The Æneid of Virgil translated into English proseVirgil
General
The Æneid of Virgil translated into English prose
Virgil
Aeneas (Legendary character); Epic poetry, Latin -- Translations into English; Legends -- Rome
frame, and the blood was stanched in the wound. The
arrow obeys the hand, and falls unforced, and strength is
restored as before. “Quick! give the warrior his arms!
why so tardy?” cries Iapis, himself the first to stir up 30
the martial spirit. “No human aid has done this, no
power of leech-craft; it is not my hand, Æneas, that
restores you; a mightier power than man’s is at work,
sending you back to mightier deeds.” The chief, greedy
for the fight, has cased his legs in gold, chafing at delay 35
and brandishing his spear. Soon as the shield is fitted
to his side, the cuirass to his back, he clasps Ascanius to
his mailed breast, and kissing his lips through the helmet
addresses him thus: “Learn valour from me, my son,
and genuine hardihood, success from others. To-day it is
my hand that shall shield you in war and lead you through
the walks of honour; be it your care, when your age has
ripened into manhood, to bear the past in mind, seek 5
patterns among those of your own blood, and be stirred
to action by Æneas your sire and Hector your uncle.”
So having said, he passed towering through the gate,
a huge spear quivering in his hand: Antheus and Mnestheus
close their ranks and rush forth, and the whole 10
multitude streams from the empty camp. The field is
clouded by blinding dust, and earth throbs and shudders
with the tramp of feet. Turnus saw them coming towards
him from their battlements, the Ausonians saw, and a
cold shudder ran through their vitals: first before all the 15
Latians Juturna heard and knew the sound and shrank
back in terror. As a storm-cloud bursting through the
sky sweeps down to earth along the main: hapless husbandmen
know it ere it comes, and shudder at heart;
yes, it will bring havoc to their trees, devastation to their 20
crops, will lay all low far and wide; the winds fly before
it and waft the sound to the shore: with as strong a rush
the Rhœteian chief sweeps his army full on the foe; they
close in firm masses and form severally at his side. Thymbræus’
sword cuts down mighty Osiris, Mnestheus slays 25
Archetius, Achates Epulo, and Gyas Ufens; falls too the
augur Tolumnius, the first to fling his javelin at the
enemy. The din mounts to the sky, and the Rutulians
routed in turn fly through the plains in a whirlwind of
dust. The hero himself neither stoops to slaughter the 30
flying nor encounter such as would fain meet him foot to
foot, weapon in hand: Turnus alone he tracks winding
through the thick darkness, him alone he challenges to
combat. The terror struck Juturna’s manly mind: she
plucks from his seat Metiscus, Turnus’ charioteer, as he 35
drives the horses, and leaves him fallen at distance behind
the car: herself takes his place and handles the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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