40
prīmŭsĭbi͜ānte͜ōmnīs,māgnācŏmĭtāntĕcătērvă,
3
Emphaticomnis
Hyperbatonmagna caterva
Notemagna comitante caterva used of Androgeos (ii.370) and Dido (iv.136)
41
Lāŏcŏōnārdēnssūmmādēcūrrĭtăbārcē,
3
NoteLaocoon was a son of Priam and Hecuba
Figurativeardens
Hyperbatonsumma arce
42
ētprŏcŭl:“Ōmĭsĕrī,quaētānta͜īnsānĭă,cīvēs?
2
Notequae tanta insania The epic equivalent of insanis in Comedy. Virgil has dressed up a phrase that any ordinary Roman might use at seeing something preposterous.
Hyperbatonmiservi cives
43
crēdĭtĭsāvēctōshōstīs?aūtūllăpŭtātĭs
3
Noteavectos Understand esse
NoteRQ
Note+abl
44
dōnăcărērĕdŏlīsDănăūm?sīcnōtŭsŬlīxĕs?
6
Hyperbatonulla dona
Poetic pluraldolis
Alliterationdona dolis Danaum
Rhythmruns quickly on to Danaum with the caesura at dolis blurred by the speed
Notenotus Ulixes Ulysses is taken as the Greek schemer par excellence
NoteRQ
45
aūthōcīnclūsīlīgno͜ōccūltāntŭrĂchīvī,
1
Hyperbatoninclusi Achivi hidden at the end of the line
46
aūthaēcīnnōstrōsfăbrĭcāta͜ēstmāchĭnămūrōs
2
Notemachina ‘The Wooden Horse is suspected to be an engine of war, as indeed it was, but the Trojans’ minds were quite pedestrian. They were thinking of the usual siege-tower, from which weapons and blazing fire-brands were thrown into a city’ - Dunlop
Interwoven word orderhaec, in nostros machina, muros
47
īnspēctūrădŏmōsvēntūrăquĕdēsŭpĕrūrbī,
3
Advancementinspectura
Advancementventura
Graecisminspectura, ventura future participles used to express purpose
48
aūtălĭquīslătĕtērrŏr;ĕquōnēcrēdĭtĕ,Teūcrī.
3
Displacementerror
Imperativene credite
Poetic constructionne credite
49
quīcquĭdĭdēst,tĭmĕōDănăōsētdōnăfĕrēntīs.”
3
NoteOne of the most famous lines in ancient literature
NoteCf. Sophocles Ajax 665 ἐχθρων ἀδωρα δῶρα κοῦκ ὀνήσιμα - The enemies’ gifts are not gifts and bring no profit
NoteThe ancients looked with suspicion on enemy gifts as unlucky - Hector was lashed to the chariot of Achilles by the girdle which Ajax gave him, Alax slew himself with Hector’s sword
40
There, first, before everyone, with a great crowd accompanying,
41
Laocoon runs down blazing from the height of the citadel
42
and from a distance [shouted], ‘O pitiable citizens, what insanity is this?
43
Do you believe the enemy have been taken away? Do you think any
44
gift from the Greeks is without deception? Is Ulysses thus known?
45
Either the Greeks are hidden here, shut in the wood,
46
or this machine was made [to be used] against our walls
47
to look into our homes and to come down on our city from above
48
or some other trick lies hidden; do not trust the horse, Trojans.
49
Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts’