2018 ICA Latin 4 Virgil Aeneid 1.142-156 Course Notes

Aeneid 1:142-156

Course Notes

Sīc ait, et dictō citius tumida aequora plācat

collēctāsque fugat nūbēs sōlemque redūcit.

Cӯmothoē simul et Trītōn adnīxus acūtō

dētrūdunt nāvēs scopulō; levat ipse tridentī            145

et vāstās aperit syrtēs et temperat aequor

atque rotīs summās levibus perlābitur undās.

Ac velutī magnō in populō cum saepe coorta est

sēditiō saevitque animīs ignōbile vulgus

iamque facēs et saxa volant, furor arma ministrat;   150

tum, pietāte gravem ac meritīs sī forte virum quem

cōnspexēre, silent arrēctīsque auribus astant;

ille regit dictīs animōs et pectora mulcet:

sīc cūnctus pelagī cecidit fragor, aequora postquam

prōspiciēns genitor caelōque invectus apertō          155

flectit equōs currūque volāns dat lōra secundō.

SUGGESTED WORD ORDER

(A) Sic ait et citius dicto placate tumida aequora [et] fugat collectas nubes [et] reducit solem.  (B) Cymothoe et Triton adnixus simul detrudunt navis [de] acuto scopulo; ipse levat [navis] tridenti et aperit vastas syrtis et temperat aequor atque perlabitur summas undas levibus rotis.  (C) Ac veluti cum seditio saepe coorta est in magno populo [et] ignobile vulgus saevit animis, [et] iam faces et saxa volant (furor ministrat arma); (D) tum si forte conspexere [i.e., conspexerunt] quem virum gravem pietate ac meritis, silent [et] astant arrectis auribus; ille regit animos dictis et mulcet pectora:  (E) sic cunctus fragor pelagi cecidit, postquam genitor prospiciens aequora [et] invectus [sub aperto caelo flectit equos [et] volans dat lora secundu curru.

CALDWELL

(A) Quicker than he spoke, he calmed the swollen seas, put the gathered clouds to flight, and brought back the sun.  (B) Cymothoe and Triton together pushed the ships off the sharp rock.  Neptune helped with his trident, opening up the vast shoals and calming the sea, and the light wheels of his chariot glided over the top of the waves.  (C) As when a great crowd turns rebellious, and the ordinary people join in the fury, and rocks and torches are set flying (madness supplies weapons), (D) if they then chance to see a man of distinguished goodness and merit, they become quiet and attentive and his words rule their minds and soften their hearts, (E) so all the uproar of the sea stopped when the sire looked over the waters and drove his horses under a clear sky, giving free rein to his swift chariot. 

Ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est
seditio, saevitque animis ignobile vulgus,
iamque faces et saxa volant—…

The conjunction “ac”=  “atque.”  The comparative adverb “veluti,” archaic form of “velut”= “just as.”  Introduces the epic simile.  The adjective “magno,” agreeing with “populo,” is ablative singular masculine of magnus, magna, magnum.  The preposition “in” + ablative, here “populo.”  “populo” is ablative singular of populus, populi, m. (2^nd), “people, populace.”  The temporal conjunction “cum”= “when.”  The temporal adverb “saepe” = “frequently, often.”  “coorta est” is third person singular perfect indicative of the deponent coorior, cooriri, coortus sum (3^rd), “rise up, arise.” 

“seditio,” the subject of “coorta est” in the previous line, is nominative singular of seditio, seditionis, f. (3^rd), “dissension, rebellion, sedition.”  “saevit,” agreeing with “vulgus,”  is third person singular present indicative active of saevio, saevire, saevii, saevitum (4^th), “to rage, be furious.”  “animis” is ablative plural of animus, animi, m. (2^nd).  The adjective “ignobile,” modifying “vulgus,” is nominative singular neuter of ignobilis, ignobile (3^rd), “base, ignoble.”  The collective noun “vulgus,” subject of “saevit,” is nominative singular of vulgus, vulgi, n. (2^nd), “the mass, the mob.” 

The temporal adverb “iam” = already. “-que” links this clause to the previous.  “faces” is nominative plural of fax, facis, f. (3^rd), “torch.” The conjunction “et” links “faces” to “saxa.” “volant” is third person plural present indicative active of the intransitive volo, volare, volavi, volatum (1^st), “to fly.” 

                                                  …—furor arma ministrat;               150
tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem
conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant;

“furor,” subject of “ministrat,” is nominative singular masculine of furor, furoris, m. (3^rd), “rage, madness, fury.”  “arma,” direct object of “ministrat,” is accusative plural of arma, armorum, n. (2^nd), “arms, weapons.” 

The temporal adverb “tum” here = “then, next.”  “pietate” is ablative singular of pietas, pietatis, f. (3^rd), “dutifulness, piety, justice.”   The adjective “gravem,” qualifying “virum,” is accusative singular masculine of gravis, grave (3^rd), “grave, weighty, venerable.”  “ac” = copulative conjunction linking “pietate” and “meritis.”  “meritis” is ablative singular of meritum, merite, n. (2^nd), “merit, desert.” The conditional conjunction  “si” =”if.”  “forte,” “by chance,”  is the ablative of fors, f., which has only the nominative and ablative cases.  “virum,” the direct object of “conspexere” in the following line, is accusative singular of vir, viri, m. (2^nd).  The indefinite pronoun “quem,” qualifying “virum,” is accusative singular masculine of quis, quid. 

“conspexere” is third person plural perfect indicative active of conspicio, conspicere, conspexi, conspectum (3^rd), “to behold, to view.”  The subject of “conspexere” is “vulgus,” the direct object is “virum.”  “silent” is third person plural present indicative active of sileo, silere, silui, “to be still, silent; to cease all noise.”  “arrectis” is ablative  of the perfect passive participle of arrigo, arrigere, arrexi, arrectum, “to lift up; to excite, animate.”  “-que” links “silent” to “adstant.”  “auribus” is ablative plural of auris, auris, f. (3^rd), “ear.”  “adstant” is third person plural present indicative active of adsto, adstare, adstiti, adstitum, “to stand still; to stand alert.” 

ille regit dictis animos, et pectora mulcet,—

The demonstrative pronoun “ille,”referring to “virum,” is nominative singular masculine of ille, illa, illud.  “Ille” is subject of “regit.”  “regit” is third person singular present indicative active of rego, regere, rexi, rectum, “to rule.”  “dictis” is ablative plural of dictum, dicti, n. (2^nd), “word.”  “animos,” the direct object of “regit,” is accusative plural of animus, animi, m. (2^nd).  The conjunction “et” links “regit” to “mulcet.”  “pectora,” the direct object of “mulcet,” is accusative plural of pectus, pectoris, n. (3^rd), “breast.”  “mulcet” is third person singular present indicative active of mulceo, mulcere, mulsi, mulsum, “to soothe.”  

sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, aequora postquam
prospiciens genitor caeloque invectus aperto               155
flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.

The adverb of manner “sic” = “thus, in this way, so.”  The adjective “cunctus,” modifying “fragor,” is nominative singular masculine of cunctus, cuncta, cunctum, “all.”  “pelagi” is genitive singular ofpelagus, pelagi, n. (2^nd), “the sea.”  “cecidit” is third person singular perfect indicative active of the intransitive cado, cadere, cecidi, casum (3^rd), “to fall.”  “frago” is nominative singular of frago, fragoris, m. (3^rd), “to break, to crash.” “aequora” is accusative plural of aequor, aequoris, n. (3^rd), “the sea.”  The temporal conjunction “postquam” = “after that.” 

“prospiciens” is present active participle of prospicio, proscipere, prospexi, prospectum (3^rd), “to look forward, look out, command a view of.”  “genitor,”  subject of “flectit” in the following line,” is nominative singular of genitor, genitoris, m. (3^rd), “begetter, father.”  “caelo” is ablative singular ofcaelum, caeli, n. (2^nd), “heaven.”  “-que” joins “prospiciens” to “invectus.”  “invectus” is perfect passive participle of inveho, invehere, invexi, invectum (3^rd), “to bear in or on; [passive] to ride.”  “aperto,” here construed adjectivally with “caelo” (i.e., “a clear sky; a cloudless sky), is ablative perfect passive participle of aperio, aperire, aperui, apertum (4^th), “to open.” 

“flectit,” the subject of which is “genitor” in the previous line, is third person singular present indicative active of flecto, flectere, flexi, flexum (3^rd), “to bend, to turn.”  “equos,” direct object of “flectit,” is accusative plural of equus, equi, m. (2^nd), “horse.”  “curru,” archaic form of “currui,” is dative of currus, currus, m. (4^th), “chariot.” “-que” joins “flectit” to “dat.” “volans” is present active participle of volo, volare, volare, volavi, volatum, “to fly.” “dat” is third person singular present indicative active of do, dare, dedi, datum (1^st). 

  “lora,” direct object of “dat,” is accusative plural of lorum, lori, m. (2^nd), “thong, rein.”  The adjective “secundo,” modifying “curru,” is dative singular masculine of secundus, secunda, secundum, “following; favorable, fortunate.”  

DICKINSON COLLEGE COMMENTARY VIRGIL AENEID 1.142-156

Neptune calms the storm (Storr). 

142: dicto citius: “sooner than his word,” i.e., before his order was given (F-B). dicto is abl. after the compar. citius (Robertson) (AG 406).

144: Cymothoe: a Nereid or sea-nymph (F-B). Triton: Neptune’s trumpeter (F-B) (Smith’s Dictionry, s.v. Triton). simul adnixus: “with common effort” (F-B). Instead of the usual construction in the plural, adnixi, refers both to the Nereid, Cymothoe, and to the sea god, Triton (Frieze). simul...et: = simul…simul (Storr).

145: scopulo: abl. after detrudunt (Robertson) (AG 402). ipse: = Neptune (Walpole).

146: aperit: “makes a way through” (F-B).

147: rotis: for curru; abl. of means (Frieze).

148: ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe: the order is: —ac veluti saepe in magno populo, cum (Robertson). This famous simile, drawn from a Roman mob, is remarkable as illustrating nature (or a god of nature) by means of man, instead of the opposite. The central figure in the picture is one with whom even a god may fitly be compared, and indicates the true Roman reverence for the great and good citizen (F-B). The image was no doubt suggested by the riots in the Roman Forum during the furious political contests of the late republic. (Conington). ac veluti: “and just as.” ac connects the whole paragraph with what precedes. (F-B). magno in populo: “in a great nation,” such as Rome (F-B). “In a concourse of people,” not “in a mighty people.” (Conington) saepe: implies quod saepe accidit, “as often happens” (Frieze). grammatically dependent on coorta est, is really an abbreviated (“syncopated”) form for id quod saepe fit (Carter).

149: seditio: “riot” (F-B). animis: local ablative (F-B). abl. of manner (G-K).

150: furor arma ministrat: because no citizen could carry arms within the walls of the city (Walpole).

151: pietate, meritis: pietate, general discharge of duty; meritis, services to the state (Conington). Abl. of cause (Comstock). gravem: gravitas was one of the qualities most admired by the Romans (F-B). si forte virum quem: “if haply some man.” quem is the indefinite pronoun often used after si, nisi, ne, num (F-B) (AG 149b).

152: conspexere: plural, notwithstanding vulgus (149), because the individuals are thought of (F-B).

154: sic: corresponding to veluti (148). aequora: object of prospiciens (Walpole).

155: caeloque invectus aperto: “riding under a clear sky”; caelo, ablative of attendant circumstance (AG 420.5). Neptune does not ride through the sky, but over the water. invectus has a present meaning (F-B). caelo aperto: aperto is not the participle, but the adjective … “the sky clear and unclouded,” as it was before the storm began (Henry).

156: curru: the contracted form of dative currui (Frieze). “To his chariot and his horses” (Conington). flectit, dat: historical presents (F-B). curru secundo: The word secundus has two meanings: second in rank or order, and going or acting along with another, as a second, not principal, actor. The currus (not the car considered as apart from the horses, but the horses considered as drawing the car) obeys every wish of the driver, seconds his will (Henry). volans: “at full speed” (Conington).

Virgil Aeneid 1.142-156 Scansion*

Sīc ăĭt|, ēt dīc|tō || cĭtĭ|ūs tŭmĭd|a aēquŏră| plācăt

cōllēc|tāsquĕ fŭg|āt || nūb|ēs sōl|ēmquĕ rĕd|ūcĭt.

CŶmŏthŏ|ē sĭmŭl| ēt || Trīt|ōn ād|nīxŭs ăc|ūtō

dētrūd|ūnt nāv|ēs || scŏpŭl|ō; lĕvăt| īpsĕ trĭd|ēntī145

ēt vās|tās ăpĕr|īt || sŶr|tēs ēt| tēmpĕrăt| aēquŏr

ātquĕ rŏt|īs sūm|mās || lĕvĭb|ūs pēr|lābĭtŭr| ūndās.

āc vĕlŭt|ī māg|no īn || pŏpŭl|ō cūm| saēpĕ cŏ|ōrta ēst

sēdĭtĭ|ō saēv|ītque || ănĭm|īs īg|nōbĭlĕ| vūlgŭs

iāmquĕ făc|ēs ēt| sāxă || vŏl|ānt, fŭrŏr| ārmă mĭn|īstrăt;150

tūm, pĭĕt|ātĕ grăv|em āc || mĕrĭt|īs sī| fōrtĕ vĭr|ūm quĕm

cōnspēx|ērĕ, sĭl|ēnt || ār|rēctīs|que aūrĭbŭs| āstānt;

īllĕ rĕg|īt dīc|tīs || ănĭm|ōs ēt| pēctŏră| mūlcĕt:

sīc cūn|ctūs pĕlăg|ī || cĕcĭd|īt frăgŏr|, aēquŏră| pōstquăm

prōspĭcĭ|ēns gĕnĭt|ōr || caēl|ōque īn|vēctŭs ăp|ērtō155

flēctĭt ĕ|quōs cūr|rūquĕ || vŏl|āns dāt| lōră sĕc|ūndō.

*With acknowledgment and thanks to https:hands-up-education.org for making this resource available