Virbius; insignem quem mater Aricia misit, 764 Namque ferunt famâ Hippolytum, postquam arte novercæ Occiderit, patriasque explêrit sanguine pœnas, Tum pater omnipotens, aliquem indignatus ab umbris Fulmine Phœbigenam Stygias detrusit ad undas. Ipse inter primos præstanti corpore Turnus NOTES. restored him to life, and commended him to the care of Egeria, the nymph of the Aricinean grove. Here he was worshipped as a demi-god and called Virbius; from the words vir and bis. Virgil makes him the son of Hippolytus and the nymph Aricia. By mater, we are to understand his mother. 762. Aricia. This was a city of ancient Latium, not far from the mouth of the Tiber. It might be so called from the nymph Aricia. Servius understands by mater this city, which was the birth-place of the mother of Augustus, and the parent of an illustrious family. But it is better to take it as above. In its neighborhood was a grove sacred to Egeria. With this nymph, Numa Pompilius pretended to be intimate, and to receive instructions in religion. 763. Humentia litora: the shores of the lake Aricinus. 764. Pinguis: this is said of the altar, in reference to the number of victims offered upon it. Placabilis: easy to be appeased. The verb est is understood. 766. Explêrit: had satisfied-filled up. Turbatis: affrighted. 768. Sub superas auras cali: to the upper regions of light-this upper world. 769. Paoniis herbis: such herbs as were used by Paan, the physician of the gods: 771 775 780 785 765. Hippolytum Virbium, postquam occiderit arte noverce, distractusque turbatis equis, explêrit patrias pœnas, venisse rursus 772. Fulmine detrusit Phœbigenam, reperto rem 781. Filius hujus Virbii haud seciùs exercebat 784. Et est supra om nes toto vertice 787. Illa est tam magls fremens, et effera tristibus flammis, by Apollo, his father, who is also styled Paan-medicinal herbs. 773. Phabigenam: Esculapius, the son of Phoebus and Coronis, the daughter of a king of the Lapitha. He is esteemed the father of physic. It is said he raised several from the dead. 775. Relegat: she consigns him to the nymph, &c. Trivia: a name of Diana, from tres et via. 776. Ignobilis: unknown-retired from the world. 778. Unde: hence-from that circumstance-to wit, their being affrighted at the monsters. 780. Pavidi: affrighted at the sea-monsters, they overturned—ran away with the chariot, &c. 781. Filius haud: the son, not less intrepidly than the father, managed the fiery steeds, &c. 784. Vertitur inter primos: he marches in the foremost ranks. Vertitur: in the sense of incedit. 785. Galea crinita: his lofty helmet waving with a triple crest, &c. The figure of the Chimera was represented on his helmet. See Æn. vi. 288. 787. Effera: fierce-dreadful. Tristibus: horrid—awful. Turni Quàm magis effuso crudescunt sanguine pugnæ. 789. At lo ex auro At levem clypeum sublatis cornibus Io Litus arant: Rutulosque exercent vomere colles, 801. Gelidusque Ufens Quà Saturæ jacet atra palus; gelidusque per imas NOTES. 788. Crudescunt: rage-grow more and more fierce and bloody. 789. Io. The poets say she was the daughter of the river-god Inachus. Jove had an amour with her; and likely to be discovered by Juno, he changed her into a heifer. Juno suspecting the trick, desired the heifer to be given to her. Having obtained her request, she gave her into the custody of the shepherd Argus, fabled to have had a hundred eyes. He was slain by Mercury; and Juno placed his eyes in the tail of her peacock. After this she drove the heifer into Egypt, where she was restored to her foriner shape by Jove. Here she married Osiris, king of Egypt; and after her death, was worshipped as a goddess, under the name of Isis. This fable was represented on the shield of Turnus. He was descended from Inachus, king of Argos. See 372, supra.—sublatis: highwide-spreading. 790. Obsita: covered with hairs. Bos: in the sense of vacca. 791. Argumentum : subject—device. Ingens: noble-illustrious. 792. Pater, here refers to the father of Io. Calala urna: from his embossed urn. 794. Argivaque pubes. The poet now enumerates the nations that followed Turnus. The Argive troops, most probably came from Ardea. See 372, supra. 795. Auruncæ manus. These were the descendants of the old Aurunci, or Ausones, the first people of Italy. Sicani. These were the inhabitants of some part of Latium; or the remains of the Siculi, whom Cluverius thinks to have been among the first inhabitants of Italy; but, being expelled their country, fled to Sicily, to which island they gave their name. 790 795 800 805 796. Sacrane: an adject. from Sacrant. These were a people made up of the aborigines and the Pelasgi: who, after their expulsion of the Siculi, were themselves driven by the Sabines beyond the river Anien, and settled near the place where Rome was afterward built. Labici. Their city Labicum, was in the northern part of Latium. 798. Exercent: in the sense of excindunt vel vertunt. 799. Circæum jugum. This was the hill and promontory which bounded old Latium on the east. Here was the residence of the celebrated Circe. Hodie, mount Circello. Anzurus: an epithet of Jupiter, from Anrur, or Anxurus, a town of the Volsci, where he was particularly worshipped. 800. Feronia: Feronia rejoicing in a verdant grove. This was situated between Mons Circæus, and Terracina or Anxur. It is not certain what goddess is meant by Feronia. Most interpreters take her to be the same with Juno. But La Cerda thinks her to be the same with Flora, relying on the authority of Dionysius. 801. Atra palus Saturæ: the dismal lake of Satura. By this we are to understand the palus pontina, or pontine lake, which extended along the maritime coast of the Volsci. It gave rise to many foul and unwholesome streams. Here fitly called atra palus. Ufens. This river flows in deep winding vales, to which the sun can hardly have access. Hence the epithet, gelidus. 803. Super hos: beside these-in addition to the troops already mentioned, Camilla brings her squadrons of horse and foot. 804. Florentes ære: glittering, or gleaming in brazen armor. The Volsci, her people, were brave and warlike; and had the Fœmineas assueta manus; sed prælia virgo NOTES. Latins on the west, the Aurunci and Campani on the east, and the Hernici and Equi on the north. 306. Assueta: she had not accustomed her female hands to the distaff, &c. Calathis Minerva. Calathus is a basket for women to put their sewing and other work into. Hence, by meton. the work itself. Then will calathis Minerva mean, light and easy female employments in general. She had not accustomed her hands to these; but to endure the fatigue and hardships of war. 808. Illa vel volaret: she could even fly along the topmost stalks of the corn untouched, &c. Gramina: the stalks or blades of corn. We may observe that the poet here does not say she actually flew over the fields of corn; but, by an hyperbole, to denote her swiftness, she could even do it, nor touch them in her course. 812. Omnis juventus effusa: all the youth issuing from city and country, and the crowd of matrons, wonder at her, &c. Teclis and agris are plainly opposed to each other; the one put for the city, and the other for the country. 814. Inhians: gazing upon her. 815. Regius honos: how the regal ornaments, &c. 816. Ut ipsa gerat: how she bears the Lycian quiver, &c. The poet gives her this quiver, because the Lycians were famed for skill in archery. 817. Myrlum. The myrtle was a suitable wood for spears. Hence, by meton. the spear itself. It is called pastoral, because she had lived among shepherds with her father Metabus. Cuspide: this is put for the point of the spear, which was tipped with steel. Ruæus says, armatam cuspide; meaning myrtum, the spear or javelin. QUESTIONS. From Cajeta to what place did Æneas direct his course? What time of the day did he set sail? What does Dr. Trapp observe of the opening of this book? After his arrival in the Tibor, what were the first measures which he adopted? How were his ambassadors received by Latinus? Who was Latinus? How many generations was he from Sa turn? Why was his kingdom called Latium? What was the name of his daughter? Had any of the Italian princes sought her in marriage? Who was the most distinguished of her suitors? Had she been promised in marriage to Turnus? Who was Turnus? Of what country were his ancestors? What was the character of Turnus? Was Latinus in favor of this connexion? What was the reason of his opposing it? What particularly influenced his mind upon this subject? What was the response of the oracle of Faunus? Did he consider Eneas to be the person alluded to by the oracle as his son-in-law? Did he propose to the Trojan ambassadors a connexion between him and his daughter? Was this connexion opposed by Turnus? What was the consequence of this? How was the mother of Lavinia affected toward Turnus? What was her name? Did she endeavor to persuade her husband to consent to the match? Did she make any speech to him upon the subject? What is the character of that addross? How was she affected with the determination of Latinus? Eneas had been told that his followers should be reduced to the necessity of consuming their trenchers, before they should find a permanent settlement: how was that prediction fulfilled? Who made this prophetic declaration to Eneas? How was the accomplishment received by him and his associates? How was Juno affected with this kind roception of the Trojans? What does the poet represent her as doing to kindle the war? What course does Alecto pursue? While these things are going on, what do the Trojans? While in the chase, what does Ascanius? Who was killed in this skirmish? Who was Tyrrheus? What was his employment? Did Turnus also urge the aged monarch_rest equal to the first books of the Æneid? to declare war against the intruders? Has the poet been censured on this account? Is this censure justly founded? LIBER OCTAVUS. WAR being determined upon, Turnus sends to Diomede to engage him in his interest; and Æneas, at the direction of the god of the Tiber, ascends that river to Evander to obtain supplies. He finds the aged monarch engaged in the sacred rites of Hercules. He receives him very kindly, informs him of their relationship, and of his former acquaintance with Priam and Anchises, who visited Arcadia, his native country. He then proceeds to give him an account of the victory of Hercules over the monster Cacus, noted robber: in memory of which, the rites, in which he was then engaged, were instituted. He also recounts to him the antiquities of that part of Italy, and mentions, particularly, the rock or hill on which the Capitol at Rome was afterward built. While these things are going on, Venus repairs to Vulcan, and engages him to make armor for Eneas. He immediately repairs to the Eolian Islands, where he had his forges, and sets about the business with all haste. Evander furnishes two hundred horse, and sends Pallas, his son, with as many more. At this time the Tuscans are in arms to avenge the barbarities of Mezentius, their king, who had fled to Turnus for safety. These gladly join Æneas in the war. The book concludes with a description of the armor of Eneas, brought to him by Venus through the air. The scene is here changed from the country of Latinus to that of Evander. This book is chiefly episodical, and abounds in matter of the most interesting kind. Dr. Trapp thinks, on the whole, it is one of the noblest, most elegant, and most entertaining of the whole Æneid. UT belli signum Laurenti Turnus ab arce Talia per Latium: quæ Laomedontius heros Nox erat, et terras animalia fessa per omnes Procubuit, seramque dedit per membra quietem. Visus. NOTES. 1. Signum. The poet here alludes to the custom among the Romans, of hanging out the sign or signal of war from the Capitol. 2. Cornua: trumpets. See Æn. vii. 637. Concussit equos: roused the active horses. This he did by the sound of the trumpets, the clashing of their arms, &c. Impulit ar ma. Some understand by this the throwing of the spear into the enemy's country, which was a practice among the Romans. This was a declaration of war. Servius understands it of the rattling of the arms in the temple of Mars. But it is easier to understand it of his striking on his shield as a sign and prelude to the war. 8. Vastant: in the sense of spoliunt. Cultoribus: the farmers-inhabitants. 9. Urbem Diomedis: the city of Diomede, Arpos or Argyripa, a city built by him in Apulia, after the destruction of Troy. See En. xi. 243, et seq. 12. Posci fatis: that he was demanded by the fates or destinies as a king over the 14. Nomen: the name of Æneas-his 18. Talia: the verb fiunt, or another of the like import, is understood. 22. Sicut aqua: as when the tremulous light in brazen vats of water, reflected froin the sun, or the image of the radiant moon, flies through, &c. This simile Dr. Trapp observes is of the low kind; but extremely elegant and beautiful. By sole, we are to understand the image of the sun. 24. Sub auras: simply, on high. 27. Alituum: in the sense of volucrum. 28. Sub axe: under the canopy of the cold sky. 31. Senior Tiberinus, Deus loci: old Tiberinus, the god of the place, seemed to him to raise himself from the pleasant stream among, &c. This is a most beautiful do scription. |