§5.475et mihi quae fuerint iuvenali in corpore vires, §5.476et qua servetis revocatum a morte Dareta. §5.477Dixit, et adversi contra stetit ora iuvenci, §5.478qui donum adstabat pugnae, durosque reducta §5.479libravit dextra media inter cornua caestus, §5.480arduus, effractoque inlisit in ossa cerebro.
"And know what strength was mine in my youthful body, and from what strength you protect Dares, whom you have recalled from death." He spoke, and stood opposite the face of the facing bull, which was standing near as the prize of the fight, and pulling back his right hand, he poised the hard gauntlets midway between the horns, rising high, and dashed them into the bones, fracturing the skull.
§5.481sternitur exanimisque tremens procumbit humi bos.
The bull is stretched out, and falls trembling and lifeless to the ground.
§5.482Ille super tales effundit pectore voces: §5.483Hanc tibi, Eryx, meliorem animam pro morte Daretis §5.484persolvo; hic victor caestus artemque repono. §5.485Protinus Aeneas celeri certare sagitta §5.486invitat qui forte velint, et praemia ponit, §5.487ingentique manu malum de nave Seresti §5.488erigit, et volucrem traiecto in fune columbam, §5.489quo tendant ferrum, malo suspendit ab alto.
He over it pours forth such words from his breast: "This better life, Eryx, I pay to you instead of Dares' death; here, a victor, I lay down my gauntlets and my art." Straightway Aeneas invites those who perchance may wish to contend with swift arrows, and sets forth the prizes, and with his mighty hand erects a mast from the ship of Serestus, and on a cord passed through it, a winged dove, at which they should aim their iron, he suspends from the high mast.
§5.490Convenere viri, deiectamque aerea sortem §5.491accepit galea; et primus clamore secundo §5.492Hyrtacidae ante omnes exit locus Hippocoöntis; §5.493quem modo navali Mnestheus certamine victor §5.494consequitur, viridi Mnestheus evinctus oliva.
The men assembled, and a bronze helmet received the cast lots; and first, with favorable shouting, before all, the lot of Hippocoon, son of Hyrtacus, comes forth; whom Mnestheus follows, just now victor in the naval contest, Mnestheus bound with green olive.
§5.495Tertius Eurytion, tuus, o clarissime, frater, §5.496Pandare, qui quondam, iussus confundere foedus, §5.497in medios telum torsisti primus Achivos.
Third is Eurytion, your brother, O most famous Pandarus, who once, commanded to break the treaty, first hurled a weapon into the midst of the Achivi.
Last, and at the bottom of the helmet, settled Acestes, having dared even himself to attempt the task of youth with his hand.
§5.500Tum validis flexos incurvant viribus arcus §5.501pro se quisque viri, et depromunt tela pharetris.
Then with powerful strength they bend their curved bows, each man for himself, and draw arrows from their quivers.
§5.502Primaque per caelum, nervo stridente, sagitta §5.503Hyrtacidae iuvenis volucres diverberat auras; §5.504et venit, adversique infigitur arbore mali.
And first through the sky, with whizzing string, the arrow of the young son of Hyrtacus cleaves the winged air; and it comes, and is fixed in the wood of the opposite mast.
The mast trembled, and the bird, terrified, fluttered its wings in fear, and all places resounded with immense applause.
§5.507Post acer Mnestheus adducto constitit arcu, §5.508alta petens, pariterque oculos telumque tetendit.
Next, eager Mnestheus stood with drawn bow, aiming high, and directed eyes and weapon alike.
§5.509Ast ipsam miserandus avem contingere ferro §5.510non valuit: nodos et vincula linea rupit, §5.511quis innexa pedem malo pendebat ab alto:
But, pitiable, he was not able to touch the bird itself with his iron; he broke the knots and linen bonds with which, tied by its foot, it hung from the high mast.
§5.512illa notos atque alta volans in nubila fugit.
She fled, flying into the south winds and deep clouds.
§5.513Tum rapidus, iamdudum arcu contenta parato §5.514tela tenens, fratrem Eurytion in Pota vocavit, §5.515iam vacuo laetam caelo speculatus, et alis §5.516plaudentem nigra figit sub nube columbam.
Then swift, holding the arrows long since aimed on his ready bow, Eurytion called upon his brother in his vows, having already watched the dove rejoicing in the empty sky, and transfixes her as she claps her wings under a dark cloud.
§5.517Decidit exanimis, vitamque reliquit in astris §5.518aetheriis, fixamque refert delapsa sagittam.
She fell lifeless, and left her life among the etherial stars, and falling back, brings back the arrow fixed in her.
§5.519Amissa solus palma superabat Acestes; §5.520qui tamen aerias telum contendit in auras, §5.521ostentans artemque pater arcumque sonantem.
Acestes alone remained, the prize being lost; who nevertheless shot his weapon into the airy breezes, the father displaying his art and his sounding bow.
§5.522Hic oculis subito obicitur magnoque futurum §5.523augurio monstrum; docuit post exitus ingens, §5.524seraque terrifici cecinerunt omina vates.
Here suddenly is presented to their eyes a marvel, destined to be of great augury; the great outcome afterwards taught it, and terrifying prophets sang the late omens.
§5.525Namque volans liquidis in nubibus arsit harundo, §5.526signavitque viam flammis, tenuisque recessit §5.527consumpta in ventos, caelo ceu saepe refixa §5.528transcurrunt crinemque volantia sidera ducunt.
For, flying in the liquid clouds, the reed caught fire, and marked its path with flames, and vanished, thin, consumed into the winds, just as often shooting stars, detached from heaven, run across and draw a trail of hair as they fly.
§5.529Attonitis haesere animis, superosque precati §5.530Trinacrii Teucrique viri; nec maximus omen §5.531abnuit Aeneas; sed laetum amplexus Acesten §5.532muneribus cumulat magnis, ac talia fatur: §5.533Sume, pater; nam te voluit rex magnus Olympi §5.534talibus auspiciis exsortem ducere honores.
Suspended with astonished minds, both the Sicilian and Trojan men prayed to the gods above; nor did greatest Aeneas refuse the omen, but embracing joyful Acestes, loads him with great gifts, and speaks thus: "Take these, father; for the great king of Olympus has willed by such auspices that you, outside the lot, should receive honors.
§5.535Ipsius Anchisae longaevi hoc munus habebis, §5.536cratera impressum signis, quem Thracius olim §5.537Anchisae genitori in magno munere Cisseus §5.538ferre sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris. §5.539Sic fatus cingit viridanti tempora lauro, §5.540et primum ante omnes victorem appellat Acesten.
You shall have this gift of the long-lived Anchises himself, a mixing-bowl embossed with figures, which Thracian Cisseus once had given to my father Anchises as a great gift, to bear as a monument of himself and a pledge of love." Thus having spoken, he binds his temples with green laurel, and declares Acestes victor first before all.
Nor did good Eurytion grudge the preferred honor, although he alone brought down the bird from the high sky.
§5.543Proximus ingreditur donis, qui vincula rupit; §5.544extremus, volucri qui fixit arundine malum.
Next he enters into the gifts who broke the bonds; last, he who transfixed the mast with his swift shaft.
§5.545At pater Aeneas, nondum certamine misso, §5.546custodem ad sese comitemque impubis Iuli §5.547Epytiden vocat, et fidam sic fatur ad aurem: §5.548Vade age, et Ascanio, si iam puerile paratum §5.549agmen habet secum, cursusque instruxit equorum, §5.550ducat avo turmas, et sese ostendat in armis, §5.551dic
ait.
But father Aeneas, the contest not yet being dismissed, calls to himself the guardian and companion of youthful Iulus, the son of Epytus, and thus speaks to his trusty ear: "Go, quick, and tell Ascanius, if he now has the boyish troop ready with him, and has arranged the courses of the horses, to lead his squadrons for his grandfather, and show himself in arms, speak," says he.
Ipse omnem longo decedere circo §5.552infusum populum, et campos iubet esse patentes.
He himself orders all the crowd poured into the long circus to withdraw, and the fields to be open.
§5.553Incedunt pueri, pariterque ante ora parentum §5.554frenatis lucent in equis, quos omnis euntes §5.555Trinacriae mirata fremit Troiaeque iuventus.
The boys advance, and equally before the eyes of their parents shine on their bridled horses; whom, as they go, all the youth of Sicily and Troy admire and cheer.