Glossary
Ablative Absolute
A grammatical construction consisting of a noun or pronoun and a participle (or adjective/noun) in the ablative case, grammatically independent from the rest of the sentence, often indicating time, cause, or circumstance.
Example:
Urbe capta, the city having been captured, the Trojans fled in despair.
Alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together, creating a musical or emphatic effect.
Example:
The harsh 'c' sound in incertam excussit cervice securim is an example of alliteration, emphasizing the violent action.
Deception
The act of misleading or tricking someone, often through lies or false appearances.
Example:
Sinon's elaborate lies about the Trojan Horse were a masterful act of deception, leading the Trojans to their doom.
Divine Intervention
The involvement of gods or deities in human affairs, often to influence outcomes or reveal their will.
Example:
Minerva's role in sending the snakes to Laocoon is a clear example of divine intervention, punishing him for his impiety.
Dramatic Irony
A literary device where the audience or reader knows more about the circumstances or future events than the characters in the story.
Example:
The Trojans' celebration as they bring in the horse, while the audience knows it contains their doom, is a classic example of dramatic irony.
Fate
The predetermined course of events, often seen as inevitable and controlled by a higher power or destiny.
Example:
Despite their efforts, the fall of Troy was sealed by fate, a destiny the gods had long ordained.
Imagery
The use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental pictures or sensory experiences for the reader.
Example:
Vergil's description of the snakes' coils around Laocoon uses powerful imagery to evoke horror.
Juxtaposition
A literary technique where two or more ideas, places, characters, or actions are placed side by side for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.
Example:
The juxtaposition of the joyful Trojan children and the deadly Trojan Horse highlights the tragic irony of the scene.
Participle
A verbal adjective that shares characteristics of both verbs and adjectives, showing tense and voice while modifying a noun.
Example:
The running boy (currens puer) quickly escaped the danger, where 'running' is a present active participle.
Pathos
A quality that evokes pity, sadness, or other strong emotions in the reader or audience.
Example:
The horrific death of Laocoon and his innocent sons is filled with pathos, making the reader feel deep sorrow.
Personification
A literary device where human qualities or actions are attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
Example:
The horse inlabitur (glides) into the city, as if it were a living, active entity, an example of personification.
Polysyndeton
The repeated use of conjunctions (like *et*, *que*, *atque*) in close succession, often for emphasis or to create a sense of accumulation.
Example:
The repeated sub in sub pedibusque deae clipeique sub orbe teguntur is polysyndeton, stressing the snakes' complete concealment.
Simile
A literary device that directly compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' (or Latin *qualis*, *ut*, *velut*).
Example:
Laocoon's cries were qualis mugitus, like the bellowing of a wounded bull, a powerful simile highlighting his pain.
Symbolism
The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often a deeper meaning or concept.
Example:
The Trojan Horse serves as potent symbolism for hidden danger and the deceptive nature of appearances.
Tragedy
A genre of drama or literature that depicts serious events and typically ends with the downfall or death of the protagonist.
Example:
The Aeneid, particularly Book 2, recounts the tragedy of Troy's destruction and the suffering of its people.
Tritonidis
A genitive singular noun meaning 'of Triton's daughter,' a poetic epithet for Minerva (Athena), who was said to have been born near Lake Tritonis.
Example:
The snakes sought refuge at the temple of Tritonidis, revealing Minerva's involvement in the destruction.
accingunt
A present active indicative verb meaning 'they gird themselves' or 'they prepare themselves,' indicating readiness for action.
Example:
The Trojans accingunt omnes operi, girding themselves for the task of moving the horse.
atroque veneno
An ablative of means phrase meaning 'with black venom,' describing the deadly substance.
Example:
The serpents' bite injected atroque veneno, a dark poison that quickly overcame their victims.
clamores horrendos
An accusative plural phrase meaning 'horrendous shouts' or 'dreadful cries,' conveying intense fear or pain.
Example:
Laocoon raised clamores horrendos to the heavens, his agony echoing through the city.
fatalis machina
A nominative singular phrase meaning 'fated machine' or 'deadly contrivance,' referring to the Trojan Horse as an instrument of destiny.
Example:
The fatalis machina ascended the walls, a harbinger of Troy's destruction.
feta armis
An ablative of description phrase meaning 'pregnant with weapons' or 'filled with arms,' metaphorically describing the horse's hidden contents.
Example:
The horse, feta armis, concealed Greek soldiers within its wooden belly.
funem
An accusative singular noun meaning 'rope' or 'cable,' used for pulling or binding.
Example:
The children joyfully touched the funem, helping to pull the horse into the city.
gemini dracones
A nominative plural phrase meaning 'twin snakes' or 'twin serpents,' referring to the two monstrous creatures sent by Minerva.
Example:
The terrifying gemini dracones emerged from the sea, bringing divine wrath upon Troy.
incertam securim
An accusative singular phrase meaning 'an uncertain axe,' referring to an axe that has missed its mark or is wielded unsteadily.
Example:
The incertam securim that missed the bull's neck adds to the chaotic and violent imagery.
innuptae puellae
A nominative plural phrase meaning 'unwedded girls' or 'virgin maidens,' often participating in religious ceremonies.
Example:
The innuptae puellae sang sacred songs, unaware of the danger they welcomed.
lapsus
An accusative plural noun meaning 'motion,' 'gliding,' or 'slipping,' often referring to smooth movement.
Example:
They placed wheels beneath the horse's feet for easier lapsus, smooth motion.
minans
A present active participle meaning 'threatening' or 'menacing,' describing something that poses a danger.
Example:
The horse, minans, glided into the city, its ominous presence unnoticed by the celebrating Trojans.
mugitus
A nominative singular noun meaning 'bellowing' or 'moaning,' typically referring to the sound made by a bull.
Example:
The wounded bull's mugitus was a mournful sound, mirroring Laocoon's own cries.
operi
A dative of purpose noun meaning 'for the task' or 'for the work,' indicating the goal of an action.
Example:
They dedicated themselves operi, to the great task of bringing the horse into the city.
perfusus
A perfect passive participle meaning 'drenched' or 'soaked,' often indicating a state of being covered.
Example:
Laocoon's headbands were perfusus sanie, drenched with gore, a gruesome sight.
saevae
A genitive singular adjective meaning 'fierce,' 'savage,' or 'cruel,' often used to describe gods or powerful forces.
Example:
The snakes fled to the altar of the saevae Tritonidis, emphasizing Minerva's wrathful nature.
sanie
A noun meaning 'blood' or 'gore,' typically referring to bloody fluid or putrid matter.
Example:
The snakes left a trail of sanie as they attacked Laocoon, emphasizing the brutality of the scene.
saucius
A nominative singular adjective meaning 'wounded' or 'injured,' describing a state of physical harm.
Example:
The saucius taurus, a wounded bull, struggled against its fate at the altar.
stuppea vincula
An accusative plural phrase meaning 'hemp ropes,' referring to strong cords made from hemp fibers.
Example:
They fastened stuppea vincula around the horse's neck to pull it.
taurus
A nominative singular noun meaning 'bull,' often used in sacrificial contexts or as a symbol of strength.
Example:
The comparison of Laocoon to a struggling taurus highlights his helplessness and suffering.
vittas
An accusative plural noun meaning 'headbands' or 'fillets,' often worn by priests or sacrificial victims.
Example:
The priest's sacred vittas were stained with venom, defiling his holy office.