Aeneid 1.50–64

Aen. 1.50Tālia flammātō sēcum dea corde volūtāns
nimbōrum in patriam, loca fēta furentibus austrīs,
Aeoliam vēnit.

Turning such thoughts over in her burning heart, the goddess came to Aeolia, the homeland of storm-clouds, a place teeming with raging south winds.

Note. flammātō … corde: ablative absolute or of place, 'with her heart on fire'. sēcum … volūtāns: 'turning over to herself'. nimbōrum in patriam: 'into the homeland of storm-clouds'. loca fēta: in apposition, 'a place teeming with'. Aeoliam: accusative of motion towards without a preposition.

Aen. 1.52Hīc vāstō rēx Aeolus antrō
luctantēs ventōs tempestātēsque sonōrās
imperiō premit ac vinclīs et carcere frēnat.

Here in a vast cave King Aeolus controls the struggling winds and roaring storms by his authority, and curbs them with chains and a prison.

Note. vāstō … antrō: ablative of place. luctantēs ventōs: 'the struggling winds'. vinclīs = vinculīs, shortened for the metre. Notice the sound effects: the heavy spondees and repeated v, t and r imitate the winds' straining.

Aen. 1.55Illī indignantēs magnō cum murmure montis
circum claustra fremunt;

They, resentful, roar around the barriers with a great rumbling of the mountain;

Note. Illī: the winds. magnō cum murmure montis: 'with a great roar of the mountain'; the many m sounds echo the rumbling.

Aen. 1.56celsā sedet Aeolus arce
scēptra tenēns, mollitque animōs et temperat īrās.

Aeolus sits on his high citadel holding his sceptre, and softens their spirits and tempers their rage.

Note. celsā … arce: ablative of place, 'on his high citadel'. Aeolus is a king controlling a dangerous mob, an image Vergil picks up again in the simile of the statesman.

Aen. 1.58Nī faciat, maria ac terrās caelumque profundum
quippe ferant rapidī sēcum verrantque per aurās.

If he did not, they would surely sweep the seas and lands and the deep sky along with them in their speed, and carry them off through the air.

Note. Nī faciat … ferant … verrant: a present contrary-to-fact (or future less vivid) condition: 'if he did not, they would carry off'. quippe: 'surely'. rapidī: 'in their rush', describing the winds.

Aen. 1.60Sed pater omnipotēns spēluncīs abdidit ātrīs,
hoc metuēns, mōlemque et montīs īnsuper altōs
imposuit, rēgemque dedit, quī foedere certō
et premere et laxās scīret dare iussus habēnās.

But the all-powerful father, fearing this, shut them away in dark caves and piled a mass of high mountains on top, and gave them a king who, by a fixed agreement, would know when to hold them in and when, on command, to give them free rein.

Note. pater omnipotēns: Jupiter. hoc metuēns: 'fearing this'. mōlemque et montīs … altōs: hendiadys, 'a mass of high mountains'; montīs is accusative plural. quī … scīret: relative clause of purpose, 'who would know how'. foedere certō: 'under a fixed agreement'. premere … et laxās dare … habēnās: 'both to rein in and to give loose rein', a metaphor from driving horses. iussus: 'when ordered'.

Aen. 1.64Ad quem tum Iūnō supplex hīs vōcibus ūsa est:

To him Juno then spoke as a suppliant, in these words:

Note. Ad quem: connecting relative, 'to him'. ūsa est: ūtor takes the ablative: 'used these words'. supplex: Juno, queen of the gods, now as a suppliant to a minor power.