Aeneid 1:198-207 Course Notes: Aeneas rallies the men while concealing his own despair

Latin IV:  Vergil, Aeneid

Instructor:  James Ransom

June 25, 2014

Aeneid 1:198-207

Course Notes

© James Ransom 2014

Aeneas addresses his comrades, concealing his own pessimism while rallying the men.

‘ō sociī—neque enim ignāri sumus ante malōrum—
 ō passī graviōra, dabit deus hīs quoque finem.
Vōs et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantēs               200
accestis scopulōs, vōs et Cyclōpea saxa
expertī: revocāte animōs, maestumque timōrem
mittite: forsan et haec ōlim meminisse iuvābit.
Per variōs casus, per tot discrīmina rērum
tendimus in Latium; sēdēs ubi fata quiētās               205
ostendunt; illīc fās regna resurgere Trōiae.
Dūrāte, et vōsmet rēbus servāte secundīs.'

Verbs in this Passage In Order of Appearance

198	sum, essse, fui, futurus	“to be”
199	do, dare, dedi, datum	“to give, to grant”
200	sono, sonare, sonui, sonitum	“to sound, resound”
201	accedo, accedere, accessi, accessum	“to go, to approach; to approach as an enemy”
202	experior, experiri, expertus sum	“to test, attempt, risk, undergo”
202	revoco, revocare, revocavi, revocatum	“to recall, remember”
203	mitto, mittere, misi, missum	in this context, “to release, dismiss, put away”
203	memini, meminisse	“to remember”
203	iuvo, iuvare, iuvi, iutum	“to assist”; impersonally, “it delights”
205	tendo, tendere, tetendi, tensum	“to strive, to stretch for, seek to reach”
207	ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostensum	“to show, to demonstrate, to point out”
207	resurgo, resurgere, resurrexi, resurrectum	“to rise again”

 O socii—neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum—

O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem.

“O” is an exclamatory particle accompanying the vocative.  “socii” is vocative plural of socius, socii, m. (2^nd), “comrade, companion.” “neque”= “and not, nor, neither.” “enim”= “truly, indeed, in fact.”  The adjective “ignari,” agreeing with “nos” understood, is nominative plural masculine of ignarus, ignara, ignarum, “ignorant, inexperienced, unaware.”  “sumus” is first person plural present indicative of sum, essse, fui, futurus.  The adverb “ante”= “before, previously.” “malorum” is genitive plural of malum, mali, n. (2^nd), “evil.” 

The repetition of “O” at the beginning of the next line= anaphora.  See Ganiban Appendix B.  The perfect participle “passi,” agreeing with “socii” in the previous line, is of the deponent patior, pati, passus sum, “to suffer, to endure.”  The comparative adverb “graviora,” agreeing with the subject “deus,” is accusative plural neuter of gravior, gravioris, the comparative degree of gravis, grave, “heavy, burdensome; grave.”  “dabit,” agreeing with the subject “deus,” is third person singular future indicative active of do, dare, dedi, datum; direct object is “finem.”  “deus,” subject of “dabit,” is nominative singular of deus, dei, m. (2^nd).  The indirect object “his” is dative plural neuter of hic, haec, hoc.  The adverb “quoque” intensifies “his”: “even these things.”  “finem, “ the direct object of “dabit,” is accusative singular of finis, finis, m. (3^rd), “end, limit, termination.” 

Vos et Scyllaeam rabiem penitusque sonantes               200
accestis scopulos, vos et Cyclopea saxa
experti:…

“Vos,” the subject of “accestis” in the following line, is nominative plural of the second person pronoun; here used with dramatic rhetorical force.  The conjunction “et” correlates with “et” in the following line.  The adjective “Scylleam,” agreeing with “rabiem,” is accusative singular feminine of Scylleaeus, Scyllea, Scylleum, “of or belonging to Scylla,” “sea monster who devours the crews of passing ships.”  “rabiem,”  direct object of “accestis” in the following line, is accusative singular of rabies,--, f. (5^th), “rage.”  The adverb “penitus,” modifying “sonantes,” = “from within, innermost.”  The accusative present participle “sonantes,” qualifying “scopulos” in the following line, is of sono, sonare, sonui, sonitum, “to sound, resound.”

“accestis,” poetic contraction of “accessistis,” is second person plural perfect indicative active of accedo, accedere, accessi, accessum (3^rd), “to go, to approach; to approach as an enemy”; “vos” is the subject;  “scopulos,” and “rabiem” in the previous line, are the direct objects.  “scopulos,” direct object of “accestis,” is accusative plural of scopulus, scopuli, m. (2^nd), “rock, crag; difficulty, danger.”  Subject is “vos.” “vos et”:  repetition for rhetorical effect = anaphora.  The adjective “Cyclopea,” agreeing with “saxa,” is accusative plural neuter of Cyclopeus, Cyclopea, Cyclopeum, “of or pertaining to the Cyclops.”  “saxa,” direct object of “experti” in the following line, is accusative plural of saxum, saxi, n. (2^nd). 

“experti” is nominative perfect participle of the deponent experior, experiri, expertus sum (4^th),  “to test, attempt, risk, undergo”; agrees with its subject, “vos.” 

         …revocate animos, maestumque timorem
mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.

“revocate” is plural imperative of revoco, revocare, revocavi, revocatum (1), “to recall, remember”; subject is “vos.” “animos,” direct object of “revocate,” is accusative plural of animus, animi, m. (2^nd), “mind, intellect, sentiment.”  The adjective “maestum,” agreeing with “timorem,” is accusative singular of maestus, maesta, maestum, “sad.” “-que” links “revocate” with “mittite” in the following line. “timorem,” the direct object of “mittite” in the following line, is accusative singular of timor, timoris, m. (3^rd), “fear.”

“mittite” is plural imperative of mitto, mittere, misi, missum, in this context “to release, dismiss, put away.” The adverb “forsan,” a contraction of “forsitan,”= perhaps. The conjunction “et” here ~ “etiam.” “haec,” direct object of “meminisse,”  is accusative plural neuter of hic, haec, hoc.   The adverb “olim”= “someday”; modifies “meminisse.”  “meminisse,” governing “haec,” is perfect infinitive active of the defective memini, meminisse, “to remember.” “iuvabit” is third person singular future indicative active of iuvo, iuvare, iuvi, iutum, “to assist”; impersonally, “it delights.”  

Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum
tendimus in Latium;… 

The preposition “per”+accusative governs “casus.”  The adjective “varios,” agreeing with “casus,” is accusative plural masculine of varius, varia, varium, “different, various.”  “casus,” the object of “per,” is accusative plural of casus, casus, m. (4^th), “hazard, peril, fall.”  The preposition “per”+accusative governs “discrimina.”  The indeclinable numerary adjective “tot”= “so many.”  “discrimina,” object of “per,” is accusative plural of discrimen, discriminis, n. (3^rd), “critical point; turning point; danger.”  “rerum,” a possessive genitive limiting “discrimina,” is genitive plural of res, rei, f. (5^th), “thing, affair, engagement, event.” 

“tendimus” is first person plural present indicative active of tendo, tendere, tetendi, tensum (3^rd), “to strive, to stretch for, seek to reach.”  The preposition “in”+accusative governs “Latium.”  “Latium” is accusative singular of Latium, Latii, n. (2^nd), “region in west-central Italy, ruled by King Latinus.” 

                                 …sedes ubi fata quietas               205
ostendunt; illic fas regna resurgere Troiae.

“sedes,” the direct object of “ostendunt” in the following line, is accusative plural of sedes, sedis, f. (3^rd), “seat, abode.”  The adverb “ubi”= “where.”  “fata,” the subject of “ostendunt” in the following line, is nominative plural of fatum, fati, n. (2^nd), “fate.”  The adjective “quietas,” qualifying “sedes,” is accusative plural feminine of quietus, quieta, quietum, “undisturbed; restful.” 

“ostendunt,” agreeing with its subject “fata,” is third person plural present indicative active of ostendo, ostendere, ostendi, ostensum, “to show, to demonstrate, to point out.”  The adverb of place “illic” = “in that place, there”; refers to “Latium.” The indeclinable noun “fas”= “the divine law, divine will.”  “regna,” subject of “resurgere,” is accusative plural of regnum, regni, n. (2^nd), “reign, rule.”  “resurgere” is present infinitive active of resurgo, resurgere, resurrexi, resurrectum, “to rise again.”  “Troiae,” possessive genitive limiting “regna,” is genitive singular of Troia, Troiae, f. (1^st).