Disponunt cnses, et scuta latentia condunt. Quæ Phœbo pater omnipotens, mihi Phœbus Apollo Accipite ergò animis atque hæc mea figite dicta: Prædixit, vobis furiarum ego maxima pando. Ibitis Italiam, portusque intrare licebit. Sed non antè datam cingetis mœnibus urbem, NOTES wise than they are commanded-they do just as they are commanded. 237. Condunt: they hide their shields, concealed among the grass. Latentia: in the sense of occulta. Delapse: in the sense of advolantes. 239. Specula. This was an elevated spot, or place, commanding a wide prospect. It is derived from the old verb specio. Hence the verb speculor. Signum: the signal for the attack. 240. Tentant nova: and try a new kind of fight. Ere: trumpet: see 111. supra. 242. Vim: in the sense of ictum. The epithet obscænar is added to these birds, either because they were of bad omen; or were filthy, and to be abhorred on account of their nastiness. Fadare: the primary meaning of this word is, to mangle—to cut in pieces-lo make havoc of. Hence the propriety of its being connected with ferro. 243. Lapse: flying-shooting away. 244. Semesam: half eaten. Of semi, and esam, of the verb edo. 246. Infelix. As felix sometimes signifies propitious, favorable, auspicious; so infelix oftentimes significs ill-boding, inauspicious, as here: ill-boding prophetess. Hanc vocem: the same as hæc verba. 247. Pro cade: for (in return for) the slaughter of our cattle, and bullocks slain. In addition to the crime of killing our herds and taking our property; do you prepare to wage war against us, and to drive us from our paternal realms, who have done you no injury or harm, and are in every respect in nocent. In calling them the sons of Laomedon, Celano reproaches them as being impious, unjust and faith.ess, like that prince, who did not keep his promises even with the gods. See Geor. i. 502. 248. Laomedontiade: a patronymic noun from Laomedon, the father of Priam, and king of Troy. The same with Trojani. 249. Patrio regno: from our paternal kingdom. This is said, because Neptune, their father, had the empire of the sea, and the islands. 250. Accipite: hear-attend to. 252. Maxima furiarum. Servius infers from this passage that the Harpies and the Furies were the same. Pando: in the sense of explico. 255. Datam: in the sense of concessam, vel prædictam. 256. Dira fames: direful hunger, and the injury (done to) of our race, forces you to consume your gnawed trenchers. Malis: in the sense of dentibus. Injuria nostra cadis. This injury consisted in killing their cattle; and in making an attack upon them. 257. Absumere mensas, &c. The sense of this prediction is seen from its accomplishment in the seventh book, verse 116. The story is not merely a poetical invention; it was a historical tradition. Dionysius and Strabo say that Aneas had received a response from an Oracle, foretelling that before he came to a settlement in Italy, he should be reduced to the necessity of eating his trenchers, mensas. Varro says he received it from the Oracle of Dodona in Epi 260. Eorum animi ce nobis At sociis subitâ gelidus formidine sanguis 265 Diriguit cecidere animi: nec jam ampliùs armis, 260 cidere: nec jam ampliùs Sed votis precibusque jubent exposcere pacem, jubent exposcere pacem Sive Deæ, seu sint diræ obscænæque volucres. armis, sed votis At pater Anchises, passis de litore palmis, Numina magna vocat, meritosque indicit honores : 265. Inquit: O Dî, Dî, prohibete minas; Dî, talem avertite casum, prohibete has minas à Et placidi servate pios. Tum litore funem Diripere, excussosque jubet laxare rudentes. Tendunt vela Noti: ferimur spumantibus undis, Quà cursum ventusque gubernatorque vocabant. Jam medio apparet fluctu nemorosa Zacynthos, Dulichiumque, Sameque, et Neritos ardua saxis. 274. Nimbosa cacumi- Effugimus scopulos Ithaca, Laërtia regna, Et terram altricem sævi exsecramur Ulyssei. Mox et Leucatæ nimbosa cacumina montis, na montis Leucate aperiuntur conspectui NOTES. rus. Virgil puts it in the mouth of the Harpyia, as being both suitable to their nature, and more apt to raise surprise, when coming from them. .This prophecy received its fulfilment in the following manner. Having arrived in Italy, and being destitute of dishes, they were forced to eat their meat or flesh upon large oval cakes, made of flour, which they used for bread. And after they had eaten their flesh, they consumed their cakes also; which they had used in the room of plates. 258. Pennis: in the sense of alis. Ablata: in the sense of sublata. 259. Sanguis gelidus: the blood chilled through sudden fear, grew thick, &c. Their blood ceased to flow in its ordinary course; the heart being unable to propel it to the extremities with its usual force. 263. Palmis passis de litore: in the sense of palmis extensis de litore. 264. Magna numina: the great gods. See Geor. i. 498. Indicit: and appoints proper sacrifices or offerings. 265. Prohibete: in the sense of avertite. Casum calamity-misfortune. 266. Placidi: in the sense of placati, vel benigni. Funem: the cable. 267. Diripere: in the sense of avellere. Some copies have deripere: which is the reading of Heyne. Rudentes: in the sense of funes. By these we are probably to understand those ropes, by the help of which the sails were hoisted and spread-the main sheets. They had already weighed anchor: they now let off the sheets-they extended the sails, and the wind fills them. Excussos. Heyne takes this in the sense of evolutos. 270. Zacynthos. An island in the Ionian sea, on the west of the Peloponnesus: Hodie, Zante. The south wind was necessary 270 in sailing from the Strophades to this place. Fluctu: in the sense of mari. 271. Dulichium. This island lies in the mouth of the Sinus Corinthiacus, and is one of the Echinades. Hodie, Dolicha. Same vel Samos: hodie, Cephalonia. These islands formed a part of the kingdom of Ulysses. 272. Ithaca. Ithaca was a very barren and rocky island, between Cephalonia and Dulichium, the birth-place of Ulysses. Hence he is called Ithacus. On this island was a barren and rocky mountain, called Neritos. The word is sometimes applied to the whole island. Scopulos Ithaca. This is said by way of irony and contempt, in allusion to its rocks and barrenness. He adds, Laërtia regna, the realms of Laertes. He was king of that island, and the father of Ulysses. 273. Execramur terram: we execrate the land, the nurse (birth-place) of cruel Ulysses. These words express very forcibly his detestation of so great an enemy to the Trojans. 274. Leucate montis: the cloudy summit of the mountain Lucates. Leucas, Leucates vel Leucate, an island lying very near the coast of Acarnania, in Epirus. Hodie, St. Maura. It is. said to have once been connected with the main land. It took its name from a famous white mountain, or rock, called Leucate, (from a Greek word, signifying white,) lying at the southern extremity of the island. It was supposed to have the virtue of curing despairing lovers, who were wont to cast themselves from it into the sea. Among those who made the experiment of its virtues, was the celebrated poetess Sappho, who fell in love with Phaon, a beautiful youth of Lesbos. According to Strabo, Apollo had a temple on this rock, or mountain, from which a human victim was cast yearly into the sea, as a sacrifice to that god. On account ENEIS. LIB. III. Et formidatus nautis aperitur Apollo. NOTES. of this; or on account of the roughness of the coast, he is called Apollo formidatus nautis: Apollo dreaded by sailors. The name of the god, put by meton. for the temple. Nimbosa: some copies have umbrosa. 276. Hunc. This may refer to mount Or we may Leucate, mentioned before. suppose, with more probability, that Æneas continued his course hence to the Sinus Ambracius, where there was the small city Ambracia, (afterwards enlarged by Augustus, and called Nicopolis, in allusion to his victory,) and another temple of Apollo. If we make this supposition, the hunc may refer to this latter temple, or to the god to Near this place whom it was dedicated. Augustus afterwards obtained a complete victory over the combined forces of Anthony and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. To this victory the poet alludes, with a view to compliment his prince. Here he landed, and performed those games, which Augustus afterwards instituted, in commemoration of his victory; and celebrated every fifth year. Or 277. Puppes: in the sense of naves. it may imply that the sterns of his ships lay aground, while the prows were afloat. This is the opinion of Dr. Trapp. 278. Insperata: greatly desired, or longed for. The prep. in, in composition, often increases the signification of the simple word, as well as changes it to a contrary sense. The former I take to be the case here; the same as valdè sperata. For after the many dangers and perils of his voyage, what could be more desirable, than to find a place where he could land in safety, and enjoy the hospitality of the shore? 279. Lustramur Jovi: in the sense of 280. Actia litora. The poet here plainly alludes to the famous games which Augus tus instituted on the promontory of Epirus, in commemoration of his victory over Anthony and Cleopatra, in the year of Rome 723. These were celebrated every fifth year. Hence, some have conjectured, that four years had now elapsed since Eneas left Troy. Virgil would make his prince believe that Eneas landed on this shore, and instituted these very games. 281. Exercent patrias: they practise their country's exercises with the slippery oil. The palestra was an exercise, in which the persons were naked; and, that they might free themselves the easier from the hands of their antagonists, they used to besmear their bodies and arms with oil. It is also applied Also the place to all kinds of games or exercises, such as wrestling, leaping, &c. where these exercises are performed. 284. Magnum annum: the sun completes (rolls round) a great year: a solar year of 12 months, as distinguished from a lunar year, which consists of 12 lunations, or 354 days. Circumvolvitur, is plainly in the sense of circumvolvit. ens. 285. Hyems asperat : the icy winter roughUndas: in the sense of mare. 286. Gestamen. This word signifies any covering-any thing worn or carried by a person; from the verb gesto. Abantis. It one of those is probable that Abas was Greeks, whom Eneas and his party slew in the night of the sack of Troy, stript of their armour, and exchanged for their own. Gestamen, is put in apposition with clypeum. 287. Adversis postibus: the fronting doo posts of the temple. Figo: in the sense of suspendo. Signo rem carmine: I declare the transaction by this verse-inscription Rem: in the sense of factum. 289. Tum jubeo socios Linquere tum portus jubeo, et considere transtris. linquere Certatim socii feriunt mare, et æquora verrunt. Protinùs aërias Phæacum abscondimus arces, Litoraque Epiri legimus, portuque subimus Chaonio, et celsam Buthroti ascendimus urbem. 298. Pectus incensum Hìc incredibilis rerum fama occupat aures, est miro Hectoris solemnes da Priamiden Helenum Graias regnare per urbes, 301. Tum fortè An- Conjugio acidæ Pyrrhi sceptrisque potitum, dromache libabat cineri Et patrio Andromachen iterum cessisse marito. pes, et tristia dona, ante Obstupui: miroque incensum pectus amore urbem in luco ad undam Compellare virum, et casus cognoscere tantos. falsi Simoëntis, voca- Progredior portu, classes et litora linquens. batque Manes ad Hec- Solemnes tum fortè dapes et tristia dona, toreum tumulum, quem Ante urbem, in luco, falsi Simoëntis ad undam, ridi cespite, et geminas Libabat cineri Andromache, Manesque vocabat aras, causam lachrymis. Hectoreum ad tumulum, viridi quem cespite inanem, inanem sacraverat è vi NOTES." 289. Transtris: upon the benches or thwarts. They extended across the vessels from side to side: the rowers sat upon them. 290. Certatim: eagerly-striving to outdo one another. quora: the surface of the sea, which they sweep with their oars. Equor: properly any plain or level surface, whether land or water. It is here used in its appropriate sense. 291. Phæacum: of the Phæacians-so called from Phæacia, an island lying to the west of the promontory of Actium. Hodie, Corfu. It was famous for its orchards. Here Homer placed the gardens of Alcinous, who was king of the island. Abscondimus: we hide the aërial towers, &c. we lose sight of them. 292. Legimus Epiri: we coast along the shores of Epirus. This was once a flourishing kingdom, bounded on the east by Achaia and Thessaly; on the north by Macedonia; and on the south and west by the Ionian sea. It was divided into four principal parts; Elolia, Acarnania, Thesprolia, and Chaonia. In the last of which was the city Buthrolus or Buthrotum. It was built upon a hill. Hence the epithet celsam. For ascendimus, Heinsius, and Heyne after him, read accedimus. 294. Incredibilis fama rerum: an incredible report of things. It was an incredible revolution of fortune indeed, that a son of Priam should reign in Epirus, and should be married to Andromache, the widow of his brother, after she had been the wife of Pyrrhus, that very son of Achilles, who slew the venerable Priam in the most cruel manner. Yet these things are not the mere invention of the poet. Justin informs us, that after the taking of Troy, Pyrrhus was reconciled to Helenus, shared with him his 290 295 300 kingdom, and gave him Andromache in marriage. 295. Priamiden: the son of Priam-a patronymic noun. 296. Eacida Pyrrhi : of Pyrrhus, a descendent of Eacus. He was king of Thessaly, and father of Peleus. Eacides was a name both of Achilles and Pyrrhus. Conjugio: in the sense of uxore. Sceptris: in the sense of regno. 297. Andromachen cessisse: that Andromache again had fallen to a husband of her own country. She was a Theban princess by birth; but by marrying Hector, Troy became her country. Patrio marito: in the sense of Trojano marilo. 298. Miro: in the sense of magno, vel vehementi. Amore: desire. 299. Tantos casus: so great events-such a wonderful change of fortune. 301. Tum fortè libabat: then by chance Andromache was offering the yearly feast, and mournful gifts to the ashes of Hector, &c. Among other funeral ceremonies, was the custom of pouring into, or upon the grave, blood and milk: because it was thought that the (anime) souls delighted and fed upon these, and particularly upon the blood. These constituted the feast and mournful gifts, which Andromache repeated yearly to the ashes or shade of Hector. See verse 66, supra. 302. Falsi Simoëntis: fictitious Simoïs. This was a small river of Epirus, to which Helenus and Andromache gave the name of Simoïs, after a river of that name in Troas. It was not the real Simois. Undam: in the sense of aquam. 304. Inanem: empty-not the real tomb of Hector; but one in memory of him. Such a one was called tumulus vacuus, vel inanis. These tombs, or cenotaphs were 305 Et geminas, causam lachrymis, sacraverat aras. Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco. Heu! quis te ca sus dejectam conjuge tanto NOTES. honorary merely, and erected to persons buried in another place; or to those who received no burial, and whose relics could not be found. The samne religious regard was paid to these tumuli inanes et honorarii, as to real tombs. Viridi cespite: she made (consecrated) this tomb of green turf. 305. Geminas aras. Some will have it, that one altar was for Hector, and the other for Astyanax, her son, whom the Greeks threw headlong from the tower of Troy. Others, however, think she erected (consecrated) both to Hector, it being customary to erect two altars to the Manes, especially of Heroes, who were considered inferior deities. See verse 63, supra. Causam: the cause, or incentive to her tears. They brought more forcibly to her mind the recollection of her husband, and renowed her former grief. 307. Amens: amazed. It agrees with illa understood. Exterrita monstris: astonished at the mighty prodigy, she fainted in the midst of the sight. Any thing that happens, or is contrary to the ordinary course of things, may be called monstrum. The sight of her countrymen was so unexpected, so improbable, and so Sar from the ordinary course of events, that t might well enough be called magnum monstrum," 308. Diriguit: in the sense of defecit. 309. Labitur: she falls. 310. Vera-ne facies: do you, a real form, a true messenger, present yourself to me? are you really Encas, or are you his image only?-are the things which I behold true and real, or are they mere phantoms? Lux: in the sense of vila. 313. Furenti: to her grieving, or sorrowing. Furens properly signifies, being transported with any inordinate passion or affection, as love, sorrow, anger, &c.-grieving imunoderately. Rumus says, mærenti. 309. Et tandem vix 310 fatur longo tempore pòst 311. Recessit à te 315 319. O Andromache, quondam uxor Hectoris, servas-ne connubia Pyrrhi? 314. Subjicio: in the sense of respondeo. Hisco: I open my mouth in broken, disconnected words. They were few in number, and interrupted by sighs and tears. 315. Per omnia extrema: through all perils and distress. Extrema, here, is a sub. Rumus says, per omnes miserias. 316. Vera: true things-realities. 317. Quis casus: what event hath befallen thee, deprived of so great a husband? Conjuge, here, plainly means Hector, her former husband. Ruæus interprets excipit te, by, successit tibi; and dejectam, by privalam. 319. Servas connubia, &c. These words of Eneas would carry with them a severe reproach, if Andromache had been the mistress of her own fortune. Catrou observes, that this slavery rendered her connexion with Pyrrhus excusable; yet she is confused upon the occasion, casts her eyes upon the ground, and replies with a low voice, not answering his question directly, but breaking out into a passionate exclamation: Ofelix, &c. The sense which Ruæus gives to the passage is plainly incorrect. He interprets the words thus: O Andromache, lenes-ne conjugem Hectoris, an Pyrrhi? which will be: Andromache, are you wedded to Hector, or to Pyrrhus? which is manifestly absurd, especially after what Æneas had said just before; dejectam tanto conjuge, meaning that she was brought low by being deprived of so great a husband. The construction is as in the ordo: is Hector's Andromache wedded to Pyrrhus? which is not so much a question, as an exclamation of surprise. That Hectoris Andromache is to be construed in this way, appears from Justin, who gives them the same honorable designation, Lib. xvii. cap. 3. He there says, that Pyrrhus gave the kingdom of Epirus to Helenus, the son of Priam; and also gave him (Andromachen Hectoris) Hector's An |