aeneid 4.74-89

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.74–89

This passage is one of the strongest portraits of love in Latin literature. Vergil depicts Dido consumed by her passion for Aeneas, with the construction of Carthage itself grinding to a halt as a visible demonstration of her own collapse.

Tier 1

Dīdō dūcit Aenēān per media moenia urbis. Dīdō ostendit Aenēae opēs urbis et urbem parātam. Dīdō incipit dīcere. tum in mediā vōce tacet.

cum sōl cadit, Dīdō quaerit convīvia. Dīdō vult audīre Trōiānōs labōrēs iterum. Dīdō audit Aenēān, et Aenēās narrat dē Trōiā.

post hoc, omnēs abeunt. lūna obscūra premit lūmen. sīdera cadunt et somnum hominibus dant. Dīdō sōla in vacuā domō dolet. Dīdō iacet in strātīs relictīs. Aenēās abest. sed Dīdō eum audit et videt in animō suō.

Ascanius est similis patrī suō. Dīdō tenet Ascanium in gremiō. Dīdō vult fallere amōrem suum.

in urbe nēmō labōrat. turrēs nōn surgunt. iuvenēs arma nōn exercent. nēmō prōpugnācula tūta in bellō parat. omnia opera stant. mūrī ingentēs nōn surgunt. māchina alta stat sed nōn movet.

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

nunc media Aenēān sēcum per moenia dūcit
Sīdoniāsque ostentat opēs urbemque parātam,
incipit effārī mediāque in vōce resistit;

AP Core Vocabulary

nunc=now

medius, -a, -um=middle, in the middle of; media ... per moenia, through the midst of the walls; mediā ... in vōce, in the midst of speech

per=+ acc., through

moenia, -ium (n. pl.)=city walls, fortifications

dūcō, -ere, dūxī, ductum=to lead

-que=and (enclitic)

ostendō, -ere, -dī, ostentum=to show; ostentat = frequentative, shows off, displays repeatedly

ops, opis (f.)=power, resources; pl., wealth

urbs, urbis (f.)=city

parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to prepare, make ready; parātam, already built, ready

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

for, fārī, fātus sum=to speak; effārī = compound, to speak out

vōx, vōcis (f.)=voice, utterance

nunc eadem labente diē convīvia quaerit,
Īliacōsque iterum dēmēns audīre labōrēs
exposcit pendetque iterum narrantis ab ōre.

nunc=now; nunc ... nunc, now ... now (correlative)

īdem, eadem, idem=the same; eadem convīvia, the same banquets (as before)

lābor, -ī, lāpsus sum=to glide, slip away; labente diē, as the day is fading

diēs, -ēī (m. or f.)=day

quaerō, -ere, quaesīvī, quaesītum=to seek, ask for

-que=and (enclitic)

iterum=again, a second time

audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum=to hear

labor, -ōris (m.)=labor, hardship; Īliacōs ... labōrēs, the toils of Troy

poscō, -ere, poposcī=to ask urgently, demand; exposcit = compound, demands earnestly

pendeō, -ēre, pependī=to hang; pendet ab ōre, hangs on the lips of (i.e. listens raptly)

narrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to relate, tell; narrantis, of the one telling (i.e. Aeneas)

ōs, ōris (n.)=mouth, lips

post ubi dīgressī, lūmenque obscūra vicissim
lūna premit suādentque cadentia sīdera somnōs,
sōla domō maeret vacuā strātīsque relictīs
incubat. illum absēns absentem audītque vidētque,

post=after, afterward

ubi=when, where; post ubi, after, when

lūmen, -inis (n.)=light

-que=and (enclitic)

obscūrus, -a, -um=dark, dim; obscūra ... lūna, the dim moon

premō, -ere, pressī, pressum=to press, suppress; lūmen premit, she dims the light

cadō, -ere, cecidī, cāsum=to fall; cadentia sīdera, the setting stars

sīdus, -eris (n.)=a star, constellation

somnus, -ī (m.)=sleep

sōlus, -a, -um=alone

domus, -ūs (f.)=house, home

sternō, -ere, strāvī, strātum=to spread out; strātīs (n. pl.) = couches, the bedding

relinquō, -ere, -līquī, -lictum=to leave behind; relictīs, abandoned, left empty

ille, illa, illud=that, that man (Aeneas)

absum, abesse, āfuī=to be absent; absēns absentem, absent (she), absent (him) — both away

audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītum=to hear

videō, -ēre, vīdī, vīsum=to see

aut gremiō Ascanium genitōris imāgine capta
dētinet, īnfandum sī fallere possit amōrem.
nōn coeptae adsurgunt turrēs, nōn arma iuventūs
exercet portūsve aut prōpugnācula bellō
tūta parant: pendent opera interrupta minaeque
mūrōrum ingentēs aequātaque māchina caelō.

aut=or; aut ... -ve aut, either ... or ... or

imāgō, -inis (f.)=image, likeness; genitōris imāgine, by the image of his father

capiō, -ere, cēpī, captum=to take, seize; capta, caught, captivated (modifying Dido)

dētineō, -ēre, -uī, -tentum=to hold back, detain

sī=if; sī ... possit, in case she might be able (potential subjunctive)

possum, posse, potuī=to be able

amor, -ōris (m.)=love; īnfandum ... amōrem, her unspeakable love

coepiō, -ere, coepī, coeptum=to begin; coeptae, begun, started (modifying turrēs)

adsurgō, -ere, -surrēxī, -surrēctum=to rise up

arma, -ōrum (n. pl.)=arms, weapons

-ve=or (enclitic)

bellum, -ī (n.)=war; bellō, for war (dat. of purpose)

tūtus, -a, -um=safe, secure

parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to prepare

pendeō, -ēre, pependī=to hang; pendent opera, the works hang suspended

opus, -eris (n.)=work; opera, works (of construction)

rumpō, -ere, rūpī, ruptum=to break; interrupta = compound, broken off, interrupted

-que=and (enclitic)

mūrus, -ī (m.)=wall

ingēns, -entis=huge, vast

aequō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to make equal, level; aequāta ... caelō, reaching as high as the sky

māchina, -ae (f.)=machine, scaffolding, crane

caelum, -ī (n.)=sky, heaven

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.74–89

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

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