Aeneid 2.692–751

Aen. 2.692Vix ea fātus erat senior, subitōque fragōre
intonuit laevum, et dē caelō lāpsa per umbrās
stella facem dūcēns multā cum lūce cucurrit.

Scarcely had the old man spoken these words when with a sudden crash it thundered on the left, and a star, falling from the sky through the shadows, ran with much light, drawing a torch behind it.

Note. Vix … fātus erat … et: 'Scarcely had he spoken when …', with et instead of cum. intonuit laevum: 'it thundered on the left'. For Romans the left was the lucky side. lāpsa: perfect participle of lābor. facem dūcēns: 'trailing a torch', i.e. a fiery tail.

Aen. 2.695Illam, summa super lābentem culmina tēctī,
cernimus Īdaeā clāram sē condere silvā
signantemque viās;

We see it, gliding over the highest roofs of the house, hide itself, bright, in the forest of Ida, and mark out the way;

Note. Illam … cernimus … condere … signantemque: we see the star hide itself and mark the way. summa super … culmina: anastrophe. Īdaeā … silvā: on Mount Ida near Troy, where the Trojans will gather.

Aen. 2.697tum longō līmite sulcus
dat lūcem, et lātē circum loca sulphure fūmant.

then the furrow gives light along its long track, and all around far and wide the places smoke with sulphur.

Note. sulcus: the star's path, like a furrow. sulphure fūmant: 'smoke with sulphur', the smell of a lightning strike.

Aen. 2.699Hīc vērō victus genitor sē tollit ad aurās,
700adfāturque deōs et sānctum sīdus adōrat.

Then indeed my father, overcome, raises himself to the open air, addresses the gods and worships the holy star.

Note. victus: 'won over'. tollit sē ad aurās: 'raises himself to the open air'. adfātur: deponent, 'addresses'.

Aen. 2.701Iam iam nūlla mora est;

"Now, now there is no delay;

Note. Iam iam: emphatic, 'now, now'. Anchises speaks.

Aen. 2.701sequor et quā dūcitis adsum.

I follow, and where you lead, I am here.

Note. quā dūcitis: 'where you lead'. adsum: 'I am here', I am with you.

Aen. 2.702Dī patriī, servāte domum, servāte nepōtem.

Gods of my fathers, save my house, save my grandson.

Note. Dī patriī: vocative, 'gods of our fathers'. nepōtem: Iulus.

Aen. 2.703Vestrum hoc augurium, vestrōque in nūmine Troia est.

Yours is this omen, and Troy is in your divine keeping.

Note. Vestrum hoc augurium: supply est. in nūmine: 'in your divine power'. Troia here is the Trojan race that will survive.

Aen. 2.704Cēdō equidem, nec, nāte, tibi comes īre recūsō.

I yield, indeed, and I do not refuse, my son, to go as your companion."

Note. Cēdō: 'I yield'. tibi comes īre: 'to go as your companion'.

Aen. 2.705Dīxerat ille;

He had spoken;

Note. Dīxerat ille: the pluperfect again closes the speech.

Aen. 2.705et iam per moenia clārior ignis
audītur, propiusque aestūs incendia volvunt.

and now through the walls the fire is heard more clearly, and the heat rolls the blazes nearer.

Note. per moenia: 'through the city'. clārior: comparative, 'more clearly', agreeing with ignis. aestūs: nominative plural, 'the waves of heat', subject of volvunt.

Aen. 2.707Ergō age, cāre pater, cervīcī impōnere nostrae;

"Come then, dear father, place yourself on my neck;

Note. Ergō age: 'come then'. age is a common imperative of encouragement. impōnere: present passive imperative, 'place yourself'.

Aen. 2.708ipse subībō umerīs, nec mē labor iste gravābit:
quō rēs cumque cadent, ūnum et commūne perīclum,
710ūna salūs ambōbus erit.

I will carry you on my shoulders, and that labour will not weigh on me: however things fall out, there will be one common danger, one safety for us both.

Note. subībō umerīs: 'I will go under (you) with my shoulders', i.e. carry you. quō rēs cumque cadent: tmesis of quōcumque, 'however things fall out'. perīclum: syncopated form of perīculum. ūnum … commūne … ūna: the repetition stresses that they share one fate.

Aen. 2.710Mihi parvus Iūlus
sit comes, et longē servet vestīgia coniūnx:
vōs, famulī, quae dīcam, animīs advertite vestrīs.

Let little Iulus be my companion, and let my wife follow our steps at a distance: you, servants, turn your minds to what I shall say.

Note. longē servet vestīgia: 'follow our footsteps at a distance'. Separating the party is meant to attract less notice, but it leads to Creusa's loss. famulī: vocative. quae dīcam: 'what I shall say'.

Aen. 2.713Est urbe ēgressīs tumulus templumque vetustum
dēsertae Cereris, iūxtāque antīqua cupressus
715religiōne patrum multōs servāta per annōs.

As you leave the city there is a mound and an old temple of Ceres, deserted, and beside it an ancient cypress, kept for many years by the reverence of our fathers.

Note. Est … tumulus: 'there is a mound'. urbe ēgressīs: dative of the participle, 'for those who have left the city', i.e. as you leave. dēsertae Cereris: the temple of Ceres is deserted. religiōne: 'by the reverence'.

Aen. 2.716Hanc ex dīversō sēdem veniēmus in ūnam.

To this one place we shall come by different ways.

Note. ex dīversō: 'from different directions'. in ūnam: 'to one (place)'.

Aen. 2.717Tū, genitor, cape sacra manū patriōsque Penātīs;

You, father, take in your hand the sacred objects and our fathers' household gods;

Note. sacra … Penātīs: the sacred objects and household gods of Troy, which Aeneas must bring to Italy.

Aen. 2.718mē, bellō ē tantō dīgressum et caede recentī,
attrectāre nefās, dōnec mē flūmine vīvō
720abluerō.

for me, who have come from so great a war and from fresh slaughter, it is a sin to handle them, until I have washed myself in running water."

Note. mē … attrectāre nefās (est): 'it is a sin for me to handle (them)'. dīgressum: 'having come away from'. dōnec … abluerō: future perfect, 'until I have washed'. flūmine vīvō: running water, needed for ritual cleansing.

Aen. 2.721Haec fātus, lātōs umerōs subiectaque colla
veste super fulvīque īnsternor pelle leōnis,
succēdōque onerī;

Having said this, I spread over my broad shoulders and bowed neck a covering, the skin of a tawny lion, and take up the burden;

Note. lātōs umerōs … colla … īnsternor: a middle use of the passive with accusatives: 'I spread over my shoulders and neck'. veste … pelle: the covering, a lion skin. super: adverb. succēdō onerī: 'I go under the burden'.

Aen. 2.723dextrae sē parvus Iūlus
implicuit sequiturque patrem nōn passibus aequīs;

little Iulus has twined himself into my right hand and follows his father with steps not equal to mine;

Note. dextrae: dative with implicuit, 'twined himself into my right hand'. nōn passibus aequīs: 'with steps not equal (to mine)'. The famous image of the small boy trotting beside his father.

Aen. 2.725pōne subit coniūnx: ferimur per opāca locōrum;

behind comes my wife: we are carried on through the darkness of the places;

Note. pōne: adverb, 'behind'. opāca locōrum: 'the dark places', with a partitive genitive after a neuter plural adjective.

Aen. 2.726et mē, quem dūdum nōn ūlla iniecta movēbant
tēla neque adversō glomerātī ex agmine Grāī,
nunc omnēs terrent aurae, sonus excitat omnis
suspēnsum et pariter comitīque onerīque timentem.

and I, whom just before no weapons hurled at me and no Greeks massed in an opposing column could move, now am frightened by every breeze, every sound alarms me, held in suspense and fearing equally for my companion and my burden.

Note. quem dūdum nōn … movēbant: 'whom just before … did not move'. nunc omnēs terrent aurae: the hero who was fearless alone is now afraid, because he carries others. comitīque onerīque: 'for my companion and my burden', dative with timentem.

Aen. 2.730Iamque propinquābam portīs, omnemque vidēbar
ēvāsisse viam, subitō cum crēber ad aurīs
vīsus adesse pedum sonitus, genitorque per umbram
prōspiciēns;

And now I was nearing the gates and seemed to have escaped the whole way, when suddenly the frequent sound of feet seemed to reach my ears, and my father, peering through the darkness,

Note. vidēbar … ēvāsisse: 'I seemed to have escaped'. cum … vīsus (est) … adesse … sonitus: inverse cum. ad aurīs: accusative plural, -īs ending.

Aen. 2.733Nāte exclāmat, fuge nāte, propinquant.

"My son," he cries, "flee, my son, they are coming near.

Note. Nāte … nāte: Anchises' repeated cry.

Aen. 2.734Ārdentīs clipeōs atque aera micantia cernō!—
735Hīc mihi nesciō quod trepidō male nūmen amīcum
cōnfūsam ēripuit mentem.

I see burning shields and flashing bronze!" Here some unfriendly power, I do not know what, robbed me, in my alarm, of my confused mind.

Note. Ārdentīs clipeōs: accusative plural. nesciō quod … nūmen: 'some power or other', nesciō quis used as an indefinite. male … amīcum: 'unfriendly' (male negates the adjective). trepidō: dative, '(from me) in my alarm'.

Aen. 2.736Namque āvia cursū
dum sequor, et nōtā excēdō regiōne viārum,
heu, miserō coniūnx fātōne ērepta Creüsa
substitit, errāvitne viā, seu lassa resēdit,
740incertum;

For while I follow the pathless ways at a run and leave the known area of the streets, alas, did my wife Creusa, snatched from me by a cruel fate, stop, or lose her way, or sit down exhausted? It is uncertain;

Note. dum sequor: dum + present, 'while I follow'. āvia: 'pathless places'. nōtā … regiōne: 'from the known area'. miserō: dative, 'from wretched me'. fātōne … substitit, errāvitne …, seu … resēdit, incertum (est): three alternatives in an indirect question, with indicatives in this poetic style.

Aen. 2.740nec post oculīs est reddita nostrīs.

and afterwards she was not given back to our eyes.

Note. post: adverb, 'afterwards'.

Aen. 2.741Nec prius āmissam respexī animumque reflexī,
quam tumulum antīquae Cereris sēdemque sacrātam
vēnimus;

Nor did I look back for her, lost, or turn my mind back, before we came to the mound and sacred seat of ancient Ceres;

Note. Nec prius … quam: 'I did not … before …'. āmissam: supply eam, Creusa. respexī animumque reflexī: 'looked back or turned my mind back'.

Aen. 2.743hīc dēmum collēctīs omnibus ūna
dēfuit, et comitēs nātumque virumque fefellit.

here at last, when all were gathered, she alone was missing, and failed her companions, her son and her husband.

Note. ūna dēfuit: 'she alone was missing'. fefellit: 'failed, disappointed', literally 'deceived' her companions' expectation.

Aen. 2.745Quem nōn incūsāvī āmēns hominumque deōrumque,
aut quid in ēversā vīdī crūdēlius urbe?

Whom of men and gods did I not accuse in my madness, or what crueller thing did I see in the overturned city?

Note. Quem … hominumque deōrumque: 'whom of men and gods'. The doubled -que is an epic touch. āmēns: 'out of my mind'. crūdēlius: comparative neuter.

Aen. 2.747Ascanium Anchīsēnque patrem Teucrōsque Penātīs
commendō sociīs et curvā valle recondō;

I entrust Ascanius and father Anchises and the Trojan household gods to my companions and hide them in the winding valley;

Note. Teucrōs … Penātīs: 'the Trojan household gods'. curvā valle: ablative of place.

Aen. 2.749ipse urbem repetō et cingor fulgentibus armīs.

I myself go back to the city and gird myself in shining arms.

Note. cingor: middle sense, 'I gird myself'.

Aen. 2.750Stat cāsūs renovāre omnīs, omnemque revertī
per Troiam, et rūrsus caput obiectāre perīclis.

I am resolved to repeat every danger, to return through all Troy and expose my head to perils again.

Note. Stat: impersonal, 'it is resolved' (by me). renovāre … revertī … obiectāre: infinitives depending on stat. omnīs: accusative plural with cāsūs. perīclīs: dative with obiectāre.