam iungere nostrae

I have a daughter, whom to join to a husband of our race

non patrio ex adyto sortes, non plurima caelo

neither the oracles from my father’s shrine nor many portents

270

monstra sinunt: generos externis adfore ab oris,

from heaven permit; they prophesy that sons-in-law will come from foreign shores,

hoc Latio restare canunt, qui sanguine nostrum

and that this destiny remains for Latium, who by their blood shall raise

nomen in astra ferant. Hunc illum poscere fata

our name to the stars. That the fates demand this very man

et reor et, siquid veri mens augurat, opto.

I both believe, and, if my mind presages anything of truth, I wish it.’

haec effatus equos numero pater eligit omni

Having spoken these words, the father chooses horses from the whole number

275

(stabant ter centum nitidi in praesaepibus altis):

(three hundred sleek horses stood in the high stalls):

omnibus extemplo Teucris iubet ordine duci

immediately he orders to be led for all the Trojans in order

instratos ostro alipedes pictisque tapetis;

wing-footed horses covered with purple and embroidered tapestries;

aurea pectoribus demissa monilia pendent,

golden monilia hang down from their breasts,

tecti auro fulvum mandunt sub dentibus aurum;

and covered with gold, they champ the yellow gold beneath their teeth;

280

absenti Aeneae currum geminosque iugalis

for the absent Aeneas, he sends a chariot and twin yoked horses

semine ab aetherio, spirantis naribus ignem,

from ethereal seed, breathing fire from their nostrils,

illorum de gente, patri quos daedala Circe

from the breed of those which ingenious Circe created,

supposita de matre nothos furata creavit.

having stolen them from her father and bred them from a substituted mother.

Talibus Aeneadae donis dictisque Latini

With such gifts and words of Latinus, the sons of Aeneas

285

sublimes in equis redeunt pacemque reportant.

return sublime on their horses and bring back peace.

Ecce autem Inachiis sese referebat ab Argis

But behold, returning from Inachian Argos,

saeva Iovis coniunx aurasque invecta tenebat,

the fierce wife of Jupiter was holding her course through the air,

et laetum Aenean classemque ex aethere longe

and from the sky, far off from Sicilian Pachynus,

Dardaniam Siculo prospexit ab usque Pachyno.

she espied the joyous Aeneas and the Dardan fleet.

290

moliri iam tecta videt, iam fidere terrae,

She sees them already building houses, already trusting the land,

deseruisse rates: stetit acri fixa dolore.

and having abandoned their ships; she stood transfixed with sharp pain.

Tum quassans caput haec effundit pectore dicta:

Then shaking her head, she pours forth these words from her breast:

Heu stirpem invisam et fatis contraria nostris

’Ah, hated race, and fates of the Phrygians

fata Phrygum! Num Sigeis occumbere campis,

contrary to ours! Could they fall on the Sigean plains?

295

num capti potuere capi, num incensa cremavit

Could the captured be captured? Did burning Troy

Troia viros? Medias acies mediosque per ignis

consume these men? Through the midst of armies and through the midst of fires

invenere viam. At, credo, mea numina tandem

they found a way. But, I suppose, my divinity at length

fessa iacent odiis aut exsaturata quievi.

lies exhausted by hatred, or I have rested, satisfied.

Quin etiam patria excussos infesta per undas

Nay, when they were cast out from their fatherland, I, hostile, dared to follow

300

ausa sequi et profugis toto me opponere ponto!

them through the waves and oppose myself to the fugitives across the whole sea!

Absumptae in Teucros vires caelique marisque.

The forces of both heaven and sea have been spent against the Trojans.

Quid Syrtes aut Scylla mihi, quid vasta Charybdis

What did the Syrtes or Scylla, what did vast Charybdis

profuit? Optato conduntur Thybridis alveo,

profit me? They are sheltered in the desired bed of the Tiber,

securi pelagi atque mei. Mars perdere gentem

secure from the deep and from me. Mars was able to destroy the fierce

305

immanem Lapithum valuit, concessit in iras

race of the Lapiths; the father of the gods himself yielded ancient

ipse deum antiquam genitor Calydona Dianae,

Calydon to the wrath of Diana;

quod scelus aut Lapithis tantum aut Calydona merentem?

what so great crime had either the Lapiths or Calydon committed to deserve this?

Ast ego magna Iovis coniunx, nil linquere inausum

But I, the great wife of Jupiter, who could leave nothing undared,

quae potui infelix, quae memet in omnia verti,

unhappy, who turned myself to all means,

310

vincor ab Aenea. Quod si mea numina non sunt

am vanquished by Aeneas. But if my divinity is not

magna satis, dubitem haud equidem implorare quod usquam est:

powerful enough, I should not hesitate to implore whatever power exists anywhere:

flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta³ movebo.

if I cannot bend the gods above, I will move the underworld.

Non dabitur regnis, esto, prohibere Latinis,

It will not be granted to bar him from the Latin kingdoms, let it be so,

atque immota manet fatis Lavinia coniunx:

and Lavinia remains unmoved by fate as his wife:

315

at trahere atque moras tantis licet addere rebus,

yet to drag it out and add delays to such great matters is permitted;

at licet amborum populos exscindere regum.

yet it is permitted to cut off the peoples of both kings.

Hac gener atque socer coeant mercede suorum:

At this cost of their followers let the son-in-law and father-in-law unite:

sanguine Troiano et Rutulo dotabere, virgo,

with Trojan and Rutulian blood you shall be dowered, maiden,

et Bellona manet te pronuba. Nec face tantum⁴

and Bellona awaits you as your bridesmaid. Nor did the daughter of Cisseus

320

Cisseis praegnans ignis enixa iugalis

alone, pregnant with a torch, give birth to wedding fires;

quin idem Veneri partus suus et Paris alter

Venus also has her own such offspring, a second Paris,

funestaeque iterum recidiva in Pergama taedae.

and fatal torches again for a reborn Troy.’

Haec ubi dicta dedit, terras horrenda petivit:

When she had given these words, she sought the earth, dreadful;

luctificam Allecto dirarum ab sede dearum

and summoned sorrow-bringing Allecto from the home of the dread goddesses.

Syntax notes4 items

7.255hunc illum
Placed together as the subject of the accusative-and-infinitive construction in indirect discourse. The combination of the proximal hunc and distal illum expresses Latinus' strong conviction: 'that this very man is the one foretold.'
7.261rege Latino
An ablative absolute construction consisting of two nouns without a participle ('with Latinus as king' or 'under King Latinus'), functioning conditionally or circumstantially.
7.312Acheronta
The Greek accusative singular form of the third-declension noun Acheron (underworld). It functions as the direct object of movebo, in contrast with the heavenly gods (superos).
7.319Nec face tantum
Part of a negative correlative structure nec tantum ... quin ... (not only ... but also ...), leading to the quin clause in line 321. It draws a parallel between Hecuba's giving birth to Paris and Venus' own offspring Aeneas.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:7.246-7.324