Stricta, parata neci: vix primi prœlia tentant Audierit. Quos ubi confertos audere in prælia vidi, "the edge of the sword." Mucro, | iii. p. 258), and more especially from macer, is the point, running out very thin. 334 Neci. "For the work of death." 335 Caco Marte. "In blind encounter;" in nocturnal combat, where one can with difficulty, if at all, distinguish friend from foe. 336 Et numine divúm. "And by the impelling power of the gods;" i. e., as if impelled by some divinity. Hermann (Præf. ad Soph. Antig. ed. 3, p. xix. seqq.). 340 Oblati per lunam. "Offered to my view by the light of the moon." "They mutually recognised one another by means of the moonlight. "During 342 Illis diebus. those days;" i. e., those latter days of Troy's national existence. 344 Gener. "A son-in-law (in hope and expectation)." 345 Qui non sponsæ, &c. "In that he did not heed the admonitions of his prophetic bride.” Observe the force of the relative with the subjunctive, as assigning the reason for applying the epithet infelix to Coroebus. Cassandra had warned him not to. join the Trojans, and not to hope for her hand, if he wished to save his own life. 337 Heyne makes Erinys equivalent here to animi impetus. This is hardly in accordance, however, with the epithet tristis, and we have therefore adopted the explanation of Weichert. Erinys is one of the Furies, a goddess inciting to slaughter, and hence termed tristis, 66 gloomy," as the cause of death and wo. It may be added, that we have written Erinys, in place of the common form Erinnys, on the authority of Blomfield (ad Esch. Prom. V. 525.-Gloss. p. 110), Jacobs (ad Anthol. Palat. vol. | accendi. Furentis. More literally, "raving (with inspiration)." 347 Confertos. "In compact order." Audere. Equivalent to audacia Incipio super his: Juvenes, fortissima frustra Dî, quibus imperium hoc steterat; succurritis urbi Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem. Inde, lupi ceu Sic animis juvenum furor additus. Faucibus exspectant siccis; per tela, per hostes 348 Super his. "Upon this." 349 Si vobis audentem, &c. "If unto you there be the fixed resolve to follow me while daring the extremest perils: you see what is the fortune of our affairs," &c. The infinitive is here used, by a poetic idiom based on a Græcism, for the genitive of the gerund, sequendi. Heyne thinks that we must either include the words quæ sit rebus, &c., down to urbi incense, in a parenthesis; or else must understand agite, sequimini me, after certa sequi. We have done neither. A parenthesis of so great a length would be altogether out of character with the tone of excitement that pervades the whole address; and, on the other hand, no ellipsis is needed if we only make the apodosis commence at line 350. The general meaning of the whole passage will then be as follows: If you have determined to follow me, you do this because you see that everything is lost. Let us, therefore, as the only thing left for the vanquished, meet our death like men. 351 Excessere. "Have departed from among us." We have placed a comma after omnes, 350 355 so that adytis and aris become ablatives absolute. 353 Moriamur et in media, &c. "Let us die, and rush (for that purpose) into the midst of the conflict." Grammarians call this vσтEроv πрÓтepov, an imaginary figure, for which there is no necessity either here or anywhere else. We have merely in the text the strong language of excited feeling. 355 Lupi raptores. Compare the Greek λúkol ȧрπактηрея. 356 Atra in nebula. The wolves, it is said, prefer prowling when the sky is shrouded in clouds, or when mists and fogs add to the darkness of the night. Improba. The leading idea in probus is that of softness and mildness. (Compare the Greek πрãоs, πрas, of which it is only another form.) Hence the original force of improbus is "harsh," "urgent," "strong," "powerful," &c., the preposition in having a negative force here in composition. 357 Cacos. This properly denotes, blind to all danger, and eager only for prey. Their hunger makes them see nothing, and fear nothing. Vadimus haud dubiam in mortem, mediæque tenemus 360 365 370 375 364 Inertia corpora. of the unresisting." Inertia is here, as Servius and Pomponius remark, equivalent to non repug-hostes. nantia, and refers to the old men, women, and children. 369 Plurima, &c. "Very many a form of death;" i.e., numbers slain in every way. 371 Androgeus. Not mentioned elsewhere in the legends of the 375 Itis. For venitis. 377 Sensit medios delapsus in "He perceived that he had fallen into the midst of foes." Delapsus for delapsus esse. We have here another imitation of the Greek idiom, namely, the nominative before the infinitive, in place of the accusative. This takes place regularly whenever Obstupuit, retroque pedem cum voce repressit. the verb that follows has the same subject with the one that precedes. Thus, on oios dμuvai, "he said that he alone warded off;" paoav dikaιoi eivai, "they said they were just," &c. 378 Retroque, &c. "Checked his footstep, together with his voice." Equivalent to pedem retulit et vocem repressit. 382 Abibat. to retreat." "Was beginning 383 Circumfundimur. "Pour around." It has here a kind of middle meaning. 384 Ignaros loci. "Unacquainted with the place;" i. e., not as familiar with the localities of Troy as the Trojans themselves were. 387 Prima monstrat. "First points out." 389 Mutemus clypeos. It would seem from this that there was some difference of shape between the Grecian and Trojan shields. The former, at least in Homeric times, were circular, and therefore an Argolic shield is 380 385 390 likened to the sun. (Virg. Æn. iii. 637.) The clypeus, however, as represented in Roman sculp ture, is an oblong oval, and this, perhaps, makes the distinction be tween the common buckler and that of Argos, or between the earlier and later Greek shield. Danaúmque insignia, &c. These badges are explained immediately after, consisting of the galea, ensis, clypei insigne, &c. The last refers evidently to some peculiar device or emblazonment on the shield. 390 Dolus an virtus, &c. "Who stops to inquire, in the case of a foe, whether it be stratagem or valour?" Supply sit. The meaning is simply this: all means are proper to be resorted to in the case of a foe. It matters not how we subdue them, whether by artifice or open fight, if we only do succeed in our object. 391 Ipsi. Referring to the Greeks who had just been slain by them. Induitur, laterique Argivum accommodat ensem. Hoc Rhipeus, hoc ipse Dymas, omnisque juventus Læta facit; spoliis se quisque recentibus armat. Vadimus immixti Danais haud numine nostro, Multaque per cæcam congressi prœlia noctem Conserimus; multos Danaûm demittimus Orco. Diffugiunt alii ad naves, et litora cursu 395 Fida petunt; pars ingentem formidine turpi 400 Scandunt rursus equum, et notâ conduntur in alvo. Heu! nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis! Crinibus a templo, Cassandra, adytisque Minervæ, Ad cœlum tendens ardentia lumina frustra: Lumina; nam teneras arcebant vincula palmas. 393 Argivum ensem. The early Greeks used a very short sword. The ancient Homeric sword had generally a straight, two-edged blade (aponkes, Hom. Il. x. 256), rather broad, and nearly of equal width from hilt to point. 99 396 Haud numine nostro. "Under auspices not our own.' There is no allusion here, as some suppose, to the party of Æneas bearing the effigy of Minerva, the protectress of the Greeks, on their changed shields. This is too far-fetched. The meaning merely is, that they were now fighting in Grecian arms, and, as far as mere externals went, under Grecian auspices. 398 Orco, a poetic idiom, based on a Græcism, for in Orcum. 399 Et litora cursu, &c. The shores are called fida (literally, "trusty"), because here their vessels lay, into which they might retreat. 401 Conduntur. "Strive to conceal themselves." Observe the middle force of the verb. Wakefield (ad Lucret. v. 954) 405 66 se 402 Heu! nihil invitis, &c. "Alas! it is right for one to trust to nothing when the gods are adverse. An exclamation, implying that, notwithstanding all their efforts, the little band of Trojans were able to obtain no lasting success, since Heaven itself was adverse. Heyne and many others connect this line with what precedes. Wagner, however, is more correct, in making it the introduction to the passage that follows, for which it seems more naturally to pave the way. 404 Minerva. She had fled as a suppliant to the shrine of Minerva. 406 Lumina; nam teneras, &c. "Her eyes for cords secured her tender hands." The turn here given by the poet to the legend of Cassandra is different from the more common account, as alluded to in the note on line 41 of the first book. Heyne objects to the expression, Lumina, nam teneras, |