REFERENCES IN THE NOTES. H, Harkness; M, Madvig; Z, Zumpt; A, Allen and Greenough; B, Bartholomew; G, Gildersleeve. The Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, are indicated respectively by E, Ge, and Ae. NOTES ON THE BUCOLICS. ECLOGUE I. THE scene is the country in the neighborhood of Mantua. Tityrus, a keeper of bees, flocks, and herds, who had formerly been a slave, and, though rather late in life, had laid up money (peculium) sufficient to buy his freedom, has lately traveled to Rome in order to obtain his emancipation from his master, a land-owner, residing at the capital. While in Rome the now freed slave accomplishes another object. His neighbors in the Mantuan district had in general been ejected from their lands by the disbanded veterans of Octavian. Tityrus, who has hitherto occupied a small farm as the slave tenant or agent of his master, and is now in danger of being expelled like the rest, petitions Octavian in person to be exempted from the common lot. The youthful triumvir, always accessible to the humble classes (Sueton. Octav. 58), receives him kindly, grants his request (pascite, ut ante, boves, pueri), and sends him rejoicing to his home. The Eclogue introduces him already returned from Rome, secure in the possession of his farm, reclining in the shade, and singing a pastoral song. Meliboeus, a goatherd, involved in the common calamity, and driven from his home, comes along leading his flock, and learning with surprise the extraordinary good fortune of his neighbor, contrasts it with his own unhappy lot. It is entirely unnecessary to encumber the interpretation of this Eclogue with the idea that Tityrus represents any actual personage, whether a freedman and farm-steward of Vergil, or, as some have supposed, Vergil's father, or the poet himself. In the ninth Eclogue, undoubtedly, Menalcas is intended for Vergil, and Meliboeus for a faithful old slave, or, perhaps, steward of his farm. But we have here a pure fiction, so shaped by the poet that, in one particular only, that, namely, of the exemption of the farm of Tityrus, through the kindness of Octavian, from the confiscation to which all the neighboring estates have been condemned, the fortunes of the old freedman are made to resemble those of Vergil. This incident, ingeniously introduced into the story of the imaginary Tityrus, gives the poet the opportunity of expressing publicly and with delicate indirectness his own great obligation to the young Octavian. 1. Fagi. As no beech-trees are now found near Mantua, it is inferred by some that the poet here, as elsewhere in the Eclogues, is aiming merely to picture a pleasing pastoral scene without reference to the actual characteristics of the country. It seems more reasonable, however, to suppose that the beech may have existed there, and have died out in later years; for whole varieties of trees have been known to disappear from certain localities in much shorter periods than nineteen centuries.-2. Avena, in a secondary sense, means any kind of stalk, tubular growth, or substance, suitable for Pandean pipes. The other designations for the Pandean pipe or syrinx are calamus (v. 10), fistula (E. III, 22), harundo (E. VI, 8), cicuta (E. II, 36), and, in a contemptuous sense, stipula (E. III, 27).-5. Resonare Amaryllida. The name of Amaryllis, often repeated by Tityrus in his songs, is reechoed by the woods.- 6. Deus. Octavian at a later period, and some time after he had received the title of Augustus, was worshiped in the provinces as a god (Suet. Octav. 59, 60, and see on Ae. I, 290), though he did not permit such honors to be paid to him, at least publicly, in Italy. The tradition that his family was descended from Venus (See Sueton. Jul. Caes. VI), and the annual sacrifices now made on the altars of the deified Caesar (see on E. V, 66), naturally led to the practice of paying divine honors also to Octavian, the successor of Caesar. It is not probable, therefore, that Vergil uses the term deus here merely as a figure to indicate the rank and power of Octavian in the sense in which Horace, in Sat. II, 6, 52, calls the leading men of the state deos; but he intends to represent Tityrus as making a vow in earnest to offer sacrifices to his deliverer as a real divinity; one of his Lares or household gods. 8. Ab is elliptical as in Ae. III, 647.-12. Usque adeo, even to such a degree, so much; explanatory of the foregoing words, as in Ae. I, 567.-15. Conixa, instead of the more usual enixa, which here would cause a hiatus. -16. Fuisset. The apodosis is suggested by prædicere: "So that I should have expected this ill fortune, if," etc. For the sense of the present infinitive with memini, see on Ae. I, 619. -18. This verse is not found in the best manuscripts, and was probably interpolated here by some copyist from E. IX, 15.- 19. Qui seems to be the best authenticated reading, though quis is found in some of the manuscripts. Ladewig thinks qui is better than quis, as Meliboeus perceives that Tityrus does not wish to give the name of his god.- -20-46. Tityrus avoids a direct answer, and, after an account of the circumstances which led him to see the wonders of Rome, he leaves Meliboeus (verses 43-6) to guess the name of his deliverer.- -21. Huio nostrae. The reference is to Mantua.- -22. Depellere, to drive down; that is, from the more elevated pasture lands of Andes to the low and marshy site of Mantua. "Down to" is a very common local expression even if the descent, as in this case, is inconsiderable.28. Libertas. To buy his freedom it was necessary for him to go to his master, who was residing in Rome. Before sera there is an ellipsis of quamquam correlative to tamen.- -29. Candidior, quite gray, growing gray. -31. Habet, strictly, "has been possessing me." See on ardebant, Ae. 1, 581.- -33. Nec spes, etc. Galatea had led him into extravagance by encouraging him to spend his gains for the gratification of her love of finery; so that he had failed in his youth to save that proportion of money which a slave, trading in the name of his master, was allowed to keep for himself (peculium) for the purchase of his freedom. Finding Galatea false, he has taken Amaryllis as his mistress and housekeeper, and by her good management and prudence has laid up the needful sum. The strict relation of husband and wife was not allowed to slaves.-34. Multa. Comp. Ae. I, 334. Victima here is used with reference to animals sold either for sacrifice or for the shambles.- -35. Ingratae, because the return which the city (Mantua) yielded for his produce was not sufficient to meet the demands of Galatea and enable him at the same time to lay up anything for himself. Pinguis, as we say, "rich cheese." Urbi, a dativus commodi. bar, etc. Melibocus now first understands what has occasioned the long absence of Tityrus and the mournful vows and songs of Amaryllis. -38. Cui, for whom; not" for whose enjoyment," but "for whose charge.' Amaryllis has lost heart in his absence and ceased to give proper attention to the farm. Thus, as Conington explains the passage, all things needed his care, the very pines (ipsae, etc.), fountains, and orchards called for him to comé - -37. Mira home. So in the kindred passage in Theocritus, iv, 12, the heifers are mourning; everything goes wrong in the absence of Aegon.39. Aberat has its last syllable lengthened by the ictus.- -41, 42. Two distinct objects are to be secured by his journey to Rome: one, his emancipation, the other, the preservation of his farm: the first he will purchase from his master, the other he must get by petitioning the ruling powers (divos). See introductory note. 43. Iuvenem. Octavian was at this time in his twentysecond year. 44. Bis senos. Twelve days yearly, i. e., one day in every month, offerings were made to the Lares or household gods, either on the Kalends, Nones, or Ides. 47. Tua, to be taken in the predicate; your own. Comp. meus, E. III, 23, and mea, ix, 4.- 48. Lapis nudus, the naked stone; bare stones and gravel. Omnia is more naturally joined with pascua, though some prefer to understand it in a general sense for the whole farm or all the lands, confining pascua to the portions strictly so called. The farm, however, may be mainly for pasturage, and in general either rocky or swampy, and thus be spoken of in a loose way as pastures or pasture land, all covered with gravel-beds, bogs, and fens.50, 51. Melibocus, for his part, must take his goats to strange and unwholesome pastures.- 50. Gravis fetas, the ewes heavy with young. -53. Sacros. All fountains and sources of streams are sacred to some presiding divinity.54. Quae, etc., literally: "The hedge, as always (in the season of flowers) fed upon as to the flower of the willow by the Hyblaean bees, will often persuade (you) with its gentle murmur to fall into slumber." After quae we may supply suadet, and regard the clause as equivalent to ut or quemadmodum semper suadet. Hinc is explained by vicino ab limite, as hine in v. 57 by alta sub rupe. Comp. Ae. II, 18, and note. "On the one side from the neighboring border-on the other side underneath the high rock," etc.- -55. Hyblaeis is used as a general attributive for bees. See on Ae. V, 312.- -56. Susurro appears to include both the hum of the bees and the breathing of the wind. 58. Cura. Comp. E. X, 22. Thy passion, delight.- -60-64. A favorite form of asseveration, declaring a belief or promise to be as sure as the fixed order of nature. Comp. E. V, 76; Ac. I, 607; Hor. Epod., XVI, 25, 8qq.- 61. Nudos. Water is the natural covering or protection of fishes; hence, out of the water they are naked.- 62. Pererratis, etc., both races having wandered across their boundaries; the boundaries or lands of each having been left behind. Exsul is used by the poets of any one who is a wanderer from home whether voluntarily or by banishment.--63. Germania, for Germanus or Germani. The region of the Arar or modern Saone was so near to Germany, and so often invaded by the Germans, that it could be called German, at least, by poetic license.65. Nos, not only Melibocus, but the unhappy outcasts of the Mantuan district in general, as contrasted with the fortunate Tityrus. Afros. For the case, see on Italiam, Ae. I, 2. -67. Orbe designates particularly the Roman world. From this the Britons are separated. In prose we should read ab orbe. See the foregoing note. 68. En, introducing the question, expresses desire or longing, and may be translated by "ah.". -69. Congestum, equivalent to erstructum. -70. Post is an emphatic repetition: hereafter, indeed ?- -Aliquot aristas, some few ears of grain, where now there are teeming crops. Shall I behold with wonder my once fruitful fields (mea regna) neglected and desolate under the hands of these indolent barbarians? " Heyne's interpretation of aristas accords with the one here given.- -72. Barbaras. Caesar had introduced Gauls into the legions. The word implies that there were Gallic or other barbarians among the discharged veterans now in possession of the Mantuan lands. Discordia refers to the civil wars from B. c. 49 to 41.74. Said with bitter irony. "Now, when others are sure to gather the fruit, graft (insøre) your pears, plant your vines." For the operations re ferred to, see Ge. II, 73, 260, sqq.- -77. Pendere, etc. Comp. Ge. III, 314-15. 80. Poteras, you might, not potes, because Meliboeus had begun to move on with his goats. It inay, however, be a merely conventional form. Comp. Horace, A. P. 328. H. 476, 4. -82. Castaneae molles. Chestnuts roasted or boiled are still much used by the Italians for food.-82. Pressi copia lactis, a circumlocution for caseus.- -83. Fumant. The smoke rising from the roofs (they were without chimneys) indicates the preparation of the evening meal. ECLOGUE II. THE shepherd, Corydon, sings his love of the youthful Alexis, who is also loved by his own master, Iollas. The ideas are suggested mostly by the third and cleventh Idyls of Theocritus. In Theocritus, however, the goatherd of the third Idyl is in love not with a boy, but with Amaryllis, a shepherdess, and the Cyclops of the eleventh is enamored of the nymph Galatea. 2. Quid speraret. The interrogative form shows that habebat is equivalent to in animo habebat, he knew not what to hope for. M. 363, obs. 2. Quod speraret would mean that he had nothing to hope for. -3. Tantum, closely connected with the foregoing thought. Because of his suspense, he had no other resource than to frequent the woods and sing his love. Inter, into the midst of. Cacumina. I have followed the texts of Jahn, Ribbeck, and Forbiger in removing the commas found in others after densas and cacumina, making the latter a Greek accusative. This seems to me less offensive than the apposition of cacumina with fagos. Comp. E. IX, 9. 8. Captant, are hastening to enjoy. It is even now the noontide.- 10. Thestylis, a name from Theocritus, II. She is here a house-slave, and prepares the meridian meal of garlic, wild thyme, and other herbs, with cheese, oil, vinegar, etc.; the usual fare of husbandmen. Such a dish was called moretum, a bite." -12. Mecum in sense is joined with cicadis, though in construction with resonat. "The tree-crickets with me fill the groves with their shrill piping." Literally: "the groves with me resound with the shrill cicadae.' Vestigia. Corydon seeks out every spot where Alexis has been with his master, follas.-14. Fuit satius. II. 476, 5; M. 348, obs. 1.-16. Niger, dark or brown; as fuscus in E. X, 38. Esses is pht by attraction in the tense and mood of esset understood with ille, instead of sis. -20. Pecoris, lactis. See on agri, Ae. I, 343.-21. Mille agnae, either belonging to Corydon or under his charge; according as we understand him to be the slave of Iollas or a freeman.- -23. Quae, such songs as. With Solitus supply est. 26. Placidum is in the praedicate: "Stood calm"; had been calmed by the winds (ventis). Comp. Ae. III, 69, and V, 763. The winds are often spoken of by the poets as calming the waters, of course, in a negative way, by leaving thein undisturbed. Comp. Horace, O. I, 3, 16. So also Soph. Αi. 674 : δεινῶν τ' ἄημα πνευμάτων ἐκοίμισε στένοντα πόντον ; the blast of the furious winds is wont (by ceasing to blow) to put to sleep the roaring sea. -28. O tantum, equivalent to si, 0, if only, if you would but. Sordida, mean or humble; that is, in the eyes of Alexis. -30. Hibisco, dative for the prose construction ad or in with the accusative.- -32. Calamos cera coniungere, to unite or fasten together the reeds with wax, so as to form the panpipe or syrinx. See dictionary, "fistula.". -34. Trivisse. The under lip is rubbed while passing along the upper ends of the reeds.- -35. Amyntas, some shepherd who has competed with Corydon in playing, and been judged interior by Damoctas, perhaps, their teacher.-36. Cicutis, here in the same sense as calamis.- -37. Dono mihi. See on Ae. I, 22.38. Secundum, as the second owner; the inheritor of the instrument from Damootas. Others understand the next" to Damoctas in musical skill.-40. |