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Vergil · Aeneid III

Aeneid 3.258–277

Flight past Ithaca to Actium

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Aen. 3.258Dīxit, et in silvam pennīs ablāta refūgit.She spoke, and, borne off on her wings, fled back into the forest. Aen. 3.259At sociīs subitā gelidus formīdine sanguis
260dēriguit;
But my comrades' blood froze cold with sudden fear;
Aen. 3.260cecidēre animī, nec iam amplius armīs,
sed vōtīs precibusque iubent exposcere pācem,
sīve deae, seu sint dīrae obscēnaeque volucrēs.
their spirits fell, and no longer with arms but with vows and prayers they bid me beg for peace, whether these are goddesses or dread and loathsome birds.
Aen. 3.263Et pater Anchīsēs passīs dē lītore palmīs
nūmina magna vocat, meritōsque indīcit honōrēs:
265Dī, prohibēte minās;
And father Anchises, stretching out his palms from the shore, calls on the great powers and proclaims due honours: 'Gods, ward off these threats;
Aen. 3.265dī, tālem āvertite cāsum,
et placidī servāte piōs!
gods, turn aside such a fate, and graciously preserve the dutiful!'
Aen. 3.266Tum lītore fūnem
dēripere, excussōsque iubet laxāre rudentēs.
Then he orders us to tear the cable from the shore and to shake out and loosen the sheets.
Aen. 3.268Tendunt vēla Notī;South winds stretch the sails; Aen. 3.268fugimus spūmantibus undīs,
quā cursum ventusque gubernātorque vocābat.
we flee over the foaming waves where the wind and the helmsman called our course.

Aen. 3.270Iam mediō adpāret flūctū nemorōsa Zacynthos
Dūlichiumque Samēque et Nēritos ardua saxīs.
Now in mid-sea wooded Zacynthos appears, and Dulichium and Same and Neritos steep with rocks.
Aen. 3.272Effugimus scopulōs Ithacae, Lāertia regna,
et terram altrīcem saevī exsecrāmur Ulixī.
We escape the crags of Ithaca, the realm of Laertes, and curse the land that nursed cruel Ulysses.
Aen. 3.274Mox et Leucātae nimbōsa cacūmina montis
275et formīdātus nautīs aperītur Apollo.
Soon the cloud-capped peaks of Mount Leucata come into view too, and Apollo, feared by sailors.
Aen. 3.276Hunc petimus fessī et parvae succēdimus urbī;This we make for, weary, and approach the little town; Aen. 3.277ancora dē prōrā iacitur, stant lītore puppēs.the anchor is cast from the prow, the sterns stand along the shore.

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Grammar in this passage: ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (101 words)
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
silva, -ae, f.wood, forest
penna, -ae f.feather; (pl.) wings
auferō, auferre, abstulī, ablātusbear away, carry off
refugiō, -fugere, -fūgīflee back, run away, retreat
at, conj.but
socius, -ī, m.companion, comrade, ally
subitus, -a, -umsudden
gelidus, -a, -umicy, ice-cold
formīdō, -inis f.fear, dread; something to be dreaded
sanguis, sanguinis, m.blood
dērigēscō, -ere, -riguīgrow stiff; (of blood) run cold, freeze
cadō, cadere, cecidī, cāsūrusfall
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
neque or nec, conj.and not, nor; neque ... neque, neither ... nor; neque enim, for ... not
iam, adv.now, already
amplius (adv.)more, further
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
sed, conj.but
vōtum, -ī n.vow; wish, prayer
prex, precis f. (usu. pl.)prayer, entreaty
que, enclitic conj.and
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
exposcō, -ere, -poposcīdemand earnestly, call for
pāx, pācis f.peace
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
dea, -ae f.goddess
sīve or seu, conj.or if; sīve ... sīve, whether ... or
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
dīrus, -a, -umdreadful
obscēnus, -a, -umill-omened, foul, loathsome
volucris, -is, f.bird
pater, patris, m.father
pandō, -ere, pandī, passumspread out (passīs manibus: with hands outstretched)
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
lītus, lītoris, n.shore
palma, -ae f.palm of the hand; flat spreading branch
nūmen, -inis n.divine power, divinity
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
meritus, -a, -umdeserved, due, just
indīcō, -ere, -dīxī, -dictumproclaim, call (a meeting)
honor, -ōris, m.honor
deus, -ī, m.god
prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitushold back, prevent, hinder
minae, -ārum, f. plur.threats
tālis, -esuch
āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversumturn away, turn aside
cāsus, -ūs, m.fall; chance, accident
placidus, -a, -umcalm, gentle
servō, -āre, -āvī, -ātussave, preserve
pius, -a, -umdutiful, devoted, pious
tum, adv.then, at that time
fūnis, -is m.rope, cable
dēripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptussnatch away, tear off, pull down
excutiō, -ere, -cussī, -cussusshake off, shake out
laxō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumloosen, open out
rudēns, -entis m.rope; (pl.) the rigging
tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentumstretch out; hold out
vēlum, -ī n.sail
fugiō, fugere, fūgī, fugitūrusflee, run away
spūmō, -āre, -āvīfoam, froth
unda, -ae, f.wave
quā, adv.in which place, where
cursus, -ūs, m.running, speed; course, route, voyage; race
ventus, -ī, m.wind
gubernātor, -ōris m.helmsman, pilot
medius, -a, -ummid, middle
appāreō, -ēre, -uī, -itumappear, come into view, show oneself
flūctus, -ūs m.wave
nemorōsus, -a, -umwooded, leafy
arduus, -a, -umsteep, difficult
saxum, -ī, n.rock, stone
effugio, -fugere, -fūgīflee out or away, escape
scopulus, -ī m.rock, crag, reef
Lāertius, -a, -umof Laertes, father of Ulysses
regnum, -ī, n.royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm
terra, -ae, f.land, earth
altrīx, -īcis f.nurse, nourisher; (adj.) nurturing
saevus, -a, -umfierce, savage
exsecror, -ārī, -ātus sumcurse, detest
mox, adv.soon
nimbōsus, -a, -umstormy, cloud-bringing
cacūmen, -minis n.top, tip, point
mōns, montis, m.mountain
formīdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbe afraid, dread
nauta, -ae, m.sailor
aperiō, -īre, -uī, -tusopen
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
fessus, -a, -umexhausted, worn out, weary
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
succēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessusgo or come under, follow after, succeed
urbs, urbis, f.city
ancora, -ae, f.anchor; in ancorīs, at anchor
prōra, -ae, f.prow, bow
iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactusthrow, cast, hurl
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
puppis, -is f.stern of a ship
Vergil, Aeneid III. Latin text: J. B. Greenough, The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Virgil (Boston, 1881), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.