Custom Search
| Home | Introduction | Persons | Geogr. | Sources | Events | Mijn blog(Nederlands) |
| Religion | Subjects | Images | Queries | Links | Contact | Do not fly Iberia |
|
Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VIII Chapter 10: The tale of Hercules and Cacus | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
|
When hunger and its eager edge were gone, Evander spoke: This votive holiday, yon tables spread and altar so divine, are not some superstition dark and vain, that knows not the old gods, O Trojan king! But as men saved from danger and great fear this thankful sacrifice we pay. Behold, yon huge rock, beetling from the mountain wall, hung from the cliff above. How lone and bare the hollowed mountain looks! How crag on crag tumbled and tossed in huge confusion lie! A cavern once it was, which ran deep down into the darkness. There th' half-human shape of Cacus made its hideous den, concealed from sunlight and the day. The ground was wet at all times with fresh gore; the portal grim was hung about with heads of slaughtered men, bloody and pale -- a fearsome sight to see. Vulcan begat this monster, which spewed forth dark-fuming flames from his infernal throat, and vast his stature seemed. But time and tide brought to our prayers the advent of a god to help us at our need. For Hercules, divine avenger, came from laying low three-bodied Geryon, whose spoils he wore exultant, and with hands victorious drove the herd of monster bulls, which pastured free along our river-valley.Cacus gazed in a brute frenzy, and left not untried aught of bold crime or stratagem, but stole four fine bulls as they fed, and heifers four, all matchless; but, lest hoof-tracks point his way, he dragged them cave-wards by the tails, confusing the natural trail, and hid the stolen herd in his dark den; and not a mark or sign could guide the herdsmen to that cavern-door. But after, when Amphitryon's famous son, preparing to depart, would from the meads goad forth the full-fed herd, his lingering bulls roared loud, and by their lamentable cry filled grove and hills with clamor of farewell: one heifer from the mountain-cave lowed back in answer, so from her close-guarded stall foiling the monster's will. Events: Aeneas visits Evander, Heracles and Cacus, Labor 10: Heracles and the cattle of Geryon |
184-218 Postquam exempta fames et amor compressus edendi, rex Euandrus ait: 'non haec sollemnia nobis, has ex more dapes, hanc tanti numinis aram uana superstitio ueterumque ignara deorum imposuit: saeuis, hospes Troiane, periclis seruati facimus meritosque nouamus honores. iam primum saxis suspensam hanc aspice rupem, disiectae procul ut moles desertaque montis stat domus et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam. hic spelunca fuit uasto summota recessu, semihominis Caci facies quam dira tenebat solis inaccessam radiis; semperque recenti caede tepebat humus, foribusque adfixa superbis ora uirum tristi pendebant pallida tabo. huic monstro Volcanus erat pater: illius atros ore uomens ignis magna se mole ferebat. attulit et nobis aliquando optantibus aetas auxilium aduentumque dei. nam maximus ultor tergemini nece Geryonae spoliisque superbus Alcides aderat taurosque hac uictor agebat ingentis, uallemque boues amnemque tenebant. at furis Caci mens effera, ne quid inausum aut intractatum scelerisue doliue fuisset, quattuor a stabulis praestanti corpore tauros auertit, totidem forma superante iuuencas. atque hos, ne qua forent pedibus uestigia rectis, cauda in speluncam tractos uersisque uiarum indiciis raptor saxo occultabat opaco; quaerenti nulla ad speluncam signa ferebant. interea, cum iam stabulis saturata moueret Amphitryoniades armenta abitumque pararet, discessu mugire boues atque omne querelis impleri nemus et colles clamore relinqui. reddidit una boum uocem uastoque sub antro mugiit et Caci spem custodita fefellit. |