“Pendent opera interrupta minaeque murorum ingentes aequataque machina caelo”
 
     Literally translated, this means “the interrupted works, large threatening walls, and level (unused) machines hang in the sky.” It is how Vergil describes the African city of Carthage (recently founded and, for lack of a better term, under construction) during Queen Dido’s passionate and scandalous affair with Aeneas.
 
     The problematic word in that passage is “machina,” as it leaves modern readers wondering what sort of city-building machines Vergil—writing in the early years of the Roman Empire—had in mind.  Robert Fitzgerald uses a word in his translation that has always stuck with me: cranes.
 
     Whenever I see idle cranes now I cannot help but think of Dido and Aeneas and their irresponsible love. I think of all the idle ancient construction workers (likely slaves, in Vergil’s mind, but I’ll ignore that for now), with their ancient construction helmets and ancient pension plans, being thoroughly let down by their government.
 
     As there is a lot of construction on UT campus this year, I’m going to hope President Bill Powers hasn’t met any Trojan princes…