Aeneid 12.81–106

Aen. 12.81Haec ubi dicta dedit rapidusque in tēcta recessit.

When he had said these words he went swiftly back into the palace.

Note. Haec ubi dicta dedit: a common Vergilian formula, 'when he had spoken these words'.

Aen. 12.82poscit equōs gaudetque tuēns ante ōra frementīs,
Pīlumnō quōs ipsa decus dedit Ōrīthyia,
quī candōre nivēs anteīrent, cursibus aurās.

He calls for his horses and delights to see them snorting before his eyes, the horses that Orithyia herself gave Pilumnus as a mark of honour, horses to surpass the snows in whiteness and the winds in speed.

Note. tuēns: 'looking at', present participle of tueor. ante ōra: 'before his face'. frementīs: accusative plural, 'snorting'. Pīlumnō: Turnus' ancestor. decus: in apposition to quōs, 'as an honour'. Ōrīthyia: the Athenian princess carried off by Boreas, the North Wind; her gift explains the horses' speed. anteīrent: subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic, 'such as to outstrip'. candōre nivēs … cursibus aurās: 'the snows in whiteness, the winds in speed'.

Aen. 12.85Circumstant properī aurīgae manibusque lacessunt
pectora plausa cavīs et colla comantia pectunt.

The eager grooms stand around them, pat their chests with the hollows of their hands, and comb their maned necks.

Note. Circumstant: 'stand around'. pectora plausa cavīs: 'pat their chests with hollowed (hands)'; cavīs agrees with manibus. colla comantia: 'maned necks'.

Aen. 12.87Ipse dehinc aurō squālentem albōque orichalcō
circumdat lōrīcam umerīs;

Then he puts round his shoulders a breastplate stiff with gold and pale bronze;

Note. Ipse dehinc: 'then he himself'. aurō squālentem: 'stiff (rough) with gold'. orichalcō: 'pale bronze', a precious alloy. circumdat … umerīs: 'puts round his shoulders', dative.

Aen. 12.88simul aptat habendō
ēnsemque clipeumque et rubrae cornua cristae.

at the same time he fits sword and shield and the horns of his red crest, ready for use:

Note. aptat habendō: 'fits for use', the dative or ablative of the gerund expressing purpose. ēnsem clipeumque … cornua: a list linked by -que … -que … et. rubrae … cristae: 'of his red crest'.

Aen. 12.90ēnsem, quem Daunō ignipotēns deus ipse parentī
fēcerat et Stygiā candentem tinxerat undā.

the sword which the fire-god himself had made for his father Daunus and dipped glowing in the waters of the Styx.

Note. ēnsem, quem …: the sword is described like Aeneas' arms: both men carry weapons made by a god. ignipotēns deus: Vulcan. Stygiā … undā: the god quenched the glowing blade in the water of the Styx, to make it unbreakable.

Aen. 12.92Exin quae mediīs ingentī adnīxa columnae
aedibus adstābat, validam vī corripit hastam,
Actoris Auruncī spolium, quassatque trementem
95vōciferāns: Nunc, Ō numquam frūstrāta vocātūs
hasta meōs, nunc tempus adest: tē maximus Actor
tē Turnī nunc dextra gerit.

Then he snatches up with force his strong spear, which stood leaning on a huge column in the middle of the hall, the spoil of Actor the Auruncan, and shakes it quivering, shouting: 'Now, spear that never failed my call, now the time has come: great Actor carried you once, now the right hand of Turnus carries you.

Note. Exin: 'then'. adnīxa columnae: 'leaning against a column', dative. Actoris Auruncī spolium: a trophy taken from Actor. Turnus addresses the spear as a person (apostrophe): numquam frūstrāta vocātūs … meōs, 'you who never failed my calls'. tē … tē: emphatic anaphora; gerit has both as object.

Aen. 12.97Dā sternere corpus
lōrīcamque manū validā lacerāre revulsam
sēmivirī Phrygis et foedāre in pulvere crīnīs
100vibrātōs calidō ferrō murrāque madentīs.

Grant me to lay low the body of the half-man Phrygian, to tear off his breastplate and rend it with a strong hand, and to foul in the dust his hair, crimped with hot iron and dripping with myrrh.'

Note. Dā: 'grant (me)', followed by infinitives. sēmivirī Phrygis: 'of the half-man Phrygian'; Turnus mocks Aeneas as an effeminate easterner. crīnīs vibrātōs calidō ferrō: 'hair crimped with hot iron', i.e. curled with tongs. murrā … madentīs: 'dripping with myrrh', perfumed hair.

Aen. 12.101Hīs agitur furiīs;

Such frenzy drives him on;

Note. Hīs … furiīs: 'by such frenzy'. agitur: 'is driven'.

Aen. 12.101tōtōque ārdentis ab ōre
scintillae absistunt, oculīs micat ācribus ignis:
mūgītūs velutī cum prīma in proelia taurus
terrificōs ciet atque īrāscī in cornua temptat,
105arboris obnīxus truncō, ventōsque lacessit
ictibus aut sparsā ad pugnam prōlūdit harēnā.

sparks fly from his whole blazing face, fire flashes in his fierce eyes: as when a bull before his first battle raises terrible bellows, tries to put his anger into his horns by pushing against a tree trunk, attacks the winds with blows and practises for the fight by scattering the sand.

Note. ārdentis: genitive, 'of him (Turnus) as he blazes'. absistunt: 'fly off'. mūgītūs … ciet: 'raises bellows'. īrāscī in cornua: 'to put anger into his horns', i.e. to gather fury for a charge. ventōs lacessit ictibus: 'challenges the winds with blows', thrusting at the empty air. sparsā … harēnā: ablative absolute, 'scattering the sand'.