Neptunus ventis implevit vela secundis, Atque fugam dedit, et præter vada fervida vexit. Jamque rubescebat radiis mare, et æthere ab alto 25 Aurora in roseis fulgebat lutea bigis: Cùm venti posuere, omnisque repentè resedit 30 In mare prorumpit. Variæ circùmque supràque Nunc age, qui reges, Erato, quæ tempora, rerum NOTES. 26. Bigis. Aurora is represented by the poets as drawn in a chariot of two horses. Lutea: an adj. from lutum, an herb with which yellow or saffron color is dyed. The poet, here, has given a charming description of the morning. 27. Posuere in the sense of quieverunt. 28. Tonsa: the oars labor in the smooth surface of the sea. Tonsa, properly, the blade of the oar. Dr. Trapp takes lento, to denote here yielding or giving way to the oar. Marmore: the sea unruffled by the wind. 30. Tiberinus inter hunc: through this grove, with its pleasant streams and rapid course, (whirls,) yellow with much sand, &c. Some take Tiberinus, not for the river itself, but for the god of the river. In this case it may be rendered Tiberinus, god of the pleasant river, in rapid whirls, &c. The prep. è, or er, being understood. The Tiber is, next to the Po, the largest river in Italy. It rises in the Appennines, and running in a southern direction, dividing Latium from Etruria or Tuscany, falls into the sea by two mouths. Its original name, we are told, was Albula. It took its present name from a Tuscan king, who was killed near it. But Livy says it took its name from Tiberinus, a king of the Albans, who was drowned in it. 34. Mulcebant athera: they charmed the air with their song. This is highly poetical. The air, calm and still, is represented as listening to the music of the birds that were flying in all directions about the river, and being charmed with their melody. Indeed the whole is extremely beautiful, and cannot be too much admired. It would appear from this, that Æneas arrived in the Tiber about the middle of the spring, when the birds are most lively and musical. 37. Erato: the muse that presides over love affairs. She is invoked because the following wars were in consequence of the love of Turnus and Eneas for Lavinia. It is derived from the Greek. Rerum. Most commentators connect rerum with tempora ; but it is evident its place is after status: what state of things there was in Latium, when first a foreign army arrived on the Italian shores. Heyne connects it with tempora · Davidson with status. 42. Animis: in the sense of ira. 43. Manum: troops-forces. 45. Latinus. Virgil places Latinus only three generations from Saturn. Faunus, Picus, then Saturn. Others place him at the distance of nine. His origin is much obscured. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, agrees with Virgil, that, when Eneas arrived in Italy, Latinus reigned in Latium—that he had no male issue; but an only daughter, whom Eneas married. Arva: the country. Placidas: in the sense of quietas. Accipimus. Fauno Picus pater: ipse parentem 50. ruit nullus filius Filius huic, fato Divûm, prolesque virilis quæque oriens Jam matura viro, jam plenis nubilis annis. Multi illam magno è Latio totâque petebant Ausoniâ. Petit ante alios pulcherrimus omnes 56. Quem regia con- Turnus, avis atavisque potens: quem regia conjux jux Amata properabat Adjungi generum miro properabat amore: miro amore adjungi ge- Sed variis portenta Deûm terroribus obstant. nerum sibi Laurus erat tecti medio, in penetralibus altis, 50 55 Sacra comam, multosque metu servata per annos : 60 61. Quam inventam, Quam pater inventam, primas cùm conderet arces, pater Latinus ipse fere- Ipse ferebatur Phœbo sacrâsse Latinus; batur sacrâsse Phœbo, Laurentisque ab eâ nomen posuisse colonis. cùm 64. Densæ apes, vecte Hujus apes summum densa, mirabile dictu! ingenti stridore trans li- Stridore ingenti liquidum trans æthera vectæ, quidum æthera obsedêre Obsedêre apicem: et, pedibus per mutua nexis, summum apicem hujus Examen subitum ramo frondente pependit. arboris. Continuò vates, Externum cernimus, inquit, NOTES. 48. Accipimus: in the sense of audimus. 49. Ultimus auctor: the first or remotest founder of our race. Ultimus, ascending, is the same with primus, descending. Refert: in the sense of habet. 50. Filius huic. It is evident that Latinus had, in the course of his life, male issue; but at that time he had none. It is not said whether he had one, two, or more sons; and we have a right to suppose either. I have supposed that he had, in the course of his life, several, and accordingly have inserted the word quæque, before oriens: quæque oriens: every one growing up was snatched away in early life. 52. Filia sola servabat. By this we are to understand, that his daughter alone preserved his family from extinction, and his kingdom from passing into the hands of others: or that she alone was the heiress of his crown and kingdom―tantas sedes. Totam regionem, says Ruæus. 56. Potens avis atavisque: powerful (in grandfathers and great grandfathers) in his ancestors. The queen was taken with such an illustrious match for her daughter; and accordingly urged, with great importunity, that Turnus should be received into the family as their son-in-law. Amore: Ruæus says, studio. 59. Penetralibus. The interior of a house or palace, though not roofed, may be called penetrale. Such must have been the palace of Latinus; otherwise a stately laurel could not have grown in that place. 60. Servata metu: preserved with religious awe and veneration. Sacra comam: a Grecism. 63. Laurentis colonis. The name Laurens was originally given to a grove of laurel, near the shore of the Tuscan sea, extending to the east of the Tiber. Hence the neighboring country was called Laurens. Also, the nymph Marica, the wife of Faunus, and mother of Latinus, was called Laurens. Turnus, too, is called Laurens, from the circumstance of this grove bordering upon his dominions. It appears that Latinus only raised fortifications, and embellished the city, which must have been built before; for we are told that his father Picus had erected here a noble palace; see 171. The city, after the time of Latinus, was called Laurentum, from a very large laurel growing on the spot where he founded the tower. This, however, was the common name of the whole neighboring country, from the grove above mentioned. The inhabitants were called Laurentes—Laurentini—Laurentii et Laurenti. 64. Densa apes: a thick swarm of bees. 66. Per mulua: taken adverbially. Their feet being mutually joined or linked together. 68. Cernimus: we see a foreigner approach, and an army seek those parts, which the bees sought, from the same parts from which they came. 70. Dominarier: by paragoge, for dominari: to rule-bear sway. Prætereà castis adolet dum altaria tædis; O mea progenies thalamis neu crede paratis. NOTES. 71. Dum adolet altaria: while he kindles the altar with holy torches, &c. Some connect adolet with Lavinia, and understand her to have set fire to the altars. But it is evidently better to understand this of the father, his daughter standing near him. Castis: in the sense of puris vel sacris. 72. Ut: et is the common reading. Heyne reads ut, which makes the sense easier. 76. Fulvo. Ruæus takes this in the sense of rutilanti. 77. Vulcanum: in the sense of flammam vel ignem. 78. Id verò, &c. This line is capable of a double meaning, according to the sense given to ferri. If it be taken in its usual sense, it will be this terrible thing, and wonderful to the sight, (began) to be spread abroad. It it be taken in the sense of haberi, it will be: this thing (began) to be considered terrible and wonderful to the sight. This is the sense given both by Ruæus and Davidson. Dr. Trapp favors the former. 79. Fatis. Fatum, here, is in the sense of fortuna. Canebant: in the sense of prædicebant. 81. Monstris: at the prodigies, or wonderful signs. Monstrum: any thing that is contrary to the ordinary course of nature. Fatidici: prophetic. 82. Consulit: he consults the grove under lofty Albuna. This was a fountain from which flowed the river Albula. Its waters were very deeply impregnated with sulphur. It was surrounded with a very gross and putrid atmosphere, which the poet calls sævam mephitim. Here was a grove sacred to Faunus. 85. Enotria tellus: Italy. See Æn. i. 530. 91. Affatur Acheronta: converses with the infernal powers in deep Avernus. Acheronta: acc. sing. of Greck formation. Acheron, by the poets, is made one of the rivers of hell. Here it is evidently used for the infernal gods. 94. Atque jacebat: and lay, supported by their skins and outspread fleeces-he lay down upon them. 97. Paratis. This alludes to the contemplated match with Turnus. Thalamis: in the sense of nuptiis. 99. Quorumque stirpe: descending from Omnia sub pedibus, quà Sol utrumque recurrens Aspicit Oceanum, vertique regique videbunt. Hæc responsa patris Fauni, monitusque silenti 103. Latinus ipse non Nocte datos, non ipse suo premit ore Latinus ; premit suo ore hæc re- Sed circùm latè volitans jam fama per urbes sponsa Ausonias tulerat ; cùm Laomedontia pubes Gramineo ripæ religavit ab aggere classem. Eneas, primique duces, et pulcher Iülus, Corpora sub ramis deponunt arboris altæ : Instituuntque dapes, et adorea liba per herbam Subjiciunt epulis (sic Jupiter ille monebat) Et Cereale solum pomis agrestibus augent. 112. Hic fortè aliis Consumptis hic fortè aliis, ut vertere morsus cibis consumptis, ut pe- Exiguam in Cererem penuria adegit edendi ; Et violare manu, malisque audacibus orbem Fatalis crusti, patulis nec parcere quadris : Heus! etiam mensas consumimus, inquit Iülus. 117. Nec dixit plura Nec plura, alludens. Ea vox audita laborum Prima tulit finem primamque loquentis ab ore 119. Paterque eripuit Eripuit pater, ac stupefactus numine pressit, eam primam ab ore filii Continuò, Salve, fatis mihi debita tellus ; loquentis nuria edendi verba 124. Dicens, O nate, cûm fames coget to vec tum : 100 105 110 115 120 Vosque, ait, ô fidi Troja, salvete, Penates. NOTES. 106. Religavit: moored. 110. Subjiciunt: they place along the grass wheaten cakes under their meat. They use them in the room of plates or trenchers. 111. Solum any thing placed under another to support it, may be called solum. Cereale solum, therefore, must be those wheaten cakes which they used on this occasion as plates. Augent: they load them with, &c. 112. Morsus: in the sense of dentes. 113. Ut penuria edendi: when want of other provisions forced them to turn their teeth upon the small cake, &c. Edendi: in the sense of cibi. 114. Violare. The eating tables among the ancients were considered sacred. They were a kind of altar, on which libations were made to the gods, both before and after meals. To destroy them was considered a kind of sacrilege or violence. Orbem fatalis crusti. By this we are to understand 125 The the cake or trencher-the orb of the ominous 123. Repeto: I recollect-I call to memory. Memoriam is understood. 125. Dapibus accisis: your provisions having failed-being consumed. l'um sperare domos defessus, ibique memento Exitiis positura modum. Quare agite, et primo læti cum lumine solis, Quæ loca, quive habeant homines, ubi mœnia gentis, Sic deinde effatus, frondenti tempora ramo Diditur hic subitò Trojana per agmina rumor, Postera cùm primâ lustrabat lampade terras Orta dies; urbem, et fines, et litora gentis Donaque ferre viro, pacemque exposcere Teucris. NOTES. 138. Noctem. This goddess sprang from Chaos, according to Hesiod. Æneas invokes her, fearing, perhaps, during the darkness, some mischief from the natives. 139. Idæum: an adj. from Ida, a mountain in Crete, where Jupiter was brought up. Phrygiam matrem: Cybele. 140. Duplices parentes: both his parents, Venus and Anchises; the former in heaven, the latter in Elysium; at least his idolum, or simulacrum. 141. Clarus: may mean loud-shrill; or perhaps it may imply that the sky was clear, which was considered a good omen. 142. Radiis lucis et auro. This is for aureis radiis lucis, by hend, the golden beams of light. 144. Diditur: is spread abroad. 145. Debita: in the sense of destinata. 148. Lampade: in the sense of luce. 150. Stagna fontis: the streams of the fountain Numicus. This was a small river, or stream, flowing between Laurentum and Ardea. Diversi: they in different directions. 154. Ramis Palladis: with the boughs of Pallas-with the olive. The olive was sa cred to Minerva, and the badge of peace, Velatos: coronatos, says Ruæus. 157. Ipse designal: he himself, in the mean time, marks out his city with a low furrow, and prepares the place for building. This city of Eneas was situated on the east bank of the Tiber, a little above the sea. He called the name of it Troy. In after times, Ancus Martius, a king of the Romans, founded here a city, which he called Ostia, from its vicinity to the mouth of the Tiber. See En. v. 755. |