§8.160Tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore iuventas, §8.161mirabarque duces Teucros, mirabar et ipsum §8.162Laomedontiaden, sed cunctis altior ibat §8.163Anchises: mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore §8.164compellare virum et dextrae coniungere dextram.
Then first youth was clothing my cheeks with blossom, and I was wondering at the Trojan leaders, and wondering at the son of Laomedon himself, but taller than all walked Anchises: my mind burned with youthful desire to address the man and to join right hand to right hand.
§8.165Accessi et cupidus Phenei sub moenia duxi.
I approached and eagerly led him beneath the walls of Pheneus.
§8.166Ille mihi insignem pharetram Lyciasque sagittas §8.167discedens chlamydemque auro dedit intertextam §8.168frenaque bina meus quae nunc habet aurea Pallas.
He, departing, gave me a noble quiver and Lycian arrows, and a cloak interwoven with gold, and two golden bridles which my Pallas now possesses.
§8.169Ergo et quam petitis iuncta est mihi foedere dextra, §8.170et lux cum primum terris se crastina reddet, §8.171auxilio laetos dimittam opibusque iuvabo.
Therefore the right hand which you seek is already joined to me in league, and as soon as tomorrow's light returns to the earth, I will dismiss you glad with help and assist you with my resources.
§8.172Interea sacra haec, quando huc venistis amici, §8.173annua, quae differre nefas, celebrate faventes §8.174nobiscum et iam nunc sociorum adsuescite mensis. §8.175Haec ubi dicta, dapes iubet et sublata reponi §8.176pocula gramineoque viros locat ipse sedili §8.177praecipuumque toro et villosi pelle leonis §8.178accipit Aenean solioque invitat acerno.
Meanwhile, since you have come here as friends, celebrate with us these annual rites, which it is a sin to defer, with favorable minds, and even now accustom yourselves to the tables of your allies." When these words were spoken, he orders the feast and the removed cups to be replaced, and himself places the men on the grassy seat, and welcomes Aeneas as the chief guest on a couch spread with the shaggy hide of a lion, and invites him to a maple throne.
§8.179Tum lecti iuvenes certatim araeque sacerdos §8.180viscera tosta ferunt taurorum onerantque canistris §8.181dona laboratae Cereris Bacchumque ministrant.
Then chosen young men and the priest of the altar emulously bring the roasted entrails of bulls, and heap baskets with the gifts of laboured Ceres, and serve Bacchus.
Aeneas together with the Trojan youth feasts on the chine of an entire ox and the lustral entrails.
§8.184Postquam exempta fames et amor compressus edendi, §8.185rex Euandrus ait:
Non haec sollemnia nobis, §8.186has ex more dapes, hanc tanti numinis aram §8.187vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum §8.188inposuit: saevis, hospes Troiane, periclis §8.189servati facimus meritosque novamus honores.
After hunger was banished and the desire for eating stayed, king Evander says: "No idle superstition, ignorant of the ancient gods, has imposed on us these solemnities, this customary feast, this altar of so great a divinity: saved from cruel perils, O Trojan guest, we perform these rites and renew the well-deserved honors.
§8.190Iam primum saxis suspensam hanc aspice rupem, §8.191disiectae procul ut moles desertaque montis §8.192stat domus et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam.
Now first look at this cliff suspended on rocks, how the masses of stone are scattered far off, and the mountain dwelling stands deserted, and the crags have dragged down a mighty ruin.
§8.193Hic spelunca fuit, vasto summota recessu, §8.194semihominis Caci facies quam dira tenebat §8.195solis inaccessam radiis; semperque recenti §8.196caede tepebat humus, foribusque adfixa superbis §8.197ora virum tristi pendebant pallida tabo.
Here was a cave, withdrawn in a vast recess, which the dread form of the half-human Cacus occupied, inaccessible to the sun's rays; and the ground was always warm with fresh slaughter, and affixed to the proud doors hung the faces of men, pale with dismal decay.
Vulcan was the father of this monster: spewing his black fires from his mouth, he moved with his giant bulk.
Time at last brought to us also, in our longing, the aid and arrival of a god.
Nam maximus ultor, §8.202tergemini nece Geryonae spoliisque superbus §8.203Alcides aderat taurosque hac victor agebat §8.204ingentis, vallemque boves amnemque tenebant.
For the greatest avenger, Alcides, proud of the slaughter and spoils of triple Geryon, was present, and as a victor drove his huge bulls this way, and the cattle occupied the valley and the river.
§8.205At furiis Caci mens effera, nequid inausum §8.206aut intractatum scelerisve dolive fuisset, §8.207quattuor a stabulis praestanti corpore tauros §8.208avertit, totidem forma superante iuvencas; §8.209atque hos, nequa forent pedibus vestigia rectis, §8.210cauda in speluncam tractos versisque viarum §8.211indiciis raptos saxo occultabat opaco: §8.212quaerenti nulla ad speluncam signa ferebant.
But the savage mind of Cacus, driven by frenzy, lest any crime or deceit should remain unattempted or unpractised, stole four outstanding bulls from the stalls, and as many heifers of surpassing beauty; dragged by their tails into the cave, and with the path's signs reversed, he hid the stolen beasts in the dark rock: he hid the stolen beasts in the dark rock: to one searching, no signs led toward the cave.
§8.213Interea, cum iam stabulis saturata moveret §8.214Amphytrioniades armenta abitumque pararet, §8.215discessu mugire boves atque omne querelis §8.216impleri nemus et colles clamore relinqui.
Meanwhile, when the son of Amphitryon was now moving the well-fed herds from the stalls and preparing his departure, the cattle began to bellow at their departure, and all the grove was filled with complaints, and the hills were left behind with clamor.
One of the cows returned the sound, and bellowed deep under the vast cave, and, though guarded, frustrated the hope of Cacus.
§8.219Hic vero Alcidae furiis exarserat atro §8.220felle dolor: rapit arma manu nodisque gravatum §8.221robur et aerii cursu petit ardua montis.
Here indeed grief blazed up with black bile in Alcides' furious mind: he snatches his weapons in his hand and his oak club heavy with knots, and seeks the heights of the airy mountain at a run.
§8.222Tum primum nostri Cacum videre timentem §8.223turbatumque oculis: fugit ilicet ocior Euro §8.224speluncamque petit, pedibus timor addidit alas.
Then for the first time our people saw Cacus afraid and troubled in his eyes: he flees immediately swifter than the East wind and seeks the cave; fear added wings to his feet.
§8.225Ut sese inclusit ruptisque immane catenis §8.226deiecit saxum, ferro quod et arte paterna §8.227pendebat, fultosque emuniit obice postis, §8.228ecce furens animis aderat Tirynthius omnemque §8.229accessum lustrans huc ora ferebat et illuc, §8.230dentibus infrendens.
When he shut himself in, and having broken the chains dropped the huge stone, which hung by iron and his father's art, and fortified the supported posts with the barrier, lo, the Tirynthian was present, raging in mind, and scanning every approach, turned his face this way and that, gnashing his teeth.
Ter totum fervidus ira §8.231lustrat Aventini montem, ter saxea temptat §8.232limina nequiquam, ter fessus valle resedit.
Three times, burning with anger, he traverses all the Aventine hill, three times he tries the stone portals in vain, three times he sat down weary in the valley.
§8.233Stabat acuta silex, praecisis undique saxis §8.234speluncae dorso insurgens, altissima visu, §8.235dirarum nidis domus opportuna volucrum.
There stood a sharp flint rock, cut sheer on all sides, rising above the ridge of the cave, very high to see, a fit home for the nests of dread birds of prey.
§8.236Hanc, ut prona iugo laevum incumbebat in amnem, §8.237dexter in adversum nitens concussit et imis §8.238avolsam solvit radicibus; inde repente §8.239inpulit, inpulsu quo maximus intonat aether §8.240dissultant ripae refluitque exterritus amnis.
This rock, as it leaned from the ridge to the left toward the river, he, straining against it from the right, shook, and wrenched it free from its deepest roots; then suddenly he pushed it; with that push the mighty ether thunders, the banks leap apart and the terrified river flows backward.
§8.241At specus et Caci detecta apparuit ingens §8.242regia, et umbrosae penitus patuere cavernae: §8.243non secus ac siqua penitus vi terra dehiscens
But the cavern and the huge palace of Cacus appeared uncovered, and the shadowy recesses lay open deep within: not otherwise than if the earth, gaping deep with some force...