Section 1, Lines 40-56 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Primus ibi ante omnis magna comitante caterva
First there before everyone with a great crowd attending,
Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce,
Laocoon raging rushes down from the top of the citadel
et procul ‘o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives?
and from afar (cries) ‘o wretched citizens, what madness is so great?
creditis avectos hostis? aut ulla putatis
Do you believe that the enemy have sailed away? Or do you think that
dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Ulixes?
any gifts of the Greeks lack deceit? Is Ulysses known in this way?
aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achivi,
Either the Aecheans are concealed shut in this wood,
aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros,
or this is a seige-engine constructed against our walls
inspectura domos venturaque desuper urbi,
about to spy on homes and about to come into the city from above,
aut aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri.
or some other deception lies hidden; do not trust the horse, Trojans.
quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.’
Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bear gifts.
sic fatus validis ingentem viribus hastam
Having spoken in this way, with mighty strength, he hurled his huge spear
in latus inque feri curvam compagibus alvum
into the side and into the belly of the beast with its curved joints.
contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso
. It stood trembling, and with the belly shaken,
insonuere cavae gemitumque dedere cavernae.
hollow cavities resounded and gave a groan.
et, si fata deum, si mens non laeva fuisset,
And if the fates of the gods, (the gods’ pronouncements)if our mind/intention had not been unfavourable,
impulerat ferro Argolicas foedare latebras,
he would have driven us to defile the Argive (Greek) hiding places with our swords,
Troiaque nunc staret, Priamque arx alta maneres.
and Troy would now stand and you, high citadel of Priam, would remain.
