Quōs ubi cōnfertōs ārdēre in proelia vīdī,

incipiō super hīs: 'Iuvenēs, fortissima frūstrā

pectora, sī vōbīs audentem extrēma cupīdō

certa sequī, quae sit rēbus fortūna vidētis:350

excessēre omnēs adytīs ārīsque relictīs

dī quibus imperium hoc steterat; succurritis urbī

incēnsae. moriāmur et in media arma ruāmus.

Ūna salūs victīs nūllam spērāre salūtem.'

Sīc animīs iuvenum furor additus. Inde, lupī ceu355

raptōrēs ātrā in nebulā, quōs improba ventris

exēgit caecōs rabiēs catulīque relictī

faucibus exspectant siccīs, per tēla, per hostīs

vādimus haud dubiam in mortem mediaeque tenēmus

urbis iter; nox ātra cavā circumvolat umbrā.360

Quis clādem illīus noctis, quis fūnera fandō

explicet aut possit lacrimīs aequāre labōrēs?

Urbs antīqua ruit multōs domināta per annōs;

plūrima perque viās sternuntur inertia passim

corpora perque domōs et rēligiōsa deōrum365

līmina. Nec sōlī poenās dant sanguine Teucrī;

quondam etiam victīs redit in praecordia virtūs

victōrēsque cadunt Danaī. crūdēlis ubīque

lūctus, ubīque pavōr et plūrima mortis imāgō.

    Aeneas as commander first emerges encouraging his men on what would now be called a suicide mission: there is no hope and they can only try to die well (Horsfall).

    347  ārdēre in: “to be eager for” (F-B); the present inf., after verbs of sense, is often equivalent to the pres. participle (Chase). 

    quōs ubi: connecting relative (AG 308.f); in English we would use the demonstrative (Bennet). 

    ubi ... vīdī: Aeneas immediately shows a capacity for command; he sees he has been joined not by a few random and dispirited stragglers, but by men eager for combat and willing to fight as a body (Horsfall).

    348  super: take adverbially (Storr). 

    348  hīs: supply verbis, ablative of manner (F-D) (AG 412). 

    349  pectora: in apposition to iuvenēs. It is used with a tone of affection, like our “dear hearts.” (F-B). 

    349-50  sī vōbīs ... sequī: supply agreeing with audentem, “if your desire is fixed to follow me in my final venture,” literally “daring the last.” With cupīdō supply est (F-B). 

    349  vōbīs: dative of possession (Pharr) (AG 373). 

    350  quae sit rēbus fortūna vidētis: “you see what is the fate of our cause,” sit is subjunctive of indirect question (AG 574); rebus, dative of possession (AG 373)  or dative of reference (AG 376).  

    352  quibus: “by whose aid this empire once stood,” (Page); “through whom,” ablative of means (F-D)  (AG 409). 

    353  moriāmur et ruāmus: jussive subjunctive (AG 439); indicates priority of interest, instead of the usual priority of time (Pharr).

    354  ūna salūs: supply est,  predicate nominative: “to hope for no safety (is) the only safety of the conquered”  (F-D) (AG 283). 

    354  spērāre: in apposition with salus (F-B). 

    354  victīs: dative of possession (AG 373).

    355  additus: supply est.

    355  sic: summarizing the effect of a speech; apparently not thus elsewhere in Vergil (Horsfal). 

    356  imprōba ventrīs rabies: “the belly's lawless rage,” improbus is used by Vergil in many connections, but always implies the absence of all seemliness or restraint (F-B).

    357  caecōs: as predicate, “blind to danger” (Comstock). 

    358  siccīs: "thirsting for blood” (H-H). 

    358  per … per: the repetition of the preposition takes the place of a conjunction (Carter).

    359  haud dubiam: “certain” (Comstock). 

    359  in: “to meet” or “to” (C-R).

    359-360  mediae … urbis iter: “the road to the heart of the city,” i.e. to the arx. Genitive of possession (AG 343) (F-B), partitive genitive (AG 346). 

    360  circumvolat: night could be thought of as winged (Carter).

    361-2  quis … explicet: “who can tell in speech?” The expression is a prelude to the account not of his own exploits, but of the scene of slaughter which they now witnessed in the streets (G-K). Conditional, deliberative, or potential subjunctive (AG  444446). 

    362  aequāre: “to keep pace with” (Austin).

    363  domināta: literally “having ruled.” The line is singularly impressive (F-B). 

    364  plūrima … inertia … corpora: “lifeless,” referring to the corpses of the slain; or “helpless,” with reference to the bodies of old men, women, and children, and persons unfit for war (F-D). 

    364  perque: -que is correlative with the -que in the next line (Bennet).

    365  et: and even” (Pharr). 

    365  rēligiōsa deōrum līmina: i.e. no place affords safety, not even the temples of the gods (Bennett).

    366  poenās dant sanguine: "suffer punishment with blood," i.e. suffer death (F-D).

    367  quondam: here used in its proper sense "at a certain time,”  "sometimes” (Howson). "at times," used like olim of indefinite time, not of definite past or definite future (Austin). 

    367  victis: dative of reference  (AG 376).

    368  crūdēlis lūctus (est): cruelty is transferred from the author or cause to the effect (G-K).

    CORE VOCABULARY

    cōnfertus, a, um: crowded together, 2.347. (cōnferciō, crowd together)

    exterreō, uī, itus, 2, a.: to frighten; alarm, startle, terrify, 3.307; flutter in terror, 5.505; p., exterritus, a, um, startled; roused, 4.571.

    excēdō, cessī, cessus, 3, n.: to go out or away; depart, 6.737; flee from, 1.357; withdraw from, 5.380; retire, 9.789.

    adytum, ī, n.: the inaccessible; the innermost part of a temple, accessible only to the priest; a shrine, sanctuary, oracle, 2.115; the interior of a tomb, or shrine of the dead, 5.84.

    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)

    incendō, cendī, cēnsus, 3, a.: to set fire to, burn, 2.353; kindle, 3.279; illuminate, 5.88; (fig.), of the mind, fire, inflame, 1.660; arouse, rouse to action, 5.719; excite, irritate, enrage, madden, provoke, 4.360; disturb, rend, fill, 10.895.

    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.

    lupus, ī, m.: a wolf, 3.428, et al.

    ceu: (adv. and conj.), as, just as, 5.88; as if, 2.438, et al. (ce-ve)

    raptor, ōris, m.: a plunderer, robber; adjectively, plundering, 2.356. (rapiō)

    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.

    nebula, ae, f.: a cloud, 10.82; mist, fog, 1.412.

    improbus, a, um: (adj.), not good; bad; malicious, wicked; cruel, 2.80; savage, 10.727; furiously impelled, destructive, 12.687; unappeasable, ravenous, rapacious, 12.250; importunate, raging, 2.356; of military devices, with warlike craft, 11.512; with murderous intent, 11.767; subst., m., shameless, impudent boaster, braggart, 5.397; wretch, 4.386.

    venter, tris, m.: the belly, 3.216; (fig.), hunger, 2.356.

    rabiēs, em, ē, f.: madness, frenzy, fury, fierceness, 2.357, et al.; of inanimate things, 5.802, et al.

    catulus, ī, m.: a young dog; a whelp, the young of wild animals; a cub, whelp, 2.357.

    faucēs, ium, f.: the jaws, throat, 2.358; (fig.), mouth, entrance, jaws, 6.241; defiles, 11.516.

    siccus, a, um: (adj.), dry, 3.135; thirsty, dry, hungry, fasting, 2.358; nearly equivalent to carēns or prīvātus, with abl. foll., drained of blood, 8.261; hence, thirsting for blood, 9.64; subst., siccum, ī, n., dry ground, sand, or land, 10.301.

    vādō, 3, n.: to go, walk, advance, go on, 2.396, et al.; rush, 2.359; move, speed on, 8.702; imperat., vāde, away, go on! 3.462.

    cavus, a, um: (adj.), hollow, 1.81; concave, 8.599; arching, vaulted, 2.487; cavae manūs, the palms of the hands, 12.86.

    circumvolō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to fly around or surround in flying; hover round, swoop round, 3.233; enshroud, cover, 2.360.

    clādēs, is, f.: destruction; slaughter, carnage, 2.361; scourge, destroyers, 6.843.

    explicō, āvī or uī, ātus or itus, 1, a.: to unfold; deploy, draw out, extend; describe, tell, 2.362.

    aequō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: to make equal in size, number, weight, etc., 1.193; 5.419; to equalize, divide equally, 1.508; make equal in length, 9.338; in height, raise to, 4.89; to equal, be equal to; to be as high as, on a level with; keep pace with, 6.263; return equally, requite, 6.474; lift, exalt, 11.125; p., aequātus, a, um, made equal or even; steady, 4.587. (aequus)

    dominor, ātus sum (pass. inf., dominārier, 7.70), 1, dep. n.: to be lord or master; rule, reign, be supreme, 2.363; foll. by abl. w. in, 2.327; by abl. without in, 6.766; and in 1.285; take possession, overrun, prevail. (dominus)

    sternō, strāvī, strātus, 3, a.: to spread out, spread, 1.700; stretch on the ground, strike down, slay, 1.190; cast down, prostrate, devastate, 2.306; make level, smooth, calm, 5.763; spread, cover, 8.719; strew, litter; overthrow, conquer, 6.858; pass. (in middle sense), sternor, ī, to stretch one's self, lie down, 3.509.

    iners, inertis: without ability; without force; inactive, inanimate, indolent; feeble, timid, 9.730; helpless, lifeless, 2.364; of the voice, weak, 10.322.

    passim: (adv.), here and there, in all directions; everywhere, 2.364, et al. (passus)

    religiōsus, a, um: adj. (religiō), devout; sacred, holy, 2.365.

    Teucrī, ōrum, m.: the Trojans, descendants of Teucer, 1.38, et al.; adj., Teucrian, Trojan, 9.779, et al. (Teucer)

    redeō, īvī or iī, itus, īre, irreg. n.: to go, come back, return; retreat, 9.794.

    praecordia, ōrum, n.: the diaphragm or midriff; the vital parts; the heart, 9.413; the heart as the seat of courage, 2.367; spirit, heart, 9.596. (prae and cor)

    Danaī, ōrum, m.: the Greeks, 2.327.

    crūdēlis, e: adj. (crūdus), unfeeling, ruthless, cruel, inhuman, 2.124; relentless, 1.547; unnatural, 6.24; mortal, deadly, 2.561; bloody, 1.355; bitter, 1.361.

    ubīque: (adv. of place), wheresoever; anywhere, 1.601; everywhere, 2.368.

    lūctus, ūs, m.: a mourning; sorrow, grief, woe, lamentation, 2.298, and freq.; personif., 6.274. (lūgeō)

    pavor, ōris, m.: a trembling, panic, fear, terror, 2.229; throbbing; eager, trembling, anxiety, 5.138. (paveō)

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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/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-ii-347-369