Latin GCSE The Aeneid Style Points

urbs antiqua fuit, Tyriī tenuēre colōnī,​ Karthāgō, Ītaliam contrā Tiberīnaque longē​ ōstia,

• “antiqua” (ancient) - the city would have been considered “ancient” for Virgil’s audience: implies honour and age.​

• “Karthago, Italiam” (Carthage and Italy) - EP

  • placed next to each other to emphasise they’re enemies​

• “longe ostia” (mouth of the far-away) - EP + enjambment of longe

  • at the end of sentence: emphasises the distance, vivid description​"

dīves opum studiīsque asperrima bellī,​ quam Iūnō fertur terrīs magis omnibus ūnam

• “dives opum studiīsque asperrima” (rich in resources and very fierce) - chiasmus and superlative (“opum studiīsque”)

  • shows how much of a threat Carthage is​

• “unam quam” (more than, alone) - enclosing order

  • stresses how much Juno cherished Carthage above all others.​

posthabitā coluisse Samō; hīc illius arma,​ hīc currus fuit; hōc rēgnum dea gentibus esse,​ sī quā Fāta sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque.​ Prōgeniem sed enim Trōiānō ā sanguine dūcī

• “hic illius arma, hic currus”, “hoc regnum” (here was her armour, here her chariot, this kingdom) - anaphora and tricolon

  • emphasises how much Juno loves Carthage​

• “dea” (goddess): uses the title rather than the name Juno, to stress her divine authority​

  • Aeneas’ fate is more powerful than ever her power

• “tenditque fovetque” (strived for and cherished) - historic present and polysyndeton

  • stresses her great level of care for Carthage

audierat, Tyriās olim quae verteret arcēs;​ hinc populum lātē regem bellōque superbum​ ventūrum excidiō Libyae: sīc volvere Parcās.​ id metuēns, veterisque memor Sāturnia bellī,

• “olim” (one day) - EP

  • emphasises this is inevitable.​

• “superbum” (proud): usually used in a pejorative (insulting) way, reflecting Juno’s opinions of the Romans​

• “metuens” (fearing) - present participle

  • vivid picture of her fear – particularly notable as Juno is a Goddess

  • it is surprising that she is so afraid

prīma quod ad Trōiam prō cārīs gesserat Argīs—​necdum etiam causae īrārum saevīque dolōrēs​ exciderant animō:

• “Argis”: Juno had a special connection to the Argives. Her most famous temple was at Argos.​

• “necdum”: Virgil breaks off from his narrative to add further description of Juno’s resentment.This casual aside changes the tone from a long explanaton. It renews excitement

manet altā mente repostum​ iūdicium Paridis sprētaeque iniūria fōrmae,​ et genus invīsum, et raptī Ganymēdis honōrēs.​ hīs accēnsa super, iactātōs aequore tōtō​ Trōas, rēliquiās Danaum atque immītis Achillī,

• “iudicium Paridis” (the judgement of Paris) - EP

  • this is what she is most angry at.​

• “et…et” - polysyndeton

  • highlights the depth of her anger​

• “toto Troas” (Trojans…whole (sea)) - enjambment

  • emphasises the distance the Trojans have to cover.​

• ​”iactātōs aequore tōtō Trōas” (the Trojans, tossed about by the whole sea) - chiasmus

  • emphasises how much the Trojans suffered​​

arcēbat longē Latiō, multōsque per annōs​ errābant, āctī Fātīs, maria omnia circum.​ tantae mōlis erat Rōmānam condere gentem!​ vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum

• “multosque per” (for many years) - promotion of adjective before preposition

  • emphasises the amount of time the Trojans have already spent travelling the ocean.​

• “circum” (around) - EP

  • preposition is not normally at the end, emphasises chaos of the journey​

• “tantae” (so great) - EP

  • emphasises how much effort was involved to found Rome.

  • The line is slow and deliberate, showing again, the difficult process.​

• “vix e conspectu Siculae” (scarcely out of sight of the land of Sicily)

  • The Trojans were so close to Italy!​