Virgil, Aeneid XII.646

Melphi speaks

Usque adeone mori miserum est?

The priest translates

«Is it so very wretched, then, to die?»

And interprets

This verse is strong, but it is not a sentence. It does not speak of death in a literal sense: it asks what you are really afraid of. Perhaps there is an ending you have long been putting off, the end of a relationship, a job, a habit, an image of yourself, and the fear of that loss keeps you stuck in a situation that does you no good. Melphi invites you to look your fear in the face: often the ending we dread hurts less than the time we spend running from it. Be careful, though, not to decide in the rush of a dark moment: face what you fear calmly, and with someone beside you.

The historical translations

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