Aeneid 12.1–17

Aen. 12.1Turnus ut īnfrāctōs adversō Mārte Latīnōs
dēfēcisse videt, sua nunc prōmissa reposcī,
sē signārī oculīs, ultrō implācābilis ārdet
attollitque animōs.

When Turnus sees the Latins broken by the war going against them and losing heart, sees his own promise now demanded of him and himself marked out by every eye, he blazes up unappeasable, unprompted, and raises his spirits.

Note. Book 12 opens straight onto Turnus. ut … videt: 'when he sees', followed by three accusative-and-infinitive clauses: Latīnōs dēfēcisse, sua prōmissa reposcī ('his promises are being demanded back'), sē signārī oculīs ('he is being marked out by all eyes'). Marte adversō: 'by the war going against them'; Mars stands for war itself (metonymy). ultrō: 'of his own accord, unprompted'.

Aen. 12.4Poenōrum quālis in arvīs
5saucius ille gravī vēnantum vulnere pectus
tum dēmum movet arma leō gaudetque comantīs
excutiēns cervīce torōs fīxumque latrōnis
inpavidus frangit tēlum et fremit ōre cruentō:
haud secus adcēnsō glīscit violentia Turnō.

Like a lion in the fields of Carthage, wounded in the chest by the hunters with a heavy wound, who only then rouses himself to battle, delights in shaking out the thick mane on his neck, fearlessly snaps the hunter's spear lodged in him and roars with bloody mouth: just so the violence rises in Turnus once he is set on fire.

Note. An extended simile. quālis … leō … haud secus: 'like a lion … not otherwise'. Poenōrum in arvīs: 'in the fields of the Carthaginians', i.e. Africa. pectus is an accusative of respect with saucius: 'wounded in the chest'. venantum = vēnantium, genitive plural of the participle of vēnor, 'of the hunters'. comantīs … torōs: 'the shaggy muscles', i.e. the mane on his neck; -īs is the accusative plural ending. latrōnis: here 'the hunter', who waits in ambush. adcēnsō … Turnō: dative with glīscit, 'the violence grows in Turnus once set on fire'.

Aen. 12.10Tum sīc adfātur rēgem atque ita turbidus īnfit:
Nūlla mora in Turnō;

Then he speaks to the king, and in his turmoil begins like this: 'There is no delay in Turnus;

Note. adfātur: from adfor, 'address'. infit: a defective verb, 'he begins (to speak)'. Nūlla mora in Turnō: Turnus speaks of himself in the third person, a proud and defiant touch.

Aen. 12.11nihil est quod dicta retractent
ignāvī Aeneadae, nec quae pepigēre recūsent.

there is no reason for the cowardly sons of Aeneas to take back their words or refuse what they have agreed.

Note. nihil est quod … retractent: 'there is no reason why they should take back', a relative clause of characteristic with the subjunctive. Aeneadae: 'the followers of Aeneas', said with contempt (ignāvī). pepigēre = pepigērunt, from pangō, 'they agreed'.

Aen. 12.13Congredior, fer sacra, pater, et concipe foedus.

I will meet him. Bring the sacred offerings, father, and draw up the treaty.

Note. Congredior: present with future force, 'I will meet him'; congredior is deponent. sacra: 'the sacred objects' for the ritual. concipe foedus: 'draw up the treaty', i.e. pronounce its formal words.

Aen. 12.14Aut hāc Dardanium dextrā sub Tartara mittam,
15dēsertōrem Asiae (sedeant spectentque Latīnī),
et sōlus ferrō crīmen commūne refellam,
aut habeat victōs, cēdat Lāvīnia coniūnx.

Either with this right hand I will send the Trojan, the deserter of Asia, down to Tartarus (let the Latins sit and watch), and alone with my sword refute the charge against us all, or let him have us as the conquered and let Lavinia go to him as his wife.'

Note. Aut … aut: 'either … or'. Dardanium: 'the Dardanian', i.e. the Trojan Aeneas; dēsertōrem Asiae, 'deserter of Asia', is a sneer at his flight from Troy. The parenthesis sedeant spectentque Latīnī is a jussive subjunctive: 'let the Latins sit and watch'. crīmen commūne: 'the charge against us all' of cowardice. habeat victōs: 'let him have us as his conquered subjects'.