Aeneid 4.129–159

Aen. 4.129Ōceanum intereā surgēns Aurōra relīquit.

Meanwhile Dawn rose and left the Ocean.

Note. Ōceanum: the Sun and Dawn were imagined rising from the river Ocean that surrounds the earth.

Aen. 4.130It portīs iubare exortō dēlēcta iuventūs;

When the sun has risen, a chosen band of youths goes out from the gates;

Note. It: 'goes out'. iubare exortō: ablative absolute, 'when the light has risen'.

Aen. 4.131rētia rāra, plagae, lātō vēnābula ferrō,
Massȳlīque ruunt equitēs et odōra canum vīs.

wide-meshed nets, snares, hunting spears with broad iron points, Massylian horsemen and the keen-scented strength of hounds rush out.

Note. A list of hunting gear without verbs at first: nets, snares, spears. Massȳlī: Numidian horsemen. odōra canum vīs: 'the keen-scented strength of hounds' (vīs + genitive = 'a pack').

Aen. 4.133Rēgīnam thalamō cūnctantem ad līmina prīmī
Poenōrum exspectant, ostrōque īnsignis et aurō
135stat sonipēs, ac frēna ferōx spūmantia mandit.

The leading Carthaginians wait at the doors for the queen, who lingers in her chamber, and her horse stands bright in purple and gold, and fiercely champs the foaming bit.

Note. cūnctantem: 'lingering', perhaps in hesitation. sonipēs: 'sound-foot', a poetic word for a horse. frēna … spūmantia mandit: the horse champs the foaming bit, impatient where its mistress delays.

Aen. 4.136Tandem prōgreditur, magnā stīpante catervā,
Sīdōniam pictō chlamydem circumdata limbō.

At last she comes out, with a great crowd thronging around her, wrapped in a Sidonian cloak with an embroidered border.

Note. stīpante catervā: ablative absolute. Sīdōniam … chlamydem circumdata: a middle use of the passive participle with an accusative, 'having wrapped herself in a Sidonian cloak'.

Aen. 4.138Cui pharetra ex aurō, crīnēs nōdantur in aurum,
aurea purpuream subnectit fībula vestem.

Her quiver is of gold, her hair is knotted up in gold, a golden brooch fastens her purple dress.

Note. Gold three times in two lines (aurō, aurum, aurea): Carthage's wealth and splendour.

Aen. 4.140Nec nōn et Phrygiī comitēs et laetus Iūlus
incēdunt.

The Phrygian companions and joyful Iulus come forward too.

Note. Nec nōn: 'and also'. Iūlus is Ascanius.

Aen. 4.141Ipse ante aliōs pulcherrimus omnīs
īnfert sē socium Aenēās atque agmina iungit.

Aeneas himself, most handsome of all, joins her as a companion and unites the two bands.

Note. omnīs: accusative plural with aliōs. īnfert sē socium: 'brings himself as a companion'.

Aen. 4.143Quālis ubi hībernam Lyciam Xanthīque fluenta
dēserit ac Dēlum māternam invīsit Apollo,
145īnstauratque chorōs, mīxtīque altāria circum
Crētēsque Dryopēsque fremunt pictīque Agathyrsī;

As when Apollo leaves wintry Lycia and the streams of the Xanthus and visits his mother's Delos, and renews the dances, and around the altars Cretans, Dryopes and painted Agathyrsians mingle and shout;

Note. The Apollo simile, matching the Diana simile for Dido in Book 1 (1.498–502). quālis … Apollo: 'as when Apollo…'. Lycia and Delos were both seats of his worship; he spent winter in Lycia and summer at Delos, his birthplace (māternam, of his mother Latona). altāria circum: preposition after its noun.

Aen. 4.147ipse iugīs Cynthī graditur, mollīque fluentem
fronde premit crīnem fingēns atque implicat aurō;

he himself walks on the ridges of Cynthus, and binds his flowing hair, pressing it with soft leaves, and twines it with gold;

Note. ipse: Apollo. iugīs Cynthī: the ridges of Mount Cynthus on Delos. mollī … fronde: the soft leaves of a laurel wreath.

Aen. 4.149tēla sonant umerīs: haud illō segnior ībat
150Aenēās;

the arrows rattle on his shoulders: Aeneas moved no less briskly than he;

Note. haud illō segnior: 'not more slowly than he', ablative of comparison.

Aen. 4.150tantum ēgregiō decus ēnitet ōre.

such beauty shines from his noble face.

Note. tantum … decus: 'such beauty'. ēgregiō … ōre: ablative of place or source.

Aen. 4.151Postquam altōs ventum in montīs atque invia lustra,
ecce ferae, saxī dēiectae vertice, caprae
dēcurrere iugīs;

When they came to the high mountains and the pathless lairs, see, wild goats dislodged from the top of a rock ran down the ridges;

Note. ventum (est): impersonal passive, 'they came'. invia lustra: the 'pathless lairs' of wild beasts (lustrum here is short-u lustrum, 'den', not lūstrum, 'purification'). ecce: the scene shifts as if before our eyes. dēcurrēre = dēcurrērunt.

Aen. 4.153aliā dē parte patentīs
trānsmittunt cursū campōs atque agmina cervī
155pulverulenta fugā glomerant montīsque relinquunt.

elsewhere stags race across the open plains and gather their herds into dusty columns in flight and leave the mountains.

Note. aliā dē parte: 'elsewhere'. patentīs … campōs: accusative plural in -īs. glomerant: 'mass together' their columns.

Aen. 4.156At puer Ascanius mediīs in vallibus ācrī
gaudet equō, iamque hōs cursū, iam praeterit illōs,
spūmantemque darī pecora inter inertia vōtīs
optat aprum, aut fulvum dēscendere monte leōnem.

But the boy Ascanius in the middle of the valleys delights in his spirited horse, and passes now these, now those at the gallop, and prays that among the harmless animals a foaming boar may be granted to his prayers, or a tawny lion come down from the mountain.

Note. ācrī … equō: ablative with gaudet. hōs … illōs: the goats and the stags. spūmantem … darī … optat aprum: 'prays that a foaming boar be given', the accusative and infinitive after optō. Ascanius' boyish eagerness is set against the coming storm.