235 Accingunt omnes operi, pedibusque rotarum 245 O patria! O divûm domus Ilium! et inclyta bello Vertitur intereà cœlum, et ruit oceano nox, 237. Scandit. The verb scando means "to climb," or "go up," and is a very appropriate word to express the difficulty of bringing in the heavy machine. 240. Illa subit, &c. This line shows the progress made in dragging the horse into the city. The verb illabitur implies the gentle 250 255 260 movement; illabor, "to glide along." 246. Cassandra. Cassander was the daughter of Priam and Hecuba. According to the heathen poets, she had the gift of prophecy given her by Apollo, but none ever believed her predictions. She was looked upon by the Trojans as insane. 265 Tisandrus Sthenelusque duces, et dirus Ulixes, 275 Compellare virum, et mostas expromere voces: 280 "O lux Dardania! spes o fidissima Teucrûm! 66 * Some editions have Epëus. 261. Tisandrus Sthěnělus. The latter was the son of Capaneus, and the former the son of Polynices. The former name is frequently spelled Thessandrus, as in Arnold's edition. The word duces in this line does not refer to these alone, but also to Ulysses. 263. Pēlīdēsque Neoptolemus. Neoptolemus, the descendant of Peleus. Neoptolemus is a name derived from vɛos, new, and πολεμος, war, because he was brought late to the Trojan war.See note 469, p. 58. 269. Serpit. A word beautifully denoting the gradual falling into sleep. Serpere, "to creep.' 275. Rědit. This is the present tense and not the contracted perfect, as we find marked in some editions. If it was redit, we should have it long instead of short, as it must be to scan the line correctly. 275. Exuvias Achilli. Hector slew Patroclus, who wore the armour of Achilles. Exuvias indutus Achilli, "clothed with the spoils of Achilles." 285 Quæ tantæ tenuere more? quibus Hector ab oris 295 Diverso intereà miscentur moenia luctu; Et magis atque magis, quamquam secreta parentis Anchisæ domus arboribusque obtecta recessit, 300 Clarescunt sonitus, armorumque ingruit horror. Excutior somno, et summi fastigia tecti Ascensu supero, atque arrectis auribus asto :* In segetem veluti quum flamma furentibus Austris • Or adsto. 287. Ille nihil. The verb respondit, or dixit, is understood. Nec moratur. Literally, "nor does he delay." The meaning is, "Nor regards me questioning vain things." 294. Mania. A city, referring to Lavinium, which Eneas afterwards founded. In his reign it was the capital of Latium. 296. Vēstāmque potentem. This refers to the statue of Vesta, which Hector consigns to Eneas. Vesta was a deity who presided over public and private happiness. The symbol of the goddess was fire, which was continually kept burning in her temple, and watched over by virgins, called Vestales. The æternum ignem alludes to the fire kept always burning. 297. Aaytis pěnětrālibus, "from the secret shrines, or the inner temple," where the fire was kept burning. 304. Austris. Auster was the wind blowing from the south, the breath of which was said to be pernicious to flowers, as well as to health. 305 310 Incidit, aut rapidus montano flumine torrens 66 Quo res summa loco, Panthu? quam prendimus arVix ea fatus eram, gemitu quum talia reddit: [cem?" "Venit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus Dardaniæ. Fuimus Troës: fuit Ilium, et ingens 325 Gloria Teucrorum. Ferus omnia Jupiter Argos Transtulit: incensâ Danai dominantur in urbe. * Some editions have cursum; cursu is far preferable. 310. Deiphobi. Deiphobus, son of Priam and Hecuba. After the death of his brother Paris, he married Helen. His house was the first attacked. We read of him in Book VI. of the Eneid, and in Homer, Il. 13. 312. Ucălegon. A Trojan chief, praised for the soundness of his counsels and good intentions. He was one of the aged counsellors of Priam. Sigea freta,"the Sigean Straits." Sigeum was a promontory near to Troy, and here gives name to the 322. Panthu. This is the vocative case, imitated from the Greek πάνθοε, contracted πανθου. That is the reason that the us in line 318 is long, as being the contraction of Pantheus, which word we find in some editions. He was a Trojan priest of Apollo, and the patronymic of Othryādēs is given to him from his father Othryas. Arduus armatos mediis in moenibus astans 330 335 Oppositi; stat ferri acies mucrone corusco Quos ubi confertos audere in prælia vidi, 332. Obsēdēre alii, "some stand at the double-valved," or "at the wide-opened gates." The word obsedere is not from obsidio, "to sit around," but from ōbsido, "to lie in ambush." Both verbs have ōbsēdi in the perfect. Angusta viarum. Put for angustas vias. Loca is understood after angusta. 337. Erinnys, or Erynys. A name common to the three Furies. The writer Wagner supposes the word merely to mean "frenzy " or "fury," for battle, and not a person, as thought by others. The epithet tristis, "gloomy," is 345 given to her as being the cause of death. 339. Rhipeus. He was distinguished for his love of justice. After a brave resistance, he was slain by the Greeks. 340. Dymas, being dressed in Grecian armour, was, through mistake, killed by his countrymen. 341. Corabus Mygdonides. Corobus, the son of Mygdon, assisted Priam, with the hope of being rewarded with the hand of Cassandra, who advised him, in vain, to retire from the war He was killed by Peneleus. |