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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book XII Chapter 32: Jupiter sends a messenger to Juturna | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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After these things Jove gave his kingly mind to further action, that he might forthwith cut off Juturna from her brother's cause. Two plagues there be, called Furies, which were spawned at one birth from the womb of wrathful Night with dread Megaera, phantom out of hell; and of their mother's gift, each Fury wears grim-coiling serpents and tempestuous wings. These at Jove's throne attend, and watch the doors of that stern King -- to whet the edge of fear for wretched mortals, when the King of gods hurls pestilence and death, or terrifies offending nations with the scourge of war. T was one of these which Jove sent speeding down from his ethereal seat, and bade her cross the pathway of Juturna for a sign. Her wings she spread, and earthward seemed to ride upon a whirling storm. As when some shaft, with Parthian poison tipped or Cretan gall, a barb of death, shoots cloudward from the bow, and hissing through the dark hastes forth unseen: so earthward flew that daughter of the night. Soon as she spied the Teucrians in array and Turnus' lines, she shrivelled to the shape of that small bird which on lone tombs and towers sits perching through the midnight, and prolongs in shadow and deep gloom her troubling cry. In such disguise the Fury, screaming shrill, flitted in Turnus' face, and with her wings smote on his hollow shield. A strange affright palsied his every limb; each several hair lifted with horror, and his gasping voice died on his lips. |
843-868 His actis aliud genitor secum ipse uolutat Iuturnamque parat fratris dimittere ab armis. dicuntur geminae pestes cognomine Dirae, quas et Tartaream Nox intempesta Megaeram uno eodemque tulit partu, paribusque reuinxit serpentum spiris uentosasque addidit alas. hae Iouis ad solium saeuique in limine regis apparent acuuntque metum mortalibus aegris, si quando letum horrificum morbosque deum rex molitur, meritas aut bello territat urbes. harum unam celerem demisit ab aethere summo Iuppiter inque omen Iuturnae occurrere iussit: illa uolat celerique ad terram turbine fertur. non secus ac neruo per nubem impulsa sagitta, armatam saeui Parthus quam felle ueneni, Parthus siue Cydon, telum immedicabile, torsit, stridens et celeris incognita transilit umbras: talis se sata Nocte tulit terrasque petiuit. postquam acies uidet Iliacas atque agmina Turni, alitis in paruae subitam collecta figuram, quae quondam in bustis aut culminibus desertis nocte sedens serum canit importuna per umbras— hanc uersa in faciem Turni se pestis ob ora fertque refertque sonans clipeumque euerberat alis. illi membra nouus soluit formidine torpor, arrectaeque horrore comae et uox faucibus haesit. |