Aen.II.559-587
At me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror
But then first a harsh dread surrounded me
560
Obstipui; subiit cari genitoris imago,
I was stunned; an image of my dear father arose,
ut regem aequaevum crudeli vulnere vidi
as I saw the king, equal in age, from a cruel wound
vitam exhalantem; subiit deserta Creüsa,
breathing out his life; (the image of) Creusa abandoned arose,
et direpta domus, et parvi casus Iuli.
And the ransacked home, and the fortune of small Iulus.
Respicio, et quae sit me circum copia lustro.
I look back, and survey what abundance (of forces) is around me.
565
Deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu
Exhausted, all deserted (me), and with a leap have sent their wretched bodies
ad terram misere aut ignibus aegra dedere.
to the earth or gave (their bodies) to the fires.
Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae
And now indeed I alone survived, when the thresholds of Vesta
servantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem
Conserving and silent hiding in a remote place
Tyndarida aspicio: dant clara incendia lucem
I see the daughter of Tyndarus (i.e. Helen): the bright blazes give light
570
erranti passimque oculos per cuncta ferenti.
to (me) wandering and bringing (my) eyes through everything everywhere.
Illa sibi infestos eversa ob Pergama Teucros
That one, fearing before hand the Trojans hostile to her on account of Troy
destroyed
et poenas Danaum et deserti coniugis iras
And the punishments of the Greeks and the angers of her abandoned spouse,
praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys,
a common Fury to Troy and to her fatherland,
abdiderat sese atque aris invisa sedebat.
had hidden herself and was sitting, hated, at the altars.
575
Exarsere ignes animo; subit ira cadentem
Fires flared up in (my) mind; anger arises
ulcisci patriam et sceleratas sumere poenas.
to avenge (my) falling fatherland and to exact wicked penalties.
“Scilicet haec Spartam incolumis patriasque Mycenas
“Of course this woman will see Sparta and, unharmed, her fatherland
Mycenae
aspiciet, partoque ibit regina triumpho,
and she will go as a queen, a triumph having been produced,
coniugiumque, domumque, patris, natosque videbit,
And will she see her husband and the home of her father and her children,
580
Iliadum turba et Phrygiis comitata ministris?
accompanied by a crowd of Trojan women and by Phrygian attendants?
Occiderit ferro Priamus, Troia arserit igni?
Will Priam have died by a sword, will Troy have burned by fire?
Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus?
Will the Trojan short have sweated so often with blood?
Non ita: namque etsi nullum memorabile nomen
(it will) Not (be) so: for even if there is no memorable name/renown
feminea in poena est, habet haec victoria laudem,
In the punishment of a woman, this victory does have praise,
585
extinxisse nefas tamen et sumpsisse merentis
however/nevertheless to have extinguished an unspeakable thing and to have
exacted deserving
laudabor poenas, animumque explesse iuvabit
Penalties I shall be praised, and it will be pleasing to have fulfilled my
mind/intent
ultricis famam, et cineres satiasse meorum.”
The reputation of an avenger, and to have satiated the ashes of my people.”