Vergil, Aeneid II 671-678

Hinc ferrō accingor rūrsus clipeōque sinistram

īnsertābam aptāns mēque extrā tēcta ferēbam.

Ecce autem complexa pedēs in līmine coniūnx

haerēbat, parvumque patrī tendēbat Iǖlum:

'Sī peritūrus abīs, et nōs rape in omnia tēcum;675

sīn aliquam expertus sūmptīs spem pōnis in armīs,

hanc prīmum tūtāre domum. Cui parvus Iǖlus,

cui pater et coniūnx quondam tua dicta relinquor?'

notes

Creusa implores Aeneas not to leave her and their son (F-B).

The voice of family solidarity: they will leave all together, or Aeneas will stay to defend them all (Horsfall).

671 clipeō: dative (F-D).

672 īnsertābam: possibly the imperfect is meant to convey the reluctance which Aeneas felt to leave his home and plunge into the fight (Howson); the tense, like ferebam, marks incipient action (Austin).

672 aptāns: “fitting it on,” the left hand, took hold of a leather handle in the center of the shield (F-B).

674 patrī: i.e. mihi, but more touching, also alliterative with parvum (F-B).

675 et: “also” (F-D); with nos: “us too” (G-K).

675 in omnia: “for any fate” (F-B).

675 rape: “snatch up/carry off unceremoniously, even violently” (Horsfall).

676 expertus: “taught by experience.”

676 sūmptīs in armīs: “in taking up arms” (F-D); supply arma, "having tried them" (F-B).

677-78 Iūlus ... pater: understand relinquitur from relinquor (Bennet).

678 coniūnx quondam tua dicta: “once called your wife” (Sidgwick); a bitter reproach (F-B).

678 relinquor: passive voice emphasizes the helplessness of Creusa (Knapp).

vocabulary

CORE VOCABULARY

accingō, cīnxī, cīnctus (pass. inf., accingier, 4.493), 3, a.: to gird on; gird, 2.614; arm, equip, 6.184; make one’s self ready; prepare, 1.210; resort to, 4.493. (ad and cingō)

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.

īnsertō, 1, freq. a.: to put or thrust into; pass through, 2.672. (īnserō)

aptō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to fit, join, or fasten to; with acc. and dat., 8.721; put on, 2.390; get ready, prepare, 10.259; fit out, prepare, 1.552; with abl. of manner, 8.80. (aptus)

extrā, prep. w. acc.: outside of, beyond, 6.796; out of; from, 2.672. (exterā, abl. of exter)

complector, plexus sum, 3, dep. a.: to embrace; cover, 2.514; hold, 5.31; seize, grasp, 11.743.

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.

Iūlus, ī, m.: Iulus or Ascanius, son of Aeneas, 1.267, et freq.

sīn: (conj.), but if, if on the contrary, 1.555, et al.

tūtor, āvī, ātus sum, 1, dep. intens. a.: to protect, defend, 2.677; befriend, 5.343. (tueor)

media

Maps and Images

Brant: Decision to Flee from Troy

Suggested Citation