Aeneid XI.296-398

The Latins debate. Drances and Turnus face off.

The ambassadors had scarcely finished speaking when diverse

murmurs passed swiftly among the troubled Italian faces, just as,

when rocks detain a flowing river, a muttering rises from the imprisoned

eddies, and the banks that border it echo with splashing waves.

As soon as thoughts were calmer and anxious lips were quiet, the king

began to speak from his high throne, first calling on the gods:

“Latins, I wish we had decided on this vital matter before now,

and it would have been better not to convene the council at such

a moment, when the enemy is settled in front of our walls.

Citizens, we are waging a wrong-headed war with a divine race,

unconquered warriors whom no battles weary and who

will not relinquish the sword even when beaten.

If you had hopes of the alliance with Aetolian¹ armies,

forgo them. Each has his own hopes; but see how slight they are.

As for the rest of our affairs, the utter ruin they lie in

is in front of your eyes and under your hands.

I accuse no one: what the utmost courage could do has

been done; the conflict has taken all the strength of our kingdom.

So let me explain the decision of my deliberating mind,

and I will outline it briefly (apply your thoughts to it).

There’s an ancient domain of mine along the Tuscan river,

stretching westward to the Sicanian border and beyond:

Auruncans and Rutulians work the stubborn hills with the plough,

sow seed there, and use the roughest slopes as pasture.

Let us yield all this region, with the pine-clad tract of high hills,

to the Trojans in friendship, and spell out the just terms

of a treaty, and invite them to share our kingdom:

let them settle, if their desire is such, and build their city.

But if their wish is to conquer other territories

and some other nation, and they might leave our soil,

let us fashion twenty ships of Italian oak; or more if they

can fill them, all the timber lies close to the water;

let them set out the number and design of their fleet

themselves; we’ll give the labour, the shipyard, and the bronze.

Moreover, I want a hundred envoys to go to carry the news

and seal the pact, Latins of noblest birth, holding out branches

as peace tokens in their hands, and bearing gifts, talents

of ivory and gold, and the throne and the robe, symbols of royalty.

Consult together, and repair our weary fortunes.”

Then Drances, whom Turnus’s glory provoked with the bitter

sting of secret envy, rose, hostile as before, lavish

of his wealth, and a better speaker, but with a hand

frozen in battle, held to be no mean adviser in council,

and powerful in a quarrel (his mother’s high birth

granted him nobility, his father’s origin was uncertain):

and with these words added weight and substance to their anger:

“O gracious king, you consult us on a subject clear to all,

and needing no speech from us: everyone acknowledges

they know what the public good demands, but shrink from speech.

Let that man, through whose inauspicious leadership

and perverse ways (speak I will, though he threaten me

with violence or death) we have seen so many glorious leaders

fall and the city sunk in mourning, while he attacks the Trojan camp,

trusting in flight, and frightens heaven with his weapons, let him

grant freedom of speech and cease his arrogance.

Add one further gift to the many you order us to send

and communicate to the Trojans, one more, gracious king,

why not, as a father may, and let no man’s violence prevent you,

give your daughter to an illustrious man in a marriage

worthy of her, binding this peace with an everlasting contract.

But if fear of doing such possesses our minds and hearts,

let us appeal to the prince and beg permission from him:

to yield and give up his rights in favour of his king and his country.

O Turnus, you who are the source and reason for all these problems

for Latium, why do you so often hurl your wretched countrymen

into obvious danger? There’s no remedy in war, we all ask you

for peace, together with the sole inviolable pledge of peace.

I first of all, whom you imagine to be your enemy (and I

will not contest it), come as a suppliant. Pity your people,

set your pride aside, and, conquered, give way. Routed,

we have seen enough of death and made broad acres desolate.

Or, if glory stirs you, if you harbour such strength of feeling,

and if a palace as dowry is so dear to you, be bold

and carry yourself confidently against the enemy.

Surely we whose lives are worthless should be scattered

over the fields, unburied and unwept, so that Turnus

might gain his royal bride. And you too, if you have

any strength, if you have any of your father’s warlike spirit,

you must look into the face of your challenger.”

Turnus’s fury blazed at such a speech. He gasped

and from the depths of his heart gave vent to these words:

“Drances, it’s true you always have more than plenty to say

whenever war calls for men, and you’re first to appear when the senate

is called together. But there’s no need to fill the council-house with words,

that fly so freely from you when you are safe, when the rampart walls

keep the enemy off and the ditches are not yet drowned in blood.

So thunder away eloquently (as is your wont), Drances, and charge

me with cowardice when your hand has produced like mounds

of Trojan dead and dotted the fields everywhere

with trophies. You’re free to try what raw courage can do,

and certainly we don’t need to search far for enemies;

they’re surrounding the walls on every side.

Shall we go against them—why hesitate?

Will your appetite for war always remain

in your airy tongue and fleeing feet?

I, beaten? You total disgrace, can anyone who sees

the Tiber swollen with Trojan blood, and all Evander’s

house and race toppled, and the Arcadians stripped

of weapons, say with justice I am beaten?

Bitias and giant Pandarus, and the thousand men that I as victor

sent down to Tartarus in one day, did not find it so, imprisoned

though I was by the walls and hedged by enemy ramparts.”

---

Vix ea legati, variusque per ora cucurrit

Ausonidum turbata fremor, ceu saxa morantur

cum rapidos amnis, fit clauso gurgite murmur

vicinaeque fremunt ripae crepitantibus undis.

ut primum placati animi et trepida ora quierunt,               300

praefatus divos solio rex infit ab alto:

'Ante equidem summa de re statuisse, Latini,

et vellem et fuerat melius, non tempore tali

cogere concilium, cum muros adsidet hostis.

bellum importunum, cives, cum gente deorum               305

invictisque viris gerimus, quos nulla fatigant

proelia nec victi possunt absistere ferro.

spem si quam ascitis Aetolum habuistis in armis,

ponite. spes sibi quisque; sed haec quam angusta videtis.

cetera qua rerum iaceant perculsa ruina,               310

ante oculos interque manus sunt omnia vestras.

nec quemquam incuso: potuit quae plurima virtus

esse, fuit; toto certatum est corpore regni.

nunc adeo quae sit dubiae sententia menti,

expediam et paucis (animos adhibete) docebo.               315

est antiquus ager Tusco mihi proximus amni,

longus in occasum, finis super usque Sicanos;

Aurunci Rutulique serunt, et vomere duros

exercent collis atque horum asperrima pascunt.

haec omnis regio et celsi plaga pinea montis               320

cedat amicitiae Teucrorum, et foederis aequas

dicamus leges sociosque in regna vocemus:

considant, si tantus amor, et moenia condant.

sin alios finis aliamque capessere gentem

est animus possuntque solo decedere nostro,               325

bis denas Italo texamus robore navis;

seu pluris complere valent, iacet omnis ad undam

materies: ipsi numerumque modumque carinis

praecipiant, nos aera, manus, naualia demus.

praeterea, qui dicta ferant et foedera firment               330

centum oratores prima de gente Latinos

ire placet pacisque manu praetendere ramos,

munera portantis aurique eborisque talenta

et sellam regni trabeamque insignia nostri.

consulite in medium et rebus succurrite fessis.'               335

Tum Drances idem infensus, quem gloria Turni

obliqua invidia stimulisque agitabat amaris,

largus opum et lingua melior, sed frigida bello

dextera, consiliis habitus non futtilis auctor,

seditione potens (genus huic materna superbum               340

nobilitas dabat, incertum de patre ferebat),

surgit et his onerat dictis atque aggerat iras:

'rem nulli obscuram nostrae nec vocis egentem

consulis, o bone rex: cuncti se scire fatentur

quid fortuna ferat populi, sed dicere mussant.               345

det libertatem fandi flatusque remittat,

cuius ob auspicium infaustum moresque sinistros

(dicam equidem, licet arma mihi mortemque minetur)

lumina tot cecidisse ducum totamque videmus

consedisse urbem luctu, dum Troia temptat               350

castra fugae fidens et caelum territat armis.

unum etiam donis istis, quae plurima mitti

Dardanidis dicique iubes, unum, optime regum,

adicias, nec te ullius violentia vincat

quin natam egregio genero dignisque hymenaeis               355

des pater, et pacem hanc aeterno foedere iungas.

quod si tantus habet mentes et pectora terror,

ipsum obtestemur veniamque oremus ab ipso:

cedat, ius proprium regi patriaeque remittat.

quid miseros totiens in aperta pericula civis               360

proicis, o Latio caput horum et causa malorum?

nulla salus bello, pacem te poscimus omnes,

Turne, simul pacis solum inviolabile pignus.

primus ego, invisum quem tu tibi fingis (et esse

nil moror), en supplex venio. miserere tuorum,               365

pone animos et pulsus abi. sat funera fusi

vidimus ingentis et desolavimus agros.

aut, si fama movet, si tantum pectore robur

concipis et si adeo dotalis regia cordi est,

aude atque adversum fidens fer pectus in hostem.               370

scilicet ut Turno contingat regia coniunx,

nos animae viles, inhumata infletaque turba,

sternamur campis. etiam tu, si qua tibi vis,

si patrii quid Martis habes, illum aspice contra

qui vocat.'               375

Talibus exarsit dictis violentia Turni.

dat gemitum rumpitque has imo pectore voces:

'larga quidem semper, Drance, tibi copia fandi

tum cum bella manus poscunt, patribusque vocatis

primus ades. sed non replenda est curia verbis,               380

quae tuto tibi magna volant, dum distinet hostem

agger murorum nec inundant sanguine fossae.

proinde tona eloquio (solitum tibi) meque timoris

argue tu, Drance, quando tot stragis acervos

Teucrorum tua dextra dedit, passimque tropaeis               385

insignis agros. possit quid vivida virtus

experiare licet, nec longe scilicet hostes

quaerendi nobis; circumstant undique muros.

imus in adversos—quid cessas? an tibi Mavors

ventosa in lingua pedibusque fugacibus istis               390

semper erit?

pulsus ego? aut quisquam merito, foedissime, pulsum

arguet, Iliaco tumidum qui crescere Thybrim

sanguine et Evandri totam cum stirpe videbit

procubuisse domum atque exutos Arcadas armis?               395

haud ita me experti Bitias et Pandarus ingens

et quos mille die victor sub Tartara misi,

inclusus muris hostilique aggere saeptus.’

---

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

1. Aetolia = the birthplace of Diomedes in northern Greece