Virgil Aeneid Book 4 - lines 47-89

quam tu urbem, soror, hanc cernes, quae surgere regna

What a city, sister, you will see this one rise to be, what a kingdom,

coniugio tali! Teucrum comitantibus armis

with such a marriage! With the arms of the Trojans accompanying you,

Punica se quantis attollet gloria rebus!

Carthaginian glory will raise itself up to what great fortunes!

tu modo posce deos veniam, sacrisque litatis

Only you, ask the gods for pardon and with sacred offerings made,

indulge hospitio, causasque innecte morandi,

indulge in hospitality and weave reasons for delaying

dum pelago desaevit hiems et aquosus Orion,

while the winter and rainy Orion work out their anger upon the sea

“Orion” - relevance?

Constellation associated with bad weather

quassataeque rates, dum non tractabile caelum.”

and his ships are still in bits, while the weather is not friendly.”

his dictis impenso animum inflammavit amore,

With these words, Anna inflamed Dido’s heart with costly love

spemque dedit dubiae menti, solvitque pudorem.

and gave hope to her wavering mind, and released her from the burden of her conscience.

principio delubra adeunt, pacemque per aras exquirunt;

Firstly they approached the shrines, and they sought peace among the altars;

“pacemque per aras” - why is the relevance in the context of the Aeneid?

mactant lectas de more bidentis

they sacrificed chosen sheep according to their custom

“de more bidentis” - what time of sheep would this be?

Two year old sheep - named for the adult teeth that have replaced their milk teeth

legiferae Cereri Phoeboque patrique Lyaeo,

to law-giver, Ceres, and to Phoebus Apollo and father Lyaeus

“Cereri” - who is this?

Goddess of fertility and agriculture - she is called law-giver here as she is patron of civilisation and war

“Phoeboque” - who is this?

Apollo - god of prophecy, poetry and archery

“Lyaeo” - who is this?

Bacchus - god of wine and merriment

“Iunoni” - who is this and why is this ironic?

Juno - queen of the gods and primary goddess of marriage - implacable hatred of Aeneas makes it ironic that Dido prays to her before all other gods

Iunoni ante omnis, cui vincla iugalia curae.

to Juno before all, to whom the bonds of marriage are a concern.

ipsa, tenens dextra pateram, pulcherrima Dido

Dido herself, very beautiful, holding the sacred dish in her right hand

candentis vaccae media inter cornua fundit,

poured wine midway between the horns of a shining cow

aut ante ora deum pinguis spatiatur ad aras,

or advanced to the rich altars before the faces of the gods,

“pinguis” - connotation?

Altar is rich and oily with the fat sacrifices

instauratque diem donis, pecudumque reclusis pectoribus

and renewed the day with offerings, and once the breasts of herds had been laid open

“instauratque diem donis” - suggestion?

Dido’s desperation to get this union right leads her to repeat her offerings through the day

“pecudumque reclusis pectoribus” - why is this interesting?

Dido herself is doing what a priest might be expected to do - she examines entrails of the sacrifice while it is still warm

inhians spirantia consulit exta.

she examined the yet-breathing entrails with her mouth open.

“pecudumque reclusis pectoribus” - what is the significance of this gruesome detail?

Examining entrails sets Dido apart from other sacrificial officiants in the Aeneid - it is a Greek practice learnt by the Romans from the Etruscans - never became official in Rome, setting Dido apart as a foreigner

heu vatum ignarae mentes!

Alas, the unknowing minds of prophets!

“ignarae mentes” - significance?

The seers cannot help as they are ignorant to what actually afflicts Dido ie Cupid’s poison

quid vota furentem, quid delubra iuvant?

What help did her vows give to her in her state of frenzy, what help did her shrines?

est mollis flamma medullas interea,

The flame of love consumed her soft marrow meanwhile,

et tacitum vivit sub pectore vulnus.

and the silent wound lived deep in her heart.

uritur infelix Dido, totaque vagatur urbe furens

Poor Dido was on fire, and she wandered over the whole city in her wretchedness

qualis coniecta cerva sagitta,

like a deer shot by an arrow,

“qualis coniecta cerva sagitta,” - significance of this similie?

Links to the later hunting expedition (Ascanius shoots the Latin’s beloved stag, inciting Turnus’ rage) and its role in the story

quam procul incautam nemora inter Cresia fixit pastor agens telis,

which, with her guard down, a shepherd, pursuing her with his weapons among the Cretan woods struck from a distance

“Cresia” - relevance?

Cretans were famous archers

“pastor” - who does this represent?

Aeneas as a shepherd of his people and destiny

liquitque volatile ferrum nescius;

and left behind the flying tip in her, oblivious;

illa fuga silvas saltusque peragrat Dictaeos

The deer wanders through the woods and glades of Mount Dicte in her flight

“Dictaeos” - relevance?

Mountain in Crete - maintaining geographic nature of the similie

haeret lateri letalis harundo.

the deadly shaft stuck in her side.

nunc media Aenean secum per moenia ducit,

Now she led Aeneas with her through the midst of the buildings

Sidoniasque ostentat opes urbemque paratam;

and pointed out the Sidonian wealth and the city all ready;

“Sidoniasque” - relevance?

Sidon was a Phoenician city - Dido’s roots

incipit effari, mediaque in voce resistit;

she began to speak and then stopped in the middle of her words;

“mediaque in voce resistit” - what is this implying?

Dido wants to express her feelings but cannot quite bring herself to do so

nunc eadem labente die convivia quaerit,

Now, as the day was slipping away, she sought the same company

Iliacosque iterum demens audire labores exposcit,

and in her folly she demands to hear the toils of Troy again

pendetque iterum narrantis ab ore.

and she hung from the mouth of Aeneas as he told his tale again.

post, ubi digressi, lumenque obscura vicissim luna premit

Afterwards, when they had departed and the moon, darkening in turn, dimmed its light

suadentque cadentia sidera somnos,

and the setting stars advise sleep,

sola domo maeret vacua,

alone she grieved in an empty house,

stratisque relictis incubat,

and she lay upon the banquet couches which had been abandoned

illum absens absentem auditque videtque;

and she both saw and heard him, though they are apart;

aut gremio Ascanium, genitoris imagine capta, detinet,

or, captivated by the image of his father, she held Ascanius in her lap

“Ascanium” - who is this?

Aeneas’ young (c. 8-9 yo) son

infandum si fallere possit amorem.

in the hope that she might be able to cheat her unspeakable love.

non coeptae adsurgunt turres,

The half-built towers did not rise up

non arma iuventus exercet,

the youth did not train in arms,

portusve aut propugnacula bello tuta parant;

and they did not prepare either the harbour or the defences to be safe for war;

pendent opera interrupta,

the works hang interrupted

minaeque murorum ingentes

as well as the huge threat of their walls

aequataque machina caelo.

and the crane, level with the sky.