Hīc vērō ingentem pugnam, ceu cētera nusquam
bella forent, nūllī tōtā morerentur in urbe,
sīc Mārtem indomitum Danaōsque ad tēcta ruentēs440
cernimus obsessumque āctā testūdine līmen.
Haerent parietibus scālae postēsque sub ipsōs
nītuntur gradibus clipeōsque ad tēla sinistrīs
prōtēctī obiciunt, prēnsant fastīgia dextrīs.
Dardanidae contrā turrīs ac tōta domōrum445
culmina convellunt; hīs sē, quandō ultima cernunt,
extrēmā iam in morte parant dēfendere tēlīs,
aurātāsque trabēs, veterum decora alta parentum,
dēvolvunt; aliī strictīs mūcrōnibus īmās
obsēdēre forēs, hās servant agmine dēnsō.450
Īnstaurātī animī rēgis succurrere tēctīs
auxiliōque levāre virōs vimque addere victīs.
notes
A fierce fight about the walls and entrance-gate to Priam's Palace (F-B). At Priam’s palace Aeneas finds a fierce struggle going on, the Greeks trying to scale the battlements and to force the doors, the Trojans resisting (C-R).
438 vērō: indicating that something important is to be told, that some crisis has been reached (C-R).
438 pugnam: supply cernimus (Pharr).
438-39 ceu cētera nusquam bella forent: "as if there were no battles elsewhere." A conditional comparison (F-B). ceu is used with the force of quasi (Bennet).
439 bella: often, as here, used equivalent to proelia, “battles” (Carter).
439 forent: = essent, imperfect subjunctive > sum.
439 nūllī: no others” (C-R).
440 sīc: correlative to ceu (Storr).
440 sīc Mārtem indomitum: in loose apposition with pugnam.
441 āctā testūdine: ablative absolute (G-K) (AG 419).
442 haerent: "cling" by hooks (crows) at the end, an anachronism, for scaling-ladders were really a later invention (G-K).
442 parietibus: dative or ablative with haerent (Pharr).
442 scālae: scaling ladders, also common in Roman warfare (F-B).
442 postēsque sub ipsōs: "close under the very door-posts," the postēs being the posts of the entrance-gate (F-B). The Greeks press forward (nituntur) right up to (sub) the entrance (Austin).
443 gradibus: "up the rungs," ablative of route (Pharr).
443 ad: against (Knapp).
444 prōtēctī: proleptic, i.e. "to guard themselves" (Storr).
445 contrā: adverb, "in their turn" (F-B).
445 turrēs ... culmina: objects of convellunt (Pharr).
445 tōta culmina: refers to the whole roofing, including also the gilded rafters (F-D).
445 domōrum: = tecta (Knapp).
446 hīs: the culmina' tēlīs is predicative, "as weapons," ablative of means. (Pharr).
446 quandō ultima cernunt, “when they see the end” (Sidgwick). Ultima (fāta) = mortem (Pharr).
448 decora alta: “stately splendor” (H-H).
448 decora parentum: “heirlooms” (Carter).
449 aliī (Teucri): these are Trojans in the vestibule and court, standing ready with drawn swords to meet the enemy, if they should burst through the doors. The defenders at the door (Austin).
450 obsēdēre: = obsēdērunt.
451 Īnstaurātī (sunt) animī (nostrī).
451 tēctīs: dative with a compound verb (Pharr), dative of advantage (Comstock).
451 succurrere: depends on the idea of desire implied in animī (Comstock).
452 auxiliō: “to aid,” dative of purpose (AG 382) (H-H), ablative of means (Pharr).
452 vimque addere victīs: “and give new vigor to the vanquished” (Storr).
vocabulary
ceu: (adv. and conj.), as, just as, 5.88; as if, 2.438, et al. (ce-ve)
nūsquam: (adv.), nowhere, 2.620; sometimes transf. to time; on no occasion; never, 5.853. (nē and ūsquam)
Mārs (archaic form, Māvors), Mārtis: Mars, son of Jupiter and Juno; the patron of war and tutelar god of the Romans, 1.274, et al.; (meton.), martial spirit, courage, warlike fury, 6.165; battle, conflict, 2.335, et al.
indomitus, a, um: (adj.), untamed; unbridled, 2.594; impetuous, fierce, 2.440.
Danaī, ōrum, m.: the Greeks, 2.327.
ruō, ruī, rutus, 3, n. and a.: to fall with violence; tumble down, fall, freq.; fall in battle, 10.756; of the sun, go down, set, 3.508; rush forward, 2.64; of the chariot of Nox, hasten up; ascend, rise, 2.250; advance, 10.256; plunge, rush, 2.353; flee, 12.505; tremble, quake, 8.525; hasten, pass away, 6.539; cause to fall; cast down, 9.516; plow, 1.35; cast, throw up, 1.85; throw up or together, 11.211.
obsideō, sēdī, sessus, 2, n. and a.: to sit in or on; abide; hold, occupy, 3.421; besiege, beset, 2.441; throng, 12.133; obstruct, fill up, choke. (ob and sedeō)
testūdō, inis, f.: a tortoise; a vaulted roof, vault, 1.505; a testudo, formed of the shields of soldiers held over their heads, 2.441.
haereō, haesī, haesus, 2, n.: to stick; foll. by dat., or by abl. w. or without a prep.; hang, cling, adhere, cling to, 1.476, et al.; stop, stand fixed, 6.559; halt, 11.699; adhere to as companion, 10.780; stick to in the chase, 12.754; persist, 2.654; dwell, 4.4; pause, hesitate, 3.597; be fixed or decreed, 4.614.
pariēs, etis, m.: a wall, whether partition or external wall, 5.589; 2.442.
scālae, ārum, f.: a ladder; scaling ladder, 2.442. (scandō)
postis, is, m.: a post; doorpost, jamb, 3.287; door, 2.480. (rel. to pōnō)
nītor, nīsus or nīxus sum, 3, dep. n.: to lean or rest upon, w. abl., 6.760; tread, walk upon, 2.380; to be borne upon, poised or balanced upon, 4.252; push, press, struggle forward or upward; ascend, 2.443.
clipeus, ī, m., and clipeum, ī, n.: a round shield; a shield, 2.227, et al.
sinistra, ae, f. (sc. manus): the left hand, 2.443, et al.
prōtegō, tēxī, tēctus, 3, a.: to cover in front; shelter, protect, 2.444.
obiciō, iēcī, iectus, 3, a.: to throw against or towards; throw to, 6.421; present, oppose, 2.444; bar against, shut, 9.45; cast upon, 7.480; subject, expose, 4.549; (pass.), to be presented, appear, 5.522; p., obiectus, a, um, thrown towards or against; opposite, projecting, 3.534. (ob and iaciō)
prēnsō, āvī, ātus, 1, intens. a.: to grasp, 2.444. (prēndō)
fastīgium, iī, n.: that which is carried to a point or apex; the apex or point of a pediment; a gable, upper part of a house; roof, pinnacle, battlement, 2.444; slope of a trench; (fig.), chief point, 1.342. (fastīgō)
Dardanidēs, ae, m.: a son or descendant of Dardanus; Aeneas, 10.545; pl., Dardanidae, ārum (um), the Trojans, 1.560, et al.; adj., Dardanian, Trojan, 2.59.
contrā: (prep. and adv.; prep. w. acc.), over against; opposite to, 1.13; against, 5.370; to, 9.280; on the contrary, 12.779; on the other hand, in reply, 1.76.
turris, is, f.: a tower, 2.445, et al.
atque, or ac: (conj.), and in addition, or and besides; and, as well, and indeed, and, 1.575; freq.; even, 2.626; in comparisons, as, 4.90; than, 3.561.
culmen, inis, n.: a top, summit, height, 2.290; house top, ridge, roof, 2.458. (cf. columna)
convellō, vellī, vulsus, 3, a.: to pull violently; pluck, tear, pull up, 3.24; wrench forth, 12.774; cut off, 6.148; p., convulsus, a, um, rent, shattered, 1.383; convulsed, 5.143.
ultima, ōrum: the end, goal, 5.317; the last, the final hour; the end, 2.446. (ulterior)
aurātus, a, um: adj. (aurum), gilded, golden, of gold, 12.163; embroidered with gold, 5.250.
trabs, trabis, f.: a beam; timber, 1.552; post, jamb, 1.449; trunk, 6.181; tree, 9.87; ship, 3.191.
dēvolvō, volvī, volūtus, 3, a.: to roll down; throw, hurl down, 2.449.
stringō, strīnxī, strīctus, 3, a.: to draw tight, bind; of a sword, draw out, draw, 2.334; graze, touch lightly, go near, 5.163; trim up, cut, 1.552; (fig.), touch the mind, 9.294.
mūcrō, ōnis, m.: a sharp point or edge, esp. of a weapon, 2.333; point of a spear, 11.817; a sword, blade, 2.449.
foris, is, f.: a door; often in the pl. with reference to double doors, 1.505; door or entrance. (rel. to θύρα)
dēnsus, a, um: (adj.), thick, dense, crowded, compact, in close array, serried, 2.383; frequent, 5.459.
īnstaurō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to build; perform, celebrate, 3.62; revive, resolve anew, 2.451; celebrate anew, 4.63; renew, 2.669; repay, requite, 6.530.
succurrō, currī, cursus, 3, n.: to run up; run to assist; with dat., to aid, succor, relieve, help, 1.630; impers., succurrit, it comes into the mind, occurs, seems, 2.317. (sub and currō)
levō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to render light; lighten; lift, aid, 1.145; raise, 4.690; (fig.), ease, relieve of (w. abl.); support, rest, 10.834; reënforce, help, 2.452; mitigate, 3.36; allay, 7.495; cure, 7.755; relieve, 7.571. (2. levis)
