I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts.
Context: These words are spoken by Laocoon, a Trojan priest, as he warns his people against accepting the giant wooden horse left by the Greeks outside Troy's walls. He suspects a trick, foreshadowing the city's tragic downfall.
Long exile is yours, and long to wander over the sea.
Context: The ghost of Aeneas's wife, Creusa, appears to him as he tries to find her during the fall of Troy. She prophesies his difficult journey and ultimate destiny in Italy, urging him to continue without her.
Unspeakable, O queen, is the grief you bid me to renew.
Context: Aeneas addresses Dido, the Queen of Carthage, after she asks him to recount the fall of Troy and his subsequent wanderings. He acknowledges the pain of reliving his past but begins his narrative.
He will wage a great war in Italy, crush fierce tribes, and establish laws and cities for his people.
Context: Jupiter speaks these prophetic words to his daughter Venus, assuring her that Aeneas will fulfill his destiny to found the Roman race despite Juno's opposition. It lays out Aeneas's arduous but ultimately successful future.
Let there be no love, no league between our peoples, forever.
Context: Dido utters this powerful curse against Aeneas and his descendants as he departs Carthage, prophesying eternal enmity between the Carthaginians and the future Romans. This foreshadows the Punic Wars.
The descent to Avernus is easy, but to recall one's steps and escape to the upper air, that is the task.
Context: The Sibyl, Aeneas's guide, speaks this warning to him before they enter the Underworld. She cautions him about the difficulty of returning from the realm of the dead, emphasizing the perilous nature of his journey.
To spare the humble and to conquer the proud.
Context: Anchises, Aeneas's father, delivers this famous prophecy in the Underworld, outlining the divine mission of Rome and its future emperors. It defines the core virtues and imperial destiny of the Roman people.
My fate calls me to Italy, to found a city and a new race.
Context: Aeneas repeatedly expresses this divine imperative, especially when justifying his departure from Dido. It underscores his unwavering devotion to his destiny and the will of the gods, even at great personal cost.
It is Pallas who exacts this penalty, Pallas sacrifices you!
Context: Aeneas declares this to Turnus, his primary opponent, just before delivering the fatal blow. He is avenging the death of young Pallas, whom Turnus had killed and stripped of his belt.
Shall I, who walk as queen of heaven, and sister and wife of Jove, wage war so long with one lone man?
Context: Juno, the queen of the gods, utters this furious lament, expressing her frustration and resentment over her inability to prevent Aeneas from fulfilling his destiny. It highlights her persistent antagonism and the power of fate.