Aeneid 1.142–156

Aen. 1.142Sīc ait, et dictō citius tumida aequora plācat,
collēctāsque fugat nūbēs, sōlemque redūcit.

So he speaks, and faster than his words he calms the swollen waters, puts the gathered clouds to flight and brings back the sun.

Note. dictō citius: 'more quickly than his word', ablative of comparison. tumida aequora plācat: 'calms the swollen sea'. collēctās … nūbēs: 'the gathered clouds'.

Aen. 1.144Cymothoē simul et Trītōn adnīxus acūtō
145dētrūdunt nāvīs scopulō;

Cymothoe and Triton, straining together, push the ships off the sharp rock;

Note. Cymothoē, a sea-nymph, and Trītōn, a son of Neptune. adnīxus: 'straining', from adnītor. nāvīs: accusative plural.

Aen. 1.145levat ipse tridentī;

the god himself lifts them with his trident;

Note. ipse: Neptune himself. tridentī: ablative of tridēns.

Aen. 1.146et vāstās aperit syrtīs, et temperat aequor,
atque rotīs summās levibus perlābitur undās.

he opens up the vast sandbanks, calms the sea, and glides over the tops of the waves on light wheels.

Note. aperit syrtīs: 'opens the sandbanks', freeing the stranded ships. rotīs … levibus: his chariot glides on the water. perlābitur: 'glides over', from perlābor.

Aen. 1.148Ac velutī magnō in populō cum saepe coorta est
sēditiō, saevitque animīs ignōbile volgus,
150iamque facēs et saxa volant— furor arma ministrat;

And as often happens when rioting has broken out in a great crowd and the common mob rages in their minds, and now torches and stones are flying — fury supplies the weapons —

Note. The first great simile of the poem compares the calming of the sea to a statesman calming a riot, the reverse of the usual comparison of a crowd to a storm. veluti … cum: 'just as when'. coorta est: perfect of the deponent coorior, 'has arisen'. ignōbile volgus: 'the base mob'. furor arma ministrat: 'rage supplies weapons', a famous sentence.

Aen. 1.151tum, pietāte gravem ac meritīs sī forte virum quem
cōnspexēre, silent, arrēctīsque auribus adstant;

then, if by chance they catch sight of a man respected for his devotion and his services, they fall silent and stand with ears pricked up;

Note. pietāte gravem ac meritīs: 'weighty because of his devotion and services', ablatives of cause. sī forte … quem: quem = aliquem after sī, 'if by chance (they have seen) someone'. cōnspēxēre = cōnspēxērunt. arrēctīs auribus: ablative absolute, 'with ears pricked up'.

Aen. 1.153ille regit dictīs animōs, et pectora mulcet,—
sīc cūnctus pelagī cecidit fragor, aequora postquam
155prōspiciēns genitor caelōque invectus apertō
flectit equōs, currūque volāns dat lōra secundō.

he rules their minds with his words and soothes their hearts: so all the crash of the sea died down, once the father, looking out over the waters and carried along under a clear sky, turned his horses and, flying on, gave free rein to his willing chariot.

Note. ille: the respected man. The simile closes with sīc, 'so', returning to Neptune. cūnctus … fragor: 'all the crash'. aequora … prōspiciēns: 'looking out over the waters'. genitor: Neptune, 'the father'. caelō … apertō: 'under a clear sky'. currūque volāns dat lōra secundō: 'and flying along he gives the reins to his willing chariot'.