Vergil, Aeneid III 49-68

Hunc Polydōrum aurī quondam cum pondere magnō

īnfēlīx Priamus fūrtim mandārat alendum50

Thrēïciō rēgī, cum iam diffīderet armīs

Dardaniae cingīque urbem obsidiōne vidēret.

Ille, ut opēs frāctae Teucrum et fortūna recessit,

rēs Agamemnoniās victrīciaque arma secūtus

fās omne abrumpit: Polydōrum obtruncat, et aurō55

vī potitur. Quid nōn mortālia pectora cōgis,

aurī sacra famēs! Postquam pavor ossa relīquit,

dēlēctōs populī ad procerēs prīmumque parentem

mōnstra deum referō, et quae sit sententia poscō.

Omnibus īdem animus, scelerātā excēdere terrā,60

linquī pollūtum hospitium et dare classibus Austrōs.

Ergō īnstaurāmus Polydōrō fūnus, et ingēns

aggeritur tumulō tellūs; stant Mānibus ārae

caeruleīs maestae vittīs ātrāque cupressō,

et circum Īliades crīnem dē mōre solūtae;65

īnferimus tepidō spūmantia cymbia lacte

sanguinis et sacrī paterās, animamque sepulcrō

condimus et magnā suprēmum vōce ciēmus.

    CORE VOCABULARY

    Polydōrus, ī, m.: son of Priam and Hecuba, 3.49.

    īnfēlīx, īcis: (adj.), unlucky; unfortunate, luckless, unhappy, 1.475, et al.; sad, miserable, 2.772; of ill omen, ill-starred, ill-boding, fatal, 2.245; unfruitful.

    Priamus, ī, m.: 1. Priam, son of Laomedon, king of Troy, 1.458, et al. 2. A Trojan youth, son of Polites and grandson of King Priam, 5.564.

    fūrtim: (adv.), by stealth, secretly, 2.18. (fūr)

    mandō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to give in hand or consign; w. acc. alone, or acc. and dat., or inf.; to commission, charge, bid, command, 4.222; place, deposit; commit, consign, confide, intrust, 3.50; of burial, to inter; order, w. inf. (manus and dō)

    Thrēicius, a, um: (adj.), Thracian, 3.51, et al.; Thracian in character, northern, 11.659.

    diffīdō, fīsus sum, 3, n.: to be distrustful; to distrust, 3.51.

    Dardania, ae, f.: Troy, 2.281.

    obsidiō, ōnis, f.: a blockade or siege, 3.52. (obsideō)

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

    fortūna, ae, f.: fortune, destiny, lot, chance, fate, 1.628; success, 10.422; the proper moment, a chance, 12.920; misfortune, calamity, 12.593; personified, 3.53, et al. (fors)

    recēdō, cessī, cessus, 3, n.: to go back, retire, withdraw, 12.129; recede, retreat, 2.633; stand apart, retire, 2.300; depart, 2.595; disappear, 3.72; vanish, 5.526.

    Agamemnonius, a, um: (adj.), pertaining to Agamemnon; Agamemnonian, Argive, Greek, 4.471.

    victrīx, īcis, f.: a female conqueror; in triumph, 7.544; as adj., victorious, 3.54. (vincō)

    fās, indecl. n.: divine right or law; duty, justice, 3.55; privilege, 9.96; as predicate with esse, permitted, lawful, proper, incumbent, 1.77, et al. (rel. to for)

    abrumpō, rūpī, ruptus, 3, a.: to break off, away, or tear away from, 9.118; tear asunder, rend, 3.199; end suddenly or abruptly, 4.388; put an end to, 4.631; violate, 3.55; p. abruptus, a, um, having burst, bursting, breaking forth, subst., abruptum, ī, n., anything broken off; a precipice; abyss, chasm, 3.422; in abruptum, headlong, 12.687.

    obtruncō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to lop off; cut down; cut to pieces, slay, 2.663.

    potior, ītus sum, 4, dep. n.: to become master or possessor of; get, take possession, w. abl., 3.56; enjoy, 4.217; seize, 12.642; win, 9.363; achieve, execute, 6.624; gain, reach, 1.172. (potitur, 3.56; 4.217) (potis)

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

    dēligō, lēgī, lēctus, 3, a.: to choose from; choose, 2.18. (dē and legō)

    procer, eris, m.: a chief, noble; pl., procerēs, um, elders, nobles, princes, 1.740. (in the sing. found only in the acc.)

    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)

    scelerō, no perf., ātus, 1, a.: to make impious; desecrate, pollute, 3.42; p., scelerātus, a, um, foul with crime; polluted, impious, wicked, 2.231; accursed, 6.563; pertaining to the guilty or to guilt, due to wickedness, 2.576; sacrilegious, 9.137. (scelus)

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

    linquō, līquī, 3, a.: to leave, 1.517, and freq.; desert, abandon, flee from, 3.213; pass by, 3.705; depart from, leave, 3.124; of death, yield up, 3.140; give up or over, desist from, 3.160.

    polluō, uī, ūtus, 3, a.: to soil, pollute, defile, 3.234; break, violate, 3.61.

    hospitium, iī, n.: the relation of host and guest; hospitality, 10.460; friendly reception, entertainment; protection, hospitality, welcome, 1.299; guest-land, ally, 3.15; refuge, 1.540; alliance, 11.114. (hospes)

    Auster, trī, m.: the southerly or south wind, opposite to Aquilo; wind in general, 3.70; (meton.), the south.

    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.

    aggerō, gessī, gestus, 3, a.: to bear to; heap upon, add to, 3.63. (ad and gerō)

    tumulus, ī, m.: a rising ground; a low hill, 9.195; a mound, 2.713; sepulchral mound, sepulcher, tomb, 3.304; 11.103. (tumeō)

    Mānēs, ium, m.: the deities of the lower world, 6.896; gods or powers below, 12.646; the spirits or souls of the dead in Hades; ghosts, shades, Manes, 3.63; penalties of the lower world, punishments, expiations, purgatory, 6.743; abode of the dead, 4.387; infernal regions, the world below, 10.820.

    caerulus, a, um: (adj.), dark blue, 2.381; sea-colored, azure, 5.819; dark; black, 3.64; subst., caerula, ōrum, n., the dark blue waters; the sea, 3.208.

    vitta, ae, f.: a fillet, band, or chaplet for the head, especially for religious occasions, 5.366, 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.

    cupressus, ī, f.: the cypress; a branch of cypress, 2.714.

    circum: (adv.), about, around; (prep. with acc.), around, about.

    Īlias, adis, f.: a daughter of Ilium or Troy; pl., Īliades, um, Trojan women, 1.480.

    crīnis, is, m.: the hair, 1.480; train of meteors, 5.528; (often in the pl.), the hairs of the head, the hair.

    solvō, solvī, solūtus, 3, a.: to unbind, loosen, 6.652, et al.; unfurl, 4.574; unfasten, cast off, 5.773; unyoke, unharness; of the hair, undo, dishevel, 3.65, et al.; dissolve, confound, mix, 12.205; separate, divide, 5.581; (fig.), set free, release, disenthrall, 4.487; exempt, release, 10.111; break, 10.91; pay, fulfill, perform, 3.404; dispel, cast off, banish, 4.55; 1.463; paralyze, 1.92; 12.951; of sleep or drunkenness, relax, 5.856; drown, 9.189; (pass.), solvor, sink, 4.530. (2. sē- and luō)

    tepidus, a, um: adj. (tepeō), lukewarm, tepid; warm, 3.66; smoking, reeking, 9.455.

    spūmō, āvī, ātus, 1, n. and a.: to foam, 3.534, et al. (spūma)

    cymbium, iī, n.: a small, skiff-shaped drinking cup; cup, 3.66.

    lac, lactis, n.: milk, 3.66, et al.; juice, 4.514.

    patera, ae, f.: a broad, saucer-shaped dish, used in making libations; a libation cup, patera, 1.729. (pateō)

    suprēmum: (adv.), for the last time, 3.68. (superus)

    cieō, cīvī, citus, 2, a.: to cause, to move; stir, 2.419; agitate, move, 4.122; excite, kindle, rouse, 6.165; raise, 12.104; call upon, invoke, 3.68; call up, exhibit, 5.585; of tears, shed, 6.468.

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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-iii-49-68