Dido's Resolve to Die and the Pyre — Virgil, Aeneid Book 4 (lines 472–550), Latin & English

472

armatam facibus matrem et serpentibus atris¹

when he flees his mother armed with torches and black serpents,

cum fugit, ultricesque sedent in limine Dirae.

and the avenging Furies sit on the threshold.

Ergo ubi concepit furias evicta dolore

Therefore, when she, overcome by grief, conceived the madness,

475

decrevitque mori, tempus secum ipsa modumque

and decided to die, she herself works out the time and manner

exigit, et, maestam dictis adgressa sororem,

in her own mind; and having approached her sorrowful sister with words,

consilium voltu tegit, ac spem fronte serenat:

she conceals her plan in her face, and shows hope on her serene brow:

Inveni, germana, viam—gratare sorori—

”I have found, sister, a way—congratulate your sister—

quae mihi reddat eum, vel eo me solvat amantem.

which may restore him to me, or free me, loving him, from him.

480

Oceani finem iuxta solemque cadentem

Near the limit of the Ocean and the setting sun

ultimus Aethiopum locus est, ubi maxumus Atlas

lies the furthest land of the Ethiopians, where greatest Atlas

axem humero torquet stellis ardentibus aptum:

turns on his shoulder the heaven fitted with burning stars:

hinc mihi Massylae gentis monstrata sacerdos,

from here, a priestess of the Massylian race has been shown to me,

Hesperidum templi custos, epulasque draconi

the guardian of the temple of the Hesperides, who used to give

485

quae dabat, et sacros servabat in arbore ramos,

food to the dragon, and guard the sacred branches on the tree,

spargens umida mella soporiferumque papaver.

sprinkling moist honey and sleep-inducing poppy.

Haec se carminibus promittit solvere mentes

She promises by her charms to free whatever minds

quas velit, ast aliis duras immittere curas,

she wishes, but to inflict harsh cares upon others;

sistere aquam fluviis, et vertere sidera retro;

to stop the water in rivers, and turn the stars backward;

490

nocturnosque movet Manis: mugire videbis

and she summons the nocturnal spirits of the dead: you will see the earth

sub pedibus terram, et descendere montibus ornos.

bellow under your feet, and mountain ashes descend from the mountains.

Testor, cara, deos et te, germana, tuumque

I call the gods to witness, and you, sister, and your

dulce caput, magicas invitam accingier² artes.

sweet head, that I gird myself with magic arts unwillingly.

Tu secreta pyram tecto interiore sub auras

You, in secret, build up a pyre under the open air in the inner courtyard,

495

erige, et arma viri, thalamo quae fixa reliquit

and place upon it the weapons of the man, which he left fixed in the bedchamber,

impius, exuviasque omnis, lectumque iugalem,

impious, and all his garments, and the marriage bed,

quo perii, superimponas: abolere nefandi

where I perished: to destroy all monuments of the abominable

cuncta viri monumenta iuvat, monstratque sacerdos.

man is pleasing, and the priestess indicates so.”

Haec effata silet; pallor simul occupat ora.

Having spoken these words, she is silent; at the same time, pallor occupies her face.

500

Non tamen Anna novis praetexere funera sacris

Yet Anna does not believe that her sister is cloaking her funeral

germanam credit,³ nec tantos mente furores

with these new rites, nor does she conceive such madness in her mind,

concipit, aut graviora timet, quam morte Sychaei:

or fear anything more severe than at the death of Sychaeus:

ergo iussa parat.

therefore she prepares the commands.

At regina, pyra penetrali in sede sub auras

But the queen, when the huge pyre had been built up under the open air

505

erecta ingenti taedis atque ilice secta,

in the inner courtyard with torches and cut oak,

intenditque locum sertis, et fronde coronat

hangs the place with garlands, and crowns it with funeral

funerea; super exuvias ensemque relictum

foliage; above on the bed she places the garments and the sword left behind,

effigiemque toro locat, haud ignara futuri.

and his image, not ignorant of the future.

Stant arae circum, et crines effusa sacerdos

Altars stand around, and the priestess, with her hair let loose,

510

ter centum tonat ore deos, Erebumque Chaosque,

thunders from her mouth three hundred gods, and Erebus and Chaos,

tergeminamque Hecaten, tria virginis ora Dianae.

and triple Hecate, the three faces of virgin Diana.

Sparserat et latices simulatos fontis Averni,

She had also sprinkled feigned waters of the fountain of Avernus,

falcibus et messae ad lunam quaeruntur aënis

and downy herbs with the milk of black poison

pubentes herbae nigri cum lacte veneni;

are sought, cut with bronze sickles;

515

quaeritur et nascentis equi de fronte revolsus

and the love torn from the forehead of a newborn horse

et matri praereptus amor.

and snatched away from its mother is also sought.

Ipsa mola manibusque piis altaria iuxta,

She herself, with salted meal and pious hands near the altars,

unum exuta pedem vinclis, in veste recincta,

one foot freed from sandals, with her robe ungirded,

testatur moritura deos et conscia fati

dying, calls to witness the gods and the stars conscious of fate;

520

sidera; tum, si quod non aequo foedere amantes

then, if there is any just and mindful deity that has care

curae numen habet⁴ iustumque memorque, precatur.

of lovers in an unequal alliance, she prays to it.

Nox erat, et placidum carpebant fessa soporem

It was night, and weary bodies throughout the lands

corpora per terras, silvaeque et saeva quierant

were enjoying peaceful sleep, and the woods and savage seas

aequora: cum medio volvuntur sidera lapsu,

had grown quiet: when the stars are rolled in the middle of their course,

525

cum tacet omnis ager, pecudes pictaeque volucres,

when every field is silent, the beasts and colored birds,

quaeque lacus late liquidos, quaeque aspera dumis

both those which occupy the liquid lakes far and wide, and those which inhabit

rura tenent, somno positae sub nocte silenti

the rough countryside with briers, laid to rest under the silent night in sleep,

...

At non infelix animi Phoenissa, nec umquam

But not the unhappy-minded Phoenician queen, nor does she ever

530

Solvitur in somnos, oculisve aut pectore noctem

dissolve into sleep, or receive the night with her eyes or heart:

accipit: ingeminant curae, rursusque resurgens

her cares redouble, and rising again,

saevit amor, magnoque irarum fluctuat aestu.

her love rages, and she fluctuates with a great tide of wraths.

Sic adeo insistit, secumque ita corde volutat:

Thus indeed she begins, and thus revolves with herself in her heart:

En, quid ago? Rursusne procos inrisa priores

”Lo, what am I doing? Shall I, mocked, try again my former

535

experiar, Nomadumque petam conubia supplex,

suitors, and suppliant seek marriage with the Numidians,

quos ego sim totiens iam dedignata maritos?

whom I have already so often disdained as husbands?

Iliacas igitur classes atque ultima Teucrum

Shall I then follow the Ilian fleets and the final

iussa sequar? Quiane auxilio iuvat ante levatos,

commands of the Trojans? Is it because it is pleasing that they were formerly relieved by my help,

et bene apud memores veteris stat gratia facti?

and the gratitude for my past deed stands well in their mindful minds?

540

Quis me autem, fac velle,⁵ sinet, ratibusve superbis

But who, grant that I wished it, will allow me, or receive me, hated,

invisam accipiet? Nescis heu, perdita, necdum

on their proud ships? Alas, lost one, do you not know, nor yet

Laomedonteae sentis periuria gentis?

perceive the perjuries of the race of Laomedon?

Quid tum, sola fuga nautas comitabor ovantes,

What then? Shall I alone accompany the rejoicing sailors in flight,

an Tyriis omnique manu stipata meorum

or shall I be carried accompanied by my Tyrians and the whole band of my people,

545

inferar, et, quos Sidonia vix urbe revelli,

and those whom I could scarcely tear away from the Sidonian city,

rursus agam pelago, et ventis dare vela iubebo?

shall I again drive over the sea, and command them to give sails to the winds?

Quin morere, ut merita es, ferroque averte dolorem.

Rather, die, as you have deserved, and avert your grief with the sword.

Tu lacrimis evicta meis, tu prima furentem

You, sister, overcome by my tears, you first loaded me, raving,

his, germana, malis oneras atque obicis hosti.

with these evils, and exposed me to the enemy.

550

Non licuit thalami expertem sine crimine vitam

Why was it not permitted to lead a life free from marriage, without crime,

Syntax notes5 items

4.472armatam facibus matrem et serpentibus atris
Continuing from the syntactical context of 'Agamemnonius scaenis agitatus Orestes' (§4.471). 'Orestes' is the subject of the overall sentence, with the participle 'agitatus' leading into the temporal clause 'cum fugit' (§4.473). 'armatam' modifies 'matrem'.
4.493accingier
Archaic form of the present passive infinitive (equivalent to classical 'accingi'). It forms an accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) construction, with an implied subject accusative 'me'.
4.500non tamen Anna novis praetexere funera sacris germanam credit
'credit' governs an accusative with infinitive (A.C.I.) construction, where 'germanam' is the accusative subject of the infinitive 'praetexere'. 'funera' is the direct object of 'praetexere', and 'novis sacris' is an ablative of instrument.
4.520si quod non aequo foedere amantes curae numen habet
'curae habet' functions as an expression meaning 'to have regard for, care for.' 'amantes' is the direct object of 'habet', and 'curae' is a dative of purpose. 'si quod... numen' is a conditional clause ('if any deity...').
4.540fac velle
The imperative 'fac' (from 'facere') followed by the infinitive 'velle', serving as a concessive or hypothetical expression meaning 'suppose/grant that I wished it.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:4.472-4.550