Original
Literary translation
§ 17.1
Hoc modo Troia tandem captā est .
This was how Troy was finally taken.
Note 17.1
Hoc modo is an ablative phrase of manner, “in this way.” Troia is nominative; capta est is the perfect passive indicative of capio.
§ 17.2
Graecī verbīs falsīs Troiānōs dēcēpērunt .
The Greeks deceived the Trojans with false words.
Note 17.2
Verbis falsis is ablative plural of means; Graeci is the nominative subject, Troianos the accusative object, and deceperunt perfect active.
§ 17.3
“Ō Troiānī ,”inquiunt ,“in hāc terrā indiēs languēscimus .”
“Trojans,” they say, “here in this land we grow weaker day by day.”
Note 17.3
O introduces the vocative plural Troiani, not OCR Troiam. In hac terra takes ablative of place; indies is Reed’s one-word form of in dies (“day by day”); languescimus is present indicative.
§ 17.4
Bellō vulneribusque fessī patriam cāram līberōsque dulcēs dēsīderāmus .
Weary from war and wounds, we long for our beloved homeland and dear children.
Note 17.4
Bello and vulneribusque are ablatives of cause with fessi (nominative masculine plural, agreeing with the Greeks); patriam caram and liberosque dulces are accusative objects of desideramus.
§ 17.5
Nōn hic in aliēnā terrā ,sed domī inter amīcōs vītam reliquam agere cōnstituimus .
We have resolved to spend the rest of our lives not here in a foreign land, but at home among friends.
Note 17.5
Domi is the locative of domus (“at home”), contrasted with hic in aliena terra (ablative). Vitam reliquam is accusative direct object of agere. Constituimus is perfect indicative in context (we have decided), though its written form matches the present.
§ 17.6
Iam satis diū bella gessimus ;tempus est hinc ,Deōrum Immortālium auxiliō ,discēdere .
We have fought wars long enough; it is time to depart from here with the aid of the immortal gods.
Note 17.6
Iam satis diu modifies perfect gessimus. Tempus est discedere is an impersonal construction (“it is time to leave”). Deorum Immortalium is genitive plural governing auxilio, an ablative of means. Hinc is “from here.”
§ 17.7
Prīmum autem Minervae nūmen dōnō plācābimus .
First, however, we shall appease Minerva’s divine power with a gift.
Note 17.7
Minervae is genitive (“of Minerva”) dependent on numen; numen is the accusative object of future placabimus. Dono is ablative of means.
§ 17.8
Tum illa nōs ventīs secundīs domum redūcet .
Then she will bring us home with favorable winds.
Note 17.8
Illa, “she,” denotes Minerva, nominative feminine singular. Nos is accusative object. Ventis secundis is ablative of means or circumstance, and domum is accusative of direction without a preposition; reducet is future.
§ 17.9
Deinde Graecī magnō labōre equum ingentem aedificāvērunt ,cuius latera trabibus validīs tēxērunt .
Then the Greeks built a huge horse with great effort, covering its sides with sturdy timbers.
Note 17.9
Magno labore and trabibus validis are ablatives of means. Equum ingentem and latera are accusative objects of aedificaverunt and texerunt. Cuius is genitive singular of the relative pronoun referring to the horse.
§ 17.10
Nocte obscūrā aliī deinceps in cava eius latera fūrtim ascendērunt ,aliī ad nāvēs properāvērunt et vēla candida ventīs dedērunt .
Under cover of darkness, some climbed secretly, one after another, into its hollow sides; others hurried to the ships and spread their white sails to the winds.
Note 17.10
Nocte obscura is ablative of time when. Alii ... alii (“some ... others”) are nominative plural. In cava latera indicates movement into the hollow sides, hence accusative; eius is genitive singular. Vela candida is accusative, ventis is dative indirect object with dederunt.
In the morning the Trojans were deceived.
Note 17.11
Mane is an indeclinable adverb of time. Decepti sunt is perfect passive third-person plural, agreeing with nominative Troiani.
§ 17.12
“Ecce !” inquiunt ,“dōnum illud quō Graecī Minervae nūmen plācāre cōnstituērunt .”
“Look!” they say. “There is the very gift with which the Greeks planned to appease Minerva’s divine power.”
Note 17.12
Ecce introduces the demonstrative noun phrase donum illud (nominative neuter singular in an elliptical exclamation). Quo is ablative neuter singular relative pronoun referring to donum and expressing means. Minervae is genitive; numen is the object of infinitive placare.
The enemy have returned home.
Note 17.13
Domum is an accusative of destination. Hostes is nominative plural; reverterunt is a perfect plural finite verb, here active form with intransitive meaning (“returned”).
§ 17.14
Nōs intrā moenia mōnstrum illud dūcēmus ;tum nōs quoque Deā nūmine secundō servābit .
We shall lead that great structure within the walls; then the goddess will preserve us too through her favor.
Note 17.14
Intra governs accusative moenia; monstrum illud is accusative direct object of future ducemus. Dea is nominative singular subject of future servabit and numine secundo is ablative of means or circumstance (“by her favorable divine power”). The second nos is accusative.
§ 17.15
Cīvēs igitur mōnstrum īnfēstum in urbem trāxērunt .
So the citizens dragged the dangerous monster into the city.
Note 17.15
Cives is nominative plural; monstrum infestum is accusative singular object. In urbem has accusative of motion toward a place; traxerunt is perfect active.
§ 17.16
Iuvenum chorus per viās id dūxērunt ;puerī puellaeque innūptae circum equum saltāre et canere gaudēbant et flōribus eum ōrnāre .
A procession of young people drew it through the streets; boys and unmarried girls delighted in dancing and singing around the horse and decorating it with flowers.
Note 17.16
Iuvenum is partitive/genitive of composition dependent on chorus. The collective singular nominative chorus takes plural duxerunt by agreement according to sense: retain Reed’s wording. Id is accusative neuter singular referring to monstrum. Pueri puellaeque innuptae is plural subject of gaudebant, governing three infinitives saltare, canere and ornare. Floribus is ablative of means; eum is accusative, the horse.
§ 17.17
“Nunc līberī ,”inquiunt ,“in līberā urbe habitāmus ;nōn iam hostēs nōs noctēs diēsque vexant .”
“Now we live as free people in a free city,” they say; “our enemies no longer harass us day and night.”
Note 17.17
Liberi (nominative masculine plural) contrasts with libera (ablative feminine singular agreeing with urbe). Noctes diesque is accusative of duration or time throughout; nos is accusative object of vexant. Inquiunt is a present historical reporting verb.
§ 17.18
Sed ubi nox umbrīs profundīs terrās tegēbat ,Graecī ,quī in equō sunt cēlātī ,ē cavīs lateribus fūrtim desiliēbant ,et facem lūcidam comitibus mōnstrāvērunt .
But as night covered the land in deep shadows, the Greeks who were hidden inside the horse secretly jumped down from its hollow sides and showed their companions a bright torch.
Note 17.18
Ubi introduces a temporal clause. Umbris profundis is ablative of means; terras is accusative plural. Qui nominative masculine plural refers to Graeci; sunt celati is perfect passive, literally “have been concealed” (a present resulting state). E cavis lateribus requires ablative. Facem lucidam is accusative object; comitibus is dative recipient.
§ 17.19
Illī simul ac trāns pontum facem vīdērunt ,nāvēs rūrsus ad ōram impulērunt .
As soon as they saw the torch across the sea, those men steered their ships back to the shore.
Note 17.19
Illi refers to the Greek comrades stationed offshore (nominative plural), not those in the horse. Simul ac means “as soon as”; trans pontum takes accusative and pontum here means sea, not bridge. Facem and naves are successive accusative objects; ad oram expresses direction.
§ 17.20
Nūllī per moenia cūstōdēs ,nūllī in portīs vigilēs urbem dēfendēbant .
No guards on the walls, no watchmen at the gates, were defending the city.
Note 17.20
Nulli agrees with plural custodes and vigiles (nominative masculine plural). Per governs accusative moenia; in portis is ablative location; urbem accusative object and defendebant imperfect indicative.
§ 17.21
Per tōtam urbem cīvēs animōs fessōs somnō profundō laxābant .
Throughout the city, the citizens were easing their weary minds in deep sleep.
Note 17.21
Per totam urbem takes accusative; cives nominative plural; animos fessos accusative plural object; somno profundo ablative of means.
§ 17.22
Flūminis modo Graecī victōrēs in urbem miseram ruērunt .
Like a river in flood, the victorious Greeks surged into the stricken city.
Note 17.22
Fluminis is genitive singular with modo (ablative of manner: “in the manner of a river”); Graeci victores are nominative masculine plural, and in urbem miseram requires accusative of motion.
§ 17.23
Omnia ferrō et ignī vastāta sunt .
Everything was laid waste by sword and fire.
Note 17.23
Omnia is nominative neuter plural; ferro and igni are ablatives of means. Vastata sunt is perfect passive, agreeing with the neuter plural subject.
§ 17.24
Templa domūsque humī prōstrāta ,iuvenēs necātī sunt ;mulierēs ad terram aliēnam in servitūtem ductae .
Temples and houses lay toppled to the ground, young men were killed, and women were carried away to a foreign land as slaves.
Note 17.24
Parallel elliptical passive clauses: prostrata [sunt], necati sunt, and ductae [sunt]. Humi is locative (“on the ground”); templa is neuter nominative plural and domusque feminine nominative plural, with prostrata agreeing with the neuter term or mixed group. Iuvenes and mulieres are nominative plurals; ad terram alienam and in servitutem use accusatives.
§ 17.25
frāctī bellō fātīsque repulsī ductōrēs Danaum ,tot iam lābentibus annīs ,īnstar montis equum dīvīna Palladis arte aedificant .
Broken by war and beaten back by fate, the Greek leaders, after so many years had slipped away, build a horse as high as a mountain through Pallas’s divine art.
Note 17.25
Virgil, Aeneid 2.13–16 (four printed Latin verse lines). Fracti and repulsi are nominative masculine plural participles modifying ductores. Danaum is the poetic genitive plural “of the Danaans.” Tot iam labentibus annis is an ablative absolute; instar is an indeclinable noun “likeness/size” with genitive montis; divina Palladis arte is ablative of means with Palladis genitive. Aedificant is historical present.
§ 17.26
equō nē crēdite ,Teucrī .Quidquid id est ,timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs .
Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it may be, I fear the Greeks even when they come bearing gifts.
Note 17.26
Virgil, Aeneid 2.48–49 (two printed Latin verse lines, from another place in Book 2). Equo is dative governed by credite; ne credite is a negative command. Teucri is vocative plural. Quidquid is indefinite relative neuter and id is demonstrative subject of est. Danaos is accusative object; ferentes is present active participle accusative masculine plural agreeing with Danaos, while dona is its object.
