Quos neque Tydides, nec Larissaeus Achilles,
Non anni domuere decem, non mille carinae.

'Hic aliud majus miseris multoque tremendum
Objicitur magis, atque improvida pectora turbat.
Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,
Sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.
Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta—
Horresco referens-immensis orbibus angues
Incumbunt pelago, pariterque ad litora tendunt;
Pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta jubaeque
Sanguineae superant undas; pars cetera pontum
Pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga.
Fit sonitus spumante salo; jamque arva tenebant,
Ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni,
Sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.
Diffugimus visu exsangues. Illi agmine certo
Laocoonta petunt; et primum parva duorum
Corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque
Implicat, et miseros morsu depascitur artus;
Post ipsum, auxilio subeuntem ac tela ferentem,
Corripiunt, spirisque ligant ingentibus; et jam
Bis medium amplexi, bis collo squamea circum
Terga dati, superant capite et cervicibus altis.
Ille simul manibus tendit divellere nodos,
Perfusus sanie vittas atroque veneno,
Clamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollit:
Qualis mugitus, fugit cum saucius aram

200

205

210

215

220

197. Larissaeus, from Larissa, a town in Thessaly, near the district whence Achilles came.-199. An incident admirably introduced and told, and the subject of a celebrated piece of statuary, known by the name of the Laocoon. Majus, than the horse and Sinon's capture; that is, as it seemed to them.-200. Turbat. So that they were less able to form a correct judgment as to what they should do with the horse.-201. Ductus sorte. This was not unusual in the choice of priests. Neptune was one of the tutelary gods of Troy.-203. Gemini, with pariterque (205), indicates their combined motion.-208. Legit. Slowly traverses. Sinuat terga, in sinus terga plicat.-210. Oculos suffecti. See Ecl. i. 52, &c.-212. Agmine. See v. 90.-216. Post, postea. 217. The richness of vocables is deserving of notice: orbibus, volumine, spiris.-218. Bis. Their size is to be inferred from this, that though two folds were round his waist and two round his neck, their necks and heads rose above his. Circumdati collo; the ordinary construction; circumdati terga, Ecl. i. 52.-221. Vittas. Even the sacred fillet could not protect him.223. Qualis mugitus. Clamores talis, qualis mugitus taurus saucius tollit.

Taurus et incertam excussit cervice securim.
At gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones
Effugiunt saevaeque petunt Tritonidis arcem,
Sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur.
Tum vero tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis
Insinuat pavor, et scelus expendisse merentem
Laocoonta ferunt, sacrum qui cuspide robur
Laeserit et tergo sceleratam intorserit hastam.
Ducendum ad sedes simulacrum orandaque divae
Numina conclamant.

Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.
Accingunt omnes operi, pedibusque rotarum
Subjiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo
Intendunt. Scandit fatalis machina muros,
Feta armis. Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae

225

230

235

Sacra canunt, funemque manu contingere gaudent.
Illa subit, mediaeque minans illabitur urbi.
O patria, o divom domus Ilium, et incluta bello
Moenia Dardanidum! quater ipso in limine portae
Substitit, atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere;
Instamus tamen immemores caecique furore,
Et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.
Tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris
Ora, dei jussu non umquam credita Teucris.
Nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset
Ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.

240

245

226. Tritonidis. See 171. This increased the probability of Sinon's tale. The serpent was sacred to Pallas.-230. Qui-laeserit. This subjunctive marks the ground on which the popular opinion pronounced Laocoon's doom as deserved-'inasmuch as he.'-233. Conclamant; con, all with one voice.-234. Et gives an intensive force-'we break down the walls; ay, we throw open the battlements.'-235. Accingunt, se. See the full form, Aen. i. 210, and note. Rotarum lapsus: rotas labentes.-237. Fatalis. See 165.-238. Pueri, &c. As to a virgin goddess.-240. The onward progress of the horse is described. Subit, ascending at the entrance; illabitur, gentle motion onward, when in the middle of the city; substitit, stoppages at the gate of the citadel; sistimus, its arrival there.-246. Cassandra. A daughter of Priam, who obtained from Apollo the gift of prophecy, but with the condition mentioned in the next line. Hence her name is still used to indicate any one who truthfully foretells evil, and is not believed.— 248. Miseri-quibus esset. The subjunctive marks in what respect they were wretched-'inasmuch as.' Their real misery is contrasted with their rejoicings.

'Vertitur interea coelum et ruit oceano Nox,
Involvens umbra magna terramque polumque
Myrmidonumque dolos; fusi per moenia Teucri
Conticuere; sopor fessos complectitur artus :
Et jam Argiva phalanx instructis navibus ibat
A Tenedo, tacitae per amica silentia lunae
Litora nota petens, flammas cum regia puppis
Extulerat; fatisque deum defensus iniquis,
Inclusos utero Danaos et pinea furtim
Laxat claustra Sinon. Illos patefactus ad auras
Reddit equus, laetique cavo se robore promunt
Thessandrus Sthenelusque duces et dirus Ulixes,
Demissum lapsi per funem, Acamasque, Thoasque,
Pelidesque Neoptolemus, primusque Machaon,
Et Menelaus, et ipse doli fabricator Epeos.
Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam ;
Caeduntur vigiles, portisque patentibus omnis
Accipiunt socios atque agmina conscia jungunt.
"Tempus erat, quo prima quies mortalibus aegris
Incipit et dono divom gratissima serpit.

250

255

260

265

270

In somnis, ecce, ante oculos moestissimus Hector
Visus adesse mihi, largosque effundere fletus,
Raptatus bigis, ut quondam, aterque cruento
Pulvere, perque pedes trajectus lora tumentis.
Hei mihi, qualis erat! quantum mutatus ab illo
Hectore, qui redit exuvias indutus Achilli,
Vel Danaum Phrygios jaculatus puppibus ignis!
Squalentem barbam et concretos sanguine crinis
Volneraque illa gerens, quae circum plurima muros

275

250. A peaceful picture, to heighten the effect of the description of the subsequent tumult. Heaven is represented as a concave sphere rolling round-the night-heaven rises from the ocean.--254. Phalanx -instructis; all indicative of preparation.-255. The moon's light (see 340) was favourable to the Greeks, unless, with some, we make silentia lunae to mean a time when the moon was obscured. See 360. Tradition bore that Troy was captured at full moon.-259. Laxat. Liberans Danaos laxat claustra.-263. Neoptolemus or Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, and consequently grandson of Peleus (Pelides). Primus. Foremost in the descent, or perhaps first in his art; he was a physician.-265. Urbem. From the citadel.-270. Hector. The well-known hero of Troy, son of Priam, whom Achilles having slain, dragged thrice at his chariot round the walls of Troy (according to Virgil, i. 484).-275. Exuvias. Hector had slain and spoiled Patroclus, who wore the armour of Achilles.-276. Jaculatus. After he had darted.

Accepit patrios. Ultro flens ipse videbar
Compellare virum et moestas expromere voces:
"O lux Dardaniae, spes o fidissima Teucrum,
Quae tantae tenuere morae? quibus Hector ab oris
Exspectate venis? ut te post multa tuorum
Funera, post varios hominumque urbisque labores,
Defessi aspicimus! quae caussa indigna serenos
Foedavit vultus? aut cur haec vulnera cerno?"
Ille nihil, nec me quaerentem vana moratur,
Sed graviter gemitus imo de pectore ducens,

“Heu fuge, nate dea, teque his,” ait, “eripe flammis.
Hostis habet muros; ruit alto a culmine Troja.
Sat patriae Priamoque datum: si Pergama dextra
Defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent.
Sacra suosque tibi commendat Troja Penatis ;
Hos cape fatorum comites, his moenia quaere,
Magna pererrato statues quae denique ponto."
Sic ait, et manibus vittas Vestamque potentem
Aeternumque adytis effert penetralibus ignem.
'Diverso interea miscentur moenia luctu,

280

285

290

295

Et magis atque magis, quamquam secreta parentis
Anchisae domus arboribusque obtecta recessit,

300

Clarescunt sonitus, armorumque ingruit horror.
Excutior somno, et summi fastigia tecti
Ascensu supero, atque arrectis auribus adsto:

In segetem veluti cum flamma furentibus austris
Incidit, aut rapidus montano flumine torrens
Sternit agros, sternit sata laeta boumque labores,

305

279. Ipse. 'I as well as he.'-287. The reader must have discovered that such words as dixit are frequently left to his mind to supply, as in ille nihil. Nec moratur; that is, by answering my idle questions.-292. Si possent implies a negative if they could be defended, which they could not be. Such is the force of the imperfect subjunctive in similar sentences.-297. Aeternum; because the fires of Vesta were never allowed to die out. Hector is represented as giving Aeneas these sacred things which he had saved from the holy place of Vesta's temple, adytis penetralibus.-298. Miscentur luctu, turbantur variis formis luctus.300. Two circumstances rendered the house of Anchises sequestered (recessit) it was far separated from other houses, and it stood amidst trees.- -302. Excutior, excutio me: with the force of a Greek middle verb.-304, &c. A striking simile, where the feelings of Aeneas, while listening to the frightful tumult, are likened to those of a shepherd hearing the roar of flames, or of a swollen torrent.

Praecipitisque trahit silvas; stupet inscius alto
Accipiens sonitum saxi de vertice pastor.
Tum vero manifesta fides, Danaumque patescunt
Insidiae. Jam Deiphobi dedit ampla ruinam
Volcano superante domus, jam proxumus ardet
Ucalegon; Sigea igni freta lata relucent.
Exoritur clamorque virum clangorque tubarum.
Arma amens capio; nec sat rationis in armis;
Sed glomerare manum bello et concurrere in arcem
Cum sociis ardent animi; furor iraque mentem
Praecipitant, pulchrumque mori succurrit in armis.
'Ecce autem telis Panthus elapsus Achivom,
Panthus Othryades, arcis Phoebique sacerdos,
Sacra manu victosque deos parvumque nepotem
Ipse trahit, cursuque amens ad limina tendit.

310

315

320

Quo res summa loco, Panthu? quam prendimus arcem?”
Vix ea fatus eram, gemitu cum talia reddit:
"Venit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus

Dardaniae. Fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium, et ingens
Gloria Teucrorum; ferus omnia Jupiter Argos
Transtulit: incensa Danai dominantur in urbe.
Arduus armatos mediis in moenibus adstans
Fundit equus, victorque Sinon incendia miscet
Insultans. Portis alii bipatentibus adsunt,
Millia quot magnis umquam venere Mycenis;
Obsedere alii telis angusta viarum
Oppositi; stat ferri acies mucrone corusco
Stricta, parata neci; vix primi proelia tentant
Portarum vigiles, et caeco Marte resistunt."

325

330

335

307. Inscius, because ignorant of the cause.-309. Fides; referring, probably, to Sinon; and ironical, as in the expression Punica fides. -310. Deiphobi, a son of Priam. See Aen. vi. 495, &c.—311. Volcano, for igne. See Ecl. v. 69; Aen. i. 177, and numerous similar passages.312. Sigea. A promontory near Troy, named Sigeum, gives name here to the adjoining sea (freta). Lata means, 'in all their breadth.'-315. Bello, the dative.-319. Arcis, &c. Phoebi, cujus fanum in arce erat.-322. Res summa. The public safety was the chief concern. Arcem, a height; a fortress generally built on a height; here, any place of strength. -325. Fuimus, et non amplius sumus.-326. Argos. See 55.-328. Moenibus; referring to the fortifications of the citadel in which the horse now was. See 234. - 329. Miscet, passim jactat.-334. Primi. Those first exposed to their attack.-335. Caecus Mars is an engagement (see Ecl. v. 69), in which the resistance is made at random, and, here by inference, without hope of success.