Reflection on lines 40-56 and 201-215

In lines 40-56, Laocoon gives the Trojans a warning about the horse that they have discovered. He warns them that it is a trick of the Greeks, and it will only work against the Trojans. At the end of his warning, he throws a spear into the horse to try to prove his point; however, it doesn't work, and Aeneas, who is telling this whole story, foreshadows the fall of Troy to come.
In lines 201-215, Laocoon is slaughtering a bull at the altars. Then, the scene shifts to a description of two serpents slithering on the surface of the sea. When they reach land, they head for Laocoon, but first slaughter his two sons. This is a really depressing passage of ecphrasis.
Vocab:
- ardens
- summa
- ferentes
- ulla
- ingentem
- pelago
- aras
- agmine
Grammar:
- comitante caterva - ablative absolute
- 45- metonymy
- viribus - abl. of manner
- 52 - ablative absolute
- 54 - contrary to fact conditional
- 54 - anaphora and asyndeton
- Neptuno - dative of reference
- spumante salo - abl. absolute
- 213-214 - interlocking word order