Aeneid 1.464–493

Aen. 1.464Sīc ait, atque animum pictūrā pāscit inānī,
465multa gemēns, largōque ūmectat flūmine voltum.

So he speaks, and feeds his spirit on the empty painting, groaning deeply, and wets his face with a rich flood of tears.

Note. pictūrā … inānī: the picture is 'empty' because it is only a picture, yet it moves him deeply. multa gemēns: 'groaning much', an internal accusative.

Aen. 1.466Namque vidēbat, utī bellantēs Pergama circum
hāc fugerent Grāiī, premeret Trōiāna iuventūs,
hāc Phrygēs, īnstāret currū cristātus Achillēs.

For he saw how, fighting round Pergamum, here the Greeks were fleeing, with the Trojan youth pressing them, there the Phrygians, with crested Achilles pressing on in his chariot.

Note. uti (= ut) introduces indirect questions: 'how … they fled'. hāc … hāc: 'here … there'. Pergama: the citadel of Troy.

Aen. 1.469Nec procul hinc Rhēsī niveīs tentōria vēlīs
470adgnōscit lacrimāns, prīmō quae prōdita somnō
Tȳdīdēs multā vāstābat caede cruentus,
ārdentīsque āvertit equōs in castra, prius quam
pābula gustāssent Troiae Xanthumque bibissent.

Not far from here, weeping, he recognises the tents of Rhesus with their snow-white canvas, which, betrayed in their first sleep, the son of Tydeus, bloody with great slaughter, was laying waste, and he drove the fiery horses off to the camp before they could taste the fodder of Troy and drink from the Xanthus.

Note. Rhēsus, a Thracian ally of Troy, arrived with famous horses; an oracle said Troy could not fall if they ate Trojan fodder and drank from the Xanthus. Diomedes (Tȳdīdēs, son of Tydeus) killed him in his sleep the night he arrived and drove the horses off. prius quam … gustāssent … bibissent: subjunctive, expressing what was prevented.

Aen. 1.474Parte aliā fugiēns āmissīs Trōilus armīs,
475īnfēlīx puer atque impār congressus Achillī,
fertur equīs, currūque haeret resupīnus inānī,
lōra tenēns tamen;

In another part Troilus, fleeing with his arms lost, unhappy boy, no match for Achilles whom he met, is carried along by his horses and clings face up to the empty chariot, still holding the reins;

Note. Troilus, a young son of Priam, was killed by Achilles. impār congressus Achillī: 'having met Achilles unequally', i.e. no match for him. resupīnus: on his back, dragged behind his own chariot.

Aen. 1.477huic cervīxque comaeque trahuntur
per terram, et versā pulvis īnscrībitur hastā.

his neck and his hair are dragged along the ground, and the dust is scored by his reversed spear.

Note. huic: dative of reference, 'his neck'. versā … hastā: ablative absolute or of means; the trailing spear-point scratches the dust.

Aen. 1.479Intereā ad templum nōn aequae Palladis ībant
480crīnibus Īliadēs passīs peplumque ferēbant,
suppliciter trīstēs et tūnsae pectora palmīs;

Meanwhile the Trojan women were going to the temple of hostile Pallas with their hair let down, carrying the robe, as suppliants, mourning and beating their breasts with their palms;

Note. The Trojan women bring a robe (peplum) to Athena (Pallas) in the Iliad, Book 6, but she rejects the offering. crīnibus … passīs: from pandō, 'with hair let down' in mourning. tūnsae pectora: accusative of respect, 'beating their breasts'.

Aen. 1.482dīva solō fīxōs oculōs āversa tenēbat.

the goddess, turned away, kept her eyes fixed on the ground.

Note. dīva … āversa: the goddess, turned away, refuses to look at them — a picture of Athena's hostility to Troy.

Aen. 1.483Ter circum Īliacōs raptāverat Hectora mūrōs,
exanimumque aurō corpus vēndēbat Achillēs.

Three times Achilles had dragged Hector round the walls of Troy, and was selling the lifeless body for gold.

Note. Hectora: Greek accusative. Vergil follows a version in which Achilles drags Hector three times round the walls and then sells the body to Priam for gold.

Aen. 1.485Tum vērō ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab īmō,
ut spolia, ut currūs, utque ipsum corpus amīcī,
tendentemque manūs Priamum cōnspexit inermīs.

Then indeed he gives a great groan from deep in his chest, as he saw the spoils, the chariot, the very body of his friend, and Priam stretching out his unarmed hands.

Note. ut … cōnspexit: ut with the perfect indicative, 'when'. inermīs: accusative plural with manūs.

Aen. 1.488Sē quoque prīncipibus permixtum adgnōvit Achīvīs,
Eōāsque aciēs et nigrī Memnonis arma.

He recognised himself too, mingled among the Greek chiefs, and the eastern battle lines, and the arms of dark Memnon.

Note. Aeneas sees himself fighting among the Greek leaders. Eōās … aciēs: 'the eastern battle lines'; Memnon, son of the Dawn, led the Ethiopians to Troy.

Aen. 1.490Dūcit Amāzonidum lūnātīs agmina peltīs
Penthesilēa furēns, mediīsque in mīlibus ārdet,
aurea subnectēns exsertae cingula mammae,
bellātrīx, audetque virīs concurrere virgō.

Penthesilea in her fury leads the columns of Amazons with crescent shields and blazes among thousands, a golden belt fastened under her bare breast, a warrior woman, a maiden who dares to clash with men.

Note. Amāzonidum: genitive plural of Amāzonides. lūnātīs … peltīs: the Amazons' crescent-shaped shields. exsertae … mammae: 'her bared breast'. The picture series ends with a warrior queen, a hint of Dido herself, who enters in the next line.