330 335 331. Alma Venus deflexit partim tantùm stringentia corpus.Enea. 340 Ni fratrum stipata cohors foret obvia, Phorci NOTES. 330. Partim: a noun partitive: some of them. Resultant: in the sense of resiliunt. 331. Deflexit: turns aside, so that they just touched his body. 333. Suggere: give to me the darts, &c. 339. Hasta protinus missa. It is generally thought by commentators that the same spear which killed Maron, also wounded Alcanor in the arm. But it is difficult to conceive that a javelin, after it had passed through a shield of brass and a breast plate, should retain so much force as to pass through the body of a man, and in its course wound another person in the arm; and, after this, that it should continue its way some distance. Some conjecture they were different weapons: and for this there is considerable ground of probability. Those who think there was only one spear, rely much upon the word protinus, which they say, means, strait-way-right forward; but it also means, forthwith-immediately. Beside, Alcanor did not seize his brother till he was in the act of falling, and the dart, consequently, done its execution, and passed from the body on its way. Granting that strait-way is the proper meaning of protinus in this place, may it not refer to the quickness of Æneas in repeating his throws, as well as to the motion of the dart? After all, the supposition of there being two darts, 345 350 makes the sense easier, and docs no violence to the words. After Æneas had killed Moon, observing his brother in the act of supporting him, and bearing him off, immediately, so that there seemed to be no interval between the two darts, hurled one at him which passed through his shoulder; and, bloody from the wound it had inflicted, continued on its course for some distance. This is the opinion of Heyne. He says, hasta alia missa ab Ænea. 343. Contrà: in the sense of vicissim. 345. Curibus: from Cures. This was a city of the Sabines. Of this city was Clausus, who commanded the Sabine troops. See Æn. vii. 707. 347. Pressâ graviter: driven with violence under his chin. Pressa agrees with hasta. Pariter in the sense of simul. 350. Borea. Boreas, properly, the north wind, fabled to have been the son of the river Strymon in Macedonia, or rather of the god of the river Strymon. Suprema · in the sense of altâ vel sublimi. Some take it in the sense of extrema, remote: meaning, they were a remote or distant nation of the earth. 351. Ismara: a city of Thrace, not far from mount Ismarus, according to Servius. 352. Casus: in the sense of modos. alios è loco. 354. Nunc hi, nunc Insignis Messapus equis. Expellere tendunt illi tendunt expellere alii Nunc hi, nunc illi. Certatur limine in ipso Ausoniæ. Magno discordes æthere venti Prælia ceu tollunt, animis et viribus æquis: 358. Ipsi venti non in- Non ipsi inter se, non nubila, non mare, cedunt: ter se, non nubila, non Anceps pugna diu, stànt obnixa omnia contrà. mare, cedunt 364. Ut primum Pallas vidit Arcadas, insue tos Haud aliter Trojanæ acies, aciesque Latinæ Suasit equos; unum quod rebus restat egenis; 368. Ille accendit vir- Nunc prece, nunc dictis virtutem accendit amaris; tutem suorum, nunc Quò fugitis socii? per vos, et fortia facta, prece, nunc amaris dic- Per ducis Evandri nomen, devictaque bella, tis; quod unum fortia facta 355 360 265 370 369. Oro, per vos, et Spemque meam, patriæ quæ nunc subit æmula laudis, 374. Hâc parte alta patria reposcit. 375. Nos mortales ur gemur ab mortali hoste; sunt nobis totidem ani sunt illis. mæque manusque, quot Deest jam terra fugæ : pelagus, Trojamne petemus ? NOTES. 354. Messapus. See Æn. vii. 691. He is there called domitor equûm, because the horse was sacred to Neptune, his reputed father. Hence he is called, Neptunia proles. 358. Cedunt. The common reading is cedit in the sing. Heyne reads cedunt, which is preferable. 359. Obnixa. Some copies have obnixi. But Pierius informs us that he found obnixa in all the ancient manuscripts which he examined. It makes the sense easier, and is probably the correct reading. All things stand struggling against one another: venti ventis, nubes nubibus, mare mari. Heyne reads, obnixa. Valpy has obnixi. 363. Arbusta: in the sense of arbores. 364. Inferre pedestres acies: to sustain a fight on foot: simply, to fight on foot. A part of the field of battle was rough and uneven ground, occasioned by the floods of the Tiber, or some torrent from the hills. Here the Arcadians chanced to fall, and being cavalry, they could not use their horses, and were obliged to dismount, and oppose the Latins on foot. But being unaccustomed to this mode of fight, they were soon thrown into confusion, and were fleeing before the enemy. In this critical state of affairs, Pallas hastened along the ranks, the 380 only thing that remained to be done, to rally his men, and bring them up to the charge. He puts them in mind that their only hope of safety is in victory. He mentions their valiant achievements, their battles won, the name of their venerable monarch, &c. Upon this occasion, Pallas manifested the intrepid cammander. 365. Latio: the country, put by meton. for the inhabitants. Sequaci: valiant-or pursuing them in flight. 366. Dimittere: to dismount-to leave their horses. Queis: to whom, to wit, the Arcadians. 367. Suasit: in the sense of coëgit. 370. Ducis: in the sense of regis. Devicta bella: your victorious wars. Ruæus says, relatas victorias. 371. Subit: in the sense of surgit. Patria laudis: my father's glory. 374. Reposcit: in the sense of vocal. 378. Petemus. The meaning is: we must either cast ourselves into the sea, and there perish, or cut our way through the enemy to the Trojan camp. Nothing else remains for us. We have no place for flight. 382. Discrimina costis: division-separa Intorto figit telo, discrimina costis Per medium quâ spina dedit: hastamque receptat Excipit, atque ensem tumido in pulmone recondit. NOTES. tion-parting to the ribs. Ruæus says, divortium costarum. 333. Receptat: in the sense of retrahit. 384. Occupat: in the sense of intercipit. 389. Anchemolum. He was the son of Rhætus, king of the Marrubii, a people of Italy. He had an amour with his step-mother Casperia. To escape the vengeance of his father, he fled to Turnus. 391. Daucia proles simillima: these sons of Daucus, Laridus, and Thymber, resembled each other so exactly-were so much alike, that they could not be distinguished from each other even by their parents. Gratus error: a pleasing error, or delusion. 393. Dura discrimina: cruel-fatal distinction. He singled those two brothers from among the rest of the enemy, as the particular objects of his vengeance. 394. Evandrius ensis: the sword of Pallas, the son of Evander. He cut off the head of Thymber, and the right hand of Laridus. This explains the following line: dextera decisa: thy right hand cut off, seeks thee its owner. 390 395 400 405 410 396. Micant: in the sense of movent. 400. Hoc spatium, &c. The circumstance of Rhateus intercepting the dart aimed at Ilus, which would have killed him, gave him a short space or time of life, and was sc much respite from death. 404. Cudit: in the sense of pulsat, vel feril. 405. Oplatò: to his wish. 406. Dispersa: scattered abroad. 408. Horrida Vulcania acies: the horrid squadrons of fire, &c. This conveys a lively idea of a devouring fire raging without control, and increasing its forces in its progress, like an army pouring troops after troops. Servius censures the poet in applying acies, troops, or marshalled squadrons, to fire. The expression, to be sure, is bold, but not incongruous. The word in poetry is applied to fire, spreading and raging, and destroying every thing in its way, like a desolating army. Vulcania: an adj. from Vulcanus, · the god of fire; by meton. fire itself. 409. Ovantes: exulting-victorious. 426. At Lausus, in . Hic mactat Ladona, Pheretaque, Demodocumque, At non, cæde viri tantâ perterrita, Lausus, tis. Tela manusque sinit. Hinc Pallas instat et urget; NOTES. himself behind the covert of his armor, particularly his shield. 413. Mactal: in the sense of interficit. 414. Strymonio: the dat. in the sense of the gen. He cut off the right hand of Strymonius, raised against his throat-raised for the purpose of cutting the lead from Halesus. Diripit: in the sense of abscindit. 416. Dispergit in the sense of Difindit. 417. Canens: in the sense of prædicens, agreeing with genitor. Futa: in the sense of mortem ejus. 413. Ut solcit: as soon as the old man closed (loosed) his eyes in death, the fates, &c. Ruxus interprets canentia by senilia. Heyne considers the words lumina canentia, as referring to the gray hairs, eye brows, and beard of the old man-to his appearance in general, without a particular refercnce to the color of his eyes. 421. Libro: in the sense of mitto. 422. Duri: hardy-valiant. 425. Inermum: naked-unprotected by his armor. Dat: in the sense of offert. 426. Tanta cœdè viri. Most commentators take this for code tanti viri, by hypallage: at the slaughter or death of so great a man; to wit, Halasus. But, it is easier, and more natural to understand it of the great slaughter, and havoc made by Pallas. 415 420 425 430 435 423. Nodum moramque: the strength, and support of the fight. The words imply that he, (Abas,) made a firm stand against the enemy-that he was the life and soul of the fight, and a principal obstacle to victory. Ruæus interprets nodum, by difficultatem. 430. Imperdita: not slain-destroyed. Reference is here made to the Trojan war, which proved fatal to so many Trojans. 432. Extremi, &c. The meaning appears to be this: that the rear ranks pressed upon the front, who were already engaged, that they also might come into action. By this means, the men became so close that they could not move their hands, or wield their weapons. Turba: the crowd. 433. Pallas-Lausus. One would naturally suppose, that the poet would have made these two young princes, so equally matched in every respect, try the fortune of the fight. But he well knew that it would be more to their glory, to fall by the hand of a superior foe, than to kill each other. He makes a fine use of their deaths afterward. The former was slain by Turnus, the latter by Æneas. 438. Fata: in the sense of mors. 439, Soror alma: the nymph Jutarna, the sister of Turnus. She was made a nymph by Jove, who had an amour with her, as a T'urnum, qui volucri curru medium secat agmen. : At Rutulûm abscessu, juvenis tum jussa superba 461 Hunc ubi contiguum missæ fore credidit hastæ, Stat sua cuique dies; breve et irreparabile tempus NOTES. compensation for her violated chastity. See En. xii. 138. et sequens. 440. Secat: in the sense of dividit. 444. Cesserunt æquore jusso: retired from the commanded plain-from that part of the field of battle, where Pallas was, to make room for Turnus to advance against him. son. 447. Obit: surveys. Omnia may refer to his armor more particularly, than to his perThat had been mentioned just before. Truci visu: with a stern or steady look. 448. I: in the sense of dicit, vel respondet. 449. Spoliis opimis. For the spolia opima, see En. vi. 855-859. 450. Pater æquus. Dryden takes pater here for Jupiter, who, it is true, may be considered the father of all, just and impartial. But it is better to take it for Evander, the father of Pallas. It was the same thing to him whether his son were slain, or returned victorious. He was equally prepared for either event. Equus: in the sense of paratus. 470 452. Coit: congeals. It retired from the extremities to the heart; there thickened, and ceased to circulate. Such was the fear of the Arcadians for the issue of the combat. Apparat: in the sense of parat. 457. Contiguum: within reach of his missive spear. 460. Hospitium. Hercules, on his return from Spain, was entertained by Evander, and after the death of Cacus was magnificently worshipped. See En. viii. 184. et sequens. 461. Adsis may you favor-aid. 462. Rapere: in the sense of auferre. 463. Ferant: may the dying eyes of Turnus endure to behold me victorious. 466. Natum: Hercules. He was the son of Jupiter by Alcmene, the wife of AmphitryHence, sometimes called Amphitryoni on. ades. 467. Stat: is fixed. 472. Ad melas dati ævi: to the end of his appointed life. |