Accipite haec animis, laetasque advertite mentes: Spicula caelatamque argento ferre bipennem ; 304. Comp. 3. 250., 4. 611. "Huc advertite mentem" 8. 440. 306.] Gnosia' Cretan as often. The Cretans were famous for archery. The epithet, like 'Amazoniam,' and "Threiciis' (v. 311-12) may be purely ornamental. 'Bina' is used in its proper sense, which makes it unnecessary to express 'cuique' after 'dabo.' 307.] Caelatam argento' doubtless refers to the handle, which may have been of wood ornamented with silver. 308.] No distinction can be made between the words 'honos' and 'praemium,' the former word being applied to a prize several times in this book, e. g. vv. 342, 365 below. The things are sufficiently distinguished by the context. 309.] Comp. vv. 494, 539 below, vv. 246, 269 above. "Flava' like "pallenti olivae" E. 5. 16, §avons éλaías, Aesch. Pers. 617. 310.] Horses with 'phalerae' were sometimes given by the Roman senate, e. g. to Masinissa, Livy 30. 17. 311.] The quiver may have been actually Amazonian, as the Amazons came to help the Trojans (see 1. 490): the arrows too may have been Thracian, Thrace being allied with Troy (3. 15). Still Virg. may have merely added the epithets as a poetical way of saying that the things were the best of their kind, as he seems to have done G. 3. 345. 312.] "Lato balteus auro Praetegit" Pers. 4.44. Here, as there, it matters 305 310 315 little whether lato auro' be taken with the verb or as a descriptive abl. with 'balteus.' The belt was probably embossed with gold, like that of Pallas 10. 499. 314.] The Argive helmet, doubtless a piece of spoil, would probably be distinguished by its crest, as we have seen 2. 412. 315.] Locum capiunt:' they take their ground. The race seems merely to have been from point to point in a straight line, so that probably it did not signify in what order they stood. Thus there is no choice of ground, to be determined by lot, as in v. 132. 316.] Corripiunt spatia' G. 3. 104 note. 'Spatia' here merely denotes the extent of the course, which, as we have seen, was probably not a circular one. Limen,' the startingpoint, what in the Roman circus would be called the "alba linea" or "calx." The use of the word seems to be only a poetical metaphor of Virg.'s own. 7. 317.] Effusi' v. 145 above. 'Nimbo similes,' as being a confused mass. "Insequitur nimbus peditum 793. Ultima signant they keep their eyes on the goal.' 'Signare without "oculis" or "visu ("se signari oculis " 12. 3) is very rare: in 2. 423, however, we have "ora sono discordia signant." 318.] Corpora' see on 2. 18. The word here is intended to give the Emicat, et ventis et fulminis ocior alis; 320 325 Euryalumque Helymus sequitur; quo deinde sub ipso Fusus humum viridisque super madefecerat herbas. 330 picture of bodies flying through the air. 320.] Cic. Brut. 47, "Duobus summis, Crasso et Antonio, L. Philippus proxumus accedebat, sed longo intervallo tamen proxumus." 321.] Post' not with 'deinde' ('then afterwards') but behind him.' 323.] Sub ipso:' 'sub' frequently denotes proximity: the peculiarity here is that the proximity is of two persons in motion. 'Ipso' makes the proximity closer, as in 3. 5. The acc. is most usual in this sense. 324.] It is impossible to determine whether 'calx' is put for the whole foot, or whether Virg. meant to denote accurately the nature of the contact between the two. 66 325.] Supersint transeat,' the present subj. used rhetorically for the pluperf., as in 6. 293, 294. 326.] Transeat = praetereat." Ambiguumque relinquat ' ' and would leave behind him who is now doubtful.' Virg is translating Il. 23. 526, Εἰ δέ κ' ἔτι προτέρω γένετο δρόμος ἀμφοτέροισιν, Τῷ κέν μιν παρέλασσ', οὐδ ̓ ἀμφήριστον ἔθηκε. ‘Relinquo 'to leave behind in a race' is found Hor. A. P. 417, "mihi turpe relinqui est:" comp. Greek Aeineolai. 'Ambi 335 guumve,' the old reading is not supported by the MSS., though it would agree with Il. 23. 382, Και νύ κεν ἢ Tapéλaoo', ǹ áμdýpiσtov čoŋkе. 'Finis fem., as in 2. 554., 3. 145. 328.] Levis' of blood, as of mud G. 4. 45. 329.] Nisus' accident is taken from Ajax's, Il. 23. 774 foll. Forte:' that part of the course happened to pass over the ground where the slaughter had taken place. Virg. has not previously mentioned the sacrifice. Ut''where,' as in Catull. 11. 3. "Sive ad extremos penetrabit Indos. Litus ut longe resonante Eoa Tunditur unda," and Id. 17. 10. Virg. however has no other instance of this sense. 330.] Fusus super' for "superfu sus. 332.] Titubata' as if from a deponent titubor.' It appears to occur nowhere else, nor does there seem to be any other instance in which Virg. has ventured on a äraέ Aeyóuevov of the kind, though he has other participles similarly formed but in more common use, 'cretus,' 'desuetus,' placitus,' 'praeteritus.' See Madv. § 110, obs. 3. 336.] Arena' is sometimes used as a poetical synonyme for 'terra,' but Emicat Euryalus, et munere victor amici Tum pater Aeneas, Vestra, inquit, munera vobis 339.] Tertia palma Diores' is a sort of loose apposition, into which those who have occasion to speak of 'prizes' in English not uncommonly fall, identifying the prizeman with the prize. 'Nunc,' having been originally fifth. 66 340.] Salius' complaint is taken partly from Antilochus' against the decision in favour of Eumelus II. 23. 541 foll., partly from Menelaus' against Antilochus himself ib. 566. "Consessu caveae" 8. 636. Virg. is again using theatric language. The words are from Lucr. 4. 78, consessum cavcai." 'Ora prima patrum' is again Roman, an allusion to the "primus subselliorum ordo," the seats for senators and distinguished persons in the orchestra. Ora' is used doubtless of the 'patres' as spectators, perhaps also as expressers of a favourable or adverse opinion. But its combination with inplet' is harsh; it can only mean, 'occupies all the attention of their eyes and ears.' comp. v. 577. 343.] Favor' (specially used for theatrical enthusiasm) seems here to mean the previous partiality of the spectators. 'Lacrimae:' Euryalus' 340 345 are tears at the threatened loss of his victory. 344.] Veniens' apparently means 'showing itself," "veniens in conspectum." 345.] Adiuvat' 'stands by him' as "adsunt" in the passage from Cic. infra. 'Proclamare' is used of making a public appeal. "Adsunt, defendunt, proclamant, fidem tuam implorant Cic. Verr. Act. 2. 5. 42. Hence it is used of a person claiming his liberty by appealing to a judge. 346.] Subiit palmae' has come next to the first three prizes.' 347.] Reddantur' should in strict grammar have been in the indic., as following 'subiit' and 'venit:' but the subj. is more vivid as expressing Diore's feeling. 'Reddi,' to be given as his due: so v. 386 below. 348.] With vestra'-'vobis' comp. 1. 257, "manent inmota tuorum Fata tibi."Vestra' and' me' are strongly opposed by their position. This is not a question for you-you are not to be meddled with-it is for me to gratify my own feelings.' 349.] 'No one removes the prize from its succession:' i. e. no one disturbs the succession of the prizes-no one interferes with the distribution of the prizes to the first, second, and third comers-in respectively. Nemo movet' apparently is not = 'nemo movebit,' but means 'no one is moving, has any intention of moving.' Palmam' is meant to include all the three prizes: see on v. 338. Me liceat casus miserari insontis amici. 351.] Tergum' of a hide, as in 1. 368 &c. Aeneas has a lion's hide with the claws gilded as a horse-cloth 8. 552. 352.] Loaded with a weight of shaggy hair and gilded claws.' 354.] Niso' is to be constructed with dabis' rather than with 'digna.' 356.] Tulisset' 'had overtaken :' hic exitus illum Sorte tulit " 555. 2. away from the Danai,' 6 350 355 360 365 'refixum 362.] Peragere dona,' to go through and distribute all the prizes in succession, and so finish all about them. Not unlike is "sol duodena peregit Signa" Ov. M. 13. 617, of the sun passing through the signs of the zodiac. 363.] 'Praesens' with 'animus,' not with 'virtus.' The combination praesens animus' is very common, praesens ' apparently meaning 'promptus: Cic. and Caes. also talk of "praesentia animi." The phrase seems to imply rather more than our expression presence of mind' (which is restricted to collectedness), and includes promptitude and vigour. 364.] For the different kinds of 'caestus' see Dic. A. s. v. 365.] Pugnae' in the following passages is gen. "Pugnae honore 12. 630: vitae mortalis honorem" G. 4. 326. 366.]Velatum auro vittisque,' 'crowned with gold and chaplets,' i. e. with gilded horns and crowned with chaplets. For the custom of gilding the horns of bullocks comp. 9. 627, Hom. Od. 3. 384. 367.1 "Vastis viribus' without cum would have been more usual: Nec mora; continuo vastis cum viribus effert 370 Ora Dares, magnoque virum se murmure tollit; Bebrycia veniens Amyci de gente ferebat, the addition of the preposition how- 368.] Effert ora' = "effert caput." 'Murmure,' of approbation. Serv. ingeniously suggests that the lines that follow contain the substance of what the people whisper: but the rules of construction will not admit this. 369.] We hear nothing of Paris' pugilistic skill in Hom.: other accounts however made him excel in athletic sports, the story being that having been brought up among shepherds, he first made himself known to his father by proving himself the conqueror in all of a series of games instituted by the king. (Hygin. Fabb. 91. 273.) 371.] 'Idemque': 'et qui," which is made clear by changing the semicolon after 'contra to a comma. "Occubat'="sepultus iacet," as in 375 380 brycian house of Amycus." 'Inmani corpore se ferebat' like " magna se mole ferebat" 8. 198, "ingentem sese clamore ferebat " 9. 597. 'De gente,' not from the nation,' but of the family,' so that it is to be constructed as if it were" veniens vir de gente " or "unus de gente." 374.] Extendere,' like éκTeίveiv Eur. Med. 585, to lay low. 375.] Talis,' with such powers and the consciousness of such exploits. Prima in proelia,' for the beginning of the fray. Dares puts himself into a combative attitude, though he has no antagonist. 376.] The homoeoteleuton 'humeros latos' is forcible here. So 2. 721. 377.] St. Paul's οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς оvк ȧéρa déρwv, 1 Cor. 9. 26, will occur to many readers. Comp. also G. 3. 233 note. 378.] Quaeritur,' is sought, implying that the search still goes on. Alius,' other than Dares, the game being one which required two to play at it. 379.] Adire' of confronting in conflict. "Quando ipsum horrebat adire" 11. 636. 380.] Alacris:' Madv. § 59. 2. obs. 1. The old reading was 'pugna,' which may have arisen from "excedere pugna" 9. 789. The parallel at any rate shows that the construction here is thinking that all were retiring from the prize,' not, thinking himself to surpass all in respect of the prize.' |