Aeneid 1.12–33

Aen. 1.12Urbs antīqua fuit, Tyriī tenuēre colōnī,
Karthāgō, Ītaliam contrā Tiberīnaque longē
ōstia, dīves opum studiīsque asperrima bellī;

There was an ancient city, held by settlers from Tyre: Carthage, facing Italy and the mouth of the Tiber far away, rich in resources and fiercest in the pursuits of war;

Note. Urbs antīqua fuit: the story begins like a folk tale. Tyriī … colōnī: Carthage was founded by settlers from Tyre in Phoenicia (Dido's people). Ītaliam contrā: the preposition placed after its noun (anastrophe). dīves opum: genitive of respect with an adjective, 'rich in resources'. studiīs … asperrima bellī: 'fiercest in the pursuits of war'. Rome and Carthage would fight three Punic Wars.

Aen. 1.15quam Iūnō fertur terrīs magis omnibus ūnam
posthabitā coluisse Samō;

they say Juno loved it more than all other lands, holding even Samos second;

Note. quam … ūnam: 'which alone'. fertur: 'is said'. posthabitā … Samō: ablative absolute, 'with Samos held second'; Samos had a great temple of Juno.

Aen. 1.16hīc illīus arma,
hīc currus fuit;

here were her arms, here her chariot;

Note. hīc … hīc: anaphora, the repeated word stressing that this is Juno's own place. illīus: genitive of ille, 'her'.

Aen. 1.17hoc regnum dea gentibus esse,
sī quā fāta sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.

even then the goddess was striving and cherishing the hope that this would be the ruling power over the nations, if the fates should in any way allow it.

Note. hoc … esse: indirect statement depending on tenditque fovetque, 'she strives and cherishes (the hope) that this would be'. sī quā: 'if in any way'. -que … -que: 'both … and', an epic double connective.

Aen. 1.19Prōgeniem sed enim Trōiānō ā sanguine dūcī
20audierat, Tyriās ōlim quae verteret arcēs;

But she had heard that a line was being drawn from Trojan blood which would one day overturn the Tyrian citadels;

Note. Prōgeniem … dūcī: indirect statement after audierat, 'that a line was being drawn'. sed enim: an old combination, 'but indeed'. quae verteret: relative clause of purpose or result, 'to overturn'. The 'race' is the Romans, descended from Aeneas.

Aen. 1.21hinc populum lātē rēgem bellōque superbum
ventūrum excidiō Libyae: sīc volvere Parcās.

that from it a people, ruling far and wide and proud in war, would come to destroy Libya: so the Fates were spinning it.

Note. hinc: 'from this (line)'. populum … ventūrum (esse): still indirect statement. lātē rēgem: 'ruling far and wide', rēx used almost as an adjective. excidiō Libyae: a double dative, 'for the destruction of Libya', i.e. Carthage. sīc volvere Parcās: 'thus the Fates were spinning (it)', the Fates as spinners of each destiny.

Aen. 1.23Id metuēns, veterisque memor Sāturnia bellī,
prīma quod ad Troiam prō cārīs gesserat Argīs—
25necdum etiam causae īrārum saevīque dolōrēs
exciderant animō: manet altā mente repostum
iūdicium Paridis sprētaeque iniūria fōrmae,
et genus invīsum, et raptī Ganymēdis honōrēs.

Fearing this, and remembering the old war which she had fought before all others at Troy for her beloved Argos — nor had the causes of her anger and her bitter griefs yet fallen from her mind: deep in her heart there stays stored up the judgement of Paris and the insult to her slighted beauty, the hated race, and the honours given to the stolen Ganymede —

Note. A long sentence broken by a parenthesis (necdum … honōrēs). Sāturnia: Juno, daughter of Saturn, the subject held over to line 29. prīma: 'first' or 'as leader' of the Greeks at Troy. Argīs: Argos, a city dear to Juno. repostum = repositum, syncopated for the metre. Juno's grievances: the judgement of Paris, who preferred Venus to her (sprētae iniūria fōrmae, 'the insult of her slighted beauty'); the Trojan race itself, descended from Dardanus, Jupiter's son by another woman; and Ganymede, the Trojan boy whom Jupiter carried off to be his cup-bearer.

Aen. 1.29Hīs accēnsa super, iactātōs aequore tōtō
30Trōas, reliquiās Danaum atque immītis Achillī,
arcēbat longē Latiō, multōsque per annōs
errābant, āctī fātīs, maria omnia circum.

inflamed by these things as well, she kept far from Latium the Trojans, tossed over the whole sea, all that the Greeks and pitiless Achilles had left of them, and for many years they wandered, driven by the fates, round all the seas.

Note. Hīs accēnsa super: 'inflamed in addition by these things', the main verb arcēbat follows after the long object. Trōas: Greek accusative plural of Trōs. reliquiās Danaum: 'those left by the Greeks', Danaum = Danaōrum. immītis Achillī: Achillī is an older genitive of Achillēs. maria omnia circum: anastrophe again, 'around all the seas'.

Aen. 1.33Tantae mōlis erat Rōmānam condere gentem!

So great an effort it was to found the Roman race!

Note. A single line that closes the introduction. Tantae mōlis erat: genitive of description, 'it was (a matter) of such great effort'. Rōmānam condere gentem: the infinitive phrase is the subject.