Latin poetry -- Adaptations; Virgil -- Adaptations
And while she spake there came Helenus from the city with a great
company, and bade welcome to his friends with much joy. And Æneas saw
how that all things were ordered and named even as they had been at
Troy, only the things at Troy had been great, and these were very
small. And afterwards King Helenus made a feast to them in his house,
and they drank together and were merry.
But after certain days were passed, Æneas, seeing that the wind
favoured them, spake to Helenus, knowing him also to be a prophet of
the Gods: "Tell me now, seeing that thou art wise in all manner of
divination and prophecy, how it will fare with us. For indeed all
things have seemed to favour us, and we go not on this journey against
the will of the Gods, yet did the Harpy Celæno prophesy evil things,
that we should endure great extremity of hunger. Say, then, of what
things I should most beware, and how I shall best prosper."
Then Helenus, after due sacrifice, led Æneas to the temple of Phœbus.
And when they were come thither, and the god had breathed into the
seer, even into Helenus, the spirit of prophecy, he spake, saying,
"Son of Venus, that thou takest thy journey across the sea with favour
of the Gods, is manifest. Hearken, therefore, and I will inform thee
of certain things, though indeed they be few out of many, by which
thou mayest more safely cross unknown seas and get thee to thy haven
in Italy. Much indeed the Fates suffer me not to know, and much Juno
forbids me to speak. Know then, first of all, that Italy, which thou
ignorantly thinkest to be close at hand, is yet far away across many
seas. And let this be a sign to thee that thou art indeed come to the
place where thou wouldst be. When thou shalt see a white sow and
thirty pigs at her teats, then hast thou found the place of thy city
that shall be. And as to the devouring of thy tables for famine, heed
it not: Apollo will help thee at need. But seek not to find a
dwelling-place on this shore of Italy which is near at hand, seeing
that it is inhabited by the accursed sons of Greece. And when thou
hast passed it by, and art come to the land of Sicily, and shalt see
the strait of Pelorus open before thee, do thou keep to thy left hand
and avoid the way that is on thy right. For here in days past was the
land rent asunder, so that the waters of the sea flow between cities
and fields that of old time were joined together. And on the right
hand is Scylla, and on the left Charybdis the whirlpool. But Scylla
dwelleth in her cave, a monster dreadful to behold; for to the middle
she is a fair woman, but a beast of the sea below, even the belly of a
dolphin, with heads as of a wolf. Wherefore it will be better for
thee to fetch a compass round the whole land of Sicily than to come
nigh these things, or to see them with thine eyes. Do thou also
remember this, at all places and times, before all other Gods to
worship Juno, that thou mayest persuade her, and so make thy way
safely to Italy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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