VAE: Lesson - Aeneid Book II: The Tragic Fate of Laocoön

Aeneid Book II: The Tragic Fate of Laocoön

Let's get ready to translate! For the next passage, which will cover Book II, lines 199-227, you will prepare a polished translation. For notes on vocabulary and grammar along with additional insights, please download the Aeneid: Laocoön Translation Guide Links to an external site..

For a translation template, please download the Aeneid: Laocoön Handout Links to an external site.. Use this document to write out your translation and practice scansion.

A statue of Laocoön and his sons being attacked by a sea serpent.
Image note: the statue above is called Laocoön and His Sons and was sculpted sometime during the 1st century CE. The sculptor effectively conveys the pain and tragedy of the events surrounding the death of Laocoön.

Background: Summary of Book II up to the Story of Laocoön

To gain a proper context for the story of Laocoöon, download and re-read the beginning of Book II Links to an external site..

As you translate, remember to occasionally stop and attempt to scan (check the meter) a few lines. Being able to determine the meter of a line of poetry is an important, and continuing, part of the process of reading it correctly!

The text for the translation section is included below. This document was posted above, but just in case you have not done so, please download the Aeneid: Laocoön Handout Links to an external site.. Use this document to write out your translation and practice scanning lines from this passage.

Aeneid Book II: 199-227 - Laocoön and his Serpents

Hīc aliud maius miserīs multōque tremendum
obicitur magis atque imprōvida pectora turbat.            200
Lāocoōn, ductus Neptūnō sorte sacerdōs,
sollemnēs taurum ingentem mactābat ad ārās.
Ecce autem geminī ā Tenedō tranquilla per alta
(horrēscō referēns) immēnsīs orbibus anguēs
incumbunt pelagō pariterque ad lītora tendunt;            205
pectora quōrum inter flūctūs arrēcta iubaeque
sanguineae superant undās, pars cētera pontum
pōne legit sinuatque immēnsa volūmine terga.
Fit sonitus spūmante salō; iamque arva tenēbant
ārdentēsque oculōs suffectī sanguine et ignī                 210
sībila lambēbant linguīs vibrantibus ōra.
Diffugimus vīsū exsanguēs. Illī agmine certō
Lāocoonta petunt; et prīmum parva duōrum
corpora nātōrum serpēns amplexus uterque
implicat et miserōs morsū dēpāscitur artūs;                   215
post ipsum auxiliō subeuntem ac tēla ferentem
corripiunt spīrīsque ligant ingentibus; et iam
bis medium amplexī, bis collō squāmea circum
terga datī superant capite et cervīcibus altīs.
Ille simul manibus tendit dīvellere nōdōs                        220
perfūsus saniē vittās ātrōque venēnō,
clāmōrēs simul horrendōs ad sīdera tollit:
quālēs mūgītūs, fūgit cum saucius āram
taurus et incertam excussit cervīce secūrim.
At geminī lāpsū dēlūbra ad summa dracōnēs                 225
effugiunt saevaeque petunt Trītōnidis arcem,
sub pedibusque deae clipeīque sub orbe teguntur.

Notes on Names

This section refers to several proper nouns. Below is a list of these nouns to help you make sense of the references.

  • Lāocoōn = In the Latin text, you'll see the nominative of the name Laocoön spelled with macrons: Lāocoōn. The genitive is Lāocoontis with the second o being short. It is a regular 3rd declension noun (noun base: Lāocoont-).
  • Tenedo = Tenedos - a small island near Troy
  • Tritonidis = Triton - a minor sea god

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN LESSON.