The Entrusting of Pallas and the Sign of Venus — Virgil, Aeneid Book 8 (lines 489–567), Latin & English

489

at fessi tandem cives infanda furentem

But at last the citizens, weary, surround him as he rages with unspeakable fury,

490

armati circumsistunt ipsumque domumque,

in arms, both himself and his home,

obtruncant socios, ignem ad fastigia iactant.

they slay his companions, and hurl fire onto the roofs.

Ille inter caedem Rutulorum elapsus in agros

He, escaping in the midst of the slaughter to the fields of the Rutulians,

confugere et Turni defendier¹ hospitis armis.

fled for refuge and was defended by the arms of his host Turnus.

Ergo omnis furiis surrexit Etruria iustis:

Therefore all Etruria rose with righteous fury:

495

regem ad supplicium praesenti Marte reposcunt.

with immediate war they demand back their king for punishment.

his ego te, Aenea, ductorem milibus addam.

To these thousands, Aeneas, I will add you as leader.

Toto namque fremunt condensae litore puppes

For along the whole shore the crowded ships clamor

Signaque ferre iubent; retinet longaevus haruspex

and order the standards to be raised; the aged seer restrains them,

fata canens, O Maeoniae delecta iuventus,

prophesying fate: “O chosen youth of Maeonia,

500

flos veterum virtusque virum, quos iustus in hostem

the flower and strength of ancient heroes, whom righteous grief

fert dolor et merita accendit Mezentius ira,

drives against the enemy and Mezentius inflames with deserved anger,

nulli fas Italo tantam subiungere gentem:

it is permitted to no Italian to subdue so great a nation:

externos optate duces; tum Etrusca resedit

choose foreign leaders.” Then the Etruscan army settled down

hoc acies campo, monitis exterrita divom.

on this plain, terrified by the warnings of the gods.

505

Ipse oratores ad me regnique coronam

Tarchon himself sent envoys to me with the crown of the kingdom

cum sceptro misit mandatque insignia Tarchon,

and the scepter, and entrusts the royal insignia, urging that

succedam² castris Tyrrhenaque regna capessam.

I should enter the camp and take up the Tyrrhenian kingdom.

Sed mihi tarda gelu saeclisque effeta senectus

But old age, sluggish with chill and exhausted by years,

invidet imperium seraeque ad fortia vires.

grudges me command, and my strength is too late for bold deeds.

510

natum exhortarer, ni mixtus matre Sabella

I would urge my son, were it not that, mixed with a Sabellian mother,

hinc partem patriae traheret. Tu, cuius et annis

he drew a part of his homeland from here. You, whose years

et generi fatum indulgent, quem numina poscunt,

and race fate favors, whom the divine powers demand,

ingredere, o Teucrum atque Italum fortissime ductor.

enter upon it, O most courageous leader of both Teucrians and Italians.

hunc tibi praeterea, spes et solacia nostri,

Furthermore, I will join to you this Pallas, our hope and solace;

515

Pallanta adiungam; sub te tolerare magistro

under you as his master, let him accustom himself to endure

militiam et grave Martis opus, tua cernere facta

military service and the heavy work of Mars, to behold your deeds

adsuescat primis et te miretur ab annis.

from his earliest years, and to admire you.

Arcadas huic equites bis centum, robora pubis

To him I will give two hundred Arcadian horsemen, the chosen strength of our youth,

lecta dabo totidemque suo tibi nomine Pallas.

and Pallas will give as many to you in his own name.

520

Vix ea fatus erat, defixique ora tenebant

Scarcely had he spoken these words, when with downcast eyes

Aeneas Anchisiades et fidus Achates

Aeneas, son of Anchises, and faithful Achates

multaque dura suo tristi cum corde putabant,

would have gone on thinking of many hard things in their sad hearts,

ni signum caelo Cytherea dedisset³ aperto.

had Cytherea not given a sign in the clear sky.

Namque inproviso vibratus ab aethere fulgor

For suddenly a flash vibrated from the ether

525

cum sonitu venit, et ruere omnia visa repente

came with a crash, and all things seemed suddenly to fall,

Tyrrhenusque tubae mugire per aethera clangor.

and the Tyrrhenian clang of a trumpet roared through the ether.

Suspiciunt, iterum atque iterum fragor increpat ingens:

They look up; again and again a huge crash thunders:

arma inter nubem caeli regione serena

arms amid a cloud in a serene region of the sky

per sudum rutilare vident et pulsa tonare.

they see glowing red through the clear air and thundering when struck.

530

Obstipuere animis alii, sed Troius heros

The others were astounded in mind, but the Trojan hero

agnovit sonitum et divae promissa parentis.

recognized the sound and the promises of his divine parent.

Tum memorat: Ne vero, hospes, ne quaere profecto,

Then he spoke: “Indeed, my host, do not, do not ask what fortune these portents bring;

quem casum portenta ferant: ego poscor Olympo.

I am demanded by Olympus.

Hoc signum cecinit missuram diva creatrix,

The goddess who bore me prophesied that she would send this sign

535

si bellum ingrueret, Volcaniaque arma per auras

if war threatened, and would bring Vulcanian arms through the air

laturam auxilio.

for my aid.

Heu quantae miseris caedes Laurentibus instant;

Alas, how great a slaughter threatens the wretched Laurentines!

quas poenas mihi, Turne, dabis; quam multa sub undas

What penalties you will pay to me, Turnus! How many shields of heroes,

scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volves,

helmets, and brave bodies will you roll beneath your waves,

540

Thybri pater! Poscant acies et foedera rumpant.

father Tiber! Let them demand battles and break treaties.”

Haec ubi dicta dedit, solio se tollit ab alto

When he had given these words, he raised himself from his high throne,

et primum Herculeis sopitas ignibus aras

and first stirs the sleeping fires on the altars of Hercules,

excitat hesternumque larem parvosque penatis

and gladly approaches yesterday’s Lar and the small Penates;

laetus adit: mactant lectas de more bidentis

they sacrifice chosen sheep according to custom,

545

Euandrus pariter, pariter Troiana iuventus.

Evander alike, and alike the Trojan youth.

Post hinc ad navis graditur sociosque revisit.

After this, he walks to the ships and revisits his companions.

Quorum de numero qui sese in bella sequantur

From their number, he chooses those who are outstanding in courage

praestantis virtute legit; pars cetera prona

to follow him to the wars; the remaining part is carried down by the flowing

fertur aqua segnisque secundo defluit amni,

water and floats lazily down the favorable river,

550

nuntia ventura Ascanio rerumque patrisque.

to bring news to Ascanius of the events and of his father.

Dantur equi Teucris Tyrrhena petentibus arva;

Horses are given to the Teucrians seeking the Tyrrhenian fields;

ducunt exsortem Aeneae, quem fulva leonis

they lead a chosen horse for Aeneas, which a tawny lion’s

pellis obit totum, praefulgens unguibus aureis.

skin covers entirely, shining with golden claws.

Fama volat parvam subito volgata per urbem,

Suddenly a rumor flies, spread through the little city,

555

ocius ire equites Tyrrheni ad litora regis.

that horsemen are going swiftly to the shores of the Tyrrhenian king.

vota metu duplicant matres, propiusque periclo

Mothers double their vows through fear, and terror goes closer to danger,

it timor, et maior Martis iam apparet imago.

and the larger image of Mars now appears.

tum pater Evandrus dextram complexus euntis⁴

Then father Evander, grasping the right hand of the departing one,

haeret inexpletus lacrimans, ac talia fatur:

clings to him, weeping insatiably, and speaks such words:

560

O mihi praeteritos referat si Iuppiter annos,

”O if Jupiter would restore to me my past years,

(qualis eram, cum primam aciem Praeneste sub ipsa

such as I was when under the very walls of Praeneste I laid low

stravi scutorumque incendi victor acervos

the first battle-line, and as victor burned heaps of shields,

et regem hac Erulum dextra sub Tartara misi,

and with this right hand sent King Erulus down to Tartarus,

nascenti cui tris animas Feronia mater

to whom at birth his mother Feronia had given three lives

565

(horrendum dictu) dederat; terna arma movenda,

(dreadful to relate); three sets of armor to be wielded,

ter Leto sternendus erat; cui tunc tamen omnis

thrice had he to be laid low in death; yet from him then this right hand

abstulit haec animas dextra et totidem exuit armis:

took away all lives and stripped him of as many sets of armor:”

Syntax notes4 items

8.493defendier
An archaic passive present infinitive (equivalent to the classical 'defendi'). Virgil uses it either for metrical convenience or to lend an epic, archaic tone to the narrative.
8.507succedam
Present subjunctive. It is an indirect command clause introduced by 'mandat' (8.506) with the conjunction 'ut' omitted. The same applies to 'capessam.'
8.523ni signum caelo Cytherea dedisset
An irregular contrary-to-fact conditional sentence combining an imperfect indicative in the main clause ('putabant,' 8.522) with a pluperfect subjunctive ('dedisset') in the protasis. It vividly emphasizes the imminent state: 'they would have gone on thinking of hardships, had Venus not given the sign' (which interrupted their thoughts).
8.558euntis
Genitive singular of the present participle, meaning 'the departing one.' In this context, it refers to his son Pallas (or Aeneas and his army) departing for war, who is the object of Evander's tearful farewell.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:8.489-8.567