LIBER SECUNDUS

40-56 Laocoön and the Trojan Horse

40 Prīmus ibi ante omnēs magnā comitante catervā

41 Lāocoön ardēns summā dēcurrit ab arce,

42 et procul “Ō miserī, quae tanta īnsānia, cīvēs?

43 Crēditis āvectōs hostēs? Aut ūlla putātis

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44 dōna carēre dolīs Danaum? Sīc nōtus Ulixēs?

45 Aut hōc inclūsī lignō occultantur Achīvī,

46 aut haec in nostrōs fabricāta est māchina mūrōs,

47 īnspectūra domōs ventūraque dēsuper urbī

48 aut aliquis latet error; equō nē crēdite, Teucrī.

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49 Quidquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs.”

50 Sīc fātus validīs ingentem vīribus hastam

51 in latus inque ferī curvam compāgibus alvum

52 contorsit. Stetit illa tremēns, uterōque recussō

53 īnsonuēre cavae gemitumque dedēre cavernae.

54 Et, sī fāta deum, sī mēns nōn laeva fuisset,

55 impulerat ferrō Argolicās foedāre latebrās,

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56 Troiaque nunc stāret, Priamīque arx alta manērēs.

201–249 The Fate of Laocoön and Troy

201 Lāocoön, ductus Neptūnō sorte sacerdōs,

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202 sollemnēs taurum ingentem mactābat ad ārās.

203 Ecce autem geminī ā Tenedō tranquilla per alta

204 (horrēscō referēns) immēnsīs orbibus anguēs

205 incumbunt pelagō pariterque ad lītora tendunt;

206 pectora quōrum inter flūctūs arrēcta iubaeque

207 sanguineae superant undās, pars cētera pontum

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208 pōne legit sinuatque immēnsa volūmine terga.

209 Fit sonitus spūmante salō; iamque arva tenēbant

210 ardentēsque oculōs suffectī sanguine et ignī

211 sībila lambēbant linguīs vibrantibus ōra.

212 Diffugimus vīsū exsanguēs. Illī agmine certō

213 Lāocoönta petunt; et prīmum parva duōrum

214 corpora nātōrum serpēns amplexus uterque

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215 implicat et miserōs morsū dēpascitur artūs;

216 post ipsum auxiliō subeuntem ac tēla ferentem

217 corripiunt spīrīsque ligant ingentibus; et iam

218 bis medium amplexī, bis collō squāmea circum

219 terga datī superant capite et cervīcibus altīs.

220 Ille simul manibus tendit dīvellere nōdos

221 perfūsus saniē vittās ātrōque venēnō,

222 clāmōrēs simul horrendōs ad sīdera tollit:

223 quālis mūgītus, fūgit cum saucius āram

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224 taurus et incertam excussit cervīce secūrim.

225 At geminī lāpsū dēlūbra ad summa dracōnēs

226 effugiunt saevaeque petunt Trītonidis arcem

227 sub pedibusque deae clipeīque sub orbe teguntur.

228 Tum vērō tremefacta novus per pectora cūnctīs

229 insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem

230 Lāocoönta ferunt, sacrum quī cuspide rōbur

231 laeserit et tergō scelerātam intorserit hastam.

232 Dūcendum ad sēdēs simulācrum ōrandaque dīvae

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233 nūmina conclāmant.

234 Dīvidimus mūrōs et moenia pandimus urbis.

235 Accingunt omnēs operī pedibusque rotārum

236 subiciunt lāpsūs, et stuppea vincula collō

237 intendunt: scandit fātālis māchina mūrōs

238 fēta armīs. Puerī circum innūptaeque puellae

239 sacra canunt fūnemque manū contingere gaudent:

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240 illa subit mediaeque mināns inlābitur urbī.

241 Ō patria, Ō dīvum domus Īlium et incluta bellō

242 moenia Dardanidum! Quater ipsō in līmine portae

243 substitit atque uterō sonitum quater arma dedēre;

244 instāmus tamen immemorēs caecīque furōre

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245 et mōnstrum īnfēlīx sacrātā sistimus arce.

246 Tunc etiam fātīs aperit Cassandra futūrīs

247 ōra deī iussū nōn umquam crēdita Teucrīs.

248 Nōs dēlūbra deum miserī, quibus ultimus esset

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249 ille diēs, festā vēlāmus fronde per urbem.