The Aeneids of Virgil Part 23

Where shall I seek thee? What earth hides thy body, mangled sore, And perished limbs? O son, to me bringest thou back no more 490 Than this? and have I followed this o'er every land and sea?

O pierce me through, if ye be kind; turn all your points on me, Rutulians! Let me first of all with battle-steel be sped!

Father of G.o.ds, have mercy thou! Thrust down the hated head Beneath the House of Tartarus with thine own weapon's stress, Since otherwise I may not break my life-days' bitterness."

Their hearts were shaken with her wail, and Sorrow fain will weep, And in all men their battle-might unbroken lay asleep.

But Actor and Idaeus take that flaming misery, As bade Ilioneus, and young Iulus, sore as he 500 Went weeping: back in arms therewith they bear her 'neath the roof.

But now the trump with brazen song cast fearful sound aloof, Chiding to war; and shouts rise up and belloweth back the heaven, And forth the Volscians fare to speed the shield-roof timely driven.

Some men fall on to fill the ditch and pluck the ramparts down; Some seek approach and ladders lay where daylight rends the crown Of wall-wards, and would get them up where stands the hedge of war Thinner of men: against their way the Teucrian warders pour All weapon-shot: with hard-head pikes they thrust them down the steep.

Long was the war wherein they learned the battle-wall to keep. 510 Stones, too, of deadly weight they roll, if haply they may break The shield-roof of the battle-rush; but st.u.r.dily those take All chances of the play beneath their close and well-knit hold.

Yet fail they; for when hard at hand their world of war was rolled, A mighty ma.s.s by Teucrians moved rolls on and rushes o'er, And fells the host of Rutuli and breaks the tiles of war.

Nor longer now the Rutuli, the daring hearts, may bear To play with Mars amid the dark, but strive the walls to clear With storm of shaft and weapon shot.

But now Mezentius otherwhere, a fearful sight to see, 520 Was tossing high the Tuscan pine with smoke-wreathed fiery heart: While Neptune's child, the horse-tamer Messapus, played his part, Rending the wall, and crying out for ladders to be laid.

Speak, Song-maids: thou, Calliope, give thou the singer aid To tell what wise by Turnus' sword the field of fight was strown; What death he wrought; what man each man to Orcus sent adown.

Fall to with me to roll abroad the mighty skirts of war, Ye, G.o.ddesses, remember all, and ye may tell it o'er.

There was a tower built high overhead, with gangways up in air, Set well for fight, 'gainst which the foe their utmost war-might bear, 530 And all Italians strive their most to work its overthrow: Gainst whom the Trojans ward it well, casting the stones below, And through the hollow windows speed the shot-storm thick and fast.

There Turnus first of all his folk a flaming firebrand cast, And fixed it in the turret's flank: wind-nursed it caught great s.p.a.ce Of planking, and amid the doors, consuming, kept its place.

Then they within, bewildered sore, to flee their ills are fain, But all for nought; for while therein they huddle from the bane, And draw aback to place yet free from ruin, suddenly 539 O'erweighted toppleth down the tower, and thundereth through the sky.

Half-dead the warders fall to earth by world of wrack o'erborne, Pierced with their own shafts, and their b.r.e.a.s.t.s with hardened splinters torn.

Yea, Lycus and Helenor came alone of all their peers Alive to earth: Helenor, now in spring-tide of his years: Bond-maid Licymnia privily to that Maeonian king Had borne the lad, and sent him forth to Troy's beleaguering With arms forbidden, sheathless sword and churl's unpainted shield.

But when he saw himself amidst the thousand-sworded field Of Turnus, Latins on each side, behind, and full in face, E'en as a wild beast hedged about by girdle of the chase 550 Rages against the point and edge, and, knowing death anear, Leaps forth, and far is borne away down on the hunter's spear; Not otherwise the youth falls on where thickest spear-points lie, And in the middle of the foe he casts himself to die.

But Lycus, nimbler far of foot, betwixt the foemen slipped, Betwixt the swords, and gained the wall, and at the coping gripped, And strove to draw him up with hand, the friendly hands to feel; But Turnus both with foot and spear hath followed hard at heel, And mocks him thus in victory: "How was thy hope so grown Of 'scaping from my hand, O fool?" 560 Therewith he plucks him down From where he hung, and s.p.a.ce of wall tears downward with the man.

As when it chanceth that a hare or snowy-bodied swan Jove's shield-bearer hath borne aloft in s.n.a.t.c.hing hooked feet; Or lamb, whose mother seeketh him with most abundant bleat, Some wolf of Mars from fold hath caught.

Goes up great cry around: They set on, and the ditches filled with o'erturned garth and mound, While others cast the blazing brands on roof and battlement.

Ilioneus with mighty stone, a shard from hillside rent, Lucetius felled, as fire in hand unto the gate he drew.

Then Liger felled Emathion, for craft of spear he knew; 570 Asylas Corynaeus, by dint of skill in bowshaft's ways, Caeneus Ortygius fells, and him, victorious, Turnus slays, And Itys, Clonius, Promolus, Dioxippus withal, And Sagaris, and Idas set on topmost turret-wall.

Then Capys slays Privernus; him Themilla's light-winged spear Had grazed, whereon he dropped his shield, and his left hand did bear Upon the hurt; when lo, thereto the winged shaft did win, And nailed the hand unto the side, and, buried deep within, Burst all the breathing-ways of life with deadly fatal sore.

But lo, where standeth Arcens' child in goodly weed of war, 580 Fair with his needle-painted cloak, with Spanish scarlet bright, n.o.ble of face: Arcens, his sire, had sent him to the fight From nursing of his mother's grove about Symaethia's flood, Whereby Palicus' altar stands, the wealthy and the good.

Mezentius now laid by his spear, and took his whistling sling, And whirled it thrice about his head at length of tugging string, And with the flight of molten lead his midmost forehead clave, And to the deep abundant sand his outstretched body gave.

Then first they say Ascanius aimed his speedy shafts in war, Wherewith but fleeing beasts afield he used to fright before: 590 But now at last his own right hand the stark Numa.n.u.s slays, Who had to surname Remulus, and in these latter days King Turnus' sister, young of years, had taken to his bed: He in the forefront of the fight kept crying out, and said Things worthy and unworthy tale: puffed up with pride of place New-won he went, still clamouring out his greatness and his grace.

"O twice-caught Phrygians, shames you nought thus twice amid the wars To lie in bonds, and stretch out walls before the march of Mars?

Lo, these are they who woke the war the wives of us to wed!

What G.o.d sent you to Italy? what madness. .h.i.ther sped? 600 Here are no Atreus' sons, and no Ulysses word-weaver.

A people hard from earliest spring our new-born sons we bear Unto the stream, and harden us with bitter frost and flood.

Our lads, they wake the dawning-chase and wear the tangled wood; Our sport is taming of the horse and drawing shafted bow; Our carles, who bear a world of toil, and hunger-pinching know, Tame earth with spade, or shake with war the cities of the folk.

Yea, all our life with steel is worn; afield we drive the yoke With spear-shaft turned about: nor doth a halting eld of sloth Weaken our mightiness of soul, or change our glory's growth. 610 We do the helm on h.o.a.ry hairs, and ever deem it good To drive the foray day by day, and make the spoil our food.

But ye--the raiment saffron-stained, with purple glow tricked out-- These are your heart-joys: ye are glad to lead the dance about.

Sleeve-coated folk, O ribbon-coifed, not even Phrygian men, But Phrygian wives, to Dindymus the high go get ye then!

To hear the flute's twi-mouthed song as ye are wont to do!

The Berecynthian Mother's box and cymbals call to you From Ida: let men deal with war, and drop adown your swords."

That singer of such wicked speech, that caster forth of words, 620 Ascanius brooked not: breasting now his horse-hair full at strain, He aimed the shaft, and therewithal drew either arm atwain, And stood so; but to Jupiter first suppliant fell to pray:

"O Jove Almighty, to my deeds, thus new-begun, nod yea, And I myself unto thy fane the yearly gifts will bear, And bring before thine altar-stead a snow-white gilt-horned steer, Whose head unto his mother's head is evenly upborne, Of age to spurn the sand with hoof and battle with the horn."

The Father heard, and out of heaven, wherein no cloud-fleck hung, His leftward thunder fell, wherewith the fateful bow outrung, 630 The back-drawn shaft went whistling forth with dreadful sound, and sped To pierce the skull of Remulus and hollow of his head: "Go to, then, and thy mocking words upon men's valour call, The twice-caught Phrygians answer back Rutulians herewithal."

This only word Ascanius spake: the Teucrians raise their cry And shout for joy, and lift their heart aloft unto the sky.

Long-haired Apollo then by hap high-set in airy place, Looked down upon Ausonian host and leaguered city's case, And thus the victor he bespeaks from lofty seat of cloud: "Speed on in new-born valour, child! this is the starward road, 640 O son of G.o.ds and sire of G.o.ds! Well have the Fates ordained That 'neath a.s.saracus one day all war shall be refrained.

No Troy shall hold thee."

With that word he stoops from heaven aloft And puts away on either side the wind that meets him soft, And seeks Ascanius: changed is he withal, and putteth on The shape of Butes old of days, shield-bearer time agone Unto Anchises, Dardan king, and door-ward true and tried; But with Ascanius now his sire had bidden him abide.

Like this old man in every wise, voice, hue, and h.o.a.ry hair, And arms that cried on cruel war, now did Apollo fare, 650 And to Iulus hot of heart in such wise went his speech:

"Enough, O child of aeneas, that thou with shaft didst reach Numa.n.u.s' life unharmed thyself, great Phoebus grants thee this, Thy first-born praise, nor grudgeth thee like weapons unto his.

But now refrain thy youth from war."

So spake Apollo then, And in the midmost of his speech fled sight of mortal men, And faded from their eyes away afar amid the air.

The Dardan dukes, they knew the G.o.d and holy shooting-gear, And as he fled away from them they heard his quiver shrill.

Therefore Ascanius, fain of fight, by Phoebus' word and will 660 They hold aback: but they themselves fare to the fight again, And cast their souls amidst of all the perils bare and plain.

Then goes the shout adown the wall, along the battlement; The javelin-thongs are whirled about, the sharp-springed bows are bent, And all the earth is strewn with shot: the shield, the helmet's cup, Ring out again with weapon-dint, and fierce the fight springs up.

As great as, when the watery kids are setting, beats the rain Upon the earth; as plentiful as when upon the main The hail-clouds fall, when Jupiter, fierce with the southern blasts, Breaks up the hollow clouds of heaven and watery whirl downcasts. 670

Now Pandarus and Bitias stark, Idan Alcanor's seed.

They whom Iaera of the woods in Jove's brake nursed with heed, Youths tall as firs or mountain-cliffs that in their country are, The gate their lord hath bid them keep, these freely now unbar, And freely bid the foeman in, trusting to stroke of hand; But they themselves to right and left before the gate-towers stand, Steel-clad, and with their lofty heads crested with glittering gleams; E'en as amid the air of heaven, beside the flowing streams On rim of Padus, or anigh soft Athesis and sweet, Twin oak-trees spring, and tops unshorn uprear the skies to meet, 680 And with their heads high over earth nod ever in the wind.

So now the Rutuli fall on when clear the way they find, But Quercens, and aequicolus the lovely war-clad one, And Tmarus of the headlong soul, and Haemon, Mavors' son, Must either turn their backs in flight, with all their men of war, Or lay adown their loved lives on threshold of the door.

Then bitterer waxeth battle-rage in hate-fulfilled hearts, And there the Trojans draw to head and gather from all parts, Eager to deal in handy strokes, full fierce afield to fare.

But as duke Turnus through the fight was raging otherwhere, 690 Confounding folk, there came a man with tidings that the foe, Hot with new death, the door-leaves wide to all incomers throw.

Therewith he leaves the work in hand, and, stirred by anger's goad, Against the Dardan gate goes forth, against the brethren proud: There first Antiphates he slew, who fought amid the first, The b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Sarpedon tall, by Theban mother nursed.

With javelin-cast he laid him low: the Italian cornel flies Through the thin air, pierceth his maw, and 'neath his breast-bone lies Deep down; the hollow wound-cave pours a flood of gore and foam, And warm amid him lies the steel, amid his lung gone home. 700 Then Meropes', and Erymas', Aphidnus' lives he spilled; Then Bitias of the flaming eyes and heart with ire fulfilled;-- Not with the dart, for to no dart his life-breath had he given;-- But whirled and whizzing mightily came on the sling-spear, driven Like lightning-flash; against whose dint two bull-hides nought availed, Nor yet the golden faithful fence of war-coat double-scaled: His fainting limbs fell down afield, and earth gave out a groan, And rang the thunder of his shield huge on his body thrown: E'en as upon Euboean sh.o.r.e of Baiae falleth whiles A stony pillar, which built up of mighty bonded piles 710 They set amid the sea: suchwise it draggeth mighty wrack Headlong adown, and deep in sea it lieth dashed aback: The seas are blent, black whirl of sand goes up confusedly; And with the noise quakes Prochytas, and quakes Inarime, The unsoft bed by Jove's command upon Typhoeus laid.

Then Mars, the mighty in the war, brings force and strength to aid The Latin men, and in their hearts he stirs his bitter goads, The while with fleeing and black fear the Teucrian heart he loads: From everywhither run the folk, since here is battle rich, And in all hearts the war-G.o.d wakes. 720

But Pandarus, beholding now his brother laid to earth, And whitherward wends Fortune now, and what Time brings to birth, Back-swinging on the hinge again with might the door-leaf sends, By struggle of his shoulders huge; and many of his friends Shut outward of the walls he leaves, amid the fierce debate; While others, with himself shut in, poured backward through the gate.

Madman! who saw not how the king Rutulian mid the band Came rushing, but amidst the town now shut him with his hand, E'en as a tiger pent amidst a helpless flock of sheep.

Then dreadfully his armour rings, light from his eyes doth leap,-- 730 A strange new light: the blood-red crest upon his helm-top quakes, And from the circle of his shield a glittering lightning breaks.

Sudden aeneas' frighted folk behold his hated face And mighty limbs: but Pandarus breaks forth amid the place Huge, and his heart afire with rage for his lost brother's death.

"Nay, this is not Amata's home, the dowry house," he saith, "Nor yet doth Ardea's midmost wall hold kindred Turnus in: The foeman's camp thou seest, wherefrom thou hast no might to win."

But from his all untroubled breast laughed Turnus, as he said: "Begin, if thou hast heart thereto, let hand to hand be laid! 740 Thou shalt tell Priam how thou found'st a new Achilles here."

He spake: the other put all strength to hurling of his spear, A shaft all rough with knots, and still in its own tree-bark bound.

Straightway the thin air caught it up, but that swift-speeding wound Saturnian Juno turned aside and set it in the door.

--"But now thou 'scapest not this steel mine own hand maketh sure, Nought such as thine the weapon-smith, the wound-smith----"

With the word He riseth up unto the high uprising of the sword, Wherewith betwixt the temples twain he clave his midmost head, And with a fearful wound apart the cheeks unbearded shred. 750 Then came a sound, and shook the earth 'neath the huge weight of him: With armour wet with blood and brain, with fainting, slackened limb, He strewed the ground in death; his head, sheared clean and evenly, From either shoulder hanging down, this side and that did lie.

Then turn and flee the Trojan folk, by quaking terror caught; And if the conquering man as then one moment had had thought To burst the bolts and let his folk in through the opened door, That day had been the last of days for Trojans and their war.

But utter wrath of heart and soul, and wildering l.u.s.t of death Drave him afire amidst the foe. 760 Then Phaleris he catcheth up, and ham-strung Gyges then, Whose spears, s.n.a.t.c.hed up, he hurleth on against the backs of men; For Juno finds him might enough and heart wherewith to do, Halys he sendeth down with these, Phegeus with targe smit through; Then, as they roused the war on wall, nor wotted aught of this, Alcander stark, and Halius stout, Noemon, Prytanis.

Then Lynceus, as he ran to aid and cheered his folk withal, He reacheth at with sweeping sword from right hand of the wall And smiteth; and his helm and head, struck off with that one blow, Lie far away: Amycus then, the wood-deer's wasting foe, 770 He slayeth: happier hand had none in smearing of the shaft And arming of the iron head the poison-wound to waft.

Then Clytius, son of aeolus, and Cretheus Muse-beloved,-- Cretheus the Muses' fellow-friend, whose heart was ever moved By song and harp, and measured sound along the strained string; Who still of steeds, and arms, and men, and battle-tide would sing.