Aeneid 12.411–440

Venus heals Aeneas

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Aen. 12.411Hīc Venus, indignō nātī concussa dolōre,
dictamnum genetrīx Crētaeā carpit ab Īdā,
pūberibus caulem foliīs et flōre comantem
purpureō;At this, Venus, his mother, shaken by her son's undeserved pain, picks dittany from Cretan Ida, a stalk with downy leaves and a crown of purple flower;Note. Hīc: 'at this point'. indignō nātī … dolōre: 'by the undeserved pain of her son'. dictamnum: dittany, a healing herb of Mount Ida in Crete. pūberibus … foliīs: 'with downy leaves'. flōre comantem purpureō: 'crowned with a purple flower'. Aen. 12.414nōn illa ferīs incognita caprīs
415grāmina, cum tergō volucrēs haesēre sagittae:
hoc Venus, obscūrō faciem circumdata nimbō,
dētulit;that herb is not unknown to the wild goats, when winged arrows have stuck in their backs: this Venus brought down, her face wrapped in a dark cloud;Note. illa … grāmina: supply sunt; the wild goats know the herb, and were believed to eat it to drive out arrows. cum … haesēre: 'when arrows have stuck'. faciem circumdata: 'having her face wrapped', Greek accusative of respect. Aen. 12.417hōc fūsum labrīs splendentibus amnem
īnficit occultē medicāns spargitque salūbris
ambrosiae sūcōs et odōriferam panacēam.with this she secretly steeps the water poured into the gleaming bowls, giving it healing power, and sprinkles the healthful juices of ambrosia and fragrant panacea.Note. hōc: 'with this'. fūsum labrīs … amnem: 'the water poured into the gleaming bowls'. īnficit: 'steeps', 'tinctures'. medicāns: 'giving it healing power'. salūbris: genitive with ambrosiae, 'healthful ambrosia'. Aen. 12.420Fōvit eā volnus lymphā longaevus Iāpyx
ignōrāns, subitōque omnis dē corpore fūgit
quippe dolor, omnis stetit īmō volnere sanguis;With that water old Iapyx bathed the wound, not knowing it, and suddenly all the pain fled from the body, and all the blood stopped deep in the wound;Note. ignōrāns: Iapyx does not know what Venus has done. quippe: 'and indeed'. omnis … sanguis: 'all the blood'; stetit, 'stopped'. Aen. 12.423iamque secūta manum nūllō cōgente sagitta
excidit, atque novae rediēre in prīstina vīrēs.and now the arrow, following his hand without any force, fell out, and his strength came back fresh, as it was before.Note. secūta manum: the arrowhead 'followed his hand'. nūllō cōgente: ablative absolute, 'with no one forcing it'. in prīstina: 'to their former state'.

Aen. 12.425Arma citī properāte virō!'Bring arms for the man, quickly!Note. Iapyx speaks. citī: nominative plural used like an adverb, 'quickly!' virō: 'for the man'. Aen. 12.425Quid statis?Why are you standing there?'Note. Quid: 'why?' Aen. 12.425Iāpyx
conclāmat prīmusque animōs adcendit in hostem.Iapyx shouts, and is first to fire their spirits against the enemy.Note. conclāmat: 'shouts aloud'. animōs accendit: 'fires their spirits'. Aen. 12.427Nōn haec hūmānīs opibus, nōn arte magistrā
prōveniunt neque tē, Aenēā, mea dextera servat:
maior agit deus atque opera ad maiōra remittit.'This does not come from human resources or by the guidance of skill, nor is it my hand that saves you, Aeneas: a greater god is at work and sends you back to greater deeds.'Note. Nōn haec …: 'these things do not come about through human resources'. arte magistrā: 'with skill as guide'. maior … deus: 'a greater god' is at work. Aen. 12.430Ille avidus pugnae sūrās inclūserat aurō
hinc atque hinc ōditque morās hastamque coruscat.He, eager for battle, had already enclosed his calves in gold on either side; he hates delay and brandishes his spear.Note. Ille: Aeneas. avidus pugnae: 'eager for battle'. sūrās … aurō: his greaves of gold enclose his 'calves'; the pluperfect incluserat shows how quickly he has armed. hinc atque hinc: 'on either side'. Aen. 12.432Postquam habilis laterī clipeus lōrīcaque tergō est,
Ascanium fūsīs circum complectitur armīs
summaque per galeam dēlībāns ōscula fātur:
435Disce, puer, virtūtem ex mē vērumque labōrem,
fortūnam ex aliīs.When the shield was fitted to his side and the breastplate to his back, he puts his arms around Ascanius in their armour and, kissing him lightly through the helmet, says: 'Learn courage from me, my boy, and true toil; good fortune from others.Note. habilis … est: 'is fitted'. fūsīs circum … armīs: 'with his armour around him'. summa … ōscula dēlībāns: 'lightly touching kisses', through the helmet. Aeneas' words to his son are famous: learn courage and true toil from me, good fortune from others.

Aen. 12.436Nunc tē mea dextera bellō
dēfēnsum dabit et magna inter praemia dūcet.Now my hand will defend you in war and lead you among great rewards.Note. dēfēnsum dabit: 'will keep you defended'. magna inter praemia: 'among great rewards'. Aen. 12.438Tū facitō, mox cum mātūra adolēverit aetās,
sīs memor, et tē animō repetentem exempla tuōrum
440et pater Aenēās et avunculus excitet Hector.See that you remember, soon, when your age has grown to maturity, and as you recall in your mind the examples of your family, let your father Aeneas and your uncle Hector rouse you.'Note. facitō: future imperative, 'see that you …'. sīs memor: 'be mindful', subjunctive after facitō. adolēverit: future perfect, 'when your age has ripened'. avunculus … Hector: Hector, the brother of Ascanius' mother Creusa, was his uncle.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×2

Latin vocabulary for this passage (152 words)

hīc, adv.	here; hereupon
indignus, -a, -um	unworthy; shameful
nātus, -ī m.	son; (pl.) children
concutiō, -ere, -cussī, -cussus	shake violently; shake, weaken
dolor, -ōris, m.	pain, grief; anger
dictamnum, -ī n.	dittany, a healing herb from Mount Ida in Crete
genetrīx, -īcis f.	mother
Crētaeus, -a, -um	Cretan, of Crete
carpō, -ere, -sī, -tus	pluck
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)	away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
pūbēs, -eris	adult, grown-up (of men of military age)
caulis, -is m.	stalk, stem
folium, -ī n.	leaf
et, conj.	and; et ... et, both ... and
flōs, flōris m.	flower
comō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	have long hair; (of plants) be leafy, be crowned with
purpureus, -a, -um	purple, dyed purple
nōn, adv.	not
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.	that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
ferus, -a, -um	wild, savage
incognitus, -a, -um	unknown
capra, -ae f.	she-goat
grāmen, -inis n.	grass, turf
cum, conj.	when, while, after; since; although
tergum, -ī, n.	back
volucer, -cris, -cre	winged, swift
haereō, haerēre, haesī, haesūrus	stick; hesitate
sagitta, -ae, f.	arrow
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.	this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
obscūrus, -a, -um	dark
faciēs, -ēī f.	face; appearance
circumdō, -dare, -dedī, -datus	put around, surround
nimbus, -ī m.	rain-cloud, storm-cloud
dēferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātus	bear or carry away or off
fundō, -ere, fūdī, fūsum	pour; rout, scatter (an enemy)
labrum, -ī n.	lip
splendeō, -ēre	shine, gleam
amnis, -is m.	river
īnficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectus	stain, dye
occultē (adv.)	secretly
medicō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	drug, steep in medicine
spargō, spargere, sparsī, sparsus	scatter, sprinkle
que, enclitic conj.	and
salūber (salūbris), -bris, -bre	healthy, wholesome, beneficial
ambrosia, -ae f.	ambrosia, the food or ointment of the gods
sūcus, -ī, m.	juice
odōrifer, -era, -erum	fragrant, sweet-smelling
panacēa, -ae f.	panacea, a healing herb said to cure everything
foveō, -ēre, fōvī, fōtus	keep warm; cherish, favour
is, ea, id, dem. pron.	this, that; he, she, it, they
vulnus, vulneris, n.	wound
lympha, -ae f.	water, clear water
longaevus, -a, -um	aged, of great age
ignōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	be ignorant of
subitō, adv.	unexpectedly, suddenly
omnis, -e	all, every
dē, prep, with abl.	down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
corpus, corporis, n.	body
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrus	flee, run away
quippe (adv.)	of course, indeed, for
stō, stāre, stetī, status	stand
īmus, -a, -um	lowest (ab īmō: from the bottom)
sanguis, sanguinis, m.	blood
iam, adv.	now, already
sequor, sequī, secūtus	follow
manus, -ūs, f.	hand
nūllus, -a, -um	not any, none, no
cōgō, cōgere, coēgī, coāctus	drive together, collect; compel
excidō, -ere, -cidī	fall out, slip out
atque, ac (conj.)	and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
novus, -a, -um	new; novissimus, last
redeō, -īre, -iī, -itus	go back, return
in, prep. with acc. and abl.	with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
prīstinus, -a, -um	former
vīs, vīs, f.	violence, force; virtue, potency, efficacy; plur. vīrēs, -ium, strength; omnibus vīribus, with all one's strength, with might and main
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.	arms, weapons
citus, -a, -um	quick, swift
properō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	hasten
vir, virī, m.	man
quis, quid, interrog. pron.	who? which? what?
conclāmō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum	shout out, cry out
prīmus, -a, -um	first, foremost
animus, -ī, m.	mind; heart; spirit, courage
accendō, -cendere, -cendī, -cēnsus	kindle, light
hostis, -is, m. and f.	enemy, foe
hūmānus, -a, -um	of man, human
ops, opis f.; pl. opēs, -um	help; (pl.) resources, wealth, power
ars, artis, f.	art
magistra, -ae f.	(woman) teacher, mistress
prōveniō, -īre, -vēnī, -ventus	come forth, grow; turn out
neque or nec, conj.	and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
tū, tuī, pers. pron.	thou, you
meus, -a, -um	my, mine
dextra, -ae, f.	right hand (manus understood)
servō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	save, preserve
magnus, -a, -um	large, big, great, mighty; loud
agō, agere, ēgī, āctus	drive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
deus, -ī, m.	god
opus, operis, n.	work, task
ad, prep. with acc.	to, toward; at, near; for
remittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missum	send back; give up, remit
avidus, -a, -um	eager, greedy (for: gen.)
pugna, -ae, f.	fighting, battle, combat
inclūdō, -clūdere, -clūsī, -clūsus	shut up in, inclose, imprison
aurum, -ī, n.	gold
hinc, adv.	from this place, hence
ōdī, ōdisse, used only in tenses of completed action with the force of tenses of incomplete action	hate
mora, -ae, f.	delay
hasta, -ae f.	spear
coruscō, -āre	brandish, shake; flash, glitter
postquam, conj.	later than, after, when
habilis, -e	handy, easy to manage
latus, lateris n.	side, flank
clipeus, -ī m. (also clipeum, -ī n.)	round bronze shield
lōrīca, -ae f.	breastplate; breastwork, parapet
sum, esse, fuī, futūrus	be
circum, prep. with acc.	around
complector, -plectī, -plexus	embrace
summus, -a, -um	uppermost, highest, greatest
per, prep, with ace.	through, by means of
galea, -ae, f.	helmet
dēlībō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus	take a little of, taste; touch lightly (with a kiss)
ōsculum, -ī n.	kiss
for, fārī, fātus sum	speak, say
discō, discere, didicī	learn
puer, puerī, m.	boy
virtūs, -tūtis, f.	manliness, courage, bravery
ex, ē (prep. + abl.)	out of, from; of (ē only before consonants)
ego, meī, pers. pron.	I
vērus, -a, -um	true; rē vērā, in truth, in fact
labor, -ōris, m.	labor, toil
fortūna, -ae, f.	fortune
alius, -a, -ud	another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others
nunc, adv.	now
bellum, -ī, n.	war
dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsus	ward off; defend
dō, dare, dedī, datus	give
inter, prep, with acc.	among, between
praemium, -ī, n.	reward
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductus	lead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus	make, do; iter facere, see iter
mox, adv.	soon
mātūrus, -a, -um	ripe
adolēscō, -ere, adolēvī, adultus	grow up
aetās, -tātis, f.	age
memor, -oris	mindful, remembering (+ gen.)
repetō, -ere, -petīvī, -petītum	demand back; seek again
exemplum, -ī n.	example, precedent
tuus, -a, -um	thy, thine, your
pater, patris, m.	father
avunculus, -ī m.	uncle (mother's brother)
excitō, -citāre, -citāvī, -citātus	call out, arouse

Vergil, Aeneid XII. Latin text: J. B. Greenough (Boston, 1881), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.