Vergil Aeneid 1:1-7 Course Notes

Latin IV:  Vergil, Aeneid Book I

Instructor, James Ransom

May 22, 2014

Aeneid I:1-7

Course Notes
© 2014 James Ransom, M.A., J.D.

P. VERGILI MARONIS AENEIDOS LIBER PRIMVS

Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,               5
inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.

Arma virumque cano

Of arms and the man I sing;

“cano” is first person singular present indicative active of the third conjugation verb cano, canere, cecini, cantum, “to sing.” 

…Troiae qui primus ab oris / Italiam, fato profugus Laviniaque venit / litora--
The first man driven by fate as an exile from the shores of Troy to Italy and the Lavinian coast

“profugus” is nominative masculine singular of the verbal adjective profugus, profuga, profugum,  “that which flees, has fled, fugitive, banished.”  “Troiae”: genitive singular of Troia, Troiae, f. ; possessive genitive, “shores of Troy.”  “qui” is nominative singular of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod.  “primus” is nominative singular of primus, -a, -um. Agreeing with “qui.”

“ab”:  ablative of place from which.  “oris”:  ablative plural of ora, orae, f. (1^st), “coast, border.”   “Italiam”:  accusative of motion toward, Italia, Italiae, f. (1^st).  “fato”:  ablative of cause, fatum, fati, n. (2^nd).  “Lavinia”:  accusative plural of Lavinius, Lavinia, Lavinium, “Lavinian.”  “venit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of venio, venire, veni, ventum (4^th).

multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;

A man constantly tormented both on land and sea

By the gods above, due to Juno’s savage and remorseless anger;

“multum” is neuter accusative singular of multus, multa, multum, qualifying “iactatus.” “iactatus” is nominative masculine singular perfect passive participle of iacto, iactare, iactavi, iactatum; construe with “ille.”  “ille”:  nominative masculine singular of the demonstrative pronoun ille, illa, illud; in apposition to “qui.”  “terris”:  locative ablative of terra, terrae, f. (1^st).  “alto” is ablative singular of altum, alti, n. (2d).

“vi”: ablative singular of vis, f. (3^rd). =”strength, force.”  “superum” archaic alternative of genitive plural “superorum,” of the adjective superus, supera, superum, lit., “higher,” in masculine plural =”gods.”   “saevus”: genitive singular of saevus, saeva, saevum (1^st/2^nd), “furious, barbarous, cruel, savage”; construe with “Iuonis.”   “Iuonis”: genitive of Iuno. “iram”:  accusative singular of ira, irae, f., “wrath.” 

multa quoque et bello passus…

And in war also suffered greatly; “multa” is accusative plural of multus, multa, multum; construe with “passus.”  “passus”:  perfect participle of the deponent verb patior, pati, passus sum (3^rd), “to suffer, endure.”  “bello”: ablative singular of bellum, belli, n. (2^nd).

“quoque”:  postpositive conjunction. 

                         …dum conderet urbem,               5
inferretque deos Latio,

                        ...until he might build a city

and bear Troy’s gods to Latium…

“dum”:  temporal conjunction, “while” or “until”; here the latter reading is preferable, and dum=until usually takes the subjunctive, cf. “conderet” and “inferret.”  “conderet” is third person singular imperfect subjunctive active of condo, condere, condidi, conditum, “establish, build, construct.”  “inferret” is third perfect singular imperfect subjunctive active of infero, inferre, intuli, illatum.  “deos” is accusative plural of deus, dei, m. (2^nd). “Latio”=dative singular of Latium, Latii, n.

…genus unde Latinum,
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.

which was the progenitor of the Latin race

And our Alban ancestors, and indeed the lofty battlements of Rome.

“genus” is nominative singular of genus, generis, n. (3^rd). “unde”=conjunctive adverb, “whence.”  “Latinum” is nominative singular neuter of the adjective Latinus, Latina, Latinum.  “Albani” is masculine nominative plural of Albanus, Albana, Albanum.  “patres” is nominative plural of pater, patris, m. (3^rd). “altae” is feminine genitive singular of the adjective altus, alta, altum.  “moenia” is nominative plural of moenia, moenium, n. (no singular), “defensive walls, battlements.”  atque=emphatic conjunction throwing a dramatic spotlight on Rome.