Aeneid 2.105–144

Aen. 2.105Tum vērō ārdēmus scītārī et quaerere causās,
ignārī scelerum tantōrum artisque Pelasgae.

Then indeed we burn to ask and to seek the reasons, ignorant of such great wickedness and of Greek cunning.

Note. ardēmus scītārī: 'we burn to ask'. scelerum tantōrum artisque Pelasgae: genitives with ignārī, 'ignorant of'.

Aen. 2.107Prōsequitur pavitāns, et fictō pectore fātur:
Saepe fugam Danaī Trōiā cupiēre relictā
mōlīrī, et longō fessī discēdere bellō;

He goes on, trembling, and speaks from a lying heart: 'Often the Greeks wished to leave Troy and make their escape, and to depart, worn out by the long war;

Note. ficto pectore: 'with lying heart'. Trōiā … relictā: ablative absolute. cupiēre: -ēre perfect.

Aen. 2.110fēcissentque utinam!

and would that they had done it!

Note. fēcissentque utinam!: utinam + pluperfect subjunctive, a wish about the past that cannot come true: 'and would that they had!'

Aen. 2.110Saepe illōs aspera pontī
interclūsit hiemps, et terruit Auster euntīs.

Often a harsh storm at sea cut them off, and the south wind frightened them as they were setting out.

Note. aspera pontī … hiemps: 'a harsh storm of the sea'. hiemps is an old spelling of hiems. euntīs: accusative plural of the participle of eō, 'as they were going'.

Aen. 2.112Praecipuē, cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernīs
stāret equus, tōtō sonuērunt aethere nimbī.

Above all, when this horse already stood, framed with beams of maple, storm clouds thundered across the whole sky.

Note. cum … stāret: 'when the horse stood', cum + subjunctive. trabibus … acernīs: 'with maple beams' (earlier the horse was made of fir; Vergil varies the wood).

Aen. 2.114Suspēnsī Eurypylum scītantem ōrācula Phoebī
115mittimus, isque adytīs haec trīstia dicta reportat:
Sanguine plācāstis ventōs et virgine caesā,
cum prīmum Īliacās, Danaī, vēnistis ad ōrās;

In suspense we send Eurypylus to consult the oracle of Phoebus, and from the sanctuary he brings back these grim words: "With blood you appeased the winds, with a virgin's slaughter, when you first came, Greeks, to the shores of Ilium;

Note. Suspēnsī: 'in suspense'. scītantem ōrācula: present participle of purpose, 'to consult the oracle'. The oracle refers to Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, sacrificed at Aulis to win favourable winds for the voyage to Troy. plācāstis = plācāvistis. cum prīmum: 'when first'.

Aen. 2.118sanguine quaerendī reditūs, animāque litandum
Argolicā.

with blood your return must be sought, and favour won by sacrificing an Argive life."

Note. quaerendī (sunt): gerundive of obligation, 'returns must be sought'. litandum (est): impersonal gerundive, 'favour must be won by sacrifice'. animā … Argolicā: 'with an Argive life'.

Aen. 2.119Volgī quae vōx ut vēnit ad aurīs,
120obstipuēre animī, gelidusque per īma cucurrit
ossa tremor, cui fāta parent, quem poscat Apollo.

When this pronouncement came to the ears of the crowd, their minds were stunned, and a cold shudder ran through the depths of their bones, wondering for whom the fates were preparing this, whom Apollo was demanding.

Note. Volgī quae vōx ut vēnit: 'when this utterance came to the ears of the crowd'; quae is a connecting relative. gelidus … tremor: the subject, held back to the end of its clause. cui … parent, quem poscat: indirect questions, 'for whom the fates were preparing (this), whom Apollo was demanding'.

Aen. 2.122Hīc Ithacus vātem magnō Calchanta tumultū
prōtrahit in mediōs;

At this the Ithacan drags the prophet Calchas into the middle with a great uproar;

Note. Calchanta: Greek accusative of Calchās, the Greek seer. in mediōs: 'into the midst (of them)'.

Aen. 2.123quae sint ea nūmina dīvom,
flāgitat;

he demands to know what these wishes of the gods are;

Note. quae sint … flāgitat: indirect question after flāgitat, 'demands (to know) what are …'. dīvom = dīvōrum.

Aen. 2.124et mihi iam multī crūdēle canēbant
125artificis scelus, et tacitī ventūra vidēbant.

and already many were prophesying to me the cruel crime of the schemer, and silently foresaw what was coming.

Note. canēbant: 'were prophesying', a common sense of canō. artificis: 'the schemer', i.e. Ulysses. ventūra: 'the things to come'.

Aen. 2.126Bis quīnōs silet ille diēs, tēctusque recūsat
prōdere vōce suā quemquam aut oppōnere mortī.

For twice five days the prophet is silent, and, shut away, refuses to betray anyone with his word or send anyone to death.

Note. Bis quīnōs … diēs: 'for twice five days'; quīnī is distributive. tēctus: 'shutting himself away'. prōdere … quemquam: 'to betray anyone'.

Aen. 2.128Vix tandem, magnīs Ithacī clāmōribus āctus,
compositō rumpit vōcem, et mē dēstinat ārae.

At last, barely, driven by the Ithacan's loud shouts, as had been agreed he breaks his silence and marks me out for the altar.

Note. compositō: 'by arrangement', i.e. as agreed with Ulysses. rumpit vōcem: 'breaks into speech'. dēstinat ārae: 'marks out for the altar'.

Aen. 2.130Adsēnsēre omnēs, et, quae sibi quisque timēbat,
ūnīus in miserī exitium conversa tulēre.

All agreed, and what each man had feared for himself, they bore once it was turned to the ruin of one wretch.

Note. Adsēnsēre: from adsentior, 'agreed'. quae sibi quisque timēbat: 'what each man feared for himself'. ūnīus in miserī exitium conversa tulēre: 'they bore (it), once turned to the ruin of one poor wretch' — a cynical observation on human nature.

Aen. 2.132Iamque diēs īnfanda aderat;

And now the unspeakable day was at hand;

Note. diēs īnfanda: diēs is feminine here, as it often is for an appointed day.

Aen. 2.132mihi sacra parārī,
et salsae frūgēs, et circum tempora vittae:
ēripuī, fateor, lētō mē, et vincula rūpī,
135līmōsōque lacū per noctem obscūrus in ulvā
dēlituī, dum vēla darent, sī forte dedissent.

the rites were being made ready for me, the salted meal, and the ribbons around my temples: I escaped from death, I confess, and broke my bonds, and in a muddy marsh I lay hidden overnight in the sedge, until they should set sail, if they ever did.

Note. parārī: historical infinitive (passive), 'were being prepared'. salsae frūgēs: the salted meal (mola salsa) sprinkled on sacrificial victims. vittae: ribbons worn by victims. lētō: ablative of separation, 'from death'. dum vēla darent: 'until they should set sail'; dum + subjunctive of expectation.

Aen. 2.137Nec mihi iam patriam antīquam spēs ūlla videndī,
nec dulcīs nātōs exoptātumque parentem;

No hope do I have now of seeing my old homeland, nor my sweet children and the father I long for;

Note. spēs ūlla videndī: 'any hope of seeing', gerund with an object (patriam). Supply est. dulcīs nātōs: accusative plural.

Aen. 2.139quōs illī fors et poenās ob nostra reposcent
140effugia, et culpam hanc miserōrum morte piābunt.

and from them perhaps they will exact punishment for my escape, and atone for this guilt by the death of those poor souls.

Note. quōs: connecting relative, 'and from them'. fors: adverbial, 'perhaps'. poenās … reposcent: 'will demand punishment'. Sinon finishes with an appeal to the Trojans' pity for his family.

Aen. 2.141Quod tē per superōs et cōnscia nūmina vērī,
per sī qua est quae restet adhūc mortālibus usquam
intemerāta fidēs, ōrō, miserēre labōrum
tantōrum, miserēre animī nōn digna ferentis.

So I beg you, by the gods above and the powers that know the truth, by whatever pure faith is still left anywhere among mortals: pity such great sufferings, pity a soul that bears what it does not deserve.'

Note. Quod: 'wherefore', introducing an appeal. per … per: the language of solemn entreaty. sī qua est quae restet … fidēs: 'if there is any faith that still remains'. miserēre: imperative of the deponent misereor, which takes the genitive (labōrum, animī). nōn digna ferentis: 'bearing things it does not deserve'.