Ocr Latin Sources

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents
Prophecies and
Portents
Latin GCSE
Verse Literature
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GCSE Latin: Verse Literature (Unit A404)

The exam
This paper counts for 25% of the total GCSE.
The paper lasts 1 hour.
The exam tests understanding and appreciation of the set texts that you have studied. You will be
asked both short-answer questions, and questions requiring a more extended response.
The Set Texts
All the texts are selected from the OCR Latin Anthology for GCSE, Section 6 Prophecies and
Portents.
Lucan: Caesar crosses the Rubicon, Civil War 1.183-205, 223-227
Persius: Praying for profit, Satires 2.44-52
Horace: A sign from heaven, Ode 1.34
Virgil: The Shield of Aeneas, Aeneid 8.608-629, 671-731
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Lucan (39-65 AD). Born at Corduba in Spain, he was educated in Rome. After joining a
conspiracy against the emperor Nero, he was forced to commit suicide. His incomplete poem in
10 books, the Bellum Civile (Civil War), deals with the war between Caesar and Pompey. Also
known as Pharsalia after Caesars victory over Pompey at Pharsalus in 48BC, it promotes the
Republican cause, a bold stance under Nero.
Persius (34-62 AD). Born into an equestrian family at Volaterrae in Etruria, he fell under the
influence of the Stoics at Rome. He wrote one book of six Satires, modelled on Lucilius and
Horace.
Horace (65-8 BC). Born the son of a freedman in Venusia in Apulia, south Italy, he later became
part of the circle of Maecenas, Augustus patron of the arts. As such, he rubbed shoulders with
the most powerful politicians and the leading poets of his day.
Virgil (70-19 BC). Born in Mantua in Cisalpine Gaul, Virgil was educated at Cremona, Milan
and Rome. He became part of the circle of Maecenas, the great Augustan patron, and a friend and
supporter of Augustus. His pastoral poems, the Eclogues, were perhaps published in 37BC; the
Georgics, his four-book didactic poem on framing, in 29BC; and his great twelve-book epic, the
Aeneid, after his death. He was buried near Naples. The mediaeval Italian poet Dante regarded
Virgil as our greatest poet.
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Revision Text
Lucan: Caesar crosses the Rubicon
iam gelidas Caesar cursu superaverat Alpes
ingentesque animo motus bellumque futurum
ceperat. ut ventum est parvi Rubiconis ad undas,
ingens visa duci patriae trepidantis imago
clara per obscuram vultu maestissima noctem
turrigero canos effundens vertice crines
caesarie lacera nudisque adstare lacertis
et gemitu permixta loqui: 'quo tenditis ultra?
quo fertis mea signa, viri? si iure venitis,
si cives, huc usque licet.' tum perculit horror
membra ducis, riguere comae gressumque coercens
languor in extrema tenuit vestigia ripa.
mox ait 'o magnae qui moenia prospicis urbis
Tarpeia de rupe Tonans Phrygiique penates
gentis Iuleae et rapti secreta Quirini
et residens celsa Latiaris Iuppiter Alba
Vestalesque foci summique o numinis instar
Roma, fave coeptis. non te furialibus armis
persequor: en, adsum uictor terraque marique
Caesar, ubique tuus (liceat modo, nunc quoque) miles.
ille erit ille nocens, qui me tibi fecerit hostem.'
inde moras solvit belli tumidumque per amnem
signa tulit propere
Caesar, ut adversam superato gurgite ripam
attigit, Hesperiae vetitis et constitit arvis,
'hic' ait 'hic pacem temerataque iura relinquo;
te, Fortuna, sequor. procul hinc iam foedera sunto;
credidimus satis his, utendum est iudice bello.'
Horace: A sign from heaven

parcus deorum cultor et infrequens
insanientis dum sapientiae
consultus erro, nunc retrorsum
vela dare atque iterare cursus
cogor relictos: namque Diespiter,
igni corusco nubila dividens
plerumque, per purum tonantes
egit equos volucremque currum,
quo bruta tellus et vaga flumina,

quo Styx et invisi horrida Taenari
sedes Atlanteusque finis
concutitur. valet ima summis
10
mutare et insignem attenuat deus,

obscura promens; hinc apicem rapax
Fortuna cum stridore acuto
sustulit, hic posuisse gaudet.
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15
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15
20
25
Persius: Praying for profit

rem struere exoptas caeso bove Mercuriumque
arcessis fibra: 'da fortunare Penates,
da pecus et gregibus fetum.' quo, pessime, pacto,
tot tibi cum in flamma iunicum omenta liquescant?
et tamen hic extis et opimo vincere ferto
intendit: 'iam crescit ager, iam crescit ovile,
iam dabitur, iam iam'; donec deceptus et exspes
nequiquam fundo suspiret nummus in imo.
Virgil: The shield of Aeneas

at Venus aetherios inter dea candida nimbos
dona ferens aderat; natumque in valle reducta
ut procul egelido secretum flumine vidit,
talibus adfata est dictis seque obtulit ultro:
en perfecta mei promissa coniugis arte
munera. ne mox aut Laurentes, nate, superbos
aut acrem dubites in proelia poscere Turnum.'
dixit, et amplexus nati Cytherea petivit,
arma sub adversa posuit radiantia quercu.
ille deae donis et tanto laetus honore
expleri nequit atque oculos per singula volvit,
miraturque interque manus et bracchia versat
terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem,
fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex aere rigentem,
sanguineam, ingentem, qualis cum caerula nubes
solis inardescit radiis longeque refulget;
tum leves ocreas electro auroque recocto,
hastamque et clipei non enarrabile textum.
illic res Italas Romanorumque triumphos
haud vatum ignarus venturique inscius aevi
fecerat ignipotens, illic genus omne futurae
stirpis ab Ascanio pugnataque in ordine bella.
haec inter tumidi late maris ibat imago
aurea, sed fluctu spumabant caerula cano,
et circum argento clari delphines in orbem
aequora verrebant caudis aestumque secabant.
in medio classes aeratas, Actia bella,
cernere erat, totumque instructo Marte videres
fervere Leucaten auroque effulgere fluctus.
hinc Augustus agens Italos in proelia Caesar
cum patribus populoque, penatibus et magnis dis,
stans celsa in puppi, geminas cui tempora flammas
laeta vomunt patriumque aperitur vertice sidus.
parte alia ventis et dis Agrippa secundis
arduus agmen agens, cui, belli insigne superbum,
tempora navali fulgent rostrata corona.
hinc ope barbarica variisque Antonius armis,
victor ab Aurorae populis et litore rubro,
Aegyptum viresque Orientis et ultima secum
Bactra vehit, sequiturque (nefas) Aegyptia coniunx.
una omnes ruere ac totum spumare reductis
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convulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.

alta petunt; pelago credas innare revulsas
Cycladas aut montes concurrere montibus altos,
tanta mole viri turritis puppibus instant.
stuppea flamma manu telisque volatile ferrum
spargitur, arva nova Neptunia caede rubescunt.
regina in mediis patrio vocat agmina sistro,
necdum etiam geminos a tergo respicit angues.
omnigenumque deum monstra et latrator Anubis
contra Neptunum et Venerem contraque Minervam
tela tenent. saevit medio in certamine Mavors
caelatus ferro, tristesque ex aethere Dirae,
et scissa gaudens vadit Discordia palla,
quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello.
Actius haec cernens arcum intendebat Apollo
desuper; omnis eo terrore Aegyptus et Indi,
omnis Arabs, omnes vertebant terga Sabaei.
ipsa videbatur ventis regina vocatis
vela dare et laxos iam iamque immittere funes.
illam inter caedes pallentem morte futura
fecerat ignipotens undis et Iapyge ferri,
contra autem magno maerentem corpore Nilum
pandentemque sinus et tota veste vocantem
caeruleum in gremium latebrosaque flumina victos.
at Caesar, triplici invectus Romana triumpho
moenia, dis Italis votum immortale sacrabat,
maxima ter centum totam delubra per urbem.
laetitia ludisque viae plausuque fremebant;
omnibus in templis matrum chorus, omnibus arae;
ante aras terram caesi stravere iuvenci.
ipse sedens niveo candentis limine Phoebi
dona recognoscit populorum aptatque superbis
postibus; incedunt victae longo ordine gentes,
quam variae linguis, habitu tam vestis et armis.
hic Nomadum genus et discinctos Mulciber Afros,
hic Lelegas Carasque sagittiferosque Gelonos
finxerat; Euphrates ibat iam mollior undis,
extremique hominum Morini, Rhenusque bicornis,
indomitique Dahae, et pontem indignatus Araxes.
talia per clipeum Volcani, dona parentis,
miratur rerumque ignarus imagine gaudet
attollens umero famamque et fata nepotum.
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Lucan: Caesar crosses the Rubicon

Civil War 1.183-205, 223-237
Lucan's Civil War was written approximately a century after the events it chronicles took place.
Lucan was born into a prominent Roman family (Seneca the Elder was his grandfather, and Seneca the
Younger his uncle), and seems to have befriended the young Emperor Nero at an early age. He was for
several years a poet of some prominence in the Emperor's court, and it is during this period that the Civil
War was probably begun. However, Nero and Lucan's friendship evidently soured, and in A.D. 65 Lucan
joined Calpurnius Piso's conspiracy to overthrow Nero. When the conspiracy was discovered, Lucan was
given the option of suicide or death; he chose suicide.
Lucan's Civil War was left (probably) unfinished upon his death. Ten books are extant; it is not known
how many more Lucan planned, but two to six more books (possibly taking the story as far as Caesar's
assassination in B.C. 46) seem likely.
It should be noted that, as history, Lucan's work is far from being scrupulously accurate, frequently
ignoring historical fact for the benefit of drama and rhetoric. For this reason, it should not be read as a
reliable account of the Roman Civil War. However, its powerful depiction of civil war and its
consequences prompted many Medieval and Renaissance poets to regard Lucan among the ranks of
Homer, Virgil, and Ovid.
In this passage, Caesar, having crossed the Alps, meets with an image of patria. He then crosses the
Rubicon.
Caesar was an outstanding statesman and general of the late Roman Republic, eventually assassinated in
44BC by senators because of suspicions that he was aiming for absolute rule. One of his greatest
achievements was his conquest of the province of Gaul, from which he is returning in this passage.
As proconsul of Gaul, Caesar won many battles on behalf of Rome. His supporters wanted him either to
be allowed to stand for election as consul or to retain control of his armies. With relations between him
and Pompey worsening, he declined to give up his command and lay down his arms unless Pompey did
the same. When the senate refused his demand, in 49BC he crossed the river Rubicon from Gaul into Italy
with his army.
The Rubicon was the boundary of Caesars province. By
crossing it with his army he would he committing treason.
Because it was illegal for a Roman general to enter Italy from
his province at the head of an army, Caesar by this action
declared war on the senate and started the civil war between
himself and Pompey. For Lucan, the appearance of the image of
patria at the point when Caesar is crossing the Rubicon
indicates that civil war was already Caesars intention. By
refusing patrias plea, he is symbolically embarking upon civil
war. This both condemns Caesar and gives a sense of his
inevitably approaching victory.
Lucans poem about the civil war is written from an anti-Caesar
standpoint, perhaps influenced by the example of Nero as a bad
absolute ruler.
Themes:
- Personification
- Ambition and destiny
- Conquest / images of conquest
- Boundaries and their transgression
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The river Rubicon was the boundary of Caesars province. By crossing

it with his army Caesar would be committing treason.
iam gelidas Caesar cursu superaverat Alpes
ingentesque animo motus bellumque futurum
ceperat. ut ventum est parvi Rubiconis ad undas,
ingens visa duci patriae trepidantis imago
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Notes
Metre: Hexameters
1: Alps mountain range separating Gaul from Italy. The focus on the Alps links Caesars actions to the invasion
of Italy by Hannibal in 218.
2: Motus: rebellion. This is followed by war, bellum.
3: Ventum est archaic tone
3: Rubicon this river was the boundary between Italy and Cisalpine Gaul
4: Ingens: ghosts and spirits were thought to be larger than the earthly shape of the person they represented, and
also larger than the person to whom they appeared. Here the larger than life figure represents the nation of Rome.
She is shown prophetically in mourning, as if Caesars transgression had already taken place.
Questions
1. What is the significance of Caesar crossing the Alps and reaching the Rubicon?
2. How does Lucan convey the speed with which Caesar is acting?
3. How does Lucans use of language convey Caesars impulse for domination?
4. How is the vision portrayed? Why is she ingens? Why is she trepidantis?
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clara per obscuram vultu maestissima noctem
turrigero canos effundens vertice crines
caesarie lacera nudisque adstare lacertis
et gemitu permixta loqui:
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Notes
6: Turrigero: because the image represents the city of Rome.
7: Caesarie: a pun on the popular etymology of Caesars name
Questions
1. How does Lucan give a magical/supernatural quality to the figure of patria?
2. Which emotions is patria feeling?
3. How does Lucans use of language convey patrias distress?
1. Explain in your own words why she patria is distressed.
2. Lines 4-8: which aspects of Lucans description liken patria to a human figure?
3. What literary technique is Lucan using in making patria appear to Caesar in this way? Why do you think he
employs this?
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'quo tenditis ultra?
quo fertis mea signa, viri? si iure venitis,
si cives, huc usque licet.' tum perculit horror
10
membra ducis, riguere comae gressumque coercens
languor in extrema tenuit vestigia ripa.
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Notes
8: This is the first direct speech of the epic, emphasising its importance.
9: viri: Note that patria is not just addressing Caesar, but all his troops (viri) in the previous passage, Lucan has
presented them as in favour of his march into Italy.
10 cives: i.e. not as rebels
Questions
1. What is the tone of patrias speech? How does Lucans use of language convey this?
2. How does patria claim that right is on her side?
3. How does Caesar respond to the vision? How does Lucans language emphasise this?
4. How genuine and serious do you feel Caesars terror is?
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mox ait 'o magnae qui moenia prospicis urbis
Tarpeia de rupe Tonans Phrygiique penates
gentis Iuleae et rapti secreta Quirini
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et residens celsa Latiaris Iuppiter Alba
Vestalesque foci summique o numinis instar
Roma, fave coeptis.
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Notes
Caesar mentions all the key deities associated with Rome, going back to the household gods brought from Troy and
including the spirit of Rome. In this way, he presents himself as a citizen despite patrias jibe. Caesars prayer also
refers to the gods in terms that were characteristic of the Julio-Claudian emperors.
13: Magnaeurbis: Rome.
14: Tarpeia: the Capitol was formerly called the Tarpeian Hill after Tarpeia betrayed the citadel, of which her father
was governor, to the Sabines (Gauls). The Tarpeian Rock was a rock on the SW corner of the Capitoline from which
traitors were thrown. The reference here is to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol. Lucan is evoking a historical
paradigm of treachery. Later, Caesar plunders the temple.
14: Tonans, The Thunderer = Jupiter, god of Thunder
14: Penates: these were brought from Troy in Phrygia by Aeneas and kept in the temple of Vesta. Caesar is claiming
a connection with Aeneas: Caesar, a member of the Julian family, claimed descent from Iulus, Aeneas son (15:
gentis Iuleae)
15: Rapti secreta Quirini: Quirinus = Romulus, mythical founder of Rome. Romulus was meant to have been carried
to heaven by the horses of his father Mars. Caesar may be cultivating the cult of Romulus as a blueprint for his own
apotheosis.
16: Alba Longa - mother city of Rome in Latium
16: Latiaris. The name by which Jupiter was worshiped on Mons Alba. This reinforces the personal connection
between Caesar and Jupiter, since Iulus founded both Alba Longa and the Julian line.
17: Vestales: title given to the virgin priestesses who tended the sacred fires of Vesta, goddess of the hearth.
Questions
1. mox: why do you think Lucan includes this word?
2. What does Caesar ask the gods to do?
3. How is his language designed to flatter the gods, and create a respectful tone?
4. Why do you think he appeals to so many gods?
5. How does Lucans choice of language here contribute to the impression of Caesars ambition (and destined victory)?
6. How is the reference to Tarpeia rupe potentially ironic?
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non te furialibus armis
persequor: en, adsum victor terraque marique
Caesar, ubique tuus (liceat modo, nunc quoque) miles.
20
ille erit ille nocens, qui me tibi fecerit hostem.'
inde moras solvit belli tumidumque per amnem
signa tulit propere
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Notes
18: furialibus: associated with public enemies
19: en: marks the high point of Caesars prayer
20: Tuus: Caesar presents himself as the warrior and servant of Rome.
20: Liceat modo, nunc quoque: Caesar is saying that he hopes to remain patrias soldier in the new circumstances
of civil war.
20-21: Miles-hostem: note the juxtaposition: Caesar is casting himself as the miles, not the hostem. To be a hostem
of patria is to be a state enemy.
21: ille: a general reference, probably referring to the senate and consuls.
22: the small river was in flood because of winter rains and melted snow (explained in omitted lines) but there
may be additional overtones.
23: In Suetonius account, a divine figure appears to Caesar at this point, leading him on.
Questions
1. How does Caesar try to present his actions as right and well intentioned, and his opponents as in the wrong?
2. How does he add impact to these final lines of his speech?
3. How does Lucan suggest Caesars arrogance and self-importance?
4. How does Lucan suggest that Caesar is prone to violence? (NB also moenia 13, rapti 15)
5. 22-23: how does Lucan suggest that Caesar crossed the Rubicon swiftly and without hesitation?
6. 22-23: How does Lucans description of Caesars actions emphasise their significance?
7. tumidum: how was the river described in 3? What is suggested by the changed description?
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Caesar, ut adversam superato gurgite ripam
attigit, Hesperiae vetitis et constitit arvis,
25
'hic' ait 'hic pacem temerataque iura relinquo;
te, Fortuna, sequor. procul hinc iam foedera sunto;
credidimus satis his, utendum est iudice bello.'
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Notes
25: Vetitis arvis: the illegality of Caesars action is emphasised. It was forbidden to enter Italy at the head of an
army.
25: Hesperia the western land i.e. Italy
26: Temerata: Caesar saw himself as persecuted by Pompey and the senatorial party. There is irony here, as Lucan
presents Caesar as trying to redress violated laws by breaking further laws himself. In his own account, Caesar
claimed to be seeking peace and portrayed the senate as raising troops for Pompey. The overturned laws may be a
reference to the apparent snub to the tribunes, who were resisted in their attempts to read out messages from
Caesar and evicted from the senate in defiance of their rights and authority. They reported this to Caesar, giving
him his pretext for action.
27: foedera: The treaties are probably a references to the alliance between Caesar, Pompey and Crassus (the First
triumvirate) which ended with Crassus death in 53BC, and the marriage of Caesars daughter Julia to Pompey.
She died in 54BC.
27: Fortuna: Fortune, personified as a goddess.
Questions
1. How does Lucan stress Caesars transgression of boundaries and his intrusion into places he should not be?
2. 24: What is the implication of superato?
3. What is the tone of Caesars speech? What intentions does he declare?
4. How does Caesar give the impression that he is right and that he has been patient long enough?
5. How does the poet add force and intensity to Caesars speech?
6. Why do you think he personifies fortune here?
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Aeneid 8.608-629, 671-731
With Aeneas in Italy, where Rome will eventually be founded, his mother persuades her husband Vulcan
to forge new armour to help Aeneas in his wars with local Latin tribes. The episode is derived from the
armour Hephaestus makes for Achilles in Iliad 18. There the scenes on the shield depict Greek life, but
Virgil uses the shield in his patriotic epic to reveal the history of the future Rome. The extract is concerned
with the most recent historical events on the shield: the battle of Actium in which Octavian (who became
the emperor Augustus) defeated Antony and Cleopatra and gained control of the eastern empire. What is
presented to Aeneas as a prophecy he cannot fully understand is a glorification of Romes recent past and
Augustus role in it. It confirms to Aeneas the destiny of the city he is to found.
The shield is a supernatural work of art, in which the pictures depicting Romes future destiny come alive.
Look out for vivid depiction of colour, texture, and the materials used in making the work, as well as the
images and sounds evoked by it.
Themes:
- divine favour
- miraculous gifts
- history as the future
- propaganda
- winners and losers
- colour and movement
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Venus presents her son with his armour.
at Venus aetherios inter dea candida nimbos
dona ferens aderat; natumque in valle reducta
ut procul egelido secretum flumine vidit,
talibus adfata est dictis seque obtulit ultro:
en perfecta mei promissa coniugis arte
munera. ne mox aut Laurentes, nate, superbos
aut acrem dubites in proelia poscere Turnum.'
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Notes
Aeneas: Trojan prince destined by the gods to sail for Italy and found a settlement there leading
eventually to the foundation of Rome by his descendents.
1: Venus (Cytherea) daughter of Jupiter, goddess of love and beauty, mother of Aeneas
1: Inter nimbos: the clouds convey Venus to the spot, concealing her arrival
5: coniugis: Vulcan, Venus husband, the blacksmith god
6, 7: Laurentines (a tribe of Latium), Turnus (prince of the Rutulians) enemies Aeneas will meet
when he lands in Italy
Questions
1. Lines 1-4: How does Virgil set the scene for the divine encounter?
2. Lines 6-7: why has Venus given Aeneas the arms? Why does Aeneas need to fight these people?
3. How does Virgil signal that Aeneas is receiving special divine favour?
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dixit, et amplexus nati Cytherea petivit,
arma sub adversa posuit radiantia quercu.
ille deae donis et tanto laetus honore
10
expleri nequit atque oculos per singula volvit,
miraturque interque manus et bracchia versat
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Notes
9: Quercu: oak: probably an allusion to the oak wreath awarded to Augustus in 27BC along with the golden shield
ob cives servatos, for saving the people of Rome at Actium.
13: Flammas vomentem: the helmet pouring out flames links Aeneas and Augustus: see 32.
Questions
1 Lines 8-9: how does Virgil portray the handing over of the weapons as a significant event?
2. What is Aeneas response to the weapons?
3. How does Virgils use of language emphasise this response?
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terribilem cristis galeam flammasque vomentem,
fatiferumque ensem, loricam ex aere rigentem,
sanguineam, ingentem, qualis cum caerula nubes
15
solis inardescit radiis longeque refulget;
tum leves ocreas electro auroque recocto,
hastamque et clipei non enarrabile textum.
- 26 -
Notes
13: Flammas vomentem: the helmet pouring out flames links Aeneas and Augustus: see 32
14: Fatiferum: not found before Virgil. A grim prophecy of the slaughter that has to be accomplished by this sword
to win land in the battles that dominate the rest of the poem.
18: Enarrabile: Virgilian coinage: it is the indescribable workmanship of the shield which will form the poets
ecphrasis. Ironic? given that he dedicates the next 100 lines to describing it.
18: Clipei textum: at the same time as receiving the oak leaf frown for saving citizens lives, Augustus was also
given a golden shield. textum implies craftsmanship and the interweaving of stories.
Questions
1. How does Virgils description convey the miraculous nature of the gifts?
2. How does the language offer a vivid image of the craftsmanship of the weapons their look and feel?
3. How does the description imply a great destiny for Aeneas (and Augustus)?
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- 27 -
illic res Italas Romanorumque triumphos
haud vatum ignarus venturique inscius aevi
20
fecerat ignipotens, illic genus omne futurae
stirpis ab Ascanio pugnataque in ordine bella.
- 28 -
Notes
19: Res triumphos embraces the earliest history before Rome was built right through to Augustus triumphs
depicted in the centre of the shield
The description of the shield is modelled on Homers Shield of Achilles. In Homer, Achilles has a direct need
for new armour, having lent his armour to Patroclus. In Virgil, this is not the case, but the episode offers the
opportunity for offering a preview of future Roman greatness, so that Aeneas can more easily bear the suffering
necessary for securing the future of Rome.
The passage is an ecphrasis, in which the poet turns aside from his narrative to describe a work of visual art.
We see the shield through the eyes of Aeneas himself.
On Achilles shield, the scenes on this have no direct connection to the narrative; they are scenes of Greek life
(a city at peace, a city at war, reaping, ploughing, dancing) which contrast with the conflict and function in a
similar way to the pastoral and domestic similes.
This is very far from the case with Aeneas shield, where the scenes are directly relevant to themes of Aeneas
destiny, Augustus and the future of Rome. The scenes are critical moments in Rome history. They offer
analogies with Aeneas own struggles, though imperfectly understood by Aeneas himself. The shield in a sense
sums up the Aeneids theme of the struggles of a man to deliver Rome from peril. They also illustrate typical
Roman virtues, such as keeping faith, worshipping the gods, bravery.
The scenes depicted on the shield are: the legends of early Rome, from Romulus to the Republic; the battle of
Actium; the triple triumph of Augustus.
The shield is not a practical weapon but a symbolic object, as emphasised when Aeneas is described as lifting
the fate on his descendents onto his shoulders.
21: Ignipotens: the god of fire = Vulcan. Vulcan is knowledgeable and prophetic, in contrast to Aeneas
ignorance.: Vulcan, the divine craftsman, represents the creativity of the poet.
22: Ascanius/Iulus son of Aeneas
22: stirpis ab Ascanio: here Virgil presents the Romans as descended from the Trojans.
Questions
1. How does Virgil convey the role of the shield as a prophetic object, conveying the destiny of the Romans?
2. How does he suggest that the future of Rome will be great?
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- 29 -
The battle of Actium: the battle lines drawn up
haec inter tumidi late maris ibat imago
aurea, sed fluctu spumabant caerula cano,
et circum argento clari delphines in orbem
25
aequora verrebant caudis aestumque secabant.
- 30 -
Notes
23: Haec inter: we may envisage a circular band (sea with dolphins) midway between the circumference of the
shield and its centre. The scenes from earlier Roman history lie between the band and the rim, those about to be
described lie inside the band (in medio, 27).
27: Actia bella. Actium is a promontory off the Western coast of Greece, famous for its temple of Apollo.
Actium was the final battle of the civil wars in which Augustus defeated Antony and Cleopatra and was thus
able to establish his position as sole ruler over the Roman empire. It was the outcome of worsening relations
between Octavian and Antony. Antony held power in the East, and had made an alliance with Cleopatra;
Octavian was powerful in Rome and the West. Despite a marriage alliance (Antony married Octavians sister in
40BC) the power sharing broke down. Actium, fought in 31BC, gave Octavian control of the East as well as the
West.
Antonys fleet of around 230 ships was anchored in the gulf of Ambracia. He had no wish to leave shelter and
engage the superior navy of Augustus (around 400 ships), but faced wit the alternative of abandoning his entire
fleet and retreating by land, he decided to try to fight his way out of the gulf, in the hope of saving Cleopatras
60 ships, which had sails as well as oars and carried valuable treasure.
Virgil describes: the opposing fleets; battle of fleets and battle of gods; Cleopatras flight and Octavians
triumph
Questions
1. How does Virgil create a vivid picture of the scene for the battle?
2. How does his language blur the boundary between the representation and the events themselves?
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- 31 -
in medio classes aeratas, Actia bella,
cernere erat, totumque instructo Marte videres
fervere Leucaten auroque effulgere fluctus.
hinc Augustus agens Italos in proelia Caesar
30
cum patribus populoque, penatibus et magnis dis,
stans celsa in puppi, geminas cui tempora flammas
laeta vomunt patriumque aperitur vertice sidus.
- 32 -
Notes
27: Classes aeratas the bronze beaks with which ships rammed enemy vessels. The adjective also adds to the
gleaming appearance of the shield.
27: Actia bella poetic plural (see previous page for the battle).
28: instructo Marte: with battle order drawn up: the god of war represents battle order
29: Leucate is the southern promontory of the island of Leucas, 30 miles south of Actium. There was also a temple
to Apollo here. With poetic license, Virgil seems to have assimilated Leucate and Actium.
30: Augustus.Caesar = Octavian. Augustus Caesar - Octavian, great nephew and heir of Julius Caesar. Octavian
did not actually take the name Augustus until 27BC
30: Italos Augustus is presented as leader and protector of the whole nation.
31: cum patribus populosque Augustus was backed by the senate as well as people
31: penatibus Penates: the Penates were small figures preserved in the temple of Vesta. Aeneas carried the gods from
defeated Troy; Augustus carried them to victory. This indicates divine support for Augustus.
31: Magnis dis: reference to the main figures of the Graeco-Roman pantheon, who are represented as fighting on the
side of Augustus. The monosyllabic enduing adds to the impact.
32: geminas flammas: The helmet pouring out flames links Aeneas and Augustus: see 13. The double flame is
associated with the Julian star (28, patrium sidus), a comet which first appeared when Augustus was celebrating
funeral games in memory of his adoptive father Julius Caesar. The star was taken to be a symbol of Julius Caesars
divinity and figures as a heraldic device on statues. Either Augustus was wearing a helmet with fiery crests, or the
flames formed an aura of divine favour.
Questions
1. Why is Actium depicted in medio, do you think?
2. Lines 27-29: how does Virgil create a dramatic picture of the battle scene?
3. Which words remind us that this is a description of a shield?
4. Lines 30-33: how does Virgil convey Augustus majesty and divine favour?
5. How does Virgil convey the importance of the battle?
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- 33 -
parte alia ventis et dis Agrippa secundis
arduus agmen agens, cui, belli insigne superbum,
35
tempora navali fulgent rostrata corona.
- 34 -
Notes
34: Agrippa: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Octavians general, in command at Actium. The four lines on
Augustus are followed by three lines on Agrippa with the same syntactical structure.
34: ventis secundis Agrippa also has the support of the winds, as befits a naval commander.
36: Corona navalis: the naval crown was awarded to Agrippa after his defeat of Pompey at Naulochus in
36BC, a rare honour.
Questions
1. How does Virgil create a dignified and impressive portrait of Agrippa?
2. Why do you think Virgil talks about Augustuss commander?
3. Looking at lines 30-36, draw up a table of the corresponding phrases describing Augustus and Agrippa.
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- 35 -
Anthony and Cleopatra
hinc ope barbarica variisque Antonius armis,
victor ab Aurorae populis et litore rubro,
Aegyptum viresque Orientis et ultima secum
Bactra vehit, sequiturque (nefas) Aegyptia coniunx.
40
- 36 -
Notes
The four lines on Antony and Cleopatra balance the four on Augustus, both beginning hinc.
37: Antony former ally of Caesar and Octavian who become estranged from him because of his relationship
with Cleopatra and his support of her and her territorial interests
38: Victor Antony had come from Parthia where he had been fighting a campaign.
38: litore rubro: the Indian Ocean, not the red sea
39: Egypt ruled by Cleopatra
40: Bactra in central Asia
40: coniunx: Despite Antonys marriage to Octavia (he did not divorce her until 32BC), he recognised the
children he had by Cleopatra and gave them and her parts of Roman territory in a bid to restore the Egyptian
kingdom.
Questions
1. Following the depiction of Augustus forces, how does Virgil create a contrasting picture of Antonys Eastern
army here?
2. How does he convey horror at Cleopatras role?
3. Why might she be considered a nefas?
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- 37 -
The Battle
una omnes ruere ac totum spumare reductis
convulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.
alta petunt; pelago credas innare revulsas
Cycladas aut montes concurrere montibus altos,
tanta mole viri turritis puppibus instant.
45
stuppea flamma manu telisque volatile ferrum
spargitur, arva nova Neptunia caede rubescunt.
- 38 -
Notes
42: remis reductis: the oars are pulled back as the rowers row as hard as possible.
42: tridentibus rostris: Warships had a bronze beak with three sharp points just below the surface of the water, used
for ramming the enemy
43: Alta petunt: Anthony and Cleopatras ships leave the shelter of the gulf and make a dash for the open sea.
44: The Cyclades are the numerous small islands of the Ionian sea, east of the Greek mainland. The idea is that the
ships were as large as floating islands: hyperbole.
45: Turritis puppibus: the ships are particularly impressive due to the towers built on the decks
46: Flaming tow on flying shafts of iron: a reference to the fire darts used to set fire to ships or fortifications.
Questions
1. How does Virgil use language to make this a dramatic and epic battle scene?
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- 39 -
regina in mediis patrio vocat agmina sistro,
necdum etiam geminos a tergo respicit angues.
omnigenumque deum monstra et latrator Anubis
50
contra Neptunum et Venerem contraque Minervam
tela tenent. saevit medio in certamine Mavors
caelatus ferro, tristesque ex aethere Dirae,
et scissa gaudens vadit Discordia palla,
quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello.
55
- 40 -
Notes
48: regina: Cleopatra. The word regina carried associations of tyranny.
48: sistro: The sistrum was a kind of rattle use in the worship of Isis, to create a mood of ecstatic frenzy, distasteful to
the Romans, whose religious observances were restrained. Cleopatra is sneeringly said to have used it as a battle signal;
Roman troops would have been marshalled using a trumpet.
49: Geminos angues: the twin snakes symbolise death. The snake was a royal symbol of Egypt. Cleopatra traditionally
died by administering a single asp. Compare the geminas flammas (32) which were the symbol of Augustus fortune.
49: A tergo: Cleopatra is unaware of her approaching death.
50: latrator: Anubis was depicted with a dogs head
51: Neptunum: here, not only god of the sea, but also a deity of Troy who helped Apollo build and later destroy its
walls.
51: Minerva: goddess of wisdom and warfare
52: saevit Mavors: Mavors is an old name for Mars. Mars rages at the heart of the conflict he symbolises. Spondaic
lines convey a sense of menace and the grandeur of this conflict.
53: Dirae: Furies. Winged creatures of ill omen, associated with death, who appear at the threshold of the underworld.
54: Discordia: the personification of civil war.
55: Bellona: an old Italian goddess of war; sister of Mars
Questions
1. Line 48-9: how does Virgil create a negative portrayal of Cleopatra?
2. Line 48-9: how does Virgil suggest that Cleopatra is doomed?
3. Lines 50-52: Virgils portrayal of the gods engaged in battle alongside mortals symbolises the conflict between East
and west. How does Virgils use of language achieve this?
4. Lines 52-55: How does Virgil convey the horror and devastation of the battle?
5. Lines 48-55: how does Virgil make his portrayal of the battle weighty and epic in tone?
6. Is Augustus the only one with divine backing? Why (from a Roman perspective) does he win?
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- 41 -
The flight of Antony and Cleopatra
Actius haec cernens arcum intendebat Apollo
desuper; omnis eo terrore Aegyptus et Indi,
omnis Arabs, omnes vertebant terga Sabaei.
ipsa videbatur ventis regina vocatis
vela dare et laxos iam iamque immittere funes.
60
- 42 -
Notes
56: Actius Apollo: Apollo had a temple on the promontory of Actium, which Augustus restored after the battle.
The epithet also emphasises his involvement in the battle of Actium. Apollo was the guiding deity of the Trojans
and of Augustus. His special epiphany here has Homeric precedent. Apollo is portrayed here in his capacity as
archer god.
60: An example of hysteron proteron or the two actions could be regarded as taking place almost simultaneously
Questions
1.What causes Augustus to win the battle?
2. How is Apollos intervention made dramatic and decisive?
3. How does Virgil emphasise the complete retreat that ensued?
4. How does he convey their panic and fear?
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- 43 -
illam inter caedes pallentem morte futura
fecerat ignipotens undis et Iapyge ferri,
contra autem magno maerentem corpore Nilum
pandentemque sinus et tota veste vocantem
caeruleum in gremium latebrosaque flumina victos.
65
- 44 -
Notes
61: Pallentem: the colour of death
62: Iapyge: the NW wind, favourable for the flight from Actium to Alexandria, was a decisive factor in Antonys
escape.
63: Nilum: The Nile is personified as a river god with full robes, the folds of which perhaps represent the wide
delta. The robes form a cloak into which he can gather the vanquished fugitives, including Cleopatra. She
committed suicide in Alexandria in August of the following year 30BC, a few weeks after the suicide of Antony.
Questions
1. Lines 60-61: How does Virgil create sympathy for Cleopatra at this point?
2. Why might Virgil have chosen to do this?
3. Lines 63-65: How does the depiction of the Nile add to the pathos of defeat?
4. Here Virgil personifies the Nile, presenting him as a grieving and benevolent power caring for Egypt. Which
words help create the personification?
5. At the same time, how does Virgils use of language create a visually vivid image of the Nile as a river?
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- 45 -
Caesar celebrates his triumph in Rome
at Caesar, triplici invectus Romana triumpho
moenia, dis Italis votum immortale sacrabat,
maxima ter centum totam delubra per urbem.
laetitia ludisque viae plausuque fremebant;
omnibus in templis matrum chorus, omnibus arae;
70
ante aras terram caesi stravere iuvenci.
- 46 -
Notes
66: at: emphatic change of mood and subject, from defeat to victory and celebration.
66: triplici triumpho: Virgil devotes 3 lines to the statement of Augustus triple triumph, celebrated on 13, 14, 15
August 29BC in celebration of his victories in Illyricum, at Actium and in Egypt, giving him decisive control over
the east.
66: invectus: Augustus rode into Rome in a chariot drawn by four white horses. The triumphator carried a branch of
laurel and wore a laurel wreath he was the earthly personification of Jupiter Capitolinus.
67: votum: a thanksgiving for victory. The nature of the vow is explained in the next line.
68: ter centum: three hundred shrines large and impressive round number. One of the features of Augustus reign
was his building and restoration of temples to the gods. Augustus began his programme of building and restoration in
28BC. He claimed to have built or restored 82 temples.
Questions
1. Lines 66-68: What impression of Augustus does Virgil offer here? Why might Virgil have considered this important?
2. Lines 66-71: How does Virgils use of language stress the religious dimension to the celebrations?
3. How does Virgil convey the mood of excitement and celebration in Rome?
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- 47 -
ipse sedens niveo candentis limine Phoebi
dona recognoscit populorum aptatque superbis
postibus; incedunt victae longo ordine gentes,
quam variae linguis, habitu tam vestis et armis.
75
- 48 -
Notes
72: candentis Phoebi: Phoebus = Apollo; here the reference is to the temple of Apollo on the Palatine. Virgil is
telescoping events: the temple was dedicated on 9 October 28BC. Niveo and candentis refer to the shining white
marble of the newly built temple.
74: postibus: spoils were commonly fixed to the entrances of temples as votive offerings.
Questions
1. Lines 72-4: How does Virgil portray Augustus in a positive light?
2. Lines 74-75: How does Virgil convey the large extent of Augustus empire and the scale of his victories?
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- 49 -
hic Nomadum genus et discinctos Mulciber Afros,
hic Lelegas Carasque sagittiferosque Gelonos
finxerat; Euphrates ibat iam mollior undis,
extremique hominum Morini, Rhenusque bicornis,
indomitique Dahae, et pontem indignatus Araxes.
80
- 50 -
Notes
76: Nomadum: Africans, also called Numidians, allied to Antony
76: Mulciber = Vulcan, blacksmith god
Gelonos Scythian tribe
Dahae Scythian tribe
Lelages and Carians tribes of Asia Minor
Sabaeans - tribe of Arabia
78: Euphrates: in Mesopotamia, an image of the river would have been carried in the procession. Here the river,
described as pacified (mollior), is depicted as conquered too.
79: Morini: a Gallo-Belgic tribe living near the channel coast
79: Rhenus bicornis; the Rhine in Germany divides into two the Rhine and the Waal
80: River Araxes: in Armenia, the bridge built over the river by Alexander the Great, later swept away by floods,
had recently been rebuilt by Augustus.
Questions
1. Lines 76-80: How does Virgil convey the large extent of Augustus empire and the scale of his victories?
2. How does Virgil emphasise the theme of defeat and conquest in his description?
3. How are the rivers Euphrates, Rhenus and Araxes portrayed as people? Why?
4. How does he add interest and colour to his description?
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- 51 -
talia per clipeum Volcani, dona parentis,
miratur rerumque ignarus imagine gaudet
attollens umero famamque et fata nepotum.
83
- 52 -
Notes
81: Talia formally signals that the ecphrasis is ended and we are returning to Aeneas.
81: Parentis Venus
82: Ignarus: Aeneas is unaware of the historical events depicted, but for the reader there are historical happenings.
He has on his shoulders in reality the pictured shield, but metaphorically the future destiny of Rome.
82: gaudet: Aeneas delights in the gifts, but the shield is also a huge burden, symbolising the future of the Roman
nation.
83: Fata: destiny. One of the dominant themes of the poem.
Questions
1. What is Aeneas response to the gifts?
2. Why is Aeneas described as ignarus?
3. What is the symbolic significance of Aeneas taking up the shield?
4. How does Virgils use of language convey the significance of Aeneas taking up the shield?
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- 53 -
Aeneid: further questions

1. How does Virgil use the shield to bring together Aeneas and Augustus achievements
2. What part do the gods play in the battle as a whole?
3. How does the description of the shield go beyond a series of pictures?
4. Why do you think Augustus includes a prophecy of Romes future greatness at this point in the
Aeneid?
- 54 -

Horace often writes in the first person, however there are differing views about how much
autobiographical content the poems contain. He purports to represent scenes from life, including his own,
but is also drawing on the themes and frameworks of the Greek lyric poets.
Nevertheless this poem does represent the consistent strand of Epicureanism in Horaces poetry, the doubt
that immortality offers any permanent benefits as compared with the present life, and disbelief with the
omnipotence of the gods and their concern with human life. Horace, till now somewhat remiss in matters
of religious observance, and a dedicatee of the scientific explanations of Epicureanism so he tells us has been forced to change his ways by the awe-inspiring glimpse of Jupiter described in the poem. A clap
of thunder out of a clear sky (an impossible event, according to the Epicurean explanation of natural
phenomena) has caused him to abandon his confidence in an ordered, predictable world. If the gods and
fortune are in control after all, human hopes are precarious.
It is usually thought that Horaces recantation of Epicureanism is not wholly serious. There is no real
sense of a conversion, and Epicurean ideas continue to feature in Horaces poems.
Note the key word, plerumque, line 7: Horace is not saying that there is never order to events: there
usually is (plerumque) but it can at times be overthrown. The thunderclap is therefore not so much a total
refutation of Epicurean physics but a warning to us: there are still arbitrary forces.
The ode is made up of three sections:
First: announces Hs confession
Second: states the reason for his change of view in poetic terms
Third: interprets the symbolic significance of the thunderclap.
Themes:
- religious belief and the divine
- divine involvement in human affairs
- 55 -
parcus deorum cultor et infrequens
insanientis dum sapientiae
consultus erro, nunc retrorsum
vela dare atque iterare cursus
cogor relictos: namque Diespiter,
igni corusco nubila dividens
plerumque, per purum tonantes
egit equos volucremque currum,
- 56 -
Notes
1: parcus: negligent, rather than a complete non-believer. Perhaps thrifty in the amount of worship he offered,
perhaps in the amount of money spent of sacrifices. The word conveys a grudging attitude to religious practice.
1: Cultor: a rare and grandiloquent word
1: Consultus: expert, a person to whom others bring their problems.
2: Insanientis sapientiae: a reference to Epicureanism: follows of Epicurus called his wisdom Sapientia. The basic
tenets of Epicureanism were that the gods did not interfere in human affairs and that everything in the world was
caused by physical events at an atomic level. For instance, Lucretius argues in DRN that lightning is the expulsion
of concentrated atoms of heat from clouds, deriding theological explanations (DRN 6, 160-218, 379-422).
5: Namque: for a word often used in prose to present a reason or explanation. Horace now goes on to present the
reason for his changed beliefs.
5: Diespiter: archaic and dignified version of Iuppiter, in keeping with the supposed return to traditional religion.
6: Igni corusco: periphrastic reference to lightning.
7: Per purum: through a cloudless sky: Horaces Epicurean beliefs are shattered by thunder from a clear sky: the
phenomenon, according to Epicureansim, cannot be attributed to the clouds.
7: Plerumque: scientific tone, a word used by Lucretius among the poets. Horace is not saying that there is never
order to events: there usually is (plerumque) but it can at times be overthrown. The thunderclap is therefore not so
much a refutation of Epicurean physics but a warning to us: there are still arbitrary forces
Questions
1. Lines 1-3: Which words suggest that Horace has neglected traditional worship of the gods?
2. Lines 1-3: How does Horaces choice of words suggest that his previous ways were misguided?
3. Lines 3-5: what decision does he announce? How does he stress the change?
4. Line 4: vela dare: what is the metaphor here? Why might Horace have chosen it?
5. Line 5: What does relictos suggest about his previous life? What image is Horace using for belief?
6. What is Horaces reason for his change of heart?
7. How does Horace suggest that he was logically compelled to change his ideas?
4. How does Horace convey the violence and shockingness of the event?
5. What explanation for the thunder does he imply?
6. How does Horace create an elevated (epic?) tone?
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- 57 -
quo bruta tellus et vaga flumina,
quo Styx et invisi horrida Taenari
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sedes Atlanteusque finis
concutitur. valet ima summis
mutare et insignem attenuat deus,
obscura promens; hinc apicem rapax
Fortuna cum stridore acuto
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sustulit, hic posuisse gaudet.
- 58 -
Notes
10: Styx: a river of the underworld
10: Taenarus: a place at the southernmost point of the Peloponnese, where there was a cave believed to be the
entrance to the underworld
11: Atlanteus: of Mount Atlas in Libya, at the westernmost limit of the known world.
13: deus: god is here equated with fortune, the force which has power over our human life. The non-specific deus
(rather than Jupiter) bridges the gap between Jupiter and Fortune. Horace is now referring to a general divine
force, rather than a specific god.
14: Apicem, crown: the symbol of the absolute ruler
Questions
1. Lines 9-12 How does Horace emphasise the violent impact of the thunder on the whole world?
2. Lines 9-12: How does Horace create a solemn and serious tone?
3. Line 12-15: How does Horace convey the power of the divine and the powerlessness of humans?
4.What portrayal of Fortune does Horace create?
5. In the poem as a whole, how does Horace encourage the reader to build up a vivid picture of events?
6. In your own words, write a brief summary of the thought process Horace describes in this poem. How is his mood
different at the end from at the start?
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- 60 -

Satires 2.44-52
This passage shows that within Roman society there were different views about religious ritual, and
scepticism about excessive or superstitious use of sacrifice. It takes the common satirical form of the poet
interrogating a person who is presented as acting absurdly. The satire from which this extract is taken has
a strongly moralising tone, ridiculing superstition, and at the end, urging that a righteous heart, a pure
mind and a noble soul are the best offerings.
Themes:
- religious observation as superstition
- irony / paradox of spending money looking for wealth
- 61 -

The poet makes fun of the man who prays for wealth but loses it all in
offerings, by portraying a sheep farmer who ironically ruins himself by
the extravagant sacrifices that accompany his prayers for prosperity.
rem struere exoptas caeso bove Mercuriumque
arcessis fibra: 'da fortunare Penates,
da pecus et gregibus fetum.' quo, pessime, pacto,
tot tibi cum in flamma iunicum omenta liquescant?
- 62 -
Notes
Metre: hexameters
1: Mercurium: Mercury is god of wealth and profit. He was traditionally regarded as modest in his demands e.g.
milk and honey yet this farmer slays a whole ox to provide a single liver.
2: Arcessis stronger than vocas: implies a command here it expresses the (misplaced) confidence of the
worshipper
2: Fibra bathos of grandly summoning the god with a single liver i.e. by sacrificing and employing the harupsex
2: Penates: household gods
4: Liquescant: melt: as fast as the gods grant him increase, his flocks and herds are sacrificed.
Questions
1. Lines 1-3: What does the sheep farmer hope to do? What does he pray for? What is paradoxical about his actions?
2. How does the poet add impact to his prayer?
3. How does the poet convey the ridiculousness of the farmers actions?
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- 63 -
et tamen hic extis et opimo vincere ferto
intendit: 'iam crescit ager, iam crescit ovile,
iam dabitur, iam iam'; donec deceptus et exspes
nequiquam fundo suspiret nummus in imo.
- 64 -
Notes
5: fertum, a sacrificial cake: an archaic and uncommon word
5: opimo emphasises the rich and costly nature of this offering
7: exspes this word belongs to the vocabulary of tragedy
Questions
1. Lines 5-7, how does the poet mock the farmers misguided determination and desperation to win over the gods?
2. What technique does the poet use in his depiction of the coin?
3. What does the coin feel and think? Why is it cheated?
4. Is the poet satirizing the man for being superstitious, over zealous, or for worshipping the gods at all?
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- 66 -

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GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin: Verse Literature (Unit A404)

The Set Texts

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

Horace: A sign from heaven

quo bruta tellus et vaga flumina,

mutare et insignem attenuat deus,

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

Persius: Praying for profit

Virgil: The shield of Aeneas

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

convulsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

Lucan: Caesar crosses the Rubicon

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

The river Rubicon was the boundary of Caesars province. By crossing

iam gelidas Caesar cursu superaverat Alpes

ingentesque animo motus bellumque futurum

ceperat. ut ventum est parvi Rubiconis ad undas,

ingens visa duci patriae trepidantis imago

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

clara per obscuram vultu maestissima noctem

turrigero canos effundens vertice crines

caesarie lacera nudisque adstare lacertis

et gemitu permixta loqui:

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

'quo tenditis ultra?

quo fertis mea signa, viri? si iure venitis,

si cives, huc usque licet.' tum perculit horror

membra ducis, riguere comae gressumque coercens

languor in extrema tenuit vestigia ripa.

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

mox ait 'o magnae qui moenia prospicis urbis

Tarpeia de rupe Tonans Phrygiique penates

gentis Iuleae et rapti secreta Quirini

et residens celsa Latiaris Iuppiter Alba

Vestalesque foci summique o numinis instar

Roma, fave coeptis.

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

non te furialibus armis

persequor: en, adsum victor terraque marique

Caesar, ubique tuus (liceat modo, nunc quoque) miles.

ille erit ille nocens, qui me tibi fecerit hostem.'

inde moras solvit belli tumidumque per amnem

signa tulit propere

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

GCSE Latin Verse Literature: Prophecies and Portents

Caesar, ut adversam superato gurgite ripam

attigit, Hesperiae vetitis et constitit arvis,

'hic' ait 'hic pacem temerataque iura relinquo;

te, Fortuna, sequor. procul hinc iam foedera sunto;

credidimus satis his, utendum est iudice bello.'