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Notes Display Latin text | translated by Theodore C. Williams Book V Chapter 8: Minoetes is thrown overboard | Next chapter Return to index Previous chapter |
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Forth-flying from his peers, while all the crowd acclaims, sped Gyas' keel along the outmost wave. Cloanthus next pushed hard upon, with stronger stroke of oars but heavier ship. At equal pace behind the Pristis and the Centaur fiercely strive for the third place. Now Pristis seems to lead, now mightier Centaur past her flies, then both ride on together, prow with prow, and cleave long lines of foaming furrow with swift keels. Soon near the rock they drew, and either ship was making goal, -- when Gyas, in the lead, and winner of the half-course, loudly hailed Menoetes, the ship's pilot: Why so far to starboard, we? Keep her head round this way! Hug shore! Let every oar-blade almost graze that reef to larboard! Let the others take the deep-sea course outside! But while he spoke, Menoetes, dreading unknown rocks below, veered off to open sea. Why steer so wide? Round to the rock,Menoetes! Gyas roared, -- again in vain, for looking back he saw Cloanthus hard astern, and ever nearer, who, in a trice, betwixt the booming reef and Gyas' galley, lightly forward thrust the beak of Scylla to the inside course, and, quickly taking lead, flew past the goal to the smooth seas beyond. Then wrathful grief flamed in the warrior's heart, nor was his cheek unwet with tears; and, reckless utterly of his own honor and his comrades, lives, he hurled poor, slack Menoetes from the poop headlong upon the waters, while himself, pilot and master both, the helm assuming, urged on his crew, and landward took his way. But now, with heavy limbs that hardly won his rescue from the deep, engulfing wave, up the rude rock graybeard Menoetes climbed with garment dripping wet, and there dropped down upon the cliff's dry top. With laughter loud the Trojan crews had watched him plunging, swimming, and now to see his drink of bitter brine spewed on the ground, the sailors laughed again. |
151-182 Effugit ante alios primisque elabitur undis turbam inter fremitumque Gyas; quem deinde Cloanthus consequitur, melior remis, sed pondere pinus tarda tenet. post hos aequo discrimine Pristis Centaurusque locum tendunt superare priorem; et nunc Pristis habet, nunc uictam praeterit ingens Centaurus, nunc una ambae iunctisque feruntur frontibus et longa sulcant uada salsa carina. iamque propinquabant scopulo metamque tenebant, cum princeps medioque Gyas in gurgite uictor rectorem nauis compellat uoce Menoeten: 'quo tantum mihi dexter abis? huc derige cursum; litus ama et laeua stringat sine palmula cautes; altum alii teneant.' dixit; sed caeca Menoetes saxa timens proram pelagi detorquet ad undas. 'quo diuersus abis?' iterum 'pete saxa, Menoete!' cum clamore Gyas reuocabat, et ecce Cloanthum respicit instantem tergo et propiora tenentem. ille inter nauemque Gyae scopulosque sonantis radit iter laeuum interior subitoque priorem praeterit et metis tenet aequora tuta relictis. tum uero exarsit iuueni dolor ossibus ingens nec lacrimis caruere genae, segnemque Menoeten oblitus decorisque sui sociumque salutis in mare praecipitem puppi deturbat ab alta; ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister hortaturque uiros clauumque ad litora torquet. at grauis ut fundo uix tandem redditus imo est iam senior madidaque fluens in ueste Menoetes summa petit scopuli siccaque in rupe resedit. illum et labentem Teucri et risere natantem et salsos rident reuomentem pectore fluctus. |