Vergil, Aeneid IV 553-570

Tantōs illa suō rumpēbat pectore questūs:

Aenēās celsā in puppī iam certus eundī

carpēbat somnōs rēbus iam rīte parātīs.555

Huic sē fōrma deī vultū redeuntis eōdem

obtulit in somnīs rūrsusque ita vīsa monēre est,

omnia Mercuriō similis, vōcemque colōremque

et crīnīs flāvōs et membra decōra iuventā:

'Nāte deā, potes hōc sub cāsū dūcere somnōs,560

nec quae tē circum stent deinde perīcula cernis,

dēmēns, nec zephyrōs audīs spīrāre secundōs?

Illa dolōs dīrumque nefās in pectore versat

certa morī, variōsque īrārum concitat aestūs.

Nōn fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitāre potestās?565

Iam mare turbārī trabibus saevāsque vidēbis

conlūcēre facēs, iam fervere lītora flammīs,

sī tē hīs attigerit terrīs Aurōra morantem.

Heia age, rumpe morās. Varium et mūtābile semper

fēmina.' Sīc fātus noctī sē immiscuit ātrae.570

    CORE VOCABULARY

    questus, ūs, m.: a complaining; moaning; groans, 7.501; mournful sound. (queror)

    Aenēās, ae, m.: 1. A Trojan chief, son of Venus and Anchises, and hero of the Aeneid, 1.92. 2. Aenēās Silvius, one of the Alban kings, 6.769.

    celsus, a, um: adj. (cellō, rise), high, lofty, 1.56, et al.

    puppis, is, f.: the hinder part of a ship; the stern, 5.12; (by synecdoche), a vessel, boat, ship, 1.69; (meton.), crew, 8.497.

    carpo, carpsī, carptus, 3, a.: to pluck or pull, crop, browse upon, eat, graze; cause to graze, pasture; gather, 6.146; (fig.), catch, breathe, enjoy, 1.388; consume, 4.2; devour, waste, 4.32; carpere prāta, etc., to course over.

    rīte: (adv.), properly, fitly, rightly, 6.145; justly, meetly, 3.36; well, 3.107. (rītus)

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

    Mercurius, iī, m.: Mercury, an Italian god, identified with the Greek Hermes, son of Jupiter and Maia, and messenger of the gods, 4.222, et al.

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

    flāvus, a, um: (adj.), yellowish; yellow, 7.31; gold-tinted, golden, 1.592; 4.559; yellow-haired, golden-haired; pale green, 5.309.

    decōrus, a, um: adj. (decor), fit, proper, becoming, 5.343; graceful, beautiful, 1.589; adorned, 5.133; shining, 11.194.

    iuventa, ae, f.: youthfulness; the age of youth; youth, 1.590, et al. (iuvenis)

    possum, potuī, posse, irreg. n.: to be able; can, 1.242, et al.; to avail, have influence, power, 4.382. (potis and sum)

    nec or neque: (adv. and conj.), and not; neither, nor, 1.643, et al.; in prohibition, 3.394, et al.; neque (nec) — neque (nec), neither — nor, 5.21, et al.; nec — et, or -que, may be rendered neither — nor, 12.801; 2.534; nec nōn, and also, nor less, 6.183; nec nōn et, and also, 1.707.

    circumstō, stetī, 1, a. and n.: to stand around; hem in; threaten, beset, 10.905; encompass, threaten, 2.559.

    dēmēns, entis: (adj.), out of one’s mind, insane, foolish, mad, blind, 4.107; subst., fool, 11.399.

    Zephyrus, ī, m.: Zephyrus or Favonius, the god of the west wind, 2.417, et al.; west wind, 4.562; wind, 10.103.

    spīrō, āvī, ātus, 1, n. and a.: to breathe, blow, 5.844; palpitate, 4.64; pant; breathe heavily, 7.510; heave, boil, 10.291; of odors, breathe forth, exhale, emit; w. acc., 1.404; p., spīrāns, antis, lifelike, breathing, 6.847.

    dīrus, a, um: (adj.), accursed; portentous; fearful, dreadful, awful, dire, cruel, horrible, freq.; accursed, 2.261; unhallowed, impious, 6.373; foul, carrion, 3.262; wild, furious, ardent, 9.185; pl., dīra (adv.), fearfully, 10.572.

    versō, āvī, ātus, 1, freq. a.: to turn much; writhe, 11.753; turn, 5.408; handle, wield, 9.747; to buffet, drive, beat round and round, 5.460; drive to and fro, 12.664; toss about, 6.362; turn, hurry, 4.286; involve in or distract with, 7.336; with or without mente, pectore, etc., revolve, meditate, devise, consider, 1.657. (vertō)

    concitō, āvī, ātus, 1, intens. a.: to move with force; hurl, 11.784; spur, 11.742; (with sē), to speed, fly, 7.476.

    aestus, ūs, m.: glowing heat; summer; a boiling; a billowy motion; waves of flame, flames, 2.706; wave, surge, 1.107; tide, sea, flood, 3.419; tide (of feeling), agitation, 4.532.

    praeceps, cipitis: adj. (prae and caput), head foremost; headlong, 2.307; deep, 11.888; hurried, hasty, quick, speedy, 4.573; flying, running swiftly, 2.516; 3.598; rash, impetuous, fiery, 9.685; prolept., ready to sink, 10.232; subst., praeceps, n., a steep, precipice, verge, 2.460; in praeceps, headlong; downwards, 6.578.

    praecipitō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: to cast headlong, hurl, plunge, 2.37; urge, hurry, hasten; impel, incite, 2.317; break off, end swiftly, 12.699; hasten away, 4.565; n. (sc. sē), fall headlong, 6.351; descend swiftly, 2.9; run down, 4.251. (praeceps)

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

    conlūceō, 2, n.: to be wholly shining; shine on every side; be lighted up; shine, 4.567; be refulgent, 10.539.

    ferveō, ferbuī, 2, n., and fervō, fervī, 3, n.: to boil; (fig.), to blaze, be bright, 4.567; flash, 8.677; glow, 11.195; stir, be alive, teeming, 4.407; move, speed on, 1.436; rage, 9.693.

    attingō, tigī, tāctus, 3, a.: to touch against; touch, grasp, 9.558; (fig.), attain, reach, arrive at, 5.797; come upon, overtake, 4.568. (ad and tangō)

    aurōra, ae, f.: the dawn, morning, 3.521; personified, Aurora, the goddess of the dawn, who precedes the horses of the sun-god, 4.585; the east, 8.686; the sun, 6.535.

    hēia: (interj.), up! come on! away! 4.569.

    age, agite: (imperat. of ago), onward! away! come on!

    mūtābilis, e: adj. (mūtō), changeable, unstable, fickle, inconstant, 4.569; changeful, that brings changes, 11.425.

    immisceō, miscuī, mixtus or mistus, 2, a.: to mingle with; usually w. dat., 2.396; blend with, vanish in, 4.570.

    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.

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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-iv-553-570