#AP Latin Study Guide: The Aeneid, Book 1

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#Book 1, Lines 494-519: Dido's Arrival and the Trojans' Discovery

#Original Passage

Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur, dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno,               495 regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido, incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva. Qualis in Eurotae ripis aut per iuga Cynthi exercet Diana choros, quam mille secutae hinc atque hinc glomerantur oreades; illa pharetram               500 fert umero, gradiensque deas supereminet omnis: Latonae tacitum pertemptant gaudia pectus: talis erat Dido, talem se laeta ferebat per medios, instans operi regnisque futuris. Tum foribus divae, media testudine templi,               505 saepta armis, solioque alte subnixa resedit. Iura dabat legesque viris, operumque laborem partibus aequabat iustis, aut sorte trahebat: cum subito Aeneas concursu accedere magno Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum,               510 Teucrorumque alios, ater quos aequore turbo dispulerat penitusque alias avexerat oras. Obstipuit simul ipse simul perculsus Achates laetitiaque metuque; avidi coniungere dextras ardebant; sed res animos incognita turbat.               515 Dissimulant, et nube cava speculantur amicti, quae fortuna viris, classem quo litore linquant, quid veniant; cunctis nam lecti navibus ibant, orantes veniam, et templum clamore petebant.

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• Line 495: Participle phrase, "dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno", modifies Aeneas, showing his captivated state.
• Line 500: Ablative absolute, "quam mille secutae hinc atque hinc glomerantur oreades", describes the nymphs surrounding Diana.
• Line 505: Dative of agent, "media testudine templi", indicates the location of the temple.
• Line 510: Nominative absolute, "cum subito Aeneas concursu accedere magno Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum, Teucrorumque alios", sets up Aeneas's sudden surprise.
• Line 515: Gerundive phrase, "orantes veniam, et templum clamore petebant", describes the actions of the Trojan refugees.

#Translation

While Aeneas was marveling at these sights, completely captivated, Queen Dido, of exceptional beauty, entered the temple, surrounded by a large group of young people. She was like Diana leading her dances on the banks of the Eurotas or the heights of Cynthus, with a thousand nymphs clustering around her, carrying a quiver on her shoulder and surpassing all the goddesses in her stride. Latona felt a quiet joy in her heart. Dido was like that, moving joyfully through the crowd, focused on her work and her future kingdoms. Then, at the doors of the goddess, in the middle of the temple with a roof of shields, surrounded by arms, she sat down on a high throne. She was giving laws and regulations to the men, dividing the labor fairly, or drawing lots. Suddenly, Aeneas saw Antheus, brave Sergestus, Cloanthus, and other Trojans, whom a dark storm had scattered and carried to other shores. He and Achates were both amazed and startled, eager to join hands, but the unknown situation troubled them. They concealed their feelings, and under the cover of a cloud, they watched to see what fate had in store for the men, where they had left their ships, and why they had come. For they were all going on the selected ships, begging for permission and calling out to the temple.

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• Participle Phrases: Look for words ending in -ns, -ntis, -tus, -a, -um to identify participle phrases. They often act like adjectives, describing nouns.
• Ablative Absolutes: Recognize these by their two words in the ablative case, often separated by a comma. They provide background information.
• Dative of Agent: Use the dative case to indicate the person or thing performing the action, especially in passive constructions.
• Nominative Absolutes: Look for a clause in the nominative case, often at the beginning of the sentence, that is not grammatically connected to the main clause.
• Gerundive Phrases: Identify gerundives by their -nd- infix and their use to express purpose or necessity.

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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. In line 495, the phrase "dum stupet, obtutuque haeret defixus in uno" functions as: a) A direct object b) An ablati...