Aeneid Translation VI.450-901

For reference only; please do not copy.

450. Among whom Phoenecian Dido, fresh from a wound,

451. was wandering in the great forest; as soon as the Trojan hero

452. stood next to that* [woman], dark, and recognized her through the shadows,

453. as* [one] who either sees or thinks that [he] has seen that the moon is rising (This line is just weird. I looked up multiple translations because it didn't make sense, and this is the best I got. Sorry if it still makes no sense. *"qualem" does describe "lunam" in the Latin, but these words are best kept apart in the English.)

454. in the first month* through the clouds, (*in the first month = primo mense = abl. of time when)

455. he sent down tears and addressed [her] with sweet love:

456. "Unlucky DIdo, had a true message come to me, therefore,

457. that you [had been] destroyed with iron and that you had followed death?

458. Alas, have I been the cause of death for you? I swear through the stars,

459. through the gods, and if there is any loyalty beneath the bottom of the earth,

460. I departed from your shore unwilling.

461. But the orders of the gods, which now force me to go through these shadows,

462. through rough places and the deep night with neglect,

463. drove* me with their power; and I could not believe (*egere is a syncopated form of "egerunt", not an infinitive.)

464. that I was bringing this grief so great to you with my departure.

465. Stop your step and do not withdraw yourself from our sight*. (*ablative of separation)

466. Whom are you fleeing? By fate, this is the last thing which I address you." (*quod te = double accusative. Both words are objects of "adloquor".)

467. Aeneas was soothering her soul, burning and watching fiercely,* (*torva is used as an adverb.)

468. with his words and was stirring up tears.

469. That woman, having turned away*, was holding her eyes fixed to the ground (*aversa is treated like a deponent.)

470. and she is not moved more as to her face by his begun speech

471. more than if a hard flint or cliff of Marpessius would stand.

472. At last, she tore herself away, and hostile, she fled

473. into a shady grove, where her* former husband Sychaeus (*her = illi. You can translate is as "for that woman", as awkward as that is.)

474. responds to her cares and matches her love.

475. And Aeneas, not shaken less* by her unjust misfortune (*this means he feels just as bad about Dido's death as he did before.)

476. follows [her] far with tears and pities [her] going.

847. "Others will hammer out breathing bronze more easily

848. (indeed, I believe), they will lead living faces from marble,

849. they will plead cases better, and they will map out

850. the paths of heaven with a compass and they will name* the rising stars. (*they will name = dicent. "Dico" usually means "say", but it can mean to "name" or to "call".)

851. you, Roman, remember to rule peoples with power

852. (these skills will be for you*), and to establish a custom of peace, (*alternately translated as "you will have these skills", because it is dative of possession)

853. to spare the vanquished* and to crush the arrogant." (*subjectīs = dative w/ special verb "parcere")

854. In this way, his father Anchises [speaks], and he adds these things while [they] are marveling:* (*mirantibus = ablative absolute)

855. "Behold, as Marcellus, marked by his spoils of honor, enters

856. and overtops all men [as] the victor.

857. While a great uprising is disturbing the Roman state, this man will stand,

858. [he], a knight, will lay low the Carthaginians and a rebellious Gaul,

859. and he will hang up third captured arms for Father Romulus.

860. And here, Aeneas (for he was seeing at the same time that the young man was going,

861. remarkable in his form and gleaming arms,

862. but his forehead was not happy and his eyes were with a downcast countenance)

863. [says,] "Who, father, [is] that man who accompanies [him] going thus?

864. A son, or someone from a great lineage of descendants?

865. What a noise of comrades* is around! How great the likeness in [him] himself! (*said "comrades" are Marcellus' large body of supporters.)

866. But black knight flies around his head with a sad shade."

867. Then Father Anchises entered after tears had arisen,

868. "Oh, son, do not seek the huge sorrow of your men:

869. the fates will only show this man to the lands

870. and they will not allow him to exist farther. The Roman race

871. [would have]* seemed too powerful to you, gods, if these gifts had been his own. (*supplied to complete the conditional statement.)

872. How great the groans of men that field of Mars will drive

873. to the great city! Or what funerals you will see, Tiber,

874. when you will glide by the fresh tomb!

875. Neither will any boy from the Trojan race raise the Latin grandfathers

876. into so much* with his hope, nor will Roman land (*probably meaning so much glory or status)

877. ever boast itself so much with any child*. (*ullō alumnō = ablative. This is not dative because the dative form of "ullus" is "ullī". See Naughty Nine for more information.)

878. Alas, piety, alas, ancient loyalty and right hand

879. invincible in war! Not anyone, meeting that man armed, would have

880. carried himself unpunished, whether while a footsoldier was going into the enemy

881. or [while] he was spurring the shoulders of a foaming horse with spurs.

882. Alas, boy to be pitied, if you should break the harsh fates in any way,

883. you will be a Marcellus. Give lilies with full hands,

884. [so that] I may scatter the purple flowers and at least

885. honor the soul of my descendant with these gifts and I may fulfill

886. an empty duty*." Thus, they wander everywhere in the whole region (*inanī munere = ablative w/ special verb "fungar".)

887. on the wide fields of bronze and they survey all things.

888. Afterwards, Anchises led his son through those* things one by one (*An awkward "which" at the beginning of the sentence like this is best translated as "that" or "those.")

889. and he inflames his soul with the love of a coming reputation,

890. from there he recalls what wars the man must then fight*, (*the man must fight wars = bella virō gerenda [sint]. virō = dative of agent. This is a passive periphrastic. If you want to translate it literally you could say "wars must be fought by the man".)

891. and he teaches [about] the people of Laurentum and the city of Latinus,

892. and in what way he would both flee and bear each hardship.

893. There are twin gates of Sleep, of which one is said to be horny,

894. from which an easy exit from true shades is granted,

895. the other, shining, is said [to have been] made with shining ivory,

896. but the souls send false dreams to heaven. (That is, out of the prettier gate.)

897. After these things were said, Anchises then follows* his son (*technically, "escorts" would make more sense for "prosequitur" here, but since you know the root verb "sequor" to mean "follow", I would recommend translating this as "follows" so it's easier to remember.)

898. and the Sibyl together and sends them out from the ivory gate;

899. that man* speeds the road to the ships and revisits his comrades. (*Aeneas.)

900. He then carries himself on the straight shore to the harbor of Cajeta.

901. An anchor is thrown from the prow; ships stand on the shore.