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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VII Chapter 5: Omens for Latinus | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
Latinus, then an aged king, held long-accepted sway o'er tranquil vales and towns. He was the son of Faunus, so the legend tells, who wed the nymph Marica of Laurentian stem. Picus was Faunus' father, whence the line to Saturn's loins ascends. O heavenly sire, from thee the stem began! But Fate had given to King Latinus' body no heirs male: for taken in the dawning of his day his only son had been; and now his home and spacious palace one sole daughter kept, who was grown ripe to wed and of full age to take a husband. Many suitors tried from all Ausonia and Latium's bounds; but comeliest in all their princely throng came Turnus, of a line of mighty sires. Him the queen mother chiefly loved, and yearned to call him soon her son. But omens dire and menaces from Heaven withstood her will. A laurel-tree grew in the royal close, of sacred leaf and venerated age, which, when he builded there his wall and tower, Father Latinus found, and hallowed it to Phoebus' grace and power, wherefrom the name Laurentian, which his realm and people bear. Unto this tree-top, wonderful to tell, came hosts of bees, with audible acclaim voyaging the stream of air, and seized a place on the proud, pointing crest, where the swift swarm, with interlacement of close-clinging feet, swung from the leafy bough. “Behold, there comes,” the prophet cried, “a husband from afar! To the same region by the self-same path behold an arm'd host taking lordly sway upon our city's crown!” Soon after this, when, coming to the shrine with torches pure, Lavinia kindled at her father's side the sacrifice, swift seemed the flame to burn along her flowing hair -- O sight of woe! Over her broidered snood it sparkling flew, lighting her queenly tresses and her crown of jewels rare: then, wrapt in flaming cloud, from hall to hall the fire-god's gift she flung. This omen dread and wonder terrible was rumoured far: for prophet-voices told bright honors on the virgin's head to fall by Fate's decree, but on her people, war. |
45-80 Rex arua Latinus et urbes iam senior longa placidas in pace regebat. hunc Fauno et nympha genitum Laurente Marica accipimus; Fauno Picus pater, isque parentem te, Saturne, refert, tu sanguinis ultimus auctor. filius huic fato diuum prolesque uirilis nulla fuit, primaque oriens erepta iuuenta est. sola domum et tantas seruabat filia sedes iam matura uiro, iam plenis nubilis annis. multi illam magno e Latio totaque petebant Ausonia; petit ante alios pulcherrimus omnis Turnus, auis atauisque potens, quem regia coniunx adiungi generum miro properabat amore; sed uariis portenta deum terroribus obstant. laurus erat tecti medio in penetralibus altis sacra comam multosque metu seruata per annos, quam pater inuentam, primas cum conderet arces, ipse ferebatur Phoebo sacrasse Latinus, Laurentisque ab ea nomen posuisse colonis. huius apes summum densae (mirabile dictu) stridore ingenti liquidum trans aethera uectae obsedere apicem, et pedibus per mutua nexis examen subitum ramo frondente pependit. continuo uates 'externum cernimus' inquit 'aduentare uirum et partis petere agmen easdem partibus ex isdem et summa dominarier arce.' praeterea, castis adolet dum altaria taedis, et iuxta genitorem astat Lauinia uirgo, uisa (nefas) longis comprendere crinibus ignem atque omnem ornatum flamma crepitante cremari, regalisque accensa comas, accensa coronam insignem gemmis; tum fumida lumine fuluo inuolui ac totis Volcanum spargere tectis. id uero horrendum ac uisu mirabile ferri: namque fore inlustrem fama fatisque canebant ipsam, sed populo magnum portendere bellum. |