aeneid 4.304-330

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.304–330

Dido's first speech confronting Aeneas about his planned departure is one of the most famous passages in the Aeneid. Vergil packs together every kind of appeal Dido can make (anger, pleading, accusation, and grief) making this speech a centerpiece of Book 4.

Tier 1

tandem Dīdō Aenēān vocat. dīcit ad eum:

"spērāvistīne crīmen tuum cēlāre? spērāvistīne ē terrā meā tacitus īre, perfide?

amor noster nōn tē tenet? dextra tua data nōn tē tenet? ego, quae moriar, nōn tē teneō?

et classem parās in hieme. et properās in mare īre. ventī sunt magnī. tū es crūdēlis!

Trōia tua periit. tū terram aliēnam petis. tū domum ignōtam petis. cūr nunc, hieme, fugis?

ā mē fugis? per lacrimās meās tē ōrō. per dextram tuam tē ōrō. per cōnūbia nostra tē ōrō. ego nihil aliud habeō. ego sum misera. miserēre meī! domus mea cadit. mūtā mentem tuam!

propter tē, gentēs Libycae mē ōdērunt. propter tē, Tyriī meī mē ōdērunt. propter tē, pudor meus periit. propter tē, fāma mea periit. fāma mea ad sīdera ībat; nunc nōn iam ībit. cui mē relinquis, hospes? ego moriar. tū nōn iam es coniunx meus; tū es sōlum hospes.

quid moror? exspectābō? frāter meus Pygmaliōn moenia mea dēstruet. Iarbās mē capiet.

puerum tuum nōn habeō. utinam parvus Aenēās in domō meā lūderet! vultus eius esset similis tibi. tum nōn essem omnīnō dēserta."

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

tandem hīs Aenēān compellat vōcibus ultrō:

AP Core Vocabulary

tandem=at length, finally

hic, haec, hoc=this

Aenēās, -ae (m.)=Aeneas

vōx, vōcis (f.)=voice; pl., words

dissimulāre etiam spērāstī, perfide, tantum
posse nefās tacitusque meā dēcēdere terrā?
nec tē noster amor nec tē data dextera quondam
nec moritūra tenet crūdēlī fūnere Dīdō?

tantus, -a, -um=so great; n. as noun, so great a thing

possum, posse, potuī=to be able, can

tacitus, -a, -um=silent, in silence

-que=and

meus, -a, -um=my, mine

cēdō, -ere, cessī, cessum=to go, withdraw; dē + abl., depart from

terra, -ae (f.)=land, earth

noster, -tra, -trum=our, ours

amor, -ōris (m.)=love

dō, dare, dedī, datum=to give

dextra (dextera), -ae (f.)=right hand; esp. pledge

teneō, -ēre, tenuī, tentum=to hold, keep back

crūdēlis, -e=cruel

Dīdō, -ōnis (f.)=Dido

quīn etiam hībernō mōlīrī sīdere classem
et mediīs properās Aquilōnibus īre per altum,
crūdēlis? quid, sī nōn arva aliēna domōsque
ignōtās peterēs, et Trōia antīqua manēret,
Trōia per undōsum peterētur classibus aequor?

quīn=indeed, what is more

sīdus, -eris (n.)=star, constellation; here, season

classis, -is (f.)=fleet

medius, -a, -um=middle, in the midst of

properō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to hasten, hurry

per=+ acc., through, across

altum, -ī (n.)=the deep, the open sea

crūdēlis, -e=cruel

quis, quid=who? what? n. acc. as adv., why?

sī=if

arvum, -ī (n.)=field, plowland

aliēnus, -a, -um=of another, foreign

domus, -ūs (f.)=house, home

-que=and

petō, -ere, -īvī, -ītum=to seek, make for

Trōia, -ae (f.)=Troy

antīquus, -a, -um=ancient, of old

maneō, -ēre, mānsī, mānsum=to remain, abide

aequor, -oris (n.)=level surface; esp. sea

mēne fugis? per ego hās lacrimās dextramque tuam tē
(quandō aliud mihi iam miserae nihil ipsa relīquī),
per cōnūbia nostra, per inceptōs hymenaeōs,

fugiō, -ere, fūgī, fugitum=to flee, run from

per=+ acc., through; in oaths, by

hic, haec, hoc=this

dextra (dextera), -ae (f.)=right hand; esp. pledge

-que=and

tuus, -a, -um=your, yours (sg.)

alius, -a, -ud=other, another

miser, -era, -erum=wretched, pitiable

relinquō, -ere, -līquī, -lictum=to leave behind

cōnūbium, -ī (n.)=marriage, wedlock

noster, -tra, -trum=our, ours

incipiō, -ere, -cēpī, -ceptum=to begin, undertake

sī bene quid dē tē meruī, fuit aut tibi quicquam
dulce meum, miserēre domūs lābentis et istam,
ōrō, sī quis adhūc precibus locus, exue mentem.

sī=if

bene=well

quis, quid=anyone, anything (after sī)

dē=+ abl., from, about, concerning

mereō, -ēre, -uī, -itum=to deserve, earn

sum, esse, fuī=to be

aut=or

dulcis, -e=sweet

meus, -a, -um=my, mine

domus, -ūs (f.)=house, home, household

lābor, lābī, lāpsus sum=to slip, glide; here, totter, fall

iste, -a, -ud=that (of yours)

ōrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātum=to beg, beseech

adhūc=still, until now

locus, -ī (m.)=place, room

mēns, mentis (f.)=mind, intention, purpose

tē propter Libycae gentēs Nomadumque tyrannī
ōdēre, īnfēnsī Tyriī; tē propter eundem
exstīnctus pudor et, quā sōlā sīdera adībam,
fāma prior. cui mē moribundam dēseris hospes

propter=+ acc., on account of, because of

gēns, gentis (f.)=tribe, people, nation

-que=and

īdem, eadem, idem=the same

exstinguō, -ere, -nxī, -nctum=to extinguish, destroy

quī, quae, quod=who, which, that

sōlus, -a, -um=alone, only

sīdus, -eris (n.)=star, constellation

adeō, -īre, -iī, -itum=to go to, approach, reach

fāma, -ae (f.)=report, reputation

prior, prius=former, earlier

dēserō, -ere, -uī, -tum=to leave, abandon

(hoc solum nōmen quoniam dē coniuge restat)?
quid moror? an mea Pygmaliōn dum moenia frāter
dēstruat aut captam dūcat Gaetūlus Iarbās?
saltem sī qua mihī dē tē suscepta fuisset
ante fugam subolēs, sī quis mihi parvulus aulā
lūderet Aenēās, quī tē tamen ōre referret,
nōn equidem omnīnō capta ac dēserta vidērer."

hic, haec, hoc=this

sōlus, -a, -um=alone, only

nōmen, -inis (n.)=name

dē=+ abl., from, of

sum, esse, fuī=to be; restat, there remains

quis, quid=who? what?; after sī, anyone, anything

moror, -ārī, -ātus sum=to delay, linger

an=or; introducing alt. question, or perhaps

meus, -a, -um=my, mine

dum=while; + subj., until

moenia, -ium (n. pl.)=walls, fortifications

frāter, -tris (m.)=brother

aut=or

capiō, -ere, cēpī, captum=to take, capture

dūcō, -ere, -xī, -ctum=to lead; here, carry off

sī=if

quī, quae, quod=who, which, that; indef. after sī, any

ante=+ acc., before

fuga, -ae (f.)=flight, escape

Aenēās, -ae (m.)=Aeneas

tamen=still, nevertheless

referō, -ferre, rettulī, relātum=to bring back; here, recall, resemble

equidem=indeed, for my part

dēserō, -ere, -uī, -tum=to leave, abandon

videō, -ēre, vīdī, vīsum=to see; pass., seem

P. Vergilius Maro, Aeneid 4.304–330

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum

Tier 4 - Carmen Ipsum (AP Core Vocabulary)

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