Aeneid 2.402–437

Aen. 2.402Heu nihil invītīs fās quemquam fīdere dīvīs!

Alas, it is not right for anyone to trust in anything when the gods are unwilling!

Note. fās (est) with infinitive: 'it is right'. invītīs … dīvīs: ablative absolute, 'when the gods are unwilling'. Aeneas speaks with hindsight; the turning point comes in the next line.

Aen. 2.403Ecce trahēbātur passīs Priamēïa virgō
crīnibus ā templō Cassandra adytīsque Minervae,
405ad caelum tendēns ārdentia lūmina frūstrā,—
lūmina, nam tenerās arcēbant vincula palmās.

Look, the maiden daughter of Priam, Cassandra, was being dragged with streaming hair from the temple and shrine of Minerva, lifting her burning eyes to heaven in vain, her eyes, for bonds held back her tender hands.

Note. Priamēïa virgō: 'the maiden daughter of Priam', a Greek-style adjective. passīs crīnibus: from pandō, 'with hair spread loose', a sign of grief or violation. lūmina, lūmina: repetition, epanalepsis, to explain why she could lift only her eyes. Background: Cassandra had taken refuge in the temple of Minerva; the Lesser Ajax dragged her from it, a sacrilege for which Minerva punished him on his voyage home (see Aeneid 1.39–45).

Aen. 2.407Nōn tulit hanc speciem furiātā mente Coroebus,
et sēsē medium iniēcit peritūrus in agmen.

Coroebus could not bear this sight, his mind maddened, and he threw himself into the middle of the column, ready to die.

Note. nōn tulit: 'did not endure'. furiātā mente: ablative absolute or of manner. peritūrus: future participle, 'ready to die'.

Aen. 2.409Cōnsequimur cūnctī et dēnsīs incurrimus armīs.

We all follow and charge in with crowded arms.

Aen. 2.410Hīc prīmum ex altō dēlūbrī culmine tēlīs
nostrōrum obruimur, oriturque miserrima caedēs
armōrum faciē et Grāiārum errōre iubārum.

Here first we are overwhelmed by the weapons of our own people from the high roof of the temple, and a most pitiful slaughter arises from the look of our arms and the mistake of our Greek crests.

Note. nostrōrum: the Trojans on the temple roof, who see Greek armour and attack. armōrum faciē … errōre iubārum: ablatives of cause. Graiārum iubārum: the Greek helmet crests they had put on.

Aen. 2.413Tum Danaī gemitū atque ēreptae virginis īrā
undique collēctī invādunt, ācerrimus Aiāx,
415et geminī Atrīdae, Dolopumque exercitus omnis;

Then the Greeks, with a roar of rage at the rescue of the maiden, gather from every side and attack: Ajax, fiercest of all, and the twin sons of Atreus, and the whole army of the Dolopians;

Note. gemitū atque … īrā: ablatives of cause. ēreptae virginis: 'at the rescue of the girl', the participle carrying the main idea. Aiāx: the Lesser Ajax, son of Oileus. Atrīdae: the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus.

Aen. 2.416adversī ruptō ceu quondam turbine ventī
cōnflīgunt, Zephyrusque Notusque et laetus Eōīs
Eurus equīs;

just as sometimes, when a whirlwind has burst, opposing winds clash, the West Wind and the South and the East Wind glad in his horses of the dawn;

Note. The simile: ceu … ventī cōnflīgunt. ruptō … turbine: ablative absolute. Eōīs Eurus equīs: 'the East Wind glad with his horses of the dawn'. Zephyrusque Notusque: the double -que again.

Aen. 2.418strīdunt silvae, saevitque tridentī
spūmeus atque īmō Nēreus ciet aequora fundō.

the forests shriek, and Nereus, foaming, rages with his trident and stirs the seas up from their lowest depths.

Note. tridentī: ablative of instrument. imō … fundō: 'from the lowest depths'. Nereus stands for the sea-god in general.

Aen. 2.420Illī etiam, sī quōs obscūrā nocte per umbram
fūdimus īnsidiīs tōtāque agitāvimus urbe,
appārent;

Those too, whom we had routed by our trick in the dark night through the shadows and chased through the whole city, appear;

Note. sī quōs: 'any whom', quōs = aliquōs. fūdimus … agitāvimus: perfect indicatives in a sī-clause equivalent to a relative clause.

Aen. 2.422prīmī clipeōs mentītaque tēla
adgnōscunt, atque ōra sonō discordia signant.

they are the first to recognise the shields and the lying weapons, and they mark our speech as differing in its sound.

Note. mentīta tēla: 'the lying weapons', a perfect deponent participle used passively. ōra sonō discordia: 'mouths out of tune in sound', i.e. Trojan accents in Greek armour.

Aen. 2.424Īlicet obruimur numerō;

At once we are overwhelmed by numbers;

Aen. 2.424prīmusque Coroebus
425Pēneleī dextrā dīvae armipotentis ad āram
prōcumbit;

and first Coroebus falls by the right hand of Peneleus at the altar of the goddess mighty in arms;

Note. dīvae armipotentis: Minerva, the warrior goddess, at whose altar Coroebus falls trying to save Cassandra, who had been dragged from that same goddess's temple.

Aen. 2.426cadit et Rhīpeus, iūstissimus ūnus
quī fuit in Teucrīs et servantissimus aequī:
dīs aliter vīsum;

Rhipeus falls too, who was the one most just among the Teucrians and most careful of what was right: the gods thought otherwise;

Note. iūstissimus ūnus: 'the one most just', ūnus strengthening a superlative. servantissimus aequī: superlative of the participle servāns used as an adjective, with genitive. dīs aliter vīsum (est): 'the gods thought otherwise', one of the bleakest half-lines in Vergil.

Aen. 2.428pereunt Hypanisque Dymāsque
cōnfīxī ā sociīs;

Hypanis and Dymas perish, pierced through by their comrades;

Note. cōnfīxī ā sociīs: killed by their own side because of the Greek armour.

Aen. 2.429nec tē tua plūrima, Panthū,
430lābentem pietās nec Apollinis īnfula tēxit.

nor did your great goodness, Panthus, nor the fillet of Apollo shelter you as you fell.

Note. Apostrophe: Aeneas turns to address the dead Panthus. tua plūrima … pietās: hyperbaton, 'all your goodness'. lābentem: 'as you fell'. tēxit: singular with two subjects joined by nec … nec.

Aen. 2.431Īliacī cinerēs et flamma extrēma meōrum,
testor, in occāsū vestrō nec tēla nec ūllās
vītāvisse vicēs Danaum, et, sī fāta fuissent
ut caderem, meruisse manū.

Ashes of Ilium, and final flame of my people, I call you to witness that in your downfall I shunned neither the weapons nor any hazards of the Greeks, and that, if the fates had been that I should fall, I earned it with my hand.

Note. Apostrophe to Troy's ashes as witnesses. testor with indirect statement: (mē) vītāvisse … meruisse. vicēs Danaum: 'the hazards of fighting the Greeks'. sī fāta fuissent ut caderem: 'if it had been fated that I should fall'. meruisse manū: 'I deserved (to fall) by my hand'. Aeneas defends himself against the charge of having fled.

Aen. 2.434Dīvellimur inde,
435Īphitus et Peliās mēcum, quōrum Īphitus aevō
iam gravior, Peliās et volnere tardus Ulixī;

From there we are torn away, Iphitus and Pelias with me, of whom Iphitus was now heavier with age, and Pelias slowed by a wound from Ulysses;

Note. Dīvellimur: 'we are torn apart' from the fight. Note the relative quōrum distributing details. aevō … gravior: 'heavier with age'. volnere … Ulixī: 'by a wound from Ulysses'; Ulixī is genitive.

Aen. 2.437prōtinus ad sēdēs Priamī clāmōre vocātī.

we are called at once by the shouting to the palace of Priam.

Note. vocātī (sumus): the verb is left out.