Lines 105-121: Eurypylus consults the oracle ✅

tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas,              

Then indeed we were burning to ask and to search for the reasons,

ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae.

unaware of such great wicked deeds and of the Pelasgian skill.

prosequitur pavitans et ficto pectore fatur:

He continued, trembling, and spoke from his false heart:

'saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiere relicta

‘Often the Greeks desired to leave Troy and accomplish a retreat

moliri et longo fessi discedere bello;

and to depart, exhausted by a long war;

fecissentque utinam! saepe illos aspera ponti  

and if only they had done it! Often a rough sea storm

interclusit hiems et terruit Auster euntes.

cut them off and the South Wind terrified them going as they were going.

praecipue cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis

Particularly when this horse, woven with beams of maple wood

staret equus, toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi.

was already standing, clouds resounded in the whole sky.

suspensi Eurypylum scitatum oracula Phoebi

Uncertain, we sent Eurypylus seeking to learn from the oracle of Phoebus

mittimus, isque adytis haec tristia dicta reportat:             

and he reported these sad words from the inner sanctum:

'sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa,

‘You placated the winds with the blood of a slaughtered maiden,

cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras;

when you Greeks first came to the Trojan shores;

sanguine quaerendi reditus animaque litandum

with blood a return must be sought and favourable omens must be obtained

Argolica.’/ vulgi quae vox ut venit ad aures,

with a Greek life.’ When this speech came to the ears of the crowd,

obstipuere animi gelidusque per ima cucurrit / ossa tremor,    

their minds were stunned and an icy tremor ran through their innermost bones,

cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo.

for whom are the fates preparing, whom does Apollo demand.