Aenēās scopulum intereā cōnscendit, et omnem180

prōspectum lātē pelagō petit, Anthea sī quem

iactātum ventō videat Phrygiāsque birēmēs

aut Capyn aut celsīs in puppibus arma Caīcī.

Nāvem in cōnspectū nūllam, trēs lītore cervōs

prōspicit errantēs; hōs tōta armenta sequuntur185

ā tergō et longum per vallēs pāscitur agmen.

Cōnstitit hīc arcumque manū celerēsque sagittās

corripuit fīdus quae tēla gerēbat Achātēs,

ductōrēsque ipsōs prīmum capita alta ferentēs

cornibus arboreīs sternit, tum vulgus et omnem190

miscet agēns tēlīs nemora inter frondea turbam;

nec prius absistit quam septem ingentia victor

corpora fundat humī et numerum cum nāvibus aequet;

Hinc portum petit et sociōs partītur in omnēs.

Vīna bonus quae deinde cadīs onerārat Acestēs195

lītore Trīnacriō dederatque abeuntibus hērōs

dīvidit, et dictīs maerentia pectora mulcet:

Manuscripts: M | R 180, 181-197 | F

Aeneas explores the coast, slays some deer, and distributes them with wine among the crews (Jerram).

180: interea: while the rest are concerned about commonplace matters, the hero is busy with weightier ones (F-B). omnem: usually explained as a transference (hypallage) of the adjective from its proper noun (pelago) to another—“a view all over the sea”; but, though such transference makes the sense easier and more prosaic, Vergil could not have written omnem prospectum unless the adjective could properly apply to the noun. Aeneas was on the shore with a partial view, but climbing the rock he knew he would get “all the view,” i.e., the full view he wished (Page).

181–182: si...videat: a conditional clause, to be taken as virtual oblique narration.The clause resembles an indirect question, “(to see) if he may,” etc., but genuine indirect questions with si (unlike “if” in English and εἰ in Greek) are comparatively rare, and almost confined to colloquial style (F-B) (AG 576a).

181: prospectum: qualified by the adverb lātē (Page). pelago: Abl. of place, following prospectum petit (Robertson) (AG 429.4). Dative for in pelagus (Frieze). Anthea: Gk. acc., in apposition with quem (Robertson) (summary of Greek proper names as declined in Latin). si quem: in agreement with Anthea (Frieze). Lit. “any Antheus” (Walpole). = si qua (Storr). = sicubi (Conington).

182: Phrygias: i.e., Trojan (F-B). Troy being comprehended by Phrygia Minor (Walpole).

183: Capyn: Greek accusative form (Bennett). arma Caici: Caicus would be the chief man on board his ship, and so his shield would be suspended at the stern (Sidgwick).

184: navem nullam, tres cervos: note the chiasmus and the asyndeton to point the contrast (F-B) (AG 598f).

185: armenta: the plural is designed merely to indicate a large number (Frieze).

187: hīc: the adverb, with temporal force (F-B).

188: fidus quae tela gerebat Achates: introduced, as savoring of heroic times. Thus as Hercules had his faithful armor-bearer Hylas and Achilles his Patroclus, so Aeneas has his fidus Achates (F-B).

190: cornibus arboreis: “with branching antlers” (Storr). May be taken as an abl. of means with alta, or an abl. of description with capita (Wetherell). The abl. may be attached with equal right to either of the three preceding words.The antlers mark the age and majesty of the stags (Conway). vulgus: object of sternit (F-B).

191: miscet agens: the participle marks the persistence and vigour of the action, here by repeated shots, and seems to have something of the color of the imperative age (Conway). turbam: no longer an agmen (186), but a disordered host (F-B).

192–3: nec prius...aequet: “nor does he desist until as victor he stretches seven huge carcasses,” etc. (Bennett). victor: continues the imagery of a battle (Conington).

193: fundat et aequet: the subjunctive implies that he does not intend to cease from the chase before he has killed the seven (Frieze). The subjunctive is used because Aeneas aims at or designs this result (F-B). humi: locative (F-B) (AG 427.3a). “On the ground” (Walpole).

194: hinc: “after this” (F-B). Refers to time = postea (Walpole). “Thereupon” (Frieze). in: = inter, “among” (F-B).

195: the order of the construction is: deinde dividit vina, quae bonus heros Acestes onerarat cadis, dederatque abeuntibus (Robertson). deinde: “next,” with dividit (197) (F-B). Dissyllable by synizesis (Bennett) (AG 603 note). cadis onerarat: “had stowed in jars.” cadis is an ablative of place (F-B). Dative for the prosaic construction, quibus cados onerarat (Frieze). onerarat: = oneraverat, a case of contraction or “syncope” (Carter). Acestes: the son of a Trojan woman named Segesta, dwelt in the western part of Sicily, and had hospitably entertained Aeneas and his followers there during the winter just passed (Frieze) (Smith’s Dictionary, s.v. Acestes).

196: litore Trinacrio: i.e., Sicily (F-B). Abl. of situation (Frieze). heros: “like a hero.” Note the emphatic position. Vergil is anxious to reproduce the tone of the heroic age. Homer’s heroes often give presents to their guests (F-B). Emphatically placed in apposition to Acestes (Walpole).

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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/pt/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-i-180-197