Aeneid 2.40–56

Aen. 2.40Prīmus ibi ante omnīs, magnā comitante catervā,
Lāocoön ārdēns summā dēcurrit ab arce,
et procul: Ō miserī, quae tanta īnsānia, cīvēs?

Then first of all, ahead of everyone, with a great crowd following, Laocoön runs down in a blaze of anger from the top of the citadel, and from far off cries: 'Wretched citizens, what is this great madness?

Note. magnā comitante catervā: ablative absolute. comitor is deponent, so comitante is active in meaning: 'with a great crowd accompanying'. Laocoön is a priest (of Neptune, as we learn at 2.201). ardēns: 'burning (with anger)'. quae tanta īnsānia: 'what madness is this, so great?'

Aen. 2.43Crēditis āvectōs hostīs?

Do you believe the enemy has sailed away?

Note. Crēditis … hostīs: hostīs is accusative plural (-īs). Supply esse with āvectōs: 'do you believe the enemy have sailed away?'

Aen. 2.43Aut ūlla putātis
dōna carēre dolīs Danaum?

Or do you think any gifts of the Greeks are free of trickery?

Note. ūlla … dōna carēre dolīs: 'that any gifts (of the Greeks) are free of tricks'. careō takes the ablative.

Aen. 2.44Sīc nōtus Ulixēs?

Is this how you know Ulysses?

Note. Sīc nōtus Ulixēs?: 'Is this how Ulysses is known (to you)?' Ulysses (Odysseus) was famous for his cunning.

Aen. 2.45aut hoc inclūsī lignō occultantur Achīvī,
aut haec in nostrōs fabricāta est māchina mūrōs
īnspectūra domōs ventūraque dēsuper urbī,
aut aliquis latet error;

Either Greeks are shut up hidden in this timber, or this is an engine built against our walls, to look down into our houses and come down on the city from above, or some other deceit lies hidden;

Note. aut … aut … aut: Laocoön lists three possibilities. īnspectūra … ventūra: future participles of purpose, 'to look into … and to come down upon'. urbī: dative with ventūra dēsuper, 'come down upon the city'.

Aen. 2.48equō nē crēdite, Teucrī.

do not trust the horse, Trojans.

Note. nē crēdite: a poetic negative imperative (prose would use nōlīte crēdere). equō: dative with crēdō, 'trust the horse'.

Aen. 2.49Quicquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentīs.

Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts.'

Note. The most quoted line of the book: timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentīs, 'I fear the Greeks even (et) when they bring gifts'. ferentīs is the accusative plural of the participle (-īs).

Aen. 2.50Sīc fātus, validīs ingentem vīribus hastam
in latus inque ferī curvam compāgibus alvum
contorsit: stetit illa tremēns, uterōque recussō
īnsonuēre cavae gemitumque dedēre cavernae.

So speaking, with mighty strength he hurled a huge spear into its side and into the beast's belly, curved with its joined timbers: it stood quivering, and as the womb was shaken the hollow caverns resounded and gave out a groan.

Note. in latus inque … alvum: 'into its side and into the belly'. compāgibus: 'with its joints', ablative of description. stetit illa tremēns: the spear stuck quivering. uterō … recussō: ablative absolute, 'the womb having been shaken'. īnsonuēre … dedēre: -ēre perfects. The repeated c- and hollow sounds (cavae … cavernae) echo the empty belly.

Aen. 2.54Et, sī fāta deum, sī mēns nōn laeva fuisset,
55impulerat ferrō Argolicās foedāre latebrās,
Troiaque, nunc stārēs, Priamīque arx alta, manērēs.

And if the fates of the gods, if our minds had not been perverse, he would have driven us to violate the Greek hiding place with steel, and Troy, you would now be standing, and you, high citadel of Priam, would remain.

Note. A mixed condition: sī … fuisset (pluperfect subjunctive) with the indicative impulerat, 'he would have driven us (lit. had driven)', a vivid way of saying how close it came. laeva: 'perverse', literally 'left'. stārēs … manērēs: Aeneas turns to address Troy itself (apostrophe), 'you would still be standing'.