Aeneid 1. 141

[AVGVSTA]

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Salvete, lately I was troubled by line 141, book 1, of the Aeneid, which reads:​

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Aeolus, et clauso ventorum carcere regnet.​

I was expecting an accusative noun in the place of ventorum. If that was the case, the sentence would read as " may he rule XXX with close chains"​

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The translation I worked out is pretty nonsensical: "may he(Aeolus) rule with closed chains of the winds" Is the genitive here a genitive of characteristics modifying carcere? What is the object of regnet? ​

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Thanks in advance​

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[AoM]

- regnare is usually intransitive.
- the ablative could be of place, but there are those who take it as an ablative absolute (see the links below).
- I'm not sure I'd call the genitive of characteristic.

Here are two good resources:

http://vergil.classics.upenn.edu/vergil/index.php/document/index/document_id/1 (just gotta move the slider to the line(s) you want, and then see the Conington/Nettleship and Servius commentaries)

http://dcc.dickinson.edu/vergil-aeneid/vergil-aeneid-i-132-141

 

[Glabrigausapes]

closed chains of the winds

I think the main issue is your translation of carcer, which is a 'holding place, pen, prison'. Aeolus is supposed to have dominion over the winds, so naturally he has to have a way to keep them in check. We must also consider how haughty Neptune here asserts himself as mightier still, at least when it comes to the sea.

'... Let Aeolus swagger in his hall,
and rule (there), keeping closed his pen of winds.'

 

[AVGVSTA]

The ablative absolute interpretation makes much more sense(as in May Neptune rule with the pen of the winds closed), and I confused carcer with catena. Thank you so much!!!

 

[Glabrigausapes]