Aeneid 4.279–295

Aen. 4.279At vērō Aenēās aspectū obmūtuit āmēns,
280arrēctaeque horrōre comae, et vōx faucibus haesit.

But Aeneas, at the sight, was struck dumb and out of his mind; his hair stood up in horror and his voice stuck in his throat.

Note. obmūtuit: perfect of obmūtēscō, 'was struck dumb'. āmēns: 'out of his mind'. arrēctae … comae: supply sunt. faucibus haesit: 'stuck in his throat', a Homeric formula of terror.

Aen. 4.281Ārdet abīre fugā dulcīsque relinquere terrās,
attonitus tantō monitū imperiōque deōrum.

He burns to go away in flight and leave the sweet land, thunderstruck by so great a warning and command of the gods.

Note. Ārdet abīre: 'he burns to go', an infinitive with a verb of desire; ārdeō is the same word used of Dido's love. dulcīs … terrās: accusative plural in -īs. attonitus: literally 'thunderstruck'.

Aen. 4.283Heu quid agat?

Alas, what is he to do?

Note. Heu: interjection. quid agat: deliberative subjunctive, 'what is he to do?'; Vergil puts us inside Aeneas' mind.

Aen. 4.283Quō nunc rēgīnam ambīre furentem
audeat adfātū?

With what address can he dare now to win over the raging queen?

Note. Quō … adfātū: 'with what address', an interrogative adjective separated from its noun. ambīre: 'to get round, win over', a word used of canvassing for votes. furentem: present participle, 'raging'. audeat: deliberative subjunctive.

Aen. 4.284Quae prīma exōrdia sūmat?

What first opening is he to make?

Note. Quae prīma exōrdia: 'what first beginnings'; the language of rhetoric, as if Aeneas were planning a speech.

Aen. 4.285Atque animum nunc hūc celerem, nunc dīvidit illūc,
in partīsque rapit variās perque omnia versat.

And he sends his quick mind now this way, now that, and snatches it into different directions and turns it through everything.

Note. This line is adapted from Aeneid 8.20–21, where it is used again; it pictures a mind darting about. partīs: accusative plural in -īs. perque omnia versat: 'turns it through every possibility'.

Aen. 4.287Haec alternantī potior sententia vīsa est:
Mnēsthea Sergestumque vocat fortemque Serestum,
classem aptent tacitī sociōsque ad lītora cōgant,
290arma parent, et quae rēbus sit causa novandīs
dissimulent;

As he wavered, this plan seemed better: he calls Mnestheus and Sergestus and brave Serestus: let them quietly fit out the fleet, gather the men on the shore, prepare their weapons, and hide what reason there is for the change of plan;

Note. alternantī: dative of reference, 'to him as he wavered'. potior: comparative adjective, 'better'. Mnēsthea: Greek accusative. classem aptent … cōgant … parent … dissimulent: indirect commands without ut after vocat, 'let them fit out …'. quae … sit causa: indirect question. rēbus … novandīs: dative of the gerundive, 'for changing things'.

Aen. 4.291sēsē intereā, quandō optuma Dīdō
nesciat et tantōs rumpī nōn spēret amōrēs,
temptātūrum aditūs, et quae mollissima fandī
tempora, quis rēbus dexter modus.

he himself meanwhile, since the excellent Dido knows nothing and does not expect so great a love to be broken, will try the approaches, the gentlest times for speaking, what way is favourable for the matter.

Note. sēsē … temptātūrum: indirect statement, with esse understood, 'that he himself will try'. quandō: 'since'. optuma: the old spelling of optima, used ironically or with sympathy. nesciat … spēret: subjunctive in a subordinate clause of reported speech. quae mollissima fandī tempora: 'what are the gentlest times for speaking'; fandī is the gerund of for. quis = quī: 'what way is favourable'.

Aen. 4.294Ōcius omnēs
295imperiō laetī pārent ac iussa facessunt.

At once they all gladly obey his command and carry out his orders.

Note. Ōcius: comparative adverb, 'more quickly', often just 'at once'. imperiō: dative with pārent. facessunt: 'they carry out eagerly'.