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CHAPTER 1
I sing of arms and the man whom fate had sent To exile from the shores of Troy to be The first to come to Lavinium and the coasts Of Italy, and who, because of Juno's Savage implacable rage, was battered by storms At sea, and from the heavens above, and also By tempests of war, until at last he might Bring his household gods to Latium, and build his town,
Can anger like this be, in immortal hearts?
• * *
There was an ancient city known as Carthage
Fearful of this and remembering the old War she had waged at Troy for her dear Greeks,
So formidable the task of founding Rome.
• * *
Sicily was still in sight behind them As, with joyous sails spread out, their brazen prows Sped through the foaming waters, and Juno said,
Thus, burning with resentment, in her mind Turning these matters over and over, the goddess Made her way to the spawning place of storms,
• * *
So Juno said to Aeolus, entreating,
• * *
Having said this, Aeolus takes his spear And with its blunt end bashes open a hole In the hollow mountain's side, and then, at once,
As Aeneas cries out thus, a sudden violent Burst of wind comes crashing against the sails,
• * *
Then Neptune, god of the sea, became aware Of the loud commotion of the waves upsurging From the still foundations down below; and deeply Troubled within raised up his placid face Above the roiling waters and looked across And saw Aeneas's scattered ships and saw The Trojans overpowered by the waves,
• * *
Exhausted by the terrible storm at sea,
There is a long deep inlet there that is A port and shelter in whose mouth an island Breakwater pacifies incoming waves,
His followers get themselves onto the welcome beach,
• * *
Meanwhile Aeneas climbs to a high cliff, so He can look far out, over the open ocean,
"O my companions, O you who have undergone,
The others ready the prizes for the feast to come:
• * *
And now the day was coming to its end.
The father smiled upon her with the look That clears the sky of storms and brings fair weather.
• * *
It is thus he speaks, and sends the son of Maia Down from the place of the gods to make it so That Carthage, with its streets and towers, should open To let the Teucrians in, and so that Dido Would grant them gracious welcome to her lands,
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Æneid"
by .
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