REFERENCES IN THE NOTES. H, Harkness; M, Madvig; Z, Zumpt; A, Allen and Greenough; B, Bartholomew; G, Gildersleeve. The Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, are indicated respectively by E, Ge, and Ae. The Fates. NOTES ON THE AENEID. THE INSCRIPTION. Ille ego, qui quondam gracili modulatus avena Ut quamvis avido parerent arva colono, Gratum opus agricolis: at nunc horrentia Martis. THE above verses are usually placed at the beginning of the Aeneid, but printed in a form different from that of the text, as an indication that there is a question as to their authenticity, and as to their proper connection with the poem. Ancient scholars seem to have received them as genuine, and, considered by themselves, they are not unworthy of Vergil. But, when we connect them with the opening sentence, they detract so much from its simplicity and dignity that we can not think they were intended to enter into the text. On the other hand, "all antiquity,' " as Ribbeck says, "recognizes the words arma virumque as the beginning of the poem." They are thus understood and quoted by Ovid, Propertius, Martial, and others, as well as by the an cient grammarians. Therefore, it seems most reasonable to conclude with Forbiger, that these lines, though Vergilian, were not written as a part of the exordium, but prefixed by the poet to one or more copies of the first book presented to personal friends; and that they were intended merely as a kind of apologetic epigraph or inscription, composed, indeed, so neatly and ingeniously that, while the inscription can make no sense without the first words of the exordium, the exordium itself is perfect without the inscription. If this view be correct, the verses in question should not be placed at the head of the text, both to offend the eye and encumber the opening sentence. Having served the temporary purpose for which they were probably intended, though accidentally preserved, they were properly omitted by most of the ancient copyists, and written by others on the margin of the manuscript. It is safe, therefore, to follow Ribbeck in removing them from the text. In translating the lines, we may complete the sense by borrowing from the exordium the words "arma cano," with which they were originally connected, thus: "I, that poet who formerly tuned my song with the slender pipe, and (then) coming forth from the wood (i. e., dismissing sylvan or pastoral themes) taught the neighboring fields to fulfill the desire of the husbandman, however greedy (i. e., made his labors fruitful through the teachings of my poems on husbandry), a work (of song) acceptable to the tillers of the soil: yet now sing the bristling arms of Mars." With ego, 66 sum is usually supplied, but Forbiger more correctly makes cano the predicate. Vicina, neighboring, near by the woods, implying that the subjects of the Bucolics and Georgics are nearly related. Horrentia. The idea of "terrible" or "dreadful" is occasionally associated, as perhaps here, with the literal meaning of horrens. BOOK FIRST. The storm at sea, the landing of Aeneas near Carthage, and his reception at the palace of Dido. 1-7. The exordium. "Arms I sing, and the man, driven by fate from his native Ilium; who endured many hardships of land and sea and war, until he founded in Latium the kingdom from which sprung mighty Rome." Thus are indicated briefly, "celeriter comprehensa," the contents of the entire poem: Aeneas, obedient to the fates and to the gods, in his wanderings, his trials, and his war of conquest. In "multum et terris iactatus et alto" we have the subject of the first six books of the epic, which thus far resembles the Odyssey; in "multa quoque et bello passus" that of the last six books, in which the poet describes warlike scenes like those of the Iliad. 1. Qui. Relatives and other connectives are often displaced in poetry, and sometimes very widely, from their regular position. Primus, first, not here in the sense of "the first who," but "at the first," "in the beginning." So in VIII, 319. There is no inconsistency between the statement here, thus interpreted, and that in regard to Antenor, v. 242; for in this sense both Aeneas and Antenor first came from Troy to Italy. It seems that the old chroniclers began with the legend of Aeneas and Antenor as the first or remotest event in Roman traditions; and thus Livy opens the national history: "iam primum omnium satis constat Aenea Antenoreque .... Achivos abstinuisse." Forbiger and others, however, take primus venit in the sense of "the first who came," because, they say, Antenor did not come to Italy, as the word was understood by Vergil, but to Patavium, which was in the province of Cisalpine Gaul. But they seem to have overlooked the fact that "Italy," in Vergil's poems, and even in writers somewhat older than Vergil, has the same geographical significance as with us. See Ge. II, 188-600, where the poet includes in "Italy" the Cisalpine lakes Garda (Benacus) and Como (Larius). See also Caesar Bell. Gal. VI, 44, et al., and Cic. Philipp. III, 5 and 12; both giving to the word the same extent of meaning. Moreover, Vergil could not have said that Aeneas was "the first who came from Troy to Italy," without implying that others came afterward to Italy from the same region; an idea which he can hardly be supposed to have entertained.- -2. Italiam, for ad Italiam. In poetry the omission of prepositions is frequent before accusatives and ablatives of place; the cases being sufficient to express, without prepositions, the relations of to, from, and in. Fato profugus, exiled by fate; by fate a wanderer. Thus, as Thiel remarks, is presented at the very beginning the idea of the supremacy of fate, which gives unity to the Aeneid. Lavina; for the regular form, Lavinia. Lavina litora is added to Italiam to restrict the meaning. Comp. 569.-3. Ille; in apposition with qui, recalls and emphasizes the subject. Iactatus, passus; to be taken as participles.- 4. Superum; for superorum, the gods above; equivalent here to divina, agreeing with vi, and referring especially to Juno; for she alone of the Olympian gods was persecuting Aeneas. Saevae. In poetry, adjectives and genitives are arbitrarily separated from the substantives to which they belong. M. 474, b. Memorem, relentless; that forgets not. 5. Quoque; join with multa. Et connects the foregoing et terris et alto with bello; in war also (as well as on land and sea) having suffered much besides. Dum conderet, while he was founding; i. e., while he was striving to found. Dum in the sense of while, or so long as, is sometimes joined with the subjunctive, when it denotes the purpose or thought of the doer or speaker. M. 360, obs. 2; H. 519, II, 2; A. 328; B. 304, 3; G. 574.- -6. Latio. The dative instead of the accusative with in. M. 251; H. 380, II, 4; A. 225,b; B. 221, R. 2; G. 344, R. 2. Unde is equivalent to qua ex re; from the fact that Aeneas suffered and did thus, originated the Latin race, Alba, and Rome. For the position of unde see note on qui, 1. Latinum. Livy says (I, 1) that Aeneas united the aborigines and the Trojans under the common name of Latins. -7. Altae. Rome, like many cities of Italy, was built on elevated ground, for greater security from attack. Perhaps, however, the reference is to its lofty walls. 8-11. The invocation to the Muse. 8. Quo numine laeso, what divine purpose being thwarted? what interest violated? referring to Juno's favorite plan of making Carthage the mistress of the world. For another example of numen in the sense of will or purpose, see V, 56. Others render these words: Her divinity being violated in what respect (quo)? and others again: What divinity being injured?- -9. Volvere casus, to pass through vicissitudes. The incidents of life, like time itself, are conceived as moving in a round or circle; hence, turning is a metaphor signifying to pass through. Comp. Ge. II, 295. The infinitive here is poetic for ut volveret. -11. Impulerit. H. 529, I; A. 334; B. 294, 1; M. 356; G. 469. Animis. H. 387; A. 231; B. 243; G. 349; M. 246. 12-33. The reply to the questions addressed above to the Muse. The present occasion for the hostility of Juno toward Aeneas is her apprehension for the fate of Carthage, which is destined to be overthrown by the future Rome (12-22); besides this, she remembers the war she has just conducted against Troy, and the causes of the resentment which occasioned that war are still rankling in her mind; namely, (1) the origin of the Trojan race through Dardanus from Jupiter and Electra; (2) the choice of the Trojan Ganymede to be cup-bearer of the gods instead of Juno's daughter, Hebe; (3) the decision (judicium) of the Trojan prince, Paris, by whom the golden apple was awarded to Venus, in preference to Juno and Minerva. 12. Urbs antiqua. Carthage was ancient with reference to the time of Vergil, not to the time of Acneas. Tyrii. The founders of Carthage and their descendants are termed indifferently by Vergil Phoenicians, Sidonians, Poeni, or Tyrians. With tenuere, supply quam or eam. The former seems preferable. See on 530. -13. Contra. For prepositions placed after their cases, see H. 569, II, 1; A. 263, n.; B. 334, d, M. 474, c. Longe is joined with contra. Not only opposite but far opposite; separated from the mouth of the Tiber by the Mediterranean Sea.- -14. Dives, etc., rich in resources, and formidable in the pursuits of war. For the genitive after dives see H. 399, 1, 8; B. 234, R; A. 218, a, M. 290, c.- -15. Terris magis. For the ablative after the comparative, instead of the accusative of the object, see H. 417, 1, n. 1; A. 247, a, B. 261, R. 1; G. 311, and R. 1; M. 304. Unam, emphatic; one in particular; here the emphasis is increased by its position at the end of the verse.- 16. Posthabita Samo, (even) Samos being less esteemed. The most ancient temple and worship of Juno were in the island of Samos, where she was nurtured, and where she was married to Jupiter. The o in Samo is not elided here, and yet retains its quantity, the hiatus being relieved by the caesural pause. See on E. VI, 44. -17. Hic currus fuit. The gods, like the heroes, used war chariots. See page 135. Hoc agrees with the following noun, regnum, though it refers to urbs. H. 445, 4; A. 195, d; B. 286, d; G. 202, R. 5; M. 316. Regnum esse, to be the ruling power. The infinitive after fovet instead of ut sit. Regnum is a substitute for regno, a dative of "the end," and gentibus a dative of "the object," governed by esse. See H. 390, II. n. 2; A. 233; B. 246; G. 350; M. 249.18. Si qua, if in any way. Sinant, H. 507; A. 305, b, 2; B. 305, a, 1; G. 598. Iam tum, even then; so early in the history of Carthage; before it was even completely built, and before it had subdued even the neighboring tribes of Africa. Tenditque fovetque, both purposes and fondly hopes. The couplet, que-que, for et-et, both-and, is not unfrequent in poetry.Sed enim; an elliptical expression; but (she feared for Carthage) for she had heard. Translate: "but yet," "but indeed." Duci, was descending, the race was even then springing up.- -20. Quae verteret; the subjunctive under H. 497, I; A. 317; B. 299; G. 632; M. 363, a. The "overthrow of the Tyrian citadels " has reference to the sack of Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus, B. c. 146. -21. Hinc, from hence; that is, from this offspring. By some, however, hinc is taken here as an adverb of time; then, immediately after the fall of Carthage. Late regem, for late regnantem; ruling far and wide. This usage of the substantive for an adjective or participle is chiefly poetical. See M. 301, c, obs. 2. For the adverb before rex, see H. 359, n. 4; A. 188, d; B. 327, a; G. 440.- -22. Exscidio Libyae, to the destruction of Africa. For the two datives, see H. 390; A. 233; B. 246; G. 350; M. 249. After the Scipios had destroyed the power of Carthage, the succeeding generations of Romans rapidly advanced to the conquest of the world, thus becoming late regem, everywhere supreme. Volvere, to decree. The three Parcae are Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. The first draws the thread from the distaff, the second winds or twists it by turning (volvere) the spindle, and the last decides the destinics of men by cutting the thread with the shears. But volvere may have reference merely to the revolving or circling of events (see on 9), and not to this mythical representation of the fates.23. Id; the destiny of Rome and Carthage above described. Veteris; not ancient here, but former.- 24. Prima, foremost. She was the leader and chief instigator of the gods and heroes who fought on the Grecian side at Troy. Comp. II, 613. Quod. See on qui, 1. Pro Argis; for Greece. Necdum etiam; nor even yet. Not only was the war itself still fresh in her memory, with all the irritating circumstances attending the ten years' siege of Troy, but she had not ceased to think of the provocations which had pre -19. -25. |