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propels with his oars the enormous Centaur: the monster
stands lowering over the water, and threatens the billows
with a huge rock from his towering eminence, as he ploughs
the deep sea with the length of his keel.

Great Ocnus too is leading an army from the coasts of his 5
fathers, Ocnus, son of Manto the prophetess and the Etruscan
river, who bestowed on thee, Mantua, thy city walls
and the name of his mother, Mantua rich in ancestral
glories: but not all her sons of the same blood; three
races are there, and under each race range four nations: 10
herself the queen of the nations, her strength from Etruscan
blood. Hence, too, Mezentius draws against his life
five hundred unfriendly swords—Mincius, child of Benacus,
with his gray covering of reeds, ushers into the deep
their hostile bark. 15

On moves strong Aulestes, lashing the water as he rises
with the stroke of a hundred oars: the sea spouts foam
from its upturned surface. His bearer is a huge Triton,
whose shell strikes terror into the green billows; his
shaggy front, breasting the water, down to the side bespeaks 20
the man: the belly ends in a sea monster: under
the half bestial bosom the wave froths and roars.

So many chosen chiefs were journeying in thirty
vessels to the succour of Troy, and ploughing with brazen
beak the expanse of brine. 25

And now the day had withdrawn from the sky, and
gracious Dian was trampling over the cope of heaven with
her night-flying steeds: Æneas the while, for care refuses
slumber to his frame, is seated at his post, himself guiding
the rudder and trimming the sail—when lo! in the middle 30
of his voyage he is met by a fair bevy of comrades of his
own: the Nymphs whom gracious Cybele had invested
with the deity of the sea, and changed from ships to goddesses,
were swimming abreast and cleaving the billow,
a Nymph for each of the brazen prows that erst had 35
lined the shore. Far off they recognize their king, and
come dancing round him in state: Cymodoce, their skilfullest
in speech, swimming up behind, lays her right hand on