Postquam exempta fames et amor compressus edendi,

rex Euandrus ait: 'non haec sollemnia nobis,185

has ex more dapes, hanc tanti numinis aram

uana superstitio ueterumque ignara deorum

imposuit: saeuis, hospes Troiane, periclis

seruati facimus meritosque nouamus honores.

iam primum saxis suspensam hanc aspice rupem,190

disiectae procul ut moles desertaque montis

stat domus et scopuli ingentem traxere ruinam.

hic spelunca fuit uasto summota recessu,

semihominis Caci facies quam dira tenebat

solis inaccessam radiis; semperque recenti195

caede tepebat humus, foribusque adfixa superbis

ora uirum tristi pendebant pallida tabo.

huic monstro Volcanus erat pater: illius atros

ore uomens ignis magna se mole ferebat.

attulit et nobis aliquando optantibus aetas200

auxilium aduentumque dei. nam maximus ultor

tergemini nece Geryonae spoliisque superbus

Alcides aderat taurosque hac uictor agebat

ingentis, uallemque boues amnemque tenebant.

at furis Caci mens effera, ne quid inausum205

aut intractatum scelerisue doliue fuisset,

quattuor a stabulis praestanti corpore tauros

auertit, totidem forma superante iuuencas.

atque hos, ne qua forent pedibus uestigia rectis,

cauda in speluncam tractos uersisque uiarum210

indiciis raptor saxo occultabat opaco;

quaerenti nulla ad speluncam signa ferebant.

interea, cum iam stabulis saturata moueret

Amphitryoniades armenta abitumque pararet,

discessu mugire boues atque omne querelis215

impleri nemus et colles clamore relinqui.

reddidit una boum uocem uastoque sub antro

mugiit et Caci spem custodita fefellit.

    CORE VOCABULARY

    eximō, ēmī, ēmptus, 3, a.: to take out; remove, 6.746; take away, remove, 1.216. (ex and emō)

    comprimō, pressī, pressus, 3, a.: to press together; repress, check, restrain, stay, 2.73. (com- and premō)

    Euander (-drus, 8.100; Ēvander, -drus), drī, m.: Evander, an Arcadian prince, son of Carmentis, and king of Pallanteum on the Tiber, 8.52.

    sollemnis, e: adj. (sollus, whole, and annus), coming at the completion of a year; annual; stated; ceremonial; religious, solemn, 5.53; festive, 2.202; customary, 12.193; subst., sollemne, is, n., pl., sollemnia, ium, solemnities, sacrificial rites, offerings, 5.605.

    daps, dapis, f.: a feast, banquet, 1.210; food, viands, 1.706; flesh of sacrificial victims, 6.225; usually found in the pl., but the gen. pl. is not used.

    superstitiō, ōnis, f.: religious awe; superstition, 8.187; sacred oath, fear-inspiring oath, 12.817. (superstō)

    ignārus, a, um: (adj.), not knowing; freq.; unaware, ignorant, 11.154; often w. genit., ignorant of, 1.630; unsuspicious of, 2.106; unconscious, 9.345; not knowing the land; (pass.), unknown, a stranger, 10.706.

    Trōiānus, a, um: adj. (Trōia), Trojan, 1.19; subst., Trōiānus, ī, m., a Trojan, 1.286; pl., Trōiānī, ōrum, m., the Trojans, 5.688.

    mereō, uī, itus, 2, a. and n., and mereor, itus sum, 2, dep. a. and n.: to deserve, merit, 2.585; earn, gain, win, 11.224; deserve well, 6.664; w. ut, 2.434; bene merēre, to deserve well, 4.317.

    novō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to make new, renew, renovate, repair, 5.752; change, 5.604; build, 4.260; rēs novāre, to change one's purpose or plans; take new measures, 4.290. (novus)

    suspendō, pendī, pēnsus, 3, a.: to hang up, 6.859; hang, 1.318; p., suspēnsus, a, um, suspended, scarcely touching the ground or water, 7.810; hanging, 8.190; as adj., in suspense, uncertain, doubtful, in doubt, 6.722; anxious, 2.729; filled with awe, 3.372.

    rūpēs, is, f.: a rock, cliff, crag, ledge, freq.; quarry, 1.429. (rumpō)

    dīsiciō, iēcī, iectus, 3, a.: to throw, cast asunder; overthrow, demolish, 8.355; scatter, disperse, 1.70; cleave, 12.308. (dis- and iaciō)

    mōlēs, is, f.: a cumbrous mass; a heavy pile or fabric; mound, rampart, 9.35; dike, 2.497; a mass of buildings, vast buildings, 1.421; structure, 11.130; frame or figure, 2.32; bulk, 5.118; weight, 7.589; pile, mass, 1.61; gigantic frame, 5.431; warlike engine, siege tower, 5.439; array, pomp, train, 12.161; body of soldiers, phalanx, 12.575; heavy storm, tempest, 5.790; toil, work, labor, 1.33.

    dēsertus, a, um: desolate; abandoned, 12.664; uninhabited, solitary, lonely, 3.646.

    scopulus, ī, m.: a projecting ledge of rock; a high cliff or rock, 1.180; crag, 1.45; ledge, reef, 1.145; detached rock, fragment of rock, 12.531.

    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)

    spēlunca, ae, f.: a cavern, 1.60; retreat, 5.213.

    vāstus, a, um: (adj.), empty, void, wild, waste, 9.323; vast, unbounded, 1.118; huge, enormous, immense, 3.647; deep-, vast-, sounding, 1.245.

    summoveō, mōvī, mōtus, 2, a.: to move from beneath; remove, drive away, 6.316; separate, 7.226. (sub and moveō)

    recessus, ūs, m.: recess, cavity, 8.193; retreat, ambush, 11.527. (recēdō)

    sēmihomō, inis, m.: a half man, 8.194. (in hexam. poetry the oblique cases are pronounced semyomin-)

    Cācus, ī, m.: Cacus, the giant of the Aventine, slain by Hercules, 8.194.

    dīrus, a, um: (adj.), accursed; portentous; fearful, dreadful, awful, dire, cruel, horrible, freq.; accursed, 2.261; unhallowed, impious, 6.373; foul, carrion, 3.262; wild, furious, ardent, 9.185; pl., dīra (adv.), fearfully, 10.572.

    inaccessus, a, um: (adj.), difficult of approach, perilous to be approached; dangerous, 7.11; impervious, 8.195.

    radius, iī, m.: a staff, rod; spoke of a wheel, 6.616; beam, ray, 5.65; a shuttle, 9.476; the representation of rays on a crown, 12.163.

    tepeō, 2, n.: to be moderately warm; to reek, 8.196.

    foris, is, f.: a door; often in the pl. with reference to double doors, 1.505; door or entrance. (rel. to θύρα)

    adfīgō, fīxī, fīxus, 3, a.: to fasten to, put to, 9.536; perf. p. pass., clinging to, 5.852.

    pendeō, pependī, 2, n.: to hang, foll. by abl. alone or w. prep., 2.546, et al.; 5.511; be suspended, 1.106; cling, 9.562; bend, stoop forward, 5.147; (meton.), linger, delay, 6.151; listen, hang upon, 4.79.

    pallidus, a, um: adj. (palleō), pale, pallid, 3.217; ghastly, 8.197.

    tābum, ī, n.: corrupt matter; putrid blood; gore, 3.29. (tābeō)

    mōnstrum, ī, n.: the thing which warns; an omen, a portent, 3.26; supernatural token, sign, 12.246; a prodigy, marvel, wonder, terror, 3.583; monster, 2.245. (moneō)

    Vulcānus, ī, m.: the god of fire and of the forge, son of Jupiter and Juno, 8.422; (meton.), fire, 2.311, et al.

    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.

    vomō, uī, itus, 3, a.: to vomit; belch, vomit forth, 5.682.

    adventus, ūs, m.: a coming, an arrival, 5.36; advance, 11.607. (advenio)

    ultor, ōris, m.: an avenger, 2.96; translated adjectively, avenging, 6.818. (ulcīscor)

    tergeminus, a, um: (adj.), of threefold birth; threefold, having three bodies, 8.202; of three forms or names; triple, 4.511.

    nex, necis, f.: murder, slaughter, violent death, destruction, death, 2.85, et al. (necō)

    Gēryōn, onis, and Gēryonēs, ae, m.: Geryon, a giant with three bodies, dwelling in Gades, slain by Hercules, who carried his herd of cattle to Italy, 7.662; 8.202.

    spolium, I, n.: that which is taken from the body of a slain man or beast; spoil, trophy, 1.289; spolia opīma, the arms or spoils taken by a victorious general from the body of a hostile commander slain in battle, 6.855.

    Alcīdēs, ae., m.: a descendant of Alceus; Hercules, 5.414, et al.

    adsum, adfuī, esse, irreg. n.: to be near or by; to be present, at hand, or here, 1.595; to have arrived, 2.132; to be with, attend, 2.701; aid, accompany, 10.547; be propitious, 3.116; to beset, 2.330; inf., adfore, to be about to come, destined to come, 7.270. (imp. subj., adforem, -ēs, -et, -ent)

    taurus, ī, m.: a bull, steer, ox, bullock, 2.202, et al.

    hāc: (adv.), by this way or route, 8.203; this way, here, 1.467; on one side, 12.565.

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

    at and ast: (conj., denoting addition either with the notion of difference, or of decided opposition), but, 1.46; yet, still, after conditional propositions; in adding new particulars, and in transitions, but also, but, now, 4.1; denoting indignation, with execration, 2.535.

    furiae, ārum, f.: rage, fury, madness, frenzy, 1.41, et al.; vengeance, 8.494; personif., Furiae, ārum, the goddesses of vengeance, the Furies, Allecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone; the Avengers, 3.331; for the Harpies, 3.252. (furō)

    efferus, a, um: adj. (ex and ferus, wild), extremely wild; savage, frantic, 4.642; fierce, 8.6; cruel, 8.484.

    quis, qua or quae, quid or quod: (indef. pron., adj., and subst.), any, some, 2.94, et al.; some one, any one, any body, anything, something, 1.413, et al.; sī quis, nē quis, etc., if any, lest any, etc., freq.; (adv.), quid, as to anything, in anything, at all, freq.; sī quid, if at all, freq.

    inausus, a, um: (adj.), undared, unattempted, 7.308.

    intrāctātus, a, um: (adj.), unhandled, untried, 8.206.

    stabulum, ī, n.: stable, stall, 2.499; a shepherd's dwelling, grange, 7.512; den, haunt, 6.179; cattle-camp, 8.207. (stō)

    praestāns, antis, comp., praestantior, ius: excellent, superior, distinguished, 5.361; w. gen., 12.19.

    āvertō, vertī, versus, 3, a.: to turn (anything) away from, followed by an abl. with or without a prep., 1.38, et al.; turn or drive away, 1.472, et al.; transfer, with acc. of place, 4.106; drive away, end, 4.547; neut. by omission of se, to turn away, 1.402; (pass.), avertī, as middle or dep., with acc., to be averse to; to shun, loathe.

    totidem: (num. adj. pron., indecl.), just, even so many; as many, 4.183, et al.

    superō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: surmount; go over, 6.676; rise above, 2.219; pass by or beyond, 1.244; make one's way through, 8.95; overpower, slay, 1.350; overcome, conquer, 2.311; prevail, 5.22; surmount, 3.368; remain, survive, be still living, 3.339; be left; remain, 12.873; be proud, elated, rejoice, 5.473; superāre ascēnsū, to mount, ascend, 2.303. (super)

    iuvencus, a, um: adj. (iuvenis), young; subst., iuvencus, ī, m., a young bullock, 3.247, et al.; iuvenca, ae, f., a heifer, 8.208, et al.

    cauda, ae, f.: the tail, 3.428, et al.

    indicium, iī, n.: a means of informing; a proof, sign, token, indication; evidence, charge, 2.84; trace, 8.211. (indicō)

    occultō, āvī, ātus, 1, intens. a.: to hide carefully; cover up; hide, conceal, secrete, 2.45. (occulō)

    opācus, a, um: (adj.), shady, 6.283; obscure, dark, 3.619; subst., opāca, ōrum, n., partitive; opāca viārum, dark pathways, roads, 6.633.

    intereā: (adv.), amid these things; meanwhile, in the meantime, 1.418, et al.

    saturō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to fill; glut, cloy, appease, 5.608. (satur, full)

    article Nav

    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/ro/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-viii-184-218