Aeneid 4.450–473

Aen. 4.450Tum vērō īnfēlīx fātīs exterrita Dīdō
mortem ōrat;

Then indeed unhappy Dido, terrified by the fates, prays for death;

Note. Tum vērō: 'then indeed'. fātīs exterrita: 'terrified by her fate'. mortem ōrat: 'prays for death'.

Aen. 4.451taedet caelī convexa tuērī.

she is weary of looking at the vault of heaven.

Note. taedet: impersonal, with the infinitive tuērī. caelī convexa: 'the vault of the sky'.

Aen. 4.452Quō magis inceptum peragat lūcemque relinquat,
vīdit, tūricremīs cum dōna impōneret ārīs,
horrendum dictū, laticēs nigrēscere sacrōs,
455fūsaque in obscēnum sē vertere vīna cruōrem.

So that she might the more surely complete what she had begun and leave the light, she saw, as she laid her offerings on the altars burning incense—dreadful to tell—the holy liquids grow black, and the poured wine turn into foul blood.

Note. Quō magis … peragat … relinquat: a purpose clause with a comparative uses quō, 'so that she might the more surely'. turicremīs … ārīs: 'on the incense-burning altars'. cum … impōneret: cum with imperfect subjunctive. horrendum dictū: supine in -ū, 'dreadful to tell', a parenthesis. latīcēs … sacrōs nigrēscere: 'the holy liquids grow black'. fūsaque … vīna: 'the poured wine'. obscēnum … cruōrem: 'foul blood'. These are the omens of Dido's dreams and portents.

Aen. 4.456Hoc vīsum nūllī, nōn ipsī effāta sorōrī.

She told no one of this sight, not even her own sister.

Note. Hoc vīsum: 'this vision'. nūllī: dative, 'to no one'. effāta: supply est, 'she spoke of'. nōn ipsī … sorōrī: 'not even to her sister'.

Aen. 4.457Praetereā fuit in tēctīs dē marmore templum
coniugis antīquī, mīrō quod honōre colēbat,
velleribus niveīs et fēstā fronde revīnctum:
460hinc exaudīrī vōcēs et verba vocantis
vīsa virī, nox cum terrās obscūra tenēret;

Besides, there was in the palace a marble shrine of her former husband, which she tended with wonderful honour, wreathed with snowy fleeces and festive leaves: from here she seemed to hear sounds and the words of her husband calling her, when dark night held the earth;

Note. templum coniugis antīquī: a shrine to her dead husband Sychaeus. mīrō … honōre: 'with wondrous honour'. velleribus … et … fronde: 'with white fleeces and festive leaves'. revīnctum: 'bound round'. exaudīrī … vīsa: supply sunt, 'there seemed to be heard'. vocantis … virī: 'of her husband calling', a present participle in the genitive. nox cum: cum postponed.

Aen. 4.462sōlaque culminibus fērālī carmine būbō
saepe querī et longās in flētum dūcere vōcēs;

and alone on the rooftops the owl with its deathly song often complained and drew out its long cries into weeping;

Note. sōla … būbō: 'a lonely owl', a bird of ill omen. culminibus: 'on the rooftops'. ferālī carmine: 'with a funeral song'. querī … dūcere: historical infinitives (or still dependent on vīsa).

Aen. 4.464multaque praetereā vātum praedicta priōrum
465terribilī monitū horrificant.

and besides, many predictions of earlier prophets terrify her with their dreadful warning.

Note. praedicta: 'prophecies'. vātum … priōrum: 'of earlier seers'. terribilī monitū: 'with fearful warning'. horrificant: 'make her shudder'.

Aen. 4.465Agit ipse furentem
in somnīs ferus Aenēās;

In her sleep fierce Aeneas himself drives her on in her madness;

Note. Agit: 'drives, pursues'. ipse … ferus Aenēās: 'cruel Aeneas himself'. furentem: present participle, 'her in her madness'.

Aen. 4.466semperque relinquī
sōla sibi, semper longam incomitāta vidētur
īre viam, et Tyriōs dēsertā quaerere terrā.

and she always seems to be left alone by herself, always to be going unaccompanied on a long road, and to be looking for her Tyrians in an empty land.

Note. relinquī: present passive infinitive with vidētur, 'she seems to be left'. sōla sibi: 'alone with herself'. incomitāta: 'unaccompanied'. dēserta … terrā: 'in a deserted land'. The dream shows her deepest fear: abandonment.

Aen. 4.469Eumenidum velutī dēmēns videt agmina Pentheus,
470et sōlem geminum et duplicīs sē ostendere Thēbās;

Just as Pentheus in his madness sees the ranks of the Furies, and a double sun, and Thebes showing itself twice over;

Note. Two similes from Greek tragedy. Eumenidum … agmina: 'columns of Furies'. veluti … Pentheus: the king of Thebes in Euripides' Bacchae, who in his madness sees two suns and a double Thebes. sē ostendere: 'show themselves'. Thēbās: Greek-style plural name.

Aen. 4.471aut Agamemnonius scaenīs agitātus Orestēs
armātam facibus mātrem et serpentibus ātrīs
cum fugit, ultrīcēsque sedent in līmine Dīrae.

or as Agamemnon's son Orestes, hunted across the stage, flees his mother armed with torches and black snakes, and the avenging Furies sit at the door.

Note. Agamemnonius … Orestēs: Orestes, Agamemnon's son, who killed his mother Clytemnestra and was hounded by the Furies. scaenīs agitātus: 'hunted on the stage', i.e. as in tragedy. armātam facibus … serpentibus: his mother's ghost, armed with torches and snakes. cum fugit: cum with the indicative in a simile. ultrīcēs … Dīrae: 'the avenging Furies'. Dido has become a tragic figure.