Virgil CSCP AeneidII13!67!195-26798 L2Aeneid2SSB

7/30/2019 Virgil CSCP AeneidII13!67!195-26798 L2Aeneid2SSB

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WJEC

Level 2 Certicate in Latin Literature

Unit 9542

Latin Literature: Narratives

Section B

Virgil,Aeneid 2, lines 13-62and 195-267

Student Study Book (with notes)


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2 WJEC Level 2 Latin Literature Unit 9542 Aeneid 2

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WJEC Level 2 Latin Literature Unit 9542 Aeneid 2 3

Introduction

The notes and questions in this study guide are composed particularly for students who have only a limited

amount of time with a teacher. Follow your teachers guidance over which notes to use and which questions

to answer. The more time you have with your teacher, the more questions can be ignored.

The text has been split into several sections, usually about ve lines long. The notes on each section nearly always

begin by taking you through three steps:

read the section (aloud if possible) or listen to the recording;1.study the vocabulary for the section;2.

read the section (or listen to the recording) again.3.

You do not have to stick rigidly to these steps. You may nd you make better progress by repeating a particular step,

or missing one out; you may want to vary your approach from one section to the next. Experiment with different

approaches to nd the one that suits you; the aim is to prepare yourself as fully as you can for the detailed questions

that follow. You will usually nd it best to nish work on each section by checking that you can translate it, as

recommended in the notes.

Some questions are comprehension questions; others ask you to analyse the grammar of a particular word or

phrase. Your teacher will tell you whether or not to use these questions. If you have access to the online version of

the text, you can click to check that your analysis is correct. Aim to develop your ability to do the analysis yourself

(e.g., in an exam!) by getting into the habit of asking yourself, before clicking, What case is this noun? or What

tense is this verb? etc. The exam will notcontain grammar questions, but they are included here to help youtowards an accurate translation, and a fuller understanding of the text. The Cambridge Latin Grammarcan help you

to investigate the grammar in more detail.

Some questions, such as Why do you think character so-and-so did such-and-such an action? or Do these lines

seem serious or light-hearted?, have more than one possible answer. When you answer such questions, study

the text carefully and come to your own conclusion. An examiner will always give credit for any sensible answer,

particularly when you support your answer by quoting from the Latin text.

Virgil Sections 1-11 (Aeneid II.13-62)

At the point where your text begins, Aeneas, a prince of Troy, is telling Dido, Queen of Carthage, how the Greeks

were able to capture Troy and destroy it.


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13 frango, frangere, fregi, fractus - break

bellum, belli, n. - war

fatum, fati, n. - fate

repello, repellere, reppuli, repulsus - drive

back, repel

14 ductor, ductoris, m. - leader

Danai, Danaorum, m. - the Greeks

tot - so manyiam - now, already

labor, labi, lapsus sum - slip by

annus, anni, m. - year

15 instar - the size

mons, montis, m. - mountain

equus, equi, m. - horse

divinus, divina, divinum - divine

Pallas, Palladis, f. - Pallas Athene, a goddess

ars, artis, f. - skill, art

16 aedico, aedicare, aedicavi, aedicatus -

build, make, create

seco, secare, secui, sectus - cut down

-que - and

intexo, intexere, intexui, intextus - weave

abies, abietis, f. - silver r wood

costa, costae, f. - rib17 votum, voti, n. - offering

pro - for

reditus, reditus, m. - return

simulo, simulare, simulavi, simulatus -

pretend, feign

is, ea, id - that; he, she, it

fama, famae, f. - rumour, report

vagor, vagari, vagatus sum - spread around

Section 1

Lines 13-17The Greeks build a huge wooden monster

fracti bello fatisque repulsi

ductores Danaum tot iam labentibus annis

instar montis equum divina Palladis arteaedicant, sectaque intexunt abiete costas;

votum pro reditu simulant; ea fama vagatur.

15


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1. Read lines 13-17 (aloud if possible) or listen to the audio on the CSCP website.

2. Study the vocabulary for these lines.

3. Read this section (or listen to the audio) again.

4. Who are mentioned in the rst half of line 14? (Treat Danaum as if it were Danaorum. In early Latin, -um rather

than -orum was the normal ending for the genitive plural of 2nd declension nouns, and it was sometimes used

by later Latin writers like Virgil.) Find and translate the two perfect participles in line 13 which describe these

people.5. In line 13, what has caused the leaders of the Greeks to be (a) fracti (b) repulsi? Does either of the two

phrases fracti bello and fatis repulsi suggest it was inevitable that the Greeks could not capture Troy up to this

point?

6. Explain in your own words what Aeneas means when he says the Greek leaders are fracti bello. Physical

injury? Demoralisation? Casualties?

7. What is happening in line 14 while the Greeks and Trojans are ghting?

8. For those with access to reference books or websites: how long has the Trojan War been going on at this point,

according to the traditional story?

9. Why does Aeneas use apresentparticiple (labentibus) in line 14, rather than saying that at this point so many

years have slipped by?

10. Translate the rst word in line 16 that tells you what the Greek leaders do.

11. What do the Greeks build in line 15, and what does Virgil say about its size?

12. Although Aeneas is speaking of previous events, he uses a present tense (aedicant). This use of the present

tense to relate previous events is called the "historic present" and is commoner in Latin than in English. English

sometimes uses it, for example in excited speech ("I was standing outside when this man comes round the

corner, and as soon as he sees the policeman he starts running ..." etc.). A Latin historic present tense can be

translated in English by either a present or a past tense.

13. What case is arte (line 15)? Find an adjective describing it.

14. The goddess Pallas is Pallas Athene, also known as Minerva. She was goddess of wisdom, among other things,

and she disliked the Trojans and supported the Greeks. There are several possible reasons why Aeneas (or

Virgil) chooses to say that the Greeks built the horse divina Palladis arte:Pallas Athene was goddess of handicrafts as well as wisdom.

The man who had the idea, Ulysses ("Ulixes" in Virgil), was inspired by Athene.

In some versions of the story, Athene told Epeos (the builder) how to construct it or even helped in the

actual work.

15. What case is abiete (line 16)? Find a perfect passive participle describing it.

16. In your mind's eye, picture as exactly as you can the various activities described in line 16. What do you imagine

the costae of the horse looked like? Curved, like the ribs of a real horse? Straight, to form a framework of

internal oor and walls?

17. One of the words in line 16 is being used as a metaphor, comparing the task of building the horse to a very

different sort of work. What is the work? The two activities are different in obvious ways (different materials, for

instance), but in what way are they similar?

18. What "cover story" do the Greeks invent to explain the horse (line 17)? How does the story reach the Trojans?

19. Translate the section.


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20

Section 2

Lines 18-20The Greeks ll the wooden horse

huc delecta virum sortiti corpora furtim

includunt caeco lateri penitusque cavernas

ingentes uterumque armato milite complent.

18 huc - here

deligo, deligere, delegi, delectus - choose,

select

vir, viri, m. - man

sortior, sortiri, sortitus sum - draw lots, select

by lot, choose

corpus, corporis, n. - body

furtim - secretly

19 includo, includere, inclusi, inclusus - hide,

shut in, enclosecaecus, caeca, caecum - dark

latus, lateris, n. - ank

penitus - deep inside, deep within

-que - and

caverna, cavernae, f. - vault, cavern

20 ingens, gen. ingentis - huge

uterus, uteri, m. - belly

-que - and

armatus, armata, armatum - armed

miles, militis, m. - soldier

compleo, complere, complevi, completus - ll


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4. Find and translate a perfect active participle in line 18 which tells you what the Greeks do next.

5. Study the word endings ofdelecta virum corpora. (Treat virum as if it were virorum, just as you treated

Danaum as Danaorum in line 14.) What does the phrase mean literally?

(a) Bodies of chosen men

(b) Chosen bodies of men

(c) Men chosen for their bodies

6. After casting lots, what do the Greeks do (last word of line 18 and rst half of line 19) to the people who were

described as delecta virum corpora? Whose ank or side is referred to by lateri (line 19)?

7. The phrase delecta virum corpora might refer to the men's size and strength and be translated as a chosen

band of mighty warriors; or the mention ofbodies could suggest bulky individuals being squeezed into a small

space (a picked squad of sturdy fellows); the strictly literal translation chosen bodies of men is accurate but

sounds odd. In translating a phrase of this kind, you can choose either a strict literal translation or a version

in more natural English, provided that it makes clear the point which the Latin is making. You may prefer an

alternative of your own to any of the three versions given above.

8. The usual meaning ofcaecus is blind, but in line 19 it means dark. What is the connection between the twomeanings?

9. Find and translate a verb in line 20 which gives a further description of the Greeks' use of the horse.

10. Find and translate an accusative plural noun-and-adjective phrase in lines 19 and 20, and an accusative singular

noun in line 20, both describing the interior of the horse. Who are the people with whom the Greeks ll the

horse's interior? (Notice that Virgil uses a singular noun for these people, but it is more naturally translated as a

plural. This use of a singular noun instead of a plural sometimes turns up in English. "lend me a handwith this

piano" doesn't normally mean only one hand, and "a life on the ocean wave" doesn't mean there is only one

wave in the ocean.)

11. Which adverb in lines 19-20 shows how thoroughly the inside of the horse was lled with soldiers?

12. The word used in line 20 for the belly of the horse can also mean womb. Is it an appropriate word in this story,

and if so, why?13. The literal translation ofcavernas ... uterumque (lines 19-20) is the vaults and the belly; a more natural version

is the vaults ofthe belly, because the vaults aren't separate from the belly, they're part of it. The phrase is an

example of a way in which Latin can use two words linked with et or-que to convey a single idea. Another

example is vi et armis, meaning by force of arms (literally by force and by arms). Similarly, in English, "pass me

the bread and butter" isn't usually a request for two separate things, but it's what we say rather than "buttered

bread".

14. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) On reading this section, what is

your strongest impression of the horse's interior? Size? Depth? Darkness? Congestion? All of these? None of

these?


16. Listen to the recording of lines 13-20.


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Section 3

Lines 21-25The other Greeks sail away to Tenedos

est in conspectu Tenedos, notissima fama

insula, dives opum Priami dum regna manebant,

nunc tantum sinus et statio male da carinis.huc se provecti deserto in litore condunt;

nos abiisse rati et vento petiisse Mycenas. 25

21 sum, esse, fui - be

in - within, in

conspectus, conspectus, m. - sight, view

Tenedos, Tenedi, f. - Tenedos, an island off

the Trojan coast

notus, nota, notum - famous, well-known

fama, famae, f. - reputation

22 insula, insulae, f. - islanddives, gen. divitis - rich

opes, opum, f. - resources, wealth

Priamus, Priami, m. - Priam, king of Troy

dum - while, as long as

regnum, regni, n. - kingdom, realm

maneo, manere, mansi - stand, remain rm

23 nunc - now

tantum - only

sinus, sinus, m. - bay

et - and

statio, stationis, f. - anchorage

male - not

dus, da, dum - safe, reliable

carina, carinae, f. - ship, keel

24 huc - here, to this place

se - himself, herself, itself

provehor, provehi, provectus sum - sail

desertus, deserta, desertum - deserted,

lonely

in - onlitus, litoris, n. - shore

condo, condere, condidi, conditus - hide,

conceal

25 nos - we, us

abeo, abire, abii - leave, go away

reor, reri, ratus sum - think

et - and

ventus, venti, m. - wind

peto, petere, petii, petitus - make for, seek

Mycenae, Mycenarum, f. - Mycenae, Greek

city whose king was Agamemnon


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4. How near is Tenedos (i.e. to Troy), according to Aeneas (line 21)?

5. In Aeneas' description of Tenedos as notissima fama insula in lines 21-22, what is the case of each word?

(fama is the odd one out; click on Explore the passage on the CSCP website to check its parsing; for further

guidance see endings ofpuella in the Cambridge Latin Grammarpage 9.) Translate the phrase.

6. According to line 22, for how long was Tenedos rich in resources?

7. In line 20, the singularmilitewas used to refer to more than one soldier. In line 22, the switch between singular

and plural happens the other way round: the plural regna is used even though King Priam had only one

kingdom. In the same way, English sometimes uses the plural instead of the singular in phrases like "watcher of

the skies" and "silence of the seas". In translating regna here, you could either use the singularkingdom to give

natural English, or stick to the plural by saying realms.

8. Pick out and translate the two nominative singular nouns which describe Tenedos in line 23. What case is carinis?

What unfavourable comment does Aeneas make about Tenedos?

9. What is the usual meaning ofmale? Notice the way it is used here to cancel out da. Ifsobriusmeans sober,

what does male sobrius mean?

10. What do you think Aeneas means by nunc?

(a) The present time, when I'm speaking to you

(b) The point I've reached in my story, when the Greeks built the horse

Is the description of Tenedos true of both these two moments?

11. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) One scholar criticises the

description of Tenedos in lines 21-23 for being irrelevant to the main story and sounding like a guide-book;

another scholar calls the description vivid and nostalgic, and says that Aeneas is getting his listener (the Queen

of Carthage) to see the picture for herself. Which comment do you agree with?

12. What place does huc (line 24) refer to?

(a) Troy

(b) Tenedos(c) Carthage

13. What are the two actions of the Greeks in line 24?

14. What did the Trojans think (line 25)?

15. The meaning of the rst half of line 25 could be expressed as nos eos abiisse rati sumus, but Aeneas says

nos abiisse rati. Which version is more dramatic? (Try saying both versions aloud.) Which of these two

translations ofnos abiisse ratido you prefer?

(a) We thought that they had gone

(b) We thought, Gone!

(You may prefer the other translation when you go on to translate the whole line.)

16. One reason for naming Mycenae (instead of Greece) in line 25 is that the Greek commander-in-chief was theKing of Mycenae. Who was he?

17. What case is vento in line 25? What is the most suitable translation here?

(a) for the wind

(b) with the help of the wind

(c) from the wind

You may prefer a translation of your own, aiming to make the meaning as clear as possible.



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Section 4

Lines 26-30The Trojans reaction to the Greek departure

ergo omnis longo solvit se Teucria luctu;

panduntur portae, iuvat ire et Dorica castra

desertosque videre locos litusque relictum.hic Dolopum manus, hic saevus tendebat Achilles;

classibus hic locus, hic acie certare solebant. 30

26 ergo - therefore

omnis, omne - all

longus, longa, longum - lengthy, long

solvo, solvere, solvi, solutus - free


Teucria, Teucriae, f. - Troy

luctus, luctus, m. - sorrow, grief

27 pando, pandere, pandi, passus - throw open,open

porta, portae, f. - gate

iuvat - it is pleasing

eo, ire, ii - go

et - and

Doricus, Dorica, Doricum - Dorian (Greek)

castra, castrorum, n. - camp

28 desertus, deserta, desertum - deserted

-que - and

video, videre, vidi, visus - see

locus, loci, m. -place

litus, litoris, n. - shore

-que - and

relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictus -

abandon, leave behind

29 hic - here

Dolopes, Dolopum, m. - the Dolopes, a

warlike people in Thessaly

manus, manus, f. - band, contingent

hic - heresaevus, saeva, saevum - savage, cruel

tendo, tendere, tetendi, tentus - camp, pitch

a tent; stretch out, exert oneself

Achilles, Achilli, m. -Achilles

30 classis, classis, f. - eet

hic - here

locus, loci, m. -place

hic - here

acies, aciei, f. - battle

certo, certare, certavi, certatus - ght

soleo, solere, solitus sum - be accustomed


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4. Find and translate a nominative noun-and-adjective phrase in line 26, and nd an ablative noun-and-adjective

phrase intertwined with the nominatives.

5. What is Troy said to do? What does Aeneas mean by luctu? What length of time does he have in mind when he

says longo? (Hint: you should be able to answer this if you answered question 8 in Section 1.)

6. Would you describe line 26 as "slow-moving" or "quick-moving"? (Listening again to the audio on the website

may be helpful here, as well as reading the line aloud.) Does the rhythm of the line reect the line's meaning?

If so, what does it suggest? (One scholar compares the line to "a long deep sigh of relief"; another compares

the effect of the sound to "the lifting of a heavy weight"; another idea is that the rhythm of the line suggests

something gradually coming to life; but you may prefer an idea of your own to any of these suggestions.)

6.1 (Postscript to 6). If you are having difculty with the idea that a poet can vary the rhythm of his verse to suit the

thing he is talking about, the following extract from the poemAn Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope may

help. Pope is discussing examples of technical skill in poetry, and the lines of this extract are examples of the

very technique he is describing, as you can discover for yourself by reading the extract aloud.

When Ajax strives, some rock's vast weight to throw,

The line too labours, and the words move slow;

Not so, when swift Camilla scours the Plain,

Flies o'er th' unbending corn, and skims along the main. (lines 370-373)

7. How do the rst two words of line 27 show that the Trojans believe the war is over?

8. Is there anything about the letters ofpanduntur portae which attracts the attention of the reader or listener and

thus emphasises that this is an important moment in the story? (Hint: why does "look before you leap" stick in

the mind more than "look before you jump"?)

9. Find and translate the word in line 27 which indicates the Trojans' feelings.

(For examples of other verbs which behave in this way, see the Cambridge Latin Grammarpage 60, paragraph

1c.)

10. In lines 27 and 28, nd the two innitives which tell you what the Trojans were glad to do, and the three phrases

which tell you what they were glad to see. Then translate the two lines.

11. Which two words in line 28 explain why the changed landscape caused the Trojans so much joy?

12. In line 29, who are mentioned as having previously been encamped at the two places mentioned in line 28?

13. Why might the previous camping-ground of Achilles be a special place of interest to the Trojans? (The adjective

describing him in line 29 might suggest an answer, also anything you know about Achilles' deeds in the Trojan

War.)

14. What is the case and number ofclassibus (line 30)? Translate the rst three words of line 30 as if the word erat

were also there. Then translate lines 29 and 30.

15. What impression of the movements and mood of the Trojans is given by lines 29 and 30? (You could consider

the effect of any repeated words, the number of pauses and the smoothness or jerkiness of the rhythm, as well

as its speed or slowness. Reading aloud is helpful, as usual.) Do you nd it easy to picture the scene? Is it a still

picture or a video?



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Section 5

Lines 31-34Thymoetes suggestion about how to treat the horse

pars stupet innuptae donum exitiale Minervae

et molem mirantur equi; primusque Thymoetes

duci intra muros hortatur et arce locari,sive dolo seu iam Troiae sic fata ferebant.

31 pars, partis, f. - some; part

stupeo, stupere, stupui - be amazed, be

astonished

innuptus, innupta, innuptum - virgin,

unmarried

donum, doni, n. - gift, present

exitialis, exitiale - deadly, destructive

Minerva, Minervae, f. - Minerva, goddess,

daughter of Jupiter

32 et - and

moles, molis, f. - massive structure, massive

size

miror, mirari, miratus sum - admire, be

surprised


primus, prima, primum - rst

-que - and

Thymoetes, Thymoetae, m. - Thymoetes,

Trojan, brother of Priam

33 duco, ducere, duxi, ductus - lead, take

intra - inside, within

murus, muri, m. - wall

hortor, hortari, hortatus sum - recommend,

urge

et - and

arx, arcis, f. - citadel, stronghold

loco, locare, locavi, locatus -place

34 sive ... seu - whether ... or

dolus, doli, m. - treachery, plot

sive ... seu - whether ... or

iam - now

Troia, Troiae, f. - Troy

sic - thus, in this way, in that way

fatum, fati, n. - fate

fero, ferre, tuli, latus - tend, incline; bring,

carry


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4. In line 31, how does one section of the crowd react, and how does Aeneas describe the thing they are reacting

to? In the accusative-and-genitive phrase donum Minervae, the genitive can mean eitherto Minerva orfrom

Minerva (just as "John's Christmas present" can mean either a Christmas present from John or a Christmas

present to John); which translation makes better sense here, toMinerva orfromMinerva?

5. Although Aeneas calls the horse a donum Minervae, he and the other Trojans knew nothing about any link with

Minerva at this point of the story. All they had heard about the horse was a rumour. (If you've forgotten what the

rumour was, look back to line 17). It was only later that they were given the (false!) information that it was an

offering to Minerva.

6. This is a rather similar point to question 5. When Aeneas describes the gift as exitiale, is this what the Trojans

thought at the time, or is it something they learnt later from bitter experience?

7. What quality of the horse do the Trojans admire in line 32?

8. What does primusque Thymoetes ... hortatur(lines 32-33) mean?

(a) Thymoetes is the rst to urge

(b) Thymoetes rst urges ... (i.e. and then does something else)

(Hint: Does the ending ofprimus suggest that it is an adjective, or an adverb?)

9. In line 33, what does Thymoetes recommend should be done about the horse?

10. The word arx (citadel) occurs four times in this text, always at important moments. It's worth bearing in mind that

a city's citadel was usually the highest and most strongly fortied point, where the most important and sacred

buildings were located and a look-out could be kept. (The Capitol at Rome is an excellent example. You may

know some of its features or be able to nd them out from websites.) The horse might be located there as a

sign of respect, either for the horse itself or for a god or goddess to whom the horse could be dedicated as an

offering.

11. Line 34 puts two alternative reasons forward for Thymoetes proposing this; what is the rst one? There is a

legend that King Priam had put Thymoetes' wife and son to death, so Thymoetes would have had a motive for

behaving in this way.

12. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) What is the second reasonmentioned in line 34 for Thymoetes' proposal?

(Notice the unusual meaning offero (tend, incline), while sic could be translated as in this wayorin this

direction.) What does Aeneas mean by this remark? What connection does he see between Thymoetes'

proposal and the fated doom of Troy?

Does iam suggest that so far Troy's fate has been hanging in the balance, but now...?



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35 at - but, yet

Capys, Capyos, m. - Capys, companion of

Aeneas

et - and

qui, quae, quod - who, which

melior, melius - better

sententia, sententiae, f. - view, judgement,

opinionmens, mentis, f. - mind

36 aut ... aut - either ... or

pelagus, pelagi, n. - sea, the deep

Danai, Danaorum, - the Greeks

insidiae, insidiarum, f. - trap, ambush

suspectus, suspecta, suspectum - suspect

-que - and


37 praecipito, praecipitare, praecipitavi,

praecipitatus - throw

iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussus - order

subicio, subicere, subieci, subiectus -place

underneath

-que - and

uro, urere, ussi, ustus - burn

amma, ammae, f. - ame

38 aut ... aut - either ... or

terebro, terebrare, terebravi, terebratus - drill

cavus, cava, cavum - hollow


et - andtempto, temptare, temptavi, temptatus - test,

probe

latebra, latebrae, f. - hiding-place

39 scindo, scindere, scidi, scissus - split

incertus, incerta, incertum - uncertain

studium, studii, n. -party, faction, side

in - into

contrarius, contraria, contrarium - opposing,

contrary

vulgus, vulgi, n. -people, crowd

Section 6

Lines 35-39Capys and others disagree with Thymoetes

at Capys, et quorum melior sententia menti,

aut pelago Danaum insidias suspectaque dona

praecipitare iubent subiectisque urere ammis,aut terebrare cavas uteri et temptare latebras.

scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus.

35


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4. (i) Translate this simplied version of line 35:

Capys, et ei (those) qui meliorem sententiam in mente habent ...

(ii) Now see how line 35 is actually built up, starting with this sentence:

est menti melior sententia. There is to the mind a better opinion.

or, in more natural English:

The mind has a better opinion.

(iii) In line 35, sentence (ii) above becomes part of a relative clause:

ei quorum menti est melior sententia ...

Those whose minds have a better opinion ...

English uses the plural minds, because the sentence is about lots of people; Latin uses the singularmenti

because each individual has only one mind.

(iv) Finally, est is omitted, and quorum behaves as if it were ei quorum:

at Capys, et quorum melior sententia menti ...

But Capys, and those whose minds have a better opinion ...or: But Capys, and those who have a better opinion in their minds ...

You may prefer a translation of your own to either of the two above.

If you have difculty understanding how the sentence ts together, do nottry to memorise the translation. Memorise

the line in Latin. Memorising a Latin line always helps you to understand it, and it's not as difcult as you think.

5. Looking ahead to line 37, nd and translate the 3rd person plural verb which tells you what Capys and the

people with wiser heads on their shoulders do. The long gap between the nominative Capys in line 35 and the

verb in line 37 would not have caused the Romans difculty; they were as familiar with verbs coming late in the

sentence (centurio puellam laudavit) as we are with sentences in which the verb comes before the person

who has something done to him (The centurion praised the girl).

6. In lines 37-38 nd and translate the four innitives which tell you what Capys insists the Trojans should do.

Some of the orders are alternatives to others.

7. Looking back to line 36, nd and translate the two phrases, one an accusative noun-and-genitive and the other

an accusative noun-and-passive participle, used by Capys and his supporters to describe the horse. Of course

Capys is only guessingthat the horse is insidiae, but the reader or listener knows that his guess is spot on.

8. What are the rst two things which Capys and his supporters tell the Trojans to do? praecipitare links up with

the dative pelago; translate pelago as if Virgil had used the more usual in (meaning into) plus an accusative

(pelagus). The two actions are alternatives - the Trojans couldn't do both of them - but they are linked together

with -que because they are both methods of destroying the horse.

9. In line 38, the Capys supporters stop saying "Destroy the horse" and want it dealt with in another way. What

do they tell their fellow Trojans to do? When translating this line, you'll nd it easiest to tackle the words in the

following order:

(i) aut

(ii) the two innitives linked by et(iii) the accusative noun, together with the adjective which describes it

(iv) the genitive singular noun.

But Virgil is writing in Latin, not English. He doesn't have to obey the rules of English word order and can use Latin

word order to achieve the effect he wants. If you look at the line again, you'll see the two innitives are placed in different

halves of the line; they rhyme, and they have something else in common as well. (Look back to the beginning of line 27,

if you're puzzled about this last point.) You can also see an accusative adjective half-way through the line rhyming with

the accusative noun at the end. This sort of word-patterning clearly gave pleasure to Roman audiences (otherwise why

would poets have used it so often?) and can give pleasure to modern readers too, especially when read aloud.

10. If the Greeks inside the horse were able to hear the argument, what might their feelings have been as they

listened rst to Thymoetes then to Capys?

11. In line 39, nd the adjective describing vulgus and translate both words. What happens to the Trojan crowd as

they listen to the argument?

12. There is a long gap between incertum and the noun it refers to. Is there any similarity between this word order

and the situation it describes?

13. Translate the section and listen to the recording of lines 21-39.


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Section 7

Lines 40-44Laocoon arrives in haste, alarmed and angry

primus ibi ante omnes magna comitante caterva

Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce,

et procul o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives?creditis avectos hostes? aut ulla putatis

dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Ulixes?

40

40 primus, prima, primum - rst

ibi - then, there

ante - in front of, before

omnis, omne - every, all

magnus, magna, magnum - large

comitor, comitari, comitatus sum -

accompany

caterva, catervae, f. - crowd41 Laocoon, Laocoontis, m. - Laocoon, Trojan

priest of Apollo

ardeo, ardere, arsi - rage

summus, summa, summum - heights of, top

of

decurro, decurrere, decurri - run down, rush

down

ab - from


42 et - and

procul - from afar, from far away

o - oh

miser, misera, miserum - wretched,

miserable


tantus, tanta, tantum - so great

insania, insaniae, f. - insanity, madness

civis, civis, m. - citizen

43 credo, credere, credidi - believe

aveho, avehere, avexi - sail away, go awayhostis, hostis, m. - enemy

aut - or

ullus, ulla, ullum - any

puto, putare, putavi - think, suppose, consider

44 donum, doni, n. - gift, present

careo, carere, carui + abl. - be free from

dolus, doli, m. - trick, treachery, deceit

Danai, Danaorum - the Greeks

sic - thus, in this way

notus, nota, notum - known, famous, well-

known

Ulixes, Ulixis, m. - Ulysses, king of Ithaca


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3. Translate lines 40-41. You will need to work out the case ofmagna comitante caterva and then translate it, rst

literally, then into natural English; in line 41 you will need to nd an adjective describing arce. Decide whether

comes running down is better than runs down fordecurrit. (Both are acceptable for exam purposes.)

4. Can you suggest an English phrase to translate ardens in line 41, combining the ideas ofbe on re and be

angry? There are several possible translations.5. Whereas English says the top ofthe citadel, Latin doesn't use a genitive but uses an adjective summa to

describe arx. The same thing happens with other adjectives such as medius and primus; for example, ad

medium forum doesn't normally mean to the middle forum, and prima aestate can have another meaning as

well as in the rst summer. What do these two phrases mean?

6. There is no dixit, inquit orclamavit in line 42, but the punctuation (like a reciter's voice) makes it clear that a

speech is starting. Why does Laocoon begin shouting to the Trojans while he is still some distance away?

7. Find and translate the noun described by miseri. The noun-and-adjective phrase is interrupted in a way that is

impossible in English word order, but possible in Latin (though unusual) because the case endings show that the

words belong together.

8. Why does Laocoon call his fellow citizens miseri?

(a) Because they are sad(b) Because he is angry

What is the most suitable translation ofmiseri?

9. What word does Laocoon use to describe the Trojans' behaviour? Translate quae tanta insania? as if it were

quae (what ...?) est haec magna insania?

10. What is the person (1st, 2nd or 3rd), number (singular or plural) and tense (present, imperfect, etc.) ofcreditis

in line 43? Then translate it; there is no -ne at the end of the word, but notice the punctuation.

11. Laocoon asks his fellow citizens if they really believe something. What?

12. Still in line 43, nd and translate the verb in Laocoon's next question.

13. In lines 43-44, Laocoon's question (ulla putatis dona carere dolis Danaum?) contains an "indirect" statement,

in which he quotes what the Trojans might be saying or thinking about dona (offerings). The "direct" statementwould be:

dona Danaum dolo carent

Translate this, looking back to line 14 if necessary to nd out the case of Danaum, then work out the translation

of Laocoon's question.

14. What is the effect of the repeated initial letterd when lines 43-44 are read aloud? Soothing? Forceful? Dejected?

Joyful?

15. Laocoon's nal question (line 44) does not contain a verb. English sometimes does the same thing when

the situation makes the meaning clear. For example, the single word "Tickets?" can mean "Have you got the

tickets?" But in line 44, your translation ofsic notus Ulixes? will be clearer if you add a verb like "acts" or

"behaves".

16. When Laocoon asks the Trojans "Is this (sic is very emphatic) how the notorious Ulixes behaves?"(thesentence can also mean "Is this the sort of thing Ulixes is notorious for?"), what is he referring to by this?

(Hint: look back at Laocoon's previous two questions.) Laocoon does not knowthat Ulixes was responsible for

the wooden horse, still less that he was at that moment inside it, but in view of Ulixes' reputation, he was the

obvious suspect for any piece of trickery.

17. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) In lines 42-44, what impression

do you have of Laocoon's physical state (after shouting loudly while running) and his emotion? How does Virgil

convey this? What is the combined effect of the pauses, the run-over of one sentence from line 43 to line 44, the

repeated initial d, and Laocoon's use of questions? (Are they "real" questions, asked by Laocoon out of curiosity?)



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Section 8

Lines 45-49Laocoons urgent advice

aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi,

aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,

inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi,aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.

quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.

45

45 aut ... aut ... aut - either ... or ... or

hic, haec, hoc - this

includo, includere, inclusi, inclusus - hide,

shut in, enclose

lignum, ligni, n. - wooden object, wood

occulto, occultare, occultavi, occultatus -

conceal

Achivi, Achivorum, m. - the Greeks46 aut ... aut ... aut - either ... or ... or

hic, haec, hoc - this

in - against

noster, nostra, nostrum - our

fabrico, fabricare, fabricavi, fabricatus -

construct, build, devise

machina, machinae, f. - contraption

murus, muri, m. - wall

47 inspicio, inspicere, inspexi, inspectus - spy on

domus, domus, f. - house, home

venio, venire, veni - come, go

desuper - from above

urbs, urbis, f. - city

48 aut ... aut ... aut - either ... or ... or

aliquis, aliquid - some; someone, something

lateo, latere, latui - lurk, lie hidden

error, erroris, m. - deception


ne - notcredo, credere, credidi - trust, have faith in

Teucri, Teucrum, m. - the Trojans

49 quisquis, quidquid - whoever, whatever

is, ea, id - he, she, it

sum, esse, fui - be

timeo, timere, timui - fear, be afraid

Danai, Danaorum, m. - the Greeks

et - especially, even


fero, ferre, tuli, latus - bear, bring


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Section 9

Lines 50-53Laocoon attacks the wooden horse

sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam

in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum

contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recussoinsonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae.

50

50 sic - thus, in this way

for, fari, fatus sum - speak

validus, valida, validum - mighty, strong

ingens, gen. ingentis - huge

vires, virium, f. - strength, force

hasta, hastae, f. - spear

51 in - into

latus, lateris, n. - ank

in - into-que - and

ferus, feri, m. - beast

curvus, curva, curvum - curved, curving

compages, compagis, f. - framework

alvus, alvi, f. - belly

52 contorqueo, contorquere, contorsi, contortus

- hurl, ing

sto, stare, steti - stand

ille, illa, illud - he, she, it

tremo, tremere, tremui - vibrate


-que - and

recutio, recutere, recussi, recussus - strike,

make vibrate

53 insono, insonare, insonui - resound, make a

loud noisecavus, cava, cavum - hollow

gemitus, gemitus, m. - groan

-que - and

do, dare, dedi, datus - give

caverna, cavernae, f. - cavity, hollow, vault


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4. Translate the perfect active participle in line 50.

5. What case is hastam? Which adjective describes it? Translate the adjective-and-noun phrase.

6. In lines 50-52, nd and translate the verb which tells you what Laocoon did to the ingentem hastam.7. What does validis ... viribus (line 50) tell you about Laocoon and the weapon?

(a) Why he hurled it

(b) How he hurled it

(c) What he hurled it at

8. Find and translate the word in line 51 which refers to the horse. What case is it?

9. What part of the horse did Laocoon hit?

10. Which of these translations ofcurvam compagibus alvum is literally correct? (Analyse the cases.) Which gives

the clearest picture?

(a) the curving framework of its belly

(b) the belly and its curving framework(c) the belly, curved with its framework

(d) the belly, its curves and its framework

11. Can the two phrases in latus and in alvum both be correct?

12. Which is the most emphatic word in the long sentence starting in line 50? How does Virgil achieve this

emphasis? Hint: look at any pause caused by punctuation or line ending.

13. In line 52, how close to each other are the two verbs that refer to Laocoon's action and its result? What does illa

refer to?

14. Did the spear stick, or bounce? Translate the present participle describing the spear.

15. What is the spear's effect on the horse's belly? Translate utero recusso literally, then into natural English. What

does the phrase suggest about the force of the throw?

16. insonuere (line 53) means the same thing as insonuerunt, i.e. they resounded(see the Cambridge Latin

Grammarpage 29, paragraph 6). In the same way, what does dedere, later in the line, mean?

17. Find the nominative plural adjective and noun which tell you what the things were which resounded, and then

translate the complete line.

18. Read line 53 aloud. Do you notice anything about its sound? If so, does this have anything to do with the subject

matter of the line?


20. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) Why did Laocoon throw his

spear at the horse? To show his contempt for an object which some Trojans were regarding with respect? To

demonstrate that it was suspiciously hollow? Sheer temper? (There is no "right answer" to this.)


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Section 10

Lines 54-56Aeneas, the narrator, reects. If only ...

et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset,

impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras,

Troiaque nunc staret, Priamique arx alta maneres.

55

54 et - and

si - if

fatum, fati, n. - decree, will, destiny, fate

deus, dei, m. - god

si - if

mens, mentis, f. - intention, mind, will

non - not

laevus, laeva, laevum - unfavourable, harmful

sum, esse, fui - be

55 impello, impellere, impuli, impulsus - force

ferrum, ferri, n. - iron, sword, weapon

Argolicus, Argolica, Argolicum -Argive (Greek)

foedo, foedare, foedavi, foedatus -pierce;

discredit

latebra, latebrae, f. - hiding-place

56 Troia, Troiae, f. - Troy

-que - and

nunc - now

sto, stare, steti - stand

Priamus, Priami, m. - Priam, king of Troy

-que - and


altus, alta, altum - high

maneo, manere, mansi - remain


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4. (i) Translate this simplied version of line 54, noticing the tense offuisset and fuissemus.

si fortuna melior fuisset et nos non stulti fuissemus ...

(ii) Are fuisset and fuissemus indicative or subjunctive? Aeneas is not thinking of how things hadbeen but

how they wouldhave been, if the state of affairs in line 54 had been different.

(iii) Now translate the actual line 54. You may need to note these points.

deum is genitive plural = deorum, like Danaum in lines 14, 36 and 44.

mens can be translated as a plural our minds, because Aeneas is talking about more than one Trojan.

Latin prefers the singular; the reason is in note (iii) on question 4 in Section 6.

laeva originally meant lefti.e. on the left-hand side, which was regarded as the unlucky side. So it can

mean unfavourable oragainst us when it describes fata deum but misledorgoing the wrong waywhen it

describes the minds of the Trojans.

There is another possibility. mens could refer to the minds of the gods, not to the minds of the Trojans.

In that case, laeva describing mens could be translated in the same way as when it described fata

deum. For exam purposes, either version would be accepted.

The complications of line 54 may seem to threaten you with memory overload. But if you remember

your decision about the meaning ofmens (our minds orthe gods' minds?) and your choice of

translation forlaeva, you shouldn't go far wrong. Also keep the storyline in mind. It always helps. Line

54 is a point where the events in the story might so easily have taken a different turn.

5. impello (line 55) means I force, more literally I push someone into doing something. According to Aeneas in

line 55, what would Laocoon have pushed the Trojans into doing, if things had been different? foedare is a very

violent word; the Oxford Latin Dictionarydenes it as to wound savagely, mangle, hack, mutilate. You may prefer

an alternative of your own. Spoil with steelhas a repeated initial letter, like Virgil's ferro ... foedare, but is perhaps

not brutal enough, and repeated s gives a different effect from repeated f.

6. What is Aeneas referring to, in the phrase Argolicas latebras in line 55?

7. Virgil uses impulerat (he had forced us); the more usual Latin here would be the subjunctive impulisset (hewould have forced us), because Aeneas is talking about something which wouldhave happened in different

circumstances, but didn't. One reason for not using impulisset is that it wouldn't have tted the metre! but even

ifimpulisset had scanned, Virgil might still have preferred impulerat. Which of (a) and (b) refers more vividly to

Laocoon's possible success?

(a) If things had been different, he would have forced us ... (impulisset)

(b) If things had been different, he had forced us ... (impulerat)

The same thing very occasionally happens in English, usually in older writing. For example, the 1611 version of

the Bible contains the sentence:

If thou hadst been here, my brotherhad not died.

(Modern English: If you had been here, my brotherwould not have died.)

For exam purposes, eitherhe would have forcedorhe had forcedwould be accepted as a translation of

impulerat.

8. According to line 56, if the gods had been kinder and the Trojans' brains had been working properly, what would

Troy be doing now (i.e. at the time that Aeneas is telling his tale to Queen Dido)?

9. Translate the three words which describe the most important part of Troy. What state would it now be in,

according to Aeneas? Can you improve on remain as a translation ofmaneres? (Hint: look back at the rst part

of the line and ask yourself "What point is Aeneas making about both Troy and the citadel?")

10. What case is arx alta? (It looks like a nominative until the very last letter of the line: the line ends not with

maneret [3rd person singular, like staret] but with maneres.) Translate Priamique arx alta maneres. What

does this change of ending suggest about Aeneas' feelings and thoughts?


12. Listen to the audio of lines 40-56.


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57 ecce! - look! see!

manus, manus, f. - hand

iuvenis, iuvenis, m. - young man

interea - meanwhile

post - behind

tergum, tergi, n. - back

revincio, revincire, revinxi, revinctus - bindaround

58 pastor, pastoris, m. - shepherd

magnus, magna, magnum - great

ad - to

rex, regis, m. - king

clamor, clamoris, m. - uproar, shout

traho, trahere, traxi, tractus - drag

59 Dardanidae, Dardanidarum, m. - the Trojans



ignotus, ignota, ignotum - unknown,

unfamiliar

venio, venire, veni - approach, comeultro - of ones own accord, on ones own

initiative

60 hic, haec, hoc - this

ipse, ipsa, ipsum - very; himself, herself,

itself

ut - in order to, so that

struo, struere, struxi, structus - accomplish,

devise, contrive

Troia, Troiae, f. - Troy

-que - and

aperio, aperire, aperui, apertus - open up

Achivi, Achivorum, m. - the Greeks61 offero, offerre, obtuli, oblatus -present, offer

dens, gen. dentis - bold, courageous,

condent

animus, animi, m. - spirit, resolve

atque - and

in - for

uterque, utraque, utrumque - either, each (of

two)

paratus, parata, paratum - ready, prepared

62 seu ... seu - either ... or

verso, versare, versavi, versatus -

perpetrate; turn

dolus, doli, m. - trick, treachery, deceitseu ... seu - either ... or

certus, certa, certum - certain

occumbo, occumbere, occubui, occubitus -

meet with (death)

mors, mortis, f. - death

Section 11

Lines 57-62Trojan shepherds drag a Greek prisoner to the king

ecce, manus iuvenem interea post terga revinctum

pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant

Dardanidae, qui se ignotum venientibus ultro,hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiamque aperiret Achivis,

obtulerat, dens animi atque in utrumque paratus,

seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti.

60


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4. Translate the word in line 57 which shows that the story is suddenly taking a new twist, and pick out the word

which means while all this was going on.

5. Translate the following shortened versions of lines 57-58 and the start of 59.

(i) iuvenem ... pastores ... trahebant (easy, provided you get the case ofiuvenem right)

(ii) iuvenem ... pastores ... ad regem ... trahebantDardanidae (does Dardanidae describe iuvenem,

pastores orregem?)

(iii) iuvenem ... pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant Dardanidae (does magno describe regem

orclamore?)

6. Comprehension check:

(a) Who were dragging whom?

(b) To whom were they dragging him?

(c) What else does Aeneas mention about the way they were behaving?

7. In what state was the young man (line 57)?

8. Line 57 contains a point of grammar you may not have met before. The young man (iuvenem) is described by

a perfectpassive participle revinctum (having been tied) because he has had something done to him (he was

tied), but his hands (manus) are in the accusative case because because theyhad been tied as well. This use

of the accusative is described in grammar books as "accusative of respect"; the literal translation is a youngman, having been tied in respect of his hands ..., but a more natural English translation is a young man with his

hands tied ....

Perhaps it is worth emphasising a point made in connection with question 5 in Section 6. Of course when the

Romans read lines 57-59, they didn't have to take them to bits in the way you have just done. (And when they

listenedto the lines, they couldn't go backwards and forwards from one word to another, for obvious reasons.)

When they heard the accusative iuvenem, their minds would automatically be ready for further words about

somebody doing something to the young man. In the same way, you yourself can probably understand and

translate simple sentences like mercator amicum salutavit without having to hop from mercatorto salutavit

and backwards to amicum.

9. Why were the shepherds shouting, and why were they dragging the young man to the king rather than to

anyone else? Does this suggest anything about the young man (e.g. his nationality)? What announcement are

the shepherds likely to have been shouting?10. If possible, read line 58 aloud or listen to the audio recording on the website. Is it a smooth line or a bumpy one?

Is this appropriate or inappropriate? Why? Were the shepherds handling the prisoner roughly or gently? Was he

(apparently) making much or little resistance?

11. Check that you can translate this section as far as Dardanidae in line 59. You will nd it helpful to put a full stop

at this point and begin a new sentence by translating qui as he. (Otherwise, your translation may sound as if the

antecedent ofqui is the king, which it isn't. Who doesqui refer back to? Hint: apart from the king, only one other

individual has been mentioned in lines 57-59.)

12. Look ahead to line 61, and nd and translate the word which tells you that the young man had done something.

13. (Returning to line 59) Who had the young man offered?

(a) Himself

(b) The shepherds

14. Did the shepherds know him?

15. Find and translate the word in line 59 which emphasises that the young man's meeting with the shepherds was

not accidental.


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16. Find the participle which tells you what the shepherds were doing when the man stepped into their path,

then translate the words qui se ultro venientibus obtulerat, translating qui as he and venientibus as if it

were pastoribus venientibus oreis venientibus.

17. Line 60 tells you the man's intentions. First translate the purpose clause ut hoc ipsum strueret. Check that

you know the gender ofhoc ipsum, which will tell you whether to add man, woman orthing; notice also an

unfamiliar but useful translation ofipse in the vocabulary. Then go on to translate the next purpose clause.

Troiamque aperiret Achivis.

18. What was the very thingthat the man wanted to accomplish? ad regem in line 58 suggests one answer, butother answers are also possible.

19. How is the man described in the rst half of line 61? (animi is an unusual use of the genitive, better

translated by in ... rather than of ....)

20. What description of the man is given in the rest of the line? (Notice the unusual meaning given forin, and add a

word like outcome oreventto your translation ofutrumque.)

21. What were the two outcomes for which the man was prepared (line 62)? Why would his death be certain?

22. Translate the section. Well done.

23. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) In this section, does Aeneas

speak approvingly or disapprovingly (or both) about the prisoner? Quote the Latin words that tell you this.

Summary discussion questions

The following questions refer to the whole of Sections 1-11. They may be more suitable for discussion than for

individual study.

1. Does the behaviour of the Trojans so far suggest that the "prisoner" would nd them easy or difcult to

fool?

2. What part has been played so far by the gods and fate? Look back at the text for places where they are

mentioned.

3. What English adjective would you choose to describe the chief quality, either good or bad, of (a) Laocoon

and (b) the young man? Give reasons for your choice, quoting from the Latin text.


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Summary

Lines 63-194

The prisoner, giving his name as Sinon, claims that he ran away from the Greeks because they

had picked him to be a human sacrice to the gods in order to obtain a safe voyage home. He

acts his part so well that Priam immediately orders him to be set free. In return, Sinon answers

the Trojans questions about the horse with false information, saying that it is a sacred offering tothe goddess Minerva. If they harm it, Troy will be doomed; but if they take it safely into the city,

they will be able to invade and conquer Greece.

Virgil Sections 12-28 (Aeneid II.195-267)

Lines 63-194 are summarised in your text. For the full picture, read Sinon's story in English, for example in the

Penguin translation by David West.

Follow your teacher's guidance in using the following notes, questions and suggestions. They are composed

particularly for students who have only a limited amount of time with a teacher. The more time you have with your

teacher, the more these questions can be ignored.

You do not have to stick rigidly to the sequence of three steps which begins each section. Experiment with differentapproaches to nd the one that prepares you best for the detailed questions that follow. It is usually best to nish

work on each section by checking that you can translate it, as recommended in the notes.


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Section 12

Lines 195-198How Sinon succeeded where everything else had failed

talibus insidiis periurique arte Sinonis

credita res, captique dolis lacrimisque coactis

quos neque Tydides nec Larisaeus Achilles,non anni domuere decem, non mille carinae.

195

195 talis, tale - such

insidiae, insidiarum, f. - trap, snare, ambush

periurus, periura, periurum - lying, devious

-que - and

ars, artis, f. - fraud, skill

Sinon, Sinonis, m. - Sinon

196 credo, credere, credidi, creditus - believe

res, rei, f. - story; thing, matter

capio, capere, cepi, captus - conquer,capture

-que - and

dolus, doli, m. - trick, treachery, deceit

lacrima, lacrimae, f. - tear

-que - and

cogo, cogere, coegi, coactus - fake; force

197 qui, quae, quod - who, which

neque ... nec - neither ... nor

Tydides, Tydidae, m. - Diomedes, son of

Tydeus

neque ... nec - neither ... nor

Larisaeus, Larisaea, Larisaeum, - from

Larisa, a city in Thessaly

Achilles, Achilli, m. -Achilles

198 non ... non - neither ... nor; not

annus, anni, m. - yeardomo, domare, domui, domitus - subdue,

tame

decem - ten

non ... non - neither ... nor; not

mille - a thousand

carina, carinae, f. - ship, keel


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4. Translate an adjective-and-noun phrase and a second noun, all in line 195 and all in the ablative case,

telling you by what methods something (to be described in line 196) was achieved. talibus (such) refers

back to Sinon's story in lines 63-194.

5. Whose skill is referred to in line 195, and how is he described? Translate the whole line.

6. According to the rst two words of line 196, what resulted from the methods described in 195? Using the

passive participle credita as a clue, what do you think is the best translation here of the all-purpose word

res?Affair? Thing? Tale? Matter? Something else?

7 and 8 are chiey intended for students who are working on their own or have very limited time with a teacher.

7. The rest of line 196 leads into a huge relative clause, taking up all of lines 197-198, and you may nd it

helpful to study the way the sentence is put together. If you are comfortable with relative clauses, relative

pronouns and (especially) antecedents, proceed to question 8. If you need some quick revision, start by

studying this sentence.

nuntii quos rex miserat irati erant.

The messengers whom the king had sent were angry.

quos is a relative pronoun, quos rex miserat is a relative clause, and nuntii is the antecedent ofquos, i.e.it is the noun that quos refers back to.

Now translate these sentences and pick out the antecedent, the relative pronoun and the relative clause:

(i) servus quem mercator mihi vendidit pessimus erat.

(ii) puellae quas regina laudavit ridebant.

(iii) nauta, qui ebrius erat, in mare cecidit.

8. Translate this summary of the rest of line 196 and lines 197-198:

nos Troiani dolis capti sumus. (dolus means trick)

Translate this longer summary and pick out the relative pronoun and its antecedent.

nos, quos Graeci frustra decem annos obsederunt, dolis capti sumus. (obsidere means to

besiege)

The complications in lines 196-198 are that the antecedent is missed out, while the relative clause comes lateand is very long. The easiest (but not the only) way round the difculty is to treat capti as if it were nos capti

sumus, and treat quos (whom ...) in line 197 as ifnos were there as an antecedent to quos (we, whom ...).

(The Romans of course were well experienced in relative clauses, whether the antecedent was included or

not, and would have quickly realised who were described as capturedorconquered[capti].)

9. Translate capti as if it were nos capti sumus, as suggested in question 8. What further details are given in

line 196 of the methods by which Aeneas and his fellow Trojans were conquered or captured?

10. Who had carried out the doli and shed the lacrimae?

11. cogere (perfect participle ofcoactus) is translated in the vocabulary as force, fake. How are these two

meanings connected when coactus is describing tears?

You might prefer a different translation of your own; there are several possibilities, from squeezed-outto

crocodile!

12. As mentioned above, lines 197-198 consist of a long relative clause. If you are following the suggestion in

question 8 about treating capti as if it were nos capti sumus (we were conquered), you could put a dash

after your translation oflacrimisque coactis and repeat we as an antecedent to your translation ofquos (...

- we, whom ...) or even emphasise Aeneas' point more sharply by saying ... - yes, we whom ....

13. quos leads on to a long string of nominative nouns followed by the verb domuere, which has the same

meaning as domuerunt. Translate it, including the correct personal pronoun ("I", "you", "he", etc.).

14. Choose between two ways of translating lines 197-198:

(i) We, whom neither ... nor ... nor ... nor ... subdued(literal translation)

(ii) We, who were subdued neither by ... nor by ... nor by ... nor by ... (more natural)

Both translations are acceptable for exam purposes.

15. In line 197, Aeneas picks out two Greek heroes who fought against Troy. Achilles was mentioned in line 29.

Diomedes, son of Tydeus, was almost as famous as Achilles. (Book V of Homer's poem, the Iliad, tells how he

even fought against the gods.) More details can be found from the internet. Characters in the Iliad(and other

poems), especially important ones, are often referred to not just by their name but by their father's name (like


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Diomedes in line 197) or the place they come from (like Achilles).

16. In what way do Diomedes and Achilles differ from Sinon?

17. Explain the reference to anni decem in line 198.

18. To whom did the mille carinae belong?

19. Even before Virgil's time, "a thousand ships" had become a traditional description of this particular eet, and it

became famous in an often-quoted line in an English play. "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?"

Google and other search engines will be able to tell you whose face launched the ships and why her face causedthem to be launched.

20. This is the second time you have met carina (literally keel) used instead ofnavis; a word meaning part of the

ship is used instead of the word for the ship itself. English poets, too, sometimes use a word for part of a thing

instead of a word for the whole thing. For example, in "He took his trusty blade in hand", "blade" is used instead

of "sword", perhaps because it is the part which carries out the purpose of the sword.

When Virgil was describing Tenedos as an unsafe anchorage in line 23, he used carinis and not navibus, perhaps

to suggest the idea of the keels running aground, and in line 198 he may be using carinis to suggest a picture of the

thousand keels gliding into the water when launched, or cutting their way through the waves on their way to Troy, but we

can seldom be sure of a poet's reason for choosing a particular word - it may be simply for variety, or because it

ts conveniently into the poem's metre.

21. Explain as briey as possible the difference between the two methods of winning a war described (1) in line 195,

and (2) in lines 197-198 (a single word for each method will be enough). Which method worked at Troy?

22. How does Aeneas emphasise the contrast between the successful approach and the unsuccessful one?

Possible points include his references to individual Greeks, size of force, use of trickery and length of war.

23. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) What is your impression of Aeneas'

feelings about the contrast he draws? Which words in lines 195-198 give you this impression?



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Notes


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200

Section 13

Lines 199-202A dramatic interruption to Laocoons sacrice

hic aliud maius miseris multoque tremendum

obicitur magis atque improvida pectora turbat.

Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,sollemnes taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.

199 hic - now

alius, alia, aliud - another, else

maior, maius - greater

miser, misera, miserum - wretched,

miserable

multo - much

-que - and

tremendus, tremenda, tremendum - terrible,

terrifying200 obicio, obicere, obieci, obiectus - befall

magis - more

atque - and

improvidus, improvida, improvidum -

unforeseeing, unsuspecting, unwary

pectus, pectoris, n. - mind, heart

turbo, turbare, turbavi, turbatus - agitate,

disturb, alarm

201 Laocoon, Laocoontis, m. - Laocoon, Trojan

priest of Apollo

duco, ducere, duxi, ductus - choose; lead,

take

Neptunus, Neptuni, m. - Neptune

sors, sortis, f. - lot

sacerdos, sacerdotis, m. -priest

202 sollemnis, sollemne - appointed, solemn,ceremonial

taurus, tauri, m. - bull

ingens, gen. ingentis - huge

macto, mactare, mactavi, mactatus -

sacrice

ad - at

ara, arae, f. - altar


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4. Use the vocabulary to check the gender ofaliud (line 199) and then choose the correct translation.

(a) another man

(b) another woman

(c) another thing, i.e. something else

5. In what two ways does Aeneas say that what happens now is different from what that happened previously? (To

answer this, you need to nd a comparative adjective in line 199 and to link multo tremendum with magis in

line 200.)

6. In line 199, how does Aeneas describe the people to whom this new event happens? (They were described by

the same Latin word in line 42.)

7. Translate lines 199-200 up to magis.

8. Read lines 199-200 up to magis aloud. What do you notice about the sound of the words? (You have already

met several examples of this way of making the listener pay special attention, e.g. at an important moment of

the story.)

9. In line 200, what is the result of the new event? Whose pectora are being referred to?

10. What has Aeneas described so far, the actual event or its effect on the Trojans? Does this raise the tension or

lower it?

11. Laocoon reappears in line 201. What ofcial position did he hold, and how was he chosen?

12. In line 202, what was Laocoon doing? Where? Check that you have linked each of the two adjectives in this line

with the correct noun.

13. The altars may have been on the sea-shore. (This was not unusual in the ancient world.) In view of the particular

god to whose service Laocoon was appointed, the shore would have been an appropriate place for him to

sacrice.



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Section 14

Lines 203-205Two huge creatures appear at sea, heading for shore

ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta

(horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues

incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt; 205

203 ecce! - look! see!

autem - but, however

geminus, gemina, geminum - two, twin

a - from

Tenedos, Tenedi, f. - Tenedos, an island off

the Trojan coast

tranquillus, tranquilla, tranquillum - calm, still

per - through

altum, alti, n. - water, sea

204 horresco, horrescere, horrui - shudder,

tremble

refero, referre, rettuli, relatus - tell, report

immensus, immensa, immensum - huge,

immense

orbis, orbis, m. - coil

anguis, anguis, m. - snake

205 incumbo, incumbere, incubui -press oneself,

lean (over), breast

pelagus, pelagi, n. - sea

pariter - side by side, together

-que - and

ad - towards, to

litus, litoris, n. - shore

tendo, tendere, tetendi, tentus - head, stretch

out towards, make for


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4. Visualise a particular person. Now imagine him or her so far away from you that you cannot make out who it is -

s/he might appear only as a distant dot. Then imagine the distance between you gradually shortening so that his

or her appearance becomes clearer and more detailed. (You may nd it helpful to think of a camera moving from

a long-range shot to a close-up.)5. The word order of lines 203-204 is highly unusual because a crucial word is left till the end. The best way to

see the effect of the word order is to study the lines phrase by phrase (or even word by word), for example by

answering these questions.

(i) (Line 203) Translate ecce autem.

(ii) How many (of something) are there?

(iii) Where are they coming from?

(iv) What are they coming through?

(v) (Line 204) Translate the two words that show what an unpleasant memory this is for Aeneas.

(vi) Translate the ablative noun-and-adjective phrase that describes the things.

(vii) What were they?

What is the effect of the long gap between gemini and angues?Does the tension increase or decrease?

6. In line 205, what do the snakes do? Visualise their action in the rst part of the line; incumbere means to lean

oversomething, e.g. a farmer at his plough, or a rower about to pull on his oar, and here the verb to breastmight

be a suitable translation. In the second part of the line, does paritersuggest that these are "ordinary" snakes, or

that there is something special about them?

7. Translate the section. When dealing with the unusual word order of lines 203-204, you could translate gemini

and angues together, either immediately afterecce autem or afterhorresco referens or afterimmensis

orbibus. Alternatively you could keep the Latin word order by translating gemini as two of them and then taking

the text phrase by phrase up to the end of line 204, as you did when answering question 5.


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Section 15

Lines 206-209The sight and sound of the approaching snakes

pectora quorum inter uctus arrecta iubaeque

sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum

pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga.t sonitus spumante salo;

206 pectus, pectoris, n. - neck, chest, breast


inter - amidst, among

uctus, uctus, m. - wave

arrigo, arrigere, arrexi, arrectus - hold high,

raise up

iuba, iubae, f. - crest

-que - and

207 sanguineus, sanguinea, sanguineum -

bloody, blood-red

supero, superare, superavi, superatus -

tower over, overtop, rise above; overcome

unda, undae, f. - wave, water

pars, partis, f. -part

ceterus, cetera, ceterum - the other, the

remaining, the rest

pontus, ponti, m. - sea

208 pone - behind, in the rear

lego, legere, legi, lectus - skim; read, choose

sinuo, sinuare, sinuavi - arch, curve, bend

-que - and

immensus, immensa, immensum - huge,

immense

volumen, voluminis, n. - coil

tergum, tergi, n. - back

209 o, eri, factus sum - rise up, be made

sonitus, sonitus, m. - sound

spumo, spumare, spumavi - foam

salum, sali, n. - sea, swell


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1. Read lines 206-209 (... salo) (aloud if possible) or listen to the audio on the CSCP website.



4. Translate pectora, and also the participle and phrase inline 206 which indicate how high above the surface of

the water the pectora of the snakes are.

5. What further detail of the snakes is described in the words iubaeque sanguineae superantundas (lines 206-207)?

Does iubae suggest that these are real snakes, or supernatural? (You may have read earlier about Pliny theElder. He says in his Natural Historydraconum cristas qui viderit non reperitur- nobody can be found who

has seen crests on snakes.)

6. While all this is happening at the front end, what is the remaining part of each snake's body doing (lines 207-

208)?

7. (This question may be more suitable for discussion than for individual study.) The last three words of line 207,

together with the whole of line 208, may be harder to visualise than other parts of the description. Are the coils

a series of vertical arches (as sea-serpents are traditionally pictured) or does the snake's body form a series

of zig-zags on or in the water, so that the snake's wriggling propels it forward? Is Virgil aiming to present a

consistent picture or only a lot of colourful details which cant be combined with each other? (There is no denite

"right answer" to this.)

8. (Line 209) What happens next and what is the sea doing? What do you suppose is causing this?9. Read the rst part of line 209 aloud. Does the sound suit the meaning of these four words? If so, how? If not,

why not?

10. In view of the rest of this section, was there a special point in describing the sea as tranquilla in line 203, or was

it just a clich?



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Section 16

Lines 209-211The snakes in close-up

iamque arva tenebant

ardentesque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni

sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.

209 iam - now, already

-que - and

arvum, arvi, n. - land, dry land, eld

teneo, tenere, tenui, tentus - reach; hold

210 ardeo, ardere, arsi - burn, be on re

-que - and

oculus, oculi, m. - eye

sufcio, sufcere, suffeci, suffectus - eck,

steep

sanguis, sanguinis, m. - blood

et - and

ignis, ignis, m. - re

211 sibilus, sibila, sibilum - hissing

lambo, lambere, lambi - lick

lingua, linguae, f. - tongue

vibro, vibrare, vibravi - icker

os, oris, n. - lips

210


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1. Read lines 209 (iamque ...)-211 (aloud if possible) or listen to the audio on the CSCP website.



4. After the details of the snakes' appearance in sections 14 and 15, line 209 describes their progress. Where have

they got to by now?

5. (Line 210) Now that the snakes were so close, what feature of their heads could Aeneas and the other Trojans

see?

6. Translate the present participle that describes the eyes.

7. It may be helpful to translate the verb sufcere at rst as to ll, instead of the rather unusual verbs to steep

and to ecksuggested in the vocabulary. The perfect participle can be conveniently translated as having lled;

oculos tells you what part of their heads they lled; sanguine et igni tells you what the eyes were lled with.

Use this information to translate oculos suffecti sanguine et igni.

8. To achieve more natural English,

(i) you could change having ...ed their ...ing ...s to with their ...ing ...s ...ed;

(ii) and if you want a more precise translation than lled, you could use eckedorsteepedas suggested in the

vocabulary. (To "eck" is to cover something with spots, and to "steep" is to soak or immerse something [e.g.

a garment] in something such as a dye.) Alternatively, since eyes can be described as "bloodshot", you could

say shot with blood and re.

9. (Optional note for experts. If you do not feel you are an expert, proceed to question 10.) Literally, suffecti,

describing the snakes (see question 7), is apassive participle, having been lled ... (i.e. with blood). But from

another point of view, it is not the whole of the snake that is lled with blood, but only the eyes, so suffecti

behaves like an active participle, having lled ... (i.e. their eyes), and the eyes (oculos) are in the accusative

case.

The idea of the snakes lling their eyes with blood may seem odd, but it would be odder if somebody else had

lled the eyes. Also, poets have a habit of using their language in ways it has never been used before, and Virgil

was no exception.

The technical explanation for this way of using perfect participles is that suffecti is being treated as a "middle"

use of the participle, half-way between active and passive.

It can sometimes be translated fairly literally, but when translating line 210, it is probably better to aim at natural

English, e.g. in the way suggested in question 8 (with their blazing eyes lled(oreckedorsteepedorshot) withblood and re).

10. In line 211, what were the snakes doing? With what? (You will need to match up one noun with an adjective in the

same case, and match another noun with a present participle.)

11. The letters, which occurred several times in the rst part of line 209 when the foaming sea was mentioned,

continues to be frequently used, especially as an initial letter, in lines 210-211. Why is this appropriate,

particularly in line 211?


13. Don't despise the idea of drawing a picture of one of the snakes, with Latin labels for each part mentioned by

Virgil in sections 14-16! Theres no better or easier way to x in your mind the meaning of these three sections.

The aim is not to produce a superb work of art but to search the text for as many words as possible that can be

used as labels and represented in the picture.


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Section 17

Lines 212-215The snakes attack, killing two victims

diffugimus visu exsangues. illi agmine certo

Laocoonta petunt; et primum parva duorum

corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterqueimplicat et miseros morsu depascitur artus; 215

212 diffugio, diffugere, diffugi - ee, disperse

visus, visus, m. - sight

exsanguis, exsangue -pale

ille, illa, illud - he, she, it

agmen, agminis, n. -path, line, advance,

motion, movement

certus, certa, certum - unerring, certain,

straight, unswerving

213 Laocoon, Laocoontis, m. - Laocoon, Trojan

priest of Apollopeto, petere, petivi, petitus - make for, seek

et - and

primum - rst, rst of all

parvus, parva, parvum - small

duo, duae, duo, m. - two

214 corpus, corporis, n. - body

nati, natorum, m. - children

serpens, serpentis, m. - snake, serpent

amplector, amplecti, amplexus sum - wind

oneself around

uterque, utraque, utrumque - each (of two),

both (of two)

215 implico, implicare, implicavi, implicatus -

enfold, entwine

et - and

miser, misera, miserum - miserable,wretched

morsus, morsus, m. - teeth, biting

depascor, depasci, depastus sum - feed on,

eat, consume

artus, artus, m. - limb


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4. Test your memory. Where was Laocoon when he was last mentioned, and what was he doing? If stu

Virgil CSCP AeneidII13!67!195-26798 L2Aeneid2SSB

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