Sīc fātus vēlat māternā tempora myrtō.
Hoc Helymus facit, hoc aevī mātūrus Acestēs,
hoc puer Ascanius, sequitur quōs cētera pūbēs.
Ille ē conciliō multīs cum mīlibus ībat75
ad tumulum magnā medius comitante catervā.
Hīc duo rīte merō lībāns carchēsia Bacchō
fundit humī, duo lacte novō, duo sanguine sacrō,
purpureōsque iacit flōrēs ac tālia fātur:
'Salvē, sāncte parēns, iterum; salvēte, receptī80
nēquīquam cinerēs animaeque umbraeque paternae.
Nōn licuit fīnīs Italōs fātāliaque arva
nec tēcum Ausonium, quīcumque est, quaerere Thybrim.'
Dīxerat haec, adytīs cum lūbricus anguis ab īmīs
septem ingēns gӯrōs, septēna volūmina trāxit85
amplexus placidē tumulum lāpsusque per ārās,
caeruleae cui terga notae maculōsus et aurō
squāmam incendēbat fulgor, ceu nūbibus arcus
mīlle iacit variōs adversō sōle colōrēs.
Obstipuit vīsū Aenēās. Ille agmine longō90
tandem inter paterās et lēvia pōcula serpēns
lībāvitque dapēs rūrsusque innoxius īmō
successit tumulō et dēpāsta altāria līquit.
Hōc magis inceptōs genitōrī īnstaurat honōrēs,
incertus geniumne locī famulumne parentis95
esse putet; caedit bīnās dē mōre bidentīs
totque suēs, totidem nigrantīs terga iuvencōs,
vīnaque fundēbat paterīs animamque vocābat
Anchīsae magnī Mānīsque Acheronte remissōs.
Nec nōn et sociī, quae cuique est cōpia, laetī100
dōna ferunt, onerant ārās mactantque iuvencōs;
ōrdine aēna locant aliī fūsīque per herbam
subiciunt veribus prūnās et vīscera torrent.