Pagina:Ad Alpes.djvu/208

“Dē hōc amplius, sī vīs,” inquit Sextus. “Libenter tē audiō.”

“Aenēās, cum classem ad Ītaliam appulisset,” inquit Pūblius, “Sibyllam statim adiit, quae ad īnferōs dux viae^[1] esset.^[2] Illa autem eī respondit:

“‘Facilis dēscēnsus^[3] Avernō;^[4]

Noctēs atque diēs patet ātrī^[5] iānua Dītis.^[6]

Sed revocāre gradum superāsque ēvādere ad aurās,^[7]

Hoc opus, hic^[8] labor est.’

“Praetereā monuit paucōs admodum fuisse, quī umquam ad ōrās rediissent superās, cum semel eō dēscendissent; sīn autem ille perīculum tantum subīre parātus esset, in opācā^[9] silvā inveniendum esse rāmum aureum, quī, ut^[10] mūnus acceptissimum, ad Prōserpinam dēferrētur.

“Aenēās, fortūnā adiūtus, rāmum invēnit, et Sibyllā duce per spēluncam ātram prōgressus iter īnferōrum^[11] brevī carpēbat. Prīmō occurrunt speciēs horrendae, quās hērōs, timōre commōtus, gladiō strictō trānsfīgere parābat. Sibylla autem docuit illās esse umbrās tantum, quae nec laedere nec laedī possent.

“Sīc ad rīpam Acherontis pervēnērunt. Quōs cum appropinquantēs vīdisset Charōn, statim abīre iussit; nam sibi nefās esse corpora vīva trādūcere cymbā. Postquam autem rāmum aspexit aureum, sine morā Aenēān comitemque in cymbam recēpit.

“Illa,^[12] quae umbrās tantum portāre solēbat, sub pondere gemuit;^[13] Aenēās autem incolumis ad rīpam pervēnit alteram

1. dux viae, conductor.
2. esset: note mood.
3. dēscēnsus, -ūs, m., descent.
4. Avernō, to the Lower World; cf. Carthāginī, XXXI, 72.
5. ātrī: as connected with death.
6. Dītis, nom. Dīs: a name of Pluto.
7. aurās, atmosphere.
8. Hoc … hic: agreeing with the pred. nouns. Hoc scans as a long syllable.
9. opācus, -a, -um, adj., dark, shady.
10. ut, as.
11. īnferōrum: trans. the gen., ‘to.’
12. Illa: the boat.
13. gemō, -ere, -uī, intr., groan.