Aeneid Translation 2.40-56, 201-234

Primus ibi ante omnes magna comitante caterva

Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce,

et procul 'O miseri, quae tanta insania cives?

Creditis avectos hostes? Aut ulla putatis

dona carere dolis Danaum? Sic notus Ulixes?

First then, before everyone, with a great crowd accompanying, Laocoon, burning, runs down from the top of the citadel, and [shouts] from afar: "O miserable citizens, what so great a madness [is this]? Do you all believe that the enemies have been carried away? Or do you all think that any gifts of the Danaans lack tricks? Thus [is] Ulysses known?

Aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi,

aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,

inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi,

aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.

Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.

Either the Greeks, having been enclosed in this wood, are hidden, or this machine has been fabricated [to go] against our walls, about to look into our homes and about to come from above to the city, or some deceit lies hidden; do not trust the horse, Teucrians. Whatever this is, I fear Danaans even bearing gifts."

Sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam

in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum

contorsit. Stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso

insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae.

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

impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras,

Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.

Thus, having spoken, he hurled a huge spear with strong forces into its side and into the belly of the beast, curved with seams. It stood, trembling, and, with the womb having been struck, the hollow caverns resounded and gave a groan. And, if the fates of the gods, if their mind had not been unlucky, he would have driven [us] to befoul the Greek hiding places with iron: and Troy would now stand and you, high citadel of Priam, would remain.

Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,

sollemnes taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.

Ecce autem, gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta

(horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues

incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt;

Laocoon, having been drawn by lot as priest for Neptune, was sacrificing a huge bull at the solemn altars. But behold, twin snakes with immense coils from Tenedos through the tranquil deeps (I shudder recalling) hang over the sea and equally they stretch to the shores;

pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque

sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum

pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga.

Fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arva tenebant

ardentesque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni

sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.

whose chests having been raised up among the waves and their bloody crests overcome the waves, the remaining part skims the sea behind and twists their immense backs in a coil. A sound is made with the sea, foaming, and now they were holding the fields and they, having been suffused with respect to their burning eyes with blood and fire, were licking their hissing mouths with their vibrating tongues.

Diffugimus visu exsangues. Illi agmine certo

Laocoonta petunt; et primum parva duorum

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 cervicibus altis.

We, bloodless, scatter from the sight. They seek Laocoon in a certain line; and first, each snake, having embraced the small bodies of his two sons, entwines [them], and he feeds on their miserable limbs with a bite: afterward, they snatch up him himself, going up for help and bearing weapons, and they bind [him] with huge coils; and now they, having embraced his middle twice, having placed their scaly backs around his neck twice, overcome [him] with their head and tall necks.

Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos

perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,

clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:

qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram

taurus et incertam excussit cervice securim.

At the same time he, having been soaked with respect to his fillets with blood and black venom, strives to tear apart the knots with his hands, at the same time he raises horrible shouts to the stars: of what sort a mooing when a wounded bull fled the altar and he shook off the uncertain axe from his neck.

At gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones

effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,

sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.

Tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis

insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem

Laocoonta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur

laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.

But the twin dragons escape to the highest shrines with a glide and they seek the citadel of the savage Tritonian one, and they are hidden under the feet of the goddess and under the circle of her shield. Then truly a new terror creeps through the alarmed chests for everyone, and they say that Laocoon, deserving, paid for his crime, who struck the sacred oak with his spear point and hurled the wicked spear against its back.

Duncendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae

numina conclamant.

Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.

They shout together that the statue must be led to the seats and the divinities of the goddess must be beseeched. We divide the walls, and we open the walls of the city.