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The Aeneid by Virgil
translated by Theodore C. Williams
Book III Chapter 22: Charybdis
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No tarrying now, but after sacrifice
we twirled the sailyards and shook out all sail,
leaving the cities of the sons of Greece
and that distrusted land. Tarentum's bay
soon smiled before us, town of Hercules,
if fame be true; opposing it uptowers
Lacinia's headland unto Juno dear,
the heights of Caulon, and that sailors' bane,
ship-shattering Scylaceum. Thence half seen,
trinacrian Aetna cleaves th' horizon line;
we hear from far the crash of shouting seas,
where lifted billows leap the tide-swept sand.
Father Anchises cried: T is none but she --
Charybdis! Helenus this reef foretold,
and rocks of dreadful name. O, fly, my men!
Rise like one man with long, strong sweep of oars!”
Not unobedient they! First Palinure
veered to the leftward wave the willing keel,
and sails and oars together leftward strove.
We shot to skyward on the arching surge,
then, as she sank, dropped deeper than the grave;
thrice bellowed the vast cliffs from vaulted wall;
thrice saw we spouted foam and showers of stars.
After these things both wind and sun did fail;
and weary, worn, not witting of our way,
we drifted shoreward to the Cyclops' land.

Events: The wanderings of Aeneas, Aeneas and Charybdis

548-569
Haud mora, continuo perfectis ordine uotis
cornua uelatarum obuertimus antemnarum,
Graiugenumque domos suspectaque linquimus arua.
hinc sinus Herculei (si uera est fama) Tarenti
cernitur, attollit se diua Lacinia contra,
Caulonisque arces et nauifragum Scylaceum.
tum procul e fluctu Trinacria cernitur Aetna,
et gemitum ingentem pelagi pulsataque saxa
audimus longe fractasque ad litora uoces,
exsultantque uada atque aestu miscentur harenae.
et pater Anchises 'nimirum hic illa Charybdis:
hos Helenus scopulos, haec saxa horrenda canebat.
eripite, o socii, pariterque insurgite remis.'
haud minus ac iussi faciunt, primusque rudentem
contorsit laeuas proram Palinurus ad undas;
laeuam cuncta cohors remis uentisque petiuit.
tollimur in caelum curuato gurgite, et idem
subducta ad Manis imos desedimus unda.
ter scopuli clamorem inter caua saxa dedere,
ter spumam elisam et rorantia uidimus astra.
interea fessos uentus cum sole reliquit,
ignarique uiae Cyclopum adlabimur oris.