Aeneid 6.183–211

Aen. 6.183Nec nōn Aenēās opera inter tālia prīmus
hortātur sociōs, paribusque accingitur armīs.

Aeneas too is first among such work, urging on his comrades, and he arms himself with the same tools.

Note. Nec nōn: a double negative, 'and also'. paribusque accingitur armīs: 'he girds himself with the same tools': accingitur is middle in sense.

Aen. 6.185Atque haec ipse suō trīstī cum corde volūtat,
aspectāns silvam inmēnsam, et sīc vōce precātur:
Sī nunc sē nōbīs ille aureus arbore rāmus
ostendat nemore in tantō, quandō omnia vērē
heu nimium dē tē vātēs, Mīsēne, locūta est.

And he himself turns these things over in his sad heart, gazing at the vast forest, and prays thus: 'If only that golden bough on its tree would show itself to us now in so great a wood! For the prophetess spoke all too truly about you, Misenus, alas.'

Note. aspectāns: present participle, 'gazing at'. Sī nunc sē nōbīs ille aureus arbore rāmus / ostendat: a wish, 'if only'. quandō omnia vērē / heu nimium dē tē vātēs, Mīsēne, locūta est: the Sibyl's prophecy about the dead comrade has come true, so Aeneas trusts her about the bough too.

Aen. 6.190Vix ea fātus erat, geminae cum forte columbae
ipsa sub ōra virī caelō vēnēre volantēs,
et viridī sēdēre solō.

Scarcely had he said this, when by chance twin doves came flying from the sky right before the hero's face, and settled on the green ground.

Note. Vix ea fātus erat … cum: the inverted cum-clause, 'scarcely had he spoken, when …'. geminae … columbae: doves are the birds of Venus, Aeneas' mother. vēnēre volantēs: 'came flying'; volantēs is the present participle of volō, 'fly'. sēdēre: perfect, 'they settled'.

Aen. 6.192Tum maximus hērōs
māternās agnōscit avēs, laetusque precātur:
Este ducēs, Ō, sī qua via est, cursumque per aurās
195dīrigite in lūcōs, ubi pinguem dīves opācat
rāmus humum.

Then the great hero recognises his mother's birds, and joyfully prays: 'Be my guides, if there is any way, and steer your course through the air into the groves where the rich bough shades the fertile ground.

Note. maternās agnōscit avēs: 'he recognises his mother's birds'. Este ducēs: present imperative plural of sum. sī qua via est: qua is the indefinite (qui#2), 'if there is any way'. dīrigite: 'steer'. pinguem: 'rich', 'fertile'.

Aen. 6.196Tūque, Ō, dubiīs nē dēfice rēbus,
dīva parēns.

And you, goddess mother, do not fail me in my uncertainty.'

Note. Tūque, ō, dubiīs nē dēfice rēbus: nē with the imperative. dīva parēns: Venus.

Aen. 6.197Sīc effātus vestīgia pressit,
observāns quae signa ferant, quō tendere pergant.

Having spoken so, he checked his steps, watching what signs they give, where they go on to make for.

Note. vestīgia pressit: 'he checked his steps', stopped walking. observāns quae signa ferant, quō tendere pergant: indirect questions; quae here is the interrogative adjective (qui#2).

Aen. 6.199Pāscentēs illae tantum prōdīre volandō,
200quantum aciē possent oculī servāre sequentum.

Feeding, they flew on only as far as the eyes of those following could keep them in sight.

Note. Pāscentēs illae tantum prōdīre volandō: a historic infinitive (prōdīre), used in narrative for the main verb. volandō: gerund in the ablative, 'by flying'. tantum … quantum: 'only so far … as'. sequentum = sequentium, genitive plural of the present participle: 'of those following'.

Aen. 6.201Inde ubi vēnēre ad faucēs grave olentis Avernī,
tollunt sē celerēs, liquidumque per āera lāpsae
sēdibus optātīs geminae super arbore sīdunt,
discolor unde aurī per rāmōs aura refulsit.

Then when they came to the jaws of foul-smelling Avernus, they rise swiftly, and gliding through the clear air settle, the pair of them, in their chosen place on the tree, from which the different gleam of gold shone out through the branches.

Note. grave olentis Avernī: grave is an adverbial accusative, 'smelling heavily'. The lake of Avernus gave off sulphurous fumes. The name was explained as Greek aornos, 'birdless', because birds could not fly over it (see 117). liquidumque per āera: āera is a Greek accusative. geminae: 'the pair'. discolor … aurī per rāmōs aura refulsit: 'the gleam of gold, of another colour (from the green leaves), shone out through the branches'; note the wordplay aurī … aura.

Aen. 6.205Quāle solet silvīs brūmālī frīgore viscum
fronde virēre novā, quod nōn sua sēminat arbos,
et croceō fētū teretīs circumdare truncōs,
tālis erat speciēs aurī frondentis opācā
īlice, sīc lēnī crepitābat brattea ventō.

As in the woods in midwinter cold the mistletoe, which its own tree does not seed, is green with fresh leaves and wraps the smooth trunks with yellow fruit, such was the look of the gold putting out leaves on the shady holm-oak, so the gold foil rustled in the gentle wind.

Note. Quāle solet … viscum: the simile of mistletoe, which grows on a tree not its own (quod nōn sua sēminat arbos): like the bough, it is green in winter, golden in its berries, and has a mysterious, sacred character. arbos: an old form of arbor. Tālis erat speciēs aurī frondentis: 'such was the look of the gold putting out leaves'. bratteā: 'gold foil', 'leaf'. crepitābat: the bough 'crackled' in the wind, the metal leaves rustling.

Aen. 6.210Corripit Aenēās extemplō avidusque refringit
cūnctantem, et vātis portat sub tēcta Sibyllae.

Aeneas seizes it at once and eagerly breaks it off, though it lingers, and carries it to the home of the prophetess Sibyl.

Note. Corripit … avidusque refringit / cunctantem: a famous problem: the Sibyl said the bough would come easily (79), but here it 'lingers'. Some explain that it is only slow compared with Aeneas' eagerness; others see a sign of Aeneas' human limits. vātis … Sibyllae: from vātēs, 'prophetess' (not vās).