§8.81Ecce autem subitum atque oculis mirabile monstrum; §8.82candida per silvam cum fetu concolor albo §8.83procubuit viridique in litore conspicitur sus.
But lo, a sudden wonder and marvelous to the eyes; a white sow, of one color with her white offspring, lay through the wood and was seen on the green bank.
§8.84Quam pius Aeneas tibi enim, tibi, maxuma Iuno, §8.85mactat sacra ferens et cum grege sistit ad aram.
To you indeed, to you, greatest Juno, pious Aeneas slays her, offering sacrifice, and sets her with her herd at the altar.
§8.86Thybris ea fluvium, quam longa est, nocte tumentem §8.87leniit, et tacita refluens ita substitit unda, §8.88mitis ut in morem stagni placidaeque paludis §8.89sterneret aequor aquis, remo ut luctamen abesset.
Tiber, during all that night, as long as it was, calmed his swelling stream, and flowing back with silent wave stood so still that, in the manner of a gentle pool or quiet marsh, he smoothed his surface with his waters, so that struggle might be absent from the oar.
§8.90Ergo iter inceptum celerant rumore secundo; §8.91labitur uncta vadis abies; mirantur et undae, §8.92miratur nemus insuetum fulgentia longe §8.93scuta virum fluvio pictasque innare carinas.
Therefore they hasten their begun journey with encouraging acclaim; the well-pitched pine slides through the shallows; the waves wonder, the unaccustomed grove wonders to see the far-gleaming shields of the men floating on the river, and the painted hulls.
§8.94Olli remigio noctemque diemque fatigant §8.95et longos superant flexus variisque teguntur §8.96arboribus viridisque secant placido aequore silvas.
They weary the night and the day with rowing, and overcome the long bends, and are covered by various trees, and cut the green woods on the calm surface.
§8.97Sol medium caeli conscenderat igneus orbem, §8.98cum muros arcemque procul ac rara domorum §8.99tecta vident, quae nunc Romana potentia caelo §8.100aequavit, tum res inopes Euandrus habebat: §8.101ocius advertunt proras urbique propinquant.
The fiery sun had climbed the middle circle of heaven, when they see far off walls and a citadel and scattered roofs of houses, which now Roman power has made equal to heaven, but then Evander held as a poor estate: swiftly they turn their prows and draw near the city.
§8.102Forte die sollemnem illo rex Arcas honorem §8.103Amphitryoniadae magno divisque ferebat §8.104ante urbem in luco.
By chance on that day the Arcadian king was offering solemn annual honor to the great son of Amphitryon (Hercules) and to the gods before the city in a grove.
Pallas huic filius una, §8.105una omnes iuvenum primi pauperque senatus §8.106tura dabant, tepidusque cruor fumabat ad aras.
Pallas his son was with him, with him all the chief of the young men and the poor senate were offering incense, and warm blood was smoking at the altars.
§8.107Ut celsas videre rates atque inter opacum §8.108adlabi nemus et tacitis incumbere remis, §8.109terrentur visu subito cunctique relictis §8.110consurgunt mensis.
When they saw the tall ships, and that they were gliding in among the shady grove and leaning on silent oars, they are terrified by the sudden sight and, leaving their tables, all rise up.
Audax quos rumpere Pallas §8.111sacra vetat raptoque volat telo obvius ipse §8.112et procul e tumulo:
Iuvenes, quae causa subegit
Bold Pallas forbids them to break off the sacred rites, and snatching up a weapon flies himself to meet them, and from a mound far off cries: "Young men, what cause has driven you to tempt unknown ways?
§8.113ignotas temptare vias, quo tenditis?
inquit.
Whither do you hold your course?" he said.
§8.114Qui genus? Unde domo? Pacemne huc fertis an arma? §8.115Tum pater Aeneas puppi sic fatur ab alta §8.116paciferaeque manu ramum praetendit olivae: §8.117Troiugenas ac tela vides inimica Latinis, §8.118quos illi bello profugos egere superbo.
"Who are you by race? From what home? Do you bring peace here, or arms?" Then father Aeneas speaks thus from the high stern, and extends a branch of peaceful olive in his hand: "You see sons of Troy and weapons hostile to the Latins, whom they have driven out as fugitives by a proud war.
§8.119Euandrum petimus.
We seek Evander.
Ferte haec et dicite lectos §8.120Dardaniae venisse duces socia arma rogantis. §8.121Obstipuit tanto percussus nomine Pallas: §8.122Egredere o quicumque es
ait
coramque parentem §8.123adloquere ac nostris succede penatibus hospes. §8.124excepitque manu dextramque amplexus inhaesit.
Carry this message and say that chosen leaders of Dardania have come, asking for allied arms." Pallas, struck by so great a name, was amazed: "Come forth, whoever you are," he says, "and speak to my parent face to face, and enter our home as a guest." And he welcomed him with his hand, and grasping his right hand clung to it.
§8.125Progressi subeunt luco fluviumque relinquunt.
Advancing, they enter the grove and leave the river.
§8.126Tum regem Aeneas dictis adfatur amicis: §8.127Optume Graiugenum, cui me Fortuna precari §8.128et vitta comptos voluit praetendere ramos, §8.129non equidem extimui, Danaum quod ductor et Arcas §8.130quodque a stirpe fores geminis coniunctus Atridis; §8.131sed mea me virtus et sancta oracula divom §8.132cognatique patres, tua terris didita fama, §8.133coniunxere tibi et fatis egere volentem.
Then Aeneas addresses the king with friendly words: "O best of the sons of Greece, to whom Fortune willed me to pray and to extend branches adorned with ribbons, I indeed did not fear because you were a leader of the Danaans and an Arcadian, and because you were joined by ancestry to the twin sons of Atreus; but my own worth, and the holy oracles of the gods, and our kindred fathers, and your fame spread through the lands, have joined me to you and driven me by the fates as one willing.
§8.134Dardanus, Iliacae primus pater urbis et auctor, §8.135Electra, ut Grai perhibent, Atlantide cretus, §8.136advehitur Teucros; Electram maxumus Atlas §8.137edidit, aetherios umero qui sustinet orbes
Dardanus, the first father and founder of the Iliac city, sprung from Electra, daughter of Atlas, as the Greeks relate, sails to the Trojans; mightiest Atlas begot Electra, he who supports the celestial spheres on his shoulder.
§8.138vobis Mercurius pater est, quem candida Maia §8.139Cyllenae gelido conceptum vertice fudit; §8.140at Maiam, auditis si quicquam credimus, Atlas, §8.141idem Atlas generat, caeli qui sidera tollit.
To you, Mercury is father, whom fair Maia conceived and brought forth on the cold summit of Cyllene; but Maia, if we believe at all in what we have heard, Atlas, the same Atlas begot, who raises the stars of heaven.
§8.142Sic genus amborum scindit se sanguine ab uno.
Thus the lineage of both branches off from one blood.
§8.143His fretus non legatos neque prima per artem §8.144temptamenta tui pepigi: me, me ipse meumque §8.145obieci caput et supplex ad limina veni.
Relying on these things, I did not arrange embassies nor first attempts of you through artifice: myself, I have exposed myself and my own head, and have come as a suppliant to your threshold.
§8.146Gens eadem, quae te, crudeli Daunia bello §8.147insequitur; nos si pellant, nihil afore credunt, §8.148quin omnem Hesperiam penitus sua sub iuga mittant §8.149et mare quod supra teneant quodque adluit infra.
The same Daunian nation that pursues you with cruel war pursues us; if they drive us out, they believe nothing will prevent them from sending all Hesperia utterly under their yoke, and holding the sea which is above and that which washes it below.
§8.150Accipe daque fidem: sunt nobis fortia bello §8.151pectora, sunt animi et rebus spectata iuventus. §8.152Dixerat Aeneas.
Receive and give faith: we have hearts strong in war, we have courage, and youth tried in action." Aeneas had spoken.
Ille os oculosque loquentis §8.153iamdudum et totum lustrabat lumine corpus.
He had long been scanning the face and eyes of the speaker, and his whole body with his gaze.
§8.154Tum sic pauca refert:
Ut te, fortissime Teucrum, §8.155accipio agnoscoque libens! Ut verba parentis
Then he briefly replies thus: "How gladly, bravest of the Trojans, I receive and recognize you!
§8.156et vocem Anchisae magni voltumque recordor!
How I recall the words of your parent, the voice and face of great Anchises!