Aeneid 1.494–519

Aen. 1.494Haec dum Dardaniō Aenēae mīranda videntur,
495dum stupet, obtūtūque haeret dēfīxus in ūnō,
rēgīna ad templum, fōrmā pulcherrima Dīdō,
incessit magnā iuvenum stīpante catervā.

While these sights seem marvellous to Dardanian Aeneas, while he stands amazed and stays fixed in a single gaze, the queen, Dido, most beautiful in form, came to the temple with a great crowd of young men thronging round her.

Note. Aeneas has been gazing at the pictures of the Trojan War on Juno's temple. Dardaniō Aenēae: dative of the person to whom something 'seems' (videntur). mīranda: gerundive, 'things to be wondered at'. obtūtū … in ūnō: 'in a single gaze'. Dīdō is nominative; the main verb incessit comes only at the end of the period, after the long build-up. magnā iuvenum stīpante catervā: ablative absolute, 'with a great crowd of young men pressing round'.

Aen. 1.498Quālis in Eurōtae rīpīs aut per iuga Cynthī
exercet Diāna chorōs, quam mīlle secūtae
500hinc atque hinc glomerantur orēades;

Just as on the banks of the Eurotas or along the ridges of Cynthus Diana leads her dancing bands, and a thousand mountain nymphs follow her and gather on this side and on that;

Note. A simile modelled on Homer's comparison of Nausicaa to Artemis (Odyssey 6). quālis … tālis (in the next sentence): 'just as … so'. Eurōtās is the river of Sparta, Cynthus the hill on Delos where Diana was born. mīlle: indeclinable here, with Orēades 'mountain nymphs'. glomerantur: middle sense, 'gather together'.

Aen. 1.500illa pharetram
fert umerō, gradiēnsque deās superēminet omnīs:
Lātōnae tacitum pertemptant gaudia pectus:
tālis erat Dīdō, tālem sē laeta ferēbat
per mediōs, īnstāns operī regnīsque futūrīs.

she carries her quiver on her shoulder, and as she walks she towers above all the goddesses; joy thrills Latona's silent heart: such was Dido, so she bore herself joyfully through their midst, pressing on the work and her kingdom to come.

Note. omnīs: accusative plural (= omnēs), common in Vergil. Lātōnae: Latona, Diana's mother, feels a silent joy at her daughter's beauty. tālis erat Dīdō closes the simile. īnstāns operī regnīsque futūrīs: 'pressing on with the work and her future kingdom'; īnstō takes the dative.

Aen. 1.505Tum foribus dīvae, mediā testūdine templī,
saepta armīs, soliōque altē subnīxa resēdit.

Then at the goddess's doors, under the central vault of the temple, fenced about with arms and raised high on her throne, she took her seat.

Note. foribus dīvae: probably 'at the doors of the goddess's shrine'. mediā testūdine: the testūdō (tortoise shell) is the vaulted roof. saepta armīs: her guards ring her round. subnīxa: 'resting on', 'raised on'.

Aen. 1.507Iūra dabat lēgēsque virīs, operumque labōrem
partibus aequābat iūstīs, aut sorte trahēbat:
cum subitō Aenēās concursū accēdere magnō
510Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum,
Teucrōrumque aliōs, āter quōs aequore turbō
dispulerat penitusque aliās āvexerat ōrās.

She was giving judgements and laws to her men, and sharing out the labour of the work in fair portions or drawing it by lot, when suddenly Aeneas sees, approaching amid a great throng, Antheus and Sergestus and brave Cloanthus, and others of the Teucrians, whom the black storm had scattered over the sea and carried far away to other shores.

Note. dabat … aequābat … trahēbat: imperfects of an action in progress, interrupted by cum subitō … videt, an 'inverse cum' clause with the main event. Anthea: Greek accusative of Antheus. āter … turbō: the storm of the opening of the book scattered the fleet; Aeneas believed these ships were lost.

Aen. 1.513Obstipuit simul ipse simul perculsus Achātēs
laetitiāque metūque;

He himself was stunned, and at the same time Achates was struck, with joy and with fear;

Note. obstipuit: from obstipēscō, 'was struck dumb'. simul … simul: 'both … and', linking Aeneas (ipse) and Achates. laetitiāque metūque: the double -que (polysyndeton) is epic style.

Aen. 1.514avidī coniungere dextrās
515ārdēbant;

eager, they were burning to join right hands;

Note. dextrās coniungere: to join right hands, the gesture of greeting.

Aen. 1.515sed rēs animōs incognita turbat.

but the unexplained situation troubles their minds.

Aen. 1.516Dissimulant, et nūbe cavā speculantur amictī,
quae fortūna virīs, classem quō lītore linquant,
quid veniant;

They keep hidden and, wrapped in the hollow cloud, they watch to see what fortune the men have, on what shore they are leaving the fleet, why they are coming;

Note. Venus had wrapped Aeneas and Achates in a cloud so they could walk through Carthage unseen. Indirect questions follow speculantur: quae fortūna (sit) virīs, quō lītore classem linquant, quid veniant ('why they come').

Aen. 1.518cūnctīs nam lēctī nāvibus ībant,
ōrantēs veniam, et templum clāmōre petēbant.

for men chosen from all the ships were coming, begging for grace, and were making for the temple with loud cries.

Note. cūnctīs … nāvibus lēctī: 'chosen from all the ships'. ōrantēs veniam: 'begging favour'.