Aeneid 2 - whole

primus ibi ante omnes magna comitante caterva Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce, et procul

Then first before (them) all, with a great band accompanying (him), Laocoon, ablaze, ran down from the highest citadel and yelled from afar

'o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives? creditis avectos hostes?

'O wretched ones, what is this great madness, citizens? Do you believe that our enemies have sailed away?

aut ulla putatis dona carere dolis Danaum? Sic notus Ulixes?

Or do you think that any gifts from the Greeks lack guile? Is this how 

ulysses is known to you?

aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi, aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,

Either hidden Greeks are being hidden in this wood, or this machine has been made against our walls,

inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi, aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.

to spy into our homes and to come down upon our city from above, or within lies some ither threat: In the horse place no trust, Trojans!

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.'

whatever this is, I fearbthe Greeks even when they bring gifts.

sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum contorsit.

Having spoken thus, with mighty strength he hurled a huge spear into the side and into the belly of the beast, curved in structure.

stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso

insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae.

There that spear stood trembling, with the stomach reverberating, and the hollow cavities rang out and gave a groan.

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

And if the gods' pronouncements, and if our mindset had not been unfavorable,

impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras, Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.

he would have compelled us to defile the Greek hiding places with the sword and Troy would now be standing, and you, high citadel of Priam, would (still) be remaining

ecce, manus iuvenem interea post terga revinctum

pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant

Dardanidae,

But look! Meanwhile a young man, his hands bound behind his

back, Trojan shepherds were dragging towards the king with loud cries -

qui se ignotum venientibus ultro, hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiamque aperiret Achivis,

unknown to the Trojans as they approached, so that he might devise just this and open up Troy to the Argives,

obtulerat, fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus,

trusting in his courage and prepared for either evantuality

seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti.

whether to weave a web of lies or to meet with certain death.

undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus circumfusa ruit certantque inludere capto.

On all sides, in their keenness to get a look at him, the Trojan youth rushed to crowd round and competed to mock at the prisoner.

accipe nunc Danaum insidias et crimine ab uno disce omnes.

Hear now about the ambush of the Greeks and from this one crime get to know them all.

namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus,

For, when he, agitated in full view of everyone

inermis constitit atque oculis Phrygia agmina circumspexit,

unarmed, he halted and looked around at the Trojan hordes with his eyes.

'heu, quae nunc tellus,' inquit, 'quae me aequora possunt accipere?

he cried, 'Alas, what land, what seas can receive me now?

aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat, cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus,

Or what still remains for me now in my wretchedness, for whom neither is there anywhere a place among the Greeks,

et super ipsi Dardanidae infensi poenas cum sanguine poscunt?'

and in addition the Trojans themselves are hostile and demand my punishment in blood?'

quo gemitu conversi animi compressus et omnis

impetus.

At this groan of despair our minds were changed and every

impulse to attack was checked.

hortamur fari quo sanguine cretus, quid-ve ferat; memoret quae sit fiducia capto.

We encouraged him to tell us from what blood he had sprung, and what information he was bringing; say what he relied on as a captive.

[ille haec deposita tandem formidine fatur:]

[He, laying aside his fear at last,

spoke as follows:]

'cuncta equidem tibi, rex, fuerit quodcumque, fatebor vera', inquit;

'Everything indeed will I confess to you, o king, whatever will come of it, the whole truth,' he said;

'neque me Argolica de gente negabo. hoc primum.

said; 'nor shall I deny that I am of the Argive race. This is the first point.

nec, si miserum Fortuna Sinonem finxit, vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget.

Nor, if Fortune has made Sinon wretched, will she in her wickedness also make him a fool and a liar.

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.

hic Ithacus vatem magno Calchanta tumultu protrahit in medios;

At this point the Ithacan amid a great uproar dragged forth the prophet Calchas into public view;

quae sint ea numina divum flagitat.

he demanded to know what was the will of the gods.

et mihi iam multi crudele canebant artificis scelus,

And it was for me now that many people began to predict the cruel crime of the schemer,

et taciti ventura videbant.

and in silence they could see what was to come.

bis quinos silet ille dies tectusque recusat prodere voce sua quemquam aut opponere morti.

For ten days he [Calchas] remained silent and, hidden away, refused to betray anyone with his own utterance or to put them in the path of death.

vix tandem, magnis Ithaci clamoribus actus,

With difficulty at last, driven on by the great cries of the Ithacan,

composito rumpit vocem et me destinat arae.

in accordance with the agreement he broke his silence and it was me he marked out for the altar.

adsensere omnes et, quae sibi quisque timebat,

Everyone agreed to it and what each man feared for himself

unius in miseri exitium conversa tulere.

they all could bear when it was directed at one poor wretch's destruction.

iamque dies infanda aderat;

And now the unspeakable day was at hand;

mihi sacra parari et salsae fruges et circum tempora vittae.

for me the sacred objects were prepared, and the salted grain and the fillets to go around my temples.

eripui, fateor, leto me et vincula rupi,

I snatched myself away from death, I confess it, and I broke my bonds,

limosoque lacu per noctem obscurus in ulva delitui

and, concealed throughout the night by a slimy lake, I lay hidden in the sedge

dum vela darent, si forte dedissent.

until they should set sail, if only by chance they would!

nec mihi iam patriam antiquam spes ulla videndi

Nor for me any longer was there any hope of seeing my ancient fatherland

nec dulces natos exoptatumque parentem, quos illi fors

nor my sweet sons or my father whom I longed for,

et poenas ob nostra reposcent effugia,

and they will demand the punishment for my escape,

et culpam hanc miserorum morte piabunt.

and they will expiate this crime of mine by the death of my poor family.

quod te per superos et conscia numina veri,

For this reason I beg you by the gods above and by the divine powers that know the truth,

per si qua est quae restet adhuc mortalibus usquam intemerata fides,

by any assurance which still remains anywhere for mortals untainted,

oro, miserere laborum tantorum, miserere animi non digna ferentis.'

I beg you, take pity on such great toils, take pity on a soul which endures things unworthy of it.'

his lacrimis vitam damus et miserescimus ultro.

In response to these tears of his we granted him his life and took pity on him unbidden.

ipse viro primus manicas atque arta levari vincla iubet Priamus

Priam himself was the first to order the handcuffs and the tight bonds to be loosened for the man

dictisque ita fatur amicis:

and addressed him as follows with friendly words:

'quisquis es, amissos hinc iam obliviscere Graios

(noster eris)

'Whoever you are, from this point on now forget that the Greeks are lost to you (you will be one of ours)

mihique haec edissere vera roganti:

and to me as I ask you explain these things truthfully:

quo molem hanc immanis equi statuere? quis auctor?

for what purpose have they erected this massive structure of an enormous horse? Who is the person responsible for it?

quidve petunt? quae religio? aut quae machina belli?'

And what do they hope to gain? What religious duty does it represent? Or what sort of engine of war is it?'

dixerat. ille dolis instructus et arte Pelasga

sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera palmas:

Priam had spoken. Sinon, trained in trickery and Greek stratagem, raised his hands, now stripped of their bonds, to the stars:

'vos, aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum

testor numen,' ait

'O you eternal fires and your inviolable divine power, I call you to witness,' he said

, 'vos arae ensesque nefandi, quos fugi,

'and you altars and you wicked swords, which I have fled,

vittaeque deum, quas hostia gessi:

and you fillets of the gods, which as sacrificial victim I have worn:

fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura,

may it be right for me to break the sacred oaths of the Greeks,

fas odisse viros atque omnia ferre sub auras.

may it be right to hate those men and to bring everything out into the open.

si qua tegunt, teneor patriae nec legibus ullis.

If they are hiding anything, neither am I bound by my fatherland nor by any laws.