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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book VIII Chapter 27: The shield of Aeneas (cont.) | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
Encircled by these pictures ran the waves of vast, unrestful seas in flowing gold, where seemed along the azure crests to fly the hoary foam, and in a silver ring the tails of swift, emerging dolphins lashed the waters bright, and clove the tumbling brine. For the shield's central glory could be seen great fleets of brazen galleys, and the fight at Actium; where, ablaze with war's array, Leucate's peak glowed o'er the golden tide. Caesar Augustus led Italia's sons to battle: at his side concordant moved Senate and Roman People, with their gods of hearth and home, and all Olympian Powers. Uplifted on his ship he stands; his brows beneath a double glory smile, and bright over his forehead beams the Julian star. In neighboring region great Agrippa leads, by favor of fair winds and friendly Heaven, his squadron forth: upon his brows he wears the peerless emblem of his rostral crown. Opposing, in barbaric splendor shine the arms of Antony: in victor's garb from nations in the land of morn he rides, and from the Red Sea, bringing in his train Egypt and Syria, utmost Bactria's horde, and last -- O shameless! -- his Egyptian spouse [Note 1]. All to the fight make haste; the slanted oars and triple beaks of brass uptear the waves to angry foam, as to the deep they speed like hills on hill-tops hurled, or Cyclades drifting and clashing in the sea: so vast that shock of castled ships and mighty men! Swift, arrowy steel and balls of blazing tow rain o'er the waters, till the sea-god's world flows red with slaughter. In the midst, the Queen, sounding her native timbrel, wildly calls her minions to the fight, nor yet can see two fatal asps behind. Her monster-gods, barking Anubis, and his mongrel crew, on Neptune, Venus, and Minerva fling their impious arms; the face of angry Mars, carved out of iron, in the centre frowns, grim Furies fill the air; Discordia strides in rent robe, mad with joy; and at her side, Bellona waves her sanguinary scourge. There Actian Apollo watched the war, and o'er it stretched his bow; which when they knew, Egyptian, Arab, and swart Indian slave, and all the sons of Saba fled away in terror of his arm. The vanquished Queen made prayer to all the winds, and more and more flung out the swelling sail: on wind-swept wave she fled through dead and dying; her white brow the Lord of Fire [Note 1] had cunningly portrayed blanched with approaching doom. Beyond her lay the large-limbed picture of the mournful Nile, who from his bosom spread his garments wide, and offered refuge in his sheltering streams and broad, blue breast, to all her fallen power. But Caesar in his triple triumph passed the gates of Rome, and gave Italia's gods, for grateful offering and immortal praise, three hundred temples; all the city streets with game and revel and applauding song rang loud; in all the temples altars burned and Roman matrons prayed; the slaughtered herds strewed well the sacred ground. The hero, throned at snow-white marble threshold of the fane to radiant Phoebus, views the gift and spoil the nations bring, and on the portals proud hangs a perpetual garland: in long file the vanquished peoples pass, of alien tongues, of arms and vesture strange. Here Vulcan showed ungirdled Afric chiefs and Nomads bold, Gelonian bowmen, men of Caria, and Leleges. Euphrates seemed to flow with humbler wave; the world's remotest men, Morini came, with double-horned Rhine, and Dahae, little wont to bend the knee, and swift Araxes, for a bridge too proud. Note 1: spouse = Cleopatra Events: The shield of Aeneas, Battle of Actium |
671-728 haec inter tumidi late maris ibat imago aurea, sed fluctu spumabant caerula cano, et circum argento clari delphines in orbem aequora uerrebant caudis aestumque secabant. in medio classis aeratas, Actia bella, cernere erat, totumque instructo Marte uideres feruere Leucaten auroque effulgere fluctus. hinc Augustus agens Italos in proelia Caesar cum patribus populoque, penatibus et magnis dis, stans celsa in puppi, geminas cui tempora flammas laeta uomunt patriumque aperitur uertice sidus. parte alia uentis et dis Agrippa secundis arduus agmen agens, cui, belli insigne superbum, tempora nauali fulgent rostrata corona. hinc ope barbarica uariisque Antonius armis, uictor ab Aurorae populis et litore rubro, Aegyptum uirisque Orientis et ultima secum Bactra uehit, sequiturque (nefas) Aegyptia coniunx. una omnes ruere ac totum spumare reductis conuulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor. alta petunt; pelago credas innare reuulsas Cycladas aut montis concurrere montibus altos, tanta mole uiri turritis puppibus instant. stuppea flamma manu telisque uolatile ferrum spargitur, arua noua Neptunia caede rubescunt. regina in mediis patrio uocat agmina sistro, necdum etiam geminos a tergo respicit anguis. omnigenumque deum monstra et latrator Anubis contra Neptunum et Venerem contraque Mineruam tela tenent. saeuit medio in certamine Mauors caelatus ferro, tristesque ex aethere Dirae, et scissa gaudens uadit Discordia palla, quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello. Actius haec cernens arcum intendebat Apollo desuper; omnis eo terrore Aegyptus et Indi, omnis Arabs, omnes uertebant terga Sabaei. ipsa uidebatur uentis regina uocatis uela dare et laxos iam iamque immittere funis. illam inter caedes pallentem morte futura fecerat ignipotens undis et Iapyge ferri, contra autem magno maerentem corpore Nilum pandentemque sinus et tota ueste uocantem caeruleum in gremium latebrosaque flumina uictos. at Caesar, triplici inuectus Romana triumpho moenia, dis Italis uotum immortale sacrabat, maxima ter centum totam delubra per urbem. laetitia ludisque uiae plausuque fremebant; omnibus in templis matrum chorus, omnibus arae; ante aras terram caesi strauere iuuenci. ipse sedens niueo candentis limine Phoebi dona recognoscit populorum aptatque superbis postibus; incedunt uictae longo ordine gentes, quam uariae linguis, habitu tam uestis et armis. hic Nomadum genus et discinctos Mulciber Afros, hic Lelegas Carasque sagittiferosque Gelonos finxerat; Euphrates ibat iam mollior undis, extremique hominum Morini, Rhenusque bicornis, indomitique Dahae, et pontem indignatus Araxes. |