aeneid 4.160-172

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.160–172

This brief passage marks one of the most consequential turning points in the Aeneid. Dido's union with Aeneas is staged amid charged imagery, and Vergil offers a stark moral framing of the day as the origin of Dido's eventual fate.

Tier 1

intereā caelum incipit sonāre. tunc nimbus venit. tunc grandō venit. comitēs Dīdōnis et iuvenēs Trōiānī et Ascanius, nepōs Veneris, sunt territī. omnēs petunt tēcta per agrōs. amnēs dē montibus ruunt.

Dīdō et Aenēās veniunt ad eandem spēluncam. Terra et Iūnō dant signum. ignēs in caelō sunt. caelum hoc videt. Nymphae clāmant in summō monte.

ille diēs erat causa mortis et multōrum malōrum. Dīdō nōn cōgitat dē speciē suā. Dīdō nōn cōgitat dē fāmā suā. Dīdō amōrem suum nōn iam cēlat. Dīdō vocat hoc "mātrimōnium." sed hoc nōmen cēlat culpam Dīdōnis.

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

intereā magnō miscērī murmure caelum
incipit, īnsequitur commixtā grandine nimbus,
et Tyriī comitēs passim et Troiāna iuventūs
Dardaniusque nepōs Veneris dīversa per agrōs
tēcta metū petiēre; ruunt dē montibus amnēs.

AP Core Vocabulary

magnus, -a, -um=great, large; magnō murmure, with a great roar

misceō, -ēre, miscuī, mixtum=to mix, mingle, throw into confusion; commixtā = compound of misceō, mixed with

caelum, -ī (n.)=sky, heaven

incipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptum=to begin, take hold

sequor, -ī, secūtus sum=to follow; īnsequitur = compound of sequor, follows after, comes next

comes, -itis (m.)=companion

Troiānus, -a, -um=Trojan, of Troy

-que=and (enclitic)

per=+ acc., through

ager, agrī (m.)=field, land

tectum, -ī (n.)=roof, shelter, house

metus, -ūs (m.)=fear, dread

petō, -ere, -īvī (-iī), -ītum=to seek, make for; petiēre = alt. 3 pl. perfect for petīvērunt

dē=+ abl., down from, from

mōns, montis (m.)=mountain

amnis, -is (m.)=river, torrent

spēluncam Dīdō dux et Troiānus eandem
dēveniunt. prīma et Tellūs et prōnuba Iūnō
dant signum fulsēre ignēs et cōnscius aethēr
cōnūbiīs summōque ululārunt vertice Nymphae.

Dīdō, -ōnis (f.)=Dido, queen of Carthage

dux, ducis (m.)=leader; dux Troiānus = the Trojan leader, Aeneas

Troiānus, -a, -um=Trojan, of Troy

īdem, eadem, idem=the same; eandem = acc. f. sg., the same (cave)

veniō, -īre, vēnī, ventum=to come; dēveniunt = compound, arrive at, come down to

prīmus, -a, -um=first, foremost; prīma ... Tellūs = Earth first (gives the signal)

tellūs, -ūris (f.)=earth, ground; here personified as Mother Earth

Iūnō, -ōnis (f.)=Juno; prōnuba Iūnō = Juno as bridal patroness

dō, dare, dedī, datum=to give; dant signum, they give the signal

signum, -ī (n.)=sign, signal

ignis, -is (m.)=fire; here: lightning

aethēr, -eris (m.)=upper air, sky

cōnūbium, -ī (n.)=marriage; cōnūbiīs = dat., as witness to the marriage

summus, -a, -um=highest, topmost; summō ... vertice, on the highest peak

-que=and (enclitic)

vertex, -icis (m.)=peak, summit, top

nympha, -ae (f.)=a nymph

ille diēs prīmus lētī prīmusque malōrum
causa fuit; neque enim speciē fāmāve movētur
nec iam fūrtīvum Dīdō meditātur amōrem:
coniugium vocat, hōc praetexit nōmine culpam.

ille, illa, illud=that

diēs, -ēī (m. or f.)=day

prīmus, -a, -um=first; prīmus lētī ... prīmusque malōrum causa, the first cause of death and of evils

-que=and (enclitic)

malum, -ī (n.)=an evil; malōrum, of evils, of woes

causa, -ae (f.)=cause, reason

sum, esse, fuī=to be

enim=for, indeed

fāma, -ae (f.)=report, rumor, reputation

-ve=or (enclitic)

moveō, -ēre, mōvī, mōtum=to move, affect, influence

Dīdō, -ōnis (f.)=Dido

amor, -ōris (m.)=love

vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to call, name; coniugium vocat, she calls it marriage

hic, haec, hoc=this; hōc ... nōmine, with this name

nōmen, -inis (n.)=name

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.160–172

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

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