aeneid 2.201-227

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 2.201–227

The death of Laocoon and his sons is one of the most famous scenes in the Aeneid and a turning point in the fall of Troy. The Trojans interpret the horror as divine judgment on Laocoon's warning against the wooden horse, and the misreading of this omen seals their fate.

Tier 1

Lāocoōn erat sacerdōs Neptūnī. Lāocoōn ad ārās sollemnēs vēnit. Lāocoōn taurum ingentem sacrificābat.

ecce autem duo serpentēs ab īnsulā per oceanum tranquillum veniunt. serpentēs in magnīs circulīs sē movent. capita sanguinea sunt super undās. ad lītora veniunt.

longa terga serpentium post eōs sunt in aquā. aqua sonat et spūmat. iam serpentēs in terrā stant. serpentēs oculōs ārdentēs sanguine et ignī habent. linguae serpentium in ōribus vibrant.

omnēs fugimus. omnēs sumus territī. sed serpentēs ad Lāocoōnta petunt. prīmum, ambō serpentēs capiunt parva corpora duōrum fīliōrum. serpentēs miserōs fīliōs dentibus dēvorant.

tum serpentēs capiunt ipsum Lāocoōnta. Lāocoōn auxiliō ad fīliōs veniēbat. serpentēs Lāocoōnta caudīs ingentibus tenent. serpentēs corpus Lāocoōntis bis circumdant. capita serpentium sunt super caput Lāocoōntis.

Lāocoōn temptat solvere nōdōs. vittae Lāocoōntis sunt plēnae sanguine et ātrō venēnō. Lāocoōn magnōs clāmōrēs tollit ad sīdera. sīcut taurus vulnerātus clāmat. taurus fugit ab ārā. taurus secūrim ē cervīce iacit.

at geminī dracōnēs fugiunt ad summa templa et petunt arcem Minervae. dracōnēs latent sub pedibus deae et sub clipeō.

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

Lāocoōn, ductus Neptūnō sorte sacerdōs,
sollemnēs taurum ingentem mactābat ad ārās.

AP Core Vocabulary

Lāocoōn, -ontis (m.)=Laocoön (Trojan priest)

dūcō, -ere, -xī, -ctum=lead, draw; ductus sorte, chosen by lot

sors, sortis (f.)=lot, drawing of lots

ingēns, -entis=huge, vast

ad=to, at (+ acc.)

āra, -ae (f.)=altar

ecce autem geminī ā Tenedō tranquilla per alta
(horrēscō referēns) immēnsīs orbibus anguēs
incumbunt pelagō pariterque ad lītora tendunt;
pectora quōrum inter flūctūs arrēcta iubaeque
sanguineae superant undās, pars cētera pontum
pōne legit sinuatque immēnsa volūmine terga.

ecce=behold! see! (interj.)

autem=but, however, moreover

geminus, -a, -um=twin, paired, two

ā, ab=from (+ abl.)

ad=to, toward (+ acc.)

altum, -ī (n.)=the deep, the open sea

referō, referre, rettulī, relātum=bring back, recount, tell

orbis, -is (m.)=ring, coil, circle

pariter=equally, side by side

-que=and (enclitic)

lītus, -oris (n.)=shore, coast

tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum=stretch, head for, make for

pectus, -oris (n.)=breast, chest

quī, quae, quod=who, which

inter=between, among (+ acc.)

flūctus, -ūs (m.)=wave, billow

superō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=surpass, rise above

unda, -ae (f.)=wave, water

pars, partis (f.)=part

cēterus, -a, -um=the rest, the remaining

legō, -ere, lēgī, lēctum=gather; here, traverse, skim along

tergum, -ī (n.)=back

fit sonitus spūmante salō; iamque arva tenēbant
ardentēsque oculōs suffectī sanguine et ignī
sībila lambēbant linguīs vibrantibus ōra.

fīō, fierī, factus sum=happen, arise, be made

iam=already, now

-que=and (enclitic)

arvum, -ī (n.)=field, plain

teneō, -ēre, tenuī, tentum=hold, occupy, reach

ardēns, -entis=burning, blazing

oculus, -ī (m.)=eye

sanguis, -inis (m.)=blood

ignis, -is (m.)=fire

ōs, ōris (n.)=mouth, face

diffugimus vīsū exsanguēs. illī agmine certō
Lāocoōnta petunt; et prīmum parva duōrum
corpora nātōrum serpēns amplexus uterque
implicat et miserōs morsū dēpascitur artūs;

ille, illa, illud=that, those

agmen, -inis (n.)=column, marching line; agmine certō, in fixed formation

certus, -a, -um=fixed, certain

Lāocoōn, -ontis (m.)=Laocoön; Lāocoōnta = Greek acc. sg.

petō, -ere, -īvī, -ītum=seek, head for, attack

prīmus, -a, -um=first; prīmum (adv.), first of all

parvus, -a, -um=small, little

duo, -ae, -o=two

corpus, -oris (n.)=body

nātus, -ī (m.)=son, child

amplector, -ī, amplexus sum=embrace, twine around

uterque, utraque, utrumque=each (of two), both

implicō, -āre, -āvī (or -uī), -ātum=entwine, enfold

miser, -era, -erum=wretched, pitiable

post ipsum auxiliō subeuntem ac tēla ferentem
corripiunt spīrīsque ligant ingentibus; et iam
bis medium amplexī, bis collō squāmea circum
terga datī superant capite et cervīcibus altīs.

post=after, afterwards (+ acc.)

atque, ac=and

tēlum, -ī (n.)=weapon, spear

ferō, ferre, tulī, lātum=bear, carry

corripiō, -ere, -ripuī, -reptum=seize, snatch up

-que=and (enclitic)

ingēns, -entis=huge, vast

medius, -a, -um=middle, middle of; medium = his waist

amplector, -ī, amplexus sum=embrace, twine around

circum=around (+ acc.); here adv.

tergum, -ī (n.)=back; terga datī, with their backs given (around him)

dō, dare, dedī, datum=give, place

superō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=rise above, tower over

caput, -itis (n.)=head

altus, -a, -um=high, lofty

ille simul manibus tendit dīvellere nōdōs
perfūsus saniē vittās ātrōque venēnō,
clāmōrēs simul horrendōs ad sīdera tollit;
quālis mūgītus, fūgit cum saucius āram
taurus et incertam excussit cervīce secūrim.

ille, illa, illud=that, he

simul=at the same time; simul... simul, both... and

manus, -ūs (f.)=hand

tendō, -ere, tetendī, tentum=stretch, strain, struggle (+ inf.)

āter, ātra, ātrum=black, dark

horrendus, -a, -um=dreadful, horrifying

ad=to, toward (+ acc.)

sīdus, -eris (n.)=star, constellation

tollō, -ere, sustulī, sublātum=raise, lift

quālis, -e=of what sort, just as (in similes)

fugiō, -ere, fūgī, fugitum=flee, run away

cum=when (conj.)

āra, -ae (f.)=altar

incertus, -a, -um=uncertain, ill-aimed

at geminī lāpsū dēlūbra ad summa dracōnēs
effugiunt saevaeque petunt Trītōnidis arcem,
sub pedibusque deae clipeīque sub orbe teguntur.

at, ast=but, however

geminus, -a, -um=twin, paired, two

ad=to, toward (+ acc.)

summus, -a, -um=highest, top of

saevus, -a, -um=savage, fierce

-que=and (enclitic)

petō, -ere, -īvī, -ītum=seek, head for

arx, arcis (f.)=citadel, fortress

sub=under, beneath (+ abl./acc.)

pēs, pedis (m.)=foot

dea, -ae (f.)=goddess

clipeus, -ī (m.)=round shield

orbis, -is (m.)=ring, circle, disk

tegō, -ere, tēxī, tēctum=cover, hide, conceal

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 2.201–227

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

The content here is free — and we'd like to keep it that way.