Aeneid 4.296–330

Aen. 4.296At rēgīna dolōs— quis fallere possit amantem?

But the queen—who could deceive a lover?—

Note. At rēgīna dolōs: the sentence breaks off; the object dolōs waits for its verb praesēnsit in the next line. quis fallere possit amantem: a parenthetic rhetorical question; possit is potential subjunctive.

Aen. 4.297praesēnsit, mōtūsque excēpit prīma futūrōs,
omnia tūta timēns.

sensed the trick beforehand and was the first to catch the coming moves, afraid even of what was safe.

Note. praesēnsit: 'sensed beforehand'. mōtūs … futūrōs: 'the coming moves'. prīma: 'she was the first'. omnia tūta timēns: 'fearing everything, even what was safe'.

Aen. 4.298Eadem impia Fāma furentī
dētulit armārī classem cursumque parārī.

The same wicked Rumour brought her, already raging, the news that the fleet was being armed and the voyage prepared.

Note. Eadem impia Fāma: Rumour (Fāma), personified in 4.173–197, is now 'wicked' because she tells the truth. furentī: dative, 'to her as she raged'. armārī … parārī: present passive infinitives in indirect statement.

Aen. 4.300Saevit inops animī, tōtamque incēnsa per urbem
bacchātur, quālis commōtīs excita sacrīs
Thyias, ubi audītō stimulant trietērica Bacchō
orgia, nocturnusque vocat clāmōre Cithaerōn.

She rages, helpless in mind, and on fire she storms through the whole city like a Bacchant roused by the shaking of the sacred emblems, when, at the cry of Bacchus, the festival held every other year drives her on and Cithaeron calls her by night with its shouting.

Note. Saevit inops animī: 'she rages, helpless in mind'; animī is a locatival genitive. totam … per urbem: hyperbaton. bacchātur: 'she runs wild like a Bacchant'. The simile: qualis … Thyias, 'like a Thyiad', a woman possessed in the rites of Bacchus. commōtīs … sacrīs: ablative absolute, 'when the sacred emblems are moved'. audītō … Bacchō: 'when the cry of Bacchus is heard'. trietērica … orgia: the biennial festival (every third year, counting inclusively). Cithaeron is the mountain near Thebes where the rites were held.

Aen. 4.304Tandem hīs Aenēān compellat vōcibus ultrō:
305Dissimulāre etiam spērāstī, perfide, tantum
posse nefās, tacitusque meā dēcēdere terrā?

At last she speaks to Aeneas first, in these words: 'Did you hope, faithless one, that you could even hide so great a crime, and leave my land in silence?

Note. tandem hīs Aenēān compellat vōcibus ultrō: Dido speaks first ('unprompted', ultrō). Aenēān: Greek accusative. spērāstī: syncopated for spērāvistī. perfide: vocative. tantum … nefās: object of dissimulāre. tacitus: 'in silence', an adjective used where English uses an adverb. Dido's first speech (305–330) moves from fury to pleading; it is one of the great speeches of Latin poetry.

Aen. 4.307Nec tē noster amor, nec tē data dextera quondam,
nec moritūra tenet crūdēlī fūnere Dīdō?

Does neither our love, nor the right hand once given, nor Dido about to die a cruel death hold you?

Note. Three nec clauses build to the climax morītūra … Dīdō, with her own name at the end of the line. data dextera: 'the right hand once given', the pledge of faith. morītūra: future participle, 'about to die'; Dido already speaks of her death. crūdēlī fūnere: ablative of manner, 'by a cruel death'.

Aen. 4.309Quīn etiam hībernō mōlīris sīdere classem,
310et mediīs properās aquilōnibus īre per altum,
crūdēlis?

Why, you even work at your fleet under the winter sky and hurry to go across the deep in the midst of the north winds, cruel man!

Note. Quīn etiam: 'why, even'. hībernō … sīdere: 'under a wintry star', i.e. in the stormy season. mōlīrī … īre: infinitives with properās, 'you hurry to …'. mediīs … aquilōnibus: 'in the midst of the north winds'. crūdēlis: vocative, set at the start of the next line for emphasis.

Aen. 4.311Quid, sī nōn arva aliēna domōsque
ignōtās peterēs, sed Troia antīqua manēret,
Troia per undōsum peterētur classibus aequor
Mēne fugis?

What if you were not seeking foreign fields and unknown homes, but ancient Troy still stood—would Troy be sought by your ships across the stormy sea? Is it me you are running from?

Note. A contrary-to-fact condition: quid, sī nōn … peterēs … et Troia … manēret, … peterētur? 'What if you were not seeking foreign fields … and Troy still stood, would Troy be sought …?' i.e. you would not sail in winter even for Troy. Mēne fugis?: -ne attached to the emphatic mē, 'Is it me you flee?'

Aen. 4.314Per ego hās lacrimās dextramque tuam tē
315(quandō aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa relīquī)
per cōnūbia nostra, per inceptōs hymenaeōs,
sī bene quid dē tē meruī, fuit aut tibi quicquam
dulce meum, miserēre domus lābentis, et istam—
ōrō, sī quis adhūc precibus locus— exue mentem.

By these tears and your right hand (since I in my misery have left myself nothing else now), by our marriage, by the wedding we began, if I have deserved anything well of you, or anything of mine has been sweet to you, pity a falling house, and put away that purpose of yours—I beg you, if there is still any room for prayers.

Note. per … lacrimās dextramque tuam: per in an oath, 'by these tears and your right hand'. quandō: 'since'. aliud … nihil: 'nothing else'. cōnūbia … hymenaeōs: two words for marriage; Dido calls their union a marriage, which Aeneas will deny. inceptōs: 'begun', i.e. not yet completed. sī … merui … fuit … aut … dulce meum: two conditions of fact. quid: 'in any way' (indefinite after sī). domūs lābentis: 'a falling house'; lābentis is a present participle of lābor. istam … mentem: 'that purpose of yours'. sī quis adhuc precibus locus: 'if there is still any room for prayers'; quis = indefinite quī after sī. exue: imperative, 'put off'.

Aen. 4.320Tē propter Libycae gentēs Nomadumque tyrannī
ōdēre, īnfēnsī Tyriī;

Because of you the Libyan peoples and the Nomad kings hate me, the Tyrians are hostile;

Note. Te propter: the preposition follows its pronoun (anastrophe), repeated in the next sentence. Libycae gentēs Nomadumque tyrannī: the African peoples and their kings, including Iarbas (4.36). ōdēre: = ōdērunt, a perfect with present meaning. īnfēnsī Tyriī: even her own people are hostile.

Aen. 4.321tē propter eundem
exstīnctus pudor, et, quā sōlā sīdera adībam,
fāma prior.

because of you too my sense of shame is lost, and my former good name, by which alone I was climbing to the stars.

Note. eundem: 'you too'. exstīnctus: supply est. pudor: her loyalty to her dead husband Sychaeus. quā sōlā sīdera adībam: 'by which alone I was rising to the stars', i.e. her good name was her only path to glory. fāma prior: 'my former reputation'.

Aen. 4.323Cui mē moribundam dēseris, hospes?

To whom do you leave me, dying, my guest?

Note. cui: 'to whom', i.e. to what fate. moribundam: 'dying'. hospes: 'guest', the bitter name she now uses instead of husband (coniunx), as the next line explains.

Aen. 4.324Hoc sōlum nōmen quoniam dē coniuge restat.

Since that name is all that is left of 'husband'.

Note. hoc sōlum nōmen … dē coniuge restat: 'this name alone is left from (the name of) husband'.

Aen. 4.325Quid moror?

Why do I wait?

Note. Quid moror?: 'Why do I wait?' A deliberative present indicative.

Aen. 4.325An mea Pygmaliōn dum moenia frāter
dēstruat, aut captam dūcat Gaetūlus Iarbās?

Until my brother Pygmalion destroys my walls, or Iarbas the Gaetulian takes me captive?

Note. an: 'or (am I waiting) until …'. dum … dēstruat … dūcat: subjunctives after dum, 'until'. Pygmaliōn: her brother, who murdered her husband Sychaeus (1.343–352). captam: 'taken captive'. Gaetūlus Iarbās: the African king she rejected.

Aen. 4.327Saltem sī qua mihi dē tē suscepta fuisset
ante fugam subolēs, sī quis mihi parvulus aulā
lūderet Aenēās, quī tē tamen ōre referret,
330nōn equidem omnīnō capta ac dēserta vidērer.

At least if I had had a child by you before your flight, if some little Aeneas were playing in my hall, to bring back your face in spite of everything, I would not seem so utterly taken and abandoned.'

Note. A wish in the form of a condition: sī … suscepta fuisset … sī … lūderet, 'if a child had been born … if a little Aeneas were playing', followed by the main clause nōn … capta ac dēserta vidērer. qua … subolēs: qua is indefinite after sī. parvulus … Aenēās: the only diminutive adjective in the Aeneid; the effect is heartbreaking. quī tē tamen ōre referret: relative clause of purpose or characteristic, 'to bring back your face'.