| 10 |
But if so great is your desire to learn of our misfortunes |
| 11 |
and briefly hear of the final agony of Troy, |
| 12 |
although my mind shudders to recall it and shrinks
back from the grief, |
| 13 |
I shall begin. |
| |
Broken by war and driven back
by the fates, |
| 14 |
the leaders of the Greeks, with so many years now
slipping by, |
| 15 |
build (aedificant)
with the divine skill of Minerva a horse as huge as a mountain |
| 16 |
(…) and they weave the ribs with planks of
silver fir; |
| 17 |
they pretend it is an offering to the gods for their
return; that is the story spread around. |
| 18 |
Here, they enclose (includunt)
warriors chosen by lot, stealthily |
| 19 |
(…) in its dark flank and, deep within, the
hollows |
| 20 |
of its huge womb they fill with armed militia. |
| 21 |
There is, within sight (of Troy), Tenedos, by reputation
a very famous |
| 22 |
island, rich in resources so long as the kingdom
of Priam remained, |
| 23 |
now, just a bay, a treacherous anchorage for ships: |
| 24 |
Having sailed here they hide themselves on the deserted
shore; |
| 25 |
We thought they had gone and sailed for Mycenae. |
| 26 |
Therefore, all Troy freed itself from its long grief; |
| 27 |
The gates are thrown open, it is pleasing to go
and see (videre) the Doric camp, |
| 28 |
the deserted (…)places and the abandoned shore: |
| 29 |
here is where the band of Dolopes were, this is
where savage Achilles was encamped; |
| 30 |
here is the place where the fleet was, here is where
they used to fight in battle. |
| 31 |
Some stand amazed at the deadly gift to the unwed
Minerva |
| 32 |
And marvel at the bulk of the horse; and firstly
Thymoetes |
| 33 |
Urges that it be brought within the walls and set
up on the citadel, |
| 34 |
Whether by treachery, or whether the fates of Troy
were already pointing this way. |
| 35 |
But Capys, and those of wiser judgement, order them
(iubent) |
| 36 |
either to hurl (praecipitare)
into the sea the Greeks’ trap and suspect gifts |
| 37 |
(…) (…) or to put flames underneath
and burn it, |
| 38 |
or to bore into and explore the hollow hiding-places
of the womb. |
| 39 |
The people are unsure and are split between opposite
feelings. |
| 40 |
First, in front of everybody, with a great crowd
accompanying him |
| 41 |
Laocoon runs down from the top of the citadel, blazing
with anger, |
| 42 |
and while still far off shouts “O wretched
fellow citizens, what great madness is this? |
| 43 |
Do you believe the enemy have gone away? Or do you
think that any |
| 44 |
gifts of the Greeks are lacking in trickery? Is
this the Ulysses you know? |
| 45 |
Either there are Greeks shut up and hidden in this
wooden object |
| 46 |
or this device has been constructed to bring down
our walls, |
| 47 |
to pry into our homes and to come down on to the
city from above, |
| 48 |
or some snare lies hidden in it; don’t trust
the horse, Trojans, |
| 49 |
for, whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when
they are bringing gifts.” |
| 50 |
Having spoken thus, with all his mighty strength
he hurled (contorsit ) a huge spear |
| 51 |
into the flank, into the belly of the wild beast
with its curved structure. |
| 52 |
(…) It stood there, quivering, and as the
belly was struck |
| 53 |
the hollow recesses resounded and gave a groan. |
| 54 |
And, if the fates of the gods, if their mind had
not been so unfavourable, |
| 55 |
he would have compelled us to violate with the sword
the Greek hiding places, |
| 56 |
and Troy would now still be standing and you, high
citadel of Troy, would still remain. |
| 195 |
Through such trickery and deceit of
lying Sinon, |
| 196 |
the story was believed, and we were
defeated by trickery and forced tears |
| 197 |
we whom neither Diomedes, nor Thessalian
Achilles |
| 198 |
nor 10 years of war and not a thousand
ships managed to subdue. |
| 199 |
At this point, something else, (…)
more significant and much more fearful |
| 200 |
was presented to us in our wretchedness
(miseris) and agitates our un-foreseeing
hearts. |
| 201 |
Laocoon, chosen by lot as the Priest
of Neptune, |
| 202 |
Was sacrificing a huge bull at the appointed
altars. |
| 203 |
But see! Across the calm sea, from Tenedos,
two |
| 204 |
snakes ( I shudder to tell) with their
huge coils |
| 205 |
breast the sea and side by side make
for the shore; |
| 206 |
their necks rearing up amongst the waves,
and their crests, |
| 207 |
blood-red, tower above the surf, while
the rest of their body (…) |
| 208 |
skims the sea (pontum)
behind and the huge back arches up in coils. |
| 209 |
There is a sound of splashing sea; and
already they were reaching the land, |
| 210 |
their gleaming eyes flecked with blood
and fire, |
| 211 |
licking their hissing mouths with flickering
tongues. |
| 212 |
We flee in all directions, pale at the
sight of them. They, in an unswerving line, |
| 213 |
make for Laocoon; and first grasping
( amplexus) the small bodies ( corpora)
of his two |
| 214 |
children, each serpent (….) (……) |
| 215 |
enfolds and with a bite feeds on their
wretched limbs. |
| 216 |
Next they seize (corripiunt)
Laocoon himself as he comes to help, bearing his weapons, |
| 217 |
(…) and they bind him in their
huge coils; and now |
| 218 |
twice embracing him round the middle,
twice encircling (circum..dati) his neck
with scaly |
| 219 |
backs (…) they tower above him
with their head and lofty necks. |
| 220 |
He now struggles to tear away the knots with
his hands, |
|
| 221 |
his garlands soaked with gore and black venom, |
| 222 |
now he raises dreadful cries up to the stars: |
| 223 |
like the bellowing, when a wounded bull
(taurus) has fled the altar |
| 224 |
(…) and has shaken off the badly-aimed
axe from its neck. |
| 225 |
But the two snakes glide off (lapsu….effugiunt)
to the top of the shrines |
| 226 |
(….) and make for the citadel
of fierce Pallas Athene, |
| 227 |
and hide under the goddess’ feet
and the circle of her shield. |
| 228 |
Then indeed for all of us into our trembling
hearts a new (….) |
| 229 |
fear steals, and they say (ferunt)
that Laocoon paid deservedly for his crime |
| 230 |
(…)(…), because he damaged
(laeserit) the sacred wood with his spear
point |
| 231 |
(…) when he hurled his impious
spear into the horse’s back. |
| 232 |
The image should be taken to Minerva’s
home and they should pray to the goddess’s |
| 233 |
divine power, they shout. |
| 234 |
We breach the walls and open up the
walls of the city. |
| 235 |
Everyone prepares himself for the task,
under the feet (…) |
| 236 |
They put rollers (rotarum...lapsus)
and around the neck they stretch (intendunt)
ropes of hemp |
| 237 |
(…); the fateful machine climbs
the walls |
| 238 |
teeming with arms. Boys (…) and
unwed girls |
| 239 |
sing sacred songs around (circum)
and delight to touch with their hands the rope; |
| 240 |
The machine approaches and glides threateningly
into the middle of the city. |
| 241 |
O, Fatherland, O, Ilium home of the
gods and war-famed |
| 242 |
walls of the sons of Dardanus! Four
times on the very threshold of the gate |
| 243 |
it came to a stop and four times the
arms resounded in the womb; |
| 244 |
nevertheless, we press on unmindful
and blind with rage |
| 245 |
and we set the unlucky monster on the
hallowed citadel. |
| 246 |
Even then, Cassandra opens her mouth
(ora) to predict the fates |
| 247 |
(…) though she was never, by the
order of the god, to be believed by the Trojans. |
| 248 |
We (…)(…)wretched ones,
whose last day (dies) this (ille)
was |
| 249 |
(..),wreathe the shrines of the gods
(delubra deum) all through the city with
festive garlands. |
| 250 |
Meanwhile, the heavens revolve and night
rushes up from the Ocean |
| 251 |
Enveloping in a great shadow the earth
and the sky |
| 252 |
And the trickery of the Greeks; sprawled
along the walls, the Trojans |
| 253 |
fell silent; sleep embraces their tired
limbs. |
| 254 |
And now the Greek troops in their formation
of ships were approaching |
| 255 |
From Tenedos, in the friendly silence
of the quiet moon, |
| 256 |
heading for the familiar shore, when
the royal ship had hoisted (extulerat)
a fire signal |
| 257 |
(….), and, protected by the hostile
fates of the gods, |
| 258 |
Sinon is releasing (laxat)
the Greeks shut up in the womb and (…) furtively |
| 259 |
Undoing the bolts of pinewood (pinea).
(…) Having been opened up (…), |
| 260 |
the horse releases them (illos)
to the open air (ad auras) and joyfully
they get themselves out from the hollow wood: |
| 261 |
Thessandrus and Stheleus the chieftains,
together with harsh Ulysses, |
| 262 |
Slipping down the lowered rope, then
Acamas and Thoas |
| 263 |
together with Neoptolemus, grandson
of Peleus, and then the chieftain Machaon |
| 264 |
with Menelaus and Epeos himself, the builder
of the device. |
|
| 265 |
They assail a city buried in sleep and wine; |
| 266 |
The guards are cut down, with the gates open
(…) |
| 267 |
They let in all (omnes)
their companions and join forces. |
| 268 |
It was the time when, for poor mortals, first
rest |
| 269 |
begins and, by the grace of the gods,
steals over them, most welcome . |
| 270 |
In my sleep, see, before my very eyes,
most sorrowful Hector |
| 271 |
Seemed to appear to me, and to be weeping
copious tears, |
| 272 |
as he was before, when dragged behind
a chariot, black with blood-stained |
| 273 |
dust and his feet swelling, pierced through
with thongs. |
 |
| 274 |
Alas! What a sight, how changed from that |
| 275 |
Hector who returned wearing the spoils won
from Achilles |
| 276 |
or the one who hurled Phrygian fire at the
Greek ships! |
| 277 |
His beard unkempt, his hair matted with
blood, |
| 278 |
and bearing those wounds, the many which
he took (accepit) around the walls |
| 279 |
(…) of his native city. Moreover,
I myself, weeping, seemed |
| 280 |
to address the man and utter these sad
words: |
| 281 |
“O light of Troy, O surest hope
of the Trojans, |
| 282 |
what delays have kept you for so long?
From which shores, Hector, |
| 283 |
do you come, long awaited? How, after
the many deaths (funera) of your people |
| 284 |
(…), after the various toils of
men and the city, |
| 285 |
how gladly, exhausted as we are, we
look upon you! What unworthy cause (…) |
| 286 |
has disfigured your serene (serenos)
features? Why do I behold these wounds? |
| 287 |
He makes no reply, neither does he take
heed of my vain questions, |
| 288 |
But sorrowfully bringing forth a groan
from the depths of his heart he said (ait) |
| 289 |
“Alas, flee, son of a goddess,
and snatch yourself from these flames. |
| 290 |
The enemy holds your walls; Troy is
crashing down from its topmost heights. |
| 291 |
You have given enough for your fatherland
and Priam: if Troy (…) |
| 292 |
Could be defended by a right hand (dextra),
it would have been defended by this one. |
| 293 |
Troy entrusts to you its sacred objects
and its protecting gods; |
| 294 |
Take them to share in your fate; seek
for them the great (magna) city walls |
| 295 |
(…) which you will finally establish
after wandering the seas.” |
| 296 |
So he spoke and in his hands he carries
(effert) chaplets and an idol of powerful
Vesta |
| 297 |
and from the innermost sanctum he brings
the eternal flame. |
| 298 |
Meanwhile, the walls are in confusion
with various sounds of grief, |
| 299 |
and more and more, although (…)
the house (domus) of my father |
| 300 |
Anchises (…)was secluded (secreta)
and set back and overshadowed by trees, |
| 301 |
The sounds grow clear and the horror
of war advances threateningly. |
| 302 |
I am roused from sleep and I climb on
to (ascensu supero) the gable on top
of the roof |
| 303 |
(…)(…) and stand there with
my ears pricked up: |
| 304 |
just as when flames fall (incidit)
on to the crops, fanned by a raging south wind |
| 305 |
(…) or a swift torrent in a mountain
river |
| 306 |
flattens the fields, flattens the happy
crops - the toil of oxen, |
| 307 |
and drags the woods headlong; bewildered,
the shepherd (pastor) is stunned (…) |
| 308 |
as he hears the noise from the high
(alto) top of a rock. |
| 309 |
Then indeed the truth was clear, the
trickery (insidiae) of the Greeks revealed. |
| 310 |
(…) Now the great house (domus)
of Deiphobus crashed in ruins |
| 311 |
as Fire overcame it (…), already
Ucalegon’s house nearby is on fire; |
| 312 |
(…); the wide straits of Sigeum
are aglow with fire. |
| 313 |
The shouts of men rise up and there’s
a blare of trumpets. |
| 314 |
Frantic, I take up arms; not that there
is any point in fighting, |
| 315 |
But my heart burns (ardent
animi) to raise a band of men for war, to storm the citadel |
| 316 |
with my companions (…) (…);
fury and anger drive (praecipitat) my
purpose |
| 317 |
and it is in my mind that it is glorious
to die in battle. |
| |
|
| |
 |
| Virgil with the Muses |
D. Swift |
