LectitōOpen the reader

Lectitō › Vergil › Aeneid, Book 11 › Aeneid 11.468–497

Vergil · Aeneid XI

Aeneid 11.468–497

The city prepares for battle

English onlyRead it word by word

Aen. 11.468Īlicet in mūrōs tōtā discurritur urbe.At once there is running to the walls all over the city. Aen. 11.469Cōnsilium ipse pater et magna incepta Latīnus
470dēserit ac trīstī turbātus tempore differt
multaque sē incūsat, quī nōn adcēperit ultrō
Dardanium Aenēān generumque adscīverit urbī.
Father Latinus himself abandons the council and his great designs and, troubled by the grim time, puts them off, and blames himself much for not having welcomed Dardanian Aeneas of his own accord and adopted him as son-in-law for the city.
Aen. 11.473Praefodiunt aliī portās aut saxa sudēsque
subvectant.
Others dig trenches before the gates or haul up stones and stakes.
Aen. 11.474Bellō dat signum rauca cruentum
475būcina.
The hoarse trumpet gives the bloody signal for war.
Aen. 11.475Tum mūrōs variā cinxēre corōnā
mātronae puerīque: vocat labor ultimus omnīs.
Then matrons and boys ringed the walls in a motley circle: the final struggle calls everyone.
Aen. 11.477Nec nōn ad templum summāsque ad Palladis arcēs
subvehitur magnā mātrum rēgīna catervā
dōna ferēns, iūxtāque comes Lāvīnia virgō,
480causa malī tantī, oculōs dēiecta decōrōs.
And to the temple and the high citadel of Pallas the queen too is carried up, with a great company of mothers, bearing gifts, and at her side as companion the maiden Lavinia, cause of so great an evil, her lovely eyes cast down.

Aen. 11.481Succēdunt mātrēs et templum tūre vapōrant
et maestās altō fundunt dē līmine vōcēs:
Armipotēns, praeses bellī, Trītōnia virgō,
frange manū tēlum Phrygiī praedōnis et ipsum
485prōnum sterne solō portīsque effunde sub altīs.
The mothers go in and fill the temple with the smoke of incense and pour out mournful words from the high threshold: 'Mighty in arms, mistress of war, Tritonian maiden, break with your hand the spear of the Phrygian pirate, and lay the man himself prone on the ground and stretch him out beneath our high gates.'
Aen. 11.486Cingitur ipse furēns certātim in proelia Turnus.Turnus himself in his frenzy eagerly girds himself for battle. Aen. 11.487Iamque adeō rutilum thōraca indūtus aēnīs
horrēbat squāmīs sūrāsque inclūserat aurō,
tempora nūdus adhūc, laterīque adcīnxerat ēnsem
490fulgēbatque altā dēcurrēns aureus arce,
exsultatque animīs et spē iam praecipit hostem:
quālis ubi abruptīs fugit praesaepia vinclīs
tandem līber equus campōque potītus apertō
aut ille in pāstus armentaque tendit equārum
495aut adsuētus aquae perfundī flūmine notō
ēmicat adrēctīsque fremit cervīcibus altē
luxuriāns, lūduntque iubae per colla, per armōs.
And now he had put on his ruddy breastplate and bristled with bronze scales, and had encased his calves in gold, his temples still bare, and had girded his sword to his side, and he shone golden as he ran down from the high citadel; he exults in spirit and in hope already seizes the enemy: as when a horse breaks his bonds and flees the stalls, free at last, and gaining the open plain either makes for the pastures and herds of mares, or, used to bathing in the water of the familiar river, darts out and neighs with neck held high, running riot, and his mane plays over neck and shoulders.

Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.

Read in Lectitō
Latin vocabulary for this passage (151 words)
īlicet (adv.)at once, immediately
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
mūrus, -ī, m.wall
tōtus, -a, -umall the, the whole or entire
discurrō, -ere, -currī, -cursumrun in different directions, scatter
urbs, urbis, f.city
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
pater, patris, m.father
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
inceptum, -ī n.beginning, attempt, undertaking
dēserō, -serere, -seruī, -sertusdesert
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
trīstis, -esad, gloomy
turbō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconfuse, throw into disorder, disturb, trouble
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
differō, differre, distulī, dīlātumdiffer; scatter, put off
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
que, enclitic conj.and
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
incūsō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumblame, rebuke
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
nōn, adv.not
accipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake to oneself, receive, accept; hear; suffer
ultrō (adv.)of one's own accord; besides (ultrō citrōque: back and forth)
Dardanius, -a, -umDardanian, of Dardanus; Trojan
gener, -erī m.son-in-law
adscīscō, -ere, -scīvī, -scītustake up, admit, attach to oneself (as an ally)
praefodiō, -ere, -fōdīdig trenches in front of; bury beforehand
alius, -a, -udanother, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
porta, -ae, f.gate; door
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
saxum, -ī, n.rock, stone
sudis, -is f.stake, pile
subvectō, -ārecarry up, convey
bellum, -ī, n.war
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
signum, -ī, n.sign, signal
raucus, -a, -umhoarse; harsh-sounding, clanging
cruentus, -a, -umbloody, blood-stained
būcina, -ae f.curved horn, trumpet
tum, adv.then, at that time
varius, -a, -umvarious
cingō, cingere, cinxī, cinctussurround, gird
corōna, -ae f.crown, wreath (sub corōnā vēndere: sell as slaves)
puer, puerī, m.boy
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
labor, -ōris, m.labor, toil
ultimus, -a, -umfarthest, last
omnis, -eall, every
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
templum, -ī, n.sanctuary, temple
summus, -a, -umuppermost, highest, greatest
arx, arcis f.citadel, stronghold
subvehō, -ere, -vēxī, -vectumbring up (by water)
māter, mātris, f.mother
rēgīna, -ae, f.queen
caterva, -ae f.crowd, band, troop
dōnum, -ī, n.gift
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
iūxtā (adv. and prep. + acc.)nearby; next to
comes, -itis, m. and f.companion
virgō, virginis, f.maiden
causa, -ae, f.cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
malum, -ī, n.evil, mischief
tantus, -a, -umso great or much
oculus, -ī, m.eye
dēiciō, -icere, -iēcī, -iectusthrow down, cast, drive out of one's course
decōrus, -a, -umhandsome, fine, splendid
succēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessusgo or come under, follow after, succeed
tūs, tūris n.incense
vapōrō, -ārefill with smoke or vapour; fumigate; warm
maestus, -a, -umsad, dejected, gloomy
altus, -a, -umhigh, deep; altum, -ī, n., the deep
fundō, -ere, fūdī, fūsumpour; rout, scatter (an enemy)
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
līmen, -minis, n.threshold; door
vōx, vōcis, f.voice; word
armipotēns, -entismighty in arms
praeses, praesidis, m.protector
Trītōnius, -a, -umTritonian, a title of Pallas Athena
frangō, frangere, frēgī, frāctusbreak; dash to pieces, wreck
manus, -ūs, f.hand
tēlum, -ī, n.missile, spear, weapon
Phrygius, -a, -umPhrygian, of Phrygia in central Asia Minor
praedō, -ōnis m.robber, pirate
prōnus, -a, -umleaning forward; inclined, prone (to)
sternō, -ere, strāvī, strātusspread out; furnish with couches (of a room)
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
effundō, -fundere, -fūdī, -fūsuspour out
sub, prep. with acc. and abl.under; sub vesperum, towards evening
furō, -ererage, rave, be mad
certātim (adv.)eagerly, vying with one another
proelium, -ī, n.battle, combat; proelium committere, to join battle
iam, adv.now, already
adeō (adv.)so far, to such a degree; so
thōrāx, -ācis m.breastplate, cuirass
induō, induere, induī, indūtusput on; clothe
aēnus, -a, -umof bronze (poetic for aēneus)
horreō, -ēre, horruīshudder at, dread
squāma, -ae f.scale (of a fish or snake; of armour); flake
inclūdō, -clūdere, -clūsī, -clūsusshut up in, inclose, imprison
aurum, -ī, n.gold
nūdus, -a, -umnaked, bare
adhūc, adv.to this point, up to this time, yet, still
latus, lateris n.side, flank
accingō, -ere, -cīnxī, -cīnctusgird on; (pass.) gird oneself, get ready
ēnsis, -is m.sword (a poetic word)
fulgeō, -ēre, fulsīflash, shine, glitter
dēcurrō, -currere, -cucurrī, -cursusrun down
aureus, -a, -umof gold, golden
exsultō, -āre, -āvīleap up; exult, revel, run riot
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
spēs, speī, f.hope
praecipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptustake beforehand, anticipate; order, charge
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
quālis, -eof what sort? what kind of?
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
abrumpō, -ere, -rūpī, -ruptusbreak off, cut short
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
praesaepe, -is n.stall, enclosure; (of bees) hive
vinculum, -ī, n.bond, chain
tandem, adv.at length or last, finally
līber, lībera, līberumfree
equus, -ī, m.horse
campus, -ī, m.plain, field
potior, -īrī, -ītusbecome master of, get possession of
apertus, -a, -umopen
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
pāscō, pāscere, pāvī, pāstusfeed
armentum, -ī n.herd (of cattle)
tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentumstretch out; hold out
equa, -ae f.mare
assuēscō, -ere, -suēvī, -suētusbecome accustomed, get used to
aqua, -ae, f.water
perfundō, -ere, -fūdī, -fūsuspour over, drench; fill (with a feeling)
flūmen, -minis, n.river
nōtus, -a, -umknown, well-known, famous
ēmicō, -āre, -micuīspring out, dart forth, spurt
arrigō (adrigō), -ere, -rēxī, -rēctusset upright; rouse, excite
fremō, -ere, -uī, -itumroar, growl; grumble (in + acc.: at)
cervīx, -īcis f.neck (often pl.)
altē (adv.)high; deep
luxuriō, -āre, -āvīgrow rank; run riot, grow soft through ease
lūdō, -ere, lūsī, lūsumplay; mock, deceive
iuba, -ae f.mane
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
collum, -ī, n.neck
armus, -ī m.shoulder; (of a horse) flank, side
Vergil, Aeneid XI. Latin text: J. B. Greenough, The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Virgil (Boston, 1881), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.