Aen. 2.671Hinc ferrō accingor rūrsus clipeōque sinistram
īnsertābam aptāns, mēque extrā tēcta ferēbam.From here I gird myself with the sword again, and fitting my left arm into the shield I slipped it on, and I was carrying myself out of the house.Note. Hinc: 'next'. sinistram īnsertābam: 'I was fitting my left arm (into the shield's strap)'. The tense moves from vivid present (accingor) to imperfect. Aen. 2.673Ecce autem complexa pedēs in līmine coniūnx
haerēbat, parvumque patrī tendēbat Iūlum:
675Sī peritūrus abīs, et nōs rape in omnia tēcum;But look, my wife clung to me on the threshold, clasping my feet, and held out little Iulus to his father: "If you go away to die, take us with you too into whatever comes;Note. Ecce: marks a sudden new event. complexa: deponent perfect participle, 'having embraced (his feet)'. coniūnx: Creusa. patrī: dative, 'to his father'. Sī peritūrus abīs: 'if you are going away to die'; the future participle expresses intention. in omnia: 'into everything (that comes)'. Aen. 2.676sīn aliquam expertus sūmptīs spem pōnis in armīs,
hanc prīmum tūtāre domum.but if from experience you place any hope in the arms you have taken up, guard this house first.Note. sīn: 'but if'. aliquam … spem: 'some hope'. expertus: 'having tried (them)', i.e. from experience. tūtāre: imperative of the deponent tūtor, 'guard'. Aen. 2.677Cui parvus Iūlus,
cui pater et coniūnx quondam tua dicta relinquor?To whom is little Iulus left, to whom your father, and I, once called your wife?"Note. Cui: interrogative, 'to whom?' coniūnx quondam tua dicta: 'I, once called your wife'. relinquor: first person, Creusa speaking of herself.
Lectitō › Vergil › Aeneid, Book 2 › Aeneid 2.671–678
Vergil · Aeneid II
Aeneid 2.671–678
Creusa's plea
In brief. As Aeneas leaves the house armed, his wife Creusa clings to his feet and holds out little Iulus. She begs him either to take them with him or to guard the house first, asking who will protect them.
Read the Latin itself: tap any word for its meaning and grammar, save words to review, and keep your place.
Read in LectitōLatin vocabulary for this passage (48 words)
| hinc, adv. | from this place, hence |
| ferrum, -ī n. | iron; iron point, sword |
| accingō, -ere, -cīnxī, -cīnctus | gird on; (pass.) gird oneself, get ready |
| rūrsus, adv. | again |
| clipeus, -ī m. (also clipeum, -ī n.) | round bronze shield |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| sinistra, -ae, f. | left hand (manus understood) |
| īnsertō, -āre | put in, insert |
| aptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | fit, adjust, make ready |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| extrā (prep. + acc.) | outside, beyond |
| tēctum, -ī n. | roof; house |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| ecce (interj.) | look! see! here is |
| autem, conj. | moreover; but, however; now |
| complector, -plectī, -plexus | embrace |
| pēs, pedis, m. | foot |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| līmen, -minis, n. | threshold; door |
| coniūnx, coniugis, m. and f. | spouse, husband, wife |
| haereō, haerēre, haesī, haesūrus | stick; hesitate |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| pater, patris, m. | father |
| tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum | stretch out; hold out |
| sī, conj. | if |
| pereō, -īre, -ii, -itūrus | pass away, perish |
| abeō, -īre, -iī, -itūrus | go away, depart |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| nōs | plur. of ego |
| rapiō, -ere, -uī, -tus | seize, snatch |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| sīn (conj.) | but if |
| aliquis, -quid, indef. pron. | someone, any one, something, anything, some, any |
| experior, -īrī, expertus sum | try, test, experience |
| sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptus | take under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment |
| spēs, speī, f. | hope |
| pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positus | place, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on |
| arma, -ōrum, n. plur. | arms, weapons |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| prīmum, adv. | first, in the first place |
| tūtor, -ārī, -ātus sum | protect, guard |
| domus, -ūs, f. | house, home |
| quis, quid, interrog. pron. | who? which? what? |
| quondam (adv.) | once, formerly, at one time |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |
| dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus | say, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day |
| relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictus | leave behind, leave |
Vergil, Aeneid II. Latin text: J. B. Greenough (Boston, 1881), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.