§7.568Hic specus horrendum et saevi spiracula Ditis §7.569monstrantur, ruptoque ingens Acheronte vorago §7.570pestiferas aperit fauces, quis condita Erinys, §7.571invisum numen, terras caelumque levabat.
Here a dreadful cave and the breathing-holes of cruel Dis are shown, and a huge gulf, from the burst Acheron, opens its pestilential jaws, in which concealed, the Fury, a hated divinity, was relieving the lands and the sky.
No less meanwhile did the Saturnian queen put her final hand to the war.
Ruit omnis in urbem §7.574pastorum ex acie numerus caesosque reportant §7.575Almonem puerum foedatique ora Galaesi §7.576implorantque deos obtestanturque Latinum.
All the number of shepherds rushes from the battle line into the city, and they bring back the slain, the boy Almo, and the defiled face of Galaesus, and they implore the gods and call upon Latinus.
§7.577Turnus adest medioque in crimine caedis et igni §7.578terrorem ingeminat: Teucros in regna vocari, §7.579stirpem admisceri Phrygiam, se limine pelli.
Turnus is present, and in the midst of the charge of slaughter and the fire he redoubles the terror: that Trojans are called into the kingdoms, that a Phrygian stock is being mixed in, and that he is being driven from the threshold.
§7.580Tum quorum attonitae Baccho nemora avia matres §7.581insultant thiasis (neque enim leve nomen Amatae), §7.582undique collecti coeunt Martemque fatigant.
Then, those whose mothers, maddened by Bacchus, leap in wild dances through pathless woods (for the name of Amata is of no light weight), gather from all sides, meet together, and weary Mars.
§7.583Ilicet infandum cuncti contra omina bellum, §7.584contra fata deum perverso numine poscunt, §7.585certatim regis circumstant tecta Latini.
Immediately they all, against the omens, against the fates of the gods, demand an unspeakable war with a perverse divine power; eagerly they stand around the palace of king Latinus.
§7.586Ille velut pelagi rupes immota resistit, §7.587ut pelagi rupes magno veniente fragore, §7.588quae sese multis circum latrantibus undis §7.589mole tenet; scopuli nequiquam et spumea circum §7.590saxa fremunt laterique inlisa refunditur alga.
He, like an unmoved rock of the sea, resists— like a rock of the sea when a great crash comes, which holds itself by its mass while many waves bark around; in vain the cliffs and foamy rocks resound around it, and the seaweed dashed against its side is thrown back.
§7.591Verum ubi nulla datur caecum exsuperare potestas §7.592consilium et saevae nutu Iunonis eunt res, §7.593multa deos aurasque pater testatus inanis: §7.594Frangimur heu fatis,
inquit,
ferimurque procella!
But when no power is given to overcome the blind counsel, and affairs go by the nod of cruel Juno, the father, having called many times upon the gods and empty air as witnesses: 'Alas, we are broken by the fates,' he says, 'and carried away by the storm!
You yourselves will pay these penalties with sacrilegious blood, O wretched ones.
Te, Turne, nefas, te triste manebit §7.597supplicium, votisque deos venerabere seris.
You, Turnus, your crime, you a sad punishment will await, and too late you will worship the gods with vows.
§7.598Nam mihi parta quies, omnisque in limine portus; §7.599funere felici spolior. Nec plura locutus §7.600saepsit se tectis rerumque reliquit habenas.
For to me rest is won, and all my port is at the threshold; I am only deprived of a happy death.' Having spoken no more, he shut himself in his palace and left the reins of state.
§7.601Mos erat Hesperio in Latio, quem protinus urbes §7.602Albanae coluere sacrum nunc maxima rerum §7.603Roma colit, cum prima movent in proelia Martem, §7.604sive Getis inferre manu lacrimabile bellum §7.605Hyrcanisve Arabisve parant seu tendere ad Indos §7.606Auroramque sequi Parthosque reposcere signa.
There was a sacred custom in Hesperian Latium, which continuously the cities of Alba cherished as sacred, and now Rome, greatest of things, cherishes, when they first stir Mars into battle, whether they prepare to bring tearful war by hand to the Getae, or to the Hyrcanians or Arabs, or to stretch towards the Indians, and follow the Dawn, and demand back their standards from the Parthians.
§7.607Sunt geminae belli portae (sic nomine dicunt) §7.608religione sacrae et saevi formidine Martis; §7.609centum aerei claudunt vectes aeternaque ferri §7.610robora, nec custos absistit limine Ianus:
There are twin gates of war (so they call them by name), sacred by religion and by the dread of cruel Mars; a hundred bronze bolts close them and the eternal strength of iron protects them, nor does Janus the guardian depart from the threshold.
§7.611has, ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae, §7.612ipse Quirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino §7.613insignis reserat stridentia limina consul, §7.614ipse vocat pugnas; sequitur tum cetera pubes, §7.615aereaque adsensu conspirant cornua rauco.
These, when the certain determination of battle is settled by the fathers, the consul himself, distinguished in the Quirinal trabea and the Gabine cincture, unlocks the creaking thresholds; he himself summons the battles; then the rest of the youth follows, and the bronze horns blow together with a hoarse assent.
By this custom Latinus also then was ordered to declare war on the Aeneadae and to open the sad gates.
The father abstained from the touch, and turning away, fled the foul service and hid himself in blind shadows.
§7.620Tum regina deum caelo delapsa morantis §7.621impulit ipsa manu portas, et cardine verso §7.622belli ferratos rumpit Saturnia postes.
Then the queen of the gods, gliding down from heaven, herself pushed the lingering gates with her hand, and turning the hinge, the Saturnian daughter burst open the iron-bound posts of war.
§7.623Ardet inexcita Ausonia atque immobilis ante; §7.624Pars pedes ire parat campis, pars arduus altis §7.625pulverulentus equis furit; omnes arma requirunt.
Ausonia, previously unstirred and motionless, burns; Part prepares to go on foot through the plains, part, high on lofty horses, dusty, rages; all seek weapons.
§7.626Pars levis clipeos et spicula lucida tergent §7.627arvina pingui subiguntque in cote secures; §7.628signaque ferre iuvat sonitusque audire tubarum.
Part polish smooth shields and bright spears with thick grease, and sharpen axes on the whetstone; and they rejoice to bear the standards and hear the sounds of trumpets.
§7.629Quinque adeo magnae positis incudibus urbes §7.630tela novant, Atina potens Tiburque superbum, §7.631Ardea Crustumerique et turrigerae Antemnae.
Indeed, five great cities, setting up their anvils, forge new weapons: powerful Atina and proud Tibur, Ardea and the Crustumerians and tower-bearing Antemnae.
§7.632Tegmina tuta cavant capitum flectuntque salignas §7.633umbonum cratis; alii thoracas aenos §7.634aut levis ocreas lento ducunt argento; §7.635vomeris huc et falcis honos, huc omnis aratri §7.636cessit amor; recoquunt patrios fornacibus enses.
They hollow out safe coverings for their heads and bend the willow frames of shields; others beat out bronze breastplates or smooth greaves from ductile silver; to this the honor of the plowshare and sickle, to this all love of the plow has yielded; they re-forge their ancestral swords in the furnaces.
§7.637Classica iamque sonant; it bello tessera signum.
And now the trumpets sound; the watchword goes as a signal for war.
§7.638Hic galeam tectis trepidus rapit, ille frementis §7.639ad iuga cogit equos clipeumque auroque trilicem §7.640loricam induitur fidoque accingitur ense.
Here, one in trembling haste snatches a helmet from his house; another forces his neighing horses to the yoke, and puts on his shield and his triple-woven corselet with gold, and girds on his faithful sword.
§7.641Pandite nunc Helicona, deae, cantusque movete, §7.642qui bello exciti reges, quae quemque secutae §7.643complerint campos acies, quibus Itala iam tum §7.644floruerit terra alma viris, quibus arserit armis.
Open now Helicon, goddesses, and stir up songs: what kings were aroused to war, what forces following each filled the plains, with what men even then the nurturing Italian land flourished, and with what weapons it burned.
§7.645Et meministis enim, divae, et memorare potestis: §7.646ad nos vix tenuis famae perlabitur aura.
For you remember, divinities, and you can relate: to us scarcely does a thin breath of fame glide down.
First enters the war from the Tyrrhenian shores, fierce Mezentius, scorner of the gods, and arms his columns.
§7.649Filius huic iuxta Lausus, quo pulchrior alter §7.650non fuit excepto Laurentis corpore Turni, §7.651Lausus, equum domitor debellatorque ferarum,
Beside him is his son Lausus, than whom no other was more beautiful, except for the body of Laurentine Turnus; Lausus, tamer of horses and conqueror of wild beasts.