Aeneid 10.420-509

Whom thus Pallas seeks, having prayed before: “Give now luck and a path through the chest of tough Halaesus, father Thybrus, to the iron, which I poise, about to be sent. Your oak will have these weapons and the spoils of the man.” The god heard these words; while Halaesus protected Imaon the unlucky man gave his unarmed chest to the Arcadian spear.

(426) But Lausus, a huge part of the war, does not desert his troops, terrified by such slaughter of the man; first he destroys Abas, opposite, both the knot and the delayer of the battle. The offspring of Arcadia is laid low, the Etruscans (are cut down) and you, Teucrians, bodies not destroyed by the Greeks. The lines join battle with both equal leaders and strength; the rear columns close up and the crowd does not allow weapons and hands be moved. On this side Pallas presses and urges on, on that side Lausus opposes, and their age does not differ much, (both) excellent in form, but to whom Fortune denies return into the homeland. Yet not at all did the ruler of great Olympus allow those men to fight against the other (lit. themselves); soon their fates await them under a greater enemy.

(439) Meanwhile his gentle sister warns Turnus to aid Lausus, who cuts the middle of the line with his flying chariot. As he saw the allies, "It is time to cease from the fight; I alone am born against Pallas, Pallas is owed to me alone. I could wish that his parent himself was present as a witness." Thus he says, and the allies yielded from the ordered level (area). But then, at the withdrawal of the Rutulians, the youth, wondering at the proud commands, is astounded at Turnus and rolls his eyes over the huge body and goes over everything at the savage sight from afar, and with such words now he proceeds against the words of the tyrant: "Either I will be praised now for the best captured spoils or for an outstanding death: my father is equal to each lot. Remove your threats." Having spoken, he advances into the middle of the level (space); cold blood congeals in the hearts of the Arcandians. Turnus jumped down from his chariot, he readies his feet to go face to face; and as a lion, when from a high vantage-point he has seen a bull practicing for battles, standing afar in the plains, flies forth, hardly other is the image of Turnus coming.

(457) When he trusted that this man would be in range of his sent spear, Pallas went first, if in any way chance might aid him daring with unequal strength, and thus he speaks to the great sky, "Through the hospitality and tables of my father, which you have come to as a stranger, I pray to you, Hercules, (that) you be present for my huge undertakings. Let him see me seize the bloody arms from his half-dead self and let the dying eyes of Turnus endure (me) as victor." Hercules heard the youth and pressed a huge groan under his inmost heart and poured down empty tears. Then the father says to his son with friendly words, "His own day stands for each, there is a short and irretrievable time of life for all; but to extend fame by deeds, this is the work of virtue. Under the high walls of Troy so many sons of the gods fell, in fact Sarpedon fell at the same time, my son; his own fates call even Turnus, and he has arrived at the turning point of his given life." Thus he speaks and turns his eyes back tot he fields of the Rutulians. But Pallas sends out his spear with great strength and snatches his gleaming sword from its hollow sheath. That flying (spear) strikes where the top coverings of the shoulder rises and, forcing a ways through the layers of the shield, at last grazed off the great body of Turnus.

(479) Here Turnus throws the oak tipped with sharp iron at Pallas, long balancing, and thus speaks, "See whether our weapon is more piercing." He had spoken; but the shield--which so many coverings of iron, so many of bronze, a hide of bull, having encircled, surrounded so many times--with shuddering blow the spear-point pierced the middle and punctures the delays of the breastplate and his huge chest. That one snatches the hot weapon from the wound in vain: by one and the same path his blood and spirit follow. He collapses on his wound--his weapons gave a sound over (him)--and dying he seeks the ground with his bloody mouth.

(490) Over whom Turnus, standing, says, "Arcadians, remembering, take back these my words to Evander: I send back Pallas just as he deserved. Whatever honor of the tomb, whatever solace of burial there is, I bestow. Hardly little will hospitality for Aeneas cost him." And having said this he pressed the dead with his left foot, snatching the immense weight and engraved impiety of the baldric: under one nuptial night a band of young men foully slaughtered and bloody bedchambers, which Clonus son of Eurytus had engraved with much gold; having gotten which booty Turnus now celebrates and rejoices.

(501) Mind of men, unknowing of fate and future lot and how to keep measure, lifted up by favorable events! There will be a time for great Turnus when he will have wished that an untouched Pallas had been bought and when he will have hated those spoils and (that) day. But with a great groan and tears the allies thronging around bore back Pallas placed on a shield. O grief and great glory about to return to your father, this first day gave you to war, this same (day) bears you away, when yet you leave the huge heaps of Rutulians!