aeneid 4.173-197

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.173–197

The personification of Fama is one of the most celebrated extended descriptions in the Aeneid. Vergil draws on Hesiodic and Homeric precedents to construct a monstrous figure whose physical attributes embody the nature of rumor itself. The passage marks the mechanism by which Dido's private affair becomes public catastrophe.

Tier 1

Fāma it per magnās urbēs. nihil est celerius quam Fāma. Fāma celeris est. Fāma fortis fit dum it.

prīmō Fāma est parva. mox Fāma magna fit. caput Fāmae est in caelō, sed pedēs sunt in terrā.

Terra parēns erat īrāta. Terra peperit Fāmam. Fāma est soror Coeī et Enceladī. Fāma est mōnstrum ingēns. Fāma habet celerēs pedēs et ālās. Fāma in corpore habet multās plūmās et multōs oculōs et multās linguās et multa ōra et multās aurēs.

nocte, Fāma volat per caelum et per terram. Fāma numquam dormit. lūce, Fāma sedet in summīs tēctīs ut custōs. Fāma terret magnās urbēs. Fāma falsa narrat, sed etiam vēra narrat.

Fāma gaudet. Fāma multās fābulās populīs narrat. populī Fāmae crēdunt. Fāma dīcit: "Aenēās Trōiānus vēnit. Dīdō pulchra nunc est uxor Aenēae. Dīdō et Aenēās in spēluncā manent. ambō nōn cōgitant dē rēgnīs suīs. ambō capiuntur amōre."

Fāma haec verba dat omnibus virīs. tum Fāma it ad rēgem Iarbān. Fāma incendit animum Iarbae verbīs. Iarbās est īrātus.

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

extemplō Libyae magnās it Fāma per urbēs,
Fāma, malum quā nōn aliud vēlōcius ūllum:
mōbilitāte viget vīrēsque adquīrit eundō,
parva metū prīmō, mox sēsē attollit in aurās
ingrediturque solō et caput inter nūbila condit.

AP Core Vocabulary

magnus, -a, -um=great, large

eō, īre, iī, itum=to go

fāma, -ae (f.)=report, rumor; here personified as the goddess Rumor

per=+ acc., through

malum, -ī (n.)=an evil

quī, quae, quod=who, which, that; quā = abl. f. sg., than which

alius, -a, -ud=other, another

ūllus, -a, -um=any

vīs, vīs (f.)=strength; pl. vīrēs, strength, forces

-que=and (enclitic, joins to preceding word)

parvus, -a, -um=small, little

prīmus, -a, -um=first; prīmō, at first

mox=soon

aura, -ae (f.)=breeze, air

caput, -itis (n.)=head

inter=+ acc., between, among

condō, -ere, -didī, -ditum=to hide, bury; to found

illam Terra parēns īrā inrītāta deōrum
extrēmam, ut perhibent, Coeō Enceladōque sorōrem
prōgenuit pedibus celerem et pernīcibus ālīs,
monstrum horrendum, ingēns, cui quot sunt corpore plūmae,
tot vigilēs oculī subter (mīrābile dictū),
tot linguae, totidem ōra sonant, tot subrigit aurēs.

terra, -ae (f.)=earth, land; here personified, mother of the Giants

parēns, -entis (m. or f.)=parent

īra, -ae (f.)=anger, wrath

deus, -ī (m.)=a god

extrēmus, -a, -um=outermost, last; here: youngest

-que=and (enclitic)

soror, -ōris (f.)=sister

celer, -eris, -ere=swift

mōnstrum, -ī (n.)=a portent, monster

ingēns, -entis=huge, vast

quī, quae, quod=who, which; cui = dat. sg., on whom / for whom

tot=so many; quot ... tot, as many ... so many

sum, esse, fuī=to be

corpus, -oris (n.)=body

oculus, -ī (m.)=eye

dīcō, -ere, dīxī, dictum=to say, tell; dictū, supine, to say / in the saying

ōs, ōris (n.)=mouth, face

sonō, -āre, -uī, -itum=to sound, resound

auris, -is (f.)=ear

nocte volat caelī mediō terraeque per umbram
strīdēns, nec dulcī dēclīnat lūmina somnō;
lūce sedet custōs aut summī culmine tēctī
turribus aut altīs, et magnās territat urbēs,
tam fictī prāvīque tenāx quam nuntia vērī.

nox, noctis (f.)=night

volō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to fly

caelum, -ī (n.)=sky, heaven

medius, -a, -um=middle, in the middle of

terra, -ae (f.)=earth, land

-que=and (enclitic)

per=+ acc., through

umbra, -ae (f.)=shade, shadow, darkness

nec, neque=and not, nor

dulcis, -e=sweet

lūmen, -inis (n.)=light; pl., eyes

somnus, -ī (m.)=sleep

lūx, lūcis (f.)=light, daylight

sedeō, -ēre, sēdī, sessum=to sit, perch

aut=or; aut ... aut, either ... or

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

altus, -a, -um=high, deep

magnus, -a, -um=great, large

tam=so, to such a degree; tam ... quam, as ... as

quī, quae, quod=quam here = as (correlative with tam)

vērus, -a, -um=true; vērī (n.), the truth

haec tum multiplicī populōs sermōne replēbat
gaudēns, et pariter facta atque īnfecta canēbat:
vēnisse Aenēān Troiānō sanguine crētum
cui sē pulchra virō dignētur iungere Dīdō;

hic, haec, hoc=this; haec here = these things, this news

tum=then, at that time

populus, -ī (m.)=a people, nation

sermō, -ōnis (m.)=speech, talk, gossip

gaudeō, -ēre, gāvīsus sum=to rejoice, take pleasure

pariter=equally, alike

faciō, -ere, fēcī, factum=to make, do; facta, deeds, things done; īnfecta, things not done

atque, ac=and

canō, -ere, cecinī, cantum=to sing, sing of, proclaim

veniō, -īre, vēnī, ventum=to come

Troiānus, -a, -um=Trojan, of Troy

crēscō, -ere, crēvī, crētum=to come into being, grow; crētum = sprung (from)

quī, quae, quod=who, which; cui = dat. sg., to whom

pulcher, -chra, -chrum=beautiful

vir, virī (m.)=man; here: husband

dignus, -a, -um=worthy; dignētur (deponent dignor) = deigns, thinks worthy

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

nunc hiemem inter sē luxū, quam longa, fovēre
rēgnōrum immemorēs turpīque cupīdine captōs.
haec passim dea foeda virum diffundit in ōra.
prōtinus ad rēgem cursūs dētorquet Iarbān
incenditque animum dictīs atque aggerat īrās.

nunc=now

inter=+ acc., between, among

quī, quae, quod=who, which; quam longa = however long it is

longus, -a, -um=long

rēgnum, -ī (n.)=kingdom, royal power

memor, -oris=mindful; immemorēs = unmindful, forgetful (+ gen.)

turpis, -e=shameful, base, ugly

-que=and (enclitic)

capiō, -ere, cēpī, captum=to take, seize; captōs = caught, captured

hic, haec, hoc=this; haec here = these things

dea, -ae (f.)=goddess

vir, virī (m.)=man; virum = archaic gen. pl., of men

ōs, ōris (n.)=mouth; in ōra = onto/into the lips of

ad=+ acc., to, toward

rēx, rēgis (m.)=king

cursus, -ūs (m.)=a running, course

torqueō, -ēre, torsī, tortum=to twist, turn; dētorquet = turns aside

animus, -ī (m.)=mind, spirit

dīcō, -ere, dīxī, dictum=to say; dictīs (n. pl.) = words, sayings

atque, ac=and

īra, -ae (f.)=anger, wrath

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.173–197

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

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