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Arma procul, paulùm aspectu conterritus hæsit,
Continuitque gradum : mox sese ad litora præceps
Cum fletu precibusque tulit: Per sidera testor,
Per Superos, atque hoc cœli spirabile lumen,
Tollite me, Teucri; quascunque abducite terras:
Hoc sat erit. Scio me Danais è classibus unum,

Et bello Iliacos fateor petiise Penates.
Pro quo, si sceleris tanta est injuria nostri,
Spargite me in fluctus, vastoque immergite ponto.
Si pereo, manibus hominum periise juvabit.
Dixerat: et genua amplexus, genibusque volutans
Hærebat. Qui sit, fari, quo sanguine cretus,
Hortamur; quæ deinde agitet fortuna, fateri.
Ipse pater dextram Anchises, haud multa moratus,
Dat juveni, atque animum præsenti pignore firmat.
Ille hæc, depositâ tandem formidine, fatur:
Sum patriâ ex Ithacâ, comes infelicis Ulyssei,
Nomen Achemenides: Trojam, genitore Adamasto
Paupere, mansissetque utinam fortuna! profectus.
Hic me, dum trepidi crudelia limina linquunt,
Immemores socií vasto Cyclopis in antro

NOTES.

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603. Iliacos Penates. The Penates properly were the household gods-the gods of one's country. Hence the word came to signify, one's house and country, and whatever a person held most dear, by meton. See En. ii. 717.

604. Pro quo: for which-for his being a Greek, and having taken part in the war against Troy. Sceleris injuria. Ruæus says, iniquitas criminis. Si scelus meum tantum est, says Heyne.

605. Spargite: in the sense of projicite: tear me in pieces, and cast me into the sca. 606. Si pereo, &c. Dr. Wharton makes the following reflections upon this passage. Nothing, says he, can more forcibly strike the imagination, than these circumstances of the wandering Trojans, sheltered in a wood, upon an unknown coast, and hearing strange and terrible noises during a dark and moonless night; and not knowing whence the dreadful sounds proceeded, or by what they might be occasioned. At daybreak, how sudden and great the surprise, to see the ghastly figure of a man, who first runs towards them with great precipitation, as if to beg some assistance; but suddenly starts Dack at the sight of Trojan habits and arms. At last, recovering himself a little, he resolves to fling himself into their hands, whatever might be the consequence. Received

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into a vessel, he gives them the dreadful narration of Polyphemus, informs them that this was the island of the Cyclops, begs them to leave it instantly, and concludes most pathetically, that if he must die, it would be some comfort to him to perish by the hands of men, and not by monsters.

607. Amplexus: embracing our knees, and falling upon his own knees, he clung to us. Servius observes, that the several members of the body were consecrated to particular deities: the ear, to memory; the knees, to mercy; the right hand, to faith. Suppliants were accustomed to throw, or cast themselves upon their knees, and embrace those of the person of whom they asked or begged any thing.

603. Cretus: in the sense of ortus. 610. Haud multa moratus: delayed not a moment.

611. Præsenti pignore. The right hand among all nations is considered a pledge of friendship. Præsens here signifies, readypropitious. So adsum, I am present, signifies also, to favor-to be propitious.

613. Ithaca: an island in the Ionian sea. It formed a part of the dominion of Ulysses. Hodie, Isola del Compare.

614. Adamasto: Adamastus my father being a poor man. He mentions his poverty as an excuse for his going to the war; it was not his choice. Sinon pleads the same excuse. See En. ii. 87. Utinam: I wish the same state of poverty had remained to me!

617. Cyclopis. Polyphemus is here meant. It is said he was the son of Neptune and Thoosa, the daughter of Phorcys. It is said that Ulysses, on his return from Troy,

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620

618. Ejus domus in- Deseruere. Domus sanie dapibusque cruentis, tus est opaca, ingens, el Intus opaca, ingens: ipse arduus, altaque pulsat plena sanie Sidera; Dî, talem terris avertite pestem! Nec visu facilis, nec dictu affabilis ulli. Visceribus miserorum, et sanguine vescitur atro. 623 Egomet vidi, cùm Vidi egomet, duo de numero cùm corpora nostro, ille resupinus in medio Prensa manu magnâ, medio resupinus in antro, antro frangeret duo cor- Frangeret ad saxum, sanieque aspersa natarent pora de nostro numero, orensa magnâ manù, ad Limina: vidi, atro cùm membra fluentia tabo Manderet, et tepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus. 628. Fecit id quidem Haud impunè quidem: nec talia passus Ulysses, haud impune: nec Ulys- Oblitusve sui est Ithacus discrimine tanto. ses passus est talia

Baxum

625

Nam simul expletus dapibus, vinoque sepultus
Cervicem inflexam posuit, jacuitque per antrum
Immensus, saniem eructans ac frustra cruento
Per somnum commixta mero; nos, magna precati
Numina, sortitique vices, unà undique circùm
Fundimur, et telo lumen terebramus acuto
Ingens, quod torvâ solum sub fronte latebat,

630

635

NOTES.

visited Sicily, and the straits of Messina. He lost a part of his fleet in the whirlpool of Charybdis. This was a dangerous place to all who attempted to pass the straits. It gave rise to this proverb: Incidit in Scyllam, qui vult vitare Charybdim, implying that in avoiding one evil, we frequently fall into a greater. But no whirlpool is now to be found, sufficiently large to answer to the description given by the poets and other ancient writers. It is probable some change has been effected in this part of the sea in the course of time.

621. Nec facilis visu: nor is he easy to be looked upon, nor easy to be spoken to by any one. His terrific aspect fills you with dread, and deprives you of the power of speech. Servius says: Cujus possit etiam aspectus ferre formidinem; and Stephens: Cujus ne aspectum quidem facile quis sus

tineat.

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632. Immensus. Some read immensum, to agree with antrum. But immensus is preferable, referring to the dimensions of Polyphemus. Frusta commixta: pieces (of human bodies) mingled with bloody wine. Per somnum is to be connected with eructans.

634. Sortiti vices: having drawn by lot our parts to act, all at once, we surround him from all quarters, and dig out, &c. Donatus thinks it should be tenebramus, instead of terebramus: we darken, or extinguish the light of his eye: which would express, as he thinks, the quickness and celerity of their action. But Homer, whom Virgil here follows, expressly mentions the circumstance of the boring out of the monster's eye; and compares the action of Ulysses and his companions to a carpenter boring a piece of timber. Circùmfundimur, is probably here used in the sense of the middle voice of the Greeks.

No

636. Latebat: lay concealed; because his eye was shut in sleep. Quod solum, &c. The Cyclops are represented as having only one eye, and that one in their forehead. This is doubtless a fiction. such people ever existed. Eustathius explains the fable thus: that in violent passion, men see only one single object, as that passion directs; in other words, see with one eye only and further, that passion transports men into savages, and renders them brutal and sanguinary, like Polyphemus; and he, who by reason extinguishes that passion, may be said to put out that eye. Others explain it by alleging that Polyphemus was a man of uncommon wisdom and penetration, who is therefore re presented as having only one eye, and that

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Argolici clypei aut Phœbeæ lampadis instar :
Et tandem læti sociorum ulciscimur umbras.
Sed fugite, ô miseri, fugite, atque ab litore funem
Rumpite.

Nam, qualis quantusque cavo Polyphemus in antro
Lanigeras claudit pecudes, atque ubera pressat;
Centum alii curva hæc habitant ad litora vulgò
Infandi Cyclopes, et altis montibus errant.
Tertia jam Lunæ se cornua lumine complent,
Cùm vitam in sylvis, inter deserta ferarum
Lustra domosque traho, vastosque ab rupe Cyclopas
Prospicio, sonitumque pedum vocemque tremisco.
Victum infelicem, baccas, lapidosaque corra
Dant rami, et vulsis pascunt radicibus herbæ.
Omnia collustrans, hanc primùm ad litora classem
Conspexi venientem: huic me, quæcunque fuisset,
Addixi: satis est gentem effugisse nefandam.
Vos animam hanc potiùs quocunque absumite leto.
Vix ea fatus erat, summo cùm monte videmus
Ipsum inter pecudes vastâ se mole moventem
Pastorem Polyphemum, et litora nota petentem:
Monstrum horrendum, informe, ingens, cui
ademptum.

Trunca manum pinus regit, et vestigia firmat.
Lanigeræ comitantur oves: ea sola voluptas,
Solamenque mali: de collo fistula pendet.

NOTES.

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640

645

650

653. Satls est mihi, effugisse

655 655. Cûm videmus summo monte, pastorem Polyphemum ipsum, moventem se

lumen

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649. Infelicem: poor-scanty. Corna: the fruit of the corneil tree. It is round, and protected by a hard shell.

650. Pascunt: in the sense of nutriunt. Dant: in the sense of præbent.

651. Collustrans: in the sense of circumspiciens.

652. Addixi me huic: I have surrendered myself to it, whatever it may be--I have given myself up into your hands; do with me as you please.

life of mine by any death, rather than leave
654. Vos potius absumite: take away this
me behind to die by the hands of these mon-
of perdite.
sters of rapacity. Absumite: in the sense

:

658. Cui lumen: whose eye had been taken out. The dat. is frequently used by the poets in Cui in the sense of cujus. the sense of the gen. Est is to be supplied with ademptum.

659. Trunca pinus: a cut pine guides his hand. From this we may form some idea of his stature. His staff is the trunk of a pine. Heyne reads manu: in his hand. 661. Mali: in the sense of miseria vel doloris. Fistula pendet de collo. These words are probably spurious They are left out in some editions. Heinsins, Donatus, and Heyne reject them. Nor does Homer mention any such circumstance⚫

Postquàm altos tetigit fluctus, et ad æquora venit, Luminis effossi fluidum lavit inde cruorem, Dentibus infrendens gemitu: graditurque per æquor Jam medium, necdum fluctus latera ardua tinxit. 666. Nos trepidi capi- Nos procul inde fugam trepidi celerare, recepto mus celerare fugam pro- Supplice sic merito, tacitique incidere funem · cul inde, supplice, sic merito, recepto à nobis Verrimus et proni certantibus æquora remis. 669. Polyphemus sen- Sensit, et ad sonitum vocis vestigia torsit. sit hoc, et toisit

Verùm ubi nulla datur dextrâ affectare potestas, 670. Nulla potestas Nec potis Ionios fluctus æquare sequendo ; datur illi affectare nos Clamorem immensum tollit, quo pontus et omnes dextrâ; nec potis est 673. Exterrita fuit penitùs

665

670

Intremuere undæ, penitùsque exterrita tellus
Italæ, curvisque immugilt Etna cavernis.
At genus è sylvis Cyclopum et montibus altis
Excitum ruit ad portus, et litora complent.
Cernimus adstantes' nequicquam lumine toryo
Etnæos fratres, cœlo capita alta ferentes,

675

679. Tales quales cùm Concilium horrendum : quales cùm vertice celso aeriæ quercus, aut coni- Aëriæ quercus aut coniferæ cyparissi

feræ

682. Acer metus agit Constiterunt, sylva alta Jovis, lucusve Dianæ. socios præcipites excu- Præcipites metus acer agit quòcunque rudentes Excutere, et ventis intendere vela secundi

tere

NOTES..

whom Virgil here imitates. Ea sola voluptas, &c. probably refers to his sheep.

663. Inde in the sense of deinde. Or, perhaps it may be considered merely expletive.

665. Fluctus: in the sense of aqua. 668. Certantibus: in the sense of laborantibus.

669. Sonitum vocis. This may refer to the sound of their voices. For though it is said they went off silently; this can only mean, they did it with as little noise as possible. There must have been some, to give the necessary orders. But more probably to the sound of their oars; for vor sometimes signifies any sound whatever.

670. Affectare extra: to grasp or seize with his right hand.

The common reading is dextram, but this is more difficult. Heyne reads dextra; which is approved by Valpy, although he retains dextram. Davidson observes some ancient copies have dextrâ altrectare.

He

671. Fluctus in the sense of mare. could not equal the depth of the sea. 673. Undæ intremuere. Dr. Trapp says, this is a most noble hyperbole. Some there are, who think it too bold. But they not only forget the prerogative of poetry, but the real nature of fear; which always swells and heightens its object. Penitûs: in the sense of intimè.

674. Immugiit in the sense of remugiit. 675. Genus: in the sense of gens. Some copics read gens.

680

677. Lumine: in the sense of oculo. Nequicquam in vain; because we were out of their reach.

Then esses

679. Concilium: in the sense of turbam. 680. Conifera cyparissi: such the aërial oaks, or cone bearing stand together with their lofty tops, &c. The cypress tree bears a fruit resembling the figure of the cone; hence called conifera. sylva Jovis: and the cypress was sacred to Proserpina or Diana; hence lucus Diana.

The

quercus was sacred to Jove; hence alta

682. Præcipites: in the sense of celeres. Quocunque: for quocunque modo, in any direction or way whatever.

683. Excutere rudentes. Rudentes may be taken for those ropes, which seamen call the sheeis. By the help of these, they draw in the sail when they wish to go near the wind; or let it out when they sail before it, or with a fair wind. It is usually fasten ed to the extremity of the sail, or to the boom or yard which extends the sail. That it does not here mean the cables, will appear, when we consider that they had already cut their cables, incidere funem, verse 667 supra, and were out at sea. Excutere rudentes, therefore, will be, to let out, to loose or extend the sheets, so as to sail before the wind. This is more fully expressed by intendere vela secundis vintis, to spread the sails to the favorable winds. It was not so much the object of Æneas, in this juncture, to proceed on his direct course, as to sail in

Contrà, jussa monent Heleni Scyllam atque Charybdim:

Inter utramque viam, leti discrimine parvo,

Ni teneant cursus; certum est dare lintea retrò.
Ecce autem Boreas angustâ à sede Pelori
Missus adest vivo prætervehor ostia saxo
Pantagiæ, Megarosque sinus, Tapsumque jacentem.
Talia monstrabat relegens errata retrorsùm
Litora Achemenides, comes infelicis Ulyssei.
Sicanio prætenta sinu jacet insula contra
Plemmyrium undosum: nomen dixere priores
Ortygiam. Alpheum fama est huc, Elidis amnem,

NOTES.

any direction, so as to escape the hands of the Cyclops. Heyne says, explicare, intendere, evolvere rudentes. See 267. supra.

684. Contrà jussa Heleni: on the other hand, the commands of Helenus warn (my companions) of Scylla and Charybdis. That they may not hold their course in either way, in so great danger (small a distance) of death, it is determined to sail backward. That we may not pass near Scylla and Charybdis, nor near the monster Polyphemus, and his associates; in either way, we should be in imminent danger of death, we determine to spread our sails backward. The usual explication of this passage refers ulramque viam, to Scylla and Charybdis: implying that the passage between the rock Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis was dangerous, and parùm à morte distare. The explanation, referring utramque viam Loth to the straits of Messina, and the Cyclops, appears the easiest. In order to shun the dangers of each, they determined to sail back into, the open sea, or from whence they came. The wind probably at that moment blew from the south, and prevented them from pursuing their direct course. But shifting to the north, they changed their purpose, and sailed down the eastern shore of Sily. This, and the two following lines Heyne conjectures are an interpolation. 685. Discrimine: in the sense of spatio, vel distantia: also, of periculo:

686. Ni: in the sense of ne. Lintea: in the sense of vela.

687. Pelori. Pelorus is the northern promontory of Sicily, forming, with Italy, the straits of Messina, so called from a city of that name on the Sicilian shore. These straits are about one mile and a half wide.

The wind blowing from them, was fair for him to sail down the eastern shore of Sicily, according to the direction of Helenus. It is here called Boreas, because it came from the north. Æneas speaks of this wind as a person sent, or commissioned by Heaven to aid and assist him: Missus adest. Angusta sede. Rumus says: angusto frete.

689. Pantagia ostia. Pantagia was a small river, whose mouth (ostia) was en

685

690

690. Relegens retrorsùm litora errata jam antè à se

694. Fama est Alpheum amnem Elidis egisse sibi occultas vias huc subter mare; qui amnis exiens è tuo ore, O Arethusa, nunc

closed on each side with a steep rock. The prep. è, vel ex, is understood before vivo saxo. Megaros Sinus: the bay of Megara. This bay lies between the river Terias and Syracuse. In this bay was Tapsus, a peninsula, which lay low, and almost level with the sea.

690. Monstrabat: Achemenides pointed out to us these things, as he was sailing back along the shores, along which he had wandered before.

Virgil here follows the opinions of those who make Ulysses to have sailed from the country of the Lotophagi in Africa, to the southern part of Sicily; and turning the promontory of Pachynum, sailed along the eastern shore, and visited Etna, and the country of the Cyclops. The course of Eneas being to the south, was the reverse of that of Ulysses. Achemenides, therefore, might be said to sail back again, with the greatest propriety. Dr. Wharton observes, that Virgil is an exact observer of probability. If it should be objected by any one, that Eneas was a perfect stranger to this coast, and could not be supposed acquainted with the several places, which he passed; an answer is at hand: Achemenides, who had lately passed along the same shores, pointed them out to him.

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691. Infelicis: unfortunate. refer in general to the disasters he suffered in h return from Troy; and particularly the loss of a part of his fleet in the straits of Messina. The return of Ulysses from Troy, is the subject of the Odyssey.

front of the Sicilian bay, over against bois692. Insula prætenta: an island lies in terous Plemmyrium. This was a promontory near Syracuse, against which the waves from the sea beat. Hence the epithet undosum. Between this promontory and Syracuse lay the island of Ortygia.

693. Priores: in the sense of majores.

694. Alpheum. Alpheus, a celebrated river of the Peloponnesus, rising from the mountain Stymphalus, running in a westerly di rection, passing through a part of Arcadia and Elis, falls into the Sinus Cyparissæus.

Bon
little

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