Tyrrhenoque boves in flumine lavit Iberas. 664. Ejus milites ge- Pila manu, sævosque gerunt in bella dolones : runt 670. Tum gemini fratres, Catillusque, acerque Coras, Argiva juventus, linquunt Et tereti pugnant mucrone, veruque Sabello. Ipse pedes, tegmen torquens immane leonis, Terribili impexum setâ, cum dentibus albis, Indutus capiti sic regia tecta subibat Horridus, Herculeoque humeros innexus amictu. Tum gemini fratres Tiburtia monia linquunt, Fratris Tiburti dictam cognomine gentem, Catillusque, acerque Coras, Argiva juventus: Et primam ante aciem densa inter tela feruntur. Ceu duo nubigenæ cùm vertice montis ab alto Descendunt Centauri, Omolen Othrynque nivalem Linquentes cursu rapido: dat euntibus ingens Sylva locum, et magno cedunt virgulta fragore. Nec Prænestinæ fundator defuit urbis ; dator Prænestinæ urbis Vulcano genitum pecora inter agrestia regem, defuit ; quem regem omnis ætas credidit ge- Cæculus. Hunc legio latè comitatur agrestis: Inventumque focis, omnis quem credidit ætas, 682. Quique viri co- Quique altum Præneste viri, quique arva Gabinæ lunt altum Præneste, Junonis, gelidumque Anienem, et roscida rivis quique colunt, Hernica saxa colunt: quos, dives Anagnia, pascis; 685. Quos tu pascis, O pater Amasene. Arma Quos, Amasene pater. Non illis omnibus arma, Nec clypei currusve sonant: pars maxima glandes NOTES. 678. Nec Cæculus fun nitum esse non sunt omnibus from Tyrins, a city near Argos, where he was brought up. 663. Tyrrheno flumine: the river Tiber, which divided Tuscany or Etruria from Latium. Iberas boves: his Spanish herds. Iberas: an adj. from Iberus, a river of Spain. Hodie, Ebro. 664. Dolones. These were long poles or battoons, with bayonets enclosed at the end, which were hardly to be observed. Hence they were called dolones, from dolus, being a kind of deceitful weapon. 665. Veru. This was a kind of dart used by the Sabines and Samnites. Hence the epithet Sabello, that is, Sabino vel Samnitico. 668. Indutus capiti: he put it (the shaggy lion skin) upon his head. Cinctus circa caput, says Rumus. 669. Innexus: covered, as to his shoulders, with the garment of Hercules, his fa ther. This was the hide of the Nemean lion. 673. Feruntur: in the sense of incedunt. Ante primam before the first line-in the front of the battle. 674. Nubigena: cloud-born sons. These were the Centaurs, whom Ixion begat, it is said, upon a cloud. They were a people of Thessaly, and celebrated for horsemanship. Ixion was their king. 675. Omolen-Othryn. These were mountains of Thessaly, where the Centaurs resided. 678. Fundator, &c. Cæculus, we are told, 665 670 675 680 685 had very small eyes, as his name implies. He was very ambitious, and was the founder of a colony. He pretended that he was the son of Vulcan, and that the brightness of his father's fire had injured his sight. He built the city Præneste, situated on a mountain. Hence called altum Præneste, about 24 miles from Rome. 680. Inventum focis: found upon the hearth. He was therefore reputed the son of Vulcan. The verb esse vel fuisse is understood. 682. Gabina Junonis. Gabina: an adj. from Gabii, a town of the Volsci, between Here Juno had a Rome and Præneste. splendid temple. Hence she is called Ga binian Juno. Liventis plumbi spargit; pars spicula gestat pero. Nec quisquam æratas acies ex agmine tanto NOTES. 691. Messapus. By birth he was a Greek. After his arrival in Italy, he occupied the eastern part, which was from him called Messapia, afterward Calabria. He was a skilful navigator; and hence called Neptunia proles: the offspring of Neptune. Virgil places his dominions in the eastern part of Etruria, not far from the place where Rome was afterward built. 693. Populos jampridem: his people, a long time inactive, and disengaged from the pursuits of war. 695. Fescenninas acies: the Fescennine troops. These were from the city Fescennia, or Fescennium, a town of Etruria, a little below the confluence of the Nar and Tiber. Acies, properly, an army drawn up in order of battle. Here, troops in general. Equosque Faliscos. These were a people situated a little below Fescennium. Their city was Faliscum. Servius says, they were called Equos, because the Romans borrow. ed from them their jura fecialia, or laws of arms: also, a supplement to the laws of the twelve tables. Others make qui the name of a people, called, also, Equicolæ, and read, Equosque Faliscosque. The hi in this and the following line, appears to refer to Messapus, within whose territories all these cities and people were, here mentioned; and, consequently, he was their commander in chief. The plu. may be used for the sing. by way of aggrandizement, as is common to all languages. Or the hi must refer to the subordinate officers and commanders of Messapus. This seems to be the opinion of Ruæus, who has: hi duces Messapi. 696. Soractis. Soracte was the name of a mountain in the country of the Falisci. Arces: the towers or strong places built upon it. Flavinia arva. Little is known of this place, nor is its situation exactly ascertained. in the western part of Etruria. It had a 697. Cimini. Ciminus was a mountain 698. Ibant aquati: they marched with equal steps, and uniform motion. By numero, we are to understand a kind of harmony and keeping time with their music. Or, rather, the order of their march-rank and file. 699. Ceu quondam, &c. This simile is taken from the Iliad, lib. ii. and is very finely expressed. . 701. Amnis et Asia: the river and the Asian lake, struck from afar, resound. The Amnis is the Caÿstrus. See Geor. i. 383. Modos: in the sense of roces. 702. Nec quisquam putet: nor would any one (who heard their music only) have thought them armed troops of so great numbers, united and joined together; but an aërial cloud of sonorous fowls, &c. The words, who heard their music only, are necessary to make the sense complete. For the poet could not intend that those who saw them, would have taken them for a flock of birds. 1 710. Unà cum eo ibant ingens Amiterna cohors, priscique sea rura Velini; qui co lunt Urgeri volucrum raucarum ad litora nubem. 705 710 712. Illi quoque ibant Qui Nomentum urbem, qui rosea rura Velini : qui colunt urbem No- Qui Tetricæ horrentes rupes, montemque Severum, mentum, qui colunt ro- Casperiamque colunt, Forulosque et flumen Himella. Qui Tybrim Fabarimque bibunt: quos frigida misit 715 715. Illi ibant quoque, Nursia; et Hortinæ classes, populique Latini : quos frigida Nursia mi- Quosque secans infaustum interluit Allia nomen. Quàm multi Libyco volvuntur marmore fluctus, 717. Illi que, quos Al- Sævus ubi Orion hybernis conditur undis : secans interluit, ibant Vel quàm Sole novo densa torrentur aristæ, Aut Hermi campo, aut Lyciæ flaventibus arvis. sit lia, infaustum nomen, unà cum eo. NOTES. 707. Clausus. After the expulsion of the kings, Atta Clausus removed with his family, and about five thousand clients and friends, from Regillum, a city of the Sabines, to Rome. After which he took the Dane of Appius. He was admitted into the patrician order. The poet makes the Clausus here named, to have been one of his ancestors. Instar agminis: himself like a mighty army-a match for. 708. Diffunditur: in the sense of propagatur, vel spargitur. 709. In partem Sabinis. The poet here alludes to the union of the Sabines and Romans, which put an end to the wars between the two nations. These were the conditions of the compact. The Sabines were to remove to Rome, which was to retain its name. The citizens were to take the name of Quiriles, from Cures, a city of the Sabines; and the government was to be jointly administered by Tatius and Romulus. 710. Amiterna cohors. The poet here enumerates various places, all belonging to the Sabines. Amiterno: an adj. from Amilernum, a town situated among the Apennines. Quirites were the inhabitants of Cures, whence the Romans were afterward sometimes called Quirites. Eretum was a village near the confluence of the rivers Allia and Tiber. Hodie, Monte Rotundo. Matusca: a village beyond the Palus Reatina, to the north. Hodie, Monte Leone. Nomentum, was a town near Eretum on the cast. Hodie, Nomentano. 712. Rosta rura. Part of the country of Reatina, according to Pliny, was called rosea, from ros, dew; which, falling copiously, fertilized that part of the country. Mr. Addison observes, that the river Velinus is chaded by a green forest made up of several kinds of trees, which preserve their ver 720 dure all the year. The neighboring mountains are covered with them; and, by reason of their height, are more exposed to dews and drizzling rains than the adjacent parts. Some copies have roscida. Dr. Trapp prefers rosea, and takes it for a patronymic adjective; and observes it should be written with a capital R. Heyne writes it with a capital. Tetrica-Severum. The names of two mountains, so called from their wild aspect and barrenness. Their 'situation is uncertain. 714. Casperiam. Casperia was a town not far from Cures. Hodie, Aspera. Forulos. Foruli was a town in the neighborhood of Amiternum. Himelle. This was a small river falling into the Tiber, a little below Cures. Hodie, Aia. 716. Nursia. This city was situated among the Apennines, and much exposed to frost. Hence the epithet, frigida. Hodie, Norica. Hortina: an adj. from Hortanum or Horta, a city at the confluence of the Nar and Tiber. Classes. It is plain that classes here means land forces, or troops in general. Heyne says, copiæ. 717. Allia. A river that runs into the Tiber a little below Eretum. Here the Romans were completely defeated by the Galli Senones, under Brennus, their king: on which account, Virgil calls it infaustum nomen: an inauspicious name. Secans: in the sense of dividens. 719. Orion: a constellation much dreaded by mariners; hence called sævus: stormy. 720. Novo sole. By this interpreters understand the sun in the beginning of the summer. But perhaps the sun is called new, not in respect of the year; but of the arista, the ears of corn. Hermi. Hermus was a river of Lydia, a most fertile country. Lycie. This was a country on the south of Scuta sonant, pulsuque pedum tremit excita tellus. Nec tu carminibus nostris indictus abibis, tenent Quique Rufas, Batulumque tenent, atque arva Celennæ : 740. Et illi quos mœEt quos maliferæ despectant monia Abellæ: NOTES. 740 nia Asia Minor, abounding in corn. Torrentur: Manus Oscorum. The Osci, were a people dried-ripened. 722. Excita: in the sense of commota. 723. Hinc: in the next place, Halesus, &c. 724. Halesus. Either the natural son of Agamemnon, or an illegitimate one. Or perhaps by Agamemnonius, we are to understand simply his being a Greek by birth. Curru: for currui 726. Massica. The poet here mentions several nations and places in Campania. Massica: an adj. agreeing with arva understood. Massicus was a mountain in Campania near the sea, in the confines of Latium, very fertile in vines. Aurunci patres. The Aurunci, or Ausones, were the most ancient inhabitants of Italy, and therefore styled Patres. They were between Campania and the Volsci. Sidicina: plu. of Sidicinum, a tract of country to the eastward of the Aurunci, bordering upon the sea. Cales: plu. a town built upon the mountain Massicus. Hodie, Calvi. 729. Accola: the inhabitants of the fordable river Vulturnus-those who live near the river, &c. came also to the war. Mr. Davidson observes that vadosus must be used here metaphorically, to signify dangerous; or it must refer to those parts of the river near the mouth, where it spreads and runs with a gentle course, and consequently is shoal. The Vulturnus is a river of Campania, noted for its rapidity. Vadosus: from vadum, a shoal or sand-bank. This river takes its rise in the Apennines, and after a very circuitous course falls into the sea not far from the ancient Cumæ. Saticulus: : an inhabitant of Salicula, or Satricula, a town to the cast of Vulturnus, and Capur. descended from the ancient Ausones, and inhabited the city Capua. All these troops were under the command of Halesus. 730. Teretes aclides. The aclis was a kind of missive weapon, with a sharp point at each end. It had a string fastened to it, by which the owner drew it back after a throw. These in close fight were formidable weapons. It is probable they bound them about the wrist with a cord, (flagello,) or string, by way of security. 732. Falcati: in the sense of curvi. 733. Indictus: unsung-unmentioned. 734. Telon: acc. of Greek ending. Sebethide: the nymph Sebethis. 735. Capreas: Caprea, an island over against the Surrentinum Promontorium. The Teleboi, a colony from Epirus, possessed it. Hodie, Capri. 737. Premebat ditione : held in bondagein subjection. 738. Sarnus. A river flowing through Campania, into the Sinus Neapolitanus. Sarrastes. These were the inhabitants of the promontory Surrentinum, in that part of Italy called Campania. Equora: in the sense of campi vel arva. Æquor, properly signifies any plane, or level surface, whether land or water 739. Rufas: Rufæ, or Rufræ, was a city farther to the east. Hodie, Rufo. The situation of Batulum and Celennæ is unknown. 740. Abella: Abella a town to the north of Sarnus, in the confines of Campania and the Harpini. It was celebrated for that sort of nuts, called nuces avellanæ, or filbert-nuts, Hodie, Avella. It was built on an elevated Teutonico ritu soliti torquere cateias ; 742. Queis tegmina Tegmina queis capitum raptus de subere cortex, capitum sunt cortex Eratæque micant peltæ, micat æreus ensis. Et te montosæ misêre in prælia Nursæ, Ufens, insignem famâ et felicibus armis : 746. Cui præcipuè Horrida præcipuè cui gens, assuetaque multo Equicola in duris gle- Venatu nemorum, duris Æquicola glebis. bis, horrida gens, assuetaque multo venatu ne- Armati terram exercent; semperque recentes Convectare juvat prædas, et vivere rapto. 750. Quin et fortissi- Quin et Marrubiâ venit de gente sacerdos, mus Umbro venit missu Fronde super galeam et felici comptus olivâ, regis Archippi, sacerdos Archippi regis missu, fortissimus Umbro: morum, paret de Marrubiâ gente 754. Qui solebat spargere somnos vipereo. Vipereo generi et graviter spirantibus hydris Spargere qui somnos cantuque manuque solebat, Mulcebatque iras, et morsus arte levabat. Sed non Dardaniæ medicari cuspidis ictum Evaluit: neque eum juvêre in vulnera cantus Somniferi, et Marsis quæsitæ in montibus herbæ. 759. Nemus Angitis Te nemus Angitiæ, vitreâ te Fucinus undâ, flevit te, Fucinus vitrea Te liquidi flevêre lacus. undâ flevit te Ibat et Hippolyti proles pulcherrima bello, NOTES. 745 750 755 760 situation. Hence it is said to look, despectant, down upon the inhabitants below. Malifera: fruit-bearing. 741. Caleias. The cateia was a kind of halbert or dart, used by the Germans, and Gauls. All the nations just mentioned were subject to Ebelus, and followed him to the war. Rilu: after the Teutonic manner, they used, &c. Soliti: sunt is understood. The Teutones were a people of Germany, near the Chersonesus Cimbrica. Hodie, Denmark. 742. Tegmina: coverings for the headhelmets. Rumus says, galeæ. Queis: the dat. in the sense of quorum. 744. Nursa: the situation of this place is not known, probably it was among the Apennines. 745. Insignem famâ: illustrious by fame, and successful arms. This is equivalent to insignem famâ felicium armorum. 748. Exercent: in the sense of colunt. 749. Vivere rapto: to live upon plunder. This is agreeable to what Livy says of those nations: Fortuna Volscis Equisque prædonum potiùs mentem quàm hostium dedit. The Equicoli or Equi were a people to the east of Latium, not far from the source of the river Anien. Their country was hard and mountainous. Virgil calls it, Equicola duris glebis: quicola of hard soil. These were under the command of Ufens, and followed him to the war. 750. Marrubiâ: an adj. of Marrubium or Marruvium, a city of the Marsi, to the east of the Æqui, on the river Liris. 751. Complus super: decked upon his helmet with leaves, and the auspicious olive-having his helmet adorned with the leaves of the happy olive. Fronde et felici oliva, by hend. for fronde felicis olivæ. 752. Missu: by the command, or order. 754. Spargere somnos: to diffuse sleep over the viperous race, &c. Cantu: by his charms, or incantations. 755. Levabat: he healed -cured. 756. Ictum: in the sense of vulnus. The wounds inflicted by the weapons of the Trojans. 757. Juvêre: helped-aided. Ruæus says, profuerunt. 758. Somniferi cantus: soporific charms. Herba: herbs gathered in the mountains of the Marsi. These people were skilled in enchantments, particularly in charming serpents. This they learned from Marsus, the son of Circe, the founder of their race. 759. Angitiæ. Angitia was the sister of Circe, and came with her into Italy. She occupied the country in the neighborhood of the lake Fucinus. The town she built is now called Luco, situated to the westward of the said lake. Hodie, Lago Fucino. Vitrea: clear-pellucid. 760. Liquidi: in the sense of puri. 761. Hippolyti: Hippolytus was the son of Theseus king of Athens. Refusing the overtures of his step-mother Phadra, be was accused by her to his father, who condemned him to death. As he was driving his chariot along the shore, his horses were affrighted by sea-monsters, tore his chariot in pieces and killed him. Diana pitying his hard fate, by the help of Esculapius |