Aeneid 12.238–256

Aen. 12.238Tālibus incēnsa est iuvenum sententia dictīs
iam magis atque magis, serpitque per agmina murmur;

By such words the young men's feeling is set on fire more and more, and a murmur creeps through the ranks;

Note. Tālibus … dictīs: ablative of cause. iuvenum sententia: 'the feeling of the fighting men'. serpit … murmur: the rumour 'creeps' through the ranks.

Aen. 12.240ipsī Laurentēs mūtātī ipsīque Latīnī.

the Laurentines themselves have changed, and the Latins themselves.

Note. Supply sunt with mūtātī: 'the Laurentines themselves have changed, and the Latins too', even Latinus' own people, who had wanted peace.

Aen. 12.241Quī sibi iam requiem pugnae rēbusque salūtem
spērābant, nunc arma volunt foedusque precantur
īnfectum et Turnī sortem miserantur inīquam.

Those who had just been hoping for rest from fighting and safety for their affairs now want arms, pray for the treaty to be undone, and pity the unjust lot of Turnus.

Note. Quī: 'those who', the antecedent is understood. sibi … rēbusque: datives, 'for themselves … for their state'. foedus … īnfectum: 'that the treaty be undone', predicative. Turnī sortem … inīquam: his 'unjust lot' is to fight alone for them all.

Aen. 12.244Hīs aliud maius Iūturna adiungit et altō
245dat signum caelō, quō nōn praesentius ūllum
turbāvit mentēs Ītalās mōnstrōque fefellit.

To this Juturna adds something greater and gives a sign from the high sky; no sign ever more powerfully confused Italian minds and deceived them with its portent.

Note. Hīs: 'to these (arguments)', dative with adiungit. aliud maius: 'another, greater thing'. quō nōn praesentius ūllum: 'than which none more powerful'; quō is ablative of comparison, and the sentence goes on with ūllum (signum) as subject of turbāvit. mōnstrō: 'by its portent'.

Aen. 12.247Namque volāns rubrā fulvus Iovis āles in aethrā
lītoreās agitābat avēs turbamque sonantem
agminis āligerī, subitō cum lāpsus ad undās
250cycnum excellentem pedibus rapit improbus uncīs.

For the tawny bird of Jupiter, flying in the red-glowing sky, was harrying the shore birds and the noisy crowd of the winged flock, when suddenly, swooping to the waves, the cruel bird seizes an outstanding swan in his hooked talons.

Note. Iovis āles: 'the bird of Jupiter', the eagle. aethra: 'the bright upper air', here red with sunrise. agitābat: imperfect, the background; then subitō cum … rapit, the sudden event in the present ('inverted cum'). The eagle seizing a swan stands for Aeneas threatening Turnus; the birds who drive it off stand for the Italians.

Aen. 12.251Adrēxēre animōs Ītalī, cūnctaeque volucrēs
convertunt clāmōre fugam, mīrābile vīsū,
aetheraque obscūrant pennīs hostemque per aurās
factā nūbe premunt, dōnec vī victus et ipsō
255pondere dēfēcit, praedamque ex unguibus āles
prōiēcit fluviō penitusque in nūbila fūgit.

The Italians pricked up their spirits, and all the birds turn their flight with a clamour, a wonder to see, darken the sky with their wings, form a cloud and press their enemy through the air, until, beaten by their force and by the weight itself, he gave way, dropped the prey from his talons into the river, and fled deep into the clouds.

Note. Adrēxēre = adrēxērunt (from arrigō): 'pricked up'. mīrābile vīsū: 'a wonder to see', with the supine in -ū. factā nūbe: ablative absolute, 'forming a cloud'. dēfēcit, prōiēcit, fūgit: the eagle gives up, drops the swan, and flies off; the Rutulians read this as a sign that Aeneas will flee.