Est curvō ānfrāctū vallēs, accommoda fraudī

armōrumque dolīs, quam dēnsīs frondibus ātrum

urget utrimque latus, tenuis quō sēmita dūcit

angustaeque ferunt faucēs aditūsque malīgnī.525

Hanc super in speculīs summōque in vertice montis

plānitiēs ignōta iacet tūtīque receptus,

seu dextrā laevāque velīs occurrere pūgnae

sīve īnstāre iugīs et grandia volvere saxa.

Hūc iuvenis nōtā fertur regiōne viārum530

arripuitque locum et silvīs īnsēdit inīquīs.

    CORE VOCABULARY

    curvus, a, um: (adj.), curved, bent, bending, 2.51; winding, 2.748; crooked.

    anfrāctus, ūs, m.: a breaking round; the winding of a way in and out, ravine, 11.522. (am- and frangō)

    vallēs, is, f.: a valley, dell, dale, ravine, vale, 1.186, et al.

    accommodus, a, um: fit, suitable, 11.522. (ad and commodus)

    fraus, fraudis, f.: fraud, deception, treachery, deceit, guile, 4.675; stratagem, ambuscade, 11.522; wickedness; fault, offense, 9.428; mischance, harm, 10.72; hurt, harm, 11.708; treacherous nature, uncertainty, 9.397.

    dēnsus, a, um: (adj.), thick, dense, crowded, compact, in close array, serried, 2.383; frequent, 5.459.

    frōns, frondis, f.: a leaf, 3.449; leafage, foliage; leafy spray, branch, twig, bough, 2.249; a leafy crown, a garland, wreath, 4.148.

    āter, tra, trum: (adj.), black; dark, gloomy, 1.60, et al.; smoky, lurid, 7.456; 4.384; clotted, dark, 3.622; soiled, blackened, 2.272; (fig.), sad, fatal, 6.429; venomous, deadly; of the odor of smoke, 12.591.

    urgeō, ursī, 2, a. and n.: to drive, impel, press forward, 1.111; ply, hasten, 9.489; press, oppress, crush, bear down, 3.579; press around, inclose, surround, hem in, 11.524; weigh upon, oppress, close, 10.745; overpower, 2.653; attack, 10.375; punish, torture, 6.561.

    utrimque: (adv.), on or from either side; on both sides; on every side, 7.566. (uterque)

    tenuis, e: adj. (cf. tendō), stretched out; slender, thin, 4.278; light, 3.448; little, 10.511; airy, ethereal, 6.292; delicate, fine, 4.264; scanty, yielding a scanty livelihood, 8.409; reduced, perishing, sinking, 5.690; simple, trivial, humble.

    sēmita, ae, f.: a byway, lane, 9.383; path, 1.418. (sē- and cf. meō, to go)

    angustus, a, um: adj. (angō), strait, narrow, 3.411; straitened, perilous, 11.309; subst., angustum, ī, n., a narrow place, passage, 2.332.

    faucēs, ium, f.: the jaws, throat, 2.358; (fig.), mouth, entrance, jaws, 6.241; defiles, 11.516.

    aditus, ūs, m.: a going to; an approach, avenue, access, passage, entrance, 2.494; (fig.), approach, 4.423. (adeō)

    malīgnus, a, um: adj. (malus and genō), spiteful, malicious, malignant, 5.654; treacherous, 6.270; = inīquus, inadequate, confined, 11.525.

    specula, ae, f.: a lookout; watch-tower, 4.586; eminence, hill, 3.239; a height, 11.526. (speciō, look)

    vertex, icis, m.: a whirl; whirlpool, 7.567; vortex, 1.117; whirling column of flame, 12.673; the top, crown of the head, the head, 1.403; summit, top, 1.163; mountain summit, height, 3.679; ā vertice, from on high, from above, 1.114. (vertō)

    plānitiēs, ēī, f.: a level surface, plain, 11.527. (plānus, flat)

    ignōtus, a, um: (adj.), unknown, 1.359; strange, 5.795; not well known, but little known, 11.527.

    recipiō, cēpī, ceptus, 3, a.: to take back; receive, take, 2.524; take, draw back or out, 9.348; take in, let in, admit, 9.780; recover, save, 1.178; rescue, 6.111; take from, inflict on, 4.656; win back, recover, secure, 6.818; recipere gressum, to return, 11.29; sē recipere, to resort, withdraw, betake one's self. (re- and capiō)

    laeva, ae, f. (sc. manus): the left hand, 1.611; ab laevā, on the left side, 8.460.

    sīve or seu: (conj.), or if, freq.; or, 5.69; elliptical, 11.327; sīve (seu) — sīve (seu), whether — or, 1.569, 570; either — or, 4.240, 241.

    īnstō, stitī, 1, n.: to stand on or upon; w. dat., acc., inf., or alone; w. dat., to stand on, 11.529; stand or hang over, 10.196; (w. acc.), to work at, ply work upon, 8.834; (w. inf.), urge on, press on, 1.423; persist, 10.118; (alone), to follow up, press on; pursue, 1.468; struggle, 12.783; be near at hand, approach, threaten, 12.916; to be urgent, important, incumbent, 4.115.

    grandis, e: (adj.), large, great; big, ponderous, 4.405.

    volvō, volvī, volūtus, 3, a.: to roll, 1.86; roll along or down, 1.101; roll or cast up, 3.206; toss, hurl, 12.906; roll over, roll in the dust, 12.329; cast, hurl down, 1.116; 9.512; roll, wheel, 1.163; of books, open, unroll, 1.262; of the Fates, fix the circle of events, decree, ordain, dispose, 1.22; 3.376; of the mind, revolve, meditate, reflect upon, 1.305; pass, continue, live through, experience, endure, suffer, 1.9; rotam volvere, to complete a cycle, period; (pass.), volvī, roll over, roll, 10.590; turn or wind about, 7.350; to be shed, to flow, 4.449; roll on, revolve, 1.269.

    arripiō, uī, reptus, 3, a.: to seize for one’s self; seize, 9.561; lay hold upon; surprise, 9.13; (fig.), hasten to, gain, 3.477. (ad and rapiō)

    īnsideō, sēdī, sessus, 2, n. and a.: to sit or be seated on; w. dat., rest, recline upon, 1.719; settle on, 8.480; w. acc., occupy, hold, 2.616. (1. in and sedeō)

    inīquus, a, um: unequal; uneven in surface, rounding, 10.303; of the sun, torrid, 7.227; too narrow, dangerous, 5.203; treacherous, 11.531; morally, unfavorable, hard, inequitable, 4.618; unjust, cruel, 1.668, et al.

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    Suggested Citation

    Christopher Francese and Meghan Reedy, Vergil: Aeneid Selections. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-947822-08-5. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-xi-522-531