The Aeneid, Liber II, Lines 40-56; 201-249

A wall mural depicting a man on the left holding a snake, a while bull and two dying children with onlookers The goal of this section of text is to practice translation. We have included some

Image note: This fresco from Pompeii depicts a scene from our reading, in which Laocoön and his sons are attacked by sea serpents while making a sacrifice to Neptune.

Meter Review and Commentary

Don't forget to practice scansion. Pick a few lines from each reading passage to work on scanning.

Vergil Aeneid Commentaries will serve as a detailed source for notes while reading or translating this text. It is handy to have this document open while working through your reading passage.

Book II Context

Aeneas is recounting the fall of Troy to Queen Dido. We will be reading selections that involve the Trojans' initial reaction to Odysseus' (written Ulixes or Ulysses in Latin) giant wooden horse (the trick that eventually led to Troy's downfall). The Greeks have "sailed away," leaving a giant wooden horse behind and a "captive" to tell the Trojans the horse's purpose. In this section, we focus on one particular character, a priest of Neptune named Laocoön. How does Laocoön react to the sudden departure of the Greeks and their giant gift?

Aeneid Book II, Lines 40-56

Prīmus ibi ante omnēs magnā comitante caterva                 40
Lāocoōn ārdēns summā dēcurrit ab arce,
et procul 'Ō miserī, quae tanta īnsānia, cīvēs?
Crēditis āvectōs hostēs? aut ūlla putātis
dōna carēre dolīs Danaüm? Sīc nōtus Ulixēs?
aut hōc inclūsī lignō occultantur Achīvī,                                      45
aut haec in nostrōs fabricāta est māchina mūrōs,
īnspectūra domōs ventūraque dēsuper urbī,
aut aliquis latet error; equō nē crēdite, Teucrī.
Quidquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs.'
Sīc fātus validīs ingentem vīribus hasta                                       50
in latus inque ferī curvam compāgibus alvum
contorsit. Stetit illa tremēns, uterōque recussō
īnsonuēre cavae gemitumque dedēre cavernae.
et, sī fāta deum, sī mēns nōn laeva fuisset,
impulerat ferrō Argolicās foedāre latebrās,                                55
Trōiaque nunc stāret, Priamīque arx alta manērēs.

Notes on Names

Lāocoōn = Laocoön (the mark over the second -o means that you divide the name into four syllables: La-o-co-ön)
Danaüm = Greeks (aü = two syllables, not a diphthong: Da-na-üm; this is also an example of syncope: the full word is Danōrum)
Ulixēs = Ulyssēs (Latin) = Odysseus (Greek)
Achīvī = Achaeans = Greeks
Teucrī = Teucrians = Trojans
Argolicās = Argolic = Greek (adjective)
Priamī = Priam, king of Troy

Practice Activity: Lines 40-56

Aeneid Book II, Lines 201-249

Let's read about Laocoön's fate. Would the Trojans listen to his warnings? Or would the gods send a different message?

Also note Line 233: this is not a complete line of dactylic hexameter. Do you think Vergil failed to finish the line, or was it abruptly cut off for a reason?

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.
Tum vērō tremefacta novus per pectora cūnctīs
īnsinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem
Lāocoonta ferunt, sacrum quī cuspide rōbur                           230
laeserit et tergō scelerātam intorserit hastam.
Dūcendum ad sēdēs simulācrum ōrandaque dīvae
nūmina conclāmant.
Dīvidimus mūrōs et moenia pandimus urbis.
Accingunt omnēs operī pedibusque rotārum                           235
subiciunt lāpsūs, et stuppea vincula collō
intendunt; scandit fātālis māchina mūrōs
fēta armīs. Puerī circum innūptaeque puellae
sacra canunt fūnemque manū contingere gaudent;
illa subit mediaeque mināns inlābitur urbī.                               240
Ō patria, ō dīvum domus Īlium et incluta bellō
moenia Dardanidum! Quater ipsō in līmine portae
substitit atque uterō sonitum quater arma dedēre;
īnstāmus tamen immemorēs caecīque furōre
et mōnstrum īnfēlīx sacrātā sistimus arce.                                245
Tunc etiam fātīs aperit Cassandra futūrīs
ōra deī iussū nōn umquam crēdita Teucrīs.
Nōs dēlūbra deum miserī, quibus ultimus esset
ille diēs, fēstā vēlāmus fronde per urbem.

Notes on Names

Tenedō = Tenedos
Trītōnidis = Pallas Athena (Greek) or Minerva (Latin) (Trītōnidis arcem = temple of Minerva; arcem is typically translated "citadel" but this is an example of metonymy, where one word is being substituted for another)
Īlium = Ilium = Troy
Dardanidum = Dardanian = Trojan
Cassandra = daughter of Priam; a prophetess cursed by Apollo to always tell the truth but to never be believed

Practice Activity: Lines 201-249

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