Aeneid 6.236–263

Aen. 6.236Hīs āctīs, properē exsequitur praecepta Sibyllae.

This done, he quickly carries out the Sibyl's instructions.

Note. Hīs āctīs: ablative absolute.

Aen. 6.237Spēlunca alta fuit vāstōque immānis hiātū,
scrūpea, tūta lacū nigrō nemorumque tenebrīs,
quam super haud ūllae poterant impūne volantēs
240tendere iter pennīs— tālis sēsē hālitus ātrīs
faucibus effundēns supera ad convexa ferēbat:
quattuor hīc prīmum nigrantīs terga iuvencōs
cōnstituit, frontīque invergit vīna sacerdōs;

There was a deep cave, huge with a vast gaping mouth, rocky, protected by a black lake and the darkness of the woods, over which no birds could safely make their way on their wings, such a breath poured from its black jaws and rose to the vault of the sky: here the priestess first places four black-backed bullocks and pours wine on their foreheads;

Note. Spēlunca alta fuit: the cave by Lake Avernus. vastōque immānis hiātū: 'huge with its vast gaping mouth'. scrūpea: 'rocky'. tūta lacū nigrō: 'protected by the black lake'. quam super: the preposition placed after its object (anastrophe). haud ūllae poterant impūne volantēs / tendere iter pennīs: the 'birdless' lake (Greek a-ornos). tālis sēsē hālitus ātrīs / faucibus effundēns: present participle. quattuor … nigrantīs terga iuvencōs: 'four bullocks black in their backs', another Greek accusative of the part. frontī invergit vīna: she pours wine on their foreheads, the first step in a sacrifice.

Aen. 6.245et summās carpēns media inter cornua saetās
ignibus impōnit sacrīs, lībāmina prīma,
vōce vocāns Hecatēn, Caelōque Erebōque potentem.

and plucking the topmost bristles between the horns she lays them on the sacred fires as first offerings, calling with her voice on Hecate, powerful in heaven and in Erebus.

Note. summās carpēns media inter cornua saetās: she plucks the hair from between the horns and throws it on the fire as the first offering (lībāmina). Hecatēn: Greek accusative. Caelōque Ereboque potentem: Hecate has power both in the sky and in Erebus, the underworld.

Aen. 6.248Suppōnunt aliī cultrōs, tepidumque cruōrem
suscipiunt paterīs.

Others put knives to the throats and catch the warm blood in bowls.

Note. suppōnunt alii cultrōs: 'others apply knives' to the throats. tepidum … cruōrem: they catch the blood in bowls (paterīs).

Aen. 6.249Ipse ātrī velleris agnam
250Aenēās mātrī Eumenidum magnaeque sorōrī
ēnse ferit, sterilemque tibi.

Aeneas himself strikes with his sword a lamb with a black fleece for the mother of the Furies and her great sister, and for you,

Note. Ipse ātrī velleris agnam / … ēnse ferit: the black lamb for the 'mother of the Eumenides', i.e. Night, and her great sister, Earth. The Eumenides ('the Kindly Ones') is a euphemism for the Furies.

Aen. 6.251Prōserpina, vaccam.

Proserpina, a barren cow.

Note. Prōserpina: the sentence that started with tibi continues: for Proserpina a barren cow (sterilem vaccam), a fitting offering to the queen of the dead, who has no children by Dis.

Aen. 6.252Tum Stygiō rēgī nocturnās inchoat ārās,
et solida impōnit taurōrum viscera flammīs,
pingue superque oleum īnfundēns ārdentibus extīs.

Then he begins night altars to the Stygian king, and lays whole carcasses of bulls on the flames, pouring rich oil over the burning entrails.

Note. Stygiō rēgī: Pluto. nocturnās incohat ārās: the sacrifices to the gods below were held at night. sōlida … taurōrum viscera: the whole carcasses are burned, nothing kept for the worshippers to eat, as was the rule for chthonic offerings. pingue … oleum īnfundēns ardentibus extīs: present participles.

Aen. 6.255Ecce autem, prīmī sub lūmina sōlis et ortūs,
sub pedibus mūgīre solum, et iuga coepta movērī
silvārum, vīsaeque canēs ululāre per umbram,
adventante dea.

But look, at the first light and rising of the sun, the ground begins to bellow under their feet, and the wooded ridges to move, and dogs seemed to howl through the gloom as the goddess approached.

Note. Ecce autem prīmī sub lūmina sōlis et ortūs: at dawn the goddess Hecate comes. sub pedibus mūgīre solum (solum, 'ground', not sōlum, 'only') et iuga coepta movērī: the earth bellows and the wooded ridges begin to move, with the passive coepta used with a passive infinitive. vīsaeque canēs ululāre: dogs, Hecate's animals, howl at her approach. adventante deā: ablative absolute with a present participle.

Aen. 6.258Procul Ō procul este, profānī,
conclāmat vātēs, tōtōque absistite lūcō;

'Away, away, you uninitiated,' cries the prophetess, 'and keep out of the whole grove;

Note. Procul, ō procul este, profānī: the ritual formula that drives away the uninitiated (profānī, those 'outside the shrine') before the mysteries. absistite: 'keep out'.

Aen. 6.260tūque invāde viam, vāgīnāque ēripe ferrum:
nunc animīs opus, Aenēā, nunc pectore firmō.

and you, set out on the road and snatch your sword from its sheath: now you need courage, Aeneas, now a steady heart.'

Note. Tūque invāde viam: Aeneas, alone of the Trojans, goes with her. vāgīnāque ēripe ferrum: he is to draw his sword, which he will try to use in 290-294. animīs … pectore firmō: supply opus est.

Aen. 6.262Tantum effāta, furēns antrō sē immīsit apertō;

So much she said, and plunged in frenzy into the open cave;

Note. Tantum effāta: 'having said so much'. furēns: present participle. antrō sē immīsit apertō: she throws herself into the open cave.

Aen. 6.263ille ducem haud timidīs vādentem passibus aequat.

he keeps pace with his guide as she goes, with no timid steps.

Note. ille ducem haud timidīs vādentem passibus aequat: 'he matches his guide as she goes with no timid steps'; vādentem is a present participle. The litotes haud timidīs stresses his courage.