Aeneid 2.298–317

Aen. 2.298Dīversō intereā miscentur moenia lūctū,
et magis atque magis, quamquam sēcrēta parentis
300Anchīsae domus arboribusque obtēcta recessit,
clārēscunt sonitūs, armōrumque ingruit horror.

Meanwhile the city is thrown into confusion with grief on every side, and more and more, although the house of my father Anchises stood apart, secluded and screened by trees, the sounds grow clear and the dread clash of arms rushes on.

Note. dīversō … lūctū: 'with grief in different places'. quamquam … recessit: concessive clause with indicative. clārēscunt: inceptive verb in -scō, 'grow loud'. horror here is the bristling din of weapons.

Aen. 2.302Excutior somnō, et summī fastīgia tēctī
ascēnsū superō, atque arrēctīs auribus adstō:
in segetem velutī cum flamma furentibus austrīs
305incidit, aut rapidus montānō flūmine torrēns
sternit agrōs, sternit sata laeta boumque labōrēs,
praecipitīsque trahit silvās, stupet īnscius altō
accipiēns sonitum saxī dē vertice pāstor.

I am shaken out of sleep, climb up to the top of the highest roof, and stand there with ears pricked: just as when fire falls on a cornfield while south winds rage, or a torrent rushing in a mountain flood flattens the fields, flattens the glad crops and the labours of oxen, and drags whole forests headlong, the shepherd, not knowing the cause, is stunned as he hears the sound from the high peak of a rock.

Note. excutior: passive, 'I am shaken out'. arrēctīs auribus: ablative absolute. The simile: velutī cum flamma … incidit, aut … torrēns sternit …, stupet … pāstor. sternit … sternit: anaphora. boum is the genitive plural of bōs. praecipitīs: acc. pl. with silvās. īnscius: 'not knowing' the cause, like Aeneas himself. Meter: the line 'sternit agrōs, sternit sata laeta boumque labōrēs' rolls on in dactyls like the flood it describes.

Aen. 2.309Tum vērō manifesta fidēs, Danaumque patēscunt
310īnsidiae.

Then indeed the truth was plain, and the treachery of the Greeks is revealed.

Note. fidēs: here 'proof, the truth of the matter': now Aeneas understands what Sinon's story was.

Aen. 2.310Iam Dēiphobī dedit ampla ruīnam
Volcānō superante domus;

Already the broad house of Deiphobus has fallen in ruin as the fire-god overpowers it;

Note. dedit … ruīnam: 'has fallen in ruin'. Volcānō superante: ablative absolute; Vulcan stands for fire (metonymy). Background: Deiphobus, son of Priam, married Helen after Paris died; in Book 6 Aeneas meets his mutilated ghost.

Aen. 2.311iam proxumus ārdet
Ūcalegōn;

already his neighbour Ucalegon is burning;

Note. proxumus (= proximus) … Ucalegon: the man's name stands for his house, a famous metonymy borrowed from the old counsellor of Iliad 3.

Aen. 2.312Sīgēa ignī freta lāta relūcent.

the wide straits of Sigeum shine back with the fire.

Note. Sīgēa freta: the strait off the headland of Sigeum. Meter: the final a of Sīgēa is elided before ignī: Sī-gē(a) ig-nī.

Aen. 2.313Exorītur clāmorque virum clangorque tubārum.

There rises both the shouting of men and the blare of trumpets.

Note. clāmorque virum clangorque tubārum: the double -que and the matching words in cla- imitate the din. virum = virōrum.

Aen. 2.314Arma āmēns capiō;

Out of my mind I seize my arms;

Note. āmēns: 'out of my mind'. Aeneas himself admits that his first response is not reasoned.

Aen. 2.314nec sat ratiōnis in armīs,
315sed glomerāre manum bellō et concurrere in arcem
cum sociīs ārdent animī;

there is not much sense in arms, but my spirit burns to gather a band for battle and to rush with my comrades to the citadel;

Note. nec sat ratiōnis: partitive genitive with sat, 'not enough of reason'. ardent animī with infinitives, 'my spirit burns to …'. in arcem: the citadel was the last strong point.

Aen. 2.316furor īraque mentem
praecipitant, pulchrumque morī succurrit in armīs.

frenzy and anger drive my mind headlong, and it comes to me that it is beautiful to die in arms.

Note. pulchrumque morī succurrit: 'it comes to mind (that it is) beautiful to die'. morī is the subject infinitive of an understood est. The line recalls Homeric heroic values, which the book tests and finds wanting.