The Slaying of Cacus and the Golden Age of Saturn — Virgil, Aeneid Book 8 (lines 244–325), Latin & English

244

infernas reseret¹ sedes et regna recludat

should lay open the infernal seats and disclose the pale

245

pallida, dis invisa, superque immane barathrum

kingdoms, hated by the gods, and the immense abyss should be seen

cernatur, trepident inmisso lumine manes.

from above, and the shades should tremble as the light is let in.

Ergo insperata deprensum luce repente

Therefore, Alcides from above presses with missiles him, suddenly caught in the unlooked-for light,

inclusumque cavo saxo atque insueta rudentem

and shut up in the hollow rock, and braying unaccustomed sounds,

desuper Alcides telis premit omniaque arma

and calls to aid all weapons,

250

advocat et ramis vastisque molaribus instat.

and plies him with branches and huge millstones.

Ille autem, neque enim fuga iam super ulla pericli,

But he (for indeed no escape from danger now remained),

faucibus ingentem fumum (mirabile dictu)

spews from his throat huge smoke (marvellous to tell)

evomit involvitque domum caligine caeca,

and envelops the house in blind darkness,

prospectum eripiens oculis, glomeratque sub antro

snatching the prospect from the eyes, and gathers under the cave

255

fumiferam noctem commixtis igne tenebris.

a smoke-bearing night with darkness mixed with fire.

Non tulit Alcides animis seque ipse per ignem

Alcides did not brook this in his anger, and cast himself headlong

praecipiti iecit saltu, qua plurimus undam

with a leap through the fire, where the thickest smoke

fumus agit nebulaque ingens specus aestuat atra.

sends its wave and the huge cave seethes with black mist.

Hic Cacum in tenebris incendia vana vomentem

Here he seizes Cacus in the darkness, spewing useless flames,

260

corripit in nodum complexus et angit inhaerens

grasping him in a knot, and, clinging to him, squeezes

elisos oculos et siccum sanguine guttur.

his started eyes and his throat dry of blood.

Panditur extemplo foribus domus atra revolsis,

Immediately, the black house is opened, its doors torn away,

abstractaeque boves abiurataeque rapinae

and the stolen oxen and the denied plunder

caelo ostenduntur, pedibusque informe cadaver

are shown to heaven, and by the feet the shapeless corpse

265

protrahitur. Nequeunt expleri corda tuendo²

is dragged forth. The hearts of the people cannot be satisfied with gazing on

terribilis oculos, voltum villosaque saetis

the terrible eyes, the face, and the breast shaggy with bristles

pectora semiferi atque extinctos faucibus ignis.

of the half-beast, and the extinguished fires in his throat.

Ex illo celebratus honos, laetique minores

From that time this honor has been celebrated, and joyful posterity

servavere diem, primusque Potitius auctor

have kept the day, and Potitius, the first founder,

270

et domus Herculei custos Pinaria sacri.

and the Pinarian house, the guardian of the Herculean rite.

Hanc aram luco statuit, quae maxuma semper

He set up this altar in the grove, which will always

dicetur nobis et erit quae maxuma semper.

be called ‘Greatest’ by us and will always be the greatest.

Quare agite, o iuvenes, tantarum in munere laudum

Wherefore come, O youths, in honor of such great praises,

cingite fronde comas et pocula porgite dextris

bind your hair with leaves, and stretch out cups in your right hands,

275

communemque vocate deum et date vina volentes.

and call upon our common god, and offer wine with willing minds.”

Dixerat, Herculea bicolor cum populus umbra

He had spoken, when the two-colored poplar with Herculean shade

velavitque comas foliisque innexa pependit

veiled his hair and hung intertwined with leaves,

et sacer implevit dextram scyphus. Ocius omnes

and the sacred cup filled his right hand. Quickly all,

in mensam laeti libant divosque precantur.

joyful, pour libations on the table and pray to the gods.

280

Devexo interea propior fit Vesper Olympo,

Meanwhile, the Evening Star draws nearer as heaven rolls down,

iamque sacerdotes primusque Potitius ibant,

and now the priests and Potitius, their leader, were advancing,

pellibus in morem cincti, flammasque ferebant.

girt with skins according to custom, and they carried torches.

Instaurant epulas et mensae grata secundae

They renew the feast and bring the welcome gifts of the second

dona ferunt cumulantque oneratis lancibus aras.

table, and heap the altars with laden dishes.

285

tum Salii ad cantus incensa altaria circum

Then the Salii are present at the songs, around the burning altars,

populeis adsunt evincti tempora³ ramis,

their temples bound with poplar branches,

hic iuvenum chorus, ille senum; qui carmine laudes

here a chorus of youths, there of old men; who in song extol

Herculeas et facta ferunt: ut prima novercae

the praises and deeds of Hercules: how first he crushed the monsters

monstra manu geminosque premens eliserit angues,

of his stepmother with his hand, strangling the twin snakes,

290

ut bello egregias idem disiecerit urbes,

how the same man overthrew illustrious cities in war,

Troiamque Oechaliamque, ut duros mille labores

both Troy and Oechalia, how under king Eurystheus he endured

rege sub Eurystheo fatis Iunonis iniquae

a thousand hard labors by the fates of unjust Juno.

pertulerit. Tu nubigenas, invicte, bimembris

”You, unconquered one, slay with your hand the cloud-born double-limbed ones,

Hylaeeumque Pholumque, manu, tu Cresia mactas

both Hylaeus and Pholus; you slay the Cretan

295

prodigia et vastum Nemeae sub rupe leonem.

monsters and the vast lion under the rock of Nemea.

Te Stygii tremuere lacus, te ianitor Orci

At you the Stygian lakes trembled, at you the warder of Orcus,

ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento;

lying upon half-eaten bones in his bloody cave;

nec te ullae facies, non terruit ipse Typhoeus,

no shapes terrified you, not Typhoeus himself,

arduus arma tenens; non te rationis⁴ egentem

lofty, holding weapons; you did not lack resource when

300

Lernaeus turba capitum circumstetit anguis.

the Lernaean snake with its crowd of heads stood around you.

Salve, vera Iovis proles, decus addite divis,

Hail, true offspring of Jove, added glory to the gods,

et nos et tua dexter adi pede sacra secundo.

and visit both us and your rites with favorable foot.”

Talia carminibus celebrant; super omnia Caci

Such things they celebrate in song; above all they add the cave

speluncam adiciunt spirantemque ignibus ipsum.

of Cacus and himself breathing with fires.

305

Consonat omne nemus strepitu collesque resultant.

All the grove resounds with the noise and the hills re-echo.

Exim se cuncti divinis rebus ad urbem

Thence, the divine rites being performed, they all return

perfectis referunt. Ibat rex obsitus aevo

to the city. The king, covered with age, walked on,

et comitem Aenean iuxta natumque tenebat

and kept Aeneas and his son near him as his companions

ingrediens varioque viam sermone levabat.

as he went, and lightened the way with varied conversation.

310

miratur facilisque oculos fert omnia circum

Aeneas wonders, and turns his easy eyes all around,

Aeneas capiturque locis et singula laetus

and is captivated by the places, and joyful inquires

exquiritque auditque virum monimenta priorum.

and hears each monument of the men of old.

Tum rex Euandrus, Romanae conditor arcis:

Then King Evander, the founder of the Roman citadel, said:

Haec nemora indigenae fauni nymphaeque tenebant

”These groves the native Fauns and Nymphs used to hold,

315

gensque virum truncis et duro robore nata,

and a race of men born from tree-trunks and hard oak,

quis neque mos neque cultus erat, nec iungere tauros

who had neither rule nor culture, nor knew how to yoke oxen

aut componere opes norant aut parcere parto,

or to gather wealth or to spare what was gained,

sed rami atque asper victu venatus alebat.

but branches and hunt with its harsh food nourished them.

Primus ab aetherio venit Saturnus Olympo,

First from ethereal Olympus came Saturn,

320

arma Iovis fugiens et regnis exsul ademptis.

fleeing the weapons of Jove and an exile, his kingdoms taken away.

Is genus indocile ac dispersum montibus altis

He gathered the untaught race, scattered on high mountains,

composuit legesque dedit Latiumque vocari

and gave them laws, and chose that the land be called Latium,

maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutis in oris.

since in these safe shores he had lain hidden.

Aurea quae perhibent illo sub rege fuere

Golden, they say, were the ages under that king;

325

saecula. Sic placida populos in pace regebat,

so in tranquil peace he ruled his peoples,”

Syntax notes4 items

8.244reseret
Subjunctive present introduced by the conjunctional phrase 'non secus ac si' (just as if) from line 243, representing an imaginary or counterfactual scenario. The series of verbs (reseret, recludat, cernatur, trepident) vividly depicts a hypothetical sight.
8.265tuendo
Gerund in the ablative case, used with the passive infinitive 'expleri' (to be satisfied by gazing). It retains its transitive nature, directly governing the following accusative noun phrases (oculos, voltum, pectora, ignis) as objects.
8.286tempora
Accusative of specification (also known as the Greek accusative), qualifying the passive participle 'evincti' (bound) to specify the part of the body affected (the temples).
8.299rationis
Genitive governed by the participle 'egentem' (lacking, needing). Here, 'rationis egentem' means 'lacking reason', which in this context implies 'undismayed' or 'resourceful'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:8.244-8.325