lines 1-56, 199-297, 469-566, and 735-804
1. All were silent and were holding their faces intently. Then father Aeneas on the couch having begun thus from the deep: accursed, queen, you order [me] to renew the grief, [by telling] how the Danaans (Greeks) snatch away Trojan riches and the pitiable kingdom, what wretched things I myself saw, and of which I was a great part.
6. Who of the Myrmidons or Dolopians or hard soldiers of Ulysses could refrain from tears by telling such things? And now damp night falls in the sky and sinking stars urge on sleep.
10. But if love [is] so great to learn about our misfortunes and to hear the final labor of the Troy, although the mind shudders to remember, and recoils with sorrow, I will begin.
14. Broken by war and repulsed by the fates with so many years now slipping by the leaders of the Danaans built a horse the likeness of a mountain with the divine art of Pallas (Athena) and wove the sides with cut pines; they pretend it is an offering for return; this story spread.
18. Here in the dark side they secretly confined the selected bodies of men chosen by lot and deep within the huge hollows with armed soldier(y stuff).
21. There is in sight Tenedos, an island very well known in fame, rich of resources while the kingdom(s) of Priam remained, now only a bay badly trustworthy for keels: here having conveyed themselves they hid on a deserted shore.
25. We thought the Myceneans went away and sought with wind. Therefore all Troy freed themselves from long sorrow: gates are opened, it is pleasing to go to the Greek camp and to see the deserted places and the abandoned shore: here the band of Dolopians, here savage Achilles used to stretch out; here the place or the fleets, here the battle line was accustomed to fight.
31. Part gazed at the destructive gift of unwed Minerva and marveled at the mass of horse; and first Thymoetes urges that it be led inside the walls and to be placed in the citadel, whether by a trick or the fates of troy were bearing (heading) in this way.
35. But Capys, and the opinion of those better in mind, order either to throw the trap of the Danaans and the suspected gifts in the sea, and to burn placed under flames, or to pierce the hollows of the womb and examine the darkness,
39. The uncertain crowd is torn in different pursuits. First there in front of everyone with a great crowd accompanying burning Laocoon runs down from the top of the citadel, and far off, ‘O wretched, what so great insanity, citizens? You trust that the enemies have been carried away? Or you think any gifts of the Danaans to be free from trickery? Thus the famous Ulysses?
45. Either the Argives are concealed shut up in this wood, or this machine was made into our walls, going to inspect homes and going to come into our city from above, or some (other) deceit lies hidden.; do not trust the horse, Teucrians.
49. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts.
50. Having spoken thus, He twirled (hurled) a giant spear with mighty strength into the side and into the curved with seams belly of the beast. It stood trembling and with the womb having been struck the hollow cavern echoed and gave a groan.
54. And if the fates of the gods, if the mind had not been unlucky, he would have driven [us] to defile the Argive trap with iron, and Troy would now stand, and the high citadel of Priam would remain.
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199. Here is presented to the wretched (ones) another greater and much more terrible (thing) and it disturbs the heedless hearts. Laocoon, priest for (of) Neptune chosen by lot, was slaughtering a huge bull on the customary altar.
203. But behold twin snakes with immense coils (I shudder recalling) from Tenedos through the calm deep they lean upon the sea and equally they tend toward the shore; whose chests bent among the waves and bloody crests overcome the waves.
207. The other part skims the sea from behind and it twists the immense back with coil. A crash with spraying salt is made; and no they were holding the fields and having suffused burning eyes with blood and fire they lick hissing mouths with quivering tongues.
212. We scattered bloodless at the sight. In a sure battle line the sought Laocoon; and first the serpent having embraced the bodies of the two sons it entwines each one and with bite he feeds (upon) the miserable limbs;
216. going down after to help and bearing weapons the seize him himself and bind him in huge coils; and now having encircled (his) middle twice, having placed scaly backs twice around the neck the overpower with high head and necks.
220. At the same time reaches with hands to tear apart the knots having soaked his band with gore and black venom, at the same time he raises horrendous shouts to the stars: like the roar when a wounded bull flees the altar and he shakes off the uncertain ax [from his] neck.
225. But the twin serpents with a glide flee to the highest shrine and they seek the citadel of savage Minerva, and beneath the feet of the goddess and they hide beneath the circle of the shield. Then in truth, a new panic crept through the appalled hearts and they say that the crime paid the deserving Laocoon, who offended the oak with spear and hurled the wicked spear into the side.
231. They shout that the simulacrum must be led to the throne and they must worship the power of the goddess.
234. We divide the walls and open the fortifications of the city. Everyone girded for the work, we placed glidings of wheels beneath the feet, and they stretch chains of hemp for the neck: the fatal machine climbs the walls teeming with weapons. Boys and unmarried girls around sing sacred [songs] and they rejoice to touch the rope with hand: it goes down and menacing it glides into the middle of the city.
241. O fatherland, o Troy, Trojan walls renowned in war and home of the gods! Four times it halted on the threshold itself of the gate and four times the arms gave sound in the belly; however we persisted forgetful and blind with madness and the unlucky monster stopped at the sacred citadel.
246. Even then Cassandra by the future fates opened her mouth by order of the gods never believed by Trojans. We miserable, for whom the day would be final, we wreathed the shrines of gods with foliage through the city.
250. Meanwhile night turned the sky and rushed from the Ocean enveloping land and sky and the treacherous Myrmidons with a great shadow; sleep embraced tired limbs.
254. And now the Greek phalanx (anachronism) with ships drawn up was going from Tenedos through the friendly silences of the (being) silent moon(light) seeking the known coast, when the royal ship lifted the (signal) flames and by the unfriendly fate(s) of the gods Sinon having been defended released the enclosed Trojans from the uterus and the pine barrier secretly.
259. Having laid them open to the altar, the horse returns and happy they bring themselves forth from the hollow oak Thessandrus and Sthenelus leaders and dreadful Ulysses, sliding through (down, along) the lowered rope, Acamas and Thoas a,d descendant of Pelias (Achilles) Noptolemus and first Machoan and Menalaus and Epeos himself, maker of the deceit.
265. They invade the city buried in sleep and wine; they cut down the guards, and at the open (standing open) gates they receive all their friends and they join the confederate battle line.
268. It was the time in which first rest begins for sick mortals creeps most thankful as a gift of the gods. Behold, before eyes in dreams saddest Hector seemed to me to be present and to pour out huge weeping, black with blood [and] with dust as once dragged by the two horsed chariot and through the swollen feet pierced reins.
274. Eh, to me what sort he was, how much changed from that Hector who returned having donned the spoils of Achilles, or having thrown Phrygian fire on [the ships] of the Danaans;
277. and bearing a filthy beard and hair matted with blood and wounds, which many he received around the walls of the fatherland. Weeping further I seemed to address the man and to bring forth gloomy voices:
281. O light of Dardanis, O faithful hope of the Teucrians, what great delays have held [you]? Wait, Hector, from what shores do you come? How gladly we see you after many funerals of yours, after varied labors both of men and of the city!
285. What unworthy cause despoiled your serene face? Or why do I see these wounds? He [said] nothing, and not having delayed my asking nothings, but bringing a heavy groan from the depths of his chest, “Hey flee, goddess born, snatch you from these flames.
290. The enemy has the walls; Troy ruches (down) from its high peak. Enough has been given to the fatherland and Priam: If Pergamum was able to be defended by a right hand, it would have been defended by this (one).
293. And Troy entrusts the Penates her sacred (stuff) and her (men); seize these friends of fates, seek these great walls, which you will finally establish, having wandered the ocean.”
296. He spoke thus, and with hands he lifted the garland and the Vestal power and the eternal fire in the inmost shrines.
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469-566
469. And in the first threshold Pyrrhus leaps forth before the vestibule itself and flashing with weapons and brazen light; like when a snake having fed on bad grass [comes] into the light which the cold midwinter has sheltered swollen below the earth, now with skin having been placed (down) new and shining with youth, he coils [his] slippery back with chest raised high to the sun, and he darts triple forked tongues in mouth.
476. Together with huge Periphas and Automedon, master of the horses of Achilles and squire, together with the whole Scyrian youth they approach the youth and throw flames to the top.
479. With the twin ax snatched up he breaks down the hard thresholds and he tears the bronze doors from the hinge; and now with the beams having been destroyed he hollowed out the firm oak and he gave (to Priam as a Christmas present) a huge opening like a wide mouth.
483. He appears inside the house and long atria open up, and the inner rooms of ancient kings and of Priam appear, and armed men appear standing in the first threshold.
186. But inside the house the tumult is mixed with a miserable groan, and inside the vaulted house howls with wailing women the clamor hits the golden stars.
489. Then panicked mothers wander the huge house having embraced they hold posts and they place kisses. Pyrrhus presses on with fatherly strength; neither barriers nor guards themselves are strong (enough) to withstand; the door wavers with the repeated ram, and the posts fall from the removed hinges. A way is made by force; The Danaans burst through the entrance and slaughter the first and fill the wide place with soldiery.
496. Not (even so gentle) as when a frothy torrent with levies having been burst, goes out and overcomes the structures places against, it is borne into fields raging in a mass and it drags flocks with stables through all the fields.
499. I myself saw Neoptolemus raging with slaughter and the stwin Atrides (Agamemnon and Menelaus) in the threshold, I saw Hecuba and one hundred daughters and Priam polluting with blood the altars which fires he himself had consecrated.
