Juno Opens the Gates of War and Italian Gathering — Virgil, Aeneid Book 7 (lines 568–651), Latin & English

568

Hic specus horrendum et saevi spiracula Ditis

Here a dreadful cave and the breathing-holes of cruel Dis

monstrantur, ruptoque ingens Acheronte vorago

are shown, and a huge gulf, from the burst Acheron,

570

pestiferas aperit fauces, quis¹ condita Erinys,

opens its pestilential jaws, in which concealed, the Fury,

invisum numen, terras caelumque levabat.

a hated divinity, was relieving the lands and the sky.

Nec minus interea extremam Saturnia bello

No less meanwhile did the Saturnian queen put her final hand

imponit regina manum. Ruit omnis in urbem

to the war. All the number of shepherds rushes from the battle line

pastorum ex acie numerus caesosque reportant

into the city, and they bring back the slain,

575

Almonem puerum foedatique ora Galaesi

the boy Almo, and the defiled face of Galaesus,

implorantque deos obtestanturque Latinum.

and they implore the gods and call upon Latinus.

Turnus adest medioque in crimine caedis et igni

Turnus is present, and in the midst of the charge of slaughter and the fire

terrorem ingeminat: Teucros in regna vocari,

he redoubles the terror: that Trojans are called into the kingdoms,

stirpem admisceri Phrygiam, se limine pelli.

that a Phrygian stock is being mixed in, and that he is being driven from the threshold.

580

Tum quorum² attonitae Baccho nemora avia matres

Then, those whose mothers, maddened by Bacchus, leap in wild dances

insultant thiasis (neque enim leve nomen Amatae),

through pathless woods (for the name of Amata is of no light weight),

undique collecti coeunt Martemque fatigant.

gather from all sides, meet together, and weary Mars.

Ilicet infandum cuncti contra omina bellum,

Immediately they all, against the omens, against the fates

contra fata deum perverso numine³ poscunt,

of the gods, demand an unspeakable war with a perverse divine power;

585

certatim regis circumstant tecta Latini.

eagerly they stand around the palace of king Latinus.

Ille velut pelagi rupes immota resistit,

He, like an unmoved rock of the sea, resists—

ut pelagi rupes magno veniente fragore,

like a rock of the sea when a great crash comes,

quae sese multis circum latrantibus undis

which holds itself by its mass while many waves bark around;

mole tenet; scopuli nequiquam et spumea circum

in vain the cliffs and foamy rocks resound around it,

590

saxa fremunt laterique inlisa refunditur alga.

and the seaweed dashed against its side is thrown back.

Verum ubi nulla datur caecum exsuperare potestas

But when no power is given to overcome the blind

consilium et saevae nutu Iunonis eunt res,

counsel, and affairs go by the nod of cruel Juno,

multa deos aurasque pater testatus inanis:

the father, having called many times upon the gods and empty air as witnesses:

Frangimur heu fatis, inquit, ferimurque procella!

’Alas, we are broken by the fates,’ he says, ‘and carried away by the storm!

595

Ipsi has sacrilego pendetis sanguine poenas,

You yourselves will pay these penalties with sacrilegious blood,

O miseri. Te, Turne, nefas, te triste manebit

O wretched ones. You, Turnus, your crime, you a sad punishment

supplicium, votisque deos venerabere seris.

will await, and too late you will worship the gods with vows.

Nam mihi parta quies, omnisque in limine portus;

For to me rest is won, and all my port is at the threshold;

funere felici spolior. Nec plura locutus

I am only deprived of a happy death.’ Having spoken no more,

600

saepsit se tectis rerumque reliquit habenas.

he shut himself in his palace and left the reins of state.

Mos erat Hesperio in Latio, quem protinus urbes

There was a sacred custom in Hesperian Latium, which continuously the cities of Alba

Albanae coluere sacrum nunc maxima rerum

cherished as sacred, and now Rome, greatest of things, cherishes,

Roma colit, cum prima movent in proelia Martem,

when they first stir Mars into battle,

sive Getis inferre manu lacrimabile bellum

whether they prepare to bring tearful war by hand to the Getae,

605

Hyrcanisve Arabisve parant seu tendere ad Indos

or to the Hyrcanians or Arabs, or to stretch towards the Indians,

Auroramque sequi Parthosque reposcere signa.

and follow the Dawn, and demand back their standards from the Parthians.

Sunt geminae belli portae (sic nomine dicunt)

There are twin gates of war (so they call them by name),

religione sacrae et saevi formidine Martis;

sacred by religion and by the dread of cruel Mars;

centum aerei claudunt vectes aeternaque ferri

a hundred bronze bolts close them and the eternal strength of iron

610

robora, nec custos absistit limine Ianus:

protects them, nor does Janus the guardian depart from the threshold.

has, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae,

These, when the certain determination of battle is settled by the fathers,

ipse Quirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino⁴

the consul himself, distinguished in the Quirinal trabea and the Gabine cincture,

insignis reserat stridentia limina consul,

unlocks the creaking thresholds;

ipse vocat pugnas; sequitur tum cetera pubes,

he himself summons the battles; then the rest of the youth follows,

615

aereaque adsensu conspirant cornua rauco.

and the bronze horns blow together with a hoarse assent.

Hoc et tum Aeneadis indicere bella Latinus

By this custom Latinus also then was ordered to declare war

more iubebatur tristisque recludere portas.

on the Aeneadae and to open the sad gates.

Abstinuit tactu pater aversusque refugit

The father abstained from the touch, and turning away, fled

foeda ministeria et caecis se condidit umbris.

the foul service and hid himself in blind shadows.

620

Tum regina deum caelo delapsa morantis

Then the queen of the gods, gliding down from heaven, herself

impulit ipsa manu portas, et cardine verso

pushed the lingering gates with her hand, and turning the hinge,

belli ferratos rumpit Saturnia postes.

the Saturnian daughter burst open the iron-bound posts of war.

Ardet inexcita Ausonia atque immobilis ante;

Ausonia, previously unstirred and motionless, burns;

Pars pedes ire parat campis, pars arduus altis

Part prepares to go on foot through the plains, part, high on lofty horses,

625

pulverulentus equis furit; omnes arma requirunt.

dusty, rages; all seek weapons.

Pars levis clipeos et spicula lucida tergent

Part polish smooth shields and bright spears

arvina pingui subiguntque in cote secures;

with thick grease, and sharpen axes on the whetstone;

signaque ferre iuvat sonitusque audire tubarum.

and they rejoice to bear the standards and hear the sounds of trumpets.

Quinque adeo magnae positis incudibus urbes

Indeed, five great cities, setting up their anvils,

630

tela novant, Atina potens Tiburque superbum,

forge new weapons: powerful Atina and proud Tibur,

Ardea Crustumerique et turrigerae Antemnae.

Ardea and the Crustumerians and tower-bearing Antemnae.

Tegmina tuta cavant capitum flectuntque salignas

They hollow out safe coverings for their heads and bend the willow frames

umbonum cratis; alii thoracas aenos

of shields; others beat out bronze breastplates

aut levis ocreas lento ducunt argento;

or smooth greaves from ductile silver;

635

vomeris huc et falcis honos, huc omnis aratri

to this the honor of the plowshare and sickle, to this all love

cessit amor; recoquunt patrios fornacibus enses.

of the plow has yielded; they re-forge their ancestral swords in the furnaces.

Classica iamque sonant; it bello tessera signum.

And now the trumpets sound; the watchword goes as a signal for war.

Hic galeam tectis trepidus rapit, ille frementis

Here, one in trembling haste snatches a helmet from his house; another forces

ad iuga cogit equos clipeumque auroque trilicem

his neighing horses to the yoke, and puts on his shield and his triple-woven

640

loricam induitur⁵ fidoque accingitur ense.

corselet with gold, and girds on his faithful sword.

Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque movete,

Open now Helicon, goddesses, and stir up songs:

qui bello exciti reges, quae quemque secutae

what kings were aroused to war, what forces following each

complerint campos acies, quibus Itala iam tum

filled the plains, with what men even then the nurturing Italian land

floruerit terra alma viris, quibus arserit armis.

flourished, and with what weapons it burned.

645

Et meministis enim, divae, et memorare potestis:

For you remember, divinities, and you can relate:

ad nos vix tenuis famae perlabitur aura.

to us scarcely does a thin breath of fame glide down.

Primus init bellum Tyrrhenis asper ab oris

First enters the war from the Tyrrhenian shores, fierce

contemptor divom Mezentius agminaque armat.

Mezentius, scorner of the gods, and arms his columns.

Filius huic iuxta Lausus, quo pulchrior alter

Beside him is his son Lausus, than whom no other was more beautiful,

650

non fuit excepto Laurentis corpore Turni,

except for the body of Laurentine Turnus;

Lausus, equum domitor debellatorque ferarum,

Lausus, tamer of horses and conqueror of wild beasts.

Syntax notes5 items

7.570quis
A contracted form of the relative pronoun quibus (ablative plural). Its antecedent is fauces (jaws, feminine plural), indicating that the Fury hid herself 'within or through' those dark openings.
7.580quorum
Genitive plural of the relative pronoun, modifying matres. Contextually, it refers to the gathered men (undique collecti) as its antecedent: 'of whom the mothers, maddened by Bacchus...'.
7.584perverso numine
Ablative of manner or attendant circumstance: 'with a perverse divine power' or 'perverse will'. It emphasizes the twisted, headstrong state of the people rushing to war against the divine omens.
7.612cinctuque Gabino
Ablative of description or attendant circumstance, referring to the specific religious and ceremonial way of draping the toga (the Gabine cincture) used by Roman consuls during solemn rites.
7.639clipeumque ... induitur
The verb induitur ('puts on') functions as a middle voice (reflexive use, under Greek influence), taking the accusatives clipeum and loricam as direct objects: 'girds himself with / puts onto himself'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:7.568-7.651