Aeneid 1.132–141

Aen. 1.132Tantane vōs generis tenuit fīdūcia vestrī?

'Has such confidence in your birth taken hold of you?

Note. Tantane … fīdūcia: 'such confidence'. generis … vestrī: 'in your birth'; the winds were sons of Astraeus and Aurora, minor gods.

Aen. 1.133Iam caelum terramque meō sine nūmine, ventī,
miscēre, et tantās audētis tollere mōlēs?

Do you now dare, winds, without my divine consent, to throw sky and earth into confusion and raise such masses of water?

Note. meō sine nūmine: 'without my divine consent'. miscēre … et … tollere: infinitives with audētis.

Aen. 1.135Quōs ego— sed mōtōs praestat compōnere flūctūs.

You whom I — but it is better to calm the troubled waves.

Note. Quōs ego—: the most famous broken sentence in Latin (aposiopesis). Neptune checks himself before stating his threat ('whom I will…'). praestat: 'it is better'. mōtōs … flūctūs: 'the troubled waves'.

Aen. 1.136Post mihi nōn similī poenā commissa luētis.

Later you will pay for your crimes with no such penalty.

Note. Post: 'later'. nōn similī poenā: litotes, 'with a very different (i.e. heavier) penalty'. commissa luētis: 'you will pay for your offences', commissa the things done wrong.

Aen. 1.137Mātūrāte fugam, rēgīque haec dīcite vestrō:
nōn illī imperium pelagī saevumque tridentem,
sed mihi sorte datum.

Hurry away, and tell your king this: the rule of the sea and the fierce trident were given not to him but to me by lot.

Note. Mātūrāte fugam: 'hasten your flight'. nōn illī … sed mihi … datum: indirect statement depending on dīcite, with esse omitted. sorte: after the fall of Saturn, his sons Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto divided the world by lot: sky, sea and underworld.

Aen. 1.139Tenet ille immānia saxa,
140vestrās, Eure, domōs;

He holds the huge rocks, your home, East wind;

Note. Tenet ille: Aeolus has the rocks. vestrās, Eure, domōs: Eurus is addressed, but vestrās means the home of all the winds.

Aen. 1.140illā sē iactet in aulā
Aeolus, et clausō ventōrum carcere regnet.

let Aeolus show off in that hall of his, and rule in the closed prison of the winds.'

Note. illā … in aulā: 'in that hall', ille with a contemptuous tone. sē iactet: 'let him show off', jussive subjunctive, as is regnet. clausō … carcere: 'in the closed prison'.