Aeneid, Book 1: Lines 479-497

Summary: Well, the Trojan women go to the temple of Minerva who hates them and then Achilles drags Hector around for some gold. Aeneas doesn't like that and helps Priam out while some Africans and Amazon warriors get ready to kick butt. While all this is happening, Dido comes out of no where and Aeneas thinks she's finer than sliced...bread? 




479-Interea ad templum non aequae Palladis ibant
480-crinibus Iliades passis peplumque ferebant,
481-suppliciter tristes et tunsae pectora palmis;
482-diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat.

479-Meanwhile, the Trojan women with disheveled hair, who Minerva was hostile to,

480-were going to the temple and were carrying peplus,

481-in a suppliant manner, beating their breasts with misery;

482-the goddess' eyes having turned away, unwaveringly fixed on the ground, were holding.

483-Ter circum Iliacos raptaverat Hectora muros,
484-exanimumque auro corpus vendebat Achilles.

483-Achilles had dragged Hector three times around the walls of the Trojans

484-and was ransoming the lifeless body for gold.

485-Tum vero ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo,
486-ut spolia, ut currus, utque ipsum corpus amici,
487-tendentemque manus Priamum conspexit inermis.

485-Then Aeneas indeed gave a great groan from the deepest part of his chest,

486-as he caught sight of the ransom, chariot, and the body of his friend itself,

487- and extended a hand toward the defenseless Priam.

488-Se quoque principibus permixtum adgnovit Achivis,
489-Eoasque acies et nigri Memnonis arma.

488-Aeneas also recognized himself mixed with the Greek leaders

489-and the Eastern army battle lines and the armour of the black Memnon.

490-Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis
491-Penthesilea furens, mediisque in milibus ardet,
492-aurea subnectens exsertae cingula mammae,
493-bellatrix, audetque viris concurrere virgo.

490-Fierce Penthesilea leads the Amazonian battle line with their moon

491-shaped shields, and blazes into the middle of the army,

492-the female warrior, who is also a maiden, dares to fight alongside with

493-men, binding a sword belt of gold to her exposed breast.

494-Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur,
495-dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno,
496-regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido,
497-incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva.

494-While these wonderful things are viewed by the Trojan Aeneas,

495-these gazes amazed and his eyes fixed to one place,

496-the most beautiful queen Dido strides from the temple,

497-advancing with a large band of young men accompanying her.