Aeneid 2.199-249

Here something greater and much more to be trembled at is presented to the wretched and disturbs unforeseeing hearts. Laocoon, priest of Neptune, chosen by lot, was sacrificing a huge bull at the traditional altars. But look! twin snakes with huge coils—I shudder in recalling—press upon the sea from Tenedos through the tranquil deep and the strive equally for the shore; whose raised chests and bloody crests tower over the waves, part skims over the sea in the rear and winds backs immense with the roll. A sound arises from the salty foam; and now they make for the fields and, suffused with blood and fire in respect to their burning eyes, they lick hissing mouths with vibrating tongues. We flee, bloodless at the sight. Those in a certain battle line seek Laocoon; and first having embraced the little bodies of his two sons, each serpent enfolds and feeds upon their wretched limbs with a bite; afterwards they seize and with huge coils bind him coming up with aid and bearing spears; and now having embraced twice around the middle, having put scaly backs twice around his neck, they tower over with their head(s) and high necks. That one at the same time struggles to rip away the knots with his hands, drenched at his fillets with bloody gore and black venom, at the same time he lifts terrible shouts to the stars—like bellowing(s) when a wounded bull flees the altar and has shaken the unsure axe from its neck. But the twin dragons with a slip flee to the high shrines and seek the citadel of savage Tritona, protected under the feet of the goddess and under the orb of her shield.

(228) Then a new fear winds its way into trembling hearts, and they say Laocoon, deserving, paid for his crime, who harmed the sacred oak with the spear-point and hurled the criminal spear into its back. They shout that the image must be lead into the shrines and the powers of the goddess must be entreated. We divide the walls and open the fortifications of the city. All gird themselves for the work and put the slipping of wheels under the feet, and stretch flaxen ropes to the neck; the deadly machine climbs the walls, pregnant with weapons. Boys and unwed girls sing sacred (songs) around it and rejoice to touch the rope with a hand; that (machine) steals in and threatening slips into the middle of the city. O fatherland, o home of the gods, Ilium, and walls of the Dardanians, famous in war! Four times it stuck on the very threshold of the gate and four times the weapons gave a sound in the belly; yet we press on, heedless and blind with madness, and we set the unhappy monster upon the sacred citadel. Then even Cassandra opens her mouth(s) to future fates, by the order of the god never believed by the Teucrians. We, wretched ones, for whom that day was the last, veil the shrines of the gods with festive foliage throughout the city.