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Revisão das 15h18min de 5 de abril de 2014

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As Aventuras de Eneias

Eneias fugindo de Troia.
pintura de Federico Barocci (1528–1612)

We have followed one of the Grecian heroes, Ulisses, in his wanderings on his return home from Troia, and now we propose to share the fortunes of the remnant of the conquered people, under their chief Eneias, in their search for a new home, after the ruin of their native city. On that fatal night when the wooden horse disgorged its contents of armed men, and the capture and conflagration of the city were the result, Eneias made his escape from the scene of destruction, with his father, and his wife, and young son. The father, Anchises, was too old to walk with the speed required, and Eneias took him upon his shoulders. Thus burdened, leading his son and followed by his wife, he made the best of his way out of the burning city; but, in the confusion, his wife was swept away and lost.

On arriving at the place of rendezvous, numerous fugitives, of both sexes, were found, who put themselves under the guidance of Eneias. Some months were spent in preparation, and at length they embarked. They first landed on the neighboring shores of Trácia, and were preparing to build a city, but Eneias was deterred by a prodigy. Preparing to offer sacrifice, he tore some twigs from one of the bushes. To his dismay the wounded part dropped blood. When he repeated the act a voice from the ground cried out to him, "Spare me, Eneias; I am your kinsman, Polidoro, here murdered with many arrows, from which a bush has grown, nourished with my blood." These words recalled to the recollection of Eneias that Polidoro was a young prince of Troia, whom his father had sent with ample treasures to the neighboring land of Trácia, to be there brought up, at a distance from the horrors of war. The king to whom he was sent had murdered him and seized his treasures. Eneias and his companions, considering the land accursed by the stain of such a crime, hastened away.

They next landed on the island of Delos, which was once a floating island, till Júpiter fastened it by adamantine chains to the bottom of the sea. Apolo and Diana were born there, and the island was sacred to Apolo. Here Eneias consulted the oracle of Apolo, and received an answer, ambiguous as usual,--"Seek your ancient mother; there the race of Eneias shall dwell, and reduce all other nations to their sway." The troianos heard with joy and immediately began to ask one another, "Where is the spot intended by the oracle?" Anchises remembered that there was a tradition that their forefathers came from Creta and thither they resolved to steer.

They arrived at Creta and began to build their city, but sickness broke out among them, and the fields that they had planted failed to yield a crop. In this gloomy aspect of affairs Eneias was warned in a dream to leave the country and seek a western land, called Hespéria, whence Dardano, the true founder of the Trojan race, had originally migrated. To Hespéria, now called Italy, therefore, they directed their future course, and not till after many adventures and the lapse of time sufficient to carry a modern navigator several times round the world, did they arrive there.

Their first landing was at the island of the Harpias. These were disgusting birds with the heads of maidens, with long claws and faces pale with hunger. They were sent by the gods to torment a certain Fineu, a quem Júpiter had deprived of his sight, in punishment of his cruelty; and whenever a meal was placed before him the Harpies darted down from the air and carried it off. They were driven away from Phineus by the heroes of the expedição dos argonautas, and took refuge in the island where Eneias now found them.

When they entered the port the troianos saw herds of cattle roaming over the plain. They slew as many as they wished and prepared for a feast. But no sooner had they seated themselves at the table than a horrible clamor was heard in the air, and a flock of these odious harpies came rushing down upon them, seizing in their talons the meat from the dishes and flying away with it. Eneias and his companions drew their swords and dealt vigorous blows among the monsters, but to no purpose, for they were so nimble it was almost impossible to hit them, and their feathers were like armor impenetrable to steel. One of them, perched on a neighboring cliff, screamed out, "Is it thus, troianos, you treat us innocent birds, first slaughter our cattle and then make war on ourselves?"

She then predicted dire sufferings to them in their future course, and having vented her wrath flew away. The troianos made haste to leave the country, and next found themselves coasting along the shore of Épiro. Here they landed, and to their astonishment learned that certain Trojan exiles, who had been carried there as prisoners, had become rulers of the country. Andrômaca, viúva de Heitor, became the wife of one of the victorious Grecian chiefs, to whom she bore a son. Her husband dying, she was left regent of the country, as guardian of her son, and had married a fellow-captive, Helenus, of the royal race of Troia. Helenus and Andromache treated the exiles with the utmost hospitality, and dismissed them loaded with gifts.

From hence Eneias coasted along the shore of Sicília and passed the country of the Ciclopes. Here they were hailed from the shore by a miserable object, whom by his garments, tattered as they were, they perceived to be a Greek. He told them he was one of Ulisses's companions, left behind by that chief in his hurried departure. He related the story of Ulisses's adventure with Polifemo, and besought them to take him off with them as he had no means of sustaining his existence where he was but wild berries and roots, and lived in constant fear of the Ciclopes.

While he spoke Polifemo made his appearance; a terrible monster, shapeless, vast, whose only eye had been put out. He walked with cautious steps, feeling his way with a staff, down to the sea-side, to wash his eye-socket in the waves. When he reached the water, he waded out towards them, and his immense height enabled him to advance far into the sea, so that the troianos, in terror, took to their oars to get out of his way. Hearing the oars, Polifemo shouted after them, so that the shores resounded, and at the noise the other Ciclopes came forth from their caves and woods and lined the shore, like a row of lofty pine trees. The troianos plied their oars and soon left them out of sight.

Eneias had been cautioned by Heleno to avoid the strait guarded by the monsters Cila e Caríbdis. There Ulisses, the reader will remember, had lost six of his men, seized by Cila while the navigators were wholly intent upon avoiding Caríbdis. Eneias, following the advice of Heleno, shunned the dangerous pass and coasted along the island of Sicília.

Juno, seeing the troianos speeding their way prosperously towards their destined shore, felt her old grudge against them revive, for she could not forget the slight that Páris had put upon her, in awarding the prize of beauty to another. In heavenly minds can such resentments dwell. Accordingly she hastened to Éolo, the ruler of the winds,--the same who supplied Ulisses with favoring gales, giving him the contrary ones tied up in a bag. Éolo obeyed the goddess and sent forth his sons, Boreas, Tifão, and the other winds, to toss the ocean. A terrible storm ensued and the Trojan ships were driven out of their course towards the coast of Africa. They were in imminent danger of being wrecked, and were separated, so that Eneias thought that all were lost except his own.

At this crisis, Netuno, hearing the storm raging, and knowing that he had given no orders for one, raised his head above the waves, and saw the fleet of Eneias driving before the gale. Knowing the hostility of Juno, he was at no loss to account for it, but his anger was not the less at this interference in his province. He called the winds and dismissed them with a severe reprimand. He then soothed the waves, and brushed away the clouds from before the face of the sun.

Some of the ships which had got on the rocks he pried off with his own trident, while Tritão and a sea-nymph, putting their shoulders under others, set them afloat again. The troianos, when the sea became calm, sought the nearest shore, which was the coast of Cartago, where Eneias was so happy as to find that one by one the ships all arrived safe, though badly shaken. Edmund Waller (1602-1687), in his "Panegyric to the Lord Protector" (Cromwell), alludes to this stilling of the storm by Netuno:

"Above the waves, as Netuno showed his face,
To chide the winds and save the Trojan race,
So has your Highness, raised above the rest,
Storms of ambition tossing us repressed."

Dido

Eneias descreve a queda de Troia a Dido, rainha de Cartago.
pintura de Pierre-Narcisse Guérin (1774–1833)

Cartago, where the exiles had now arrived, was a spot on the coast of Africa opposite Sicília, where at that time a Tyrian colony under Dido, their queen, were laying the foundations of a state destined in later ages to be the rival of Rome itself. Dido was the daughter of Belo, king of Tiro, and sister of Pigmalião, who succeeded his father on the throne. Her husband was Sichaeus, a man of immense wealth, but Pygmalion, who coveted his treasures, caused him to be put to death. Dido, with a numerous body of friends and followers, both men and women, succeeded in effecting their escape from Tyre, in several vessels, carrying with them the treasures of Sichaeus.

On arriving at the spot which they selected as the seat of their future home, they asked of the natives only so much land as they could enclose with a bull's hide. When this was readily granted, she caused the hide to be cut into strips, and with them enclosed a spot on which she built a citadel, and called it Byrsa (a hide). Around this fort the city of Cartago rose, and soon became a powerful and flourishing place.

Such was the state of affairs when Eneias with his troianos arrived there. Dido received the illustrious exiles with friendliness and hospitality. "Not unacquainted with distress," she said, "I have learned to succor the unfortunate." The queen's hospitality displayed itself in festivities at which games of strength and skill were exhibited. The strangers contended for the palm with her own subjects, on equal terms, the queen declaring that whether the victor were "Trojan or Tyrian should make no difference to her."

At the feast which followed the games, Eneias gave at her request a recital of the closing events of the Trojan history and his own adventures after the fall of the city. Dido was charmed with his discourse and filled with admiration of his exploits. She conceived an ardent passion for him, and he for his part seemed well content to accept the fortunate chance which appeared to offer him at once a happy termination of his wanderings, a home, a kingdom, and a bride. Months rolled away in the enjoyment of pleasant intercourse, and it seemed as if Italy and the empire destined to be founded on its shores were alike forgotten. Seeing which, Júpiter despatched Mercury with a message to Eneias recalling him to a sense of his high destiny, and commanding him to resume his voyage.

Eneias parted from Dido, though she tried every allurement and persuasion to detain him. The blow to her affection and her pride was too much for her to endure, and when she found that he was gone, she mounted a funeral pile which she had caused to be erected, and having stabbed herself was consumed with the pile. The flames rising over the city were seen by the departing troianos, and, though the cause was unknown, gave to Eneias some intimation of the fatal event.

Eneias apresenta Cupido a Dido.
pintura de Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770)

The following epigram we find in "Elegant Extracts":

FROM THE LATIN
Unhappy, Dido, was thy fate
In first and second married state!
One husband caused thy flight by dying,
Thy death the other caused by flying

Palinuro

Eneias apresenta Cupido a Dido.
ilustração de Wilhelm Gmelin (1760 - 1820)

After touching at the island of Sicília, where Acestes, a prince of Trojan lineage, bore sway, who gave them a hospitable reception, the troianos re-embarked, and held on their course for Italy. Venus now interceded with Netuno to allow her son at last to attain the wished-for goal and find an end of his perils on the deep. Netuno consented, stipulating only for one life as a ransom for the rest. The victim was Palinuro, the pilot. As he sat watching the stars, with his hand on the helm, Somnus sent by Netuno approached in the guise of Phorbas and said: "Palinuro, the breeze is fair, the water smooth, and the ship sails steadily on her course. Lie down awhile and take needful rest.

I will stand at the helm in your place." Palinuro replied, "Tell me not of smooth seas or favoring winds,--me who have seen so much of their treachery. Shall I trust Eneias to the chances of the weather and the winds?" And he continued to grasp the helm and to keep his eyes fixed on the stars. But o Sono waved over him a branch moistened with orvalho de Letes, and his eyes closed in spite of all his efforts. Then Sono pushed him overboard and he fell; but keeping his hold upon the helm, it came away with him. Netuno was mindful of his promise and kept the ship on her track without helm or pilot, till Eneias discovered his loss, and, sorrowing deeply for his faithful steersman, took charge of the ship himself.

There is a beautiful allusion to the story of Palinuro in Scott's "Marmion," Introduction to Canto I., where the poet, speaking of the recent death of William Pitt (1759-1806), says:

"O, think how, to his latest day,
When death just hovering claimed his prey,
With Palinure's unaltered mood,
Firm at his dangerous post he stood;
Each call for needful rest repelled,
With dying hand the rudder held,
Till in his fall, with fateful sway,
The steerage of the realm gave way."

The ships at last reached the shores of Italy, and joyfully did the adventurers leap to land. While his people were employed in making their encampment Eneias sought the abode of a Sibila. It was a cave connected with a temple and grove, sacred to Apolo and Diana. While Eneias contemplated the scene, a Sibila accosted him. She seemed to know his errand, and under the influence of the deity of the place, burst forth in a prophetic strain, giving dark intimations of labors and perils through which he was destined to make his way to final success.

She closed with the encouraging words which have become proverbial: "Yield not to disasters, but press onward the more bravely." Eneias replied that he had prepared himself for whatever might await him. He had but one request to make. Having been directed in a dream to seek the abode of the dead in order to confer with his father, Anquises, to receive from him a revelation of his future fortunes and those of his race, he asked her assistance to enable him to accomplish the task. The Sibila replied, "The descent to Avernus is easy: the gate of Plutão stands open night and day; but to retrace one's steps and return to the upper air, that is the toil, that the difficulty."

She instructed him to seek in the forest a tree on which grew a golden branch. This branch was to be plucked off and borne as a gift to Proserpine, and if fate was propitious it would yield to the hand and quit its parent trunk, but otherwise no force could rend it away. If torn away, another would succeed.

Eneias followed the directions of a Sibila. His mother, Venus, sent two of her doves to fly before him and show him the way, and by their assistance he found the tree, plucked the branch, and hastened back with it to a Sibila.

Notas e Referências