Lectitō › Vergil › Aeneid, Book 1
Aeneid 1.643–656
Aeneas sends for Ascanius
Vergil, Aeneid I. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
Tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and track your reading.
Read in LectitōAen. 1.643Aenēās (neque enim patrius cōnsistere mentem
passus amor) rapidum ad nāvīs praemittit Achātēn,
645Ascaniō ferat haec, ipsumque ad moenia dūcat;
Aeneas, since a father's love did not let his mind rest, sends Achates swiftly ahead to the ships, to take this news to Ascanius and to bring him to the city;
Note. patrius … amor: 'a father's love'. Ascaniō ferat haec: 'to take this news to Ascanius'; ferat and dūcat are subjunctives of purpose without ut, after the idea of sending.
Aen. 1.646omnis in Ascaniō cārī stat cūra parentis.
all a loving father's care is centred on Ascanius.
Note. cārī … parentis: genitive, 'the care of a loving father'.
Aen. 1.647Mūnera praetereā, Īliacīs ērepta ruīnīs,
ferre iubet, pallam signīs aurōque rigentem,
et circumtextum croceō vēlāmen acanthō,
650ōrnātus Argīvae Helenae, quōs illa Mycēnīs,
Pergama cum peteret inconcessōsque hymenaeōs,
extulerat, mātris Lēdae mīrābile dōnum:
praetereā scēptrum, Īlionē quod gesserat ōlim,
maxima nātārum Priamī, collōque monīle
655bācātum, et duplicem gemmīs aurōque corōnam.
He also tells him to bring gifts snatched from the ruins of Troy: a mantle stiff with embroidered figures and gold, and a veil bordered with yellow acanthus, the finery of Argive Helen, which she had brought from Mycenae when she went to Troy and her forbidden marriage, the marvellous gift of her mother Leda; and besides, the sceptre which Ilione, the eldest of Priam's daughters, had once carried, and a necklace of pearls for the neck, and a double crown of jewels and gold.
Note. These gifts are ominous: Helen's finery belonged to the woman whose forbidden marriage destroyed Troy. Mycēnīs: ablative, 'from Mycenae' — Helen was Menelaus' wife at Sparta; Vergil uses Mycenae for the Greek homeland. Pergama: the citadel of Troy. Īlionē: Priam's eldest daughter. collō: dative, 'for the neck'.
Aen. 1.656Haec celerāns ita ad nāvēs tendēbat Achātēs.
Hurrying these orders on, Achates made his way to the ships.
Note. Haec celerāns: 'hastening these things'.
Vocabulary
| neque or nec, conj. | and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not |
| enim, conj. | for |
| patrius, -a, -um | of one's fathers, ancestral |
| cōnsistō, -sistere, -stitī, -stitus | station oneself, take one's stand; consist |
| mēns, mentis f. | mind, spirit |
| patior, patī, passus, bear | suffer, allow |
| amor, -ōris, m. | love |
| rapidus, -a, -um | swift; consuming, fierce |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| nāvis, -is, f. | ship |
| praemittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum | send ahead |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| moenia, -ium, n. plur. | walls |
| dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus | lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| cārus, -a, -um | dear, precious |
| stō, stāre, stetī, status | stand |
| cūra, -ae f. | care, concern (cūrae esse: to be a concern) |
| parēns, -entis m./f. | parent |
| mūnus, mūneris, n. | service, office, duty; present, gift |
| praetereā, adv. | besides this, besides, moreover |
| Īliacus, -a, -um | of Ilium, Trojan |
| ēripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptus | snatch out or away, rescue |
| ruīna, -ae f. | fall, collapse, ruin |
| iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussus | bid, order, command |
| palla, -ae f. | long robe, mantle |
| signum, -ī, n. | sign, signal |
| aurum, -ī, n. | gold |
| rigeō, -ēre | be stiff |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| circumtexō, -ere, -texuī, -textum | weave round; border |
| croceus, -a, -um | saffron-coloured, yellow |
| vēlāmen, -inis n. | covering, veil |
| acanthus, -ī m. | acanthus, a plant with curling leaves used as a decorative pattern |
| ōrnātus, -a, -um | equipped, fitted out |
| Argīvus, -a, -um | Argive, of Argos; Greek |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| cum, conj. | when, while, after; since; although |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| inconcessus, -a, -um | forbidden, unlawful |
| efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātum | carry out, bring out |
| māter, mātris, f. | mother |
| mīrābilis, -e | wonderful, marvellous |
| dōnum, -ī, n. | gift |
| scēptrum, -ī n. | sceptre; royal power |
| gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus | carry, wear; carry on, do |
| ōlim, adv. | once upon a time, once, formerly, of old |
| magnus, -a, -um | large, big, great, mighty; loud |
| nāta, -ae f. | daughter |
| collum, -ī, n. | neck |
| monīle, -is n. | necklace |
| bācātus, -a, -um | set with pearls |
| duplex, -icis | double |
| gemma, -ae f. | jewel, precious stone; bud |
| corōna, -ae f. | crown, wreath (sub corōnā vēndere: sell as slaves) |
| celerō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | hasten, speed up |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum | stretch out; hold out |