aeneid ii translation Flashcards
primus ibi ante omnes, magna comitante caterva, Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce, et procul: ‘o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives? creditis avectos hostes? aut ulla putatis dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Ulixes?
There first of all, with a great crowd accompanying him, Laocoon comes running down from the height of the citadel, blazing with anger, and from far away shouts ‘O wretched citizens, what insanity is this? Do you believe our enemies have sailed away? Or do you think any Greek gifts lack treachery. Is Ulysses known thus?
aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi,
aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros, inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi, aut aliquis latet error: equo ne credite, Teucri. quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.
Either there are Greeks hidden away, shut in this wood, or this machine has been built to use against our walls, to spy on our homes and come down from above into the city, or some threat is lying hidden: Trojans, do not trust this horse. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even those bearing gifts’
sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae. et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset, impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.
Having spoken thus he threw his spear with immense strength into the beast’s side and the curved joints of its belly. It stuck, quivering and with the womb having been struck the cavity rang out hollow and gave a groan. And if the pronouncements of the gods, if their intent was not unfavourable, he would have forced us to defile the hiding places of the Greeks with our swords, Troy would stand now and you, Priam’s high citadel, would remain.
ecce, manus iuvenem interea post terga revinctum pastores magno ad
regem clamore trahebant
Dardanidae, qui se ignotum venientibus ultro, hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiamque aperiret Achivis, obtulerat, fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus, seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti.
Look meanwhile the Dardan shepherds were dragging a young man with his hands tied behind his back, with a great clamour, to the king; he, of his own accord, offered himself, unknown to them, whilst they were coming so that he might achieve this very thing and reveal Troy to the Greeks, trusting in his courage and prepared for either to contrive trickery or to meet with a certain death.
undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus circumfusa ruit certantque inludere capto. accipe nunc Danaum insidias et crimine ab uno
disce omnes.
And from all sides the Trojan youth , pouring around out of eagerness for spectating, rushed up and competed to mock the captive. Hear now, the tale of Greek treachery and learn of all from this one crime.
namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus, inermis constitit atque oculis Phrygia agmina circumspexit, ‘heu, quae nunc tellus,’ inquit, quae me aequora possunt accipere? aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat, cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus, et super ipsi Dardanidae infensi poenas cum sanguine poscunt?’
For indeed as he stood there, in full view, agitated and unarmed, and cast his eye over the Trojan ranks, he said, ‘Alas! Now what land, what plains are able to accept me? Or what now, at the end, remains for wretched me for whom there is no place amongst the Greeks anywhere, and in addition, the hostile Trojans demand my execution?
quo gemitu conversi animi compressus et omnis impetus. hortamur fari quo sanguine cretus, quid-ve ferat; memoret quae sit fiducia capto. [ille haec deposita tandem formidine fatur:]
At this lamentation, our minds were changed and all of our hostility was quenched. We encouraged him to say of what blood he was borne and what he bore; let him relate what hope there is to him as a captive. [With his fear set aside he finally said these things: ]
‘cuncta equidem tibi, rex, fuerit quodcumque, fatebor vera, inquit; ‘neque me Argolica de gente negabo. hoc primum. nec, si miserum Fortuna Sinonem finxit, vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget.
‘Indeed, I will confess to you the whole truth, O king, whatever may come of it’ he said; ‘Neither will I deny that I am of Greek lineage. This is first of all. Nor if Fortune has made Sinon wretched, will she also form a deceptive and a liar.
fando aliquod si forte tuas pervenit ad aures Belidae nomen Palamedis et incluta fama gloria, quem falsa sub proditione Pelasgi insontem infando indicio, quia bella vetabat, demisere neci, nunc cassum lumine lugent.
If perhaps some mention of the name of Palamedis, son of Belus, has reached your ears in the telling and his renowned fame by report, whom, blameless of an unspeakable charge, the Greeks, under a false, trumped-up charge, sent down to die, through wicked accusations, because he forbade the war; whom, as he is deprived of the light, they now mourn.
illi me comitem et consanguinitate propinquum pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis.
It was to him my father, in his poverty, sent me as his companion, related by family, to war from my earliest adulthood.
dum stabat regno incolumnis regumque vigebat concilis et nos aliquod nomenque decusque gessimus. invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi (haud ignota loquor) superis concessit ab oris, adflictus vitam in tenerbis iuctuque trahebam et casum insontis mecum indignabar amici. nec tacui demens et me, fors si qua tulisset, si patros umquam remeassem victor ad Argos, promisi ultorem et odia aspera movi.
While Palamedis was standing, unchallenged in his kingship and was thriving in the councils of his kingship, I too bore some reputation and honours. When through the malice of the deceitful Ulysses (I speak of what is not unknown) he withdrew from the world above, I, afflicted, began to drag on in gloomy grief my life and I grew resentful with myself of the thing that befell my blameless friend. Nor was I silent in my madness, but, if any chance brought it about, if I would return in triumph to my fatherland, Greece, I vowed myself to be the avenger and I stirred cruel hate with my words.
hinc mihi prima mali labes, hinc semper Ulixes criminibus terrere novis, hinc spargere voces in vulgum ambiguas et quaerere conscius arma. nec requievet enim, donec Calchante ministro- sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo, quidve moror? si omnes uno ordine habetis Achivos, idque audire sat est, iamdum sumite poenas: hoc Ithacus velit et magno mercentur Atridae.
Hence came for me the first stain of disaster, hence Ulysses always would terrify with new charges, hence he would sow the voices into the doubtful mob and deliberately seek violence. In fact he didn’t rest, until with Calchas as his agent- but why do I go over these unwelcome things in vain, why do I bother you? If you deem all the Greeks in one rank, and it is enough to hear this, exact your vengeance without delay: this the Ithacan would wish and the sons of Atreus would trade it at a high price.
tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae prosequitur pavitans et ficto pectore fatur: ‘saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiera relicta molirir et longo fessi discedere bello; fecissentque utinam! saepe illos aspera ponti interclusit hiema et terruit Auster euntes. praecipue cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis staret equus, toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi. suspensi Eurypylum scitatum oracula Phoebi mittimus, isque adytis have tristia dicta reportat:
Thus indeed we were burning to ask and to seek the cause of, unaware of such wickedness and the trickery of the Greek. He continued on, trembling in fear and with a fictitious heart, and said: ‘Often the Greeks, having been tired of the long war, having been left to accomplish their retreat, wanted to leave Troy; and if only they had done so! Often, a harsh storm shut them off from the sea and the southerly wind frightened them as they set out. Especially while the horse was already standing, formed of beams of maple, the clouds across the whole sky resonated. Doubtful, we sent Eurypylus to ask the oracle of Apollo, and he reports these sad words from the inner shrine
