Aeneid 4.362–392

Aen. 4.362Tālia dīcentem iamdūdum āversa tuētur,
hūc illūc volvēns oculōs, tōtumque pererrat
lūminibus tacitīs, et sīc accēnsa prōfātur:
365Nec tibi dīva parēns, generis nec Dardanus auctor,
perfide;

While he is saying this she has long been watching him, turned away, rolling her eyes this way and that, and she looks him all over with silent eyes, and then, burning, she speaks out: 'No goddess was your mother, and Dardanus was not the founder of your race, faithless one;

Note. Tālia dīcentem: present participle, 'him saying such things'. iamdūdum: 'for a long time now'. āversa: 'turned away'. tacitīs … lūminibus: 'with silent eyes'. accēnsa: 'inflamed'. prōfātur: 'she speaks out'. Dido's second speech (365–387) is pure rage. Nec tibi dīva parēns: dative of possession, supply est, 'you had no goddess mother'. generis … auctor: 'founder of your race'.

Aen. 4.366sed dūrīs genuit tē cautibus horrēns
Caucasus, Hyrcānaeque admōrunt ūbera tigrēs.

no, the Caucasus, bristling with hard crags, gave you birth, and Hyrcanian tigresses gave you the breast.

Note. dūrīs … cautibus: ablative, 'from hard crags'. horrēns Caucasus: 'the rough Caucasus'. Hyrcānae … tigrēs: tigers of the Caspian shore. admōrunt: syncopated for admōvērunt, 'offered (their udders)'. The idea that a cruel man was born of rocks and nursed by beasts goes back to Homer (Iliad 16.33–35).

Aen. 4.368Nam quid dissimulō, aut quae mē ad maiōra reservō?

For why do I hide my feelings, or for what greater wrongs do I keep myself?

Note. quid dissimulō: 'why do I pretend?'. quae … ad maiōra: 'for what greater (wrongs)?'. mē … reservō: 'do I hold myself back'.

Aen. 4.369Num flētū ingemuit nostrō?

Did he groan at my weeping?

Note. Num: expects the answer 'no'. Dido now speaks of Aeneas in the third person, as if to herself or to the gods. ingemuit: 'did he groan'. flētū … nostrō: 'at my weeping'.

Aen. 4.369Num lūmina flexit?

Did he turn his eyes?

Note. lūmina flexit: 'did he turn his eyes', i.e. look at me. Contrast immōta tenēbat lūmina (46).

Aen. 4.370Num lacrimās victus dedit, aut miserātus amantem est?

Was he overcome and did he shed tears, or did he pity the woman who loved him?

Note. victus: 'overcome'. miserātus … est: the deponent misereor. amantem: present participle, 'the one who loved him'.

Aen. 4.371Quae quibus anteferam?

What shall I put before what?

Note. Quae quibus anteferam?: 'What shall I put before what?', i.e. where shall I begin? A deliberative subjunctive with two interrogatives.

Aen. 4.371Iam iam nec maxuma Iūnō,
nec Sāturnius haec oculīs pater aspicit aequīs.

Now, now neither greatest Juno nor the Saturnian father looks on these things with fair eyes.

Note. Iam iam: 'now, now'. Saturnius … pater: Jupiter, son of Saturn. aequīs oculīs: 'with fair eyes'.

Aen. 4.373Nusquam tūta fidēs.

Nowhere is trust safe.

Note. Nusquam tūta fidēs: 'Nowhere is trust safe'; supply est. A famous sententia.

Aen. 4.373Ēiectum lītore, egentem
excēpī, et regnī dēmēns in parte locāvī;

Cast up on the shore and in need I took him in, and in my madness gave him a share of my kingdom;

Note. Ēiectum lītore: 'cast up on the shore'. egentem: present participle, 'in need'. excēpī: 'I took him in'. dēmēns: 'madwoman that I was'. locāvī: 'I placed (him)'.

Aen. 4.375āmissam classem, sociōs ā morte redūxī.

I brought back his lost fleet and his comrades from death.

Note. āmissam classem, sociōs: supply 'his'. reduxī: 'I brought back from death'; Dido exaggerates for effect.

Aen. 4.376Heu furiīs incēnsa feror!

Ah, I am carried away, on fire with fury!

Note. Heu: interjection. furiīs incēnsa feror: 'on fire with madness I am carried away'; feror is passive, 'I am swept along'.

Aen. 4.376Nunc augur Apollo,
nunc Lyciae sortēs, nunc et Iove missus ab ipsō
interpres dīvom fert horrida iussa per aurās.

Now prophetic Apollo, now the Lycian oracles, now even the messenger of the gods sent by Jupiter himself brings dreadful orders through the air.

Note. nunc … nunc … nunc: Dido mockingly repeats Aeneas' list of divine authorities (52, 57). augur Apollō: 'Apollo the prophet'. horrida iussa: 'grim commands'.

Aen. 4.379Scīlicet is Superīs labor est, ea cūra quiētōs
380sollicitat.

Of course this is the work of the gods above, this is the care that troubles their peace.

Note. Scīlicet: 'of course', heavy sarcasm. is: attracted to the gender of labor. superīs: dative of possession, 'the gods above have this labour'. ea cūra quiētōs sollicitat: 'that care disturbs their calm'. The Epicureans taught that the gods take no care for human affairs; Dido uses that idea to mock him.

Aen. 4.380Neque tē teneō, neque dicta refellō.

I do not hold you, I do not refute your words.

Note. Neque tē teneō: 'I do not hold you back'. refellō: 'I refute'.

Aen. 4.381Ī, sequere Ītaliam ventīs, pete regna per undās.

Go, follow Italy with the winds, seek your kingdoms over the waves.

Note. ī: imperative of eō. sequere … pete: imperatives, sequere from the deponent sequor. Ītaliam ventīs: 'to Italy with the winds'.

Aen. 4.382Spērō equidem mediīs, sī quid pia nūmina possunt,
supplicia hausūrum scopulīs, et nōmine Dīdō
saepe vocātūrum.

I hope, if the gods of right have any power, that you will drain your punishment among the rocks in mid-sea and often call on Dido by name.

Note. Spērō: here 'I expect', with the future infinitives hausūrum (esse) and vocātūrum (esse); tē is understood. mediīs … scopulīs: 'on the rocks in mid-sea'. sī quid: 'if they have any power'. pia nūmina: 'just gods'. supplicia hausūrum: 'that you will drink to the dregs your punishment'. Dīdō: Greek accusative form, 'Dido by name'.

Aen. 4.384Sequar ātrīs ignibus absēns,
385et, cum frīgida mors animā sēdūxerit artūs,
omnibus umbra locīs aderō.

Though absent I will follow you with black fires, and when cold death has parted my limbs from the breath of life, my ghost will be with you in every place.

Note. Sequar: future, 'I will follow'. ātrīs ignibus: 'with black fires', the torches of the Furies and of her own pyre. absēns: 'though absent'. cum … sēdūxerit: future perfect, 'when cold death has parted my limbs from my soul'. omnibus … locīs: ablative of place, 'in every place'. umbra: 'as a ghost'.

Aen. 4.386Dabis, improbe, poenās.

You will pay the penalty, wicked man.

Note. Dabis … poenās: 'you will pay the penalty'. improbe: vocative.

Aen. 4.387Audiam et haec Mānīs veniet mihi fāma sub īmōs.

I will hear of it, and this news will reach me down among the shades below.'

Note. Audiam: future. haec … fāma: 'this news'. Mānīs … sub īmōs: 'down to the deepest shades'.

Aen. 4.388Hīs medium dictīs sermōnem abrumpit, et aurās
aegra fugit, sēque ex oculīs āvertit et aufert,
390linquēns multa metū cūnctantem et multa parantem
dīcere.

With these words she breaks off her speech in the middle, and sick at heart she flees the light, and turns and takes herself away from his eyes, leaving him hesitating in fear and getting ready to say many things.

Note. medium … sermōnem: 'the speech in the middle'. aegra: 'sick at heart'. sēque … āvertit et aufert: 'turns herself away and takes herself off'. linquēns: present participle. multa metū cunctantem: 'hesitating much in fear' (cunctantem is a present participle of the deponent cunctor). multa parantem dīcere: 'getting ready to say much'. Aeneas is left with words unspoken.

Aen. 4.391Suscipiunt famulae, conlāpsaque membra
marmoreō referunt thalamō strātīsque repōnunt.

Her maids lift her up, carry her fainting body back to her marble room and lay her on her bed.

Note. Suscipiunt famulae: 'the servants catch her up'. conlapsa membra: 'her fainting body'. marmoreō … thalamō: 'to her marble chamber'. strātīs: 'on her bed'.