Glossary
Ablative Absolute
A grammatically independent phrase in the ablative case, consisting of a noun/pronoun and a participle (or adjective/noun), that provides background information about time, cause, or circumstance.
Example:
Flammato corde (with heart inflamed), Juno approached Aeolus, using an ablative absolute to describe her emotional state.
Ablative of Cause
An ablative noun or phrase that indicates the reason or cause for an action or state, often translated with 'because of' or 'on account of.'
Example:
The Trojans suffered greatly saevae Iūnōnis ob īram (on account of savage Juno's wrath), where 'Juno's wrath' is an ablative of cause.
Ablative of Means
An ablative noun that indicates the instrument or means by which an action is performed, translated with 'by' or 'with.'
Example:
Hector was killed telō (by a weapon), where 'weapon' is an ablative of means indicating the instrument of his death.
Ablative of Place Where
An ablative noun or phrase, often with the preposition *in*, that indicates the location where an action occurs.
Example:
The Trojans landed in litore (on the shore), with 'shore' being an ablative of place where indicating their landing spot.
Accusative of Direct Object
A noun or pronoun in the accusative case that directly receives the action of a transitive verb.
Example:
In 'Virgil sings of arms and the man,' 'arms' (arma) and 'man' (virum) are in the accusative of direct object, receiving the action of 'sings.'
Aeneas
The Trojan hero, son of Venus, and protagonist of the Aeneid. He is fated to found the city that will become Rome, embodying Roman virtues like piety and leadership.
Example:
Aeneas endures immense suffering and hardship, driven by divine will to fulfill his destiny of establishing a new homeland for his people.
Aeolus
The king of the winds, whom Juno bribes to unleash a devastating storm upon Aeneas's fleet. He controls the winds from his cave.
Example:
Juno visits Aeolus in his cave, offering him the nymph Deiopea in exchange for releasing his powerful winds against the Trojans.
Alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely connected words, used to create musicality, emphasis, or a particular atmosphere.
Example:
The phrase 'magno cum murmure montis' ('with a great murmur of the mountain') uses alliteration of the 'm' sound to evoke the rumbling of the winds.
Anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines, used for emphasis and rhythmic effect.
Example:
Virgil's repeated use of 'O terque quaterque beati' ('O three and four times blessed') is an example of anaphora, emphasizing Aeneas's despair.
Asyndeton
The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence, creating a sense of speed, urgency, or accumulation.
Example:
The description 'fluctus, venti, naves' ('waves, winds, ships') uses asyndeton to convey the chaotic and overwhelming nature of the storm.
Carthage
A powerful Phoenician city-state in North Africa, greatly favored by Juno. Its destined destruction by Rome fuels Juno's wrath against Aeneas and the Trojans.
Example:
Juno's deep affection for Carthage makes her determined to prevent the Trojans from reaching Italy, as she knows their descendants will destroy her beloved city.
Deiopea
A beautiful nymph offered by Juno to Aeolus as a bribe to persuade him to unleash the winds and destroy the Trojan fleet.
Example:
As an incentive, Juno promises Deiopea, one of her loveliest nymphs, to Aeolus if he agrees to her request.
Enjambment
The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause, creating a sense of flow and suspense.
Example:
When a sentence runs from the end of one line directly into the next, like 'fatis / Iactatus' (tossed by the fates), it's enjambment, pulling the reader forward.
Future Tense
A verb tense that expresses an action that will happen in the future. In Latin, it often uses specific endings or auxiliary verbs.
Example:
The verb luetis (you will pay) is in the future tense, indicating a consequence that will occur later.
Ganymede
A Trojan prince abducted by Jupiter to serve as his cupbearer, further infuriating Juno due to her jealousy and the slight to her own daughter, Hebe.
Example:
Juno's resentment was compounded by Jupiter's abduction of Ganymede, a Trojan youth, to be his personal attendant on Olympus.
Gerunds
Verbal nouns that express an action, appearing in the genitive, dative, accusative (with a preposition), or ablative cases. They describe the action itself.
Example:
The phrase capessere (for undertaking) is a gerund expressing purpose, highlighting the action of undertaking a task.
Indirect Statement
A grammatical construction used to report what someone said, thought, or perceived, typically introduced by a verb of saying/thinking/perceiving and followed by an accusative subject and an infinitive verb.
Example:
The phrase videt + accusative + infinitive forms an indirect statement, allowing Virgil to report what a character sees or perceives.
Infinitives
The basic, unconjugated form of a verb, often translated with 'to' + verb (e.g., 'to sing'). They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Example:
In 'Aeneas was destined condere (to found) Rome,' condere is an infinitive expressing purpose.
Irony
A literary device where the intended meaning of words is different from their literal meaning, often used for humorous or emphatic effect.
Example:
Juno's lament about her inability to stop Aeneas, despite her immense divine power, can be seen as a form of irony, highlighting her frustration.
Judgment of Paris
A mythological event where Paris, a Trojan prince, chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess over Juno and Minerva, earning Juno's lasting enmity towards the Trojans.
Example:
One of the key reasons for Juno's anger against the Trojans was the infamous Judgment of Paris, where she was not chosen as the fairest goddess.
Juno
The queen of the gods and wife of Jupiter, she is a primary antagonist in the Aeneid due to her intense hatred for the Trojans and her favoritism towards Carthage.
Example:
Juno's relentless anger drives much of the conflict in Book 1, as she attempts to thwart Aeneas's fated journey.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as,' implying that one thing is another.
Example:
Describing a leader as the 'anchor of the state' is a metaphor, directly equating the leader's role to that of a ship's anchor.
Muse
A goddess of inspiration, traditionally invoked by epic poets to aid in their storytelling. This convention signals the poem's epic scope and divine inspiration.
Example:
Virgil invokes the Muse at the beginning of the Aeneid, asking for divine guidance to tell the story of Aeneas's struggles.
Neptune
The god of the sea, whose domain is disturbed by Juno's storm. He intervenes to calm the waters and restore order, asserting his authority.
Example:
Neptune, angered by the unauthorized storm in his waters, swiftly rises from the depths to rebuke the winds and calm the turbulent sea.
Pallas (Athena)
The Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, known for her strategic prowess. Juno compares herself to Pallas, questioning why she cannot exert similar power.
Example:
Juno, frustrated by her inability to stop Aeneas, bitterly compares her own limited power to that of Pallas, who successfully punished Ajax.
Perfect Passive Participle
A verbal adjective formed from the fourth principal part of a verb, indicating a completed action in the passive voice. It often ends in -us, -a, -um.
Example:
The perfect passive participle victus (conquered) describes a state of being after an action has been completed, as in 'the conquered city.'
Personification
Attributing human qualities, emotions, or actions to inanimate objects or abstract concepts, making them more vivid and relatable.
Example:
When Virgil describes the winds as 'raging' or the sea as 'angry,' he uses personification to give natural forces human-like characteristics.
Present Participle
A verbal adjective that describes an ongoing action, typically ending in -ns, -ntis in Latin. It can function adjectivally or adverbially.
Example:
The present participle iactanti (tossing) describes Aeneas as he is being tossed by the waves, showing his continuous struggle.
Purpose Clause
A subordinate clause introduced by *ut* (or *ne* for negative) and a subjunctive verb, indicating the purpose or aim of the main clause's action.
Example:
The Trojans sought a harbor ut (in order that) petere (they might seek) safety, forming a purpose clause explaining their action.
Relative Clause
A subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun (e.g., *qui, quae, quod*) that modifies an antecedent noun or pronoun in the main clause.
Example:
The phrase quae introduces a relative clause that provides more information about the vina (wines) Aeneas distributes to his men.
Subjunctive Mood
A verb mood used to express uncertainty, possibility, wishes, commands, or conditions. It is crucial for understanding complex Latin sentence structures.
Example:
The verb sinant (may they allow) is in the subjunctive mood, expressing a wish or possibility in a conditional clause.
arma
Latin for 'arms' or 'weapons,' it signifies warfare and military might, a central theme in the Aeneid.
Example:
Virgil begins his epic with arma virumque cano, immediately signaling the poem's focus on conflict and heroism.
virum
Latin for 'man,' referring to Aeneas, the epic's protagonist. It highlights the human element and individual destiny within the grand narrative.
Example:
The opening lines of the Aeneid, 'Arma virumque cano,' introduce Aeneas as the central figure whose journey shapes Rome's future.