Aeneid 1.520–543

Aen. 1.520Postquam intrōgressī et cōram data cōpia fandī,
maxumus Īlioneus placidō sīc pectore coepit:
Ō Rēgīna, novam cui condere Iuppiter urbem
iūstitiāque dedit gentīs frēnāre superbās,
Trōēs tē miserī, ventīs maria omnia vectī,
525ōrāmus, prohibē īnfandōs ā nāvibus ignīs,
parce piō generī, et propius rēs aspice nostrās.

When they had come in and been given leave to speak in her presence, Ilioneus, the eldest, began calmly like this: 'O Queen, to whom Jupiter has granted to found a new city and to curb proud peoples with justice, we unhappy Trojans, carried by the winds over all the seas, beg you: keep the unspeakable fire away from our ships, spare a god-fearing race, and look more closely at our situation.

Note. Postquam introgressī (sunt): forms of sum are often left out. cōram: 'in her presence'. fandī: gerund of for, 'of speaking'; cōpia fandī, 'the opportunity to speak'. maxumus: old spelling of maximus, 'eldest'. cui … Iuppiter … dedit … condere … frēnāre: 'to whom Jupiter granted to found … and to curb'. gentīs superbās: accusative plural in -īs. Trōes … vectī: nominative participle with ōrāmus, 'we Trojans, carried by the winds'. prohibē īnfandōs ā nāvibus ignīs: the Carthaginians had threatened to burn the ships.

Aen. 1.527Nōn nōs aut ferrō Libycōs populāre Penātīs
venīmus, aut raptās ad lītora vertere praedās;

We have not come to plunder Libyan homes with the sword, or to drive stolen booty down to the shore;

Note. populāre: infinitive of purpose after a verb of motion (venimus), a poetic construction. Penātīs: the household gods stand for homes.

Aen. 1.529nōn ea vīs animō, nec tanta superbia victīs.

our spirit has no such violence, nor do the defeated have such arrogance.

Note. nōn ea vīs animō (est): dative of possession, 'our mind has no such violence'. victīs: dative, 'to the conquered'.

Aen. 1.530Est locus, Hesperiam Grāī cognōmine dīcunt,
terra antīqua, potēns armīs atque ūbere glaebae;

There is a place the Greeks call by the name Hesperia, an ancient land, strong in arms and in the richness of its soil;

Note. Est locus …: a formula for introducing a place, often used by Vergil. Hesperia, 'the western land', is the Greeks' name for Italy. Grāī: an old poetic word for the Greeks. ūbere glaebae: 'in the fertility of its soil' (ūber, literally 'udder').

Aen. 1.532Oenōtrī coluēre virī;

the Oenotrians lived there;

Note. coluēre: = coluērunt. The -ēre ending of the third person plural perfect is common in poetry.

Aen. 1.532nunc fāma minōrēs
Ītaliam dīxisse ducis dē nōmine gentem.

now the story is that their descendants have called the nation Italy, from the name of their leader.

Note. fāma (est): 'the story goes that …', with an accusative and infinitive (minōrēs … dīxisse). ducis dē nōmine: from King Italus.

Aen. 1.534Hic cursus fuit:
535cum subitō adsurgēns flūctū nimbōsus Ōrīōn
in vada caeca tulit, penitusque procācibus austrīs
perque undās, superante salō, perque invia saxa
dispulit;

This was our course, when suddenly stormy Orion, rising with the swell, carried us onto hidden shoals, and with violent south winds scattered us far, over the waves as the sea overwhelmed us, and over rocks where no way led;

Note. Hic cursus fuit: 'this was our course' — the line is left unfinished (a 'half-line', one of several in the Aeneid, probably not completed before Vergil died). Orion, whose setting brought storms, is pictured as rising with the waves. superante salō: ablative absolute.

Aen. 1.538hūc paucī vestrīs adnāvimus ōrīs.

a few of us have floated here to your shores.

Note. pauci … adnāvimus: 'a few of us have floated here'. vestrīs ōrīs: dative of direction, poetic.

Aen. 1.539Quod genus hoc hominum?

What race of men is this?

Note. Quod genus hoc hominum?: an indignant question. Quod is the interrogative adjective with genus.

Aen. 1.539Quaeve hunc tam barbara mōrem
540permittit patria?

Or what country is so barbaric as to allow this custom?

Note. -ve: 'or'. barbara … patria: 'what country so barbarous …'.

Aen. 1.540Hospitiō prohibēmur harēnae;

We are kept off the hospitality of the beach;

Note. Hospitiō … harēnae: 'from the shelter of the beach': even shipwrecked men were normally allowed to land.

Aen. 1.541bella cient, prīmāque vetant cōnsistere terrā.

they stir up war and forbid us to stand on the edge of the land.

Aen. 1.542Sī genus hūmānum et mortālia temnitis arma
at spērāte deōs memorēs fandī atque nefandī.

If you despise the human race and mortal arms, yet expect the gods to remember right and wrong.

Note. temnitis: poetic simple verb for contemnitis. at: 'yet, at least'. spērāte: here 'expect', even of something unwelcome. fandī atque nefandī: gerundives used as nouns, 'of right and wrong' (literally 'what may and may not be spoken').