Līmen erat caecaeque forēs et pervius ūsus
tēctōrum inter sē Priamī, postēsque relictī
ā tergō, īnfēlīx quā sē, dum rēgna manēbant,455
saepius Andromachē ferre incomitāta solēbat
ad socerōs et avō puerum Astyanacta trahēbat.
Ēvādō ad summī fastīgia culminis, unde
tēla manū miserī iactābant inrita Teucrī.
Turrim in praecipitī stantem summīsque sub astra460
ēductam tēctīs, unde omnis Trōia vidērī
et Danaüm solitae nāvēs et Achāïca castra,
adgressī ferrō circum, quā summa labantēs
iūnctūrās tabulāta dabant, convellimus altīs
sēdibus impulimusque; ea lāpsa repente ruīnam465
cum sonitū trahit et Danaüm super agmina lātē
incidit. Ast aliī subeunt, nec saxa nec ūllum
tēlōrum intereā cessat genus.
notes
By a secret postern I join the defenders on the roof. A tower falls on the besiegers, but the attack continues (Storr).
This passage serves to explain how Aeneas and his comrades made their way into the palace in the rear, while the host of Greeks was swarming round the front walls and the principal entrance (F-D).
453-55 Līmen erat ... ā tergō: Limen, fores, and postes all refer to the private entrance in the rear (relicti a tergo). Within this were corridors, affording an easy communication (pervius usus) of the various buildings or parts of the palace with each other (inter se) (F-D).
453 pervius usus: “a passable use, a way through which one might pass,” coordinate with limen, fores, and postes (Pharr).
454 relictī: “secluded,” for the next verse shows that it was not abandoned (F-B).
454 inter sē: connecting the different parts of the palace (tectorum) with each other (Pharr).
455 regna (Priamī): poetic plural (Pharr).
455 quā (viā).
456 saepius: “quite often” (Pharr), stronger than saepe (C-R).
457 socerōs: Priam and Hecuba (F-D).
457 avō: = Priamō, dative of direction (Pharr), poetic for ad avum (Comstock).
458 Ēvādō: “I make my way” (F-D).
458 summī fastīgia culminis: = summi fastigia tecti (F-B).
459 inrita: the destruction they wrought was of no lasting avail (Carter).
460 Turrim: governed by adgressi, convellimus, impulimusque (Knapp). turrim is a normal variant for turrem (LS turris).
460 in praecipitī: “on the sheer edge” (Pharr), with stantem (Storr).
460-61 summīs … tectīs: “rising from the lofty roof” (Storr), ablative of separation (AG 400) (Pharr).
461-2 Trōia (solita est) vidērī et navēs Danaum solitae (sunt vidērī): a watch tower (Pharr).
464 adgressī: the participle, “assailing” (F-B).
463 ferrō: iron tools, such as crowbars (Pharr).
463 circum: “on all sides” (Bennet).
463-4 quā summa … dabant: “where its topmost stories offered weak (or 'yielding') joints.” labantēs = “tottering,” cannot strictly be applied to iuncturae, but describes the effect on the tower of the attack on 'the joinings,' (Page).
464-5 convellimus ... impulimus: note the present convellimus represents a continued act and impulimus a single, momentary one (H-H).
464-5: (ex) altīs sēdibus: “from its lofty foundations,” i.e. from the tabulata and tecta, or palace roof, just mentioned (F-D), ablative of separation (AG 400) (Pharr).
467 aliī (Danaī).
467 subeunt: "come to their aid” (H-H).
467 nec … nec: et nōn … nec (i.e. they are not correlative) (Knapp).
468 intereā: refers to the time occupied in tearing up the tower, and in the replacing of the Greeks destroyed by its fall (F-D).
468 cessat: agrees with ullum genus, its nearest subject (Pharr).
468 the line is incomplete in the manuscripts.
vocabulary
foris, is, f.: a door; often in the pl. with reference to double doors, 1.505; door or entrance. (rel. to θύρα)
pervius, a, um: adj. (per and via), that can be passed through; unobstructed, free; common, 2.453.
Priamus, ī, m.: 1. Priam, son of Laomedon, king of Troy, 1.458, et al. 2. A Trojan youth, son of Polites and grandson of King Priam, 5.564.
postis, is, m.: a post; doorpost, jamb, 3.287; door, 2.480. (rel. to pōnō)
īnfēlīx, īcis: (adj.), unlucky; unfortunate, luckless, unhappy, 1.475, et al.; sad, miserable, 2.772; of ill omen, ill-starred, ill-boding, fatal, 2.245; unfruitful.
Andromachē, ae, f.: wife of Hector, 2.456.
incomitātus, a, um: (adj.), unattended; alone, 2.456.
socer, erī, m.: a father-in-law, 6.830, et al.; pl., socerī, ōrum, parents-in-law, parents, 2.457.
avus, ī, m.: a grandfather, grandsire, 2.457; sire, father, ancestor, 6.840.
Astyanax, actis, m.: Astyanax, the son of Hector and Andromache, put to death by Ulysses after the capture of Troy, to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy which said that Troy should be restored by him, 2.457.
ēvādō, vāsī, vāsus, 3, n. and a.: to go out, forth, or up; ascend, 2.458; come in flight, 2.531; come forth from, w. the idea of danger surmounted; (w. acc.), to escape the dangers of, 2.731; escape, 5.689; 6.425; w. dat., 11.702; 9.99.
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)
culmen, inis, n.: a top, summit, height, 2.290; house top, ridge, roof, 2.458. (cf. columna)
iactō, āvī, ātus, 1, freq. a.: to throw often or much; toss to and fro; toss, freq.; hurl, cast, 2.459; thrust out, 5.376; aim, 5.433; (fig.), throw out words, utter, say, 1.102; of the mind, revolve, meditate, 1.227; sē iactāre, boast, exalt one's self, rejoice, glory, 1.140; prae sē iactāre, to make pretense of, 9.134; p., iactāns, antis, arrogant, assuming, ambitious, 6.815. (iaciō)
inritus, a, um: baffled in calculation or purpose; ineffectual, unavailing; useless, vain, 2.459. (2. in- and ratus)
Teucrī, ōrum, m.: the Trojans, descendants of Teucer, 1.38, et al.; adj., Teucrian, Trojan, 9.779, et al. (Teucer)
turris, is, f.: a tower, 2.445, et al.
praeceps, cipitis: adj. (prae and caput), head foremost; headlong, 2.307; deep, 11.888; hurried, hasty, quick, speedy, 4.573; flying, running swiftly, 2.516; 3.598; rash, impetuous, fiery, 9.685; prolept., ready to sink, 10.232; subst., praeceps, n., a steep, precipice, verge, 2.460; in praeceps, headlong; downwards, 6.578.
Trōia, ae, f.: 1. Troy, the capital of the Troad, 2.625, et al. 2. A city built by Helenus in Epirus, 3.349. 3. A part of the city of Acesta in Sicily, 5.756. 4. The name of an equestrian game of Roman boys, 5.602.
Danaī, ōrum, m.: the Greeks, 2.327.
Achāicus (poet., Achāius), a, um: of Achaia; Achaean; Greek, 2.462. (Achāia)
aggredior, gressus sum, 3, dep. n. and a.: attempt, dare, with inf., 2.165; to advance toward; attempt, 3.38; attack, 9.325; assail, hew, 2.463; accost, address, 3.358. (ad and gradior)
circum: (adv.), about, around; (prep. with acc.), around, about.
labō, āvī, ātus, 1, n.: to give way, begin to yield; totter, 2.492; of the mind, waver, 4.22; falter, flag, despond, 12.223.
iūnctūra, ae, f.: a joining; joint, 2.464. (iungō)
tabulātum, ī, n.: a planking; floor, platform, story, 2.464. (tabula)
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.
impellō, pulī, pulsus, 3, a.: to push, thrust, drive to or upon; push onward, impel, 5.242; push, open, 7.621; smite, 1.82; ply, 4.594; put in motion, urge on, 8.3; shoot, 12.856; move, disturb, 3.449; (w. inf.), lead on, impel, induce, persuade, 2.55; force, compel, 1.11.
lābor, lapsus sum, 3, dep. n.: to slide, glide down, or slip, freq.; fall down, 2.465; ebb, 11.628; pass away, 2.14; descend, 2.262; glide, sail, skim along, 8.91; flow, 3.281; fall, perish, 2.430; decline, 4.318; faint, 3.309.
repēns, entis: (adv.), suddenly, unexpectedly, 1.594.
ruīna, ae, f.: a falling down; fall, overthrow; convulsion, commotion, destructive force, 1.129; onset, shock, 11.613; pl., ruin, overthrow, destruction, 1.238; dare, trahere ruīnam, to fall in ruins, 2.310; bring destruction, 12.454. (ruō)
sonitus, ūs, m.: a sounding; noise, 2.732, et al.; roaring, 2.209; thunder, 6.586. (sonō)
lātē: (adv.), widely; far and wide, 1.21; on all sides, far around, 1.163; all over, 12.308. (lātus)
intereā: (adv.), amid these things; meanwhile, in the meantime, 1.418, et al.
cessō, āvī, ātus, 1, intens. n.: to remit action; stay, linger, rest; be inactive, 1.672; cease, 2.468; delay, 6.51; impers., cessātum est, delay has been made, has happened, 11.288. (cēdō)
