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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VIII Chapter 11: The tale of Hercules and Cacus (cont.) | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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Then hadst thou seen the wrath of Hercules in frenzy blaze from his exasperate heart. His arms he seized, his club of knotted oak, and climbed full-speed the wind-swept hill. Now first our people saw Cacus in fear, with panic in his eyes. Swift to the black cave like a gale he flew, his feet by terror winged. Scarce had he passed the cavern door, and broken the big chains, and dropped the huge rock which was pendent there by Vulcan's well-wrought steel; scarce blocked and barred the guarded gate: when there Tirynthius stood, with heart aflame, surveying each approach, rolling this way and that his wrathful eyes, gnashing his teeth. Three times his ire surveyed the slope of Aventine; three times he stormed the rock-built gate in vain; and thrice withdrew to rest him in the vale. But high above a pointed peak arose, sheer face of rock on every side, which towered into view from the long ridge above the vaulted cave, fit haunt for birds of evil-boding wing. This peak, which leftward toward the river leaned, he smote upon its right -- his utmost blow -- breaking its bases loose; then suddenly thrust at it: as he thrust, the thunder-sound filled all the arching sky, the river's banks asunder leaped, and Tiber in alarm reversed his flowing wave. So Cacus' lair lay shelterless, and naked to the day the gloomy caverns of his vast abode stood open, deeply yawning, just as if the riven earth should crack, and open wide th' infernal world and fearful kingdoms pale, which gods abhor; and to the realms on high the measureless abyss should be laid bare, and pale ghosts shrink before the entering sun. Now upon Cacus, startled by the glare, caged in the rocks and howling horribly, Alcides hurled his weapons, raining down all sorts of deadly missiles -- trunks of trees, and monstrous boulders from the mountain torn. But when the giant from his mortal strait no refuge knew, he blew from his foul jaws a storm of smoke -- incredible to tell -- and with thick darkness blinding every eye, concealed his cave, uprolling from below one pitch-black night of mingled gloom and fire. This would Alcides not endure, but leaped headlong across the flames, where densest hung the rolling smoke, and through the cavern surged a drifting and impenetrable cloud. With Cacus, who breathed unavailing flame, he grappled in the dark, locked limb with limb, and strangled him, till o'er the bloodless throat the starting eyeballs stared. Event: Heracles and Cacus |
219-261 hic uero Alcidae furiis exarserat atro felle dolor: rapit arma manu nodisque grauatum robur, et aerii cursu petit ardua montis. tum primum nostri Cacum uidere timentem turbatumque oculis; fugit ilicet ocior Euro speluncamque petit, pedibus timor addidit alas. ut sese inclusit ruptisque immane catenis deiecit saxum, ferro quod et arte paterna pendebat, fultosque emuniit obice postis, ecce furens animis aderat Tirynthius omnemque accessum lustrans huc ora ferebat et illuc, dentibus infrendens. ter totum feruidus ira lustrat Auentini montem, ter saxea temptat limina nequiquam, ter fessus ualle resedit. stabat acuta silex praecisis undique saxis speluncae dorso insurgens, altissima uisu, dirarum nidis domus opportuna uolucrum. hanc, ut prona iugo laeuum incumbebat ad amnem, dexter in aduersum nitens concussit et imis auulsam soluit radicibus, inde repente impulit; impulsu quo maximus intonat aether, dissultant ripae refluitque exterritus amnis. at specus et Caci detecta apparuit ingens regia, et umbrosae penitus patuere cauernae, non secus ac si qua penitus ui terra dehiscens infernas reseret sedes et regna recludat pallida, dis inuisa, superque immane barathrum cernatur, trepident immisso lumine Manes. ergo insperata deprensum luce repente inclusumque cauo saxo atque insueta rudentem desuper Alcides telis premit, omniaque arma aduocat et ramis uastisque molaribus instat. ille autem, neque enim fuga iam super ulla pericli, faucibus ingentem fumum (mirabile dictu) euomit inuoluitque domum caligine caeca prospectum eripiens oculis, glomeratque sub antro fumiferam noctem commixtis igne tenebris. non tulit Alcides animis, seque ipse per ignem praecipiti iecit saltu, qua plurimus undam fumus agit nebulaque ingens specus aestuat atra. hic Cacum in tenebris incendia uana uomentem corripit in nodum complexus, et angit inhaerens elisos oculos et siccum sanguine guttur. |