Aeneid 6.637–678

Aen. 6.637Hīs dēmum exāctīs, perfectō mūnere dīvae,
dēvēnēre locōs laetōs et amoena virēcta
fortūnātōrum nemorum sēdēsque beātās.

This done at last, and the duty to the goddess fulfilled, they came to the joyful places, the pleasant green lawns of the Fortunate Groves, and the homes of the blessed.

Note. Hīs dēmum exāctīs: ablative absolute, 'these things done at last'; perfectō mūnere is a second one. dīvae: Proserpina. dēvēnēre = dēvēnērunt. The line slows with spondees as they reach Elysium: lŏcōs laetōs et amoena virēcta. fortūnātōrum nemorum: the 'Fortunate Groves', the Elysian fields, where the blessed live.

Aen. 6.640Largior hīc campōs aethēr et lūmine vestit
purpureō, sōlemque suum, sua sīdera nōrunt.

Here a more generous air clothes the fields with a bright light, and they know their own sun and their own stars.

Note. Largior: comparative, 'more generous, fuller'. aethēr: the bright upper air. lūmine … purpureō: 'with a gleaming light'; purpureus in Latin poetry often means 'bright', not just purple. suum … sua: emphatic, 'a sun of their own, stars of their own'. nōrunt = nōvērunt, perfect of nōscō with present meaning, 'they know'.

Aen. 6.642Pars in grāmineīs exercent membra palaestrīs,
contendunt lūdō et fulvā luctantur harēnā;

Some exercise their limbs on grassy wrestling-grounds, compete in sport and wrestle on the yellow sand;

Note. Pars … pars (16): 'some … others'; the collective noun takes a plural verb, a construction by sense. The blessed continue the pleasures they loved on earth: athletics, wrestling, dance and song.

Aen. 6.644pars pedibus plaudunt chorēās et carmina dīcunt.

some beat out the rhythm of a dance with their feet and sing songs.

Note. pedibus plaudunt chorēās: 'they strike out the dances with their feet', i.e. beat out the rhythm. carmina dīcunt: 'sing songs'; dīcō is often 'sing' in poetry.

Aen. 6.645Nec nōn Thrēïcius longā cum veste sacerdōs
obloquitur numerīs septem discrīmina vōcum,
iamque eadem digitīs, iam pectine pulsat eburnō.

And the Thracian priest too, in his long robe, answers the measures with the seven distinct notes, striking them now with his fingers, now with an ivory plectrum.

Note. Thrēïcius … sacerdōs: Orpheus, the Thracian singer, in the long robe of a musician. obloquitur numerīs: 'answers the rhythms', accompanying the dancers. septem discrīmina vōcum: 'the seven distinct notes', the seven strings of the lyre, struck either with the fingers or with a plectrum (pecten). Thrēïcius has a diaeresis: Thrē-ĭ-cĭ-us.

Aen. 6.648Hīc genus antīquum Teucrī, pulcherrima prōlēs,
magnanimī hērōēs, nātī meliōribus annīs,
650Īlusque Assaracusque et Troiae Dardanus auctor.

Here is the ancient race of Teucer, a most beautiful line, great-hearted heroes born in better years, Ilus and Assaracus and Dardanus, founder of Troy.

Note. genus antīquum Teucrī: the old Trojan royal house. Ilus, Assaracus and Dardanus are ancestors of Aeneas; Dardanus, son of Jupiter, came from Italy, so Aeneas' voyage is a homecoming. nātī meliōribus annīs: 'born in better years', the heroic age. Both -que's are elided: Īlūsqu(e) Assaracūsqu(e) et Troiae Dardanus auctor.

Aen. 6.651Arma procul currūsque virum mīrātur inānēs.

He marvels at the arms and empty chariots of the heroes in the distance.

Note. virum = virōrum, the old genitive plural, common in verse. inānēs: 'empty', i.e. without drivers; it agrees with currūs. mīrātur: deponent, the subject is Aeneas.

Aen. 6.652Stant terrā dēfīxae hastae, passimque solūtī
per campum pāscuntur equī.

Their spears stand fixed in the ground, and here and there their unyoked horses graze across the plain.

Note. terrā: ablative of place. passim: 'here and there'. solūtī: 'unharnessed'. A picture of peace: the weapons are planted in the ground and the war-horses graze.

Aen. 6.653Quae grātia currum
armōrumque fuit vīvīs, quae cūra nitentīs
655pāscere equōs, eadem sequitur tellūre repostōs.

The delight they took in chariots and arms while alive, the care they took in feeding sleek horses, follows them the same now they are laid beneath the earth.

Note. Quae grātia … eadem sequitur: 'the same delight … follows them'; quae … quae are relatives whose antecedent comes later, in eadem. currum = curruum, a contracted genitive plural. vīvīs: dative, 'when they were alive'. nitentīs = nitentēs. repostōs = repositōs, syncopated: 'laid to rest'. The idea is old: the dead keep the tastes they had in life.

Aen. 6.656Cōnspicit, ecce, aliōs dextrā laevāque per herbam
vēscentīs, laetumque chorō paeāna canentīs
inter odōrātum laurī nemus, unde supernē
plūrimus Ēridanī per silvam volvitur amnis.

See, he notices others to the right and left, feasting on the grass and singing a joyful paean in chorus, within a fragrant grove of laurel, from which the full river Eridanus rolls up through the wood to the world above.

Note. vēscentīs … canentīs: accusative plurals in -īs, agreeing with aliōs. paeāna: a Greek accusative, 'a paean', a hymn to Apollo. laurī: the laurel is Apollo's tree. unde supernē … volvitur: the Eridanus (the Po) was believed to rise in part from the underworld; from Elysium it flows 'up' to the world above.

Aen. 6.660Hīc manus ob patriam pugnandō volnera passī,
quīque sacerdōtēs castī, dum vīta manēbat,
quīque piī vātēs et Phoebō digna locūtī,
inventās aut quī vītam excoluēre per artēs,
quīque suī memorēs aliōs fēcēre merendō,
665omnibus hīs niveā cinguntur tempora vittā.

Here is the band of those who suffered wounds fighting for their country; those who were pure priests while life remained; those who were faithful poets and spoke things worthy of Phoebus; those who enriched life by the arts they discovered; and those who by their service made others remember them: all of these have their brows bound with a snow-white headband.

Note. A long catalogue of the blessed, built on repeated relatives: manus … passī (sense construction, the plural participle with the collective manus), quīque … quīque … quī … quīque. pugnandō: gerund, ablative, 'in fighting'. volnera = vulnera, the older spelling. dum vīta manēbat: 'while life lasted'. Phoebō digna: 'things worthy of Phoebus', god of poetry. inventās … per artēs: 'through the arts they discovered'. excoluēre = excoluērunt. suī memorēs … merendō: 'made others mindful of them by deserving well'. omnibus hīs … tempora: dative of reference, 'for all these their brows are bound'. The white headband (vitta) marks priests and the sacred.

Aen. 6.666Quōs circumfūsōs sīc est adfāta Sibylla,
Mūsaeum ante omnēs, medium nam plūrima turba
hunc habet, atque umerīs exstantem suspicit altīs:
Dīcite, fēlīcēs animae, tūque, optime vātēs,
670quae regiō Anchīsēn, quis habet locus?

As they streamed around, the Sibyl addressed them, and Musaeus before all, for he stands in the middle of the great crowd, which looks up at him as he towers with his tall shoulders: 'Tell us, happy souls, and you, best of poets, what region, what place holds Anchises?

Note. Quōs circumfūsōs: connecting relative, 'and as they poured around'. Sybilla: so the text prints; the usual spelling is Sibylla. Mūsaeum: a legendary singer, often paired with Orpheus. hunc habet: 'holds him' in its midst. umerīs exstantem … altīs: 'standing out with his tall shoulders'. quae regiō … quis … locus: two questions; quis here is the interrogative adjective with locus. Anchīsēn: Greek accusative.

Aen. 6.670Illīus ergō
vēnimus, et magnōs Erebī trānsnāvimus amnēs.

It is for his sake that we have come, and have crossed the great rivers of Erebus.'

Note. Illīus ergō: 'for his sake'; ergō with a preceding genitive is an old prepositional use, 'on account of'. Erebī: Erebus, the darkness of the underworld. trānsnāvimus: 'swam across', i.e. crossed (in Charon's boat).

Aen. 6.672Atque huic respōnsum paucīs ita reddidit hērōs:
Nūllī certa domus;

And the hero answered her briefly in these words: 'None of us has a fixed home.

Note. huic: the Sibyl. paucīs: supply verbīs, 'in a few words'. hērōs: Musaeus. Nūllī certa domus: supply est, a dative of possession: 'no one has a fixed home'. The blessed roam freely.

Aen. 6.673lūcīs habitāmus opācīs,
rīpārumque torōs et prāta recentia rīvīs
675incolimus.

We live in the shady groves, we dwell on the cushioned river-banks and in meadows fresh with streams.

Note. lūcīs … opācīs: ablative of place without in. rīpārum … torōs: 'the couches of the banks', the soft grassy banks they lie on. recentia rīvīs: 'fresh with streams', ablative of cause.

Aen. 6.675Sed vōs, sī fert ita corde voluntās,
hoc superāte iugum;

But you, if your heart's wish leads you so, climb this ridge,

Note. sī fert ita corde voluntās: 'if the wish in your heart leads you so'. superāte iugum: 'climb over this ridge'.

Aen. 6.676et facilī iam trāmite sistam.

and I will set you on an easy path at once.'

Note. sistam: future, 'I shall set you'; the object vōs is understood from line 28. facilī … trāmite: 'on an easy path'.

Aen. 6.677Dīxit, et ante tulit gressum, campōsque nitentīs
dēsuper ostentat;

He spoke, and walked on ahead, and from above showed them the shining plains;

Note. ante tulit gressum: 'he carried his step ahead', i.e. walked in front. dēsuper ostentat: he shows them the plains from the ridge above.

Aen. 6.678dehinc summa cacūmina linquunt.

then they leave the high summits.

Note. dehinc: one syllable here by synizesis (deinc). summa cacūmina: 'the highest peaks'. The scene shifts from Musaeus to Anchises.