Lines 624 - 638 Virgils Aeneid Points PDF

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Points to make on lines 624 – 638 of Virgil’s ‘The Aeneid’

tum vero omne mihi visum considere in ignis Ilium et ex imo verti Neptunia Troia:

625

ac veluti summis antiquam in montibus ornum cum ferro accisam crebrisque bipennibus instant eruere agricolae certatim, illa usque minatur et tremefacta comam concusso vertice nutat, vulneribus donec paulatim evicta supremum

630

congemuit traxitque iugis avulse ruinam. descendo ac ducente deo flammam inter et hostis expedior: dant tela locum flammaeque recedunt.

atque ubi iam patriae perventum ad limina sedis antiquasque domos, genitor, quem tollere in altos

635

optabam primum montis primumque petebam, abnegate excise vitam producer Troia exsiliumque pati.

Then indeed it seemed to me that the whole of Ilium sank in flames and Neptune’s Troy was overturned from its foundation. Just as when on mountaintops farmers eagerly strain to uproot an old rowan tree which has been hacked with iron and frequent axe blows. It continually threatens (to fall) and nods with its trembling leaves and shaken crest until gradually, entirely overwhelmed by its wounds, it groans its last loudly and comes crashing down torn up from the ridge. I got down and, with a god guiding me, I was given a clear path amidst the flames and enemy weapons yielded to me and the flames receded. And now when I reached the door of my father’s house, the ancient home, my father, whom I longed to bear to the high mountains first and made for first, refused to prolong his life and suffer exile since Troy had been destroyed.

Word order: Line 630: ‘Vulneribus’ (‘by its wounds’) begins the line to create emphasis and, as the verb is moved from the end to the front, it gives the impression that the line itself has been wounded or disfigured and thus the reader can relate to what is going on. Line 631: Enjambment on the previous line emphasises the word beginning this line: ‘congemuit’ (‘torn up’). As this is a powerful word, it needs to be exaggerated. Also, as enjambment literally tears the sentence in two, this has been done literally here to display that. Line 635: It is clear that Aeneas is extremely fond of and concerned for his father, thus ‘genitor’ (‘my father’) is centred here to show that he is the most important person. These words, having been centred, also show that everyone is working around him, and that if he goes nowhere, neither do they. Lines 637/638: Again, emphasis is put on the strong words ‘abnegate excise’ (‘refused’, ‘destroyed’) and ‘exsiliumque pati’ (‘and suffer exile’) by making them begin the lines. However, in the latter case, ‘exiliumque’ begins the line and ‘pati’ ends it. This abrupt alteration from the normal length of each line displays that this final line is the final chance of living. It also shows that his refusal is final.

Word choice: Line 624: The word ‘omne’ (‘the whole’) exaggerates the extent of the anarchy – rather than saying ‘Then indeed it seemed to me that Ilium sank in flames’, Virgil makes a point that every palace, fort, wall, and every last citizen is going down as one and there is no hope for anything whatsoever. With the word ‘visus’ (‘it seemed’) the possibility can be considered that Aeneas thinks he is still dreaming. It is he himself narrating the story at a party and in retrospect he is speaking of how he had felt at the time. In its inhabitants’ eyes, Troy would probably have been immortal and unconquerable, so to Aeneas the reality of his city being destroyed may have seemed even more drastic and unbelievable than the dream with Hector. ‘Considere’ (‘to sink’) is a vivid and descriptive verb which evokes imagery to make the reader feel part of the action. It could be read that Ilium is entirely consumed, quite literally

sinking to the underworld where all of its inhabitants will suffer for eternity. However, it could also have been deliberately chosen to fit in with the next line, when Neptune is spoken of. It is ironic that Neptune’s city, Troy, is said to sink, almost like a ship would sink in his waters. …Or it could just be a coincidence and ‘to sink’ has no significance! Line 629: ‘Tremefacta comam’ (‘trembling leaves’) may be a metaphor. Within this simile the rowan tree ‘nods with its trembling leaves and shaken crest until gradually, entirely overwhelmed by its wounds, it groans its last loudly and comes crashing down torn up from the ridge’. The trembling leaves may be the Trojan citizens who are terrified by what is happening. After ‘trembling’ – i.e. putting up a weak fight – they are entirely overwhelmed – showing the magnitude of the Greeks’ numbers - (and killed).

Sound: Line 632: Alliteration is used on ‘descendo ac ducente deo’ (‘I got down and with a god guiding me’) to emphasise that there is a god on his side and to show how fantastic this was. Also, it creates imagery of what this would look like and how majestic Aeneas would seem.

Line 634: With the words ‘patriae perventum’ (‘of my father’, ‘I reached’) in the context that, having been guided by a god (Venus, his mother) through the enemy to get to his father’s house, he has now arrived and this is of such marvelousness that it must be alliterated to emphasise his happiness. Hollister Butler...