Aeneid 6.477–493

Aen. 6.477Inde datum mōlītur iter.

From there he labours along the given road.

Note. datum … iter: 'the appointed way'. mōlītur: 'labours along', a sense of effort.

Aen. 6.477Iamque arva tenēbant
ultima, quae bellō clārī sēcrēta frequentant.

And now they were reaching the farthest fields, which those famous in war frequent apart.

Note. arva … ultima: 'the farthest fields' of this first region. bellō clārī: 'those famous in war'. sēcrēta: 'apart'.

Aen. 6.479Hīc illī occurrit Tȳdeus, hīc inclutus armīs
480Parthenopaeus et Adrāstī pallentis imāgō;

Here Tydeus meets him, here Parthenopaeus, famous in arms, and the pale shade of Adrastus;

Note. Tȳdeus, Parthenopaeus, Adrāstus: three of the Seven against Thebes. Adrastus, king of Argos, led them and alone survived. pallentis: 'pale', as ghosts are. Adrāstī: the A is short, but makes a long syllable by position before dr. Hīc illī occurrit: 'here meets him'; illī is dative.

Aen. 6.481hīc multum flētī ad superōs bellōque cadūcī
Dardanidae, quōs ille omnēs longō ōrdine cernēns
ingemuit, Glaucumque Medontaque Thersilochumque,
trīs Antēnoridās, Cererīque sacrum Polyphoetēn,
485Īdaeumque, etiam currūs, etiam arma tenentem.

here the Dardanians, much wept for in the upper world and fallen in war; seeing them all in a long line, he groaned: Glaucus, Medon and Thersilochus, the three sons of Antenor, Polyphoetes, priest of Ceres, and Idaeus still holding his chariot, still holding his arms.

Note. multum flētī: 'much wept for'. Dardanidae: the Trojans. longō ōrdine: 'in a long line'. Glaucum … Medonta … Thersilochum: three names from Iliad 17.216, where Homer lists Trojan allies. Antēnoridās: the sons of Antenor, a Trojan elder. Cererī sacrum: 'consecrated to Ceres', a priest. Īdaeum: Priam's herald and charioteer. etiam currūs etiam arma tenentem: the dead keep the pursuits they had in life.

Aen. 6.486circumstant animae dextrā laevāque frequentēs;

The souls stand round him in crowds on the right and the left;

Note. dextrā laevāque: 'on the right and on the left'; supply parte. frequentēs: 'in crowds'.

Aen. 6.487nec vīdisse semel satis est;

nor is it enough to have seen him once;

Note. semel: 'once'. nec … satis est: 'nor is it enough'.

Aen. 6.487iuvat usque morārī,
et cōnferre gradum, et veniendī discere causās.

they delight in lingering on and keeping pace with him and learning why he has come.

Note. iuvat: impersonal, 'it pleases them'. ūsque: 'on and on'. cōnferre gradum: 'to keep pace with him'. veniendī … causās: 'the reasons for coming', genitive of the gerund.

Aen. 6.489At Danaum procerēs Agamemnoniaeque phalangēs
490ut vīdēre virum fulgentiaque arma per umbrās,
ingentī trepidāre metū;

But the Danaan chiefs and Agamemnon's battle lines, when they saw the man and his arms flashing through the shadows, trembled with great fear;

Note. Danaum = Danaōrum, the Greeks. Agamemnoniae … phalangēs: 'the ranks of Agamemnon'. ut vīdēre: 'when they saw'; vīdēre = vīdērunt. trepidāre: historical infinitive, used for vivid narrative in place of a finite verb.

Aen. 6.491pars vertere terga,
ceu quondam petiēre ratēs;

some turned their backs, as once they ran to the ships;

Note. pars … pars: 'some … others'. vertere: historical infinitive. ceu quondam petiēre ratēs: 'as once they made for the ships', when Hector drove them back in Iliad 15.

Aen. 6.492pars tollere vōcem
exiguam, inceptus clāmor frūstrātur hiantēs.

some raise a feeble cry: the shout they begin mocks their gaping mouths.

Note. tollere: historical infinitive. vōcem exiguam: 'a thin cry', the voice of a ghost. inceptus clāmor frūstrātur hiantēs: 'the cry begun mocks their gaping mouths': they open their mouths to shout and only a squeak comes out, as in Homer's ghosts who squeak like bats (Odyssey 24.5–9).