Aeneid V.104-200

The games begin with a boat race! Casualties: one pilot chucked overboard.

The eagerly-awaited day had arrived, and now

Phaethon’s horses¹ brought a ninth dawn of cloudless light,

and Acestes’s name and reputation had roused the countryside:

they thronged the shore, a joyous crowd,

some to see Aeneas and his men, others to compete.

First the prizes were set out for them to see in the centre

of the circuit, sacred tripods, green crowns and palms,

rewards for the winners, armour, and clothes dyed with purple,

and talents of silver and gold: and a trumpet sang out,

from a central mound, that the games had begun.

Four well-matched ships with heavy oars

were chosen from the fleet for the first event.

Mnestheus, soon to be Mnestheus of Italy from whom

the Memmian people are named, captains the Sea-Serpent

with its eager crew; Gyas, the vast Chimaera of huge bulk,

a floating city, rowed by the Trojan men

on three decks, with the oars raised in triple rows;

Sergestus, from whom the house of Sergia gets its name,

sails in the great Centaur; and Cloanthus from whom

your family derives, Cluentius of Rome, in the sea-green Scylla.²

There’s a rock far out at sea opposite the foaming shore,

which, lashed by the swollen waves, is sometimes drowned

when wintry north-westerlies hide the stars:

it is quiet in calm weather and flat ground is raised above

the motionless water, a welcome haunt for sun-loving sea-birds.

Here our ancestor Aeneas set up a leafy oak-trunk

as a mark, as a sign for the sailors to know where

to turn back and circle round the long course.

Then they chose places by lot, and the captains themselves, on

the sterns, gleamed from a distance, resplendent in purple and gold:

the rest of the men were crowned with poplar leaves,

and their naked shoulders glistened, shining with oil.

They manned the benches, arms ready at the oars:

readied for action they waited for the signal, and pounding fear

and the desire aroused for glory devoured their leaping hearts.

Then when the clear trumpet gave the signal, all immediately

shot forward from the starting line; the sailor’s shouts

struck the heavens, as arms were plied the waters turned to foam.

They cut the furrows together, and the whole surface

gaped wide, ploughed by the oars and the three-pronged beaks.

The speed is not as great when the two horse chariots

hit the field in their race, shooting from their stalls,

and the charioteers shake the rippling reins over their

galloping team, straining forward to the lash.

So the whole woodland echoes with applause, the shouts

of men, and the partisanship of their supporters,

the sheltered beach concentrates the sound

and the hills, reverberating, return the clamour.

Gyas runs before the pack, and glides forward on the waves

amongst the noise and confusion: Cloanthus follows next,

his ship better manned, but held back by its weight.

After them separated equally the Sea-Serpent

and the Centaur strain to win a lead;

now the Sea-Serpent has it, now the huge Centaur wins in front,

now both sweep on together their bows level,

their long keels ploughing the salt sea.

Now they near the rock and are close to the marker,

when Gyas, the leader, winning at the half-way point,

calls out loudly to his pilot Menoetes:

“Why so far adrift to starboard? Steer her course this way:

hug the shore and graze the crags to port, oars raised:

let others keep to deep water.” He spoke, but Menoetes,

fearing unseen reefs, wrenched the prow towards the open sea.

“Why so far adrift?” again, “Head for the rocks, Menoetes!”

he shouts to him forcefully, and behold, he sees Cloanthus

right at his back and taking the riskier course.

He squeezed a path between Gyas’s ship and the booming rocks

inside to starboard, suddenly passing the leader,

and, leaving the marker behind, reached safe water.

Then indeed great indignation burned in the young man’s marrow,

and there were tears on his cheeks, and forgetting his own pride

and his crew’s safety he heaved the timid Menoetes

headlong into the sea from the high stern;

he stood to the helm, himself captain and steersman,

urged on his men, and turned for the shore.

But when Menoetes, old as he was, clawed his way back heavily

and with difficulty at last from the sea floor, he climbed to the top

of the crag and sat down on the dry rock dripping, in his wet

clothing. The Trojans laughed as he fell and swam,

and laughed as he vomited the seawater from his chest.

At this a joyful hope of passing Gyas, as he stalled,

is aroused in Sergestus and Mnestheus, the two behind.

Sergestus takes the leading place and nears the rock,

still he’s not a full ship’s length in front, only part:

the rival Sea-Serpent closes on him with her prow.

Then Mnestheus, walking among his crew amidships,

exhorted them: “Now, now rise to the oars, comrades

of Hector, you whom I chose as companions at Troy’s

last fatal hour; now exert all that strength,

that spirit, you showed in the Gaetulian shoals,

the Ionian Sea, and Cape Malea’s³ pursuing waves.

Now I, Mnestheus, do not seek to be first or try to win

(let those conquer whom you have granted to do so, Neptune—)

but oh, it would be shameful to return last: achieve this for us,

countrymen, and prevent our disgrace.” They bend to it

with fierce rivalry: the bronze stern shudders at their powerful

strokes, and the sea-floor drops away beneath them;

then shallow breathing makes limbs and parched lips quiver,

and their sweat runs down in streams.

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Exspectata dies aderat nonamque serena

Auroram Phaethontis equi iam luce vehebant,               105

famaque finitimos et clari nomen Acestae

excierat; laeto complerant litora coetu

visuri Aeneadas, pars et certare parati.

munera principio ante oculos circoque locantur

in medio, sacri tripodes viridesque coronae               110

et palmae pretium victoribus, armaque et ostro

perfusae vestes, argenti aurique talenta;

et tuba commissos medio canit aggere ludos.

Prima pares ineunt gravibus certamina remis

quattuor ex omni delectae classe carinae.               115

velocem Mnestheus agit acri remige Pristim,

mox Italus Mnestheus, genus a quo nomine Memmi,

ingentemque Gyas ingenti mole Chimaeram,

urbis opus, triplici pubes quam Dardana versu

impellunt, terno consurgunt ordine remi;               120

Sergestusque, domus tenet a quo Sergia nomen,

Centauro invehitur magna, Scyllaque Cloanthus

caerulea, genus unde tibi, Romane Cluenti.

Est procul in pelago saxum spumantia contra

litora, quod tumidis summersum tunditur olim               125

fluctibus, hiberni condunt ubi sidera Cauri;

tranquillo silet immotaque attollitur unda

campus et apricis statio gratissima mergis.

hic viridem Aeneas frondenti ex ilice metam

constituit signum nautis pater, unde reverti               130

scirent et longos ubi circumflectere cursus.

tum loca sorte legunt ipsique in puppibus auro

ductores longe effulgent ostroque decori;

cetera populea velatur fronde iuventus

nudatosque umeros oleo perfusa nitescit.               135

considunt transtris, intentaque bracchia remis;

intenti exspectant signum, exsultantiaque haurit

corda pavor pulsans laudumque arrecta cupido.

inde ubi clara dedit sonitum tuba, finibus omnes,

haud mora, prosiluere suis; ferit aethera clamor               140

nauticus, adductis spumant freta versa lacertis.

infindunt pariter sulcos, totumque dehiscit

convulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.

non tam praecipites biiugo certamine campum

corripuere ruuntque effusi carcere currus,               145

nec sic immissis aurigae undantia lora

concussere iugis pronique in verbera pendent.

tum plausu fremituque virum studiisque faventum

consonat omne nemus, vocemque inclusa volutant

litora, pulsati colles clamore resultant.               150

Effugit ante alios primisque elabitur undis

turbam inter fremitumque Gyas; quem deinde Cloanthus

consequitur, melior remis, sed pondere pinus

tarda tenet. post hos aequo discrimine Pristis

Centaurusque locum tendunt superare priorem;               155

et nunc Pristis habet, nunc victam praeterit ingens

Centaurus, nunc una ambae iunctisque feruntur

frontibus et longa sulcant vada salsa carina.

iamque propinquabant scopulo metamque tenebant,

cum princeps medioque Gyas in gurgite victor               160

rectorem navis compellat voce Menoeten:

'quo tantum mihi dexter abis? huc derige cursum;

litus ama et laeva stringat sine palmula cautes;

altum alii teneant.' dixit; sed caeca Menoetes

saxa timens proram pelagi detorquet ad undas.               165

'quo diversus abis?' iterum 'pete saxa, Menoete!'

cum clamore Gyas revocabat, et ecce Cloanthum

respicit instantem tergo et propiora tenentem.

ille inter navemque Gyae scopulosque sonantis

radit iter laevum interior subitoque priorem               170

praeterit et metis tenet aequora tuta relictis.

tum vero exarsit iuveni dolor ossibus ingens

nec lacrimis caruere genae, segnemque Menoeten

oblitus decorisque sui sociumque salutis

in mare praecipitem puppi deturbat ab alta;               175

ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister

hortaturque viros clavumque ad litora torquet.

at gravis ut fundo vix tandem redditus imo est

iam senior madidaque fluens in veste Menoetes

summa petit scopuli siccaque in rupe resedit.               180

illum et labentem Teucri et risere natantem

et salsos rident revomentem pectore fluctus.

Hic laeta extremis spes est accensa duobus,

Sergesto Mnestheique, Gyan superare morantem.

Sergestus capit ante locum scopuloque propinquat,               185

nec tota tamen ille prior praeeunte carina;

parte prior, partim rostro premit aemula Pristis.

at media socios incedens nave per ipsos

hortatur Mnestheus: 'nunc, nunc insurgite remis,

Hectorei socii, Troiae quos sorte suprema               190

delegi comites; nunc illas promite viris,

nunc animos, quibus in Gaetulis Syrtibus usi

Ionioque mari Maleaeque sequacibus undis.

non iam prima peto Mnestheus neque vincere certo

(quamquam o!—sed superent quibus hoc, Neptune, dedisti);               195

extremos pudeat rediisse: hoc vincite, cives,

et prohibete nefas.' olli certamine summo

procumbunt: vastis tremit ictibus aerea puppis

subtrahiturque solum, tum creber anhelitus artus

aridaque ora quatit, sudor fluit undique rivis.               200

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Find the glossary for Aeneid Daily here; subscribe to receive daily posts.

1. Phaethon was a son of the sun god (Apollo or Helios, depending on the story) who tried to drive his father’s chariot; he lost control of the flaming horses and was shot down by Jupiter, making this reference at least slightly ominous.

2. Memmius, Sergia, and Cluentia are all examples of Roman gens (family clusters), yet to be invented in the Aeneid’s setting.

3. A dangerous-to-navigate promontory in southern Greece.