Aen. 6.535Hāc vice sermōnum roseïs Aurōra quadrīgīs
iam medium aetheriō cursū trāiēcerat axem;During this exchange of words Aurora, with her rosy four-horse team, had already crossed the middle of the sky in her heavenly course;Note. Hāc vice sermōnum: 'during this exchange of words'. roseīs: the diaeresis marks three syllables. Aurōra … trāiēcerat axem: the Dawn had passed the midpoint of the sky: it is past noon in the upper world. This suggests Aeneas has a single day for his journey. Aen. 6.537et fors omne datum traherent per tālia tempus;and perhaps they would have spent all the time granted them in such talk,Note. fors: 'perhaps'. traherent: imperfect subjunctive in a contrary-to-fact condition, with the 'if' implied: they would have spent the time, had the Sibyl not warned them. Aen. 6.538sed comes admonuit, breviterque adfāta Sibylla est:
Nox ruit, Aenēā;but the Sibyl, his companion, warned him and spoke briefly: 'Night is rushing on, Aeneas;Note. Sibylla: the prophetess of Apollo at Cumae, Aeneas' guide. Nox ruit: 'night is rushing on'. Aenēā: Greek vocative, scanned long; the line requires it (nōx ruit | Aenē|ā nōs | flendō …). Aen. 6.539nōs flendō dūcimus hōrās.we are passing the hours in weeping.Note. nōs flendō dūcimus hōrās: 'we are spending the hours in weeping'; flendō is an ablative of the gerund. Aen. 6.540Hic locus est, partēs ubi sē via findit in ambās:
dextera quae Dītis magnī sub moenia tendit,
hāc iter Ēlysium nōbīs;This is the place where the road divides in two: the right-hand way, which runs below the walls of great Dis, is our road to Elysium;Note. Hic locus est: 'this is the place'. partēs … in ambās: 'into two parts'. via findit sē: 'the road divides'. dextera: 'the right-hand way', which leads past the walls of Dis to Elysium. Here right is the good way and left the bad, as in Plato's myth of Er (Republic 614c). hāc: 'this way'. Ēlysium: accusative of motion towards. Aen. 6.542at laeva malōrum
exercet poenās, et ad impia Tartara mittit.but the left works the punishments of the wicked and sends them to unholy Tartarus.'Note. laeva: supply via. exercet poenās: 'carries out the punishments', a bold personification of the road. impia Tartara: 'unholy Tartarus', neuter plural. Aen. 6.544Dēiphobus contrā: Nē saevī, magna sacerdōs;Deiphobus answered: 'Do not be angry, great priestess;Note. Dēiphobus contrā: supply ait. Nē saevī: 'do not be angry'; nē with the imperative is poetic. Aen. 6.545discēdam, explēbō numerum, reddarque tenebrīs.I will go away, I will make up the number and return to the darkness.Note. explēbō numerum: 'I will make up the number', i.e. return to the crowd of shades. reddar tenebrīs: 'I will be given back to the darkness'.
Aen. 6.546Ī decus, ī, nostrum;Go, our glory, go;Note. Ī decus, ī nostrum: 'go, our glory, go'. A farewell blessing to Aeneas, the hope of the Trojans. Aen. 6.546meliōribus ūtere fātīs!enjoy a better fate.'Note. meliōribus ūtere fātīs: 'enjoy a better fate'; ūtor takes the ablative. Aen. 6.547Tantum effātus, et in verbō vestīgia torsit.Only this he said, and at the word he turned his steps away.Note. Tantum effātus: 'having said only this'. in verbō: 'at the word', i.e. as he spoke.