02.02.26: Level 3; Reading (review); [28] Dido and Aeneas

Dē antīquīs Poenōrum et Rōmānōrum inimīcitiīs et dē eārum causīs poētae Rōmānōrum varia scrībunt. Apud Vergilium legimus Aenēam, postquam Troia ā Graecīs expugnāta et dēlēta est, paucīs cum amīcīs fugam capessīvisse ventīsque adversīs in Āfricam agitātum esse. Ibi Dīdō rēgīna ante nōnnūllōs annōs Carthāginem aedificāverat; nam et ipsa ē patriā fugāta erat. Ubi Sychaeus, vir eius, dolō et īnsidiīs necātus est, ipsīus quoque vīta in perīculō fuerat; ipsī enim īnsidiae parātae erant.

Itaque Dīdō cum paucīs sociīs ē patriā exierat, per multās terrās ignōtās errāverat, novam patriam quaesīverat.

Vix Aenēās Carthāginem intrāverat, cum Dīdō eum virum pulchrum et probum adamāvit; amābat et Aenēās ipse rēgīnam; iamque Dīdō nūptiās cōgitābat, cum Aenēās ā deīs ad officium revocātus est: Clam abiit Ītaliamque petīvit! Id ipsum Dīdō valdē dolēbat.

[1] apud Virgilium: a good example of the various meanings of apud (at the house of; Fr. chez; among; in the presence of); (here) in (the works of) Virgil

[2] Indirect statement: perfect active infinitive and perfect passive infinitive within the same sentence separated by a subordinate clause of time.

… legimus ¦ (1) Aenēam, [postquam Troia ā Graecīs expugnāta et dēlēta est], paucīs cum amīcīs fugam (2) capessīvisse ventīsque adversīs in Āfricam (3) agitātum esse.

… we read ¦ that (1) Aeneas, [after Troy was captured and destroyed by the Greeks], (2) sought refuge with a few friends, and (3) was driven here and there by opposing winds to Africa.

[3] agitō, -āre [1] < agō, -ere [3] in the sense of ‘drive’, ‘push’, ‘set in motion’ + the frequentative suffix -it(ō): this indicates that an action was repeated or continued over a period of time or, in this context, ‘randomness’ = to toss about or to drive here and there

[4] Vix Aenēās Carthāginem intrāverat, cum Dīdō eum virum pulchrum et probum adamāvit │ Scarcely had Aeneas entered Carthage when Dido fell in love / became infatuated with this handsome and virtuous man

01.11.25: Comenius (1658) XXVIII: Labouring Beasts [i]

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/08/011125-comenius-1658-xxviii-labouring.html

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The Roman poets write various things about the ancient enmities / hostilities between the Carthaginians and the Romans and the causes of these. In Virgil, we read that Aeneas, after Troy had been captured and destroyed by the Greeks, sought refuge with a few friends and was driven by opposing winds to Africa. There, Queen Dido had built Carthage several years earlier; for she too had been driven out of her homeland. When Sychaeus, her husband, was killed by treachery and deceit, her own life had also been in danger; indeed, traps had been set for her.

Therefore, Dido had left her homeland with a few companions, wandered through many unknown lands, and sought a new homeland.

Hardly had Aeneas entered Carthage when Dido fell in love with him, admired this handsome and virtuous man; Aeneas himself also loved the queen. And now, Dido was thinking of marriage, when Aeneas, called back by the gods to his duty, secretly left and sought Italy! This (very thing) greatly pained Dido."