My 4th year Latin was exciting because we studied Virgil. He was one great guy for sure, and probably the only writer who did the language justice. Around Christmas we remember a line from one of the Ecologues. At that time Augustus was dispossesing a lot of farmers of their land and giving it to his soldiers. In book 4 is the story of a baby boy who was born and would renew the world. Augustus, who was Virgil’s friend and protector liked book 4 because he thought the baby was himself. Early Christians came to believe it was about the Christ child.
Ultima Cumaei venit iam carminis aetas; Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo. Iam redit et virgo, rediunt Saturna regna, iam nova progenes caelo demittur alto. (Eclogue iv, 3). "Now we have the final age, (according to that Cumaean Oracle lady). A great series of events begins to unfold. Soon the virgin goddess returns and the reign of Saturn will be restored; a new type of leadership will come from the high heaven."
This passage above is where we get the "novus ordo saeclorum" which is on the dollar bill.
|
Then there was this guy: |
|
|
Laocoon (la-OH-ku-on)He was a high priest in the temple of Poseidon (the
good guys’ God I suppose) and was surprised at the naivety of the Trojans
to consider accepting a big dumb wooden horse into their city, especially
from the Greeks. So here is the
incident as told by Virgil: Aeneid, book II |
|
|
et
procul 'o miseri, quae tanta insania, cives? creditis auectos hostis? aut ulla putatis dona carere dolis Danaum? sic notus Vlixes? aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achiui, aut haec in nostros fabricata est machina muros, inspectura domos uenturaque desuper urbi, aut
aliquis latet error; equo ne credite, Teucri. quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentis.' sic fatus ualidis ingentem uiribus hastam in latus inque feri curuam compagibus aluum contorsit. stetit illa tremens, uteroque recusso insonuere
cauae gemitumque dedere cauernae. Then Laocoon went back to his temple to pray to Poseidon but Athena (on the Greek side) sent two big nasty serpents and killed him and his two sons. The Trojans believed that Laocoon had angered the gods so they dragged the horse into their city even removing part of the gateway, which all goes to show that they really were dumb.
|
One seriously angry Laocoon came down from his temple
and immediately said “You idiots, Are you guys insane or what?” Do you really believe that the enemy has left? Or do you actually believe that a Greek present can bring anything but grief? Don’t you understand that sly Ulysses? or that within this wooden thing is hiding a bunch of Greeks? or that this contraption is designed to spy down and look into our homes from above? and that this is not all pure lies? For God sake, you stupid Trojans do not trust this horse! because whatever it is, I fear Greeks bearing gifts. When he finished he took a great big spear and hurled it into the belly of the thing where it twisted and trembled and shook until its inmost recesses gave out a huge groan.
|
