Lines 51—141

 

Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans

nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris,

Aeoliam venit. Hic vasto rex Aeolus antro

luctantis ventos tempestatesque sonoras

imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.

 

 

Illi indinantes magno cum murmure montis

circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce

sceptra tenens mollitque animos et temperat iras;

ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum

quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras.

 

 

 

Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris

hoc metuens molemque et montis insuper altos

imposuit, regemque dedit qui foedere certo

et premere et laxas sciret dare iussus habenas.

 

 

Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est;

Aeole, namque tibi divum pater atque hominum rex

et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento,

gens inimical mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor

Illium in Italiam portans victosque penatis:

 

 

Incute vim ventis summerasque obrue puppis,

aut age diversos et disiece corpora ponto.

Sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore nymphae,

quarum quae forma pulcherrima, Deiopea,

conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo,

omnis ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos

exigat et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.

 

 

 

Aeolus haec contra: “Tuus, O regina, quid optes

explorare labor; mihi iussa capessere fas est.

tu mihi quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Jovemque

concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divum

nimborumque facis temepstatumque potentem.”

 

 

 

Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem

impulit in latus ac venti velut agmine facto

qua data porta ruunt et terras turbine perflant

incubuere mari totumque a sedibus imis

una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis

Africus et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus:

 

 

The goddess, pondering such things with herself in her inflamed heart, comes to Aeolia, the land of clouds, places teeming with the South Winds. Here in this vast cave king Aeolus controls the struggling storms and roaring tempests and restrains them with chains and a prison.

 

They howl around the enclosures of the mountain, indignant with great rumbling; Aeolus sits high in his citadel holding his scepter and soothes their minds and tempers their anger, for if he should not, surely they would rapidly carry off the seas and the lands and the deep sky with them and sweep them through the heavens.

 

But the all-knowing father fearing this hid them in black caves and he placed a mass of high mountains on top and he gave them a king by definite contract who would know how to both control them and give them free reigns when ordered.

 

Then Juno offered these words to him as suppliant: “Aeolus, for the father of the gods and king of men has granted to you both to calm the waves and raise them with the winds, there is a race hostile to me sailing for Italy on the Tyrrhenian sea and carrying Troy and conquered Penates;

 

Strike violence into the winds and bury the ships so that they are sunk or drive the scattered ships all over and scatter their bodies on the sea.  There are to me twice seven nymphs with outstanding bodies, of whom most beautiful is Deiopea, whom for such services I will join her in stable marriage and I will pronounce her your own, and she will complete all her years with you and make you the father by lovely children.”

 

Aeolus says these things in response: “O queen, yours is the work to figure out what you desire; for me it is my divine law to take your orders. You win over this kingdom for me; you win over the scepter and Jove, you allow me to recline at the feasts of the gods, and you make me powerful over both the clouds and storms.”

 

When these words had been spoken, he stuck the side of the hollow mountain, having turned his spear onto its side; and the winds where a gate had been given rushed just as a line of march had been made and they blow through the lands in a whirlwind. They have fallen on the sea; East and North winds