Section B: Lines 384-416

ergo iter inceptum peragunt fluvioque propinquant

Therefore, they completed the journey which they had begun and approached the river

navita quos iam inde ut Stygia prospexit ab unda

When the sailor, right from where he was, from the Stygian water, caught sight of them

per tacitum nemus ire

going through the silent grove

pedemque advertere ripae

and turning their feet towards the riverbank

sic prior adgreditur dictis atque increpat ultro

he accosted them first with his words and thus rebuked them as well:

quisquis es, armatus qui nostra ad flumina tendis,

‘Whoever you are, who, armed, make your way to our rivers

fare age, quid venias, iam istinc

come, say this instant, from there, why you are coming,

et comprime gressum

and halt your footsteps

umbrarum hic locus est

This is the region of the shades

somni noctisque soporae

of sleep and drowsy night

corpora viva nefas Stygia vectare carina

It is a sin to carry living bodies in the Stygian boat

nec vero Alciden me sum laetatus euntem accepisse lacu

Indeed I was not happy that I accepted either Hercules going on the lake

nec Thesea Pirithoumque

or Theseus and Pirithous

dis quamquam geniti

although they were descended from gods

atque invicti viribus essent

and unconquered in strength

Tartareum ille manu custodem in vincla petivit

The former sought forcibly to put the guard of the Underworld in chains

traxitque trementem ipsius a solio regis

and dragged him quivering from the throne of the king himself

hi dominam Ditis thalamo deducere adorti

the latter attempted to take away the wife of Pluto from her bedchamber.’

quae contra breviter fata est Amphrysia vates

In reply to these words, the Amphrysian prophetess spoke briefly:

nullae hic insidiae tales

There is no such treachery here,

(absiste moveri)

(stop being alarmed)

nec vim tela ferunt

nor do the weapons bring violence.

licet ingens ianitor antro aeternum latrans

The huge doorkeeper barking eternally in the cave is allowed

exsangues terreat umbras

to terrify the bloodless shades,

casta licet patrui servet Proserpina limen

and Prosepina may keep safe the threshold of her uncle undefiled.

Troius Aeneas, pietate insignis et armis

The Trojan Aeneas, outstanding for his devotion to duty and feats of arms,

imas Erebi descendit ad umbras

is coming down to the lowest shades of the Underworld

ad genitorem

to see his father

si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago

If no thought of such great devotion moves you,

at ramum hunc…agnoscas

well, you should recognise this branch’

(aperit ramum qui veste latebat)

(and she reveals the branch which lay hidden in her garment)

tumida ex ira tum corda residunt

Then his swelling heart settled down after his anger;

nec plura his

No more words were said than these.

ille admirans venerabile donum

Charon, wondering at the venerable gift

fatalis virgae

of the fateful branch,

longo post tempore visum

seen after a long time,

caeruleam advertit puppim

turned his dark blue boat

ripaeque propinquat

and approached the riverbank.

inde alias animas ... deturbat

Then he drove out the other spirits,

quae per iuga longa sedebant

which were sitting throughout the long benches,

laxatque foros

and he opened the gangways,

simul accipit alveo ingentem Aenean

at the same time, he took huge Aeneas in the small boat.

gemuit sub pondere cumba sutilis

The boat, sewn together, groaned under the weight,

et multam accepit rimosa paludem

and, full of cracks, took in a lot of marshy water.

tandem trans fluvium

Finally across the river,

incolumes vatemque virumque...exponit

Charon landed both the priestess and the hero unharmed

informi limo glaucaque...in ulva

in the shapeless slime and grey sludge.