Aeneid 6.548–575

Aen. 6.548Respicit Aenēās subitō, et sub rūpe sinistrā
moenia lāta videt, triplicī circumdata mūrō,
550quae rapidus flammīs ambit torrentibus amnis,
Tartareus Phlegethōn, torquetque sonantia saxa.

Aeneas suddenly looks back and sees, under a cliff on the left, broad walls surrounded by a triple rampart, which a swift river of torrential flame encircles, Tartarean Phlegethon, and it rolls along roaring rocks.

Note. Respicit: Aeneas looks back to the left. sub rūpe sinistrā: 'under a cliff on the left'. moenia lāta … triplicī circumdata mūrō: 'broad walls surrounded by a triple wall'. Tartarus is described as a great prison-fortress. Phlegethōn: the river of fire, from Greek phlegethō, 'blaze'. sonantia saxa: rocks that roar as the river rolls them.

Aen. 6.552Porta adversa ingēns, solidōque adamante columnae,
vīs ut nūlla virum, nōn ipsī exscindere bellō
caelicolae valeant;

In front is a huge gate, with columns of solid adamant, so that no strength of men, not even the heaven-dwellers themselves, could cut them down in war;

Note. Porta adversa ingēns: 'a huge gate in front', supply est. solidō adamante: 'of solid adamant', the hardest metal of legend. vīs ut nūlla virum: 'so that no force of men'; virum = virōrum. exscindere: 'to cut down'. caelicolae: 'the heaven-dwellers', the gods.

Aen. 6.554stat ferrea turris ad aurās,
555Tīsiphonēque sedēns, pallā succīncta cruentā,
vestibulum exsomnis servat noctēsque diēsque.

an iron tower stands high in the air, and Tisiphone, sitting girt in a bloody robe, guards the entrance sleepless night and day.

Note. ferrea turris: 'an iron tower'. ad aurās: 'into the air', i.e. high. Tīsiphonē: one of the three Furies, whose name means 'avenger of murder'. pallā succīncta cruentā: 'girt in a bloody robe'. noctēsque diēsque: 'night and day', accusatives of duration.

Aen. 6.557Hinc exaudīrī gemitus, et saeva sonāre
verbera;

From here groans could be heard, and the sound of savage lashes,

Note. exaudīrī … sonāre: historical infinitives. verbera: 'lashes'. The sounds come before any sight: Aeneas never enters Tartarus.

Aen. 6.558tum strīdor ferrī, trāctaeque catēnae.

then the grating of iron and the clank of dragged chains.

Note. strīdor: 'grating'. trāctae … catēnae: 'of dragged chains'.

Aen. 6.559Cōnstitit Aenēās, strepitumque exterritus hausit.

Aeneas stopped and, terrified, took in the din.

Note. Cōnstitit … exterritus: 'stopped, terrified'. strepitum … hausit: 'drank in the din'.

Aen. 6.560Quae scelerum faciēs, Ō virgō, effāre;

'What forms of crime are these, maiden? Tell me.

Note. Quae scelerum faciēs: 'what forms of crime?'. effāre: imperative of the deponent effor, 'tell'.

Aen. 6.560quibusve
urguentur poenīs?

Or with what punishments are they pressed?

Note. quibusve … poenīs: 'or with what punishments'. urguentur: archaic form of urgentur, 'they are pressed'.

Aen. 6.561Quis tantus plangor ad aurās?

What is this great wailing rising to the air?'

Note. Quis tantus plangor: 'what is this great wailing?'; quis is an interrogative adjective here. plangor: properly 'beating of the breast'.

Aen. 6.562Tum vātēs sīc ōrsa loquī: Dux inclute Teucrum,
nūllī fās castō scelerātum īnsistere līmen;

Then the prophetess began to speak thus: 'Famous leader of the Trojans, no pure soul may set foot on that wicked threshold;

Note. orsa: from ōrdior, 'began'. Teucrum = Teucrōrum. nūllī fās castō: 'no pure person may', with nūllī dative. scelerātum … līmen: 'the threshold of the wicked'.

Aen. 6.564sed mē cum lūcīs Hecatē praefēcit Avernīs,
565ipsa deum poenās docuit, perque omnia dūxit.

but when Hecate put me in charge of the groves of Avernus, she herself taught me the punishments of the gods and led me through them all.

Note. lūcīs … Avernīs: 'the groves of Avernus', the lake near Cumae thought to be an entrance to the underworld. praefēcit: 'put me in charge of'. Hecatē: goddess of the crossroads and of the dead. deum poenās: 'the punishments of the gods', i.e. those inflicted by them. per … omnia dūxit: 'led me through them all'.

Aen. 6.566Gnōsius haec Rhadamanthus habet, dūrissima regna,
castīgatque auditque dolōs, subigitque fatērī,
quae quis apud superōs, fūrtō laetātus inānī,
distulit in sēram commissa piācula mortem.

Cretan Rhadamanthus holds these harsh realms; he punishes and hears their deceits, and forces each to confess the crimes committed in the world above, which, glad in his pointless secrecy, he put off atoning for until the late hour of death.

Note. Gnōsius … Rhadamanthus: 'Cretan Rhadamanthus', brother of Minos, a judge of the dead. castīgat auditque: 'punishes and hears', the order reversed for emphasis: punishment comes first. subigit … fatērī: 'forces them to confess'. quae quis … commissa piācula: 'the crimes each man committed', piācula meaning crimes that call for atonement. fūrtō … inānī: 'in pointless secrecy'. distulit in sēram … mortem: 'put off until death came late'.

Aen. 6.570Continuō sontēs ultrīx accīncta flagellō
Tīsiphonē quatit īnsultāns, torvōsque sinistrā
intentāns anguēs vocat agmina saeva sorōrum.

At once avenging Tisiphone, armed with her whip, lashes the guilty, leaping on them, and holding out grim snakes in her left hand she calls the savage band of her sisters.

Note. Continuō: 'at once'. sontēs: 'the guilty'. ultrīx: 'avenging'. accīncta flagellō: 'armed with a whip'. īnsultāns: 'leaping on them'. torvōs … anguēs: 'grim snakes'. agmina saeva sorōrum: 'the savage band of her sisters', the other Furies.

Aen. 6.573Tum dēmum horrisonō strīdentēs cardine sacrae
panduntur portae.

Then at last, grating on their dread-sounding hinges, the accursed gates are thrown open.

Note. horrisonō … cardine: 'on dread-sounding hinges', the singular for the plural. sacrae: 'accursed', a meaning sacer can have: dedicated to the gods below.

Aen. 6.574Cernis custōdia quālis
575vestibulō sedeat, faciēs quae līmina servet?

Do you see what kind of guard sits in the entrance, what shape keeps watch over the threshold?

Note. Cernis: 'do you see'. custōdia quālis: 'what kind of guard'. sedeat … servet: subjunctives in indirect questions.