Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

less, forbid me! Had Pallas power to burn up the Argive fleet and sink the sailors in the deep, because of one single man's guilt, and the frenzy of Ajax, son of Oileus? Her own hand hurled from the clouds Jove's swift flame, scattered their ships, and upheaved the sea in tempest; but him, as with pierced breast he breathed forth flame, she caught in a whirlwind and impaled on a spiky crag.1 Yet I, who move as queen of gods, sister at once and wife of Jove, with one people am warring these many years. And will any still worship Juno's godhead or humbly lay sacrifice her altars?"

upon

In his

50 Thus inwardly brooding with heart inflamed, the goddess came to Aeolia, mother-land of storm-clouds, tracts teeming with furious blasts. Here in his vast cavern, Aeolus, their king, keeps under his sway and with prison bonds curbs the struggling winds and the roaring gales. They, to the mountain's mighty moans, chafe blustering around the barriers. lofty citadel sits Aeolus, sceptre in hand, taming their passions and soothing their rage; did he not so, they would surely bear off with them in wild flight seas and lands and the vault of heaven, sweeping them through space. But, fearful of this, the Father omnipotent hid them in gloomy caverns, and over them piled high mountain masses and gave them a king, who, under fixed covenant, should be skilled to tighten and loosen the reins at command. Him Juno now addressed thus in suppliant speech:

65" Aeolus-for to thee hath the Father of gods and king of men given power to calm and uplift the waves with the wind-a people hateful to me sails the Tyrrhene sea, carrying into Italy Ilium's

1 Minerva destroyed Ajax and his fleet because on the night of Troy's fall he had attacked Cassandra in her temple.

40

45

50

quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem Argivum atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto unius ob noxam et furias Aiacis Oilei? ipsa Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis ; illum exspirantem transfixo pectore flammas turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto; ast ego, quae divum incedo regina, Iovisque et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos bella gero. et quisquam numen Iunonis adorat praeterea aut supplex arīs imponet honorem?" Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris, Aeoliam venit. hic vasto rex Aeolus antro luctantis ventos tempestatesque sonoras imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat. illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras ; ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras. sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, hoc metuens, molemque et montis insuper altos imposuit regemque dedit, qui foedere certo et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas. ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est: "Aeole, namque tibi divum pater atque hominum rex et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento, gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor, Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penatis :

41 Oili M.

44 pectore] tempore Probus.

55

60

66

less, forbid me! Had Pallas power to burn up the Argive fleet and sink the sailors in the deep, because of one single man's guilt, and the frenzy of Ajax, son of Oileus? Her own hand hurled from the clouds Jove's swift flame, scattered their ships, and upheaved the sea in tempest; but him, as with pierced breast he breathed forth flame, she caught in a whirlwind and impaled on a spiky crag.1 Yet I, who move as queen of gods, sister at once and wife of Jove, with one people am warring these many years. And will any still worship Juno's godhead or humbly lay sacrifice upon her altars ?”

In his

50 Thus inwardly brooding with heart inflamed, the goddess came to Aeolia, mother-land of storm-clouds, tracts teeming with furious blasts. Here in his vast cavern, Aeolus, their king, keeps under his sway and with prison bonds curbs the struggling winds and the roaring gales. They, to the mountain's mighty moans, chafe blustering around the barriers. lofty citadel sits Aeolus, sceptre in hand, taming their passions and soothing their rage; did he not so, they would surely bear off with them in wild flight seas and lands and the vault of heaven, sweeping them through space. But, fearful of this, the Father omnipotent hid them in gloomy caverns, and over them piled high mountain masses and gave them a king, who, under fixed covenant, should be skilled to tighten and loosen the reins at command. Him Juno now addressed thus in suppliant speech:

65" Aeolus-for to thee hath the Father of gods and king of men given power to calm and uplift the waves with the wind-a people hateful to me sails the Tyrrhene sea, carrying into Italy Ilium's

1 Minerva destroyed Ajax and his fleet because on the night of Troy's fall he had attacked Cassandra in her temple.

Tydide! mene Iliacis occumbere campis

100

non potuisse tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra, saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit !" Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit; franguntur remi; tum prora avertit et undis dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons. hi summo in fluctu pendent; his unda dehiscens 106 terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis. tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet (saxa vocant Itali, mediis quae in fluctibus, Aras, dorsum immane mari summo), tris Eurus ab alto 110 in brevia et syrtis urget (miserabile visu) inliditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae. unam, quae Lycios fidumque vehebat Oronten, ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus

in puppim ferit; excutitur pronusque magister 115 volvitur in caput; ast illam ter fluctus ibidem torquet agens circum et rapidus vorat aequore vertex. apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto,

arma virum tabulaeque et Troia gaza per undas. iam validam Ilionei navem, iam fortis Achatae, 120 et qua vectus Abas, et qua grandaevus Aletes, vicit hiems; laxis laterum compagibus omnes accipiunt inimicum imbrem rimisque fatiscunt.

100 sub undas also known to Servius.

103 fluctum M1.

109 mediisque My.

104

proram M, Servius.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

on the Ilian plains and gasp out this life-blood at thy
hand! where, under the spear of Aeacides, fierce
Hector lies prostrate, where mighty Sarpedon ;
where Simois seizes and sweeps beneath his waves
so many shields and helms and bodies of the
brave!"

102 As he flings forth such words, a gust, shrieking
from the North, strikes full on his sail and lifts the
The oars snap, then the prow
waves to heaven.
swings round and gives the broadside to the waves;
down in a heap comes a sheer mountain of water.
Some of the seamen hang upon the billow's crest;
to others the yawning sea shows ground beneath the
waves; the surges seethe with sand. Three ships
the South-wind catches and hurls on hidden rock
rocks the Italians call the Altars, rising amidst the
Three the
waves, a huge ridge topping the sea.
Fast forces from the deep into shallows and sand-
banks, a piteous sight, dashes on shoals and girds.
with a mound of sand. One, which bore the Lycians
and loyal Orontes, before the eyes of Aeneas a mighty
toppling wave strikes astern. The helmsman is dashed
out and hurled head foremost, but the ship is thrice on
the same spot whirled round and round by the wave
and engulfed in the sea's devouring eddy. Here and
there are seen swimmers in the vast abyss, with
weapons of men, planks, and Trojan treasure amid
the waves. Now the stout ship of Ilioneus, now of
brave Achates, and that wherein Abas sailed and
that of aged Aletes, the storm has mastered; with
side-joints loosened, all let in the hostile flood and
gape at every seam.

1 In syrtis there may be a reference to the famous Byrtes (Gulfs of Cabex and midra), but these are considerably to the east of Carthage.

249

« ForrigeFortsæt »