Hīc vērō ingentem pugnam, ceu cētera nusquam

bella forent, nūllī tōtā morerentur in urbe,

sīc Mārtem indomitum Danaōsque ad tēcta ruentēs440

cernimus obsessumque āctā testūdine līmen.

Haerent parietibus scālae postēsque sub ipsōs

nītuntur gradibus clipeōsque ad tēla sinistrīs

prōtēctī obiciunt, prēnsant fastīgia dextrīs.

Dardanidae contrā turrīs ac tōta domōrum445

culmina convellunt; hīs sē, quandō ultima cernunt,

extrēmā iam in morte parant dēfendere tēlīs,

aurātāsque trabēs, veterum decora alta parentum,

dēvolvunt; aliī strictīs mūcrōnibus īmās

obsēdēre forēs, hās servant agmine dēnsō.450

Īnstaurātī animī rēgis succurrere tēctīs

auxiliōque levāre virōs vimque addere victīs.

    A fierce fight about the walls and entrance-gate to Priam's Palace (F-B). At Priam’s palace Aeneas finds a fierce struggle going on, the Greeks trying to scale the battlements and to force the doors, the Trojans resisting (C-R).

    438  vērō: indicating that something important is to be told, that some crisis has been reached (C-R). 

    438  pugnam: supply cernimus (Pharr). 

    438-39  ceu cētera nusquam bella forent: "as if there were no battles elsewhere." A conditional comparison (F-B). ceu is used with the force of quasi (Bennet).

    439  bella: often, as here, used equivalent to proelia, “battles” (Carter).

    439  forent: = essent, imperfect subjunctive > sum

    439  nūllī: no others” (C-R).

    440  sīc: correlative to ceu (Storr). 

    440  sīc Mārtem indomitum: in loose apposition with pugnam

    441  āctā testūdine: ablative absolute (G-K) (AG 419). 

    442  haerent: "cling" by hooks (crows) at the end, an anachronism, for scaling-ladders were really a later invention (G-K).

    442  parietibus: dative or ablative with haerent (Pharr). 

    442  scālaescaling ladders, also common in Roman warfare (F-B). 

    442  postēsque sub ipsōs: "close under the very door-posts," the postēs being the posts of the entrance-gate (F-B). The Greeks press forward (nituntur) right up to (sub) the entrance (Austin).

    443  gradibus: "up the rungs," ablative of route (Pharr). 

    443  ad: against (Knapp).

    444  prōtēctī: proleptic, i.e. "to guard themselves" (Storr).

    445  contrā: adverb, "in their turn" (F-B). 

    445  turrēs ... culmina: objects of convellunt (Pharr). 

    445  tōta culmina: refers to the whole roofing, including also the gilded rafters (F-D). 

    445  domōrum:tecta (Knapp).

    446  hīs: the culmina' tēlīs is predicative, "as weapons," ablative of means. (Pharr). 

    446  quandō ultima cernunt, “when they see the end” (Sidgwick). Ultima (fāta) = mortem (Pharr).

    448  decora alta: “stately splendor” (H-H). 

    448  decora parentum: “heirlooms” (Carter).

    449  aliī (Teucri): these are Trojans in the vestibule and court, standing ready with drawn swords to meet the enemy, if they should burst through the doors. The defenders at the door (Austin).

    450  obsēdēre: = obsēdērunt.

    451  Īnstaurātī (sunt) animī (nostrī)

    451  tēctīs: dative with a compound verb (Pharr), dative of advantage (Comstock). 

    451  succurrere: depends on the idea of desire implied in animī (Comstock).

    452  auxiliō: “to aid,” dative of purpose (AG 382) (H-H), ablative of means (Pharr). 

    452  vimque addere victīs: “and give new vigor to the vanquished” (Storr). 

    CORE VOCABULARY

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

    nūsquam: (adv.), nowhere, 2.620; sometimes transf. to time; on no occasion; never, 5.853. (nē and ūsquam)

    Mārs (archaic form, Māvors), Mārtis: Mars, son of Jupiter and Juno; the patron of war and tutelar god of the Romans, 1.274, et al.; (meton.), martial spirit, courage, warlike fury, 6.165; battle, conflict, 2.335, et al.

    indomitus, a, um: (adj.), untamed; unbridled, 2.594; impetuous, fierce, 2.440.

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

    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.

    obsideō, sēdī, sessus, 2, n. and a.: to sit in or on; abide; hold, occupy, 3.421; besiege, beset, 2.441; throng, 12.133; obstruct, fill up, choke. (ob and sedeō)

    testūdō, inis, f.: a tortoise; a vaulted roof, vault, 1.505; a testudo, formed of the shields of soldiers held over their heads, 2.441.

    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.

    pariēs, etis, m.: a wall, whether partition or external wall, 5.589; 2.442.

    scālae, ārum, f.: a ladder; scaling ladder, 2.442. (scandō)

    postis, is, m.: a post; doorpost, jamb, 3.287; door, 2.480. (rel. to pōnō)

    nītor, nīsus or nīxus sum, 3, dep. n.: to lean or rest upon, w. abl., 6.760; tread, walk upon, 2.380; to be borne upon, poised or balanced upon, 4.252; push, press, struggle forward or upward; ascend, 2.443.

    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.

    prōtegō, tēxī, tēctus, 3, a.: to cover in front; shelter, protect, 2.444.

    obiciō, iēcī, iectus, 3, a.: to throw against or towards; throw to, 6.421; present, oppose, 2.444; bar against, shut, 9.45; cast upon, 7.480; subject, expose, 4.549; (pass.), to be presented, appear, 5.522; p., obiectus, a, um, thrown towards or against; opposite, projecting, 3.534. (ob and iaciō)

    prēnsō, āvī, ātus, 1, intens. a.: to grasp, 2.444. (prēndō)

    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)

    Dardanidēs, ae, m.: a son or descendant of Dardanus; Aeneas, 10.545; pl., Dardanidae, ārum (um), the Trojans, 1.560, et al.; adj., Dardanian, Trojan, 2.59.

    contrā: (prep. and adv.; prep. w. acc.), over against; opposite to, 1.13; against, 5.370; to, 9.280; on the contrary, 12.779; on the other hand, in reply, 1.76.

    turris, is, f.: a tower, 2.445, et al.

    atque, or ac: (conj.), and in addition, or and besides; and, as well, and indeed, and, 1.575; freq.; even, 2.626; in comparisons, as, 4.90; than, 3.561.

    culmen, inis, n.: a top, summit, height, 2.290; house top, ridge, roof, 2.458. (cf. columna)

    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.

    ultima, ōrum: the end, goal, 5.317; the last, the final hour; the end, 2.446. (ulterior)

    aurātus, a, um: adj. (aurum), gilded, golden, of gold, 12.163; embroidered with gold, 5.250.

    trabs, trabis, f.: a beam; timber, 1.552; post, jamb, 1.449; trunk, 6.181; tree, 9.87; ship, 3.191.

    dēvolvō, volvī, volūtus, 3, a.: to roll down; throw, hurl down, 2.449.

    stringō, strīnxī, strīctus, 3, a.: to draw tight, bind; of a sword, draw out, draw, 2.334; graze, touch lightly, go near, 5.163; trim up, cut, 1.552; (fig.), touch the mind, 9.294.

    mūcrō, ōnis, m.: a sharp point or edge, esp. of a weapon, 2.333; point of a spear, 11.817; a sword, blade, 2.449.

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

    dēnsus, a, um: (adj.), thick, dense, crowded, compact, in close array, serried, 2.383; frequent, 5.459.

    īnstaurō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to build; perform, celebrate, 3.62; revive, resolve anew, 2.451; celebrate anew, 4.63; renew, 2.669; repay, requite, 6.530.

    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)

    levō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to render light; lighten; lift, aid, 1.145; raise, 4.690; (fig.), ease, relieve of (w. abl.); support, rest, 10.834; reënforce, help, 2.452; mitigate, 3.36; allay, 7.495; cure, 7.755; relieve, 7.571. (2. levis)

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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-438-452