Aeneid First Paragraph Translation and Annotations

Question 1

Urbs antique fuit ( Tyrii tenuere coloni )
Karthago, Italiam contra Tibérnique longe
ostia, dives opus studiisque asperrima belli,

Answer 1

There was an ancient city ( settlers from Tyre occupied it ) ,
Carthage, facing Italy a long way off and the Tiber’s
mouth, rich in wealth and most savage in eagerness for war,

Annotations

Ecphrasis - “ orbs Antiqua fuit “ - vivid description , often visual used in poems

Delayed Emphatic placement - “ Karthago “

Juxtaposition - “ contra “ - juxtaposes “ Karthago “ and “ Italiem “

Physical Distance - “ ostia “ and “ Tibernique “ are physically a long way off on the page , representing : “longe”

Pleonasm - “ Dives “ and “ opum “ have the same meaning , so it is a Pleonasm to place emphasis on wealth

Superlative - “ asperrima “

Question 2

quam luno fertur terris magis omnibus unam
posthabita coulisse Samo.

Answer 2

Which Juno is said to have cherished alone more than all land,
putting Samos second.

Juxtaposition - “ omnibus unambiguous “ , - places emphasis on “ unam “

Delayed - “ Samo “ - Physically delayed in text to reflect the translation

Question 3

hiç illius arma,
hiç currus fuir ; hoc Regnum dea gentibus esse,
si qua fata sinant , iam tum tenditque fovetque.

Answer 3

Here were her weapons,
here her chariot. The goddess already then both strove and promoted ,
if at all the fates might allow it , for this to be the royal power over races.

Anaphora - “ hic “ , “ hiç “ - emphasis on point.

Promotes - “ Regnum “ , promotes power.

Reminder - “ si qua fata sinant , “ - Included as a reminder the fates don’t allow it.

Personal - “ tenditque fovetque “ - Historic present . Put in present to make it more personal for the reader.