Ille, ut vestigans diversa per agmina Turnum Huc atque huc acies circumtulit, aspicit urbem Immunem tanti belli atque inpune quietam. Continuo pugnae accendit maioris imago; Mnesthea Sergestumque vocat fortemque Serestum Ductores, tumulumque capit, qua cetera Teucrum Concurrit legio, nec scuta aut spicula densi Deponunt. Celso medius stans aggere fatur: Ne qua meis esto dictis mora; Iuppiter hac stat; Neu quis ob inceptum subitum mihi segnior ito. Urbem hodie, caussam belli, regna ipsa Latini, Ni frenum accipere et victi parere fatentur, Eruam, et aequa solo fumantia culmina Scilicet exspectem, libeat dum proelia Turno Nostra pati, rursusque velit concurrere victus ? Hoc caput, o cives, haec belli summa nefandi. Ferte faces propere, foedusque reposcite flammis. Dixerat, atque animis pariter certantibus omnes Dant cuneum, densaque ad muros mole feruntur.
557.] 'Diversa,' i. e. in different di- rections through the ranks: comp. "diversi circumspiciunt" 9. 416.
559.] Immunis' with gen. does not seem to be Ciceronian. The shade of meaning given to the word here, without share in the burden of the war,' is poetical.
560.] 'Imago,' the mental image or idea, as in v. 665 below.
561.] Repeated from 4. 288, where see note.
562.] So 5. 290, Aeneas "se multis cum milibus heros Consessu medium tulit exstructoque resedit."
563, 564.]Densi' (= "densati" as in 2. 409) from its position would seem to mean that the closeness of their thronging would not allow them room to lay down their arms. 'Ag- gere,' an eminence.
565.] Iuppiter hac stat:" "pro nobis religio est, quam laeserunt Ru- tuli ruptis foederibus," Serv. The words are from Enn. A. 263, "Non semper vestra evertet: nunc Iup- piter hac stat."
566.] Ob inceptum subitum,' be- cause the venture is sudden.
567.] 'Caussam belli:' an exagge- rated expression. [The poet means to say that the whole war may be decided by gaining possession of the city; translate the principal object of the war.'] The attack on the city is introduced somewhat awkwardly into the narrative, apparently to give Turnus a motive for facing Aeneas.
568.] For this sense of 'fateor' (to consent under compulsion), see on 7. 433.
569. Ponam aequa,' lay level:' something like rien Soph. Ant. 674, Ηδ' ἀναστάτους Οίκους τίθησι.
571.] There is a sneer in 'pati.' 'Victus:' he interprets Turnus' avoidance of him as a confession of defeat.
572.] Belli summa,' of a place, as 10.70. Comp. with the language here Livy 27.20, "Italiam, ubi belli caput, rerum summa esset;" ib. 26. 7, “su- biit animum impetus caput ipsum belli Romam petendi."
573.] Foedus reposcite,' like "pro- missa reposci," v. 2 above.
575.] 'Cuneum' v. 457 above (note). 'Dare,' as often, used for "facere."
Scalae inproviso subitusque adparuit ignis. Discurrunt alii ad portas primosque trucidant, Ferrum alii torquent et obumbrant aethera telis, Ipse inter primos dextram sub moenia tendit Aeneas, magnaque incusat voce Latinum, Testaturque deos iterum se ad proelia cogi, Bis iam Italos hostis, haec altera foedera rumpi. Exoritur trepidos inter discordia civis : Urbem alii reserare iubent et pandere portas Dardanidis, ipsumque trahunt in moenia regem ; Arma ferunt alii et pergunt defendere muros : Inclusas ut cum latebroso in pumice pastor Vestigavit apes, fumoque inplevit amaro; Illae intus trepidae rerum per cerea castra Discurrunt, magnisque acuunt stridoribus iras; Volvitur ater odor tectis; tum murmure caeco Intus saxa sonant; vacuas it fumus ad auras.
Accidit haec fessis etiam fortuna Latinis, Quae totam luctu concussit funditus urbem. Regina ut tectis venientem prospicit hostem, Incessi muros, ignis ad tecta volare,
Nusquam acies contra Rutulas, nulla agmina Turni : Infelix pugnae iuvenem in certamine credit
577.] "Primos,' id est, qui primi ad portas erant obvii," Serv. Comp. 2. 334.
579.] 'Ipse,' of the person most conspicuous, as in 10. 132 &c. 'Sub moenia,' up towards the walls.
582.] For the first treaty see 7. 259 foll.
583.] Their excitement ('trepidos') breaks out into discord. The order of words 'trepidos inter discordia cives,' adjective, preposition, and then a word intervening between it and the substantive, is Lucretian.
585. Trahunt' "trahere vo- lunt," regem,' Latinus: they would drag him on to the walls to make terms with Aeneas.
587.] Latebroso in pumice' 5. 214. So the bees G. 4. 44 are found "pumici- busque cavis exesaeque arboris antro.' 589.] Trepidae rerum' as in Livy 5. 11., 36. 31,"trepidi rerum suarum :"
comp. " fessi rerum" 1. 178. Cerea castra' recalls "cerea regna" G. 4. 202: 'castra' is as appropriate here as regna " is there.
590.] Comp. 9. 463, and v. 108 above.
591.] Ater odor' and 'murmure caeco (comp. 'murmura caeca" 10. 98) are both instances of an artificial confusion between the impressions on different senses. With "ater odor' may perhaps be comp. liquidum ambrosiae odorem" G. 4. 415. 592.1 'Vacuas auras,' like "aera va. cuum" G. 3. 109.
595.] Amata has gone up to the roof of the palace.
597.] "Nusquam:' sc. Aeneas su. bito cum suis urbem aggressus Tur- num et Latinos aperto campo cum Tuscis et Arcadibus confligentes post se reliquit," Gossr.
598.] Credit exstinctum: "quia
Exstinctum, et, subito mentem turbata dolore, Se caussam clamat crimenque caputque malorum, Multaque per maestum demens effata furorem, Purpureos moritura manu discindit amictus, Et nodum informis leti trabe nectit ab alta. Quam cladem miserae postquam accepere Latinae, Filia prima manu floros Lavinia crinis
Et roseas laniata genas, tum cetera circum Turba furit; resonant late plangoribus aedes. Hinc totam infelix volgatur fama per urbem. Demittunt mentes; it scissa veste Latinus, Coniugis attonitus fatis urbisque ruina, Canitiem inmundo perfusam pulvere turpans [Multaque se incusat, qui non acceperit ante Dardanium Aenean, generumque adsciverit ultro]. Interea extremo bellator in aequore Turnus Palantis sequitur paucos iam segnior, atque Iam minus atque minus successu laetus equorum.
non putabat Turnum civitatem op- pugnari passurum fuisse si viveret," Serv.
600.] Comp. 11. 361. The use of 'crimen' here for 'guilty cause' is hard to parallel: "crimina belli" 7. 339 may perhaps be compared.
601.] The picture here is quite in accordance with the character of Amata as given in Book 7.
602.] Moritura,' bent on death: so v. 55 above.
603.] "Sane sciendum quod cau- tum fuerat in pontificalibus libris, ut qui laqueo vitam finisset, insepultus abiiceretur. Unde bene ait 'informis leti,' quasi mortis infamissimae," Serv. According to Fabius Pictor, Amata starved herself.
605.] The epithet 'florus,' only pre- served in later Latin in the proper name, was found in Attius, in Pacu- vius, and also in Enn. [In the present place it was in the MSS. superseded by flavos.'] The archaism is quite in Virg.'s manner. The expression 'flori crines' may be compared with Hom., Kóμas vakivoivo aveeι čuoías, Od. 6. 231., 23. 158, though 'floros would not like this refer to a definite colour, but to general brightness.
606.] "Mulieres genas ne radunto,"
was a command of the twelve tables: Cic. Legg. 2. 25, 64. Hence 'furit' in the next line is appropriate. 'Tum cetera, &c. ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο γυναίκες, Il. 22. 515.
607.] 'Plangoribus' might here, as in 4. 668, be taken of the beating of the breast.
608.] "Hinc:' i. e. de domo regia; 'infelix fama,' rerum infelicium nun- tia, ut infelix vates"" (3. 246) Serv.
609.] Demittere animum,' opp. to "tollere animum," a phrase current from Lucilius downwards. "Victi debilitantur animosque demittunt" Cic. Fin. 5. 15, 42. 'Scissa veste:' so Aeneas rends his clothes, 5. 685.
610.] "Attonitus' et privatis et publicis luctibus," Serv.
611.] See note on 10. 844.
612, 613.] These two lines, which with the exception of 'ante' in the first and ultro' in the second, are identical with 11. 471, 472, are omitted here in all the best MSS.
614.] "Revocandum in animum quod Turnum Iuturua ad extremos ordines deduxerat: sup. 483 sqq." Heyne. 'Bellator' almost "bel- lans:" a use of the verbal in -tor, which it is hard to parallel.
616.] 'Successu equorum' would in
Attulit hunc illi caecis terroribus aura Commixtum clamorem, arrectasque inpulit auris Confusae sonus urbis et inlaetabile murmur. Hei mihi! quid tanto turbantur moenia luctu? Quisve ruit tantus diversa clamor ab urbe ? Sic ait, adductisque amens subsistit habenis. Atque huic, in faciem soror ut conversa Metisci Aurigae currumque et equos et lora regebat, Talibus occurrit dictis: Hac, Turne, sequamur Troiugenas, qua prima viam victoria pandit; Sunt alii, qui tecta manu defendere possint. Ingruit Aeneas Italis et proelia miscet, Et nos saeva manu mittamus funera Teucris. Nec numero inferior, pugnae nec honore recedes. Turnus ad haec :
O soror, et dudum adgnovi, cum prima per artem Foedera turbasti teque haec in bella dedisti, Et nunc nequiquam fallis dea. Sed quis Olympo
prose be "successu pugnae equestris:" Virgil's phrase suggests the speed of the horses on which their success depended.
617.] Caecis' implies both that the fears were blind and confused in themselves, and that Turnus did not know their cause.
618.] Inpulit,' comp. G. 4. 349. "Sensus inpellere" Lucr. 1. 303.
619.] In the words 'confusae sonus urbis Virg. probably meant to suggest the confusion of the sound as well as the tumult of the city. The metaphorical use of 'confundere ' does not seem to be earlier than Livy. 'Inlaetabilis' is used by Virg. only here and 3. 707.
621.] Diversa,' distant: a sense of the word found in Ovid 1 Trist. 3. 19, and frequently in the Annals of Tacitus.
for 'in' with acc. seems a late one. 'Miscere proelia,'' to join battle,' G. 2. 282., 3. 220, A. 10. 23.
629. 'Mittamus,' for "inmittamus: comp. "exitium misere apibus," G. 4. 534; so in 10. 77 (note) he uses "vim ferre," for "vim inferre."
630.] Pugnae' goes with 'honore.' 632.] Γιγνώσκω σε, θεά, θυγάτηρ Διὸς aiyóxoto, says Diomed to Athene, Il. 5. 815. It is perhaps better to take 'prima' as neut. pl. agreeing with
foedera' (= "cum primum turbasti foedera"), than as fem. sing, agreeing with soror:' Virg. is fond of this use of 'primus;' see on v. 103 above.
633.] Teque haec in bella dedisti,' recalling "in medias dat sese acies," of Iuturna above v. 227.
634.] 'Et nunc,' opposed to 'dudum' above. Nequiquam fallis'=“nequiquam vis fallere:" comp. Hor. 1 Ep. 3. 32, "an male sarta Gratia nequiquam coit (= coire conatur) et rescinditur." 'Fallis dea' = λavoáveLS eòs ovoa: like Horace's "fallit sorte beatior;" the construction in Latin prose does not seem to be older than Livy.
Demissam tantos voluit te ferre labores?
An fratris miseri letum ut crudele videres ?
Nam quid ago? aut quae iam spondet Fortuna salutem? Vidi oculos ante ipse meos me voce vocantem Murranum, quo non superat mihi carior alter, Oppetere ingentem atque ingenti volnere victum. Occidit infelix, ne nostrum dedecus Ufens Aspiceret; Teucri potiuntur corpore et armis. Exscindine domos, id rebus defuit unum, Perpetiar? dextra nec Drancis dicta refellam?
Terga dabo, et Turnum fugientem haec terra videbit ? Usque adeone mori miserum est? Vos o mihi Manes Este boni, quoniam Superis aversa voluntas. Sancta ad vos anima, atque istius inscia culpae Descendam, magnorum haud umquam indignus avorum. Vix ea fatus erat: medios volat, ecce, per hostis 650
635.] Olympo demissam,' &c., to leave the quiet life of the gods and come to toil with us. Turnus speaks with the tenderness of a brother.
638.] Virg. tells us something which he had omitted in the course of his narrative (above 529 foll.). But "oppetere ingentem atque ingenti volnere victum" quite tallies with his description of Murranus' death, "scopulo atque ingentis turbine saxi Excutit" &c. Serv., who notices the omission, ingeniously suggests that the voice was heard and the sight seen, as an omen of death, by Turnus' fancy alone: quoting the case of Dido, 4. 460 foll. The order oculos ante ipse meos' (see on v. 583) is apparently determined by the rhetorical advantage of placing' meos' close after 'ipse.'
640.] See on 10. 842, whence this line is almost repeated.
641.] Ufens (leader of the Aequi, 7. 745), was killed by Gyas (v. 460 above), among the first who fell in the last battles. "Infelix' in hoc bello con. tra illud (7. 745) insignem fama et felicibus armis," "Serv.
642.] Corpore:' i. e. " etiam sepultura caruit," Serv.
643.] 'Exscindere,' in Virg. is almost always used of destroying a race, city, or nation. His friends were
dead: the ruin was now coming upon his own house. 'Rebus,' my evil fortune: 'res' is generally to be explained by the context.
646, 647.] The thought is, 'Is death so bitter? No: its bitterness is past if it be bravely met: for so I can gain at least the favour of the dead below -To them therefore I turn.' Dido's magna mei sub terras ibit imago" is in the same spirit.
648.] Sanctus' has the notion of stainless honour, of the noble dead, as in 5. 80, and 11. 158. The present reading of this line involves the necessity of lengthening the last syllable, either of anima before a vowel, or of istius' in thesis: either of which is a metrical licence unparalleled in Virg. or in any other Latin poet. (Munro ingeniously proposes,
anima, a! atque' &c.; the interjection being not elided, according to the general rule.) 'Istius culpae, the fault which you hate, cowardice.
649.] Indignus avorum,' a construction hard to parallel. Dignus' with gen. in Balbus' letter to Cicero, Att. 8. 15 A, "Suscipe curam et cogitationem dignissimam tuae virtutis:" comp. [W. Wagner's note on Pl. Trin. 1153].
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