Aeneid
- 1.494.701
emerging tallest of her beauteous train;
- 1.494.702
while joy unutterable thrills the breast
- 1.494.703
of fond Latona: Dido not less fair
- 1.494.704
amid her subjects passed, and not less bright
- 1.494.705
her glow of gracious joy, while she approved
- 1.494.706
her future kingdom's pomp and vast emprise.
- 1.494.707
Then at the sacred portal and beneath
- 1.494.708
the temple's vaulted dome she took her place,
- 1.494.709
encompassed by armed men, and lifted high
- 1.494.710
upon a throne; her statutes and decrees
- 1.494.711
the people heard, and took what lot or toil
- 1.494.712
her sentence, or impartial urn, assigned.
- 1.494.713
But, lo! Aeneas sees among the throng
- 1.494.714
Antheus, Sergestus, and Cloanthus bold,
- 1.494.715
with other Teucrians, whom the black storm flung
- 1.494.716
far o'er the deep and drove on alien shores.
- 1.494.717
Struck dumb was he, and good Achates too,
- 1.494.718
half gladness and half fear. Fain would they fly
- 1.494.719
to friendship's fond embrace; but knowing not
- 1.494.720
what might befall, their hearts felt doubt and care.
- 1.494.721
Therefore they kept the secret, and remained
- 1.494.722
forth-peering from the hollow veil of cloud,
- 1.494.723
haply to learn what their friends' fate might be,
- 1.494.724
or where the fleet was landed, or what aim
- 1.494.725
had brought them hither; for a chosen few
- 1.494.726
from every ship had come to sue for grace,
- 1.494.727
and all the temple with their voices rang.
- 1.520.728
The doors swung wide; and after access given
- 1.520.729
and leave to speak, revered Ilioneus
- 1.520.730
with soul serene these lowly words essayed:
- 1.520.731
“O Queen, who hast authority of Jove
- 1.520.732
to found this rising city, and subdue
- 1.520.733
with righteous governance its people proud,
- 1.520.734
we wretched Trojans, blown from sea to sea,
- 1.520.735
beseech thy mercy; keep the curse of fire
- 1.520.736
from our poor ships! We pray thee, do no wrong
- 1.520.737
unto a guiltless race. But heed our plea!
- 1.520.738
No Libyan hearth shall suffer by our sword,
- 1.520.739
nor spoil and plunder to our ships be borne;
- 1.520.740
such haughty violence fits not the souls
- 1.520.741
of vanquished men. We journey to a land
- 1.520.742
named, in Greek syllables, Hesperia:
- 1.520.743
a storied realm, made mighty by great wars
- 1.520.744
and wealth of fruitful land; in former days
- 1.520.745
Oenotrians had it, and their sons, 't is said,
- 1.520.746
have called it Italy, a chieftain's name
- 1.520.747
to a whole region given. Thitherward
- 1.520.748
our ships did fare; but with swift-rising flood
- 1.520.749
the stormful season of Orion's star
- 1.520.750
drove us on viewless shoals; and angry gales
- 1.520.751
dispersed us, smitten by the tumbling surge,
- 1.520.752
among innavigable rocks. Behold,
- 1.520.753
we few swam hither, waifs upon your shore!
- 1.520.754
What race of mortals this? What barbarous land,
- 1.520.755
that with inhospitable laws ye thrust
- 1.520.756
a stranger from your coasts, and fly to arms,
- 1.520.757
nor grant mere foothold on your kingdom's bound?
- 1.520.758
If man thou scornest and all mortal power,
- 1.520.759
forget not that the gods watch good and ill!
- 1.544.760
A king we had; Aeneas,—never man
- 1.544.761
in all the world more loyal, just and true,
- 1.544.762
nor mightier in arms! If Heaven decree
- 1.544.763
his present safety, if he now do breathe
- 1.544.764
the air of earth and is not buried low
- 1.544.765
among the dreadful shades, then fear not thou!
- 1.544.766
For thou wilt never rue that thou wert prompt
- 1.544.767
to do us the first kindness. O'er the sea
- 1.544.768
in the Sicilian land, are cities proud,
- 1.544.769
with martial power, and great Acestes there
- 1.544.770
is of our Trojan kin. So grant us here
- 1.544.771
to beach our shattered ships along thy shore,
- 1.544.772
and from thy forest bring us beam and spar
- 1.544.773
to mend our broken oars. Then, if perchance
- 1.544.774
we find once more our comrades and our king,
- 1.544.775
and forth to Italy once more set sail,
- 1.544.776
to Italy, our Latin hearth and home,
- 1.544.777
we will rejoicing go. But if our weal
- 1.544.778
is clean gone by, and thee, blest chief and sire,
- 1.544.779
these Libyan waters keep, and if no more
- 1.544.780
Iulus bids us hope,—then, at the least,
- 1.544.781
to yon Sicilian seas, to friendly lands
- 1.544.782
whence hither drifting with the winds we came,
- 1.544.783
let us retrace the journey and rejoin
- 1.544.784
good King Acestes.” So Ilioneus
- 1.544.785
ended his pleading; the Dardanidae
- 1.544.786
murmured assent.
- 1.561.787
Then Dido, briefly and with downcast eyes,
- 1.561.788
her answer made: “O Teucrians, have no fear!
- 1.561.789
Bid care begone! It was necessity,
- 1.561.790
and my young kingdom's weakness, which compelled
- 1.561.791
the policy of force, and made me keep
- 1.561.792
such vigilant sentry my wide co'ast along.
- 1.561.793
Aeneas and his people, that fair town
- 1.561.794
of Troy—who knows them not? The whole world knows
- 1.561.795
those valorous chiefs and huge, far-flaming wars.
- 1.561.796
Our Punic hearts are not of substance all
- 1.561.797
insensible and dull: the god of day
- 1.561.798
drives not his fire-breathing steeds so far
- 1.561.799
from this our Tyrian town. If ye would go
- 1.561.800
to great Hesperia, where Saturn reigned,
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