Aeneid 12.919–952

Aen. 12.919Cūnctantī tēlum Aenēās fātāle coruscat,
920sortītus fortūnam oculīs, et corpore tōtō
ēminus intorquet.

As he hesitates, Aeneas brandishes the fatal spear, having chosen his chance with his eyes, and hurls it from a distance with his whole body.

Note. Cūnctantī: 'at him as he hesitates'. sortītus fortūnam oculīs: 'choosing his chance with his eyes', picking his moment and target.

Aen. 12.921Mūrālī concita numquam
tormentō sīc saxa fremunt, nec fulmine tantī
dissultant crepitūs.

Never do stones hurled by a siege-engine roar like this, nor do such crashes burst from a thunderbolt.

Note. Mūrālī … tormentō: a siege catapult. dissultant crepitūs: 'such crashes burst out'.

Aen. 12.923Volat ātrī turbinis īnstar
exitium dīrum hasta ferēns ōrāsque reclūdit
925lōrīcae et clipeī extrēmōs septemplicis orbēs.

Like a black whirlwind the spear flies, bringing dread destruction, and opens the edges of the breastplate and the outer circles of the sevenfold shield.

Note. ātrī turbinis īnstar: 'like a black whirlwind'; īnstar + genitive. ōrās … lōrīcae: 'the edges of the breastplate'. clipeī … septemplicis: Turnus' shield of seven layers.

Aen. 12.926Per medium strīdēns trānsit femur.

Whistling, it passes through the middle of the thigh.

Note. femur: the spear passes through his thigh.

Aen. 12.926Incidit ictus
ingēns ad terram duplicātō poplite Turnus.

Struck, huge Turnus falls to the ground with his knee bent under him.

Note. duplicātō poplite: 'with knee bent double'.

Aen. 12.928Cōnsurgunt gemitū Rutulī, tōtusque remūgit
mōns circum, et vōcem lātē nemora alta remittunt.

The Rutulians leap up with a groan, the whole mountain all round bellows back, and the high woods return the cry far and wide.

Note. remūgit: 'bellows back', echoes.

Aen. 12.930Ille humilis supplexque oculōs, dextramque precantem
prōtendēns, Equidem meruī nec dēprecor, inquit:
ūtere sorte tuā.

He, humble and suppliant, raising his eyes and stretching out his right hand in prayer, says: 'I have deserved it, and I do not beg you off: use your fortune.

Note. Equidem meruī nec dēprecor: 'I have deserved it and I do not beg off.' ūtere sorte tuā: 'use your fortune', i.e. kill me.

Aen. 12.932Miserī tē sīqua parentis
tangere cūra potest, ōrō (fuit et tibi tālis
Anchīsēs genitor), Daunī miserēre senectae
935et mē seu corpus spoliātum lūmine māvīs
redde meīs.

If any thought of an unhappy parent can touch you, I beg you (you too had such a father in Anchises), pity Daunus' old age, and give me back to my people, or, if you prefer, my body robbed of the light.

Note. Turnus appeals to Aeneas' love for his own father, Anchises. Daunī … senectae: 'Daunus' old age', genitive after miserēre. seu corpus spoliātum lūmine māvīs: 'or, if you prefer, my body robbed of light', i.e. my corpse.

Aen. 12.936Vīcistī, et victum tendere palmās
Ausoniī vīdēre;

You have won, and the Ausonians have seen me, beaten, stretch out my hands;

Note. videre = vīdērunt, 'have seen'. tendere palmās: stretching out the hands was the gesture of a suppliant.

Aen. 12.937tua est Lāvīnia coniūnx:
ulterius nē tende odiīs.

Lavinia is your wife: do not carry your hatred any further.'

Note. ulterius nē tende odiīs: 'do not carry your hatred further'. Lavinia, the cause of the war, is conceded.

Aen. 12.938Stetit ācer in armīs
Aenēās, volvēns oculōs, dextramque repressit;

Aeneas stood, fierce in his armour, rolling his eyes, and held back his right hand;

Note. volvēns oculōs: 'rolling his eyes', hesitating. dextram … repressit: 'held back his right hand'.

Aen. 12.940et iam iamque magis cūnctantem flectere sermō
coeperat, īnfēlīx umerō cum appāruit altō
balteus et nōtīs fulsērunt cingula bullīs
Pallantis puerī, victum quem volnere Turnus
strāverat atque umerīs inimīcum īnsigne gerēbat.

and now, now, the speech had begun to sway him more as he hesitated, when high on the shoulder there appeared the ill-fated sword-belt, and the strap shone with its familiar studs, the belt of the boy Pallas, whom Turnus had overcome with a wound and laid low, and was wearing on his shoulders as an enemy's trophy.

Note. balteus: the sword-belt Turnus took from Pallas, the young son of Evander entrusted to Aeneas, when he killed him in Book 10. cingula … bullīs: 'the strap with its familiar studs'. inimīcum īnsigne: 'an enemy's trophy'.

Aen. 12.945Ille, oculīs postquam saevī monimenta dolōris
exuviāsque hausit, furiīs accēnsus et īrā
terribilis, Tūne hinc spoliīs indūte meōrum
ēripiāre mihi?

Aeneas, when his eyes had drunk in the reminder of his savage grief and the spoils, set on fire by fury and terrible in his anger, said: 'Are you, dressed in the spoils of my own people, to be snatched from me here?

Note. saevī monimenta dolōris: 'the reminder of his savage grief'. furiīs accēnsus et īrā terribilis: the language of rage, often used of Aeneas' enemies. Tūne … ēripiāre mihi: 'are you to be snatched from me?' (deliberative subjunctive).

Aen. 12.948Pallās tē hōc volnere, Pallās
immolat et poenam scelerātō ex sanguine sūmit,
950hoc dīcēns ferrum adversō sub pectore condit
fervidus.

It is Pallas, Pallas, who sacrifices you with this wound, and takes his penalty from your criminal blood.' Saying this, he buries the sword full in his chest, burning with rage.

Note. Pallās … Pallās immolat: Aeneas presents the killing as a sacrifice (immolat) offered by Pallas. condit: 'buries'. fervidus: 'burning (with rage)', the adjective set at the start of a line for emphasis.

Aen. 12.951Ast illī solvuntur frīgore membra
vītaque cum gemitū fugit indignāta sub umbrās.

But Turnus' limbs are loosened in the chill of death, and his life with a groan flees, resentful, down to the shades.

Note. The last line of the Aeneid repeats the death of Camilla (11.831): vītaque cum gemitū fugit indignāta sub umbrās, 'his life with a groan flees resentful down to the shades'. The poem ends abruptly, with no funeral and no word on the peace to come.