Aeneid 6.494–534

Aen. 6.494Atque hīc Priamidēn laniātum corpore tōtō
495Dēiphobum videt et lacerum crūdēliter ōra,
ōra manūsque ambās, populātaque tempora raptīs
auribus, et truncās inhonestō volnere nārēs.

And here he sees Deiphobus, son of Priam, mangled all over his body and his face cruelly torn, his face and both his hands, his temples ravaged with the ears cut off, and his nostrils lopped by a shameful wound.

Note. Priamidēn: Greek accusative, 'the son of Priam'. Dēiphobum: Priam's son, who married Helen after Paris died. laniātum corpore tōtō: 'mangled all over his body'. lacerum … ōra: accusative of respect, 'torn as to his face'. The repetition ōra ōra is pathetic. populāta … tempora raptīs auribus: 'his temples ravaged, the ears torn off', with raptīs auribus an ablative absolute. truncās … nārēs: 'his nostrils lopped'. inhonestō volnere: 'a disfiguring wound'. Mutilation of a corpse was a mark of shame.

Aen. 6.498Vix adeō adgnōvit pavitantem et dīra tegentem
supplicia, et nōtīs compellat vōcibus ultrō:
500Dēiphobe armipotēns, genus altō ā sanguine Teucrī
quis tam crūdēlēs optāvit sūmere poenās?

He barely recognized him as he cowered and tried to hide his dreadful punishments, and he spoke to him first in familiar words: 'Deiphobus, mighty in arms, of the high blood of Teucer, who chose to exact such cruel punishment?

Note. pavitantem: 'cowering'. dīra tegentem supplicia: 'trying to hide his dreadful punishments'. nōtīs … vōcibus: 'in familiar words'. armipotēns: 'mighty in arms'. genus: in apposition, 'offspring'. Teucrī: Teucer, ancestor of the Trojan kings. optāvit: 'chose'.

Aen. 6.502Cui tantum dē tē licuit?

Who was allowed so much power over you?

Note. Cui tantum dē tē licuit: 'who was allowed so much against you?'; dē tē, 'in your case'.

Aen. 6.502Mihi fāma suprēmā
nocte tulit fessum vāstā tē caede Pelasgum
prōcubuisse super cōnfūsae strāgis acervum.

Rumour told me that on that last night, worn out by vast slaughter of the Pelasgians, you fell on a heap of tangled carnage.

Note. Mihi fāma … tulit: 'rumour brought me news'. suprēmā nocte: 'on the last night' of Troy. Pelasgum = Pelasgōrum, the Greeks. prōcubuisse: indirect statement. super … acervum: 'on the heap'. cōnfūsae strāgis: 'of mingled slaughter'.

Aen. 6.505Tunc egomet tumulum Rhoetēō lītore inānem
cōnstituī, et magnā Mānēs ter vōce vocāvī.

Then I myself raised an empty tomb on the Rhoetean shore and called your spirit three times with a loud voice.

Note. egomet: an emphatic form of ego. tumulum … inānem: a cenotaph, an empty tomb. Rhoetēō lītore: the shore near Cape Rhoeteum, near Troy. Mānēs … vocāvī: calling the dead person's spirit three times was part of the funeral rite. magnā … vōce: 'with a loud voice'.

Aen. 6.507Nōmen et arma locum servant;

Your name and arms keep the place;

Note. Nōmen et arma locum servant: 'your name and arms keep the place': the tomb bore his name and his arms were placed on it.

Aen. 6.507tē, amīce, nequīvī
cōnspicere, et patriā dēcēdēns pōnere terrā.

you, my friend, I could not see and lay in your native earth as I left.'

Note. nequīvī: 'I could not', from nequeō. cōnspicere: 'find'. patriā … terrā: 'in your native land'. dēcēdēns: 'as I left'.

Aen. 6.509Ad quae Priamidēs: Nihil Ō tibi amīce relictum;

To this the son of Priam: 'Nothing, my friend, has been left undone by you;

Note. Ad quae Priamidēs: supply ait. Nihil … relictum: supply est, 'nothing has been left undone'. Ō tibi amīce: tibi is dative of agent with the perfect participle.

Aen. 6.510omnia Dēiphobō solvistī et fūneris umbrīs.

you have paid all that is due to Deiphobus and to the shade of a dead man.

Note. omnia … solvistī: 'you have paid all that is due', the funeral rites. Dēiphobō: dative. fūneris umbrīs: 'to the shade of the dead man', fūnus standing for the corpse.

Aen. 6.511Sed mē fāta mea et scelus exitiāle Lacaenae
hīs mersēre malīs;

But my own fate and the deadly crime of the Spartan woman plunged me into these evils;

Note. fāta mea: 'my own fate'. scelus exitiāle Lacaenae: 'the deadly crime of the Spartan woman', Helen. mersēre = mersērunt.

Aen. 6.512illa haec monumenta relīquit.

she left me these reminders.

Note. illa: Helen. haec monumenta: 'these reminders', his wounds; a grim use of monumentum, which usually means a memorial.

Aen. 6.513Namque ut suprēmam falsa inter gaudia noctem
ēgerimus, nōstī;

For you know how we spent that last night amid false joys;

Note. ut … ēgerimus: indirect question, 'how we spent', with a perfect subjunctive. The i is short: ē-ge-ri-mus. falsa inter gaudia: the Trojans celebrated the Greeks' departure that night (2.248–249). nōstī = nōvistī, 'you know'.

Aen. 6.514et nimium meminisse necesse est.

and we must remember it all too well.

Note. nimium meminisse necesse est: 'we must remember it all too well'.

Aen. 6.515Cum fātālis equus saltū super ardua vēnit
Pergama, et armātum peditem gravis attulit alvō,
illa, chorum simulāns, euantēs orgia circum
dūcēbat Phrygiās;

When the fated horse came leaping over high Pergamum and brought armed infantry in its pregnant belly, she, pretending a dance, was leading the Phrygian women round, crying out in the rites of Bacchus;

Note. Cum: 'when', with indicative vēnit of a definite time. fātālis equus: the wooden horse. saltū: 'with a leap'. ardua … Pergama: the citadel of Troy. gravis: 'pregnant', the image of the horse as a pregnant animal. alvō: 'belly', feminine. illa: Helen. chorum simulāns: 'pretending a dance'. euantēs orgia: 'crying out in the Bacchic rites'; euhāns takes an accusative of the rites. Phrygiās: supply Trōadas, 'the Trojan women'. This account of Helen differs from Book 2, where Aeneas sees her hiding at the altar of Vesta (2.567–574); the passage there is of doubtful authenticity.

Aen. 6.518flammam media ipsa tenēbat
ingentem, et summā Danaōs ex arce vocābat.

she herself, in their midst, was holding a huge torch and calling the Danaans from the top of the citadel.

Note. flammam … ingentem: she signals to the Greek fleet with a torch. In Book 2 the signal fire is raised by the royal ship (2.256); Deiphobus gives the role to Helen. media ipsa: 'herself in their midst'.

Aen. 6.520Tum mē, cōnfectum cūrīs somnōque gravātum,
īnfēlīx habuit thalamus, pressitque iacentem
dulcis et alta quiēs placidaeque simillima mortī.

Then my ill-starred bedroom held me, worn out with cares and heavy with sleep, and as I lay there a sweet deep rest pressed on me, very like peaceful death.

Note. cōnfectum cūrīs: 'worn out with cares'. īnfēlīx … thalamus: 'my ill-starred bedroom', the marriage to Helen. pressit … iacentem: 'pressed on me as I lay'. placidae … simillima mortī: sleep as the image of death, an idea Vergil's readers knew from Homer, where Sleep and Death are brothers.

Aen. 6.523Ēgregia intereā coniūnx arma omnia tēctīs
āmovet, et fīdum capitī subdūxerat ēnsem;

Meanwhile my excellent wife removes all the weapons from the house, and had taken my trusty sword from under my head;

Note. Ēgregia … coniūnx: 'my excellent wife', said with bitter sarcasm. subdūxerat: pluperfect, 'had already taken from under my head'. The shift from present āmovet to pluperfect shows how quickly the betrayal happened.

Aen. 6.525intrā tēcta vocat Menelāum, et līmina pandit,
scīlicet id magnum spērāns fore mūnus amantī,
et fāmam exstinguī veterum sīc posse malōrum.

she calls Menelaus into the house and opens the doors, hoping, no doubt, that this would be a great gift to her lover, and that so the report of her old misdeeds could be wiped out.

Note. intrā tēcta: 'inside the house'. Menelāum: her first husband. scīlicet: 'no doubt', ironic. id … fore: indirect statement after spērāns, 'that this would be'. amantī: Menelaus. fāmam … veterum … malōrum: 'the report of her old misdeeds', her running away with Paris. exstinguī … posse: also after spērāns.

Aen. 6.528Quid moror?

Why do I linger?

Note. Quid moror: 'why do I linger?', i.e. why tell it at length.

Aen. 6.528Inrumpunt thalamō;

They burst into the bedroom;

Note. Inrumpunt thalamō: 'they burst into the bedroom'; thalamō is dative of direction.

Aen. 6.528comes additur ūnā
hortātor scelerum Aeolidēs.

with them as companion goes the inciter of crimes, the son of Aeolus.

Note. comes additur ūnā: 'with them goes as a companion'. hortātor scelerum: 'inciter of crimes'. Aeolidēs: Ulysses, called 'son of Aeolus' as an insult: his enemies said his real father was Sisyphus, the trickster son of Aeolus, and not Laertes.

Aen. 6.529Dī, tālia Grāīs
530īnstaurāte, piō sī poenās ōre reposcō!

Gods, repay the Greeks with such things, if I ask for vengeance with righteous lips.

Note. Dī: vocative. tālia Grāīs īnstaurāte: 'pay back such things to the Greeks'. piō … ōre: 'with righteous lips'. sī … reposcō: 'if I ask for vengeance' in return.

Aen. 6.531Sed tē quī vīvum cāsūs, age, fāre vicissim,
attulerint.

But come, tell me in turn what chance has brought you here alive.

Note. Sed age: 'but come'. quī … cāsūs … attulerint: an indirect question, 'what chances have brought'. vīvum: 'alive', emphatic. vicissim: 'in turn'.

Aen. 6.532Pelagīne venīs errōribus āctus,
an monitū dīvom?

Do you come driven by wanderings at sea, or at the bidding of the gods?

Note. Pelagīne venīs: 'do you come by sea', with the -ne question particle. errōribus āctus: 'driven by wanderings'. monitū dīvom: 'by the warning of the gods'.

Aen. 6.533An quae tē Fortūna fatīgat,
ut trīstēs sine sōle domōs, loca turbida, adīrēs?

Or what fortune harasses you, that you should come to these sad sunless homes, this place of confusion?'

Note. An quae tē Fortūna fatīgat: 'or what fortune harasses you?' ut … adīrēs: result clause. sine sōle domōs: 'sunless homes'. loca turbida: 'places of confusion', in apposition.