Finitimas in bella feram rumoribus urbes, Illa autem attollit stridentes anguibus alas, Est locus, Italiæ in medio sub montibus alti Nec minùs intereà extremam Saturnia bello NOTES. 550. Amore insani. Ruæus takes this for insano amore Martis, by hypallage. But insanus is an epithet highly applicable, and proper for Mars, or war; where nothing but havoc and mad fury reign. 551. Arma: in the sense of bella. 554. Novus sanguis: new (or recent) blood hath stained the arms, which, &c. The nous, alludes to the blood which had been sed in the recent or late encounter. Fors: chance-fortune. Dedit: offered-presented. 559. Cede locis: depart from the places of this upper world. The earth is called the celestial or ethereal regions, in opposition to the infernal regions, or regions of darkness. Superest. The parts of the verb are sepa rated by tmesis. Fortuna laborum: Ruæus says, discrimen in hoc negotio. 560. Voces: in the sense of verba, 561. Allollit: in the sense of explicat. She (Alecto) spreads her wings hissing, &c. 562. Supera ardua: the lofty places of this upper world. Loca being understood. 565. Valles Amsancti. Commentators are not agreed about the situation of this place. Mr. Addison is of opinion that the Velinus, mentioned 517, is the place which the poet had in his view. The river, says he, is extremely rapid before its fall, and rushes down a precipice a hundred yards high. It throws itself into the hollow rock, which has probably been worn by such a constant fall of water. It is impossible to see the bottom, 550 555 556. Æneas, egregium genus Veneris, et ret Latinus ipse celebrent 558. Pater Jupiter ipse regnator summi 560 Olympi haud velit te errare 565 565. Nempe valles amsancti. Latus nemoris, 570 atrum densis frondibus urget hunc locum utrinque, medioque ejus 570. In queis Erinnys, invisum numen, condita on which it breaks, for the thickness of the mist that rises from it; which looks at a distance like clouds of smoke, ascending from some vast furnace; and distils in perpetual rains on all the places near it. He ob-. serves, that this was the most proper place in the world for a fury to make her exit, after she had filled a nation with distractions and alarms; and, I believe, continues he, that every reader's imagination is pleased, when he sees the angry goddess, thus sinking as it were in a tempest, and plunging herself into hell amidst such a scene of horror and confusion. This cascade is near the middle of Italy. Amsanctus: of the old amphi, and sacer vel sanctus. 567. Torto vortice: with its whirling eddy Fragosus: roaring among the rocks. 568. Spiracula: in the sense of ostia. 569. Ingens vorago: a vast gulf issuing from overflowing Acheron-from Acheron, having burst its barriers. Acheron, a river of hell: also hell itself-the infer nal deities. Davidson takes it absolutely with rupto. 570. Condita: being hid-sunk. Lerabat. relieved them from her presence, by disappearing from these upper regions. Heyne says, linquebat. 572. Saturnia regina: Juno, the dangh ter of Saturn, and wife of Jove. Henco sometimes styled the queen of the gods. vocari nis 579. Admisceri Lati 580. Tum illi, quorum matres attonite Baccho insultant thiasis per Almonem puerum, fœdatique ora Galæsi : 588. Quæ tenet sese sua mole, magno fragore procellæ veniente 595. O miseri! ipsi pendetis has O miseri! Te, Turne, nefas, te triste manebit 575. Ora in the sense of caput; and fædati, in the sense of occisi: or ora fœdati Galasi, may mean simply the body of Galesus, mangled and disfigured with wounds. 577. Medio crimine, &c. By crimen here we are undoubtedly to understand the charge or accusation, which the rustics brought against the Trojans, for the death of Almon and Galæsus. While they are making the accusation, in medio crimine, Turnus comes up, and increases the alarm. Dr. Trapp takes it for the crime of murder simply; and Ruæus interprets it by in me dio cadaverum. 580. Attonite: inspired-under the influence of. Ruæus says, percita. 581. Insultant thiasis: leap and dance in choirs through the pathless groves. For thiasis, Ruæus says choreis. Nomen: influence-authority. 582. Fatigant: in the sense of poscunt. Martem: war. 583. Omina. These were the flight of bees and fiery appearance about Lavinia. See 64, supra et sequens. 584. Fata: these were the responses of the Oracle of Faunus. Perverso numine. Rumus takes this in the sense of contra voluntatem Deorum: the will of the gods being against it. Heyne is of the same opinion. Perverso: in the sense of adverso. 587. Fragore: in the sense of tempestate. 588. Circumlatrantibus: in the sense of circumsonantibus. 576 581 585 590 595 589. Scopuli: properly high sharp rocks. Saxa: any rocks-rocks in general. 590. Alga illisa: the sea-weed dashed against its sides is repelled, or washed off. часчит 591. Cœcum: in the sense of insanum. 593. Testatus multa: having often be sought the gods and skies-having called them to witness. Multa: a Grecism, for multùm, vel sæpe. Inanes auras: aërem, says Rumus. Auras: the skies or heavens, as the word frequently signifies. Dr. Trapp thinks it should be read aras, and, accordingly, he connects inanes with it: the vain or useless altars; because of the league which had been made in due form, but now was broken. But Davidson reads inanis, agreeing with pater, in the sense of inaniter, in vain-to no purpose; and he observes it is the reading of some ancient copics. Heyne reads inanes agreeing with auras. Valpy and La Cerda do the same. Pierius connects inanes with frangimur. 595. Sacrilego sanguine. Latinus calls their blood sacrilegious, because they had compelled him to the war against the will of the gods. 596. Nefas: an impious or wicked person. As Æn. ii. 585. Or it may be taken in the sense of infandum, agreeing with supplicium. Ruæus interprets it by crimen. Davidson renders it: "the impious promoter of this war," in apposition with Turne. 598. Nam quies: for rest is prepared for Funere felici spolior. Nec plura locutus, Mos erat Hesperio in Latio, quem protinùs urbes NOTES. me, and my whole haven is at the door. This is a fine metaphor. The weatherbeaten mariner enters the haven with joy. It is a place of rest and quiet, from the dangers of the ocean. So the aged monarch views death at the door, as the end of his toils, and as a rest from his cares and labors. All he loses is the satisfaction of leaving his people in peace and prosperity. 600. Habenas rerum; the reins of government. A metaphor, taken from the management of horses, with bit and reins. Sepsit in the sense of clausit. 601. Mos erat. This custom was instituted in the time of Numa, as we are told by Livy; but, for the sake of embellishment, the poet refers the origin of it to the earliest ages of his country. Protinus: constantly. Rumus says, perpetuò. 602. Coluêre: in the sense of servaverunt. Rerum : the world. 603. Movent Martem. We are told that the Romans used, upon the declaration of war, to enter the temple of Mars, where the sacred bucklers were suspended, and strike upon them, with the words: Mars vigila, Mars awake. Hence the expression, movent Martem: in the sense of excitant Martem. 604. Getis. The Geta were a people of Dacia, near the mouth of the Danube. The proconsul L. Crassus triumphed over them, just before the time of Virgil. 605. Hyrcanis. Hyrcania was formerly a part of Parthia. Against them, as a distinct people, the Romans did not declare war. In the year of Rome 730, Augustus attempted the subjugation of the Arabians, but he failed in it. Indos. It is well known that the Romans made no conquests in India, properly so called. But Dion informs us that, overawed by the fame of Augustus, they made peace with him, and presented him with rich gifts, while he tarried at Samos, in Asia, about the year 734. Tendere ad: to march against the Indians, and to penetrate the remotest parts of the east, sequi auroram. 606. Parthos reposcere: to demand back the standards from the Parthians. 608. Relligione: religious veneration. 609. Vectes æternaque: a hundred brazen bars, and eternal strength of iron, shut them. 610. Janus. This is said because the statue of Janus was in the threshold; or because he presided over all doors, which, from him, were called januæ. Janus was the most ancient king of Italy. Some suppose him to have been Japhet, the son of Noah. See Ecl. iv. 6. He was represented with two faces. 611 Pugna: in the sense of belli. Sententia: determination; and sedet: in the sense of hæret. Has. This must refer to portas understood. But it would seem quite unnecessary. The idea is sufficiently conveyed by limina stridentia, which is to be placed in this case, in apposition with has portas. Ruæus takes limina in the sense of cardines, but this seems a refinement unnecessary. He says, has (portas) et earum stridentes cardines. Heyne and Valpy take them as meaning the same thing-the doors of the temple of Janus. 612. Quirinali trabeâ: with his augural robe. So called, because worn by Romulus, who was also called Quirinus. See 187, supra. Gabino cinctu. This dress Servius derives from Gabii, a city of Latium. See Lex. under cinctus. 617. Recludere: to open the direful doors, Abstinuit tactu pater, aversusque refugit Fœda ministeria, et cæcis se condidit umbris. 620. Tum Saturnia Tum regina Deûm, cœlo delapsa, morantes regina Deûm, delapsa, Impulit ipsa manu portas, et, cardine verso, cœlo, ipsa 629. Adeò magnæ urbes Belli ferra os rupit Saturnia postes. Ardet inexcita Ausonia atque immobilis antè: quinque Tela novant: Atina potens, Tiburque superburn, NOTES. The doors of the temple of Janus were open in time of war, but shut in time of peace. Immediately on the declaration of war, the consul, with much parade and solemnity, opened them. What is said here on the subject, is by anticipation. Jubebatur: is urged-importuned. 622. Postes. Postis, properly, the doorpost, or that part of the frame to which the door is hung. Also, the door itself, by me ton. 624. Pars arduus: a part raised on lofty steeds, involved in clouds of dust, rage for war. The meaning of the passage is: a part prepare to take the field as infantry, (pedites,) a part as cavalry. 627. Arvind: tallow-any fat. 629. Urbes: the cities; by meton. the inhabitants. Incudibus positis: on their erected anvils, or their anvils being erected. 630. Novant tela: they repair their weapons. Atina: a city of the Volsci. Tibur: this was a city in the northern part of Latium, near the cataract of the river Anien. It was situated near the top of a mountain, Hence the epithet superbum. Hodie, Trivoli. 631. Ardea. This was the capital of the Rutuli. See 372, and 410, supra. Crustumeri: this was a city situated not far from the place where Rome was afterward built. Little, however, is known of it. Antemna: a city near the confluence of the rivers Anien and Tiber. 633. Crates umbonum. These were the supporters or frames of the shields, made of osiers, or small pieces of wood, and afterward covered with the hides of beasts. Um 1 620 625 630 635 bo: the farthest projecting point of the shield; by synec. put for the whole shield. These frames were made of willow. 634. Ducunt: in the sense of excudunt. Leves ocreas: smooth greaves of ductile silver. These were armor for the legs and thighs. 635. Honos vomeris: the honor (regard) of the ploughshare and of the pruning knife, gives place (huc) to the preparations for war; and all the love of the plough yields to them. They are so intent upon war, that they disregard the business of agriculture. 636. Recoquunt: they form anew-they make over again. 637. Tessera signum: the tessera, the signal for war, goes forth. This was a square figure like a dice, on which was inscribed the watchword or private signal, by which they could distinguish friends from foes in battle. Or, according to others, it contained the order and regulations of the march. This was distributed among the soldiers. Hence the phrase: it tessera. It was afterward given viva você. Classica: the trumpets. The tuba was a straight trumpet: the cornua, a crooked trumpet, resembling a horn. They were also called buccina. The lituus was a trumpet not so straight as the tuba, nor so crooked as the cornu. Classicum, properly, the sound of the trumpet: the trumpet itself, by meton. 639. Trilicem auro. The coat of mail was composed of plates of iron linked together by rings. Some of them were fringed or bordered in the lower extremity with gold tissue of two or three textures, and were ac cordingly called bilix, trilix, &c. Al Juga Ad juga cogit equos; clypeumque, auroque trilicem Loricam induitur, fidoque accingitur ense. Pandite nunc Helicona, Deæ, cantusque movete : Qui bello exciti reges: quæ quemque secutæ Complêrint campos acies: quibus Itala jam tum Floruerit terra alma viris, quibus arserit armis. Et meministis enim, Divæ, et memorare potestis: Ad nos vix tenuis famæ perlabitur aura. Primus init bellum Tyrrhenis asper ab oris Contemptor Divûm Mezentius, agminaque armat. Filius huic juxtà Lausus; quo pulchrior alter Non fuit, excepto Laurentis corpore Turni: Lausus equûm domitor, debellatorque ferarum, Ducit Agyllinâ nequicquam ex urbe secutos Mille viros; dignus patriis qui lætior esset Imperiis, et cui pater haud Mezentius esset. 639. Induiturque cly 640 peum, loricamque trili 645 650 655 Post hos, insignem palmâ per gramina currum, Victoresque ostentat equos, satus Hercule pulchro Pulcher Aventinus; clypeoque insigne paternum, Centum angues, cinctamque gerit serpentibus hydram : Collis Aventini sylvâ quem Rhea sacerdos Furtivum partu sub luminis edidit oras, Mixta Deo mulier postquam Laurentia victor, Geryone extincto, Tirynthius attigit arva, NOTES. to the chariots. Chariots were anciently used in war by all distinguished persons. 640. Induitur: in the sense of induit. 641. Helicona: a Greek acc.: a mountain in Beotia sacred to the muses. The poet here imitates the Iliad. lib. ii. both in this invocation, and in the enumeration of the forces of the Italian princes. But, in several particulars, he has improved upon his model. 646. Tenuis aura: a small breath of fame, &c.-scarcely a slender thread of tradition hath extended down to us. 647. Asper: fierce-cruel, 648. Mezentius. We are told that he commanded his subjects to pay him a tax of the first fruits, and the firstlings of their flocks; which before were given to the gods. On this account, he was considered an atheist, contemptor divûm. The poet here gives us a list of the troops engaged on the part of Turnus. 649. Huic. The dative of the personal pronouns is often used in the sense of the genitive. Huic: in the sense of hujus. 650. Corpore Turni: a Grecism, for Turnus himself. 652. Argyllina: an adj. from Argylla, a city of Tuscany, near the confines of Lati um. It was founded by a colony of Thessalians. Nequicquam: in vain, because he was to be slain in the war with his troops: or, because he could not prevent thereby the purposes of the gods concerning the Trojans. 660 cem auro 641. O Deœ Musa, pandite 642. Qui reges exciti fuerint; quæ acies 643. Quibus viris jam tum Itala, alma terra 648. Asper Mezentius, contemptor Divûm, primus init 649. Huic filius Lausus sequitur juxtà, quo 652. Ducit mille viros secutos eum nequicquam 655. Post hos pulcher Aventinus, satus pulchro Hercule, ostentat currum insignem palmâ 657. Clypeoque gerit paternum insigne, nempe 59. Quem Rhea sacerdos, mulier mixta Deo, partu edidit furtivum sub oras luminis 653. Dignus, &c. This line is somewhat perplexed. The usual ordo is, dignus qui esset latior, &c. It would be easier by transposition thus: qui esset dignus (fuisse) latior, &c.: who was worthy to have been happier in his father's authority. It was in obedience to his father that he came to the war. If he had not been constrained, he would have tarried at home, shunned the toils and dangers of the war, and by that means have saved his life. He was worthy to have lived. Rumus interprets imperiis by regno, implying that he deserved to be happier in his father's kingdom-to have remained at home, and, by that means, saved his life. Cui: to whom Mezentius ought not to have been a father; who could have imposed such commands upon a son. 657. Pulcher. Dr. Trapp thinks this cannot here mean beautiful; but rather stout, illustrious, renowned; as the same word is applied to Hercules, his father. Paternum insigne: his father's ensign, or impress. This was the figure of the conquered hydra, shooting up into a hundred heads. 660. Edidit partu: brought forth at a birth into life, &c. 661. Mixta: uniting-mingling withhaving intercourse with. Hercules, after he had slain Geryon, the king of Spain, and taken his herds, returned with them through Italy. It was at this time, that the priestess Rhea conceived Aventinus, and afterward bore him to that hero. 662. Tirynthius: a name of Hercules, |