BAM Notes

Annotations on book 10, section 215-259 of the Aeneid

Iamque dies caelo concesserat almaque curru
noctivago Phoebe medium pulsabat Olympum:
Aeneas (neque enim membris dat cura quietem)
ipse sedens clavumque regit velisque ministrat.
Atque illi medio in spatio chorus ecce suarum
occurrit comitum: nymphae, quas alma Cybebe
numen habere maris nymphasque e navibus esse
iusserat, innabant pariter fluctusque secabant,
quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae.
Agnoscunt longe regem lustrantque choreis,
quarum quae fandi doctissima Cymodocea
pone sequens dextra puppim tenet ipsaque dorso
eminet ac laeva tacitis subremigat undis,
tum sic ignarum adloquitur: “Vigilasne, deum gens,
Aenea? Vigila et velis immitte rudentis.
Nos sumus, Idaeae sacro de vertice pinus,
nunc pelagi nymphae, classis tua Perfidus ut nos
praecipitis ferro Rutulus flammaque premebat,
rupimus invitae tua vincula teque per aequor
quaerimus. Hanc Genetrix faciem miserata refecit
et dedit esse deas aevumque agitare sub undis.
At puer Ascanius muro fossisque tenetur
tela inter media atque horrentis Marte Latinos.
Iam loca iussa tenent forti permixtus Etrusco
Arcas eques: medias illis opponere turmas,
ne castris iungant, certast sententia Turno.
Surge age et Aurora socios veniente vocari
primus in arma iube et clipeum cape, quem dedit ipse
invictum Ignipotens atque oras ambiit auro.
Crastina lux, mea si non inrita dicta putaris,
ingentis Rutulae spectabit caedis acervos.”
Dixerat, et dextra discedens impulit altam
haud ignara modi puppim: fugit illa per undas
ocior et iaculo et ventos aequante sagitta.
Inde aliae celerant cursus. Stupet inscius ipse
Tros Anchisiades; animos tamen omine tollit.
Tum breviter super adspectans convexa precatur:
“Alma parens Idaea deum, cui Dindyma cordi
turrigeraeque urbis biiugique ad frena leones,
tu mihi nunc pugnae princeps, tu rite propinques
augurium Phrygibusque adsis pede, diva, secundo.”
Tantum effatus. Et interea revoluta rubebat
matura iam luce dies noctemque fugarat:
principio sociis edicit, signa sequantur
atque animos aptent armis pugnaeque parent se.

Navigation

Title Description
Atmospheric sunset
  • caelo concesserat - Alliteration of 'c'
  • alma Phoebe - epithet & hyperbaton - gives her status
  • medium Olympum - h.b. split by pulsabat, gives effect to verb
Dutiful Aeneas
  • historic presents: Ae. is always at work (hist present)
  • tricolon of actions (sitting, controlling, tending to) showing his devotion to duty
Busy Aeneas
  • RB is emphatic of his many tasks and importance to mission
  • neque enim - emphatic neque - he never gets a rest
Arrival of the nymphs

ecce - emphatic, authorial interjection to draw attention - e.p. among chorus to draw attention chorus suarum comitum - split, so draws attention to chorus and emph. size of group
Importance of the nymphs
  • e.p. of nymphs
  • Cybele has an epithet, giving her importance, which gives them power
  • numen is divine power, and ispromoted to start of line
Sibilance

emph divine/supernatural nature of this act
Enjambment

reminder of divine favour of nymphs
Swimming nymphs

encapsulation of fluctus with the two verbs emphasises the impressive visual image of the swimming nymphs quot - e.p, shows large number
Ships
  • h.b., epithet of aeratae shows greatness of ships beforehand
Arrival of the nymphs
  • emphatically placed historic presents - more vivid - adds to tension, and supernatural nature of this arrival
  • rhetorical balance of verbs with the objects
  • simile of like a chorus - gives a happy, positive mood to this meeting
Cymodocea

is given status by the superlative and delay, which therefore gives Aeneas status as they speak to her - delay adds a little tension?
Propelling the ship
  • antithesis of right/left, shows how she is multitasking
  • tricolon of verbs, shows rapid, important action
Hyperbaton

tacitis undis surrounds subremigat, giving it more importance
Aeneas

he is also unaware of what is happening, not just the reader
Speech

polyptoton of vigila/sne - lends importance to speech patronymic - shows respect to Aeneas, a reminder of his status enjambment of Aenea - emph. his name, shows her familiarity with him
Imperatives

shows urgency/importance of message, like polyptoton
The nymphs' origin

tricolon of information - ascending in terms of understanding, which gives suspense Idaeae pinus - hints at their true nature, as Aeneas's trojan ships
Final information

tua is delayed, but is the key to their identity
Turnus and their escape

pejorative, perfidus, for Turnus hyperbaton of perfidus Turnus - emphatic praecipitis is e.p. and has plosive alliteration with perfidus - aggressive premebat is imperfect, to show that the threat is ongoing Turnus is surrounded by ferro flamma to show his aggressive methods
The nymphs and Aeneas

They show devotion to Aeneas - they were unwilling to leave him, and use double pronouns to emphasise. per-quaerimus shows how long they have been looking for him - per aequor gives a sense of long distances
Their new nature

encapsulates Cybele, the great mother, to give status and emph. their divine nature chiasmus is emphatic, especially w/ alliteration
Tricolon of actions

Divine actions
Ascanius in danger

epithet to emphasise youth - contrasts w/ danger, and is a common theme in the Aeneid muro fossis - juxtaposition - he is under siege inter mimics its meaning, and Latinos/tela surrounds the whole line, emph. threat metonymy of Marte is more poetic
Turnus's strategy
  • to prevent Aeneas's allies from reaching Ascanius - adds to danger/urgency V. emphasises the powerful allies available :
  • hyperbaton & epithet of forti Etrusco
  • enjambment of Arcas eques But Ascanius cannot have them, as they are in assigned positions, but:
  • medias illis - e.p. to emphasise plan to stop allies
  • certast...Turno is delayed to add suspense
  • sententia is emphatic, shows that Turnus is confident
Commanding Ae.

4 commands in quick succession, in ascending order
Nice alliteration
Divine shield
  • enjambment of invictum/hyperbaton w/ clipeum is to emph
  • Ignipotens emphasises his divine patron and status (emph. with ipse)
  • golden is delayed, for status - a very impressive piece of armour
Predictions

Aeneas would be mad not to believe her mea...dicta is h.b. & non inrita is litotes
Deat Rutulians

word order - h.b. of ingentis acervos means large heaps double h.b. encapsulates the verb - as if standing among the heaps of dead men, mimicking meaning
Ships

Ae. has an impressive ship - gives more status
Divine shove

verbs show action haud ignara modi = expertly her divine assistance is another sign of Ae.'s status
Speed

e.p. of verb, which has sense of speed comparative of speed w/ three different things - 2 weapons, and the wind
Polyptoton

shows no. of things the ship is faster than
Departure of the nymphs

celerant is a hist. pres cursus continues to emph speed
Aeneas's reaction

At first, confusion:

  • e.p. of stupet
  • emph. by inscius Then, determination:
  • consonance of m and n
  • patronymic, Anchisiades

Text details

Title
Aeneid
Abbreviation
Verg. A.
Identifier
1999.02.0055

Citations and links

Citation
Verg. A. 10.215-259
Perseus link
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Verg. A. 10.215-259