Anchises, the Parade of Heroes & Rome’s Mission

You’ll be able to

Translate the passage defining Rome’s national mission (Aeneid 6.851–853)
Interpret the parade of future Romans as Augustan political ideology
Scan lines with elision and identify the rhetorical force of the meter

The charge to Rome

In the Elysian Fields, Anchises shows Aeneas the souls of unborn Romans and delivers the poem’s ideological climax: tū regere imperiō populōs, Rōmāne, mementō / (hae tibi erunt artēs), pācīque impōnere mōrem, / parcere subiectīs et dēbellāre superbōs (“You, Roman, remember to rule the peoples with your power — these will be your arts — and to impose the custom of peace, to spare the conquered and to war down the proud”). The infinitives regere, impōnere, parcere, dēbellāre all depend on mementō (“remember”). This is Vergil’s definition of the Roman civilizing mission under Augustus.

Reading Augustan ideology

The parade is not neutral history but political vision. Anchises names Romulus, the kings, and above all Augustus Caesar (hic vir, hic est, “this is the man”), promised to bring back a golden age: Augustus Caesar, dīvī genus, aurea condet / saecula (“Augustus Caesar, offspring of a god, will found golden ages”). Yet the book ends in shadow with young Marcellus, Augustus’s heir who died early — tū Mārcellus eris (“you will be Marcellus”). The passage thus praises the regime while acknowledging loss, a tension central to interpreting the Aeneid.

Scansion with elision

Advanced scansion requires spotting elision confidently. A final vowel or -Vm disappears before an initial vowel or h-: in pācīque impōnere mōrem, the -e of impōnere… actually the clash is -que impōnere: the -e of -que elides before the i- of impōnere, read “pācīqu(e) impōnere.” Elision compresses syllables and can make a line that looks too long scan perfectly. Vergil also uses meter expressively — heavy spondees for solemnity, rapid dactyls for speed — so scanning reveals rhetorical shaping, not just mechanics.

Worked example

Translate and parse the syntax of “parcere subiectīs et dēbellāre superbōs” (Aeneid 6.853).

1.Identify the verbs: “parcere” and “dēbellāre” are present infinitives, both dependent on “mementō” (“remember to…”) from the previous line.
2.“parcere” governs the dative (it is a verb that takes a dative object): “subiectīs” is dative plural (“the conquered/subjected ones”): “to spare the conquered.”
3.“dēbellāre” is transitive, taking the accusative “superbōs” (“the proud/arrogant”): “to war down / subdue the proud.”
4.Note the balanced antithesis: sparing (mercy) vs. crushing (force), a chiastic statement of Roman policy.

Answer: “…to spare the conquered and to war down the proud.” Both infinitives depend on “mementō”; “parcere” takes the dative “subiectīs,” while “dēbellāre” takes the accusative “superbōs.” The antithesis defines Rome’s mission: mercy to the submissive, war on the defiant.

Tip

Remember the small set of verbs that take a dative object instead of an accusative — parcō (spare), imperō (command), pāreō (obey), crēdō (trust), noceō (harm), placeō (please), serviō (serve). Seeing “parcere subiectīs,” do not force “subiectīs” into another role; the verb wants the dative.

Checkpoint

In “parcere subiectīs,” why is “subiectīs” in the dative case?

On the exam

Lines 6.851–853 are among the most-tested in the syllabus. Be able to translate them precisely AND to discuss them: how does Vergil define Roman identity through the four infinitives, and how does the surrounding parade blend praise of Augustus with the elegiac note of Marcellus? Cite the Latin for each point.

Checkpoint

In scanning “pācīque impōnere mōrem,” what happens at the boundary “-que impōnere”?

Answer the 2 checkpoints as you read.