Aeneid 2.81-121

fando aliquod si forte tuas pervenit ad aures Belidae nomen Palamedis et incluta fama gloria,

If by chance in the telling any mention at all of the name of Palamedes son of Belus has reached your ears, and his glory famous in legend,

quem falsa sub proditione Pelasgi insontem infando indicio,

whom the Pelasgians condemned to death on a trumped up charge of treachery despite his innocence

quia bella vetabat,

because he was all for forbidding the war

demisere neci, nunc cassum lumine lugent

but now they mourn him now that he is deprived of his life:

illi me comitem et consanguinitate propinquum pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis.

it was to him that my father in his poverty sent me as a companion and his relative by blood to war to this place from my earliest manhood.

dum stabat regno incolumis regumque vigebat

conciliis,

As long as he stood unchallenged in his kingship and flourished in the council of kings,

et nos aliquod nomenque decusque

gessimus.

I too have wielded some reputation and honour.

invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi (haud ignota loquor) superis concessit ab oris,

But it was after, by the malice/spite of deceitful Ulysses (I say what is not unknown to you), he departed from these upper shores

adflictus vitam in tenebris luctuque trahebam

that amid affliction I dragged out my life in darkness and grief

et casum insontis mecum indignabar amici.

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

nec tacui demens et me, fors si qua tulisset, si patrios umquam remeassem victor ad Argos,

But, in my madness, I did not keep quiet and I promised that I, if ever I returned victorious to my native Argos, would be his avenger

et verbis odia aspera movi.

and I stirred up harsh hatred against me with my words.

hinc mihi prima mali labes,

From this moment for me was the beginning of the slide towards disaster,

hinc semper Ulixes criminibus terrere novis,

from this moment Ulysses continually terrified me with new charges,

hinc spargere voces in vulgum ambiguas

from this moment he scattered doubtful rumours to the masses

et quaerere conscius arma.

and deliberately sought ammunition against me.

nec requievit enim, donec Calchante ministro -

For neither did he rest until, with Calchas as his assistant -

sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo, quidve moror?

but why do I keep going over these unwelcome details to you in vain, and why am I wasting time?

si omnes uno ordine habetis Achivos, idque audire sat est,

If under one category you consider all Greeks the same, and it is enough to hear this,

iamdudum sumite poenas:

exact now the long-awaited penalty:

hoc Ithacus velit et magno mercentur Atridae.'

this is what the Ithacan would want and for a large price the Atreidae would pay for it.'

tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas,

Then indeed we were ablaze to get to the bottom of it and to ask the reasons,

ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae.

ignorant as we were of such great crimes and of Greek stratagem.

prosequitur pavitans et ficto pectore fatur:

He pressed on, trembling in fear, and spoke as follows from his treacherous heart:

'saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiere relicta moliri et longo fessi discedere bello;

'Often the Greeks longed to abandon Troy, accomplish their retreat and depart, exhausted from the long war;

fecissentque utinam!

and would that they had done it!

saepe illos aspera ponti interclusit hiems et terruit Auster euntes.

Often a harsh storm at sea kept them closed in and the South wind terrified them as they tried to leave.

praecipue cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis staret equus,

especially since now this horse, woven together with maple beams, was standing here"

toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi.

then indeed throughout the whole heavens the clouds rang out.

suspensi Eurypylum scitatum oracula Phoebi

mittimus,

Worried we sent Eurypylus to consult the oracle of Phoebus,

isque adytis haec tristia dicta reportat:

and from the sanctuary he brought back these grim words:

'sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa,

"By blood you placated the winds and by the slaughter of a maiden,

cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras;

when first, o Greeks, you came to Trojan shores;

sanguine quaerendi reditus

by blood must your return home be sought

animaque litandum Argolica."

and by a Greek life must favourable omens be obtained."

vulgi quae vox ut venit ad aures,

When to the ears of the masses this message made its way,

obstipuere animi gelidusque per ima cucurrit 120

ossa tremor,

their hearts were astounded and an icy tremor ran through the marrow of their bones

cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo.

for whom the fates made preparations, whom Apollo demanded.