Aeneid 1.561–578

Aen. 1.561Tum breviter Dīdō, voltum dēmissa, prōfātur:
Solvite corde metum, Teucrī, sēclūdite cūrās.

Then Dido, with her face lowered, replies briefly: 'Release fear from your hearts, Teucrians, put aside your cares.

Note. voltum dēmissa: 'with her face lowered'; a middle use of the participle, with voltum as a Greek-style accusative (accusative of respect). prōfātur: historic present of prōfor. Solvite corde metum: 'loose fear from your hearts'.

Aen. 1.563Rēs dūra et regnī novitās mē tālia cōgunt
mōlīrī, et lātē fīnīs custōde tuērī.

Harsh circumstances and the newness of my kingdom force me to take such measures and to guard my borders far and wide with sentries.

Note. Rēs dūra et regnī novitās: two subjects with a plural verb (cōgunt). tālia mōlīrī: 'to undertake such measures'. fīnīs: accusative plural.

Aen. 1.565Quis genus Aeneadum, quis Troiae nesciat urbem,
virtūtēsque virōsque, aut tantī incendia bellī?

Who would not know the race of Aeneas' people, who would not know the city of Troy, its courage and its men, or the flames of so great a war?

Note. Quis … nesciat: deliberative or potential subjunctive in a rhetorical question, 'who could fail to know?'. Aeneadum: genitive plural in -um.

Aen. 1.567Nōn obtūsa adeō gestāmus pectora Poenī,
nec tam āversus equōs Tyriā Sōl iungit ab urbe.

We Phoenicians do not have hearts so dull, nor does the Sun yoke his horses so far away from the Tyrian city.

Note. The sun's 'yoking his horses' far from Carthage would mean the city lay at the edge of the world, beyond the reach of civilisation. Poenī: 'we Phoenicians', in apposition to the subject of gestāmus.

Aen. 1.569Seu vōs Hesperiam magnam Sāturniaque arva,
570sīve Erycis fīnīs rēgemque optātis Acestēn,
auxiliō tūtōs dīmittam, opibusque iuvābō.

Whether you choose great Hesperia and the fields of Saturn, or the land of Eryx and King Acestes, I will send you away safe under escort and help you with supplies.

Note. Seu … sīve: 'whether … or'. Sāturnia arva: Italy, where Saturn ruled in the golden age. Erycis fīnīs: western Sicily, around Mount Eryx. auxiliō tūtōs: 'safe with an escort'.

Aen. 1.572Voltis et hīs mēcum pariter cōnsīdere regnīs;

Or do you wish to settle with me on equal terms in this kingdom?

Note. Voltis: old spelling of vultis; the sentence is often read as a question. pariter: 'on equal terms'.

Aen. 1.573urbem quam statuō vestra est, subdūcite nāvīs;

The city I am building is yours; beach your ships;

Note. urbem quam statuō vestra est: 'the city I am building is yours'. The antecedent urbem has been attracted into the case of the relative pronoun (inverse attraction).

Aen. 1.574Trōs Tyriusque mihi nūllō discrīmine agētur.

Trojan and Tyrian will be treated by me with no distinction.

Note. Trōs Tyriusque: 'Trojan and Tyrian', singular for the whole peoples. mihi: dative of agent with the passive agētur.

Aen. 1.575Atque utinam rēx ipse Notō compulsus eōdem
adforet Aenēās!

And I wish that your king himself, Aeneas, driven by the same south wind, were here!

Note. utinam … adforet: a wish for the present that cannot be fulfilled, imperfect subjunctive; forem is an alternative form of essem. Notō: the south wind.

Aen. 1.576Equidem per lītora certōs
dīmittam et Libyae lūstrāre extrēma iubēbō,
sī quibus ēiectus silvīs aut urbibus errat.

Indeed, I will send reliable men along the shores and order them to search the furthest parts of Libya, in case he has been cast ashore and is wandering in some woods or cities.'

Note. certōs (virōs): 'trusty men'. sī quibus … errat: 'in case he is wandering in some woods or cities'; quibus = aliquibus after sī.