Aeneid 2.453–468

Aen. 2.453Līmen erat caecaeque forēs et pervius ūsus
tēctōrum inter sē Priamī, postēsque relictī
455ā tergō, īnfēlīx quā sē, dum regna manēbant,
saepius Andromachē ferre incomitāta solēbat
ad socerōs, et avō puerum Astyanacta trahēbat.

There was an entrance, a hidden door, and a passage connecting the buildings of Priam with one another, a postern left behind at the rear, by which, while the kingdom stood, unhappy Andromache used often to go unattended to her husband's parents, and would bring the boy Astyanax to his grandfather.

Note. pervius ūsus: 'a passage for use'. quā: 'by which way'. regna manēbant: 'the kingdom stood'. ad socerōs: Priam and Hecuba, her husband Hector's parents. avō: dative, 'to his grandfather'. Astyanacta: Greek accusative. Background: the Trojan audience knows Astyanax was thrown from the walls by the Greeks after the sack; the tender detail has that fate behind it.

Aen. 2.458Ēvādō ad summī fastīgia culminis, unde
tēla manū miserī iactābant inrita Teucrī.

I make my way out to the top of the highest roof, from where the wretched Teucrians were hurling their useless missiles by hand.

Aen. 2.460Turrim in praecipitī stantem summīsque sub astra
ēductam tēctīs, unde omnis Troia vidērī
et Danaum solitae nāvēs et Achāia castra,
adgressī ferrō circum, quā summa labantīs
iūnctūrās tabulāta dabant, convellimus altīs
465sēdibus, impulimusque;

A tower stood on the sheer edge, raised up from the top of the roof to the stars, from which all Troy could be seen, and the ships of the Greeks, and the Achaean camp; attacking it with iron all round, where the topmost storey offered joints that were giving way, we wrench it from its high base and push it over;

Note. Turrim … stantem … ēductam: the tower is the object of convellimus and impulimus, placed first. unde … vidērī (solita erat): 'from which all Troy used to be seen'; solitae agrees with nāvēs. adgressī: deponent participle, 'attacking'. quā …: 'where the top storey offered joints that were giving way'; labantīs is acc. pl. with iūncturās.

Aen. 2.465ea lāpsa repente ruīnam
cum sonitū trahit et Danaum super agmina lātē
incidit: ast aliī subeunt, nec saxa, nec ūllum
tēlōrum intereā cessat genus.

suddenly it falls and drags down ruin with a crash, and comes down far and wide on the columns of the Greeks: but others come up, and meanwhile neither stones nor any kind of missile cease.

Note. lāpsa: from lābor, 'having fallen'. trahit: vivid present. ast: archaic for at. nec saxa nec ūllum … genus: two subjects with the singular cessat.