Aeneid 2.234–249

Aen. 2.234Dīvidimus mūrōs et moenia pandimus urbis.

We breach the walls and open up the city's fortifications.

Note. Dīvidimus mūrōs: 'we cut through the walls', to make room for the huge horse — the Trojans breach their own defences.

Aen. 2.235Accingunt omnēs operī, pedibusque rotārum
subiciunt lāpsūs, et stuppea vincula collō
intendunt: scandit fātālis māchina mūrōs,
fēta armīs.

All gird themselves for the work, set rollers under its feet, and stretch hemp ropes round its neck: the fateful engine climbs the walls, pregnant with arms.

Note. Accingunt (sē) … operī: 'they gird themselves for the task'. pedibus … subiciunt lāpsūs rotārum: 'put the gliding of wheels under its feet', i.e. set it on rollers. fēta armīs: 'pregnant with arms', completing the image of the womb.

Aen. 2.238Puerī circum innūptaeque puellae
sacra canunt, fūnemque manū contingere gaudent.

Boys and unmarried girls around it sing hymns and rejoice to touch the rope with their hands.

Note. Puerī … innūptaeque puellae: a festal chorus, like those at Roman religious processions. sacra canunt: 'sing hymns'.

Aen. 2.240Illa subit, mediaeque mināns inlābitur urbī.

In it comes, and glides menacing into the middle of the city.

Note. Illa: the horse (māchina). mināns: from the deponent minor, 'menacing'. inlābitur: 'glides into', with the dative urbī.

Aen. 2.241Ō patria, Ō dīvom domus Īlium, et incluta bellō
moenia Dardanidum, quater ipsō in līmine portae
substitit, atque uterō sonitum quater arma dedēre:
īnstāmus tamen inmemorēs caecīque furōre,
245et mōnstrum īnfēlīx sacrātā sistimus arce.

O my country, O Ilium, home of the gods, and walls of the Dardanians famous in war! Four times it stopped at the very threshold of the gate, and four times the arms clashed in its belly: yet we press on, heedless and blinded by madness, and set the ill-omened monster in our sacred citadel.

Note. An outburst (apostrophe) of Aeneas' grief: Ō patria, Ō dīvom domus Īlium. dīvom = dīvōrum. quater … substitit: four times the horse stopped on the threshold, a bad omen (stumbling at a threshold was unlucky). arma dedēre (sonitum): 'the arms gave a sound'. caecī furōre: 'blind with madness'.

Aen. 2.246Tunc etiam fātīs aperit Cassandra futūrīs
ōra, deī iussū nōn umquam crēdita Teucrīs.

Even then Cassandra opens her lips to tell the coming fates, lips never, by the god's command, believed by the Trojans.

Note. aperit … ōra: 'opens her lips'. Cassandra had received the gift of prophecy from Apollo; when she refused him, he made sure no one would ever believe her. deī iussū: 'by the god's command'.

Aen. 2.248Nōs dēlūbra deum miserī, quibus ultimus esset
ille diēs, fēstā vēlāmus fronde per urbem.

We, poor wretches, for whom that day was to be the last, deck the shrines of the gods throughout the city with festive leaves.

Note. quibus ultimus esset ille diēs: relative clause with the subjunctive, 'for whom that day was to be the last'. fēstā … fronde: 'with festive leaves'. The irony is bitter.