Aeneid 12.18–53

Aen. 12.18Ollī sēdātō respondit corde Latīnus:
Ō praestāns animī iuvenis, quantum ipse ferōcī
20virtūte exsuperās, tantō mē impēnsius aequum est
cōnsulere atque omnīs metuentem expendere cāsūs.

Latinus answered him with a calm heart: 'Young man of outstanding spirit, the more you excel in fierce courage, the more carefully I must take counsel and weigh every outcome with fear.

Note. Ollī: an archaic form of illī, dative, 'to him'. ō praestāns animī iuvenis: animī is a genitive of respect, 'outstanding in spirit'. quantum … tantō … impēnsius: 'the more you excel …, the more carefully must I…'. aequum est: 'it is right'. omnīs … cāsūs: 'all outcomes'.

Aen. 12.22Sunt tibi regna patris Daunī, sunt oppida capta
multa manū, nec nōn aurumque animusque Latīnō est;

You have the kingdom of your father Daunus, you have many towns taken by your own hand, and Latinus too has gold and goodwill;

Note. Sunt tibi: dative of possession, 'you have'. nec nōn: two negatives make a positive, 'and also'. animus here is 'goodwill' toward Turnus. Latīnō est: Latinus speaks of himself in the third person.

Aen. 12.24sunt aliae innūptae Latiō et Laurentibus arvīs,
25nec genus indecorēs.

there are other unmarried girls in Latium and the fields of Laurentum, and of no mean birth.

Note. innūptae: 'unmarried girls'. nec genus indecorēs: 'not dishonourable in birth'; genus is an accusative of respect.

Aen. 12.25Sine mē haec haud mollia fātū
sublātīs aperīre dolīs, simul hoc animō haurī.

Let me reveal these things, not pleasant to say, with all pretence set aside; and take this to heart at the same time.

Note. Sine: imperative of sinō, 'allow'. haud mollia fātū: fātū is the supine in -ū with an adjective, 'not soft to say'. sublātīs … dolīs: ablative absolute, 'with deceit set aside'. haurī: imperative of hauriō, 'drink in, take to heart'.

Aen. 12.27Mē nātam nūllī veterum sociāre procōrum
fās erat, idque omnēs dīvīque hominēsque canēbant.

It was not right for me to join my daughter to any of her former suitors, and all gods and men foretold this.

Note. nātam … sociāre: 'to join my daughter (in marriage)'. fās erat: 'it was right' in the religious sense; nūllī … procōrum, 'to none of the suitors', is dative. The oracle of Faunus in Book 7 had ordered that Lavinia marry a foreign husband. canēbant: 'were prophesying'.

Aen. 12.29Victus amōre tuī, cognātō sanguine victus
30coniugis et maestae lacrumīs, vincla omnia rūpī:
prōmissam ēripuī generō, arma impia sūmpsī.

Overcome by love for you, overcome by the bond of blood and the tears of my grieving wife, I broke every bond: I snatched the promised bride from my son-in-law and took up impious arms.

Note. Victus … victus: emphatic repetition (anaphora) of the participle. tuī: objective genitive, 'love for you'. cognātō sanguine: Turnus was related to Amata. vincla = vincula. prōmissam: Lavinia, promised to Aeneas; generō: the son-in-law-to-be.

Aen. 12.32Ex illō quī mē cāsūs, quae, Turne, sequantur
bella, vidēs, quantōs prīmus patiāre labōrēs.

From that moment you see what disasters, what wars pursue me, what great hardships you are the first to suffer.

Note. Ex illō: 'from that time'. quī … cāsūs, quae … bella: interrogative adjectives in an indirect question with vidēs. patiāre = patiāris, 2nd person singular present subjunctive of the deponent patior.

Aen. 12.34Bis magnā victī pugnā vix urbe tuēmur
35spēs Ītalās;

Beaten in two great battles we scarcely protect the hopes of Italy within our city;

Note. Bis … victī: the Latins have lost two pitched battles. spēs Ītalās: 'the hopes of Italy', object of tuēmur.

Aen. 12.35recalent nostrō Thybrīna fluenta
sanguine adhūc campīque ingentēs ossibus albent.

the streams of the Tiber are still warm with our blood, and the vast plains are white with bones.

Note. Thybrīna fluenta: 'the streams of the Tiber', subject of recalent, 'are warm again'. ossibus albent: 'are white with bones', ablative of means.

Aen. 12.37Quō referor totiēns?

Where am I being carried so often?

Note. Quō referor: 'Where am I carried back to?' Latinus checks himself; the passive suggests he is swept along against his will.

Aen. 12.37Quae mentem īnsānia mūtat?

What madness changes my mind?

Note. A rhetorical question: Latinus feels his own wavering is a kind of madness.

Aen. 12.38Sī Turnō exstīnctō sociōs sum adscīre parātus,
cūr nōn incolumī potius certāmina tollō?

If I am ready to take them as allies once Turnus is dead, why do I not rather end the fighting while he is unharmed?

Note. Turnō exstinctō … incolumī: two ablative absolutes in contrast: 'once Turnus is dead … while he is safe'. sum adscīre parātus: 'I am ready to take (them) in as allies'.

Aen. 12.40Quid cōnsanguineī Rutulī, quid cētera dīcet
Ītalia, ad mortem sī tē— Fors dicta refūtet!—
prōdiderim, nātam et cōnūbia nostra petentem?

What will your kinsmen the Rutulians say, what will the rest of Italy say, if I betray you to death (may Fortune refute my words!), you who are seeking my daughter and marriage with us?

Note. Quid … quid … dīcet: 'what will they say?' ad mortem … prōdiderim: 'if I betray you to death'; the perfect subjunctive in a future condition. Fors dicta refūtet: a wish, 'may Fortune refute my words!', to avert the bad omen of what he has just said.

Aen. 12.43Respice rēs bellō variās;

Consider the changing fortunes of war;

Note. rēs bellō variās: 'the changeable fortunes of war'.

Aen. 12.43miserēre parentis
longaevī, quem nunc maestum patria Ardea longē
45dīvidit.

pity your aged father, whom his native Ardea now keeps far off and grieving.'

Note. miserēre: imperative of the deponent misereor, which takes the genitive (parentis). Ardea: Turnus' home town, the capital of the Rutulians.

Aen. 12.45Haudquāquam dictīs violentia Turnī
flectitur: exsuperat magis aegrēscitque medendō.

Not in the least is Turnus' violence turned by these words: it rises all the more and grows sicker with healing.

Note. Haudquāquam: 'not at all'. aegrēscit medendō: 'grows sicker from the cure', a medical image: the attempt to heal makes the fever worse. medendō is the ablative of the gerund of medeor.

Aen. 12.47Ut prīmum fārī potuit, sīc īnstitit ōre:
Quam prō mē cūram geris, hanc precor, optime, prō mē
dēpōnās lētumque sinās prō laude pacīscī:
50et nōs tēla, pater, ferrumque haud dēbile dextrā
spargimus;

As soon as he could speak, he began like this: 'The care you have for me, best of men, I beg you for my sake to set aside, and to let me bargain death for glory: I too, father, scatter spears and steel with no weak right hand;

Note. Ut prīmum: 'as soon as'. institit ōre: 'he began to speak'. Quam … cūram … hanc: 'the care which … this (care)'; the relative clause comes first. prō mē … prō mē: 'for me … for my sake'. lētum … prō laude pacīscī: 'to bargain death for glory', i.e. pay with life for fame. haud dēbile: litotes, 'by no means weak'.

Aen. 12.51et nostrō sequitur dē volnere sanguis.

and blood follows a wound that I make, too.

Note. sequitur … sanguis: 'blood follows' the wounds Turnus inflicts too; Aeneas is not the only one who can wound.

Aen. 12.52longē illī dea māter erit, quae nūbe fugācem
fēmineā tegat et vānīs sēsē occulat umbrīs.

His goddess mother will be far away from him, to cover him with a woman's cloud as he runs and to hide herself in empty shadows.'

Note. A taunt: in the Iliad (Book 5) Venus rescued Aeneas from Diomedes by wrapping him in a cloud. longē … erit: 'will be far away'. quae … tegat et … occulat: relative clauses of purpose, 'to cover him … and hide herself'. fēmineā … nūbe: 'a woman's cloud', contemptuous.