Evander's Welcome and the Legend of Cacus — Virgil, Aeneid Book 8 (lines 160–243), Latin & English

160

Tum mihi prima genas vestibat¹ flore iuventas,

Then first youth was clothing my cheeks with blossom,

mirabarque duces Teucros, mirabar et ipsum

and I was wondering at the Trojan leaders, and wondering at the son of Laomedon

Laomedontiaden, sed cunctis altior ibat

himself, but taller than all walked

Anchises: mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore

Anchises: my mind burned with youthful desire

compellare² virum et dextrae coniungere dextram.

to address the man and to join right hand to right hand.

165

Accessi et cupidus Phenei sub moenia duxi.

I approached and eagerly led him beneath the walls of Pheneus.

Ille mihi insignem pharetram Lyciasque sagittas

He, departing, gave me a noble quiver and Lycian arrows,

discedens chlamydemque auro dedit intertextam

and a cloak interwoven with gold,

frenaque bina meus quae nunc habet aurea Pallas.

and two golden bridles which my Pallas now possesses.

Ergo et quam petitis iuncta est mihi foedere dextra,

Therefore the right hand which you seek is already joined to me in league,

170

et lux cum primum terris se crastina reddet,

and as soon as tomorrow’s light returns to the earth,

auxilio laetos dimittam opibusque iuvabo.

I will dismiss you glad with help and assist you with my resources.

Interea sacra haec, quando huc venistis amici,

Meanwhile, since you have come here as friends, celebrate with us

annua, quae differre nefas, celebrate faventes

these annual rites, which it is a sin to defer, with favorable minds,

nobiscum et iam nunc sociorum adsuescite mensis.

and even now accustom yourselves to the tables of your allies.”

175

Haec ubi dicta, dapes iubet et sublata reponi

When these words were spoken, he orders the feast and the removed cups to be replaced,

pocula gramineoque viros locat ipse sedili

and himself places the men on the grassy seat,

praecipuumque toro et villosi pelle leonis

and welcomes Aeneas as the chief guest on a couch spread with the shaggy hide of a lion,

accipit Aenean solioque invitat acerno.

and invites him to a maple throne.

Tum lecti iuvenes certatim araeque sacerdos

Then chosen young men and the priest of the altar emulously

180

viscera tosta ferunt taurorum onerantque canistris

bring the roasted entrails of bulls, and heap baskets with

dona laboratae Cereris³ Bacchumque ministrant.

the gifts of laboured Ceres, and serve Bacchus.

Vescitur Aeneas simul et Troiana iuventus

Aeneas together with the Trojan youth feasts on

perpetui tergo bovis et lustralibus extis.

the chine of an entire ox and the lustral entrails.

Postquam exempta fames et amor compressus edendi,

After hunger was banished and the desire for eating stayed,

185

rex Euandrus ait: Non haec sollemnia nobis,

king Evander says: “No idle superstition,

has ex more dapes, hanc tanti numinis aram

ignorant of the ancient gods, has imposed on us these solemnities,

vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum

this customary feast, this altar of so great a divinity:

inposuit: saevis, hospes Troiane, periclis

saved from cruel perils, O Trojan guest,

servati facimus meritosque novamus honores.

we perform these rites and renew the well-deserved honors.

190

Iam primum saxis suspensam hanc aspice rupem,

Now first look at this cliff suspended on rocks,

disiectae procul ut moles desertaque montis

how the masses of stone are scattered far off, and the mountain dwelling

stat domus et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam.

stands deserted, and the crags have dragged down a mighty ruin.

Hic spelunca fuit, vasto summota recessu,

Here was a cave, withdrawn in a vast recess,

semihominis Caci facies quam dira tenebat

which the dread form of the half-human Cacus occupied,

195

solis inaccessam radiis; semperque recenti

inaccessible to the sun’s rays; and the ground was always warm

caede tepebat humus, foribusque adfixa superbis

with fresh slaughter, and affixed to the proud doors hung

ora virum tristi pendebant pallida tabo.

the faces of men, pale with dismal decay.

Huic monstro Volcanus erat pater: illius atros

Vulcan was the father of this monster: spewing his black

ore vomens ignis magna se mole ferebat.

fires from his mouth, he moved with his giant bulk.

200

Attulit et nobis aliquando optantibus aetas

Time at last brought to us also, in our longing,

auxilium adventumque dei. Nam maximus ultor,

the aid and arrival of a god. For the greatest avenger,

tergemini nece Geryonae spoliisque superbus

Alcides, proud of the slaughter and spoils of triple Geryon,

Alcides aderat taurosque hac victor agebat

was present, and as a victor drove his huge bulls this way,

ingentis, vallemque boves amnemque tenebant.

and the cattle occupied the valley and the river.

205

At furiis Caci mens effera, nequid⁴ inausum

But the savage mind of Cacus, driven by frenzy, lest any crime

aut intractatum scelerisve dolive fuisset,

or deceit should remain unattempted or unpractised,

quattuor a stabulis praestanti corpore tauros

stole four outstanding bulls from the stalls,

avertit, totidem forma superante iuvencas;

and as many heifers of surpassing beauty;

atque hos, nequa forent pedibus vestigia rectis,

and these, lest there should be any tracks with forward-facing feet,

210

cauda in speluncam tractos versisque viarum

dragged by their tails into the cave, and with the path’s signs reversed,

indiciis raptos saxo occultabat opaco:

he hid the stolen beasts in the dark rock:

quaerenti nulla ad speluncam signa ferebant.

to one searching, no signs led toward the cave.

Interea, cum iam stabulis saturata moveret

Meanwhile, when the son of Amphitryon was now moving the well-fed herds

Amphytrioniades armenta abitumque pararet,

from the stalls and preparing his departure,

215

discessu mugire⁵ boves atque omne querelis

the cattle began to bellow at their departure, and all the grove was filled

impleri nemus et colles clamore relinqui.

with complaints, and the hills were left behind with clamor.

reddidit una boum vocem vastoque sub antro

One of the cows returned the sound, and bellowed deep under the vast cave,

mugiit et Caci spem custodita fefellit.

and, though guarded, frustrated the hope of Cacus.

Hic vero Alcidae furiis exarserat atro

Here indeed grief blazed up with black bile in Alcides’ furious mind:

220

felle dolor: rapit arma manu nodisque gravatum

he snatches his weapons in his hand and his oak club heavy with knots,

robur et aerii cursu petit ardua montis.

and seeks the heights of the airy mountain at a run.

Tum primum nostri Cacum videre timentem

Then for the first time our people saw Cacus afraid and

turbatumque oculis: fugit ilicet ocior Euro

troubled in his eyes: he flees immediately swifter than the East wind

speluncamque petit, pedibus timor addidit alas.

and seeks the cave; fear added wings to his feet.

225

Ut sese inclusit ruptisque immane catenis

When he shut himself in, and having broken the chains dropped the huge

deiecit saxum, ferro quod et arte paterna

stone, which hung by iron and his father’s art,

pendebat, fultosque emuniit obice postis,

and fortified the supported posts with the barrier,

ecce furens animis aderat Tirynthius omnemque

lo, the Tirynthian was present, raging in mind, and scanning

accessum lustrans huc ora ferebat et illuc,

every approach, turned his face this way and that,

230

dentibus infrendens. Ter totum fervidus ira

gnashing his teeth. Three times, burning with anger, he traverses

lustrat Aventini montem, ter saxea temptat

all the Aventine hill, three times he tries the stone portals

limina nequiquam, ter fessus valle resedit.

in vain, three times he sat down weary in the valley.

Stabat acuta silex, praecisis undique saxis

There stood a sharp flint rock, cut sheer on all sides,

speluncae dorso insurgens, altissima visu,

rising above the ridge of the cave, very high to see,

235

dirarum nidis domus opportuna volucrum.

a fit home for the nests of dread birds of prey.

Hanc, ut prona⁶ iugo laevum incumbebat in amnem,

This rock, as it leaned from the ridge to the left toward the river,

dexter in adversum nitens concussit et imis

he, straining against it from the right, shook, and wrenched it free

avolsam solvit radicibus; inde repente

from its deepest roots; then suddenly

inpulit, inpulsu quo maximus intonat aether

he pushed it; with that push the mighty ether thunders,

240

dissultant ripae refluitque exterritus amnis.

the banks leap apart and the terrified river flows backward.

At specus et Caci detecta apparuit ingens

But the cavern and the huge palace of Cacus appeared

regia, et umbrosae penitus patuere cavernae:

uncovered, and the shadowy recesses lay open deep within:

non secus ac siqua penitus vi terra dehiscens

not otherwise than if the earth, gaping deep with some force...

Syntax notes6 items

8.160vestibat
An archaic/poetic contracted form of the imperfect vestiebat (from the 4th conjugation verb vestire).
8.164compellare
The infinitives compellare and coniungere depend on the phrase mens ardebat amore, functioning like a Greek-style explanatory infinitive or in apposition to amor.
8.181laboratae Cereris
Metonymy where the goddess of agriculture Ceres represents "bread" and the god of wine Bacchus represents "wine".
8.205nequid
Introduces a negative purpose clause (ne quid). The following verb fuisset is in the pluperfect subjunctive, reflecting the past viewpoint or adding a counterfactual nuance to the intention.
8.215mugire
mugire, impleri, and relinqui are historical infinitives, functioning like imperfect (or perfect) indicative verbs to convey rapid or vivid action. Their subject is in the nominative (boves, nemus, colles) rather than the accusative.
8.236ut prona
prona and laevum function adverbially, describing how the flint rock (hanc) was leaning "to the left (towards the river)". Hercules, in contrast, strained against it from the right (dexter).

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

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:8.160-8.243