Aeneid 12.614–649

Aen. 12.614Intereā extrēmō bellātor in aequore Turnus
615pālantīs sequitur paucōs iam segnior atque
iam minus atque minus successū laetus equōrum
attulit hunc illī caecīs terrōribus aura
commixtum clāmōrem adrēctāsque impulit aurēs
cōnfūsae sonus urbis et inlaetābile murmur.

Meanwhile on the far edge of the plain the warrior Turnus pursues a few stragglers, now more slowly, and now less and less pleased with the success of his horses: the breeze carried to him this shouting mixed with unseen terrors, and the sound of the confused city and a joyless murmur struck his pricked-up ears.

Note. extrēmō … in aequore: 'on the far part of the plain'. pālantīs: 'straggling', from pālor. segnior: 'more slowly'. successū … equōrum: 'with the success of his horses'. attulit … aura: 'the breeze carried'. inlaetābile murmur: 'a joyless murmur'.

Aen. 12.620Ei mihi!

Ah me!

Note. Ei mihi: 'Ah me!', an exclamation of grief.

Aen. 12.620Quid tantō turbantur moenia lūctū?

Why are the walls shaken by such grief?

Note. Quid: 'why?'. tantō … lūctū: ablative of cause, 'by such grief'.

Aen. 12.621Quisve ruit tantus dīversā clāmor ab urbe?

Or what great shout is this rushing from the city at a distance?

Note. Quisve = quis + -ve, 'or what?'. dīversā … ab urbe: 'from the city far away'.

Aen. 12.622Sīc ait adductīsque āmēns subsistit habēnīs.

So he speaks, and in his distraction he pulls up the reins and halts.

Note. adductīs … habēnīs: ablative absolute, 'pulling in the reins'. āmēns: 'distraught'.

Aen. 12.623Atque huic, in faciem soror ut conversa Metiscī
aurīgae currumque et equōs et lōra regēbat,
625tālibus occurrit dictīs: Hāc, Turne, sequāmur
Trōiugenās, quā prīma viam victōria pandit;

And his sister, as she, changed into the appearance of the charioteer Metiscus, was steering the chariot and the horses and the reins, meets him with these words: 'This way, Turnus, let us pursue the Trojans, where victory first opens a path;

Note. soror: Juturna, still disguised as the charioteer Metiscus. in faciem … conversa: 'changed into the appearance'. sequāmur: hortatory subjunctive, 'let us pursue'. Trōiugenās: 'the Troy-born', the Trojans.

Aen. 12.627sunt aliī, quī tēcta manū dēfendere possint.

there are others who can defend the houses by force.

Note. quī … possint: relative clause of characteristic, 'such as can defend'.

Aen. 12.628Ingruit Aenēās Ītalīs et proelia miscet:
et nōs saeva manū mittāmus fūnera Teucrīs.

Aeneas is bearing down on the Italians and mingling in battle: let us too send savage deaths with our hand among the Trojans.

Note. Ingruit: 'falls upon'. mittāmus: hortatory subjunctive. fūnera: 'deaths' (literally 'funerals').

Aen. 12.630Nec numerō īnferior pugnae nec honōre recēdēs.

You will not come away inferior either in the number of your fallen or in honour.'

Note. numerō … honōre: ablatives of respect. recēdēs: future, 'you will come away'.

Aen. 12.631Turnus ad haec:
Ō soror, et dūdum adgnōvī, cum prīma per artem
foedera turbāstī tēque haec in bella dedistī,
et nunc nēquīquam fallis dea.

Turnus to this: 'O sister, I recognised you long ago, when you first by your craft disturbed the treaty and threw yourself into this war, and now you deceive me in vain, goddess though you are.

Note. Turnus ad haec: supply dīxit. dūdum agnōvī: 'I recognised you long ago'. turbāstī = turbāvistī. dea: 'though a goddess'.

Aen. 12.634Sed quis Olympō
635dēmissam tantōs voluit tē ferre labōrēs?

But who wished you to be sent down from Olympus and bear such great labours?

Note. Olympō dēmissam: 'sent down from Olympus'. tantōs … labōrēs: 'such great toils'.

Aen. 12.636An frātris miserī lētum ut crūdēle vidērēs?

Or was it so that you might see your poor brother's cruel death?

Note. An … ut … vidērēs: 'or (was it) so that you might see …?'

Aen. 12.637Nam quid agō?

For what am I doing?

Note. Nam quid agō?: 'For what am I doing?', a cry of despair.

Aen. 12.637Aut quae iam spondet Fortūna salūtem?

Or what salvation does Fortune now promise?

Note. spondet: 'promises'. Fortūna: fortune personified.

Aen. 12.638Vīdī oculōs ante ipse meōs mē vōce vocantem
Murrānum, quō nōn superat mihi cārior alter,
640oppetere ingentem atque ingentī volnere victum.

With my own eyes I saw Murranus, calling on me by name, than whom no one dearer is left to me, fall, a mighty man, beaten by a mighty wound.

Note. Vīdī … mē vōce vocantem Murrānum … oppetere: 'I saw Murranus, calling me by name, meet his death'. quō nōn superat mihi cārior alter: 'than whom no one dearer survives for me'.

Aen. 12.641Occidit īnfēlīx nostrum nē dēdecus Ūfēns
adspiceret;

Ill-fated Ufens fell so as not to look on our disgrace;

Note. nostrum nē dēdecus … adspiceret: 'so that he would not see our disgrace'. Turnus imagines Ufens' death as a choice.

Aen. 12.642Teucrī potiuntur corpore et armīs.

the Trojans hold his body and his armour.

Note. potiuntur: deponent with the ablative, 'gain possession of'.

Aen. 12.643Exscindīne domōs (id rēbus dēfuit ūnum)
perpetiar, dextrā nec Drancis dicta refellam?

Shall I endure the destruction of our homes (this one thing was left to complete our ruin), and not refute the words of Drances with my right hand?

Note. Exscindīne … perpetiar: 'shall I endure our homes being destroyed?'; exscindī is a present passive infinitive with the question particle -ne. id rēbus dēfuit ūnum: 'this one thing was lacking to our fortunes', bitter irony. Drances had accused Turnus of cowardice in the council (Book 11).

Aen. 12.645Terga dabō et Turnum fugientem haec terra vidēbit?

Shall I turn my back, and will this land see Turnus running away?

Note. Terga dabō: 'shall I turn my back?'. fugientem: 'fleeing'.

Aen. 12.646Usque adeōne morī miserum est?

Is it so very wretched to die?

Note. Usque adeōne: 'to such an extent?' A famous line: 'Is it so very wretched to die?'

Aen. 12.646Vōs Ō mihi Mānēs
este bonī, quoniam superīs āversa voluntās!

You, spirits of the dead, be kind to me, since the will of the gods above has turned away!

Note. Mānēs: the spirits of the dead, gods of the underworld. superīs: 'the gods above', dative with āversa. voluntās: supply est.

Aen. 12.648Sāncta ad vōs anima atque istīus nescia culpae
dēscendam, magnōrum haud umquam indignus avōrum.

I shall go down to you a pure soul and innocent of that guilt, never unworthy of my great ancestors.'

Note. Sāncta … anima: 'a pure soul'. istīus … culpae: 'that guilt', the guilt of cowardice. indignus: with the genitive avōrum, 'unworthy of my ancestors'.