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Vergil · Aeneid IX

Aeneid 9.107–122

The ships become sea-nymphs

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Aen. 9.107Ergō aderat prōmissa diēs et tempora Parcae
dēbita complērant, cum Turnī iniūria Mātrem
admonuit ratibus sacrīs dēpellere taedās.
So the promised day had come, and the Fates had filled out the appointed time, when the outrage of Turnus warned the Mother to drive the torches from the sacred ships.
Aen. 9.110Hīc prīmum nova lūx oculīs offulsit et ingēns
vīsus ab Aurōrā caelum trānscurrere nimbus
Īdaeīque chorī;
Here first a strange light flashed before their eyes, and a huge cloud was seen to race across the sky from the east, and the Idaean choirs;
Aen. 9.112tum vōx horrenda per aurās
excīdit et Trōum Rutulōrumque agmina complet:
Nē trepidāte meās, Teucrī, dēfendere nāvīs
115nēve armāte manūs: maria ante exūrere Turnō
quam sacrās dabitur pīnus.
then a dreadful voice fell through the air and filled the ranks of the Trojans and Rutulians: 'Do not be in haste, Teucrians, to defend my ships, nor arm your hands: Turnus will be allowed to burn up the seas sooner than these sacred pines.
Aen. 9.116Vōs īte solūtae,
īte deae pelagī: genetrīx iubet.
Go free, go, goddesses of the sea: the Mother commands.'
Aen. 9.117Et sua quaeque
continuō puppēs abrumpunt vincula rīpīs
delphīnumque modō dēmersīs aequora rōstrīs
120īma petunt.
And at once each ship breaks its cables from the banks, and, like dolphins, dipping their beaks, they seek the depths of the sea.

Aen. 9.120Hinc virgineae (mīrābile mōnstrum)
quot prius aerātae steterant ad lītora prōrae
reddunt sē totidem faciēs pontōque feruntur.
From there (a wondrous portent) as many maidens' forms return as bronze-clad prows had stood before along the shore, and they are borne over the sea.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×1, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (90 words)
ergō (adv.)therefore, then; quid ergō? what then?
adsum, adesse, adfuībe present, be at hand
prōmittō, -mittere, -mīsī, -missussend or put forth, promise
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
dēbeō, -ēre, -uī, -itusowe; with infin., ought
compleō, -plēre, -plēvī, -plētusfill full, fill up
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
iniūria, -ae, f.injury, wrong, hurt, harm
māter, mātris, f.mother
admoneō, -ēre, -uī, -itusremind, warn, advise
ratis, -is f.raft
sacer, sacra, sacrumsacred, holy
dēpellō, -pellere, -pulī, -pulsusdrive off or away, drive
taeda, -ae f.pine torch; (often) the wedding torch, marriage
hīc, adv.here; hereupon
prīmum, adv.first, in the first place
novus, -a, -umnew; novissimus, last
lūx, lūcis, f.light
oculus, -ī, m.eye
offulgeō, -ēre, -fulsīshine upon, appear brightly before
ingēns, -gentis, adj.huge, vast
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
aurōra, -ae f.dawn
caelum, -ī, n.heaven, sky
trānscurrō, -currere, -currī, -cursumrun across; run by, pass quickly
nimbus, -ī m.rain-cloud, storm-cloud
Īdaeus, -a, -umof Mount Ida (near Troy)
que, enclitic conj.and
chorus, -ī m.dance in a ring; band of dancers
tum, adv.then, at that time
vōx, vōcis, f.voice; word
horrendus, -a, -umdreadful, terrible
per, prep, with ace.through, by means of
aura, -ae, f.air, breeze
excīdō, -cīdere, -cīdī, -cīsuscut out, cut down, hew through
agmen, -minis, n.band, column
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
trepidō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusbe in a panic, hurry about in alarm
meus, -a, -ummy, mine
dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsusward off; defend
nāvis, -is, f.ship
nēve or neu, conj.and that not, and not, nor
armō, -āre, -āvi, -ātusarm, equip
manus, -ūs, f.hand
mare, maris, n.sea
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
exūrō, -ere, -ussī, -ustumburn down
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
dō, dare, dedī, datusgive
pīnus, -ūs or -ī f.pine tree; (poetic) a ship
vōsplur. of tū
eō, īre, iī, itusgo
solvō, solvere, solvī, solūtusloosen, unbind, release; pay; with or without nāvem, cast off, set sail, put to sea
dea, -ae f.goddess
pelagus, -ī n.the sea, the open sea
genetrīx, -īcis f.mother
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
quisque, quaeque, quidque, indef. pron.each
continuō (adv.)at once, immediately
puppis, -is f.stern of a ship
abrumpō, -ere, -rūpī, -ruptusbreak off, cut short
vinculum, -ī, n.bond, chain
rīpa, -ae, f.bank
delphīn, -īnis m. (acc. -īna)dolphin
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
dēmergō, -ere, -mersī, -mersussink, plunge down
aequor, -oris n.level surface; the sea
rōstrum, -ī, n.beak
īmus, -a, -umlowest (ab īmō: from the bottom)
petō, -ere, -īvī or -iī, -ītusseek, ask; attack
hinc, adv.from this place, hence
virgineus, -a, -umof a maiden, virgin
mīrābilis, -ewonderful, marvellous
mōnstrum, -ī, n.wonder, monster
quot (indecl.)how many
prius, adv.before, first
aerātus, -a, -umcovered or fitted with bronze
stō, stāre, stetī, statusstand
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
lītus, lītoris, n.shore
prōra, -ae, f.prow, bow
reddō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive back, return, restore; render
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
totidem (indecl.)just as many
faciēs, -ēī f.face; appearance
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
Vergil, Aeneid IX. Latin text: J. B. Greenough, The Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics of Virgil (Boston, 1881), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.