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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book XII Chapter 6: General preparations | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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Soon as the breaking dawn its glory threw along the hills, and from the sea's profound leaped forth the horses of the sun-god's car, from lifted nostrils breathing light and fire, then Teucrian and Rutulian measured out a place for duel, underneath the walls of the proud city. In the midst were set altars of turf and hearth-stones burning bright in honor of their common gods. Some brought pure waters and the hallowed flame, their thighs in priestly skirt arrayed, and reverend brows with vervain bound. Th' Ausonians, spear in hand, out from the city's crowded portals moved in ordered column: next the Trojans all, with Tuscan host in various martial guise, equipped with arms of steel, as if they heard stern summons to the fight. Their captains, too, emerging from the multitude, in pride of gold and purple, hurried to and fro: Mnestheus of royal stem, Asilas brave; and Neptune's offspring, tamer of the steed, Messapus. Either host, at signal given, to its own ground retiring, fixed in earth the long shafts of the spears and stacked the shields. Then eagerly to tower and rampart fly the women, the infirm old men, the throng of the unarmed, and sit them there at gaze, or on the columned gates expectant stand. |
113-133 Postera uix summos spargebat lumine montis orta dies, cum primum alto se gurgite tollunt Solis equi lucemque elatis naribus efflant: campum ad certamen magnae sub moenibus urbis dimensi Rutulique uiri Teucrique parabant in medioque focos et dis communibus aras gramineas. alii fontemque ignemque ferebant uelati limo et uerbena tempora uincti. procedit legio Ausonidum, pilataque plenis agmina se fundunt portis. hinc Troius omnis Tyrrhenusque ruit uariis exercitus armis, haud secus instructi ferro quam si aspera Martis pugna uocet. nec non mediis in milibus ipsi ductores auro uolitant ostroque superbi, et genus Assaraci Mnestheus et fortis Asilas et Messapus equum domitor, Neptunia proles; utque dato signo spatia in sua quisque recessit, defigunt tellure hastas et scuta reclinant. tum studio effusae matres et uulgus inermum inualidique senes turris ac tecta domorum obsedere, alii portis sublimibus astant. |