BOOK XI.

O WORLD of men wide-scattered, and long walls,

The cities huge and nations numberless,

Throughout the east and west and south and north,

Divided off by various languages

5 And kingdoms; other things, the very worst,

Against you I am now about to speak.

For from the time when on the earlier men

The flood came and the Almighty One himself

Destroyed that race by many waters, then

10 Brought he in yet another race of men

Untiring; and they, setting themselves up

Against heaven, built to height unspeakable

A tower; and tongues of all were loosed again;

And on them hurled came wrath of God most high,

15 By which the tower unutterably great

Fell; and against each other they stirred up

An evil strife. And then of mortal men

Was the tenth race since these things came to pass;

And the whole earth was among foreign men

20 And various languages distributed,

Whose numbers I will tell and in acrostics

Of the initial letter show the name.

And first shall Egypt royal power receive

Preeminent and just; and then in her

25 Shall many-counseling men be governors;

Moreover then a fearful man shall rule,

Close-fighter very strong; and he shall have

This letter of the acrostic of his name:

Sword shall he stretch out against pious men.

30 And while this one is ruler there shall be

A fearful sign in the Egyptian land,

Which, gladdening very greatly, shall with corn

Souls perishing with famine then supply;

The law-giver, himself a prisoner,

35 The East and offspring of Assyrian men

Shall nourish; and his name know thou . . .

. . . of the measure of the number ten.

But when there shall come from the radiant heaven

Ten strokes of judgment upon Egypt, then

40 Will I again proclaim these things to thee.

Memphis, alas, alas for thee! alas,

Great royal one! the Erythræan sea

Shall thy much people utterly destroy.

Then when the people of twelve tribes shall leave

45 The fruitful land of ruin by command

Of the Immortal, the Lord God himself

Will also give a law unto mankind.

And o'er the Hebrews then a mighty king

Magnanimous shall rule, and have a name

50 Derived from sandy Egypt, Theban man

Of doubtful native land; and Memphis he,

Dread serpent, will show outward signs of love,

And he will watch o'er many things in wars.

Now the tenth kingdom being twelve times complete

55 Seven besides and even unto the tenth hundred,

Others being altogether left behind,

Then shall arise the Persian sovereignty.

And then an evil shall befall the Jews,

Famine and pestilence intolerable

60 They do not make escape from in that day.

But when a Persian shall rule, and a son

Of his son's son shall lay the scepter down,

While years roll round to five fours, and to these

A hundred more, and thou a hundred nines

65 Shalt finish and all things shalt thou repay;

And then unto the Persians and the Medes

Shalt thou be given over as a slave,

Destroyed with blows by reason of hard fights.

Straightway to Persians and Assyrians

70 And to all Egypt shall an evil come,

And to Libya and the Ethiopians,

And to the Carians and Pamphylians

And to all other mortals. And he then

Shall to the grandsons give the royal power,

75 Who again snatching the whole earth away

Shall plunder races for their many spoils,

Not having fellow-feeling. Mournful dirges

Shall the sad Persians by the Tigris wail,

And Egypt water many a land with tears.

80 And then to thee, O Median land, a man

Of wealth abundant and of Indian birth

Shall many evils do, till thou repay

All things which thou, possessed of shameless soul,

Hast done before. Alas, alas for thee,

85 Thou Median nation; thou shalt afterwards

Be servant unto Ethiopian men

Beyond the land of Meroe; wretched thou

Shalt from the first seven and a hundred years

Complete, and put thy neck beneath the yoke.

90 And then an Indian of dark countenance

And gray hair and great soul shall afterwards

Become lord, who shall many evils bring

Upon the East by reason of hard fights;

And he shall treat thee more despitefully

95 And shall destroy all thy men. But when he

The twentieth and the tenth year shall be king,

Among them, also seven and the tenth,

Then every nation of a royal power

Shall be mad and declare their liberty,

100 And during three years leave their servile blood.

But he shall come again and every nation

Of valiant men shall put their neck again

Under the yoke, serve the king as before,

And of its own free will again obey.

105 There shall be great peace throughout all the world.

And then o'er the Assyrians there shall rule

A mighty king, a man preeminent,

And shall persuade all to speak pleasing things,

Which God ordained according to the law;

110 Then all kings arrogant with pointed spears

Timid and speechless shall before him quail,

And him shall very powerful rulers serve

Because of counsels of the mighty God;

For he will carry all things in detail

115 By reason, and all things will he subject,

And he the temple of the mighty God

And lovely altar will himself erect

In his might, and will hurl the idols down;

And gathering tribes together, both the race

120 Of fathers and the helpless little ones,

He shall encompass the inhabitants;

His name shall have two hundred for its number,

And of the eighteenth letter show the sign.

But when for rolling decades two and five

125 He shall rule, going forwards towards the end

Of his time, there shall be as many kings

As there are tribes of men, as there are clans,

As there are cities, and as isles and coasts,

And fields and lands that bring forth goodly fruit.

130 But one of these shall be a mighty king,

A leader among men; and many kings

Of lofty spirit shall submit to him,

And to his sons and grandsons opulent

Give portions on account of royal power.

135 Decades of decades, eight ones upon these

Of years shall they rule, and at last shall end.

But when with cruel Ares there shall come

A powerful wild beast, even then for thee,

O queenly land, shall wrath spring forth again.

140 Alas, alas for thee, then Persian land;

What an outpouring of the blood of men

Shalt thou receive when that stronger-minded man

Comes to thee; then I'll shout these things again.

But when Italian soil shall generate,

145 Great wonder unto mortals, there shall be

Moans of young children by a fountain pure,

In shady cavern off spring of wild beast

That feeds on sheep, who unto manhood grown

Shall upon seven strong hills with reckless soul

150 Hurl many headlong down, in numbers both

Having a hundred, and their names shall show

A great sign to them that are yet to be;

And they shall build upon the seven hills

Strong walls and wage around them grievous war.

155 And then again shall there be growing up

Revolt of men around thee, then great land

Of fine ears, high-souled Egypt; but again

I'll cry these things. And yet then shalt receive

A great stroke in thy houses; and again

160 Shall there be a revolt of thine own men.

Now over thee, O wretched Phrygia,

I weep in pity; for to thee from Greece,

Tamer of horses, there shall conquest come

And war and plague by reason of hard fights.

165 Ilium, I pity thee; for there shall come

From Sparta an Erinys to thy halls

Mixed with a deadly sting; and most of all

Shall she bring thee toils, troubles, groans, and wails,

When well-skilled men the battle shall begin,

170 By far the noblest heroes of the Greeks

Who are to Ares dear. And one of these

Shall be a strong brave king; of foulest deeds

He for his brother's sake will go in quest.

And they shall overthrow the famous walls

175 Of Phrygian Troy; when of the rolling years

Twice five shall be filled with the bloody deeds

Of savage war, a wooden artifice

Shall sudden cover men, and on thy knees

Thou shalt receive this, not perceiving it

180 To be an ambush pregnant with the Greeks,

O cause of grievous woe. Alas, alas,

How much in one night Hades shall receive,

And what spoils of the old man weeping much

Shall he bear off! But with those yet to come

185 Shall be undying fame. And the great king,

A hero sprung from Zeus, shall have his name

Of the first letter of the alphabet;

Homewards shall he in order go. And then

Shall he fall by a treacherous woman's hand.

190 And there shall rule a child sprung from the race

And the blood of Assaracus, renowned

Of heroes, both a strong and valiant man.

And he shall come out of the mighty fire

Of ravaged Troy, fleeing from fatherland

195 By reason of the fearful toil of war;

Bearing his aged father on his shoulders

And also holding his son by the hand

He shall perform a pious work of law,

Who, looking cautiously about him, cleft

200 The onset of the fire of burning Troy,

And hurrying through the multitude in dread

He shall pass over land and fearful sea.

And he shall have a trisyllabic name,

For the beginning of the alphabet

205 Points out this highest man as not unknown.

And then a city for the powerful Latins

He will raise up. And in his fifteenth year,

Destroyed by waters in the depths of sea,

Shall he lay hold on the event of death.

210 But him though dead the nations of mankind

Shall not forget; for his race over all

Shall rule hereafter even to Euphrates

And river Tigris, throughout the mid land

Of the Assyrians, where the Parthians

215 Extended. For those who are yet to come

It shall be, when all these things come to pass.

And there shall be an old man, minstrel wise,

Whom all shall among mortals call most wise,

By whose good understanding the whole world

920 Shall be instructed; for his chapters he

According to their power of thoughts will write.

And wisely will he write most marvelous things,

At times appropriating words of mine

Measures and verses; for he shall the first

225 My books unfold and after these things bide them

And unto men bring them to light no more

Until the end of baneful death and life.

But when forthwith these things have been fulfilled

Which I spoke, yet again the Greeks shall fight

230 With one another; and Assyrians,

Arabians and the quiver-bearing Medes,

And Persians and Sicilians shall rise up,

And Lydians, Thracians and Bithynians,

And they who dwell in the land of fair corn

235 Beside the streams of Nile; and among all

Will God the imperishable put at once

Confusion. But exceeding terribly

Shall an Assyrian base-born fiery man

Come suddenly, possessed of beastly soul,

240 And looking cautiously about him cut

Through every isthmus, going against all,

And sailing o'er the sea. Then, faithless Greece,

To thee shall happen very many things.

Alas, alas for thee, O wretched Greece,

245 How many things thou art obliged to wail!

And during seven and eighty rolling years

Thou shalt the miserable refuse be

Of fearful battle among all the tribes.

Then shall a Macedonian man again

250 Bring forth for Hellas woe and shall destroy

All Thrace, and toil of Ares on the isles

And coasts and the war-loving Triballi.

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

He shall among the foremost fighters be,

And he shall share that name which shows the sign

255 Of numbers ten times fifty. And short-lived

Shall he be; but behind him he shall leave

The greatest kingdom on the boundless earth.

But by base spearman he himself shall fall

While thought to live in quiet as none else.

260 And afterwards shall a great-hearted child

Of this one rule, beginning with his name

The alphabet; but his race shall pass out.

Not of Zeus, not of Amnion shall they call

This one true son, yet still a bastard son

265 Of Cronos as they all imagine him.

And cities he of many mortal men

Shall plunder; and for Europe shall shoot up

The greatest sore. And also terribly

Will he abuse the city Babylon,

270 And every land the sun looks down upon,

And he alone shall sail both east and west.

Alas, alas for thee, O Babylon,

Thou shalt serve triumphs, who wast called a queen;

Down upon Asia Ares comes, he comes

275 Surely and shall thy many children slay.

And then shalt thou send forth thy royal man

Named by the number four, expert with spear

Among the mighty warriors, terrible,

Shooting with bow and arrow. And then famine

280 And war shall hold possession of the midst

Of the Cilicians and Assyrians;

But kings of lofty spirit shall embrace

The dreadful state of heart-consuming strife.

But do thou, fleeing, leave the former king,

285 Be neither willing to remain nor fear

To be unhappy; for on thee shall come

A dreadful lion, a flesh-eating beast,

Wild, strange to justice, wearing on his shoulders

A mantle. Flee the thunder-smiting man.

290 And Asia all shall bear an evil yoke,

And many a murder shall the wet earth drink.

But when a mighty city prosperous

Ares of Pella shall in Egypt found,

And it shall be named from him, fate and death,

295 By his companions treacherously betrayed

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

For barbarous murder shall destroy this man

Around the tables when he shall have left

The Indians and shall come to Babylon.

Thereafter other kings, in a few years,

300 Devourers of the people, arrogant

And faithless, shall rule each by his own tribe;

But a great-hearted hero, who shall glean

All fenced Europe, from the time each land

Shall drink the blood of all tribes, shall forthwith

305 Abandon life, unloosing his own fate.

And other kings there shall be, twice four men

Of his race, and the same name to them all.

And there shall be a bride of Egypt then

Commanding and a noble city great

310 Of Macedonian lord, queen Alexandria,

Famed nourisher of cities, shining fair

She alone shall be the metropolis.

Let Memphis then upbraid them that command.

And peace shall be deep throughout all the world;

315 Then shall the land of black soil have more fruits.

And then there shall come evil to the Jews,

Nor shall they in that day make their escape

From famine and intolerable plague;

But the new world of black soil and fair corn,

320 Divine land, shall receive much-wandering men.

But marshy Egypt's eight kings shall fill up

The numbers of two hundred years and three

And thirty. Yet shall offspring perish not

Of all of them, but there shall issue forth

325 A female root, a bane of mortal men,

Betrayer of her kingdom. But they shall

According to their evil deeds perform

Their wickedness thereafter, and one here

Another there shall perish; son that wears

330 The purple shall cut off his warlike sire,

And he himself in turn by his own son,

And ere he shall put forth another shoot

He shall cease; but a root shall sprout again

Thereafter of itself; and there shall be

335 A race beside him growing. For a queen

There shall be of the land by Nilus' streams

Which comes down through seven mouths into the sea,

And her name very lovely shall be that

Of the number twenty; and she will demand

340 Numberless things and gather up all goods

Of gold and silver; but from her own men

Shall treachery befall her. Then again

For thee, O dusky land, shall there be wars

And battles and great slaughter of mankind.

345 When many over fertile Rome shall rule,

Examples not at all of happy men,

But tyrants, and there be of thousands chiefs

And of ten thousands, and the overseers

Of popular assemblies under law,

350 Then shall the mightiest Cæsars bear the rule

Ill-fated all their days; and of these last

Shall for initial have the number ten,

Last Cæsar stretching on the earth his limbs,

Struck by dire Ares by a hostile man,

355 Whom carrying in their hands the youth of Rome

Shall. bury piously, and over him

Pour out their token for his friendship's sake

Rendering a tribute to his memory.

But when thou shalt come to an end of time

360 And hast completed twice three hundred years

And twice ten, from the time when he shall rule

Who is thy founder, child of the wild beast,

There shall no longer a dictator be

Ruling a measured period; but a lord

365 Shall become king, man equal to the gods.

Then, Egypt, know the king that comes to thee;

And dreadful Ares of the glittering helm

Shall surely come. For there shall be for thee,

O widowed one, a capture afterwards;

370 For round the walls of thy land there shall be

Terrible raging mischief-working wars.

But having suffered misery in wars

Thou, wretched, shalt thyself flee from above

Those lately wounded; and then to the couch

375 Shalt thou come to the dreadful man himself;

The wedlock, sharing one bed, is the end.

Alas, alas for thee, ill-wedded bride,

Thy royal power unto the Roman king

Shalt thou give, and thou shalt repay all things,

380 Which thou aforetime didst with masculine hands;

Thou shalt give the whole land by way of dower

As far as Libya and the dark-skinned men

To the resistless man. And thou shalt be

No more a widow, but thou shalt cohabit

385 With a man-eating lion terrible,

A furious warrior. And then shalt thou be

Unhappy and among all men unknown;

For thou shalt leave possessed of shameless soul;

And thee, the stately, shall the encircling tomb

390 Receive . . . is gone . . . living within . . .

Adapted at the summits, beautiful,

Wrought curiously, and a great multitude

Shall mourn thee and the dreadful king shall make

A piteous lamentation over thee.

395 And then shall Egypt be the toiling slave

Who many years against the Indians bears

Her trophies; and she shall serve shamefully,

And with the river, the fruit-bearing Nile,

her tears, for haying gathered wealth

400 And store of all good things, a nourisher

Of cities, she shall feed sheep-eating race

Of fearful men. All, to how many beasts,

O very wealthy Egypt, thou shalt be

Booty and spoil, but giving peoples laws;

405 And formerly delighting in great kings

Thou shalt to peoples be a wretched slave

On account of that people, whom of old

Piously living thou led'st to much woe

Of toils and wailings, and didst put a plow

410 Upon their neck and irrigate the fields

With mortal tears. Therefore the Lord himself,

The imperishable God who dwells in heaven,

Shall utterly destroy and send thee on

To wailing; and thou shalt make recompense

415 For what thou didst unlawfully of old,

And know at last that God's wrath came to thee.

But I to Python and to Panopeus

Of goodly towers shall go; and then shall all

Declare that 1 am a true prophetess

420 Oracle-singing, yet a messenger

With maddened soul. . . .

And when thou shalt come forward to the books

Thou shalt not tremble, and all things to come

And things that were ye shall know from our words;

425 Then none shall call the God-seized prophetess

An oracle-singer of necessity.

But now, Lord, end my very lovely strain,

Driving off frenzy and real voice inspired

And fearful madness, and give charming song.