Aeneid 6.703–723

Aen. 6.703Intereā videt Aenēās in valle reductā
sēclūsum nemus et virgulta sonantia silvīs,
705Lēthaeumque, domōs placidās quī praenatat, amnem.

Meanwhile Aeneas sees, in a secluded valley, a grove set apart, with thickets rustling in the woods, and the river Lethe that floats past the peaceful homes.

Note. valle reductā: 'in a secluded valley'. virgulta sonantia silvīs: 'thickets rustling in the woods'. Lēthaeumque … quī praenatat amnem: the relative clause is placed between adjective and noun; read Lēthaeumque amnem, quī domōs placidās praenatat, 'the river Lethe, which flows past the peaceful homes'. Lethe (Greek 'forgetfulness') is the river whose water erases memory.

Aen. 6.706Hunc circum innumerae gentēs populīque volābant;

Around it flitted countless races and peoples;

Note. Hunc circum: the preposition follows its object (anastrophe). volābant: from volō, 'fly', here 'flit', as souls in the underworld are often compared to birds or insects.

Aen. 6.707ac— velut in prātīs ubi apēs aestāte serēnā
flōribus īnsīdunt variīs, et candida circum
līlia funduntur— strepit omnis murmure campus.

and as in meadows on a clear summer day, when bees settle on flowers of every kind and stream around the white lilies, the whole field hums with their murmur.

Note. A simile from Homer and from Vergil's own Georgics (book 4, on bees): the souls are like bees in a summer meadow. ubi … īnsīdunt … funduntur: 'when they settle … pour around'. strepit omnis murmure campus: the hum of the bees fills the line with s and m sounds. Bees were thought to have a share of the divine mind, which prepares for Anchises' teaching.

Aen. 6.710Horrēscit vīsū subitō, causāsque requīrit
īnscius Aenēās, quae sint ea flūmina porrō,
quīve virī tantō complērint agmine rīpās.

Aeneas shudders at the sudden sight and, not understanding, asks the reason: what is that river further on, and who are the men who have filled the banks in such a crowd?

Note. Horrēscit: inceptive verb, 'begins to shudder'. vīsū subitō: ablative of cause. īnscius: 'not knowing'. quae sint … quīve … complērint: indirect questions with the subjunctive. quīve: 'or who'; -ve means 'or'. complērint = complēverint. porrō: 'further on'.

Aen. 6.713Tum pater Anchīsēs: Animae, quibus altera fātō
corpora dēbentur, Lēthaeī ad flūminis undam
715sēcūrōs laticēs et longa oblīvia pōtant.

Then father Anchises said: 'They are souls to whom second bodies are owed by fate; at the water of the river Lethe they drink the draughts that free from care, and long forgetfulness.

Note. Animae quibus … dēbentur: 'souls to whom second bodies are owed by fate'; the main verb is pōtant. This is the doctrine of reincarnation, which Vergil takes from Pythagorean and Platonic tradition (compare the Myth of Er at the end of Plato's Republic). sēcūrōs laticēs: 'waters that free from care', a transferred epithet. oblīvia: plural for singular, 'forgetfulness'.

Aen. 6.717iamprīdem hanc prōlem cupiō ēnumerāre meōrum,
quō magis Ītaliā mēcum laetēre repertā.

For a long time now I have wanted to count out for you this line of my descendants, so that you may rejoice with me the more at having found Italy.'

Note. iamprīdem … cupiō: present with iamprīdem, 'I have long been wanting'. hanc prōlem … meōrum: 'this offspring of my line'. quō magis … laetēre: a purpose clause introduced by quō because it contains a comparative; laetēre = laetēris, present subjunctive of the deponent laetor. Ītaliā … repertā: ablative with laetor, 'at Italy found', i.e. at having found Italy. The source omits line 716 (hās equidem memorāre tibi atque ostendere cōram), which explains hanc prōlem.

Aen. 6.719Ō pater, anne aliquās ad caelum hinc īre putandum est
720sublīmīs animās, iterumque ad tarda revertī
corpora?

'O father, must we then think that some souls go up from here to the sky above, and return again to sluggish bodies?

Note. Ō pater: Aeneas' question. anne: introduces an incredulous question, 'can it be that…?' putandum est: impersonal gerundive, 'must one think'. aliquās … sublīmīs animās: accusative and infinitive, 'that some souls go up on high'. sublīmīs = sublīmēs, 'aloft'. tarda … corpora: bodies are 'sluggish' compared with the soul.

Aen. 6.721Quae lūcis miserīs tam dīra cupīdō?

What is this dreadful longing the poor creatures have for the light?'

Note. Supply est: 'what is this dreadful longing for the light (of life) in the poor souls?' miserīs: dative of possession. dīra cupīdō: a striking judgement by the hero who has seen so much suffering above.

Aen. 6.722Dīcam equidem, nec tē suspēnsum, nāte, tenēbō
suscipit Anchīsēs, atque ōrdine singula pandit.

'I will tell you, my son, and not keep you in suspense,' Anchises replies, and he unfolds each thing in order.

Note. Dīcam equidem: 'I shall tell you indeed'. nec … suspēnsum … tenēbō: 'nor will I keep you in suspense'. suscipit: 'takes up (the conversation)', i.e. replies. ōrdine singula pandit: 'he unfolds each point in order', a formal introduction to a philosophical speech.