Huc geminas nunc flecte acies, hanc aspice gentem 788.] Gentem,' the gens Iulia. 789. "Tuos' seems to be emphatic -Romans of your own stock. “Iulius, a magno demissum nomen Iulo" 1. 288. 790.] Caeli axem' merely = 'caelum,' the light of the upper world. 792.] Divi genus,' the son of C. Julius Caesar, called 'divus' like all deceased Roman emperors. 'Condet,' shall found. 'Aurea saecula:' comp. E. 4.9. 793.] Saturn was the god of the golden age, 7. 324, G. 2. 538, Ov. M. 1. 113, as also the first ruler of Latium 7.349. Virg. makes the two periods synchronize, which does not agree with Ov. 1. c. "Regnata Lycurgo" 3. 14. 794.] Super' seems best taken in its ordinary sense of 'beyond.' The glory of Augustus is enhanced by representing him as having conquered nations beyond the farthest known. "Extremi Garamantes" E. 8. 44. The Garamantes were conquered by L. Cornelius Balbus, who triumphed A.U.C. 735: they sent an embassy to Augustus and made a treaty, which in the language of Roman vanity is described as making submission. 'Indos' G. 2. 171 note. The reference may be to the restoration of the Roman standards by the Parthians and the Indian embassy to Augustus while in Syria A.U.C. 734. 795.] The meaning of course is 'beyond Garamantes and Indians and 790 795 800 beyond the territory of Atlas;' but 796.]"Maxumus Atlas" 4. 481, a better epithet, as 'caelifer' anticipates the next line. 798.] In adventum' with 'horrent,' a peculiar construction, the meaning being 'shudder at the prospect of his approach,' which would not have been expressed by 'horrere' with acc. Comp. "in futurum.' 799.] Responsis,' instrumental abl., the predictions of Augustus' coming being the cause of their dread. 800.] Turbant' intransitively, as Lucr. 2. 126, "Corpora quae in solis radiis turbare videntur." Other instances are given by Freund. "Septemgeminus Nilus" Catull. 11. 7. For the compound see on v. 287. 801.] Comp. v. 392. cules" Hor. 3 Od. 3. 9. Vagus Her Fixerit aeripedem cervam licet, aut Erymanthi 802.] The force of 'aut' is, 'whether we think of his killing of the stag or,' &c. In 'Erymanthi' the reference is to the boar which Hercules slew. 803.] Arcu:' Virg. implies that the Hydra was shot to death, contrary to the common account, which represents the heads as crushed by Hercules' club. 804.] Alluding to Bacchus' famous Indian expedition. Comp. Hor. 3 Od. 3. 13 foll., where Bacchus is mentioned in the next stanza to Hercules. Bacchus was represented as driving a car of tigers or lynxes with reins of vine or ivy branches, "Lyncem Maenas flexura corymbis," Pers. 1. 101. 'Iuga flectit,' like "currum,' equos flectit." 99 66 805.] From Catull. 62 (64). 399, "Saepe vagus Liber Parnassi vertice summo Thyiadas effusis euantis crinibus egit." Nysa, the legendary mountain on which Bacchus was brought up, was identified with various places in Europe, Asia, and Africa (Dict. M. 'Dionysus: Dict. G. Nysa'). 806.] Comp. G. 2. 433, "Et dubitant homines serere atque inpendere curam ?" where Virg. has pointed out what nature offers, and asks whether man will not do his part. So here Anchises, after showing the glorious culmination of the Trojan fortunes in Augustus, asks whether Aeneas hesitates to take his place as a link in that vast chain of destiny. "Virtute extendere viris,' to extend our power 805 810 815 by our bravery, to commence the career of conquest. Another reading is 'virtutem extendere factis' (comp. 10. 468), which would give nearly the same meaning. 807.] 'Consistere terra' 1.541., 10.75, to be distinguished from "considere," the former referring to entrance or invasion, the latter to subsequent settlement. 809.] Numa, as the great author of the Roman worship, is naturally represented as a sacrificing priest. 'Incanaque menta' G. 3. 311. This picture of Numa with hoary hair and beard is seen on late coins. 810.] Primam' for "primum" is in Virg.'s manner: comp. G. 1. 12, "cui prima frementem Fudit equum tellus." Legibus fundabit' seems virtually to designate Numa as the second founder of the city, 'legibus being emphatic, as showing in what sense the city was founded by Numa. 813.] 'Otia rumpere' like silentia rumpere,' somnum rumpere.' 'Resides' joined with 'desueta' as in 1. 722., 7. 693, where the expression resembles this. 815.] The character here given to Ancus does not agree with the accounts of the historians, such as Livy and Dionysius: Pomponius Sabinus however has preserved a notice which says that Ancus valued himself on his birth as Numa's grandson, and courted the favour of the people in the hopes of destroying Tullus. Nunc quoque iam nimium gaudens popularibus auris. Consulis inperium hic primus saevasque secures 816.] Nunc quoque,' even in this lower world, even before birth. Various attempts have been made to alter this line so as to understand it of Servius Tullius, "the commons' king," but Pomponius is doubtless right in supposing him to be included in "Tarquinios reges." 817.] Anchises asks if he shall point out to Aeneas the later kings and Brutus. Virg. has not chosen to call Tarquin 'superbus,' but has transferred the epithet to Brutus, the majestic and inflexible founder of Roman liberty, doubtless intentionally. 818.] Receptos seems to be used like "recipere ex hoste." So at the beginning of Livy, Book 2, Brutus is made to say "libertatem recuperatam esse." 819.] "Saevasque secures " Lucr. 3. 996., 5. 1234. 820.] Nova' may either mean sudden and unexpected (comp. 2. 228., 8. 637), or renewed, because the object of the sons of Brutus was to bring back the Tarquins. 821.] Ad poenam vocabit' like "ad supplicium reposcunt" 8. 495. 822.] Very probably the action of Brutus was condemned by some persons in Virg.'s time, as it often has been since: therefore Virg. adds, Whatever be the verdict of posterity, he himself will not, through fear of it, fail to act under the influence of an exalted patriotism.' 'Ferre' here = to talk of comp. 7. 78, "horrendum ac visu mirabile ferri." 820 825 824.] The Drusi are doubtless introduced out of compliment to Livia, though Livius the conqueror of Hasdrubal was sufficiently remarkable on his own account. 'Saevum securi' refers of course to Torquatus beheading his son. Torquatus is doubtless represented with the axe, as Camillus with the recovered standards. 825.] Signa,' captured by the Gauls at the battle of the Allia, and recovered by Camillus when he conquered the enemy, according to the Roman account, on their leaving Rome. 826.] "Agmine partito fulgent paribusque magistris " 5. 562. Paribus armis:' they are represented as armed in the same manner, partly to show their natural concord, as mentioned in the next line, partly to point out that the war which they are hereafter to wage is a civil war (comp. G. 1. 489, "paribus telis"). There may also be a notion of their equality as great generals. Fulgere,' the antique third conjugation, found in Lucr. 5. 1095 &c. So "effulgere" 8. 677. 827.] Nocte:' hardly consistent with Virg.'s account of the Elysian fields, v. 641, but here it is used merely as an antithesis to the light of upper air. So below 'lumina vitae.' With nocte premuntur comp. Hor. 1 Od. 4. 16, "Iam te premet nox fabulaeque Manes." Here 'premere' = "continere," restrain from emerging into the upper world. Attigerint, quantas acies stragemque ciebunt! Aggeribus socer Alpinis atque arce Monoeci Descendens, gener adversis instructus Eois. Ne, pueri, ne tanta animis adsuescite bella, Neu patriae validas in viscera vertite viris; Tuque prior, tu parce, genus qui ducis Olympo, Proiice tela manu, sanguis meus !Ille triumphata Capitolia ad alta Corintho Victor aget currum, caesis insignis Achivis. Eruet ille Argos Agamemnoniasque Mycenas, Ipsumque Aeaciden, genus armipotentis Achilli, 830.] Aggeribus Alpinis,' the bulwarks of the Alps, which are considered as the wall of Italy. 'Socer' is of course Caesar, whose daughter Julia Pompey married. Monoeci,' the port of Hercules Monoecus, the modern Monaco, where was promontory and a temple, whence arx,' as in 3. 531. There is a difficulty in this specification of the place, as this is not otherwise known to have been the way by which Caesar entered Italy. The most natural supposition seems to be that Virg. wrote as a poet, not as an historian. a 831.] Arrayed against him with an Eastern army,' referring to the composition of Pompey's forces. 832.] Probably from Il. 7. 279. 'Pueri' not inappropriate to the difference in age between them and Anchises. Animis adsuescite bella,' a variety for "adsuescite animos bellis" ("bellis adsuetus" 9. 201). 833.] Comp. Lucan 1. 2, "populumque potentem In sua victrici conversum viscera dextra," an imitation of this passage. Hor. Epod. 16. 2, "Suis et ipsa Roma viribus ruit," which show that patriae' goes both with 'viris' and with viscera.' 834.] The more illustrious can better afford to forgive. "Unde genus ducis" 5. 801. 835.] Meus' nom. for voc., which perhaps was thought too familiar and colloquial. It gives a slight difference to the meaning, making the words parallel to genus qui ducis Olympo,' and assigning a reason for forbearance. 836.] The conquerors of Greece are now introduced, that being naturally one of the chief achievements of ་་ 830 835 Rome in the eye of a Trojan. Comp 1. 283 foll. The victor of Corinth is L. Mummius (Dict. Biog.), who had the surname of Achaicus. Triumphata Corintho' like triumphatas gentes" G. 3. 33. The use of the past participle is not strictly consistent with the order of time, the expression being in fact a mixture of devicta Corintho aget currum," and 'triumphans de Corintho aget currum." The triumph of Mummius was peculiarly famous for the splendour of the booty carried in procession. Horace uses it as a synonym for a stage pageant, 2 Ep. 1. 193, "Captivum portatur ebur, captiva Corinthus." 66 837.] With the expression 'victor aget currum' comp. G. 3. 17. 838.] Ille' is referred to Mummius by many commentators, but it seems impossible to attribute the exploits which follow to him. So far as the language is concerned, it would certainly seem that the second 'ille' denotes a different person from the first. The most probable candidate for this honour appears to be L. Aemilius Paullus, the conqueror of Macedon, v. 839 being understood of his victory over Perseus, who is said by Prop. 5. 11. 39, Sil. 15. 291 (speaking of his father Philip) to have been a descendant of Achilles; though there still remains a difficulty, as Paullus was not the destroyer of Argos and Mycenae. We must suppose then that Virg. has written loosely, perhaps conceiving that the indefinite ille-ille' exempted him from the need of strict accuracy. 839.] Eruet' is transferred in a modified sense to 'Aeaciden.' 840 Ultus avos Troiae, templa et temerata Minervae. Credo equidem, vivos ducent de marmore voltus, 840.] Templa et temerata Minervae' refers to the sacrilege of Ajax (1. 41, &c.), and probably to the seizure of the Palladium also. 841.] Cato,' the censor. 'Cosse,' A. Cornelius Cossus, the winner of the "spolia opima."Tacitum 'is used in its strict participial sense, "qui tacetur." So Cic. Ep. ad Fam. 3.8," Prima duo capita epistolae tuae tacita mihi quodammodo relinquenda sunt." 842. Gracchi genus' probably refers not only to the two brothers, but to their ancestors who distinguished themselves in the second Punic and Spanish wars. The two Scipios are the elder and younger Africanus. "Fulmina belli' imitated from Lucr. 3. 1034, "Scipiades, belli fulmen, Carthaginis horror." 843.] Scipiadas' G. 2. 170 note. "Parvo potentem' is virtually="parvo opulentum,"-a sense of potens' for which comp. Hor. 2 Od. 18. 12, nec potentem amicum Largiora flagito." 66 844.] Serranus was originally an agnomen of C. Atilius Regulus, consul B.C. 257, but afterwards became the name of a distinct family of the Atilia gens. The origin of the name is uncertain." Dict. Biog. We may wonder that Virg. did not rather think of Cincinnatus, who seems to have been the more famous of these heroes of the plough. 845.] Alluding to the numbers and exploits of the Fabii (Dict. B. 'Vibulanus '), which tire the narrator who tries to count them. Comp. Johnson's celebrated line, " And panting Time toiled after him in vain." Maxumus:' Virg. follows the story which made Q. Fabius surnamed Cunctator, the dictator in the second Punic war, the first to bear the name Maxumus. Others said that it was 845 originally given to his great-grandfather, the general in the Samnite war. See Dict. B. 'Maximus.' 'You are the true Maxumus, greatest of your race.' 846.] Taken almost verbally from the well-known lines of Ennius A. 9, fr. 8, preserved by Cic. Off. 1. 24, and others: "Unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem: Noenum rumores ponebat ante salutem : Ergo postque magisque viri nunc gloria claret." 847.] The concessive fut. is used elsewhere, as in Hor. 1 Od. 7. 1, 3 Od. 23. 13, instead of the more usual subj. Here it is more appropriate, as being the language of prophecy. 'Aera of bronze statues Hor. 2 Ep. 1. 240. 66 Spirantia signa" G. 3. 34. The reference throughout is to the Greeks, the natural rivals of Rome. Mollius expresses grace and delicacy, with some reference perhaps to giving the soft appearance of flesh. 848. Credo equidem' means 'I can well believe it,' i. e., I am quite ready to admit it. So Hor. 2 Ep. 1. 66 foll., "Si quaedam nimis antique, si pleraque dure Dicere credit eos, ignave multa fatetur.' 'Ducere' is properly used of producing forms by extension, as in metal (7. 634), wax (Pers. 5. 40, Juv. 7. 237), or clay ("ducere lateres de terra Vitruv. 2. 3). Hence it is transferred to marble, probably with the accessory notion of the form growing and spreading under the sculptor's hand. De marmore' is a material abl., as in 4. 457, G. 3. 13, but it also stands in connexion with 'ducere,' like "lento argento" in 7. 634 just cited. |