Vergil, Aeneid XI 768-793

Forte sacer Cybelō Chlōreus ōlimque sacerdōs

īnsīgnis longē Phrygiīs fulgēbat in armīs

spūmantemque agitābat equum, quem pellis aēnīs770

in plūmam squāmīs aurō cōnserta tegēbat.

Ipse peregrīnā ferrūgine clārus et ostrō

spīcula torquēbat Lyciō Gortȳnia cornū;

aureus ex umerīs erat arcus et aurea vātī

cassida; tum croceam chlamydemque sinūsque crepantīs775

carbaseōs fulvō in nōdum collēgerat aurō

pīctus acū tunicās et barbara tegmina crūrum.

Hunc virgō, sīve ut templīs praefīgeret arma

Trōïa, captīvō sīve ut sē ferret in aurō

vēnātrīx, ūnum ex omnī certāmine pūgnae780

caeca sequēbātur tōtumque incauta per agmen

fēmineō praedae et spoliōrum ārdēbat amōre,

tēlum ex īnsidiīs cum tandem tempore captō

concitat et superōs Arrūns sīc vōce precātur:

'Summe deum, sānctī cūstōs Sōractis Apollō,785

quem prīmī colimus, cui pīneus ārdor acervō

pāscitur, et medium frētī pietāte per īgnem

cultōrēs multā premimus vestīgia prūnā,

dā, pater, hōc nostrīs abolērī dēdecus armīs,

omnipotēns. nōn exuviās pulsaeve tropaeum790

virginis aut spolia ūlla petō, mihi cētera laudem

facta ferent; haec dīra meō dum vulnere pestis

pulsa cadat, patriās remeābō inglōrius urbēs.'

    CORE VOCABULARY

    Cybelē, ēs, and Cybēbē, ēs, or ae, f.: 1. Cybele, the principal goddess of Phrygia, corresponding to the “Magna Mater” of the Romans, and often identified with Rhea and Ops, 10.220. 2. A mountain in Phrygia sacred to Cybele, 3.111.

    Chlōreus (dissyll.), eī and eos, m.: Chloreus, a Trojan, priest of Cybele, 11.768.

    īnsīgnis, e: beautiful, 3.468; splendid, adorned, 4.134; conspicuous, 6.808; marked, renowned, distinguished, 1.10; illustrious, glorious, 10.450. (in and sīgnum)

    Phrygius, a, um: Phrygian, Trojan, 1.381; subst., Phrygiae, ārum, f., Phrygian or Trojan women, 518. (Phryx)

    fulgeō, fulsī, 2, and fulgō, 3, n.: to shine brightly; flash, gleam, glance, 5.562.

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

    pellis, is, f.: a skin, hide, 2.722, et al.

    aēnus, a, um: adj. (aes), of bronze; brazen, 2.470; subst., aēnum, ī, n., a bronze or brazen vessel; caldron, 1.213, et al.

    plūma, ae, f.: the soft under-feather; a soft feather; plume, feather, 3.242; plumage, 11.771.

    squāma, ae, f.: a scale of fishes, serpents, etc.; of the small plates or scales of armor, 11.488; singular as a collective, scales, 5.88, et al.

    cōnserō, seruī, sertus, 3, a.: to tie together; fasten, 3.594; arm, 11.771; cōnserere proelia, to join battle, engage in, fight, 2.398.

    peregrīnus, a, um: adj. (peregre from per and ager), of foreign lands; foreign, barbarian, 11.772.

    ferrūgō, inis, f.: iron rust; the color of iron rust; dusky or brown tint, 11.772; red or purple, 9.582. (ferrum)

    ostrum, ī, n.: the purple fluid of the murex; purple dye, purple, 5.111; purple cloth, covering or drapery, 1.700; purple decoration, 10.722; purple trappings, housings, 7.277.

    spīculum, ī, n.: a sharp point; (meton.), an arrow, a dart, javelin, spear, 5.307.

    torqueō, torsī, tortus, 2, a.: to wind, turn, twist, 4.575; roll along, 6.551; whirl, hurl, 3.208; shoot, 5.497; cast, dash, 1.108; direct, 4.220; turn away, 6.547; turn, cause to revolve, 4.269; control, 12.180; p., tortus, a, um, whirled, whirling, impetuous, 7.567.

    Lycius, a, um: adj. (Lycia), Lycian, 6.334, et al.; pl., Lyciī, ōrum, m., the Lycians, 1.113.

    Gortȳnius, a, um: (adj.), of Gortyna, a town in Crete; Gortynian, Cretan.

    umerus, ī, m.: the upper bone of the arm; the shoulder, 1.501, and freq.

    arcus, ūs, m.: a bow, 5.500, et al.; the rainbow, 5.88.

    cassida, ae, and cassis, idis, f.: a helmet (of metal), 11.775.

    croceus, a, um: adj. (crocus), of saffron; saffron-colored, yellow, 4.585.

    chlamys, ydis, f.: a mantle or cloak of woolen cloth, worn by the Greeks; a mantle, 3.484.

    crepō, uī, itus, 1, n. and a.: to rattle; creak, crack, 5.206; rustle, 11.775.

    carbaseus, a, um: adj. (carbasus), of linen, linen-, 11.776.

    fulvus, a, um: (adj.), reddish or tawny yellow; yellow, 5.374; tawny, 2.722; brown, 11.751; glowing, bright, 12.792.

    nōdus, ī, m.: a knot, 1.320, et al.; of a tree, 11.553; bond, 1.296; coil, 2.220; (fig.), difficult point; center of strife, 10.428.

    pingō, pīnxī, pīctus, 3, a.: to paint, 5.663; color, stain, dye, 7.252; tattoo, 4.146.

    acus, ūs, f.: a needle, 9.582. (acuō)

    tunica, ae, f.: the under-garment of men and women; vest, tunic, 9.616; cuirass, corselet, 10.314.

    barbarus, a, um: (adj.), barbarian, savage, 1.539; foreign, barbaric, 11.777; subst., barbarus, ī, m., a barbarian, mercenary stranger, or soldier.

    tegmen (tegumen), inis, n.: a means of covering; skin, hide, 1.275; clothing, 3.594; shield, 9.577; tegmen crūrum, close-fitting trousers worn by Phrygians, 11.777. (tegō)

    crūs, crūris, n.: the leg, especially from the knee to the ankle.

    sīve or seu: (conj.), or if, freq.; or, 5.69; elliptical, 11.327; sīve (seu) — sīve (seu), whether — or, 1.569, 570; either — or, 4.240, 241.

    praefīgō, fīxī, fīxus, 3, a.: to fasten before, in front of, w. acc. and dat., 11.778; on the end, 9.466; to tip, head, point, 5.557.

    Trōius, a, um: (adj.), of Troy, Trojan, 1.119.

    captīvus, a, um: adj. (capiō), taken in war; captured, captive, 2.765; of a captive or of captives, 10.520; subst., captīvus, ī, m., a captive, 9.273.

    vēnātrīx, īcis, f.: a huntress, 1.319; adj., 11.780. (vēnor)

    certāmen, inis, n.: a striving, a struggle; effort, 5.197; combat, emulation, strife, 3.128; battle, war, 8.639; contest, game, 5.286. (certō)

    incautus, a, um: (adj.), unguarded, heedless, 10.386; unsuspecting, 1.350.

    fēmineus, a, um: adj. (fēmina), pertaining to women; female, 9.142; a woman’s, of a woman, 2.584; of women, 4.667; fit for a woman, 12.53.

    spolium, I, n.: that which is taken from the body of a slain man or beast; spoil, trophy, 1.289; spolia opīma, the arms or spoils taken by a victorious general from the body of a hostile commander slain in battle, 6.855.

    īnsidiae, ārum, f.: a sitting down, or lying in ambuscade; an ambush, 11.783; snare, toil; plot, treachery, wile, 2.36; stealthy journey or enterprise, 9.237; artifice, stratagem, 2.421; personif. pl., Īnsidiae, ārum, Stratagem, 12.336. (īnsideō)

    tempus, oris, n.: 1. Time in general, a period, time, 1.278; interval or space of time, 4.433; crisis, circumstance, juncture, 7.37; season, fitting time, opportunity, proper moment, 4.294; ex longō (tempore), in or for a long time, 9.64. 2. The temple of the forehead, 9.418; commonly pl., 2.684; of animals, 12.173.

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

    Arrūns, untis, m.: Arruns or Aruns, an Etruscan follower of Tarchon, 11.759.

    Sōracte, is, n.: Soracte, in Etruria, northeast of Rome, on which in ancient times was a temple of Apollo, 7.696.

    Apollō, inis, m.: Apollo, son of Jupiter and Latona; the god of prophecy, medicine, music, poetry, and archery, 2.430; met., a temple of Apollo, 3.275.

    pīneus, a, um: adj. (pīnus), of pine, made of pine, produced from pine, piny, 11.786; pine-, 2.258; piny, pine-growing, 11.320.

    ārdor, ōris, m.: a burning; fire, flame, 11.786; heat, drought; ardor, zeal, fervor, 4.581. (ārdeō)

    acervus, ī, m.: a heap, pile, 4.402.

    pāscō, pāvī, pāstus, 3, a. and n.: to furnish with food; to feed; rear, breed, 6.655; nourish, 1.608; (fig.), 1.464; let grow, 7.391; cherish, indulge, nourish, 10.627; pass. as dep., pāscor, pāstus sum, 3, a. and n., to graze, 1.186; feed upon, eat, 2.471; use for pasture, to pasture, 11.319.

    frētus, a, um: (adj.), leaning on; w. abl. of the thing on which; relying on, confiding in, trusting to, 4.245.

    cultor, ōris, m.: a husbandman, cultivator; inhabitant; worshiper, 11.788. (colō)

    prūna, ae, f.: a live coal, 5.103.

    aboleō, ēvī, itus, 2, a.: to cause to wane or waste; to destroy, 4.497; cleanse, efface, wipe out, 11.789; obliterate the memory of, 1.720.

    dēdecus, oris, n.: dishonor, disgrace, shame, 10.681.

    omnipotēns, entis: adj. (omnis and potēns), all-powerful, almighty, 1.60; supreme, sovereign, 10.1; subst., The Almighty, 4.220.

    exuviae, ārum, f.: that which has been taken off; a garment, vestment, 4.496; armor, arms; spoils, 2.275; memorials, relics, 4.651; skin, 2.473; hide, 11.577. (exuō)

    tropaeum, ī, n.: a memorial of the turning (cf. τρέπειν, to turn) or rout of an enemy; the trunk of a tree on which were hung the arms or spoils of an enemy slain; any memento of victory; a trophy.

    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.

    pestis, is, f.: destruction, 5.699; plague, pest, scourge, 3.215; death, 9.328; infection, pollution, 6.737; fatal, baneful passion, 1.712. (perdō)

    patrius, a, um: adj. (pater), pertaining to one's father or ancestors; a father's, 2.658; paternal, natural to a father, 1.643; exacted by a father, 7.766; due to, felt for a father or parent, 9.294; ancestral, hereditary, 3.249; of one's country, native, 3.281; belonging to the nation, of the country, 11.374.

    remeō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: to go back, return, 2.95.

    inglōrius, a, um: (adj.), without glory; unrenowned, inglorious, 10.52.

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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-xi-768-793