Lectitō › Vergil › Aeneid, Book 4
Aeneid 4.105–128
Venus agrees; Juno's plan
Vergil, Aeneid IV. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōAen. 4.105Ollī— sēnsit enim simulātā mente locūtam,
quō regnum Ītaliae Libycās āverteret ōrās—
sīc contrā est ingressa Venus: Quis tālia dēmēns
abnuat, aut tēcum mālit contendere bellō,
sī modo, quod memorās, factum fortūna sequātur.
Venus — for she sensed that Juno had spoken with a pretended purpose, to turn the kingdom of Italy aside to the shores of Libya — answered her thus: 'Who would be so mad as to refuse such terms, or prefer to fight a war with you, if only fortune follows the deed you speak of?
Note. Ollī: archaic dative of ille, 'to her'. sēnsit enim … locūtam: a parenthesis explaining Venus' reply: she sees Juno's real aim, to divert the empire from Italy (quō … āverteret, a purpose clause). Quis tālia dēmēns abnuat: potential subjunctive, 'who would be so mad as to refuse'. sī modo … sequātur: 'if only fortune should follow'.
Aen. 4.110Sed fātīs incerta feror, sī Iuppiter ūnam
esse velit Tyriīs urbem Trōiāque profectīs,
miscērīve probet populōs, aut foedera iungī.
But I am carried along by the fates, uncertain whether Jupiter wishes there to be one city for the Tyrians and those who set out from Troy, or approves the mixing of the peoples or the joining of treaties.
Note. fātīs incerta feror: 'I am carried along, uncertain because of the fates'. sī … velit … probet: indirect questions ('whether'). miscērīve: present passive infinitive + -ve.
Aen. 4.113Tū coniūnx tibi fās animum temptāre precandō.
You are his wife; it is right for you to test his mind by asking.
Note. fās: supply est, 'it is right'. precandō: ablative gerund, 'by asking'.
Aen. 4.114Perge;
Lead on;
Note. Perge: imperative of pergō, 'go on'.
Aen. 4.114sequar.
I will follow.'
Note. sequar: future, 'I will follow'.
Aen. 4.114Tum sīc excēpit rēgia Iūnō:
115Mēcum erit iste labor: nunc quā ratiōne, quod īnstat
cōnfierī possit, paucīs, adverte, docēbō.
Then royal Juno replied: 'That task will be mine: now listen, and I will tell you in a few words how what is at hand can be accomplished.
Note. excēpit: 'replied'. Mēcum: 'with me (rests)'. quā ratiōne … possit: indirect question. paucīs (verbīs): 'in a few words'. adverte: 'attend', 'listen'.
Aen. 4.117Vēnātum Aenēās ūnāque miserrima Dīdō
in nemus īre parant, ubi prīmōs crāstinus ortūs
extulerit Tītān, radiīsque retēxerit orbem.
Aeneas and with him most unhappy Dido are preparing to go hunting in the forest, as soon as tomorrow's Titan brings out his first risings and uncovers the world with his rays.
Note. Vēnātum: supine of purpose after īre, 'to go hunting'. ūnāque: 'and together with him'. ubi … extulerit … retēxerit: future perfects, 'as soon as the sun has brought out'. Tītān is the Sun.
Aen. 4.120Hīs ego nigrantem commixtā grandine nimbum,
dum trepidant ālae, saltūsque indāgine cingunt,
dēsuper īnfundam, et tonitrū caelum omne ciēbō.
On them, while the beaters scurry and ring the glades with nets, I will pour down from above a black storm-cloud mixed with hail, and I will rouse the whole sky with thunder.
Note. His: dative, 'on them'. commixtā grandine: ablative absolute. dum trepidant ālae: the 'wings' are the riders or beaters on the flanks; indāgine cingunt: they encircle the woods with nets. tonitrū: ablative.
Aen. 4.123Diffugient comitēs et nocte tegentur opācā:
spēluncam Dīdō dux et Trōiānus eandem
125dēvenient;
Their companions will scatter and be covered by dark night: Dido and the Trojan leader will come to the same cave;
Note. Diffugient … tegentur … dēvenient: the future tenses give Juno's plan the force of prophecy. Dīdō dux et Trōiānus: 'Dido and the Trojan leader'.
Aen. 4.125aderō, et, tua sī mihi certa voluntās,
hic hymenaeus erit.— Nōn adversāta petentī
adnuit, atque dolīs rīsit Cytherēa repertīs.
I will be there, and if your will is firm towards me, this will be their wedding.' Not opposing her request, Cytherea nodded, and smiled at the trick she had found out.
Note. tua sī mihi certa voluntās: supply est. hic hymenaeus erit: 'this will be the wedding'. The edition here omits a line (126) that also occurs at 1.73. Nōn adversāta: deponent participle, 'not opposing'. dolīs … repertīs: ablative of cause; Venus smiles because she has seen through Juno's trick.
Vocabulary
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus | perceive, feel |
| enim, conj. | for |
| simulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | pretend |
| mēns, mentis f. | mind, spirit |
| loquor, loquī, locūtus | speak |
| quō, adv. | to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long? |
| regnum, -ī, n. | royal power, rule, throne; kingdom, realm |
| Libycus, -a, -um | Libyan, African |
| āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversum | turn away, turn aside |
| ōra, -ae f. | coast, shore |
| sīc, adv. | so, thus |
| contrā, prep, with acc. | against, contrary to |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| ingredior, -ī, ingressus sum | go into, enter |
| quis, quid, interrog. pron. | who? which? what? |
| tālis, -e | such |
| dēmēns, -entis | out of one's mind, mad, frantic |
| abnuō, -ere, -nuī | refuse, decline, reject |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| mālō, mālle, māluī | wish rather, prefer |
| contendō, -tendere, -tendī, -tentus | stretch, hasten |
| bellum, -ī, n. | war |
| sī, conj. | if |
| modo, adv. | only |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| memorō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | remind of, mention |
| faciō, facere, fēcī, factus | make, do; iter facere, see iter |
| fortūna, -ae, f. | fortune |
| sequor, sequī, secūtus | follow |
| sed, conj. | but |
| fātum, -ī, n. | destiny, fate |
| incertus, -a, -um | uncertain, unreliable |
| ferō, ferre, tulī, lātus | bear, bring |
| ūnus, -a, -um | one; only, alone |
| volō, velle, voluī | wish |
| urbs, urbis, f. | city |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sum | set out, depart, march |
| misceō, miscēre, miscuī, mīxtus | mix, mingle |
| probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum | prove, show; approve |
| populus, -ī m. | people, nation |
| foedus, -eris n. | treaty, alliance |
| iungō, iungere, iūnxī, iūnctus | join; yoke, harness |
| coniūnx, coniugis, m. and f. | spouse, husband, wife |
| fās (indecl.) n. | what is right by divine law (fās est: it is allowed) |
| animus, -ī, m. | mind; heart; spirit, courage |
| temptō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | try, attempt |
| precor, -ārī, -ātus sum | pray, beg |
| pergō, -ere, perrēxī, perrēctum | go on, press on |
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| excipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptus | take out or up, receive, welcome, entertain |
| rēgius, -a, -um | royal, kingly |
| ego, meī, pers. pron. | I |
| iste, ista, istud, dem. pron. | that of yours, that |
| labor, -ōris, m. | labor, toil |
| nunc, adv. | now |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| ratiō, -ōnis, f. | plan, means, method, manner; reason; account |
| īnstō, -āre, -stitī | press on; be at hand |
| cōnfīō, -fierī | be done, be accomplished (used as passive of cōnficiō) |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj. | few |
| advertō, -ere, advertī, adversum | turn toward (animum advertere: notice) |
| doceo, -ēre, -uī, -tus | teach, explain |
| vēnor, -ārī, -ātus sum | hunt |
| ūnā | together, along |
| miser, misera, miserum | wretched, unhappy |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| nemus, -oris n. | grove, wood |
| eō, īre, iī, itus | go |
| parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | make ready, prepare |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| prīmus, -a, -um | first, foremost |
| crāstinus, -a, -um | of tomorrow; in crāstinum (diem): on the next day |
| ortus, -ūs m. | rising (ortus sōlis: sunrise) |
| efferō, -ferre, extulī, ēlātum | carry out, bring out |
| radius, -ī m. | rod, spoke; ray, beam (of light) |
| retegō, -ere, -tēxī, -tēctum | uncover, reveal |
| orbis, -is, m. | circle; orbis terrae or terrārum, circle of the earth or lands, earth, world |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| nigrō, -āre | be black |
| commisceō, -ēre, -miscuī, -mixtus | mix together, mingle |
| grandō, -inis f. | hail |
| nimbus, -ī m. | rain-cloud, storm-cloud |
| dum, conj. | while, as; as long as; until |
| trepidō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | be in a panic, hurry about in alarm |
| ala, -ae, f. | wing |
| saltus, -ūs m. | wooded pass, forest glade, woodland |
| indāgō, -inis f. | a ring of hunters and nets closing round game; an encircling trap |
| cingō, cingere, cinxī, cinctus | surround, gird |
| dēsuper, adv. | down from above |
| īnfundō, -fundere, -fūdī, -fūsus | pour in or upon |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| tonitrus, -ūs m. | thunder |
| caelum, -ī, n. | heaven, sky |
| omnis, -e | all, every |
| cieō, ciēre, cīvī, citus | set in motion, stir up; pugnam ciēre: start the fight |
| diffugiō, -ere, -fūgī | scatter in flight, flee in all directions |
| comes, -itis, m. and f. | companion |
| nox, noctis, f. | night |
| tegō, tegere, tēxī, tēctus | cover |
| opācus, -a, -um | shady, dark |
| spēlunca, -ae, f. | cave, cavern |
| dux, ducis, m. and f. | leader, commander |
| Trōiānus, -a, -um | Trojan |
| īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron. | the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also |
| dēveniō, -īre, dēvēnī, dēventum | come, arrive |
| adsum, adesse, adfuī | be present, be at hand |
| tuus, -a, -um | thy, thine, your |
| certus, -a, -um | determined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform |
| voluntās, -tātis, f. | wish, will |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| adversor, -ārī, -ātus sum (+ dat.) | oppose, resist |
| petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītus | seek, ask; attack |
| annuō, -ere, -nuī | nod, nod assent |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| dolus, -ī, m. | trick, craft |
| rīdeō, rīdēre, rīsī, rīsus | laugh |
| reperiō, reperīre, repperī, repertus | find, discover |