Section 3 · lines 25–39
The Trojans pour out; the horse debated · Aeneid II · GCSE Latin · OCR J282/05
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativeAblativePrepositionConjunctionAdverb
Latin
English
25nōs ābiīssĕ răti͜ ēt vēntō pĕtĭīssĕ My̆cēnās:
26ērgo͜ ōmnīs lōngō sōlvīt sē Teūcrĭă lūctū;
25We thought they had left and had sought Mycenae with the wind.
26Therefore all of Troy released itself from the long sorrow;
27pāndūntūr pōrtaē; iŭvăt īre͜ ēt Dōrĭcă cāstră
28dēsērtōsquĕ vĭdērĕ lŏcōs lītūsquĕ rĕlīctŭm.
27The gates are opened; it is a pleasure to go out and see the Doric camp
28and the deserted places and abandoned shore.
29hīc Dŏlŏpūm mănŭs, hīc saēvūs tēndēbăt Ăchīllēs;
29Here the band of Dolopes camped, here fierce Achilles pitched his tent;
30clāssĭbŭs hīc lŏcŭs; hīc ăciĕ cērtārĕ sŏlēbānt.
30Here was the place for the fleets, here they used to fight in battle array.
31pārs stŭpĕt īnnūptaē dōnum͜ ēxĭtĭālĕ Mĭnērvaē,
32ēt mōlēm mīrāntŭr ĕquī; prīmūsquĕ Thy̆moētĕs
33dūci͜ īntrā mūrōs hōrtātŭr ĕt ārcĕ lŏcārĭ,
34sīvĕ dŏlō, seū iām Troīaē sīc fātă fĕrēbānt.
31Some are astounded by the fatal gift for virgin Minerva,
32and wonder at the size of the horse; and Thymoetes first
33encourages it to be led within the walls and to be placed in the citadel,
34whether by trickery, or because the fates of Troy were already tending this way.
35āt Căpy̆s, ēt quōrūm mĕlĭōr sēntēntĭă mēntĭ,
36aūt pĕlăgō Dănaŭm īnsĭdĭās sūspēctăquĕ dōnă
37praēcĭpĭtāre͜ iūbēnt, sūbiēctīsque͜ ūrĕrĕ flāmmīs,
38aūt tĕrĕbrārĕ căvās ŭtĕri͜ ēt tēmptārĕ lătēbrās.
35But Capys, and those whose minds had better judgement,
36order us either to throw the trap of the Greeks and the suspicious gifts
37headlong into the sea, or to burn them with flames put underneath,
38or to bore into and probe the hollow hiding places of the belly.
39scīndĭtŭr īncērtūm stŭdĭa͜ īn cōntrārĭă vōlgŭs.
39The uncertain crowd is split into opposing views.
Style notes this section · 27Word order · 14Repetition and structure · 3Sound and metre · 1Word choice · 2Imagery and tone · 1Grammar · 6
26
omnisEmphatic position
the whole (of Troy)
omnis is stressed early in the line: the whole of Troy, not just some, lets go of its grief. It makes the coming disaster more tragic, since everyone is caught off guard.
26
longo luctuHyperbaton
from long grief
longo and luctu are separated across the line, so the "long grief" frames the sentence. The stretched-out phrase reflects the ten long years of war.
27
pandunturVivid present
are opened
The present tense makes the opening of the gates happen before the reader's eyes, capturing the Trojans' sudden relief.
27
pandunturEmphatic position
are opened
panduntur is the first word of the line, so the throwing open of the gates bursts out with sudden excitement. Ironically, the Trojans are opening themselves to danger.
27
iuvatVivid present
it is a pleasure
The present tense captures the Trojans' delight as they wander freely, which makes the later disaster all the more painful.
27
DoricaSynecdoche
Strictly implies ‘Dorian’, but is here used for the Greeks in general
28
desertos locosHyperbaton
the deserted places
desertos and locos are separated by videre, so the emptiness of the camp seems to spread across the phrase. The reader sees the Trojans gazing at the abandoned site.
28
desertosque, relictumVariatio
deserted … abandoned
Virgil uses two different words for "left empty". The variety stresses how completely the Greeks seem to have gone.
28
desertos, locos, litus, relictumChiasmus
deserted places and abandoned shore
The words form an ABBA pattern: adjective, noun, noun, adjective. The neat pattern rounds off the picture of the empty camp.
28
locos litusque relictumAlliteration
places and the abandoned shore
The repeated l sounds are soft and flowing. They suggest the calm, empty shore and the Trojans' relaxed mood.
29
saevusEpithet
fierce
saevus reminds the reader of Achilles' terrible reputation. Even now he is gone, the Trojans remember him with fear.
29
saevus AchillesHyperbaton
fierce Achilles
saevus and Achilles are split by tendebat, so the line ends on the hero's name. The reader is left with the memory of Troy's most feared enemy.
30
hicRepetition
here
hic is repeated again and again as the Trojans point out the sights. It sounds like eager sightseers saying "here was this, here was that".
31
stupetVivid present
is amazed
The present tense makes the Trojans' amazement immediate, as if the reader stands beside them staring at the horse.
32
stupet, miranturVariatio
are amazed … marvel at
Two different verbs describe the Trojans' amazement. The variety stresses how awestruck they are by the horse.
31
innuptae MinervaeHyperbaton
for unmarried Minerva
innuptae and Minervae frame the deadly gift (donum exitiale), so the gift is enclosed by the goddess it is meant for. It hints that Minerva is bound up with Troy's ruin.
32
molem equiHyperbaton
the mass of the horse
molem and equi are separated by mirantur. Putting molem first stresses the sheer size of the horse.
32
miranturVivid present
they marvel at
The present tense keeps the scene vivid as the crowd gazes at the horse.
33
duci, intra muros, arce, locariChiasmus
to be brought inside the walls and placed in the citadel
The words form an ABBA pattern: verb, place, place, verb. The balanced phrase sounds like a confident proposal, which makes Thymoetes' advice seem persuasive.
34
fataDelay
the fates
fata is held near the end of the line, so the idea of fate lands with weight. Aeneas suggests that Troy's fall was already destined.
35
meliorComparative
better
melior marks Capys and his supporters as wiser than the crowd. The reader is meant to side with them.
37
iubentVivid present
they order
The present tense makes the debate immediate, as if the reader can hear the competing voices.
37
subiectis flammisHyperbaton
with flames put underneath
subiectis and flammis are separated by urere, so the flames seem to surround the act of burning. It makes the suggestion vivid and violent.
38
terebrare, cavas, temptare, latebrasParallelism
to bore into the hollow hiding places and probe them
Two matching infinitives with their objects (terebrare cavas, temptare latebras) set out the sensible plan. The balance shows how close the Trojans came to finding the Greeks.
38
uteriPregnancy vocabulary
of the belly, womb
uterus again pictures the horse as pregnant with soldiers. The reader knows what the hollows really hide.
39
scinditurEmphatic position
is split
scinditur opens the line, so the division of the people is stressed. The Trojans' disagreement is what allows the horse to survive.
39
incertum volgusHyperbaton
the wavering crowd
incertum and volgus frame the line, with the opposing views in between. The word order mirrors a crowd pulled in two directions.
Notes on the text 10
25
MўcēnāsMycenae
Mycenae
The city of Agamemnon, leader of the Greek army; here it stands for Greece and home.
26
TeucriaNote
Teucer was the first king in the Troad, which was called the Teucris, the land of Teucer after him.
29
saevusAchilles
fierce (Achilles)
The greatest Greek warrior at Troy, who killed Hector. He was already dead by the time of the wooden horse, but his camp is still pointed out.
31
innuptaeNote
formal epithet
31
MinervaeMinerva
for Minerva
The Roman name for Pallas Athena, a virgin goddess (hence innuptae). The Greeks claimed the horse was an offering to her.
32
ThўmoētĕsThymoetes and Capys
Thymoetes
Two Trojan elders. Thymoetes wants the horse brought into the city; Capys, the wiser, wants it destroyed. Capys later sailed with Aeneas to Italy.
34
doloNote
Thymoetes was a Trojan who had a grudge against Priam for putting his wife’s son to death to satisfy an oracle
35
quōrūm mĕlĭōr sēntēntĭă mēntĭNote
Lit. - [for those] of whom there was better sense of mind
38
terebrareNote
Virgil also uses this in the blinding of the Cyclops.
39
volgusNote
not contemptuous. Virgil contrasts the rank and file with the names of the leaders.
Questions to think about · 3
- Why are the Trojans so happy to explore the Greek camp? How does Virgil make their relief clear?
- Compare the advice of Thymoetes and Capys. Which does Aeneas, looking back, want us to agree with?
- How does Virgil show that the Trojan people are divided at the end of this section?
The deserted camp background
For ten years the Greeks had camped on the beach below Troy, with their ships drawn up on the shore. When the Trojans wake to find the camp empty and the fleet gone, they believe the war is over. In fact the Greek ships are hiding behind Tenedos, a few miles away.
The Trojans' first reaction is joy and curiosity: they wander round the camp pointing out where Achilles and his men had their tents. Then they come to the horse, and the city has to decide what to do with it. This debate is the first of several moments when Troy could still have been saved.
Vocabulary in this section · 87 wordsVocabulary tester
nos, nostrum we
abeo, -ire, abii, abitum go away, depart
reor, reri, ratus sum think, suppose
et (conj.) and
ventus, -i (m.) wind
peto, -ere, petivi, petitum seek, head for
Mycenae, -arum (f. pl.) Mycenae
ergo (adv.) therefore, so
omnis, -e all, the whole
longus, -a, -um long
solvo, -ere, solvi, solutum release, free
se itself
Teucria, -ae (f.) Troy, the land of Teucer
luctus, -us (m.) grief, mourning
pando, -ere, pandi, passum open, spread out
porta, -ae (f.) gate
iuvat, iuvare (impersonal) it is pleasing
eo, ire, ii, itum go
Doricus, -a, -um Dorian, Greek
castra, -orum (n. pl.) camp
desertus, -a, -um; -que deserted; and
video, -ere, vidi, visum see
locus, -i (m.) place
litus, litoris (n.); -que shore; and
relinquo, -ere, reliqui, relictum leave behind, abandon
hic (adv.) here
Dolopes, -um (m. pl.) the Dolopes
manus, -us (f.) band, troop
saevus, -a, -um savage, fierce
tendo, -ere, tetendi, tentum stretch; pitch a tent, camp
Achilles, -is (m.) Achilles
classis, -is (f.) fleet
acies, -ei (f.) battle line
certo, -are fight, contend
soleo, -ere, solitus sum be accustomed
pars, partis (f.) part, some
stupeo, -ere, stupui be amazed (at)
innuptus, -a, -um unmarried, virgin
donum, -i (n.) gift
exitialis, -e deadly, destructive
Minerva, -ae (f.) Minerva
moles, -is (f.) mass, great size
miror, -ari, miratus sum wonder at, marvel at
equus, -i (m.) horse
primus, -a, -um; -que first; and
Thymoetes, -ae (m.) Thymoetes
duco, -ere, duxi, ductum lead, bring
intra (+ acc.) inside
murus, -i (m.) wall
hortor, -ari, hortatus sum urge, encourage
arx, arcis (f.) citadel
loco, -are place, put
sive (conj.) whether, either
dolus, -i (m.) trickery, treachery
seu (conj.) or
iam (adv.) already, now
Troia, -ae (f.) Troy
sic (adv.) so, in this way
fatum, -i (n.) fate
fero, ferre, tuli, latum bring; tend
at (conj.) but
Capys, -yos (m.) Capys
qui, quae, quod whose, of whom
melior, melius better
sententia, -ae (f.) opinion, judgement
mens, mentis (f.) mind
aut (conj.) either
pelagus, -i (n.) sea
Danai, -orum (m. pl.) the Greeks
insidiae, -arum (f. pl.) trap, ambush
suspectus, -a, -um; -que suspected; and
praecipito, -are hurl headlong
iubeo, -ere, iussi, iussum order
subicio, -ere, subieci, subiectum; -que put underneath; and
uro, -ere, ussi, ustum burn
flamma, -ae (f.) flame
terebro, -are bore through, pierce
cavus, -a, -um hollow
uterus, -i (m.) belly, womb
tempto, -are test, probe
latebrae, -arum (f. pl.) hiding place
scindo, -ere, scidi, scissum split, divide
incertus, -a, -um uncertain, wavering
studium, -i (n.) eagerness; (pl.) opinions, sides
in (+ acc.) into
contrarius, -a, -um opposite, opposing
volgus, -i (n.) crowd, common people