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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book XII Chapter 4: Turnus prepares for the duel | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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So saying, he hied him to his lordly halls, summoned his steeds, and with pleased eye surveyed their action proud: them Orithyia, bride of Boreas, to Sire Pilumnus gave, which in their whiteness did surpass the snow in speed the wind. The nimble charioteers stood by and smote with hollowed hand and palm the sounding chests, or combed the necks and manes. But he upon his kingly shoulders clasped his corselet, thick o'erlaid with blazoned gold and silvery orichalch; he fitted him with falchion, shield, and helm of purple plume, that falchion which the Lord of Fire [Note 1] had made for Daunus, tempering in the Stygian wave when white it glowed; next grasped he the good spear which leaned its weight against a column tall in the mid-court, Auruncan Actor's spoil, and waved it wide in air with mighty cry: O spear, that ne'er did fail me when I called, the hour is come! Once mighty Actor's hand, but now the hand of Turnus is thy lord. Grant me to strike that carcase to the ground, and with strong hand the corselet rip and rend from off that Phrygian eunuch: let the dust befoul those tresses, tricked to curl so fine with singeing steel and sleeked with odorous oil. Such frenzy goads him: his impassioned brow is all on flame, the wild eyes flash with fire. Thus, bellowing loud before the fearful fray, some huge bull proves the fury of his horns, pushing against a tree-trunk; his swift thrusts would tear the winds in pieces; while his hoofs toss up the turf and sand, rehearsing war. Note 1: Lord of Fire = Vulcan |
81-106 Haec ubi dicta dedit rapidusque in tecta recessit, poscit equos gaudetque tuens ante ora frementis, Pilumno quos ipsa decus dedit Orithyia, qui candore niues anteirent, cursibus auras. circumstant properi aurigae manibusque lacessunt pectora plausa cauis et colla comantia pectunt. ipse dehinc auro squalentem alboque orichalco circumdat loricam umeris, simul aptat habendo ensemque clipeumque et rubrae cornua cristae, ensem quem Dauno ignipotens deus ipse parenti fecerat et Stygia candentem tinxerat unda. exim quae mediis ingenti adnixa columnae aedibus astabat, ualidam ui corripit hastam, Actoris Aurunci spolium, quassatque trementem uociferans: 'nunc, o numquam frustrata uocatus hasta meos, nunc tempus adest: te maximus Actor, te Turni nunc dextra gerit; da sternere corpus loricamque manu ualida lacerare reuulsam semiuiri Phrygis et foedare in puluere crinis uibratos calido ferro murraque madentis.' his agitur furiis, totoque ardentis ab ore scintillae absistunt, oculis micat acribus ignis, mugitus ueluti cum prima in proelia taurus terrificos ciet aut irasci in cornua temptat arboris obnixus trunco, uentosque lacessit ictibus aut sparsa ad pugnam proludit harena. |