Aeneid 6.156–182

Aen. 6.156Aenēās maestō dēfīxus lūmina voltū
ingreditur, linquēns antrum, caecōsque volūtat
ēventūs animō sēcum.

Aeneas walks on with sad face and downcast eyes, leaving the cave, and turns over in his mind the dark events.

Note. maestō dēfīxus lūmina vultū: dēfīxus is middle in sense with a 'Greek accusative' of the part (lūmina): 'with his eyes cast down'. caecōsque volūtat / ēventūs animō sēcum: he turns over the dark events (still unknown) in his mind.

Aen. 6.158Cui fīdus Achātēs
it comes, et paribus cūrīs vestīgia fīgit.

Faithful Achates goes with him as his companion, and plants his steps with equal cares.

Note. fīdus Achātēs: Achates' standard epithet; he is Aeneas' constant companion. vestīgia fīgit: 'plants his steps'.

Aen. 6.160Multa inter sēsē variō sermōne serēbant,
quem socium exanimem vātēs, quod corpus humandum
dīceret.

They exchanged much talk with each other, asking what dead comrade the prophetess meant, what body was to be buried.

Note. Multa inter sēsē variō sermōne serēbant: serō here means 'join', 'weave' (sero#3): 'they wove much talk together'. quem socium exanimum vātēs … dīceret: indirect question. humandum: gerundive, 'to be buried'.

Aen. 6.162Atque illī Mīsēnum in lītore siccō,
ut vēnēre, vident indignā morte perēmptum,
Mīsēnum Aeolidēn, quō nōn praestantior alter
165aere ciēre virōs, Mārtemque accendere cantū.

And as they came, they see Misenus on the dry shore, cut off by an unworthy death, Misenus son of Aeolus, whom no one surpassed in rousing men with the bronze trumpet and kindling the war-god with its call.

Note. Atque illī … ut vēnēre: 'and as they came'. indignā morte perēmptum: 'cut off by an undeserved death'. Mīsēnum Aeolidēn: Misenus, son of Aeolus (Aeolidēn, a Greek accusative of the patronymic; not the wind god). quō nōn praestantior alter / aere ciēre virōs Martemque accendere cantū: 'than whom no other was better at rousing men with the bronze trumpet and kindling Mars with its call'. The infinitives depend on praestantior, a poetic construction.

Aen. 6.166Hectoris hic magnī fuerat comes, Hectora circum
et lituō pugnās īnsignis obībat et hastā:
postquam illum vītā victor spoliāvit Achillēs,
Dardaniō Aenēae sēsē fortissimus hērōs
170addiderat socium, nōn īnferiōra secūtus.

He had been the comrade of great Hector, and around Hector he went into battle, distinguished both by trumpet and spear: after Achilles as victor robbed Hector of life, the bravest of heroes had joined himself as comrade to Dardan Aeneas, following no lesser man.

Note. Hectoris hic magnī fuerat comes: Misenus had been Hector's trumpeter. lituō … et hastā: the lituus is a curved trumpet. Postquam illum vītā victor spoliāvit Achillēs: Achilles killed Hector (Iliad 22). nōn īnferiōra secūtus: 'following no lesser (fortunes)', i.e. a leader no less great than Hector.

Aen. 6.171Sed tum, forte cavā dum personat aequora conchā,
dēmēns, et cantū vocat in certāmina dīvōs,
aemulus exceptum Trītōn, sī crēdere dignum est,
inter saxa virum spūmōsā inmerserat undā.

But then, while by chance he makes the seas ring with his hollow shell, the madman, and challenges the gods with his playing, jealous Triton (if it is right to believe it) had caught him and drowned him in the foaming wave among the rocks.

Note. cavā dum personat aequora conchā: a shell trumpet, the instrument of Triton, the sea god. dēmēns: 'madman', because he challenges the gods. Triton, jealous (aemulus), drowned him. sī crēdere dignum est: Vergil again distances himself from the miracle. exceperat … immerserat: pluperfects, giving the background to the scene.

Aen. 6.175Ergō omnēs magnō circum clāmōre fremēbant,
praecipuē pius Aenēās.

So all were wailing round him with a great cry, dutiful Aeneas most of all.

Note. Ergō omnēs magnō circum clāmōre fremēbant: the imperfect describes the ongoing lament around the body. praecipuē pius Aenēās: Aeneas grieves most.

Aen. 6.176Tum iussa Sibyllae,
haud morā, festīnant flentēs, āramque sepulchrī
congerere arboribus caelōque ēdūcere certant.

Then, weeping, they hurry to carry out the Sibyl's orders, without delay, and compete to heap the altar of the tomb with trees and to raise it to the sky.

Note. haud mora: 'without delay'. Sibyllae iussa: the orders of 82-84. āram … sepulcrī: the funeral pyre, built like an altar. certant: from certo#2, 'they compete'.

Aen. 6.179Itur in antīquam silvam, stabula alta ferārum;

They go into the ancient forest, the deep lairs of wild beasts;

Note. Ītur in antīquam silvam: an impersonal passive of eō, 'they go into'. This tree-felling scene imitates the gathering of wood for Patroclus' pyre in Iliad 23 and Ennius' version of it in the Annals.

Aen. 6.180prōcumbunt piceae, sonat icta secūribus īlex,
fraxineaeque trabēs cuneīs et fissile rōbur
scinditur, advolvunt ingentīs montibus ornōs.

the pitch-pines fall, the holm-oak rings under the blows of axes, and ash beams and the oak that splits easily are cleft with wedges; they roll huge rowans down from the mountains.

Note. procumbunt piceae: the line is full of heavy sounds, the strokes of the axes. sonat icta secūribus īlex: 'the holm-oak rings when struck by axes'. fissile rōbur: 'the oak, easy to split'. scinditur: enjambment, the verb carried into the next line. ornōs: 'rowan trees' or 'manna ash', rolled down from the mountains.