Aeneid 2.318–346

Aen. 2.318Ecce autem tēlīs Panthus ēlāpsus Achīvom,
Panthus Othryadēs, arcis Phoebīque sacerdōs,
320sacra manū victōsque deōs parvumque nepōtem
ipse trahit, cursūque āmēns ad līmina tendit.

But look, Panthus, escaped from the weapons of the Achaeans, Panthus son of Othrys, priest of the citadel and of Phoebus, himself drags along in his hands the holy things, the conquered gods, and his little grandson, and in frantic haste makes for my door.

Note. Panthūs Othryadēs: the Greek patronymic 'son of Othrys'. sacra … deōs … nepōtem are all objects of trahit. victōs deōs: the gods of a conquered city. Background: Panthus, priest of Apollo, brings the holy things that Hector entrusted to Aeneas in the dream.

Aen. 2.322Quō rēs summa, locō, Panthū?

'Where does the main struggle stand, Panthus?

Note. Quō … locō rēs summa (est)?: 'In what place is the main struggle?' Panthū is the Greek vocative of Panthūs.

Aen. 2.322Quam prēndimus arcem?

What stronghold are we to seize?'

Note. prēndimus: present indicative used for a deliberative question, more vivid than the subjunctive: 'what citadel are we to take?'

Aen. 2.323Vix ea fātus eram, gemitū cum tālia reddit:
Vēnit summa diēs et inēluctābile tempus
325Dardaniae: fuimus Trōēs, fuit Īlium et ingēns
glōria Teucrōrum;

Scarcely had I said this when with a groan he answers thus: 'The last day has come, the inescapable hour for Dardania: we Trojans have been, Ilium has been, and the great glory of the Teucrians;

Note. gemitū: ablative of manner. fuimus Trōes, fuit Īlium: the perfect means 'have been, are no more': the Trojans are finished. Meter: the line opens with long vēnit (perfect), and the long word inēluctābile fills the middle of the line.

Aen. 2.326ferus omnia Iuppiter Argōs
trānstulit;

cruel Jupiter has carried everything over to Argos;

Note. ferus: 'cruel', of Jupiter. Argōs: accusative of motion towards without a preposition, as with names of cities.

Aen. 2.327incēnsā Danaī dominantur in urbe.

the Greeks are masters in the burning city.

Note. incēnsā … in urbe: hyperbaton framing the preposition, a regular verse pattern. dominantur: deponent.

Aen. 2.328Arduus armātōs mediīs in moenibus adstāns
fundit equus, victorque Sinōn incendia miscet
330īnsultāns;

The horse, standing high in the middle of the walls, pours out armed men, and Sinon, victorious, mocking us, spreads the fires;

Note. Arduus … equus: the horse frames the clause. fundit: 'pours out'. Background: Sinon, the Greek who tricked the Trojans into bringing the horse inside, now opened its trapdoor and spreads the fire.

Aen. 2.330portīs aliī bipatentibus adsunt,
mīlia quot magnīs umquam vēnēre Mycēnīs;

some are at the gates, which stand open both ways, as many thousands as ever came from great Mycenae;

Note. bipatentibus: 'opening both ways'. mīlia quot …: 'as many thousands as ever came'; vēnēre = vēnērunt. Mycēnīs: ablative of place from which, the city of Agamemnon.

Aen. 2.332obsēdēre aliī tēlīs angusta viārum
oppositī;

others have blocked the narrow streets, set in the way with their weapons;

Note. obsēdēre = obsēdērunt. angusta viārum: neuter adjective with partitive genitive, 'the narrow parts of the streets', a favourite Vergilian turn.

Aen. 2.333stat ferrī aciēs mūcrōne coruscō
stricta, parāta necī;

a line of steel stands with flashing point drawn, ready for slaughter;

Note. acies: 'battle line', but also 'edge' of the blade; both senses are in play. necī: dative of purpose with parāta.

Aen. 2.334vix prīmī proelia temptant
335portārum vigilēs, et caecō Mārte resistunt.

barely do the first guards of the gates attempt a fight, and resist in blind battle.'

Note. caecō Marte: 'in blind fighting', in the dark and in confusion. Mars stands for war.

Aen. 2.336Tālibus Othryadae dictīs et nūmine dīvom
in flammās et in arma feror, quō trīstis Erīnys,
quō fremitus vocat et sublātus ad aethera clāmor.

At such words of the son of Othrys, and by the will of the gods, I am swept into the flames and into the fighting, where the grim Fury calls, where the roar and the shouting raised to the sky.

Note. Othryadae: genitive of Othryadēs. numine dīvom: 'by the will of the gods'. feror: passive, 'I am carried', the first of many hints that Aeneas is not in control of himself. quō … quō: anaphora, 'where … where'. Erīnys: a Fury, here the spirit of slaughter. aethera: Greek accusative singular.

Aen. 2.339Addunt sē sociōs Rhīpeus et maximus armīs
340Ēpytus oblātī per lūnam Hypanisque Dymāsque,
et laterī adglomerant nostrō, iuvenisque Coroebus,
Mygdonidēs: illīs ad Troiam forte diēbus
vēnerat, īnsānō Cassandrae incēnsus amōre,
et gener auxilium Priamō Phrygibusque ferēbat,
345īnfēlīx, quī nōn spōnsae praecepta furentis
audierit.

Rhipeus and Epytus, greatest in arms, join me as comrades, meeting me in the moonlight, and Hypanis and Dymas, and gather close at my side, and young Coroebus, son of Mygdon: he had come to Troy in those days by chance, on fire with a mad love for Cassandra, and as a son-in-law was bringing help to Priam and the Phrygians, unhappy man, who did not heed the warnings of his inspired bride.

Note. addunt sē sociōs: sociōs is predicative, 'add themselves as comrades'. oblātī per lūnam: 'meeting me by moonlight'. Mygdonidēs: 'son of Mygdon'. audierit: perfect subjunctive in a causal relative clause, 'unlucky because he did not listen'. sponsae … furentis: Cassandra, 'raving' with prophecy. Background: Coroebus came to Troy only recently, hoping to marry Cassandra; she had warned him, as she warned everyone, and like everyone he did not believe her.