93-104: Juno's first speech

Question 1

persensit

Answer 1

per-: realisation of the ‘trick’ being pulled on Dido gradually dawns on Juno

Question 2

simul

Answer 2

as soon as she does realise the trick, she takes immediate action

Question 3

tali persensit peste teneri

Answer 3

the alliterative pattern and the rhyming of ‘tali’ and ‘teneri’ reflects the intricacy of the trickery pulled by Venus and also the strong grip she now has over Dido

Question 4

cara Iovis coniunx

Answer 4

ironic as she is working in total opposition to Jupiter - he wants Aeneas to found Rome - accentuated by harsh ‘ca’ ‘co’ alliteration

Question 5

famam obstare furori

Answer 5

iconic word order: famam stand in the way of furori whilst obstare seperates these antithetically opposed nouns; harsh ‘f’ alliteration

Question 6

peste

Answer 6

term for fatal epidemic disease, so she realises the gravity of Dido’s affliction

Question 7

adgreditur

Answer 7

very aggressive, it is a variation of ‘aggredior’, signals Juno’s counterattack

Question 8

talibus… Venerem… dictis

Answer 8

the hyperbaton with Venus in the centre appears to show Juno cornering Venus, however in actuality it shows the central role Venus has played and will continue to play in the plot

Question 9

egregiam… laudem… spolia ampla

Answer 9

chiasmus: dripping with sarcasm as it uses technical military terms to refer to the success of Venus’ devious plan, which could not have been easier to achieve

Question 10

tuque puerque tuus

Answer 10

disrespectful referring to a goddess as ‘tu’ and Cupid as a ‘puer’; phrase is ugly and thus scornful sounding

Question 11

una dolo divum si femina victa duorum est

Answer 11

Dido never had a chance, she is outclassed in terms of: gender, number and her mortal status.

It mocks Venus for her cheap victory.

Positioning of ‘femina’ shows how she is at the mercy of the pair.

Question 12

veritam te moenia nostra

Answer 12

very ironic as it is rather Juno who should fear Rome

Question 13

quo nunc certamine tanto?

Answer 13

she takes the diplomatic high ground, albeit ultimately in vain

Question 14

pacem aeternam pactosque hymenaeos

Answer 14

chiasmus & figura etymologica & assonance: wraps up her offer in impressive rhetoric, whilst quin subtly sets her question up as a demand

Question 15

tota

Answer 15

placement outside relative clause emphasises the comprehensive wish-fullfillment she projects onto Venus - pretending that Venus’ scheming ends with making Dido fall madly in love with Aeneas

Question 16

communem

Answer 16

superficially very diplomatic and convenient, but is insidious and deeply problematic - a joint people would never work in terms of practical arrangement; besides this fate instead has been decided between the Trojans and the people of Italy

Question 17

Phrygio servire marito

Answer 17

a paradox full of contempt - Phrygio is a Roman phrase for slave - her queen would be effectively enslaved to slave, which serves to stress how much she is apparently yielding to Venus, in order to make ‘pacem aeternam’