II.526-566


 * // Aeneid // II.526-566 **



Look however, Polites, wounded, one of Priam's sons, having escaped from the slaughter of Pyrrhus,
 * Ecce autem elapsus Pyrrhi de caede Polites, **

through the weapons, through the enemies
 * unus natorum Priami, per tela, per hostes **

he flees in the long colonnades and traverses the empty hallways.
 * porticibus longis fugit et vacua atria lustrat  **

Pyrrhus, burning for a hostile wound, //saucius->enjambment, hyperbaton//
 * saucius. illum ardens infesto vulnere Pyrrhus  **

follows him, and now, now he holds him with his hand and pierces him with his spear. //iam iam-conduplicatio// //manu tenet premit hasta-abba//
 * 530 insequitur, iam iamque manu tenet et premit hasta. **

When at last he came forth before the eyes and faces of his parents,
 * ut tandem ante oculos euasit et ora parentum,  **

he fell and he poured out his life with a lot of blood.
 * concidit ac multo vitam cum sanguine fudit. **

Here Priam, although he is held now in the middle of death,
 * hic Priamus, quamquam in media iam morte tenetur,  **

nevertheless he did not refrain no spare voice and rage: //parco,parcere,peperci..->takes dat.// //voci irae->hendiadys, esp. because they ellide//
 * non tamen abstinuit nec voci iraeque pepercit: **

'but for this crime,' he shouts, 'for such things having been dared,
 * 535 'at tibi pro scelere,' exclamat, 'pro talibus ausis **

may the g-ds, if there is any (//aliqua//) piety in heaven, which cares about such things, pay fully (jussive) //dei->syncopation// //priam asking g-ds for justice// //relative clause characteristic//
 * di, si qua est caelo pietas quae talia curet,  **

the worthy rewards and return the owed prizes to you
 * persolvant grates dignas et praemia reddant  **

who made me to see the death of my son before my face
 * debita, qui nati coram me cernere letum **

and (who) defiled the parental faces with death.
 * fecisti et patrios foedasti funere vultus.  **

but that (famous) Achilles, from whom you lie/pretend that you were begotten, was not such
 * 540 at non ille, satum ( //esse//) quo te mentiris, Achilles **

against his enemy Priam; but he blushed before the laws and faith
 * talis in hoste fuit Priamo; sed iura fidemque **

of a suppliant and he returned the bloodless Hectorean body for burial
 * supplicis erubuit corpusque exsangue ( //3rd decl neuter abl often look abl. even// ) sepulcro **

and he sent me back to my kingdoms.'
 * reddidit Hectoreum meque in mea regna remisit.'  **

Thus the old man spoke and hurled the unwarlike spear without a blow,
 * sic fatus ( est) senior telumque imbelle sine ictu **

which immediately was repelled by the loud bronze,
 * 545 coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum ( est ),   **

and it hung in vain from the top of the boss of the shield (that middle part of the shield).
 * et summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit. **

to whom Pyrrhus (said): 'therefore you will relate these things and you will go as a messenger //ergaec (elide through h's)//
 * cui Pyrrhus: 'referes ergo haec et nuntius ibis  **

to my father, the son of Peleus. Remember to tell him
 * Pelidae genitori. illi mea tristia facta  **

(about) my sad deeds and (about) degenerate/ignoble Neoptolemus.
 * degeneremque Neoptolemum narrare memento (future imperative) .  **

Now die.' Saying this, he dragged him, trembling and stumbling in //deponent imperative//
 * 550 nunc morere.' hoc dicens altaria ad ipsa trementem **

much blood of his son, to the altars themselves
 * traxit et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati, **

and he entwined the locks/hair in his left hand, and he raised the flashing sword
 * implicuitque comam laeua, dextraque coruscum **

with his right hand and he buried it up to the hilt in his side.
 * extulit ac lateri ( dat) capulo ( abl) tenus abdidit ensem.  **

this (was) the end of the fates of Priam, this end carried him by chance,
 * haec finis Priami fatorum, hic exitus illum  **

seeing the inflamed Troy and the citadel of Troy having perished,
 * 555 sorte tulit Troiam incensam et prolapsa videntem **

at one time the ruler of Asia, proud with respect to so many peoples //Priam deserves long death in text//
 * Pergama, tot quondam populis terrisque superbum  **

and so many lands. The huge body lies on the shore, //they threw the body on the beach for the dogs and birds//
 * regnatorem Asiae. iacet ingens litore truncus,  **

and the head having been torn from the shoulders (lies) and the body without name (lies).
 * avulsumque umeris caput et sine nomine corpus. **

But then at that moment* a savage horror sorrounded me.
 * At me tum primum saevus circumstetit horror.  **

I stood agape; the image of my beloved father arose,
 * 560 obstipui; subiit cari genitoris imago, **

as I saw the king of equal age with the cruel wound
 * ut regem aequaevum crudeli vulnere vidi  **

exhaling life, the deserted Cruesa (wife of Aeneas) arose,
 * vitam exhalantem, subiit deserta Creusa  **

and the house having been plundered and the misfortunes of small Iulus.
 * et direpta domus et parvi casus Iuli.  **

I look back and survey which forces are around around me.
 * respicio et quae sit me circum copia lustro.  **

All the weary men deserted, and they sent their bodies with a leap
 * 565 deseruere omnes defessi, et corpora saltu **

to the earth or they gave them (their bodies), weary, to their fires. //i.e. they were forced to jump from the burning palace or to surrender themselves to the flames//
 * ad terram misere aut ignibus aegra dedere. **