Met. 15.622Pandite nunc, Mūsae, praesentia nūmina vātum
(scītis enim, nec vōs fallit spatiōsa vetustās,)
unde Corōnidēn circumflua Thybridis altī
625īnsula Rōmuleae sacrīs adiēcerit urbis.Reveal now, Muses, divinities who stand by poets (for you know, and far-reaching antiquity does not deceive you), how the island encircled by the deep Tiber added the son of Coronis to the sacred rites of Romulus' city. Met. 15.626Dīra luēs quondam Latiās vitiāverat aurās,
pallidaque exsanguī squālēbant corpora morbō.Once a dire plague had tainted the Latin air, and bodies lay pale and wasted with a bloodless disease. Met. 15.628Fūneribus fessī postquam mortālia cernunt
temptāmenta nihil, nihil artēs posse medentum,
630auxilium caeleste petunt mediamque tenentēs
orbis humum Delphōs adeunt, ōrācula Phoebī,
utque salūtiferā miserīs succurrere rēbus
sorte velit tantaeque urbis mala fīniat, ōrant:
et locus et laurus et, quās habet ipse, pharetrās
635intremuēre simul, cortīnaque reddidit īmō
hanc adytō vōcem pavefactaque pectora mōvit:
"Quod petis hinc, propiōre locō, Rōmāne, petīssēs,
et pete nunc propiōre locō!When, weary of funerals, they see that human efforts avail nothing, that the arts of physicians avail nothing, they seek heavenly aid and go to Delphi, which holds the middle of the world's earth, the oracle of Phoebus, and they pray that he will be willing to help their wretched state with a health-bringing response and end the ills of so great a city: both the place and the laurel and the quivers that the god himself carries trembled at once, and the tripod gave out this voice from the depths of the shrine and stirred their terrified hearts: 'What you seek from here, Roman, you should have sought from a nearer place, and seek it now from a nearer place!
Met. 15.638nec Apolline vōbīs,
quī minuat lūctūs, opus est, sed Apolline nātō.You have no need of Apollo to lessen your sorrows, but of Apollo's son. Met. 15.640Īte bonīs avibus prōlemque accersīte nostram!"Go with good omens and summon my offspring!' Met. 15.641Iussa deī prūdēns postquam accēpēre senātus,
quam colat, explōrant, iuvenis Phoebēius urbem,
quīque petant ventīs Epidauria lītora mittunt.When the wise senate had received the god's commands, they find out what city the young son of Phoebus inhabits, and send men to reach the shores of Epidaurus with the winds. Met. 15.644Quae simul incurvā missī tetigēre carīnā,
645concilium Grāiōsque patrēs adiēre, darentque,
ōrāvēre, deum, quī praesēns fūnera gentis
fīniat Ausoniae: certās ita dīcere sortēs.As soon as the envoys touched them with their curved keel, they approached the council and the Greek elders and begged them to give the god who by his presence might end the deaths of the Ausonian race: so, they said, the sure oracle declared. Met. 15.648Dissidet et variat sententia, parsque negandum
nōn putat auxilium, multī retinēre suamque
650nōn ēmittere opem nec nūmina trādere suādent:
dum dubitant, sēram pepulēre crepuscula lūcem,
umbraque tellūris tenebrās indūxerat orbī,
cum deus in somnīs opifer cōnsistere vīsus
ante tuum, Rōmāne, torum, sed quālis in aede
655esse solet, baculumque tenēns agreste sinistrā
caesariem longae dextrā dēdūcere barbae
et placidō tālēs ēmittere pectore vōcēs:
"Pōne metūs!Opinion is divided and varies; some think help should not be refused, many advise keeping their own protection and not letting it go nor handing over their deity: while they hesitate, twilight had driven away the late light, and the shadow of the earth had brought darkness over the world, when the helping god seemed in your dreams, Roman, to stand before your couch, but such as he usually is in his temple, holding a rustic staff in his left hand and stroking the hair of his long beard with his right, and to utter such words from his calm breast: 'Put aside your fears!
Met. 15.658Veniam simulācraque nostra relinquam.I shall come, and leave my images behind. Met. 15.659Hunc modo serpentem, baculum quī nexibus ambit,
660perspice et ūsque nota vīsū, ut cognōscere possīs!Only look at this serpent which twines its coils around my staff, and mark it well with your eyes, so that you can recognise it! Met. 15.661Vertar in hunc, sed maior erō tantusque vidēbor,
in quantum vertī caelestia corpora dēbent."I shall be turned into this, but I shall be larger and shall appear as great as heavenly bodies ought to be when they are transformed.' Met. 15.663Extemplō cum vōce deus, cum vōce deōque
somnus abit, somnīque fugam lūx alma secūta est.At once with the voice the god, with the voice and the god sleep departs, and kindly daylight followed the flight of sleep. Met. 15.665Postera sīdereōs aurōra fugāverat ignēs:
incertī, quid agant, procerēs ad templa petītī
perveniunt operōsa deī, quāque ipse morārī
sēde velit, signīs caelestibus indicet, ōrant.The next dawn had put the starry fires to flight: uncertain what to do, the leading men come to the sumptuous temple of the god they sought, and pray that he would show by heavenly signs in what abode he himself wishes to stay.
Met. 15.669Vix bene dēsierant, cum cristīs aureus altīs
670in serpente deus praenūntia sībila mīsit
adventūque suō signumque ārāsque forēsque
marmoreumque sōlum fastīgiaque aurea mōvit
pectoribusque tenus mediā sublīmis in aede
cōnstitit atque oculōs circumtulit igne micantēs.They had scarcely finished when the god, golden, with high crest, in the form of a serpent, sent forth hisses as heralds, and by his coming shook the statue and the altars and the doors and the marble floor and the golden roof, and, raised up to his chest, stood in the middle of the temple and cast around his eyes flashing with fire. Met. 15.675Territa turba pavet.The terrified crowd quakes. Met. 15.675Cognōvit nūmina castōs
ēvīnctus vittā crīnēs albente sacerdōs:
"Ēn deus est deus est!The priest, his chaste hair bound with a white ribbon, recognised the deity: 'Behold the god, it is the god! Met. 15.677Animīs linguīsque favēte,
quisquis ades!"Keep holy silence in mind and tongue, whoever is present!' Met. 15.678dīxit.he said. Met. 15.678"Sīs, ō pulcherrime, vīsus
ūtiliter populōsque iuvēs tua sacra colentēs !"'O most beautiful one, may you have been seen to our good, and may you help the peoples who worship at your rites!'