Friday, May 8, 2020

M/M: Love and Alliance, Vergil, Aen. VIII.154-171

Evander Explains Why He Will Join Aeneas' Side:

ut te, fortissime Teucrum,
accipio agnoscoque libens! ut verba parentis               155
et vocem Anchisae magni vultumque recordor!
nam memini Hesionae visentem regna sororis
Laomedontiaden Priamum Salamina petentem
protinus Arcadiae gelidos invisere finis.
tum mihi prima genas vestibat flore iuventas,               160
mirabarque duces Teucros, mirabar et ipsum
Laomedontiaden; sed cunctis altior ibat
Anchises. mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore
compellare virum et dextrae coniungere dextram;
accessi et cupidus Phenei sub moenia duxi.               165
ille mihi insignem pharetram Lyciasque sagittas
discedens chlamydemque auro dedit intertextam,
frenaque bina meus quae nunc habet aurea Pallas.
ergo et quam petitis iuncta est mihi foedere dextra,
et lux cum primum terris se crastina reddet,               170
auxilio laetos dimittam opibusque iuvabo.

--Vergil, Aeneid VIII.154-177


"How happily I welcome you, bravest of Trojans!

How happily I see your father Anchises’ words and mannerisms in you!

For I remember Priam visited me in Arcadia

When he went to visit his sister Hesione in Salamis.

At that time I was still young—just entering my teens—

And I was amazed by the Trojan leaders, even Priam himself;

But Anchises was the best of all.

I had a giant crush on him [mihi mens iuvenali ardebat amore]

And I was dying to have him talk to me, or to give me a handshake,

I went up to him and took him on a tour of the city of Pheneum.

When he went back to Troy, he gave me

a wonderful quiver full of Lycian arrows

a beautiful cloak embroidered with golden thread

and the two horse bits and bridles

that I’ve given to my son Pallas to use.

So I will gladly join hands in treaty with you,

And at daybreak, I will happily give you troops and supplies.”


VERGIL / VIRGIL
MAP:
Name:  Publius Vergilius Maro
Date:  70 BCE – 21 BCE
Works:  Aeneid*
              Eclogues
             Georgics

REGION  1
Region 1: Peninsular Italy; Region 2: Western Europe; Region 3: Western Coast of Africa; Region 4: Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean; Region 5: Greece and the Balkans

BIO:
Timeline:
Vergil was born in Mantua (Cisalpine Gaul, located in northern Italy) and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.
 GOLDEN AGE ROME
Early Roman Lit: through 2nd c BCE: Republican Rome: through 1st c. BCE; Golden Age: 70 BCE to 18 CE; Silver Age: 18 CE to 150 CE; Age of Conflict: 150 CE - 410 CE; Byzantine and Late Latin: after 410 CE