LATIN 4A, AP VERGIL: ESSAY #2 COMPILATION - Quia

LATIN 4A, AP VERGIL: ESSAY #2 COMPILATION
THE QUESTION
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THE ESSAYS
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online. Refer to these numbers again for responses to your essay once I complete the compilation of rankings and
comments.
#1
The Reception of the Horse
The reception of the Trojans to the horse is evident in the very first line of the passage:
Dividumus muros et moenia pandimus urbis, “we divide the ramparts and open the walls of the city”
(Aeneid 2.234). Here, the Trojans appear willing to destroy their defense, the ramparts, and expose their
city to allow the horse, of which they know nothing, into it. The Trojans relinquish their safety for a
sacrifice (the horse), although they do not know that the real sacrifice will be their lives and city. They
receive the horse without any apparent misgivings about its purpose and background.
The next phrase, accingunt omnes opera, “all equip themselves for the task” (2.235), indicates
that none, save for the now-dead Laocöon, have misgivings about the horse. Each citizen aids in the
horse’s journey into and through the city in that they “place rolling wheels under its feet, and extend
cables of hemp from its neck” (pedibusque rotarum subiciunt lapsus, et stuppea vincula collo intendant,
2.235-237). The Trojans go through great lengths to ensure that the horse will enter the city by first
destroying the fortifications, and then using rope and wheels, and their brute strength, to move it.
They may have also felt that by seizing and binding the horse with hemp rope—a strong type of
cord—they were symbolically capturing the Greeks. The passage indicates that pueri circum innuptaeque
puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent, “around boys and unmarried girls sing sacred
songs and exult to touch the rope with their hands” (2.237-238). The boys and girls, in singing sacred
songs, emphasize that the horse is intended as a sacrifice, while their exultation in touching the ropes
strengthens the impression that the ropes symbolized a Greek capture.
The impression that the Trojans have no misgivings of danger is again emphasized in the phrase
mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi, “and [the horse] glides into the middle of the city” (2.240). The center

of a city is the most vulnerable and important area, and for the Trojans to bring the unknown horse into it
shows their faith and whole-hearted acceptance in its unthreatening appearance.
However, in the next lines, Aeneas’ opinion is evident as he bemoans his countrymen’s stupidity
and ignorance. He cries out to the three things most important to himself: his country, o patria (2.241),
the household gods, o divum domus Ilium (2.241), and the city itself, moenia Dardanidum (2.242). In the
next phrase, he addresses their folly. The use of the word quater, “four times” (2.242-243), reveals the
true depth of heedlessness by hammering the idea repetitively into the reader. In context, the word
presents an anaphoric presentation to emphasize its point: quater ipso in limine portae substitit atque uter
sonitum quater arma dedere, “four times it [the horse] halts in the threshold of our gates and four times
weapons give a sound from its womb” (2.242-243). Aeneas is stating that they could hear suspicious
sounds coming from inside the horse not once, not twice, but four times, and they disregarded the sound
while they were, as Aeneas puts it, “blind in our frenzy” (caecique furore, 2.244). The subtle insinuation
of Aeneas is that the Trojans had plenty of opportunities (four times!) to stop the horse’s progress. They
were so enraptured in celebration that they continue to bring the horse through their gates.
Aeneas uses the words limine portae, “the threshold of our gates”, to represent a bit of irony and
foreshadowing—although the event had already happened reality. “Threshold” has the connotations
“edge” or “brink”, giving a different angle to the image being created. In substituting one of the previous
words, the phrase becomes “the edge of the gates”. Now the reader knows that the horse was almost into
the city; it was on the brink, the very edge, though not far enough in to destroy any possibility of removal
from the city’s premises. Aeneas is again implying that the Trojans could have stopped the horse from
entering the city, if they had not been caecique furore.
Aeneas’ opinions of the horse appear in the passage by his reference to the horse as a fatalis
machine, “fatal machine” (2.237), and a monstrum unfelix, “wretched monster” (2.245). He, with
hindsight, calls the horse those names since he knows of the treachery and misery it would bring with its
arrival. His views of the horse are ones of loathing and regret.
Aeneas presents another irony for the Trojans in his mention of Cassandra. She, says Aeneas,
would “disclose our future fates” (2.246) and yet would “never be believed by the Trojans” (2.247). By
decree of a Apollo, dei iussu (2.247), Cassandra would never have her prophesies believed, and so
Aneas—or more correctly Vergil—finds the irony fitting for the Trojans who, in addition to being
caecique furore, were also deaf to reason. The Trojans continue to think that danger from the horse is
nonexistent. Their views of horse consist of enchantment and celebration.
Aeneas discloses his own grief at the approaching danger, yet opinion in the passage:
nos…miseri, quibus ultimus ille dies, “we miserable men, for whom that day would be our last” (2.248-
249). Aeneas already knows what is coming, and he can only add his personal interjections in retelling the

story. The phrase delubra deum…festa velamus fronde per urbem, “we clothe the temples of the gods
with fronds throughout the city” comes after Aeneas’ exclamation, showing his distress in knowing that
that would be the last day of Troy and that they were decorating their city in celebration as well as in
ignorance of their demise: the horse. Another cruel irony presented on Vergil’s part.
Night, darkness, and sleep especially, have often been used to imply secrecy and ignorance. The
following paragraph after the Trojans’ celebration follows the trend: involens umbra magna terramque
polumque Myrmidonumque dolos, “[the night] envelops[ing] the earth and sky and the tricks of the
Myrmidons in its great shadow” (2.251-252). The use of the word involvens, “enveloping”, implies that
the night is conspiring against the Trojans to hide the coming disaster. In conjunction with what happens
when night comes, sleep lulls the Trojans into a false sense of security; the Trojans think and feel
themselves safe enough to sleep. Aeneas uses the words fusi, a perfect passive participle, and the noun
Teucri to form the phrase “routed Trojans” (2.252), in order to indicate that the Trojans are already
defeated even before they have gone to sleep (sopor fessos complectitur artus, 2.253). Their weary limbs,
fessos artus, are indicative of much drinking and celebration.
Throughout the passage, Aeneas’ opinion is represented as being remorseful and grieved at the
ignorance and heedlessness of his countrymen. Since he is retelling the story, he allows himself to insert
his opinion is small words and phrases such as fatalis machina or monstrum unfelix or Myrmidonumque
dolos. The entire piece contains a sort of reflective resignation as Aeneas narrates the destruction of Troy.
He knows that at the time he could have done little to stop it, after witnessing the fate of Laocöon;
besides, he was perhaps caught up in the frenzied celebration.
The Trojans, in Aeneas’ words, were blind in their madness (caecique furore), deaf to reason (from the
prophetess Cassandra), and altogether heedless of any danger the horse presented to them. They received
and viewed the horse as a boon to the war, an intended sacrifice, and a symbolical exhibition of
defeating the Greeks.
#2
How Happy Were We Fools
No one can ever change the past. It is impossible. Still, there are always those who wish they could.
In Aeneas’ retelling of the entrance of the wooden horse in to Troy, the overwhelming feel of the passage
is one of grief and regret, although the Trojan’s reaction at the time was one of bliss and elation. Ashamed
of how foolish the Trojans had been in welcoming the horse, Aeneas tells the audience of their reaction in
full detail, as if asking to be punished or judged for it, yet without ridiculing them for having been glad.
Aeneas sees the past actions of the Trojans as foolish, unequivocally describing them as
immemores caecique furore, “heedless and blind with madness.” [Aeneid 2.243] But the actions of the

Trojans are nearly all in the first person plural: we. Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus, “We
separated the ramparts and opened the walls.” [2.234] Instamus… immemores, “We press on…heedless.”
[2.343] These snippets illustrate Aeneas’ complex attitude towards the Trojan’s reaction. Yes, in
hindsight, it was ill-considered to tear down the walls, or to press on heedless of the clink of weapons
inside the horse, but Aeneas does not absolve himself from the group’s guilt. He is a Trojan too, and acted
alongside the people he describes.
Notably, although Aeneas’ account shows us the pure joy of the Trojans upon receiving the horse,
he never ceases to remind us that it was a machine of death. The descriptions of the Trojan’s festive
reactions in this passage are closely juxtaposed with ominous adjectives describing the Greeks’
contraption. Scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis. pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt
funemque manu contingere gaudent; illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi., “The deadly machine
goes up the walls, pregnant with weapons. All around, boys and unmarried girls sing sacred songs, and
rejoice to touch the rope with their hands. That thing goes up and glides, threatening the middle of the
city.” [2.237-240] Later, the cheerful Trojans who deck the shrines of the gods with festive foliage
throughout the city are forebodingly described in the same breath as miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies,
“wretched ones, for whom that day would be the last.” [2.248-249] Aeneas’ (or Vergil’s) insistence on
contrasting the celebratory war-is-over attitude of the Trojans, with the real, imminent threat of the horse
sets up a parallel to show that Aeneas is also at odds with himself since he was also one of the Trojans
who “stood the cursed monster in the sacred citadel.” [2.245]
In the middle of the passage, the reader is confronted with a sudden and plaintive apostrophe to
Aeneas’ lost country. O patria, o divum domus Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanium!, “O fatherland!
O Ilium, home of the gods and Dardanian walls renowned in war!” [2.240-242] Aeneas departure from
his retelling of the events reveals his mental state as anguished. The grief has become too much to bear,
even more as he recalls the greatness that was Troy, because it is all now irretrievably demolished.
Immediately, he goes on to describe how they had a number of lost opportunities to turn back.
Quater ipso in limine portae substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere, “Four times it stood on
the threshold of the gates, and four times, the weapons gave a sound in its very womb.” [2.242-243] The
word quater, “four times” is emphasized. The repetition of quater which Vergil has placed in Aeneas’
mouth effectively conjures up an image of the Trojan leader silently cursing himself. It shows that he
feels guilty for a failure outside of his control, a scene which Vergil must have intended to inspire the
reader’s compassion.
Aeneas even regrets not having listened to Cassandra, even though the Fates and Apollo’s
ordinance made it impossible. Fate plays a huge role in letting the horse into the city, and Aeneas’
recognition of fate in 2.246 as a reason why Cassandra is never believed, shows a sense of resignation.

The reader can see that Aeneas, despite his feelings of loss, recognizes that there is nothing anyone could
have done to save Troy.
Silence can sometimes speak louder than words; it is notable that rejoicing is not among the actions
Aeneas lists as foolish. In his eyes, the horse is a curse of fate ironically treated as a blessing at first, but
besides fate, the Trojans do have good reason to welcome the horse and rejoice. Firstly, the foe appears to
have retreated and the war seems to be over. Secondly, Laocoon’s death was an ambiguous omen. It could
be interpreted as a divine punishment for rejecting the horse. When Aeneas says nos delubra deum miseri,
quibus ultimus esset ille dies, festa velamus fronde, “We wretched ones, for whom that day would be the
last, deck the temples of the gods with festive foliage” [2.248-249], he describes the Trojans as wretched
not because they are happy, but because they are about to die. At the very end of the passage, in an almost
fatherly manner, he describes the exhausted Trojans sleeping outside all about, gradually falling silent,
until sopor fessos complectitur artus, “Sleep embraced their weary limbs in its arms.” [2.253] Aeneas
allows the fallen this: does not condemn their joy.
Near the end of the passage, Aeneas describes the subsequent nightfall. Vertitur interea caelum et
ruit oceano nox involvens umbra magna terramque polumque Myrmidonumque dolos, “Then the sky
turned on its point, and night fell upon the ocean, covering the sky, land and all the deceit of the Greeks
in its huge shadow.” [2.250-252] It is a very peaceful image of the natural world, in stark contrast to the
destruction that will take place later on. Aeneas is waxing poetic. It is almost like a breath of fresh air
after intense weeping. Yes, Aeneas does see the desolation of Troy, his homeland, as a catastrophic
misfortune, but the imagery in this passage reinforces the idea that he accepts it was as inevitable as a
force of nature. In this last scene, the umbra magna, “the great shadow” of night covers everything, both
natural things such as sky, sea, and land, and the manmade incarnation of the Greeks’ scheme. None of
these things can be stopped, but perhaps, someday, the Greeks too will be subject to justice.
The whole passage of Aeneas’ retelling the entrance of the horse is a vivid example of the
difference that hindsight can make. None of the Trojans would have felt such joy and inner peace if they
could have known what was to befall them later. It is because Aeneas knows the outcome of welcoming
the horse that his retelling is so full of regret. If only he could have done something, we almost hear him
think to himself. But he is as powerless to change the story in his retelling of it as he was powerless to
alter the original course of events, and he knows it. Why then relate the story of the Trojan’s initial
happiness? Vergil here adds depth to Aeneas’ character. Aeneas is someone who is still going to
remember the good things that were lost, most importantly, the fallen. It is out of respect for them that he
does not belittle their joy, even though he admits that letting the horse in was foolish. Aeneas, as a
survivor, feels guilt, and because of it, feels compelled to tell the entire story of the last day of Troy, and
why the Trojans did what they did.

#3
Horses, Horror, and Multifaceted Regret
Aeneas looks back on the Greek attack with the Trojan horse as a disaster. This is in part because
of some Trojans’ misunderstanding of the horse (they interpreted it as perhaps an offering to the gods,
when it was actually filled with marauding Greek soldiers). On the other hand, Aeneas claims that
although the horse was appreciated by many Trojans, some were rightly suspicious of this perhaps “toogood-to-be-true”
gift from the Greeks.
Aeneas indicates throughout the passage that he thinks the event was very calamitous, and also
that his fellow Trojans erroneously believed the arrival of the horse was a positive event. One instance in
which he develops this point is when he says “Nos… miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies” ([We are]
miserable men, for whom this would be our last day) (Aeneid 2.248-249). Here he not only indicates his
overall dismay over the event, but he makes a hidden reference to how far off the Trojans’ estimate of the
function of the horse may have been from its true function. He uses a poetic device called hyperbaton,
placing two words between nos and its modifier, miseri. The distance between these two words represents
the difference between the apparent beliefs of the Trojans about the horse and what the horse actually
was.
What is more in doubt is the overall view of the Trojans of this horse. It at first seems clear that
the Trojans are lauding this wooden horse and thinking of it as a gift from the gods. In fact they were so
enamored of this horse that when Cassandra opened her mouth with the future fates (fatis aperit
Cassandra futuris ora) (2.246-7), that is, when she told the Trojans about the real purpose of the horse,
she was not trusted by the Trojans (non umquam credita Teucris) (2.247). This shows how much the
Trojans admired the horse.
There are several selections from the passage that indicate that the Trojans are heaping praise on
this huge wooden horse. When he says dividimus muros (we divide the walls) (2.234), he means that they
opened the city walls for a ceremonial presentation of the horse. Also, boys and unmarried girls sing
sacred songs around the horse. (Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt) (2.238-9). This indicates
that the horse may be an offering to the gods, as evidenced by the word sacra, and also a wedding
centerpiece. This is ironic, since its ultimate purpose was to attack the Trojans—virtually the opposite of
what was initially thought. The use of irony here represents the disparity between Aeneas’s attitude
looking back on the event and some of his men’s attitude during the event.
The conflict of the two different attitudes is most notable when Aeneas describes the horse as a
monstrum infelix (a bad omen) (2.245), but at the same time recalls the Trojans standing the horse, as if to
present it as an offering, in the sacred citadel (sacrata sistimus arce) (2.245). It is possible that the use of

the term “bad omen” close to a reference to the Trojan feelings about the wooden horse indicates that the
Trojans had an inkling that this horse was a weapon, and that their treatment of the horse was simply
optimism. It was, particularly since chiasmus is used (monstrum infelix, sacrata arce), representing a
“criss-cross” of different emotions felt by the Trojans.
Aeneas’s emotions, on the other hand, are actually more complicated they seem to be. His dismay
is likely not only at the horse itself and the attack on his city, but at the inability of his countrymen to
recognize the Trojan horse as a weapon. He uses very strong words like fatalis (“fatal”) (2.238), and
miseri (“unfortunate”) (2.248) to indicate that this wooden horse would be the end of Troy, and the way it
contradicts with the Trojans’ positive reception of the beast is a perfect way to demonstrate Aeneas’s
distress at his comrades’ incognizance of the horse’s threats. In fact, his functional description of the
horse and its inimical motives are reinforced when he says, “Accingunt omnes opera pedibusque rotarum
subiciunt lapsus” (they all equip themselves for work and place the rollings of the wheels under their feet)
(2.235-6); he uses many harsh sounds, like “c,” “p,” and “r,” in his description of the workings within the
horse to demonstrate the presence of harsh, painful objects, like weapons, within the horse.
Additionally, Virgil uses a technique known as apostrophe when he says, “Oh the country, oh
Ilium, house of the gods!” (O patria, o divum domus Ilium) (2.241). Apostrophe is vocative admiration of
something that is not there, or at least not immediately accessible. He is expressing sorrow for his fallen
land, and perhaps for the people in it, just as in English we might say, “Oh unfortunate men, who didn’t
know that the tiger statue was actually a real tiger.” This use of apostrophe enhances the feeling of
empathy expressed for the Trojans, who not only had their city destroyed but were unaware of the dangers
posed by this horse.
Arguably the most all-encompassing and important section in this passage is in its last sentence,
when Aeneas says, “Teucri conticuere; sopor fessos complectitur artus” (the Trojans fell silent; sleep lays
hold of the tired bodies) (2.252-3). There are three possible interpretations of this phrase. It may act as a
display of the Trojans’ overall adulation of the horse, as people commonly fall silent simply to take in this
wonder. It may also act as a display of concern (particularly since the use of the word complectitur, or
“lays over,” alludes to a growing feeling of dread): they are falling asleep, hoping that all will be better in
the morning, and trying to escape the threat of this “monstrum infelix.” Finally, this may mean that the
Trojans are simply tired after a long day and need to sleep.
The true meaning conveyed here is a combination of all three of these. While there is clear
evidence throughout the passage that the Trojans are astounded by this horse, perhaps because they think
it is a Greek offer of capitulation, there is evidence that they are suspicious about what this horse truly is.
And night has fallen. Particularly in literature, night is often associated with fear (most people are more
afraid of doing something at night than during the day). But this night is depicted grimly. The description

of the night falling here uses words like “great shadow” combined with a reference to Ocean, a god and
river in the underworld, when Aeneas says, “ruit Oceano nox involvens umbra magna” (night falls from
Ocean, covering with a great shadow) (2.250-1). Additionally, when he describes how the night falls over
the land and the sky and the tricks of the Myrmidons, he uses polysyndeton (terramque polumque
Myrmidonumque dolos) (2.251-2). This also increases the intensity of the night, as in English we might
say, “Night fell over the land, and over the sky, and over the trees” for the readers to truly realize how
powerful this night is. This makes the night almost seem like an approaching death, and represents the
ominous horse that is approaching them.
While this description enhances Aeneas’s looking back on this event as an ambush on the wholly
unsuspecting Trojans, it may also indicate that the Trojans themselves felt afraid even thought they
interpreted the horse as a divine gift. When people are tired and need sleep, they are more prone to
misinterpret the significant of such events as the arrival of a large wooden horse.
One final thing that must be remembered is that Aeneas is relating this as a flashback: he is telling
his story to the people he is currently with, just as Odysseus told his own story to the Phaiakians. As
Odysseus gave the Phaiakians a detailed account of his adventures, Aeneas needs to give the
Carthaginians a detailed account of his experience and also of the emotions of his comrades. His
expressions of dismay represent the feelings of the Trojans who were not afraid of the horse when they
learned that the horse was a weapon, and also the overriding nervousness of the Trojans who were
suspicious of the horse to begin with.
While it is clear that Aeneas is looking back on the event as being very regrettable, this emotion
is due both to the outcome and to the inability of the Trojans to recognize the threat. Additionally, it
seems as if some of the Trojans were skeptical of this horse and thought it might have been a scheme to
assail them. While this may seem contradictory, this is really just a representation of Aeneas’s
multifaceted nature; perhaps he has separate feelings for the skeptical and unknowing Trojans. Also, even
though Aeneas has seemingly contradictory opinions on this story, he should nevertheless give all of them
to make sure he covers both his character and his experiences in this flashback.
#4
The opposite views of Aeneas and the Trojans
Although the Trojans were overjoyed, grateful, and motivated when they acquired the ligneous
horse, Aeneas recalls their ill-advised acceptance of the horse with regret and sorrow. Aeneas’ portrayal
of the Trojans performing several celebratory activities and various labors emphasizes their excitement
and their determination to move the horse inside the city. Aeneas’ emotions, which are contrary to those
experienced by the Trojans, are evident both in his overall narration of the event and in his woeful

exclamation at the heart of the passage. Enmeshed within his retelling of the Trojans’ joyous reception of
the wooden horse, Aeneas’ mournful reflection on the event darkens the mood of the passage and stresses
his regretful and grievous emotions.
The Trojans’ determination is revealed in the very first line of this passage: Dividimus muros et
moenia pandimus urbis, (Aeneid 2.234) “We divide the ramparts and open the walls of the city.” Their
laboring through the tedious task of disassembling their giant walls exemplifies their determination to
bring the horse into the city. In addition, his usage of “we” as the subject of this sentence shows that he
has a firsthand account of the event and allows the reader to relate to the Trojans’ feelings; had Aeneas
simply used “they” or “the Trojans” as the subject, his retelling of the event would not be nearly as
relatable or trustworthy.
Similarly, the first words of the second sentence clearly illustrate the Trojans’ universal
determination to transport the horse into their city. Aeneas recounts, Accingunt omnes operi, (2.235)
“Everyone equips themselves for work.” By employing the word omnes, “everyone,” Aeneas emphasizes
the Trojans’ emotions; the fact that every single Trojan is involved in the work is a clear indicator of their
determination. Without omnes, this phrase would be much less effective.
Aeneas then lists specific tasks undertaken by the Trojans: pedibusque rotarum subiciunt lapsus,
(2.235-236) “and they place rolling wheels under the feet of the horse”; stuppea vincula collo intendunt,
(2.236-237) “they stretch hempen cords from its neck.” Taking the enormous size of the horse into
account, these labors require abundant manpower and are extremely strenuous. Therefore, by mentioning
these difficult tasks involved in bringing the horse into the city, Aeneas reemphasizes the determination of
the Trojans.
As indicated by this passage, the Trojans experienced not only emotions of determination, but
also feelings of joy and thankfulness. Aeneas depicts their excitement when he narrates, pueri circum
innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt, (2.238-239) “boys and unmarried girls sing sacred songs around the
horse.” The children’s chanting of songs clearly expresses their happiness. Furthermore, as shown by the
presence of sacra, “sacred,” they are not only singing but perhaps also thanking god for bestowing the
horse upon them as a gift. Likewise to chanting songs, praising and thanking god portrays their gratitude
and delight.
Later on in the passage, their pleasure and gratefulness is again depicted: festa velamus fronde per
urbem, (2.249) “we deck the gods’ temples throughout the city with festive foliage.” The action of
adorning buildings with garlands illustrates their joy; choosing temples as the buildings to decorate
portrays their appreciation towards the gods. Thus, Aeneas’ description of the Trojans bedecking their
shrines with foliage indicates not only their pleasure but also their gratitude.

Contrary to the Trojans’ feelings when receiving the horse, Aeneas, looking back on the event,
experiences regret and sorrow. His sorrow is first evident when he exclaims, O patria, o divum domus
Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanidum, (2.241-242) “O my country, O Ilium, house of the gods, and O
the Trojan walls, famous in war!” By suddenly bursting into a lamentation of the fate of his country,
Aeneas exemplifies his woe. In addition, his usage of alliteration, particularly in Dardanidum, increases
the pathos and sadness of his lamentation.
Aeneas’ exclamation is made more impactful by the fact that he suddenly bursts into grief and
lamentation in the midst of his retelling instead of keeping his woe at bay until his narration is finished.
Ideally, Aeneas would be able to contain his woe and eschew interrupting his narration. His inability to
hold back his sorrow and to refrain from disrupting the flow of his retelling portrays the intensity of his
sadness. His need to interrupt his narration with a grievous lamentation thus magnifies his sorrow; had he
restrained himself from delivering an emotional fit until he had completed his retelling, the true deepness
and heaviness of his woe would not be revealed.
Aeneas’ regret is exemplified when he recounts the horse’s lurching on the threshold of the gate
of Troy: quater ipso limine portae substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere; instamus tamen
immemores caecique furore, (2.242-244), “four times it halted on the threshold of the gate and four times
the weapons gave a sound from its belly; nevertheless, we press on, unmindful and blind in the frenzy.”
By bemoaning that the Trojans failed to notice the sound emanating from the horse’s interior, Aeneas
expresses his regret. Furthermore, Aeneas’ anaphoric repetition of quater, “four times,” stresses that a
noise occurred not once, but four times. This anaphora emphasizes the Trojans’ carelessness and thus
amplifies the regret currently experienced by Aeneas.
Aeneas’ negative emotions are further expressed in his picturesque portrayal of night enveloping
Troy. He describes, vertitur interea caelum et ruit Oceano nox involvens umbra magna terramque
polumque Myrmidonumque dolos, (2.250-252), “meanwhile, the sky is turned and night, enveloping in
the form of a great shadow the earth and the sky and the wiles of the Greeks, charges from the Ocean.”
Aeneas’ vivid illustration of night enveloping the city and concealing the treachery of the Greeks
increases the gloominess and darkness of the mood. This mood amplifies the sorrow and regret felt by
Aeneas while he depicts this dark image.
In the selection above, Aeneas’ sorrow and regret are also stressed by his usage of alliteration and
polysyndeton. Especially noticeable in Myrmidonumque, the repetition of the “m” sound greatens the
darkness and gloominess of the mood. The excessive reiteration of “que” serves the same purpose of
blackening the mood; it also indicates that Aeneas is incorporating an unnecessary timesaver between his
words, probably because he is struggling to formulate and articulate his thoughts. Since his inability to

speak without pausing is likely due to intense emotions, the polysyndeton therefore stresses his regret and
sorrow.
In conclusion, though the Trojans received the wooden horse with gratitude, joy, and
determination, Aeneas recalls the event with woe and regret. The Trojans’ emotions are evident in
Aeneas’ depiction of the Trojans laboriously transporting the horse into the city and his description of
their celebratory rituals. Aeneas’ feelings are exemplified not only in his sudden lamentation in the
middle of the passage but also in his overall retelling of the event; his emotions are further unearthed and
stressed when delving deeper into his language and usage of rhetorical devices. Thus, the emotions of the
Trojans when acquiring the horse and those of Aeneas when recounting the event are opposites: while the
Trojans experienced glee and gratitude, Aeneas’ feelings were ones of sadness and regret.
#5
From Rapture to Ruin
In Book 2 of the Aeneid, Vergil describes the fall of Troy through Aeneas' own words rather than
those of a narrator. This is a perfect opportunity for the author to give his audience insight into both the
Trojans' mindset at the time and Aeneas' opinion looking back in retrospect. By contrasting the Trojans'
joyful reactions to the horse with Aeneas' mournful feelings looking back on the event, Vergil is able to
create a deep sense of tragedy in an ironic situation.
It is evident that Aeneas' view of the event, looking back in retrospect, is very different from that
of the Trojans at the time. In the beginning of the passage, Aeneas describes how happy the Trojans are at
the appearance of the horse. He says, “The boys and unmarried girls sang sacred songs around it,” (Pueri
circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt) to show the joy of the moment (2.238-239). He uses the word
innuptae, meaning “unmarried,” to describe the young girls. This word, however, does not simply have
the strict meaning of “unmarried” in this context. More importantly, it implies the sheer youth and
naivety of the victims who suffered from the fall of Troy and who, ironically, are celebrating its inception.
At the end of the excerpt, Aeneas also tells his audience, “sleep seized our tired limbs,” (sopor fessus
complectitur artus) to describe the sheer relief of the weary Trojans, which is so great that they all settle
down peacefully (2.253). However, through Aeneas' narration, this short sentence becomes more sinister.
Aeneas gives sleep its own character by using personification and a special verb, complectitur. This word
has a dual meaning; while it can mean “embrace or hug,” it can also mean “seize or grasp.” In this way,
the word seems to act as a parallel to the Trojan horse itself by at first giving the impression of being
harmless when actually it is extremely disastrous, especially when placed in Aeneas' ironic interpretation
of the event. Through Aeneas' description, this word gives sleep, sopor, the entirely distinct character of a
specious thief in the night, robbing the Trojans of their senses and defenses, much like the Greeks

themselves. Thus, even though the Trojans are described in these examples as being happy and relieved,
the audience is still given a terrible sense of foreboding.
In some instances, Aeneas explicitly describes to the audience how foolish and ignorant the
Trojans are, but he also explains that it isn't their fault. Aeneas says, “Nevertheless we pressed onward,
forgetful and blind from our madness,” (instamus tamen immemores caecique furore) trying to explain the
Trojans' behavior (2.243). He uses caeci, meaning “blind” as well as “confused and rash,” to describe the
Trojans as being lost and confused, and then he blames it on their furore, or madness. This madness that
affects the Trojans is not something they can help, but something sent forth by the gods. Aeneas
recognizes this, along with many of the gods' other tricks which are played on the Trojans. He also says,
“But the gods had ordered that no Trojan would believe (Cassandra's words),” (ora dei iussu non umquam
credita Teucris) to further this point (2.247). He uses the word iussa to show that the Trojans' “madness”
was not just the mere wish of the gods but their precise “order.” Through his words, the audience can
clearly observe that Aeneas, while distraught and regretful about the destruction of his homeland, at the
same time has also realized its inevitability.
Aeneas' retrospective description of the fall of Troy employs careful wording in order to create a
sense of foreboding. He says, “The night, enshrouding the ocean and the small amount of land with great
shadows,” (nox involvens umbra magna terramque polumque) to convey a sense of dread (2.250-251).
This image in itself is ominous, especially with the word umbra, which not only means shadow but also
ghost. This haunting word gives the passage the image of not only the approaching night but also of
death, something which cannot completely be conveyed in English. He creates a similar feeling in his
narration of the appearance of the Trojan Horse. Aeneas says, “Four times it (the horse) halted in the very
threshold of the gates,” (quarter ipso in limine portae substitit) (2.242-243). Though this short excerpt
showcasing the Trojan's blind ignorance may have no affect on the modern reader, the act of stopping in
an entryway was actually a very bad omen in ancient Rome. The fact that the horse did this not once, not
twice, but four times echoes the events replaying over and over in Aeneas' own mind and implies to the
audience his regret at not doing anything about it. By listening carefully to Aeneas' words, it is clear to
the audience that his story of the fall of Troy is heavily influenced by the pain and sadness he feels inside,
even when he isn't saying it explicitly.
Throughout this small excerpt, Aeneas speaks of both the Trojans' reactions to the Greeks' gift
and his own while looking back on the event. While he describes the Trojans as being joyful and relieved
in his narration, Aeneas' specific tone and word choices still give the audience a sense of foreboding.
Therefore, it is Vergil's way of detailing the story's irony and tragedy that truly shines through in his
narration.

#6
20/20
As the phrase “hindsight is 20/20” implies, one can only grasp the full implications of a situation
once it is over. The procession of the wooden horse as described in Vergil’s Aeneid provides a perfect
example of this fact. At the time, the people of Troy welcome the carrier of Greeks gladly, but years
later, once Troy has been burnt to the ground, Aeneas’ recollections are full of grief, gloomy irony, and
apprehension.
Although doubtful at first, the Trojans become convinced that the horse is harmless. As they
figuratively let down their guard and cease to worry about the Greeks, they physically “split the ramparts”
(dividimus muros, Aeneid, 2.234) which were their last line of defense against the enemy. Even children
are allowed near the horse (pueri…puellae,2.238). With little difficulty or opposition it reaches the very
heart of the city, as indicated by inlabitur (“glides,” 2.240). When the Trojans lead it to the highest and
most defensible ground in the city (mediaeque…urbi, 2.240), they have given it the military advantage.
Eventually, they fall asleep (sopor…artus, 2.253), further evidence of their imagined security.
As they march it towards the temples, the Trojans evidently regard the horse as a gift from the
gods. Sacred songs, normally sung during religious festivals are employed for this special occasion
(sacra canunt, 2.239). No one ventures to touch the horse, daring only “to touch the rope”
(funemque…gaudent, 2.239), indicating their respect for it as a sacred object. Since they stop it at the
“consecrated citadel” (sacrata..arce, 2.245), one can assume that that is where they believe it belongs:
among other sacred things. Vergil shows us their thanksgiving to the gods by adding that they “deck the
shrines of the gods” (delubra deum…velamus, 2.248-249), a practice usually reserved for festa (“festive,”
2.249) occasions, namely feasts of the gods.
Believing that the Greeks have left for good, the Trojans also view the entrance of the horse as
worth celebrating. The use of gaudent (“rejoice,” 2.239), implies that many are giddy simply to be near
it. Aeneas describes the Trojan’s attitude as a “frenzy” or “madness” (furore, 2.244), an understandable
response to victory and a sign of frantic rejoicing. As if in preparation for their festivities, they decorate
the city (delubra deum…velamus, 2.248-249). Such flurries of activity indicate great joy at the horse’s
arrival.
Looking back, Aeneas remembers the event with a similar burst of emotions, though not of joy.
Throughout the passage, Aeneas chooses present-tense verbs, such as dividimus, “we split” (2.234) and
ruit, “it falls” (2.250), indicating that he is reliving the event as he retells it. By utilizing the plural
subject, “we” (Dividimus…pandimus…velamus, 2.234, 2.249), he identifies himself a member of his
story’s cast of characters. In the middle of his recollections, he interrupts himself with a lament directed
towards his country, his city, and its walls (O patria…Dardanidum, 2.241-242). In this interjection,

Vergil utilizes apostrophe, addressing someone or something not present, to point out Aeneas’ distance
from his homeland, thus adding to the pathos of his character. Aeneas counts himself among those “for
whom that day was the last” (quibus ultimus esset ille dies, 2.248) as if to show that a part of him died
when his city was destroyed.
At the same time, Aeneas is also removed, seeing the celebration around the horse as morbidly
ironic. The Trojans open their walls to their worst enemy, (diuidimus…Urbis, 2.234) then “equip
themselves for work” (accingunt operi, 2.235), unwittingly readying themselves to bring about their own
destruction. Aeneas points out the care they take to add rolling wheels under the horse’s feet (pedibusque
rotarum subiciunt lapsus, 2.235), which makes the entrance even easier for the Greeks. Aeneas recalls
the people rejoicing (gaudent, 2.239) over something they should have destroyed when they had the
chance. Bitterly, he calls the ramparts “renowned in war” (inculata bello, 2.241), although they are no
longer useful since the Trojans themselves have already divided them (dividimus muros, 2.234).
Likewise, when moeni (2.252) refers to the “fortified city” of Troy, one is reminded that enemies are
already waiting inside the walls. As the Trojans “deck the shrines of the gods with festive foliage”
(delubra deum... festa uelamus fronde,2.248-249), Aeneas mourns that, for many, it was their final day
(ultimus..dies,2.248-249), a fact worth little celebration.
While Aeneas recounts his story, he also feels an uneasy sense of foreboding and dread of the
inevitable. He uses the twisted imagery of a real horse to lend foreboding to the artificial one: it is led by
hemp cables stretched from its neck (stuppea..intendunt, 2.236-237), it is “pregnant with weapons” (feta
armis, 2.238), and “weapons gave a crash from its womb” (utero…dedere,2.243). His use of minans
(2.240) could refer to the horse “towering” over the city and its inhabitants, or more aptly be construed as
“threatening,” fitting Aeneas’ knowledge of what hides inside. Once the Trojans have finished their
celebration, night “falls” (ruit, 2.250), a verb that can denote ruin or destruction. Aeneas knows that the
night brings not only darkness but also death for the Trojans, now scattered throughout the city
(fusi...Teucris, 2.247), imagery that foreshadows their scattering in flight once the city is destroyed.
Finally, they fall silent in sleep (conticuere, 2.253), just as Aeneas knows many will soon be silenced in
death.
Aeneas’ further implies that he views the success of the horse as a result of the
interference of the gods. When he calls it fatalis machina (2.237), Aeneas remembers the horse as a
device of war both “fatal” and “fated,” that is, inevitable by the will of the gods. When he refers to Ilium
as the home of the gods (divum domus Ilium, 2.241), Aeneas possibly indicates resentment, believing that
Troy’s fall was a result of their abandonment. According to Aeneas, it should have been obvious that the
horse was “unlucky” (infelix, 2.245) since it halts “four times on the threshold of the gate itself”
(quarter…substitit, 2.243). Because the Romans believed tripping on the doorstep was a bad omen,

Vergil’s readers would agree that four times was enough to convince the least superstitious of men, even
without the audible crash of weapons inside (sonitum...arma, 2.243). Despite such warnings, the Trojans
were, including Aeneas, “heedless and blind” in their frenzy (immemores…furore, 2.244), blindness
which would only be removed by the passing of time.
#7
A Memory of Disaster
Throughout Aeneas’ description of the fall of Troy, Vergil uses several techniques to contrast the
original reaction of the Trojans to Greek horse found outside their city and Aeneas’ view of the event as
he looks back at the disaster that destroyed his home. These techniques include the use of the contrast
between the city’s celebration and willingness to tear down their fortifications when the horse arrives and
the ten years of trusting these fortifications to protect their city from the Greek invaders. Vergil also
shows the irony of people’s blindness to the danger within the horse in comparison to the numerous
warning they were given. Vergil uses such contrasting phrases to explain how Aeneas now views the
triumphant entry of the Trojan horse.
Vergil begins this passage with: Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis. (Aeneid 2.234)
This translates as, “We broke up the wall and spread out the fortifications of the city.” The breaking up of
the city walls to make an entry for the horse symbolizes how easily the fortifications used successfully for
the previous ten years are crumbled by the city’s own people. Aeneas also states: Accigunt omnes opera,
or, “Everyone equipped for the work.” (2.235) Aeneas’ description of the reception of the horse shows
the contrast between the initial excitement of all of the citizens to help tear down the fortifications and
protection of their city and the actual outcome when he says: Scandit fatalis machine muros feta armis,
or, “The fatal machine climbed the walls full of arms”. (2.237) The Greek horse accomplishes its purpose
and literally breaks down all of the defenses that were keeping the Greeks out of the city. Not only is
Aeneas describing the crumble of the city’s physical defenses, but the willingness of all of the citizens of
Troy to aid in the destruction of the walls show that the horse also accomplished the purpose of
encouraging the city to lower its guard, allowing the Greeks to slip in unnoticed. By contrasting the story
of breaking up of the wall with Aeneas’ description of the dangerous horse, Vergil shows the change of
view from the time of the horse’s entry into the city, and Aeneas’ new view as he looks back upon the
event.
Vergil also contrasts the views of the event using an ironic description of the citizens’ excited
celebration at the coming of the horse into their city. Aeneas recalls: Pueri circum inuptaeque puellae
sacra canunt funemque manu contigere gaudent, or, “Boys and unmarried girls chant sacred songs around
it, and rejoice to touch the rope with their hands.” (2.28-239) This description of the joyful singing and

the use of the word gaudent shows the great happiness of the people as they receive the horse in the belief
that the long war has finished. Not only do the people trust that this horse is harmless enough to bring
into the city, but even the children are permitted to approach and touch it, showing the Trojans’ complete
faith in the belief that that the Greeks have gone and that the horse is safe. Aeneas contrasts this image
sharply with his new view of the event when he speaks of the horse as a fatalis machine, or fatal machine,
earlier in the passage. In this passage, Vergil is using the irony of the people’s rejoicing and celebrating
the arrival of the horse even as it is about to bring their destruction. Aeneas then states: Illa subit
mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi, or, “This horse ascends and glides threatening into the middle of the
city.” (2.250) Looking back, Aeneas bitterly recounts the foolishness of the city, and views the horse as
a danger, but it is too late to save the city of Troy.
Not only do the people rejoice at the arrival of the horse, but they also remain blind to the
impending disaster even as they are shown signs of the horse’s true nature. While celebrating, the people
were given warnings about the danger of contents of the horse as they pulled it into the city. Aeneas tells
of how: Quarter ipso in limine portae substitit atque utero sonkitum quarter arma dedere, or, “Four times
it stopped on the threshold of the gate and four times the arms gave sound from the belly.” (2.242-243)
His view of the horse as a peaceful gift was altered only after the fall of Troy, as the Trojans chose to
ignore all of the warnings they were given about the horse and what it contained. Aeneas goes on to
explain that: Instamus tamen immemores caecique furore et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce.
(2.244-245) This portion of the passage can be translated as, “Nevertheless we pressed on forgetful and
blind with frenzy, and the unlucky monster stood at the sacred alter.” Vergil moves from the lighthearted
and joyful words of the original celebration of the horse’s arrival to this evidence of Aeneas’ new view of
the machine as an “unlucky monster”. He also recognizes the unwillingness to heed the warnings of
danger as he speaks of the Trojans’ “blind frenzy” as they bring the horse into the city and up to the
sacred alter. Aeneas shows how the original danger was willingly ignored as the Trojans refused to view
the Greek horse as anything that could harm the city. The current viewpoint of Aeneas in regard to the
horse is then quickly revealed in his vivid description of the horse as a monster which was only brought
into the city because of the blindness of the citizens to an obvious danger. He ends his account of this
folly by stating: Nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem.
(2.248-249) This can be translated as the following: “We miserable ones, for whom that day would be the
final one, clothed the temples in foliage through the city.”
Using the reminiscing of Aeneas, Vergil shows the major contrast between the opinions of the
Trojans about the horse as it entered their city and how they viewed the huge battle machine once the plot
inside was revealed and Troy had fallen. The alternating of statements about the Trojans’ joy at bringing
the horse into the city and Aeneas’ descriptions of the horse as a destructive machine show both the old

and new viewpoints about the horse as well as Aeneas’ opinion concerning how the city of Troy could
have been saved. Throughout Aeneas’ tale of the destruction of his city, Vergil explains how the
triumphant entry of the Greek horse became a disaster for the Trojan people and how the Trojans’ idea of
the nature of the horse changes from a sacred image to that of a destructive monster after the fall of the
city. Using irony and contrast, Vergil chronicles this change in a way that accurately describes and
compares both views.
#8
How the Trojans Rejoiced in Their Demise
In book 2 of Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas gives a detailed account of the fall of Troy. During this account,
Aeneas gives a description of how the Trojans joyfully received the wooden horse which would
ultimately be the engine of their destruction. Throughout the passage, Aeneas switches between ecstatic
mood of his people on that day and the remorse that his hindsight gives him. Through these different
emotions, Virgil creates a feeling of hopelessness surrounding the Trojans, making them seem helpless
victims of fate.
The first use of the positive way in which Aeneas describes the reception of the horse is when he
says Pueri circum innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent “Boys and
virgin girls sing around the sacred thing and they rejoice to touch a rope with a hand” (Aeneid, 2.238-
239). Here, Aeneas describes the innocent joy of the children of Troy in just being able to touch the ropes
pulling the wooden horse. This section contrasts greatly with the preceding statement, which calls the
horse fatalis machina muros feta armis “a fatal engine filled with weapons” (2.237-238). This contrast of
children reaching out to touch an engine of destruction creates a tragic irony that makes the reader
sympathize with the pain of Aeneas and his fellow Trojans.
Aeneas continues in his description of events to say how the Trojans should have known not to
trust the horse, because quater ipso in limine portae substitit, atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere
“four times it stopped on the same threshold and four times the weapons in the belly gave a crash” (2.242-
243). In ancient times, it was considered a bad omen to stop on the threshold, but Aeneas says instamus
tamen inmemores caecique furore “nevertheless we press on heedless and blind from a frenzy” (2.244).
Here we see Aeneas describe that even with the warnings of an omen and the sound of weapons crashing
in the horse, the Trojans were too happy to notice their danger. We also see that Aeneas implies with the
phrase caeci…furore that the Trojans could not notice their danger because a “frenzy” or “madness” had
come upon them and blinded them to a truth they might have otherwise discovered. This increases the
feeling that the Trojans were helpless victims of fate.
Yet another instance of hindsight in the passage occurs when Aeneas states Tunc etiam fatis

aperit Cassandra futuris ora dei iussu non umquam credita Teucris “Then also Cassandra opens her
mouth with fates about to be by order of a god not ever believed by Teucrians” (2.246-247). This speaks
of yet another indication that the Trojans had that the horse was indeed a trap. However, Virgil indicates
that again fate was against the Trojan people, since the priestess Cassandra, who could tell the future, was
cursed by Apollo never to be believed until it was too late. This again serves to show that Aeneas and the
other Trojans were victims of fate, with Aeneas only realizing after the Troy fell that Cassandra was right.
Aeneas again shows the joy of the Trojans versus his own view as he looks back when he says
nos delubra deum miseri, quibus ultimus esset ille dies, festa velamus fronde per urbem “wretched we, for
whom that day was our last, clothe the temples of the gods through the city with festive foliage” (2.248-
249). This indicates that the Trojans were so excited, they were getting ready for celebrations by
decorating the temples with festa fronde (festive foliage). However, these festivities are contrasted with
Aeneas’ description of himself and his people as miseri (wretched) and indicating that they were in their
final hours. This again creates irony from the fact that the Trojans were getting ready to officially
celebrate the engine that was going to cause their destruction that very night.
In the final lines of the passage, Aeneas presents two very different images. The first is the
ominous picture of night involvens umbra magna terramque polumque Myrmidonumque dolos “rolling in
its great shadow the earth and the pole-star and the devices of the Myrmidons” (2.251-252). Here, the
magna umbra (great shadow) is intended to create a feeling of foreboding as it conceals the horse, hiding
the Greeks inside it. This is opposite of the lines following, which say that the people of Troy conticuere,
sopor fessos complectitur artus “fell silent, weary joints grasped by sleep” (2.253). We find in this line
that the people go to bed thinking nothing is wrong, able to rest without fear of war. This ideal picture and
Aeneas’ foreboding earlier create a final picture of helplessness as the Trojans are unable to see a trap
until it is sprung.
During Aeneas’ description of the how he and his countrymen received the wooden horse left by
the Greeks, he combines the feelings felt at the time with what he feels looking back on the event. At
times Aeneas is describing the joy of the Trojans, but at others he is lamenting their state of affairs. By
using these contrasting feelings, Virgil creates the idea that the Trojans were helpless victims who could
not prevent their downfall, even though the signs of a trap were right in front of them.
#9
Blind to the Threats
The opening word of this passage, dividimus (“we divide,” Aeneid 2.234), sets the tone for the
entire passage, foreshadowing the divisive effect the wooden horse sent by the Greeks would have upon
the Trojan city. The arrival of the horse forced the Trojans to decide whether they ought to allow the

unknown beast entrance to their walls, or to barricade it outside their defenses. Though most Trojans
argued that the horse, which they considered a sign from Athena, must be admitted, the tension within
their own ranks effectively split their city in two, far before they literally opened their defenses.
Repetition further enhances the dramatic effect of this sentence: it is explained that the Trojans “divide the
walls” (dividimus muros, 2.234) and “open the fortifications” (moenia pandimus, 2.234) of their city,
strengthening the image of division that the arrival of the horse has created.
Despite the hostility they have faced in battle, and the violence they have recently witnessed as
Laocoon and his sons were attacked by snakes, most of the Trojans seem determinedly carefree, as though
they were resolved to throw themselves wholeheartedly into celebration without a thought of risks or
consequences. Young men and women dance around the horse (pueri...puellae, 2.238) and they even
“rejoice” (gaudent, 2.239) to be allowed to partake in the celebration. The illusion of gaiety and carefree
fun is a recurring theme throughout the Trojans' reception of the horse, but it hints at the darker reality
just beneath the surface. The Trojans are so caught up in the present, both the gift horse and the current
moment, that they fail to notice the danger that is right before them.
In this section of the text, Aeneas relives the harrowing events through his retelling. This
perspective shifts, however, as he is especially moved by his tale: he pauses his recount to cry out to his
homeland in agony (O patria...Ilium, 2.241). Here, he changes the focus of the story from one directly in
the middle of the action to someone looking back on it from a distance. He knows, as he is telling this
tale, the horrible outcome that will result in the city's downfall because of the Trojans' heedlessness. This
further serves to remind the reader that these events took place in the past, evoking a sense of inevitability
within the passage.
Troy is described as the “divine home” (divum domus, 2.241), in respect to the comforts and
amenities it supplied its inhabitants. However, it is also called the “sacred citadel” (sacrata arce, 2.245),
because of the many temples and altars to the gods that it contained. In Aeneas's eyes, Troy was great not
only for its mortal comforts, but also for the intense devotion its inhabitants felt to the gods. Godly
devotion and piety are recurring themes throughout the Aeneid, and a blind, unquestioning sense of
loyalty to the gods was valued so strongly at the time that the destruction of Troy would seem even more
unthinkable and tragic.
Aeneas goes on to say that the great horse “stopped four times in the very threshold of the gate”
(Quater...substitit, 2.242-243). Halting on the doorstep was considered to be a bad omen, but Aeneas and
the reckless Trojans “press on” (instamus, 2.244). Aeneas describes the Trojans as “heedless and blind”
(immemores caecique, 2.244). This creates an interesting distinction because it suggests an almost willful
quality to their disregardful behavior: they seem utterly determined to bring the horse into the city. They
ignored even the warning of Cassandra, a seer, but “it was the command of the gods that she was not

trusted by the Trojans at any time” (dei...Teucris, 2.247). Both the Trojans' own blindness and the gods
themselves conspired to keep them from knowing the truth about the horse.
#10
Latin Essay #2: The Doom of The Trojans
Although “Hindsight is 20/20” is one of the most overused sayings in the English language, it
certainly does have its merits. In literary terms, that 20/20 hindsight most closely resembles the device
called foreshadowing. In this passage, Aeneas tells the story of the Trojan people bringing the Trojan
Horse into the city walls. Vergil is able to contrast the joyous emotions of the Trojans as the horse was
being received with the feelings of Aeneas after Troy has been burned to the ground through imagery and
word choice. Throughout the passage, he includes in the passage small details that are only knowable in
hindsight and paints a poignant if somewhat ironic picture. Vergil makes is quite clear that he is a strong
believer in the harsh reality of 20/20 hindsight.
Imagery is a key component of this passage from the start. When Aeneas first begins to describe
the Trojans’ attempts to bring the horse into the city with Dividimus muros et moenia pandimus urbis.
“We (ourselves) broke the walls and we opened the barricades.” (Aeneid 2.234), the imagery leads the
reader to find the irony of the situation, which has become obvious for our hero: after a decade of
unsuccessful attempts by the Greeks to break into Troy, the Trojans eventually did the hard work for their
greatest enemy and opened themselves up to the slaughter. As Aeneas’ somber retelling of the events
continues, we see the hindsight of the Trojan leader shed some light on the mystery of the true motive of
the Trojan Horse, that is, to help destroy Troy: scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis. “The deadly
machine climbed over the walls, teeming with armed men.” (2.237-238). The knowledge that we have
gained from Aeneas’ perspective makes the happy emotions of the “boys and unwed girls (who) sing
sacred songs around it (the horse), and they are happy to touch the gift with a hand” (Pueri circum
innuptaeque puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent) (2.238-239), turn sour in both
Aeneas’ and the reader’s mouth. In a matter of hours, the entire Trojan world turns on its head, and as a
result, Aeneas’ emotions regarding the horse are far different from his Trojan compatriots. As the Horse
moves towards the center of the city, we continue to see that Aeneas is hit hard by the ignorance of his
fellow Trojans: O patria, o divum domus Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanidum! “O fatherland, O
home of the Trojan gods! Glorious walls of the sons of Dardan!” (2.241-242). He is still so hurt by the
destruction of his city that he cannot bear to continue without screaming to his gods and homeland, a sign
that his bitter and mournful emotions surrounding the circumstances of Troy’s demise highly contrast the
joyous emotions of his comrades while they were bringing the Horse towards the center of Troy.
Moreover, actions that seemed to be inconsequential before, such as Cassandra’s foretelling of the doom

of Troy, now seem obvious to our hero: Tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris ora dei iussu non
umquam credita Teucris. “Then also Cassandra opens her mouth to the future by the order of fate, never
to be believed by the Trojans.” (2.246-247). When powerful imagery is used in conjunction with word
choice, the poet is able to more eloquently convey the emotion and meaning of the scene. It is clear to the
reader the depth of Aeneas’ pain that his people joyfully accepted their demise into their city.
Word choice is a key tool that Vergil uses throughout this passage to strengthen the contrast
between the joyfulness of the Trojans before the destruction of Troy and the soberness of Aeneas
afterwards. The first example of this is the continual use of quater “four” (2.242-243) when Aeneas
describes the Trojan’s attempts to bring the Trojan Horse into the city. By showing that the horse got
stuck four times before entering the city, Vergil shows the reader that the horse is very unlucky and once
again uses hindsight to show how doomed the Trojans were from the start. Another key example of Vergil
using word choice to his advantage is when he uses umbra “veil” (2.251) to describe the night. This
perfectly describes the plan of Odysseus and his comrades: they successfully use the darkness of the night
to sneak out of the Trojan Horse and destroy the city that they fought for a decade. Because Aeneas is
aware of what has happened to his people, his telling of the fall of Troy subtly includes clues to how Troy
will fall: through deceit and treachery.
There are three other key phrases where Vergil expertly contrasts Aeneas’ melancholy emotions
and the Trojans’ delighted sentiments regarding the acceptance of the Trojan Horse into the city: 2.240,
2.243-244, and 2.248-249. In 2.240, Vergil describes the pleasure that the Trojans show by destroying
their own ramparts to let in the Trojan Horse with the somber attitude of Aeneas, as he knows what
destroying the ramparts has truly done: illa subit mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi. “It threateningly
moved towards the middle of our forum after it had opened the city.” (2.240) This contrast is again put on
display when Aeneas explicitly laments the blind ignorance of the Trojans as they roll it towards their
stronghold: instamus tamen immemores caecique furore et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce. “We
press on however, blinded by fury and heedless, and we bring the unlucky monster to our sacred citadel.”
(2.243-244). This passage shows again to the reader that while the Trojans celebrate their “victory” over
their enemy, Aeneas knows the truth: the war is over, and his then-celebrating nation has lost. The final
key area where Vergil contrasts the feelings of the Trojans and Aeneas’ emotions is when Aeneas
describes the celebrations throughout the city. Vergil ironically juxtaposes quibus ultimus esset ille dies
“for whom it was the last day” (2.248-249) with festa velamus fronde per urbem. “We cover the buildings
with leaves and conduct festivals.” (2.249), showing the reader and the listeners to Aeneas’ tale that doom
is just around the corner for the Trojans.
Throughout this passage, Vergil uses foreshadowing, imagery, and word choice to show the
reader how the feelings of the Trojans before the Fall of Troy are vastly different from Aeneas’ emotions

following the Fall, and for good reason. Whether Aeneas is lamenting the ignored signs or the premature
celebrations, the message is clear: in Aeneas’ eyes, the Trojans should not have declared victory so early,
and above all, they should not have permitted the Trojan Horse to enter the city, even if it was a symbol
of Athena. This passage truly shows that hindsight is 20/20; even though Aeneas has no reason to be
upset with himself over what has happened to Troy, he still finds himself at fault for not correcting the
mistakes the Trojans all made, so he somberly tells the story of a time when his people were filled with
joy.
#11
A Verbal Frame
This is an excerpt from Aeneas’s account of the Trojan horse. The passage is organized by the
careful placement of its verbs. This framework, and its consistent use of the historical present tense make
it very symmetrical. Homer uses this symmetry to help describe both Aeneas, and the Trojans in Aeneas's
story.
The first stanza dominates this passage and uses a more complex verb pattern than the second. Its
first section only uses verbs in the first person. The second only uses verbs of the third person, and the
third set of lines lacks a stated verb, but there are indications that there is an assumed second person.
After that, there is another section of third person verbs, and the stanza is brought to a close by a return to
the first person. Thus the verb pattern of the first stanza is: first, third, second, third, first.
The different persons correlate with different perspectives and moods. When Aeneas speaks in
the first person, he is looking back, grieving on the tragic event he is describing, When Aeneas uses the
third person, he is more withdrawn, merely describing the actions of the Trojans at the time. In the
middle section, in which there is no stated verb, the tone becomes passionate and less controlled.
The very first word of the passage is Dividimus (we divide) (2.234). It introduces the use of the
historical present tense that heightens the drama by including Aeneas in his story. It also introduces the
first person. This again includes Aeneas in the action, and increases the pathos. Homer uses words such
as miseri (wretched) (2.248) to emphasize the point that Aeneas is suffering with the retelling.
In the first four lines of the passage, the verbs are first in the sentence. This puts considerable
emphasis on them, and it builds suspense, since the subject is still forthcoming. For example, in line four:
intendunt scandit fatalis machina muros feta armis. "They stretch; it mounts, the fateful machine filled
with arms" (2.237). First, notice that Aeneas has changed to the third person, distancing himself from the
action to draw attention to the horse. This is an excellent narrative device, building suspense by starting
with the action of the people. Then, the nameless thing mounts. Last is the description of the fateful
machine.

The center lines of the first stanza are the climax of the passage. This is emphasized by the lack
of a verb, the passage breaking the preceding pattern and carrying on without an important piece of
syntax. The nouns patria (2.241) and domus (2.241) are in the vocative, indicating that the implied verb
is in the second person, again indicating a shift in the narrator’s emotions. Oh patria oh divum domus
Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanidum! "Oh my country, oh home of the gods, Ilium, walls famous
from war of the Trojans!"(2.241-2.242)
Other indications that Aeneas is breaking down are the repeated “oh” and the scrambled word
order. When we translate domus..Dardanidum more literally we see a list of ideas that seems quite
disjointed: "belonging to the gods, home, Ilium, and famous in war, walls of the Trojans!" The chaos of
this line accurately mirrors the chaos of the hero’s heart.
In the line directly following, Aeneas snaps back to the third person. Quater ipso in lamine
portae substitit atque utero sonitum quater arma dedere; "four times in that threshold of the gate it
stopped and four times arms gave a sound from the belly;" (2.242 - 2.243) Aeneas again directs the reader
away from himself and toward the horse. He also uses the repetition of quater to build the sense of the
ominous. This reemphasizes the gloomy and foreboding tone of the passage, and indicates Aeneas's own
dark mood.
Finally the stanza comes to a conclusion with a return to the first person. Instamus tamen
immemores caecique furore, "Nevertheless we press on, forgetful and blind with madness"(2.244). This
line gives an interesting insight into the perspective of the Trojans at the time. Thus far Aeneas has either
been speaking impersonally about the actions of the Trojans or his own despair at what is to come. In this
line, he inserts immemores, caeci, and furore, to indicate the feelings he and the Trojans experienced at
the time.
Immemores (2.244) means either forgetful or heedless of. It has interesting implications. By it,
Aeneas could mean they were heedless of the ominous noises in the horse, or of the past warnings of
Laocoon. He could also mean that they are forgetful of the long war that led to this moment, and
rejoicing with a fresh outlook. Alternatively, he could be indicating a combination of the two, a
forgetfulness of all things past and reckless attitude toward the present. The last seems most likely
because of the following words.
Aeneas uses immemores together with caeci, joined by et. It seems they are intended to
compliment one another. Possible translations for Caeci (2.244) are: blind or rash. Therefore immemores
is best understood as forgetful of the past, and caeci as blindness of the present forebodings. Translated
thus, they make an effective compliment. However the implications of rashness or heedlessness are not
discarded, but are brought out by the final word in the line: furore (madness) (2.244). Together then, the
words translate: "forgetful and blind with madness." With these three words, Aeneas gives us a great
AP Latin 4a ESSAY #2 2013

insight into what the Trojans were experiencing: forgetfulness of past warnings and troubles,
obliviousness to present warnings, and rashness towards the future. This complete oblivion and
pandemonium seems similar to a modern New Year's celebration, indicating not a simple acceptance of
the horse, but a wild jubilation at the device.
Next, the careful symmetry of the first stanza is broken in the second. Indeed, the very first word
of the stanza is vertitur (2.253). This is an excellent choice because it means “to change”. Aeneas returns
to the third person. Now there are participles, deponents, and a mixing of tenses. This is very evocative
of the situation being described. Here, night falls over everything and the Trojans succumb to sleep. The
energy and excitement evident throughout the first stanza fall apart, and the weary lines straggle to their
close. Sopor fessos complectitur artus. Deep sleep welcomes weary limbs. (2.253)
Note the alliteration in this line. Although this passage is slow and drowsy, the repeated s sound
recalls the snakes hidden in the city, foreshadowing the coming of the Greeks. It is a quiet note, indicating
the weariness of the Trojans, but it is also ominous. Once again we hear Aeneas's gloom and foreboding.
Overall then, this is a well constructed passage that uses word form and placement to imitate and
evoke the story being told. When Aeneas is merely simmering, the lines are orderly. When he is
overcome by grief, the syntax collapses. When the Trojans lose all control, their melee is described at a
distance, emphasizing Aeneas's wisdom and grief in hindsight. Finally, as the Trojans collapse from their
jubilation with the coming of night, the organization grows lax and ends on a solemn note.
#12
A Tragic End
In the passage in 2.234-53 of the Aeneid , Aeneas narrates the entrance of the famous wooden
horse used deceitfully by the Greeks to gain entrance to Troy and the ironic celebrations that ensue.
Throughout the tale, he intersperses his regretful views and frequently foreshadows the approaching
destruction, thus drawing sympathy and compassion both from Dido and the rest of the audience in the
story and from the reader.
Aeneas seemingly laments their carelessness by using a word in an unusual way in 2.236-7:
...stuppea vincula collo intendunt..., "they stretch ropes made of tow from its neck". While the best
translation of the form of vinculum used here is made clear by stuppea, "rope" is not typical. The word is
more commonly connected with some idea of restraint, and as such it is more commonly translated with
such words as "chain", "bond", or "fetter". Quite probably, Aeneas is hinting at his sorrow at the
opportunity they missed, using vincula to indicate that they had the machine firmly under their control
and it would have been hopeless for its occupants to resist if they had chosen to break it open.
AP Latin 4a ESSAY #2 2013

Next, Aeneas focuses on the children involved in the celebrations: pueri circum innuptaeque
puellae sacra canunt funemque manu contingere gaudent, "Boys and virgin girls sing sacred songs round
about and rejoice to touch a rope with a hand". By directing attention specifically to the children as they
celebrate so cheerfully, he laments the undeserved injustice that befell these people. He further uses
innuptae (literally, "unmarried") to describe the girls in order to increase the reader's impression of
innocence.
The way in which the horse is referred to in 2.240 clearly remarks on its sinister nature: illa subit
mediaeque minans inlabitur urbi, "that thing moves in and, overhanging, glides into the middle of the
city." Aeneas referred to the horse in this passage in noun form once in 2.237 (...scandit fatalis machina
muros), calling it a "machine", and again in 2.245, where he describes it as a portent (...monstrum infelix
sacrata sistimus arce). On this occasion though, he simply calls it "that thing" (illa), perhaps suggesting
his loathing for it. He then personifies the beast, using the active voice with both verbs (inlabitur is a
deponent), thus describing it as if it is moving under its own power. The latter verb, inlabitur,
characterizes the seemingly smooth and silent manner of its movement. It moves almost too easily, and
the silent movement suggests the stealthy and insidious menace which it transports inside.
In 2.241-42, Aeneas is overcome by emotion and breaks off his narrative to mourn: O patria, o
divum domus Ilium et incluta bello moenia Dardanium!..., "Oh homeland, oh Ilium, house of the gods,
and the walls of the Dardanians, famous in the war!" By addressing them directly, he personifies these
familiar locations that he will never see again, and his forlorn words serve to trigger pity in the reader.
Aeneas hints at the impending doom of Troy in his choice of words in 2.251: Vertitur interea
caelum et ruit Oceano nox..., "Meanwhile, the sky is changed and night falls from the Ocean...". Of
particular interest are the two verbs, vertitur and ruit. While translations used above for these words
sound best in English, the words have the capacity to have held very different meanings for the Romans.
If vertitur is translated as "change", the shifting of the sky's color can symbolize the changing of
the Trojan fortunes that was occurring simultaneously. The transition from day to night was the signal for
the commencement of the first stage of the Greek assault, with the darkness giving them cover to move
undetected and to openly attack soon after. The day and bright dominion of the Trojans were fading, and
the darkness and sinister forces of the Greeks were taking control in its place.
The word can also suggest even more violent action if interpreted as "overthrow" or "destroy".
The overturning or destruction of the sky may symbolize the city and the hectic and violent way in which
it was captured, or it may be an artistic way of expressing how apocalyptic the end of the Trojan
civilization must have felt to Aeneas.
While ruit once again initially seems to simply convey the approaching of night, the word once
also holds alternate and more violent meanings, such as "collapse" and "be ruined". Again this meaning
AP Latin 4a ESSAY #2 2013

makes it easy to interpret the falling of light as symbolizing the violent way in which the Greek forces,
moving with the approach of darkness, crushed the city of Troy.
In summary, Aeneas effectively draws sympathy in this passage by lamenting the fateful
decisions of his people that lead to their destruction. He skillfully uses symbolism and subtle word usage
and even refers to their doom directly to build tension and arouse pity as the climax of the story
approaches.
AP Latin 4a ESSAY #2 2013