Aeneid 4.238–278

Aen. 4.238Dīxerat.

He had spoken.

Note. Dīxerat: 'he had spoken', a stock Vergilian line-opening that closes a speech; the pluperfect marks the end of one action before the next begins.

Aen. 4.238Ille patris magnī pārēre parābat
imperiō;

Mercury made ready to obey the command of his great father;

Note. pārēre … parābat: a sound-play between pāreō 'obey' (long a) and parō 'prepare' (short a). imperiō: dative with pārēre.

Aen. 4.239et prīmum pedibus tālāria nectit
240aurea, quae sublīmem ālīs sīve aequora suprā
seu terram rapidō pariter cum flāmine portant;

and first he binds on his feet the golden sandals, which carry him aloft on wings, over the seas or over the land, as swift as the rushing wind;

Note. tālāria: Mercury's winged sandals. quae … portant: the relative refers to the sandals (neuter plural). sublīmem: 'him, high in the air'; the pronoun is left to be understood. sīve … seu: 'whether … or'. aequora suprā: the preposition follows its noun (anastrophe). rapidō pariter cum flāmine: 'as fast as the swift wind'.

Aen. 4.242tum virgam capit: hāc animās ille ēvocat Orcō
pallentīs, aliās sub Tartara trīstia mittit,
dat somnōs adimitque, et lūmina morte resignat.

then he takes his wand: with this he calls pale souls out of Orcus and sends others down to gloomy Tartarus, gives sleep and takes it away, and unseals eyes in death.

Note. The caduceus. hāc: ablative of means, 'with this' (the wand). Orcō: ablative of separation, 'out of Orcus', the underworld. pallentīs: accusative plural in -īs agreeing with animās. aliās: 'others (souls)'. lūmina morte resignat: 'unseals eyes in death', probably opening the eyes of the dead for their journey; the meaning has been debated since antiquity. Mercury as psychopomp, guide of souls, foreshadows Dido's death.

Aen. 4.245Illā frētus agit ventōs, et turbida trānat
nūbila;

Relying on this he drives the winds and swims through the stormy clouds.

Note. Illā frētus: 'relying on that' (the wand); frētus takes the ablative. trānat: 'swims across', a bold metaphor for flying.

Aen. 4.246iamque volāns apicem et latera ardua cernit
Atlantis dūrī, caelum quī vertice fulcit,
Atlantis, cinctum adsiduē cui nūbibus ātrīs
pīniferum caput et ventō pulsātur et imbrī;

And now in his flight he sees the peak and the steep sides of hard Atlas, who props up the sky with his head, Atlas, whose pine-covered head, always ringed with black clouds, is beaten by wind and rain;

Note. iamque volāns: present participle of volō 'fly'. Atlantis: genitive of Atlās, repeated for emphasis (anaphora). The Titan Atlas, who holds up the sky, is also the mountain range in north-west Africa; Vergil describes him as both at once. caelum quī vertice fulcit: 'who props up the sky with his head'. cui … caput: dative of possession, 'whose head'. cinctum: agrees with caput.

Aen. 4.250nix umerōs īnfūsa tegit;

snow poured over his shoulders covers them;

Note. nix umerōs īnfūsa tegit: 'snow, poured over them, covers his shoulders'; īnfūsa is a passive participle of īnfundō.

Aen. 4.250tum flūmina mentō
praecipitant senis, et glaciē riget horrida barba.

then rivers rush down from the old man's chin, and his bristling beard is stiff with ice.

Note. mentō: ablative of separation, 'from his chin'. senis: genitive of senex, 'of the old man'. The mountain is a giant with beard, chin and shoulders.

Aen. 4.252Hīc prīmum paribus nītēns Cyllēnius ālīs
cōnstitit;

Here first the Cyllenian, poised on balanced wings, came to a stop;

Note. Hīc: the adverb 'here' (long i). nītēns: present participle of the deponent nītor, 'poised, balancing'. Cyllēnius: Mercury, born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. paribus … ālīs: ablative, 'on balanced wings'.

Aen. 4.253hinc tōtō praeceps sē corpore ad undās
mīsit, avī similis, quae circum lītora, circum
255piscōsōs scopulōs humilis volat aequora iūxtā.

from here he threw himself headlong with his whole body towards the waves, like a bird which flies low close to the water, round the shores and round the rocks full of fish.

Note. Simile of a sea-bird skimming the waves. avī similis: similis takes the dative. circum … circum: anaphora. aequora iūxtā: the preposition after its noun again. humilis: 'low', describing the bird's flight.

Aen. 4.256Haud aliter terrās inter caelumque volābat,
lītus harēnōsum Libyae ventōsque secābat
māternō veniēns ab avō Cyllēnia prōlēs.

Just so, between earth and sky, he was flying to the sandy shore of Libya and cutting through the winds, the Cyllenian child, coming from his mother's father.

Note. Haud aliter: 'not otherwise', i.e. 'just so'. māternō … ab avō: Mercury's mother Maia was a daughter of Atlas, so he is coming from his mother's father. Cyllēnia prōlēs: 'the Cyllenian offspring', a grand periphrasis for Mercury.

Aen. 4.259Ut prīmum ālātīs tetigit māgālia plantīs,
260Aenēān fundantem arcēs ac tēcta novantem
cōnspicit;

As soon as he touched the huts with his winged feet, he sees Aeneas founding citadels and building new houses;

Note. Ut prīmum: 'as soon as'. ālātīs … plantīs: ablative of means, 'with his winged feet'. māgālia: the huts of the African town. fundantem … novantem: present participles, 'founding … building new'. The god finds Aeneas doing exactly what he should be doing in Italy, but for the wrong city.

Aen. 4.261atque illī stellātus iaspide fulvā
ēnsis erat, Tyriōque ārdēbat mūrice laena
dēmissa ex umerīs, dīves quae mūnera Dīdō
fēcerat, et tenuī tēlās discrēverat aurō.

and he had a sword starred with yellow jasper, and a cloak blazed with Tyrian purple, hanging from his shoulders, gifts which wealthy Dido had made, picking out the threads with fine gold.

Note. illī: dative of possession, 'he had'. stēllātus iaspide fulvā: 'starred with yellow jasper'. Tyriō … mūrice: ablative, 'with Tyrian purple'. dēmissa ex umerīs: 'hanging from his shoulders'. dīves quae mūnera Dīdō: the relative is postponed; supply 'which gifts'. tēlās discrēverat aurō: 'had picked out the threads with gold'. Aeneas is dressed like a Carthaginian prince in Dido's gifts.

Aen. 4.265Continuō invādit: Tū nunc Karthāginis altae
fundāmenta locās, pulchramque uxōrius urbem
exstruis, heu regnī rērumque oblīte tuārum?

At once he attacks: 'Are you now laying the foundations of lofty Carthage and building a fine city to please a wife, alas, forgetting your own kingdom and your own affairs?

Note. Continuō invādit: 'at once he attacks (him)'. Tū: emphatic. uxōrius: 'a slave to your wife', a stinging word. oblīte: vocative of the participle oblītus, with the genitives regnī rērumque.

Aen. 4.268Ipse deum tibi mē clārō dēmittit Olympō
regnātor, caelum ac terrās quī nūmine torquet;

The ruler of the gods himself, who turns heaven and earth by his will, sends me down to you from bright Olympus;

Note. deum: = deōrum, genitive plural. clārō … Olympō: ablative of separation, 'from bright Olympus'. regnātor … quī … torquet: Jupiter, who 'turns' heaven and earth by his divine will (nūmen).

Aen. 4.270ipse haec ferre iubet celerīs mandāta per aurās:
quid struis, aut quā spē Libycīs teris ōtia terrīs?

he himself orders me to carry these commands through the swift air: what are you building, or with what hope do you waste your leisure in Libyan lands?

Note. celerīs … per aurās: accusative plural in -īs. quid struis: 'what are you building/planning?' quā spē: interrogative adjective, 'with what hope'. teris ōtia: 'you wear away (waste) your leisure'.

Aen. 4.272Sī tē nūlla movet tantārum glōria rērum,
Ascanium surgentem et spēs hērēdis Iūlī
275respice, cui regnum Ītaliae Rōmānaque tellūs
dēbentur.

If no glory of such great things moves you, think of Ascanius growing up and the hopes of Iulus your heir, to whom the kingdom of Italy and the Roman land are owed.'

Note. Sī … movet: a simple present condition. Ascanium surgentem: 'Ascanius growing up'. spēs hērēdis Iūlī: 'the hopes of Iulus your heir'. cui … dēbentur: 'to whom are owed'; Mercury's last argument is the future of Rome.

Aen. 4.276Tālī Cyllēnius ōre locūtus
mortālīs vīsūs mediō sermōne relīquit,
et procul in tenuem ex oculīs ēvānuit auram.

Having spoken in such words the Cyllenian left mortal sight in the middle of his speech, and vanished far away from his eyes into thin air.

Note. Tālī … ōre: 'in such words' (literally 'with such a mouth'). mortālīs vīsūs: accusative plural, 'mortal sight'. ēvānuit: perfect of ēvānēscō. The god leaves without waiting for an answer.