Aeneid II A1 translation

Primus ibi ante omnes magna comitante caterva 

Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce, 

et procul ‘o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives? 

There, before everyone else,

Laocoon was the first to run down from the highest citadel, eagerly, with a huge crowd accompanying him,

and from far away (he shouted), ‘O wretched citizens, what such great madness is this?’

creditis avectos hostes? aut ulla putatis 

dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Ulixes? 

aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi, 

aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros, 

inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi, 

Do you believe that the enemy has sailed away? Do you think that any

gifts of the Greeks lack tricks? Is Ulysses known to you like this?

Either the Greeks are hidden, enclosed by this wood,

or this machine has been constructed for use against our walls

to look into our homes and to come down from above into the city,

aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri. 

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. 

sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam  

or some trick lies hidden; don’t trust the horse, Trojans.

Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts.’

Having spoken in this way, he hurled a huge spear with powerful strength

in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum 

contorsit. Stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso 

insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae. 

into the side and into the jointed curving belly of the beast.

It stuck there quivering, and when the belly was struck,

the hollow space resounded and gave a groan.

et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset, 

impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras, 

Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres. 

And, if the utterances of the gods, if our thinking had not been unfavourable,

he would have driven us to defile the Greek hiding places with the sword,

and Troy would now be standing, and you the highest citadel of Priam would remain.

Ecce, manus iuevem interea post terga revinctum 

pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant 

Dardanidae, qui se ignotum venientibus ultro, 

hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiamque aperiret Achivis, 

obtulerat, fidens animi atque in ultrumque paratus, 

seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti. 

Look, Trojan shepherds meanwhile with lots of shouting,

were dragging a young man who had his hands tied behind his back, to the king.

He had presented himself, a stranger, of his own accord to them,

as they were coming, to accomplish this very thing and to open Troy to the Greeks,

confident in his mind and prepared for either event, whether to accomplish his deceit or to meet with certain death.

undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus 

circumfasa ruit certanque inludere capto.  

accipe nunc Danaum insidias et crimine ab uno 

disce omnes. 

From all sides the Trojan youth rushed,

pouring round in their desire to see and they competed to make fun of the captive.

Listen now to the treachery of the Greeks and learn all about them from the crime of one man.

namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus, inermis 

 constitit atque oculis Phyrgia agmina circumspexit, 

‘heu, quae nunc tellus,’ inquit, ‘quae me aequora possunt 

accipere? aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat, 

For when he stood in the middle of their sight, jostled, unarmed

and looked around the Trojan ranks with his eyes,

‘Alas’, he said, ‘which land now, which sea can welcome me?

Or what now remains finally for my wretched self,

cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus, et super ipsi 

 Dardanidae infensi poenas cum sanguine poscunt?’ 

 quo gemitu conversi animi compressus et omnis  

 impetus. hortamur fari quo sanguine cretus, 

for whom there is no place anywhere among the Greeks, and above all

the hostile Trojans themselves are demanding punishment with blood?’

With this groan, our minds were changed and all hostility was repressed.

We encouraged him to say what bloodline he was descended from,

quidve ferat; memoret quae sit fiducia capto. 

 [ille haec deposita tandem formidine fatur] 

 ‘Cuncta equidem tibi, rex, fuerit quodcumque, fatebor 

 vera,’ inquit; ‘neque me Argolica de gente negabo. 

And what news he brought; he should tell what hope he could rely on as a captive.

[Finally with his terror laid aside he told us these things]

‘O king, I will certainly confess the whole truth to you, whatever may happen.’

He said, ‘Nor will I deny that I am of the Greek race.

hoc primum; nec, si miserum Fortuna Sinonem 

 finxit, vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget. 

 Fando aliquod si forte tuas pervenit ad aures 

 Belidae nomen Palamedis et incluta fama 

This first, if Fate has moulded Sinon into a wretched man,

she will not also, wicked as she is, make him unreliable and a liar.

If by chance some mention of the name Palamedes, son of

Beleus has reached your ears and his reputation famous in legend,

quem falsa sub proditione Pelasgi 

 Insotem infando incidio, quia bella vetabat, 

 demiscere neci, nunc cassum lumine lugent: 

 Illi me comitem et consanguinitate propinquum 

 pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis. 

whom the Greeks, under a false betrayal

and with appalling evidence, sent him, innocent,

down to his violent death, now lament him deprived of life:

my poor father sent me here as a companion to him and as a close blood relative

from my early years to fight.

dum stabat regno incolumis regumque vigebat 

conciliis, et nos aliquod nomenque decusque 

gessimus. invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi 

 (haud ignota loquor) superis concessit ab oris, 

 adflictus vitam in tenebris luctuque trahebam 

 et casum insontis mecum indignabar amici. 

While he was standing safe in the kingdom and was flourishing

in the council of kings, i too had some reputation and glory.

After he retired from the upper shores through the hostility of deceitful Ulysses

(I am talking about matters that are not unknown)

Shattered, I dragged out my life in darkness and in mourning

and I resented in my heart the misfortune of my innocent friend.

nec tacui demens et me, fors si qua tulisset, 

 si patrios umquam remeassem victor ad Argos, 

 promisi ultorem et verbis odia aspera movi. 

 hinc mihi prima mali labes, hinc semper Ulixes 

 criminibus terrere novis, hinc spargere voces 

 in vulgum ambiguas et quaerere conscius arma. 

Nor did I keep quiet in my madness, and if some chance allowed

if I ever returned to my native land of Argos as a victor,

I promised that I would avenge him, and I aroused fierce hatred with my words.

As a result of this came my first slip towards misfortune, as a result Ulysses

was always frightening me with new accusations, as he spread dubious voices

among the crowd and deliberately sought weapons.

nec requievit enim, donec Calchante ministro- 

 sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo, 

quidve moro? si omnes uno ordine habetis Achivos, 

idque audire sat est, iamdudum sumite poenas:  

Hoc Ithacus velit et magno mercentur Atridae.’ 

Nor indeed did he take rest, until with Calchas an an assistant-

but why do I relay these unpleasant matters again, in vain,

or why do I delay? If you consider all of the Greeks are of one kind,

and to hear that is enough, inflict the long-due punishment:

The Ithacan would want this and the sons of Atreus would pay at a great price for it.’

Tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas, 

ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae. 

prosequitur pavitans et ficto pectore fatur: 

‘Saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiere relicta 

moliri et longo fessi discedere bello; 

Then indeed we were eager to question and to search for reasons,

unaware of such great wickedness and Greek deception.

He continued trembling, and he spoke with dishonesty in his heart:

‘The Greeks often wanted, with Troy abandoned,

to devise an escape and leave, tired by the long war;

fecissentque utinam! Saepe illos aspera ponti 

interclusit hiems et terruit Auster euntes. 

praecipue cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis 

staret equus, toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi. 

If only they had! Often a rough storm at sea

prevented them and the South wind frightened them as they went.

Especially when, this horse was now standing here, woven together with wooden beams of maple,

the storm clouds did thunder in the whole sky.

suspensi Eurypylum scitatum oracula Phoebi 

mittimus, isque adytis haec tristia dicta reportat: 

sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa, 

cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras; 

Uncertain, we send Eurypylus questioning the oracle of Apollo

and he brings back these grim words from the shrine:

‘You appeased the winds with the blood of a slaughtered young girl

when first, O Greeks, you came to the Trojan shores;

Sanguine quaerendi reditus animaque litandum 

Argolica. vulgi quae vox ut venit ad aures, 

 obstipuere animi gelidusque per ima cucurrit 

 ossa tremor, cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo. 

with blood your return is to be sought and with a Greek life it is to be obtained.’

When this remark reached the ears of the masses,

their minds were shocked and a cold trembling ran through their innermost bones,

for whom were the fates preparing doom? Whom does Apollo demand?

hic Ithacus vatem magno Calchanta tumultu 

protrahit in medios; quae sint ea numina divum 

flagitat. Et mihi iam multi crudele canebant 

artificis scelus, et tacititi ventura videbant. 

At this point, the Ithacan dragged forth the seer Calchas with a large uproar

into their midst; he demanded to know what was the divine will of the gods.

And now many were foretelling the cruel crime of the schemer towards me,

and quietly were seeing the things to come.

 

bis quinos silet ille dies tectusque recusat 

 prodere voce sua quemquem aut opponere morti. 

 vix tandem, magnis Ithaci clamoribus actus, 

composito rumpit vocem et me destinat arae. 

 adsensere omnes et, quae sibi quisque timebat, 

 unius in miseri exitium conversa tulere. 

For ten days, that man was silent and hidden away, he refused

to proclaim anyone with his voice or to place them in the way of death.

At last with reluctance, driven on by the loud shouts of the Ithacan,

by design he broke his silence and determined me for the altar.

Everyone approved and, what each man feared for himself

they tolerated when they had been turned towards the destruction of one wretched man.

iamque dies infanda aderat; mihi sacra parari 

et salsae fruges et circum tempora vittae. 

 eripui, fateor, leto me et vinula rupi, 

 limosoque lacu per noctem obscurus in ulva 

 delitui dum vela darent, si forte dedissent. 

And now the unspeakable day was here; the sacred rites were being prepared for me

both salted meal and woollen bands around my temples.

I snatched myself from death, I confess, and broke my chains,

and I lay hidden in a muddy lake throughout the night, hidden in sedge,

until they set sail, if by chance they did.

nec mihi iam patriam anitquam spes ulla videndi 

nec dulces natos exoptatumque parentem, 

quos illi fors et poenas ob nostra reposcent 

 effugia, et culpam hanc miserorum morte piabunt. 

Now there was no hope of me seeing my former country,

nor my sweet children and my longed-for father

whom they perhaps will demand punishment of on account of

my escape, and will attone for this crime with the death of their wretched selves.

quod te per superos et conscia numina veri, 

per si qua est quae restet adhuc mortalibus usquam 

 intemerata fides, oro, miserere laborum  

tantorum, miserere animi non digna ferentis.’ 

 his lacrimis vitam damus et miserescimus ultro. 

And so I beg you by the gods and divine powers who know the truth,

and by any unwavering loyalty which remains still amongst humans anywhere,

have pity on such great troubles,

have pity on a soul which is enduring unworthy treatment.’;

We gave life to these tears and moreover we felt pity.

ipse viro primus manicas atque arta levari  

 vincla iubet Priamus dictisque ita fatur amicis: 

 ‘quisquis es, amissos hinc iam obliviscere Graois 

 (noster eris) mihique haec edissere vera roganti: 

 quo molem hanc immanis equi statuere? Quis auctor? 

Priam himself was the first to order that the manacles and tight chains

be removed from the man and he spoke to him in this way with friendly words:

‘Whoever you are, from now on, forget that you have lost the Greeks

(you will be ours) and I ask that you explain to me in full detail the truth:

For what purpose did they set up this bulk of an enormous horse? Who was the creator?

quidve petunt? Quae religio? Aut quae machina belli?’ 

dixerat. Ille dolis instructus et arte Pelasga  

sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera palmas: 

‘vos, aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum 

 testor number,’ ait, ‘vos arae ensesque nefandi, 

 quos fugi, vittaeque deum, quas hostia gessi: 

And what are they seeking? What duty to the gods? Or what machine of war is it?

So he spoke. That man equipped with trickery and Greek cunning,

he lifted up his hands, that had been freed from the chains, to the stars:

‘I call upon you, eternal flames, and your divine power that is not to be violated,’

he said, ‘you altars and unspeakable swords,

which I escaped, and the garland of the gods, which I wore as a victim:

fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura, 

fas odisse viros atque omnia ferre sub auras, 

si qua tegunt, teneor patriae nec legibus ullis. 

tu modo promissis maneas servataque serves 

Troia fidem, si vera feram, si magna rependam. 

It is right for me to break the sacred laws of the Greeks,

it is right to hate those men and bring everything into the open

if they are hiding anything, nor am I bound by any laws of my homeland.

You should simply stick to your promises, you Troy who has been saved

and keep your word, if I tell the truth, if I repay you handsomely.

omnis spes Danaum et coepti fiducia belli 

Palladis auxiliis semper stetit. Impius ex quo 

Tydides sed enim scelerumque inventor Ulixes, 

fatale adgressi sacrato avellere templo 

 Palladium caesis summae custodibus arcis, 

Every hope of the Greeks and their confidence in the war they began

always rested on the help of Pallas Athena. But from the time when the impius

son of Tydeus and Ulysses, the perpetrator of the crimes

dared to tear away the fateful Palladium from the sacred temple,

having slaughtered the guards at the top of the citadel

corripuere sacram effigiem manibusque cruentis 

virgineas ausi divae contingere vittas, 

ex illo fluere ac retro sublapsa referri 

spes Danaum, fractae vires, aversa deae mens. 

nec dublis ea signa dedit Tritonia monstris. 

they seized the sacred statue and with bloody hands

dared to touch the maidenly headbands of the goddess,

from that moment the hopes of the Greeks ebbed away and sank,

carried backwards, their strength was broken, the mind of the goddess was turned away.

Minerva gave these omens and with portents that were not in doubt.

vix positum castris simulacrum: arsere coruscae 

luminibus flammae arrectis, salsusque per artus 

sudor iit, terque ipsa solo (mirabile dictu) 

emicuit marmamque ferens hastamque trementem. 

Scarcely had the statue been set up in camp: (when) glittering flames

blazed from the upturned eyes, and salty sweat ran over its limbs,

and (wonderful to tell) she herself darted from the ground three times

bearing a shield and trembling spear.

extemplo temptanda fuga canit aequora Calchas, 

nec posse Argolicis excindi Pergama telis 

omina ni repetant Argis numenque reducant 

quod pelago et curvis secum avexere carinis. 

Calchas immediately proclaimed that the seas must be attempted in flight,

and that Troy could not be uprooted by Greek weapons,

unless they sought again the omens at Argos, and brought back the

goddess whom they carried away with them on the open sea and in their curved ships.

et nunc quod patrias vento petiere Mycenas, 

arma deosque parant comites pelagoque remenso 

improvisi aderunt; ita digereit omnia Calchas. 

hanc pro Palladio moniti, pro numine laeso 

effigiem statuere, nefas quae triste piaret. 

And now they have headed for their native Mycenae with the help of the wind,

they are obtaining weapons and the gods as their companions and when they

have recrossed the sea will be here unexpectedly; so Calchas explained the omens.

Having been advised, they constructed this image to atone for the Palladium,

to atone for the injured divinity, to atone for their wretched sin.

hanc tamen immensam Calchas attollere molem 

roboribus texti caeloque educere iussit, 

ne recipi portis aut duci in moenia posset, 

neu populum antiqua sub religione tueri. 

However, Calchas ordered us to erect this immense structure

with its woven oak beams and raise it up to the sky,

so it couldn’t be received inside the gates or led inside the walls,

nor protect the people in accordance with their ancient faith.

nam si vestra manus violasset dona Mineruae, 

tum magnum exitium (quod di prius omen in ipsum 

convertant!) Priami imperio Phyrgibusque futurum; 

sin manibus vestris vestram ascendisset in urbem, 

ultro Asiam magno Pelopea ad moenia bello 

venturam, et nostros ea fata manere nepotes.’ 

For if your hand has violated Minerva’s gift,

then great ruin (may the gods first turn that omen on Calchas himself!)

will befall the empire of Priam and the Phrygians;

But if it has ascended into your city by your hands,

then Troy will come of its own accord to the city walls of Greece in a great war

and this doom awaits our descendants.’

Talibus insidiis periurique arte Sinonis 

credita res, captique dolis lacrimisque coactis 

quos neque Tydides nec Larisaeus Achilles, 

non anni domuere decem, non mille carinae. 

Through such tricks and the cleverness of deceitful Sinon

the tale was believed, and we were captivated by his guile and false tears,

we whom neither Diomedes nor Larissan Achilles,

nor ten years, nor a thousand ships, tamed.

Hic aliud maius miseris multoque tremendum 

obicitur magis atque improvida pectora turbat. 

Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos 

sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.  

At this point, another thing greater and more worthy of fear is flung before

us wretched ones and disturbs our unsuspecting hearts more.

Laocoon, chosen by lot as a priest for Neptune,

was sacrificing a huge bull at the customary altars.

ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta 

(horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues  

incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt 

pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque 

sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum  

pone legit sinuatque immensa uolumine terga.  

Behold moreover, through the calm depths, twin serpents from Tenedos,

with their huge coils (I shudder while retelling) were leaning into the sea

and making for the sea-shore side-by-side;

their chests raised up among the tides and

their blood red crests overtopped the waves,

the remaining part skimmed the ocean behind and their huge backs wind into coils.

fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arua tenebant  

ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni  

sibila lambebant linguis uibrantibus ora. 

diffugimus uisu exsangues. illi agmine certo  

Laocoonta petunt; et primum parua duorum  

A roar arose from the foaming sea; and now they were crossing land

and with blazing eyes stained with blood and fire

were licking their hissing mouths with flickering tongues.

We fled in different directions, deathly pale at the sight.

They made for Laocoon in an unswerving life; and first each serpent,

corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque   

implicat et miseros morsu depascitur artus  

post ipsum auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem 

corripiunt spirisque ligant ingentibus; et iam 

bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum  

terga dati superant capite et ceruicibus altis.  

wrapping itself around, entwined the small bodies of his two sons and

biting at them devoured their wretched limbs;

then as he himself came to their aid, weapons in hand,

they seized him and bound him fast with their enormous coils;

and now having twice wrapped themselves around his waist, twice winding their scaly backs round

his throat, they reared above him with their heads and lofty necks.

ille simul manibus tendit diuellere nodos   

perfusus sanie uittas atroque ueneno,  

clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:  

qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram  

altar taurus et incertam excussit ceruice securim.  

He at the same time attempted to wrench apart the knots with his hands,

having drenched the sacred headbands with bloody matter and black venom,

at the same time he raised dreadful cries to the stars:

such bellowing, as when a wounded bull has fled

the altar and has shaken off from its neck an ill-aimed axe.

at gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones   

effugiunt saeuaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,  

sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.  

But the twin snakes escaped by gliding to the highest shrine

and made for the citadel of savage Minerva,

and were hidden under the feet of the goddess and under the circle of her shield.

tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis 

insinuat pauor, et scelus expendisse merentem 

Laocoonta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur  

laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.  

ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque diuae  

numina conclamant.  

Then indeed a new terror wound its way through the trembling hearts of everyone,

and they said that Laocoon had deservedly paid for his crime,

in wounding the sacred oak with his spearpoint

and by hurling his wicked spear into its back.

They shouted together that the image should be led to the temple and that the divine blessings of the goddess

should be trusted.

dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.  

accingunt omnes operi pedibusque rotarum 

subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea uincula collo  

intendunt; scandit fatalis machina muros  

feta armis. pueri circum innuptaeque puellae  

sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent;  

We breached the walls and opened up the city’s defences.

They all got ready for the work and under its feet they placed

rolling wheels and they stretched hemp ropes around its neck;

the deadly contraption surmounted the walls,

pregnant with weapons. The boys and unmarried girls

sing hymns around it and were delighted to touch the rope with their hands;

illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi. 

o patria, o diuum domus Ilium et incluta bello  

moenia Dardanidum! quater ipso in limine portae  

substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere;  

instamus tamen immemores caecique furore 

et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.  

It approached and glided into the middle of the city, threatening.

O my homeland, O Troy, home of the gods and

Trojan walls renowned in war! Four times it stopped on the very threshold of the gate,

and four times the weapons gave out a sound from its belly;

however, we pressed on heedless and blind in our madness,

and we placed the ill-omened monster in the sacred citadel.

tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris  

ora dei iussu non umquam credita Teucris. 

nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset 

ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.  

Even then Cassandra, who by the order of the god

was never to be believed by the Trojans, opened her lips to reveal our future doom.

We wretched ones, for whom that day would be our last, veiled the temples

of the gods with festive foliage throughout the city.