Tālia iactantī strīdēns Aquilōne procella

vēlum adversa ferit, flūctūsque ad sīdera tollit.

franguntur rēmī, tum prōra āvertit et undīs

dat latus, īnsequitur cumulō praeruptus aquae mōns.105

Hī summō in flūctū pendent; hīs unda dehīscēns

terram inter flūctūs aperit, furit aestus harēnīs.

Trēs Notus abreptās in saxa latentia torquet

(saxa vocant Italī mediīs quae in flūctibus Ārās,

dorsum immāne marī summō), trēs Eurus ab altō110

in brevia et syrtēs urget, miserābile vīsū,

inlīditque vadīs atque aggere cingit harēnae.

Ūnam, quae Lyciōs fīdumque vehēbat Orontēn,

ipsius ante oculōs ingēns ā vertice pontus

in puppim ferit: excutitur prōnusque magister115

volvitur in caput, ast illam ter flūctus ibīdem

torquet agēns circum et rapidus vorat aequore vertex.

appārent rārī nantēs in gurgite vāstō,

arma virum tabulaeque et Trōïa gaza per undās.

Iam validam Īlioneī nāvem, iam fortis Achātae,120

et quā vectus Abās, et quā grandaevus Alētēs,

vīcit hiems; laxīs laterum compāgibus omnēs

accipiunt inimīcum imbrem rīmīsque fatīscunt.

Manuscripts: M 102-116, 117-123 | R 102-108, 109-123

The fleet is scattered; three ships are wrecked, one swamped (Storr). 

102: iactanti: dative of reference (F-B) (AG 378.2). Dative of disadvantage (Walpole) (AG 376). An ethical dative (P-H) (AG 380). Aquilone: ablative of place from which (F-B). “From the north” (Frieze). Ablative of cause with stridens (Carter). “Howling with the north wind” (Walpole).

103: velum adversa ferit: “strikes the sail full in front”; adversa (lit. “facing”) agrees with procella, though adverbial in sense (F-B). ferit: from ferio (Page).

104: avertit: intransitive (F-B). avertere = avertere se (Carter). undis: dat. of indirect object (Robertson).

105: cumulo: “in a heap, ablative of manner (F-B) (AG 412). “In a mass”; join with insequitur as an ablative of manner (Frieze).

106: hi...his: “some...to others”; the crews of different ships are referred to (F-B).

107: harenis: ablative of means (F-B) (AG 409).

108: tres: i.e., naves (F-B). Notus: “wind” (Robertson). latentia: “hidden,” “sunken,” i.e., just reaching the surface of the water (110), hence the sailor might fail to see them (Conway).

109: quae: understand sunt (Bennett). Construe: Saxa (quae) Itali vocant Aras, quae (sunt) in mediis fluctibus (Walpole). Aras: “Altars,” a name given to a rocky reef off the African coast (F-B).

110: dorsum: in apposition with Aras. The word properly means an animal’s back (F-B). ab alto: “from the deep sea” (Walpole).

111: brevia: here a noun (Knapp). in brevia et syrtes: “onto the shallows and sand banks.” The famous Syrtes (Gulfs of Cabes and Sidra), possibly referred to here, are considerably to the east of Carthage, but poets are often vague in their geographical references (F-B) (map). miserabile visu: “wretched to behold” (Bennett). miserabile is an accusative, in apposition with the sentence (F-B) (AG 397f). visu: the supine in u (Carter) (AG 510).

112: vadis: dative after invidit (Carter).

113: unam: sc. navem (F-B).

114: ipsius: refers to Aeneas (Frieze). a vertice: “from above” (Robertson). The prepositional phrase is equivalent to an adjective and so qualifies a substantive. This use is comparatively rare, and is largely due to Greek influence (F-B).

115: excutitur: sc. e navi (F-B). magister: “helmsman, pilot” (Comstock).

116: illam: the ship, in contrast with the persons on board (Frieze).

117: agens circum: = circumagens, tmesis and transposition. It is added to show how the action is performed (Walpole). circum: belongs to both verbs (F-B).

118: apparent: “come suddenly into sight” (Conway). rari: predicative, contrasted with vasto (Conway). Referring to the voyagers seen struggling in the sea, less numerous than the arms, planks, and valuables floating all about per undas (Frieze).

119: arma: wicker shields and leather helmets (Page). virum: = virorum (Carter) (AG 49d). tabulae: “planks” (Conway). gaza: “treasures” (Comstock).

120: Ilionei: the ei is one syllable by synizesis (F-B) (AG 603c note). Achatae: fidus Achates, Aeneas’ right-hand man. He is saved and comes in frequently in the subsequent narrative. The name has become proverbial for a faithful comrade (Carter).

121: qua: the antecedent of qua is navem to be supplied as the object of vicit (Carter). vectus: sc. est (F-B).

122: laxis: = laxatis, the construction being an ablative absolute (F-B). compagibus: abl. of means or abl. absol. (C-R).

123: accipiunt: the metaphor is taken from a conquered city which surrenders and receives its foes within its walls (F-B). imbrem: here of the sea, but usually of rain (F-B). = “water” by metonomy (Walpole). rimis: “with chinks,” ablative of attendant circumstances (F-B). abl. of manner (Frieze).

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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/sv/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-i-102-123