Optional Latin Challenge: Aeneid, Book IV, vv. 586-596

The Optional Latin Challenge this week includes some arduous but compelling lines about Dido's dolor and furor: Book IV, vv. 586-596. Try some or all of these for fun, and the reward will be the usual satisfaction in a job well done. Do it for the virtus! Errare est humanum. And use the notes below. They're not as detailed as usual, but e-mail me or leave a comment if you get absolutely stuck, or ask me in class.

1. 586: begin the sentence with ut: here it means "when" or "as"

2. 586-87: the two direct objects of the verb here are accusatives with infinitives.

3. 587: aequatis = is the perfect passive participle (the fourth principal part of the verb), declined like a first and second declension adjective. A participle is a verbal adjective: this would literally be translated "leveled" or "having been leveled," but "favorable" is more common here. You can read more about perfect passive participles here.

4. 588: portus = acc. plural of the 4th-declension noun, portus, -us, m.

5. 589: percussa is another perfect passive participle (see note 3) in form, but is here translated with the MIDDLE voice (don't ask:; it's just like the active voice here), "having struck."

6. 590: flaventisque abscissa comas = abscissa flaventes comas. Abscissa is another perfect passive participle (see note 3). It is used with what we call an accusative of respect: in respect to comas flaventis (flaventis is an alternative acc. pl. form for a 3rd declension adjective. We haven't learned the 3rd declension adjectives yet, but they're declined much like 3rd-declension nouns).

7. 590: ibit = "will go" A future form of the irregular verb, eo.

8. 592: sequentur is a future form of sequor, a deponent verb (which forms we haven't learned yet). The -ntur ending is translated exactly like the -nt ending of other verbs (3rd plural).

9. 593: ite = plural imperative for irregular verb , eo (go!).

10. 594: ferte, plural imperative of irregular verb, fero (bear or carry or something more polished for translation!)

11. 595: loquor = dico. It is the present first person sing. of deponent verb (endings of which we don't know yet). It means: "I speak." See note 8 for more information.

12. 595: quid = what? (interrogative pronoun); quae = what and modifies insania (interrog. adjective).