Aeneid 2.21–39

Aen. 2.21Est in cōnspectū Tenedos, nōtissima fāmā
īnsula, dīves opum, Priamī dum regna manēbant,
nunc tantum sinus et statiō male fīda carīnīs:
hūc sē prōvectī dēsertō in lītore condunt.

In sight of Troy lies Tenedos, an island well known to fame, rich in resources while Priam's kingdom stood, now only a bay and an untrustworthy anchorage for ships: they sail out to it and hide on the deserted shore.

Note. Tenedos (Greek nominative) is a small island just off the coast of Troy. nōtissima fāmā: 'very well known in story'. dum … manēbant: 'while Priam's kingdom still stood'. male fīda: 'untrustworthy'; male negates the adjective.

Aen. 2.25Nōs abiisse ratī et ventō petiisse Mycēnās:
ergō omnis longō solvit sē Teucria lūctū;

We thought they had gone and had sailed for Mycenae with the wind: so all the land of Teucer frees itself from its long grief;

Note. Nōs … ratī (sumus): 'we thought (them) to have gone'; supply eōs as subject of abiisse and petiisse (contracted from abīvisse, petīvisse). Mycēnās: accusative of destination without a preposition. Teucria: 'the Teucrian land', Troy.

Aen. 2.27panduntur portae;

the gates are thrown open;

Note. The very short sentence matches the sudden relief: the gates are thrown open.

Aen. 2.27iuvat īre et Dōrica castra
dēsertōsque vidēre locōs lītusque relictum.

it is a pleasure to go out and see the Greek camp, the deserted places and the abandoned shore.

Note. iuvat: impersonal, 'it is a pleasure'. Dōrica castra: 'the Dorian (= Greek) camp'.

Aen. 2.29Hīc Dolopum manus, hīc saevus tendēbat Achillēs;

Here the band of Dolopians camped, here cruel Achilles pitched his tent;

Note. hīc … hīc: anaphora, the Trojans pointing out each spot as they wander. tendēbat: 'pitched (his tent)', a military sense of tendō.

Aen. 2.30classibus hīc locus;

here was the place for the fleet;

Note. classibus: dative, 'for the fleets'. Supply erat.

Aen. 2.30hīc aciē certāre solēbant.

here they used to fight in battle line.

Note. aciē: ablative, 'in battle line'. The imperfect solēbant is habitual.

Aen. 2.31Pars stupet innūptae dōnum exitiāle Minervae,
et mōlem mīrantur equī;

Some stand stunned at the deadly gift to the virgin Minerva, and marvel at the horse's bulk;

Note. Pars stupet: 'some (lit. part) stand amazed', with a singular verb, then mīrantur in the plural, agreeing with the sense. innūptae … Minervae: Minerva (Pallas Athena) was a virgin goddess; the horse was dedicated to her.

Aen. 2.32prīmusque Thymoetēs
dūcī intrā mūrōs hortātur et arce locārī,
sīve dolō, seu iam Troiae sīc fāta ferēbant.

and Thymoetes is the first to urge that it be brought within the walls and set in the citadel, whether through treachery or because the fates of Troy were already tending that way.

Note. dūcī … locārī: present passive infinitives after hortātur, 'urges that it be brought … and placed'. sīve dolō: Thymoetes may have been a traitor; ancient writers said Priam had caused the death of his wife and son. fāta ferēbant: 'the fates were tending that way'.

Aen. 2.35At Capys, et quōrum melior sententia mentī,
aut pelagō Danaum īnsidiās suspectaque dōna
praecipitāre iubent, subiectīsque ūrere flammīs,
aut terebrāre cavās uterī et temptāre latebrās.

But Capys, and those whose minds held better judgement, urge us either to hurl the Greeks' trap, the suspect gift, into the sea, and to burn it with fire set underneath, or to bore into and probe the hollow hiding places of its belly.

Note. quōrum melior sententia mentī (erat): 'whose minds had a better judgement', dative of possession. Capys is a Trojan leader (later the founder of Capua). The infinitives praecipitāre, ūrere, terebrāre, temptāre depend on iubent: 'urge (us) to …'.

Aen. 2.39Scinditur incertum studia in contrāria volgus.

The uncertain crowd is split into opposing views.

Note. A memorable line: 'the uncertain crowd is split into opposing passions'. volgus is the old spelling of vulgus, a neuter noun ending in -us.