Aeneid VI, Lines 295-304

Question 1

Give a brief description about what is happening in these lines

Answer 1

• There is a description of the river Cocytus of the underworld. At the point in the book the Sibyl and Aeneas are heading towards a river to eventually go to Aeneas’ father Anchises
• There is a description of the ferryman Charon, who is very hesistant to let living bodies cross the river. The man himself is a grimy and unpleasant man

Question 2

“hinc via tartarei quae fert Acherontis ad undas”

Answer 2

• “hinc” (from here) is a reference to the first part of the underworld which Virgil calls “domos Ditis” and which is full of various dreadful inhabitants.
• The positioning of both “hinc” at the start of the line and “undas” at the end gives a sense of a long path leading from the entrance hall to the river.

Question 3

“turbidus hic caeno vataque voragine gurges”

Answer 3

• Hyperbaton of “turbidus…gurges” spanning the whole lines helps to reflect the immense size of the whirlpool, also suggested by “vasta”(huge).
• The positioning of “turbidus”(murky) at the beginning of the line places particular emphasis on the disturbed nature of the water adding to the grim and squalid atmosphere.

Question 4

“vastaque voragine”

Answer 4

• the alliteration of “v” here helps to reflect the repetitive swirling of the whirlpool creating a vast void at it’s centre.

Question 5

“aestuat atque omnem Cocyto eructat harenam.”

Answer 5

• the double elision and repetitive sound of “-at” distrupts the progress of the line, helping to reflect the graphically unpleasant sense of retching or vomiting, implicit in “eructat”(throws up).

Question 6

“portitor has horrendus”

Answer 6

• the seperation of these two nouns places an emphasis on Charon’s name, helpung to add impact here.
• the adjective “horrendus” helps to underscore the further unpleasantness of the scene.

Question 7

“terribili squalore…plurima mento cantities inculta…sordidus”

Answer 7

• Virgil places considerable emphasis on Charon’s dirty and unkempt appearance which is entirely keeping with the foul setting

Question 8

“stant lumina flamma”

Answer 8

• This striking phrase adds a supernatural eeriness to the description of Charon.
  In this context the verb “stant”(stare) implies a fixed, startling gaze

Question 9

“subvectat corpora cumba”

Answer 9

• the repetiton of “c” arguably helps to suggest a creaking of old, aged timbers as the boat takes on the weight of the bodies to be transported.