P. VIRGILII MARONIS ENEIDOS LIBER QUINTUS. INTEREA medium Æneas jam classe tenebat 1-103.] Æneas is driven out of his course upon the coast of Sicily, and is kindly welcomed by Acestes. Here he institutes a solemn annual festival with games in memory of his father Anchises. 1. medium] merely implies that he had set sail, and was fairly on his voyage. Cf. G. 3. 486. 2. Certus] making straight course for Italy, and firm in his resolution of reaching it, notwithstanding the wind was contrary. Compare the expression 'certa sagitta.' · atros aquilone] Cf. Gell. 5 10 Noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris. 14.] deinde with jubet. Vide note to 1. 195; and cf. v. 400; 7. 135. 15. arma] the sails. Colligere expresses generally the operations which are more definitely explained in the next line. 16. Obliquat sinus in ventum] This process, which we call 'tacking,' consists in placing the sails in such a position, that the wind may blow against them slantwise, whereby the full force of the blast is avoided. 17. auctor Spondeat] should warrant it by a promise. Cf. G. 1. 432, "namque is certissimus auctor." 19. transversa fremunt] instead of transversi, the adjective being made to qualify the verb instead of the noun (venti). The construction is like that of "acerba sonans," G. 3. 149; "torva tuentem," 6. 467; &c. 15 20 20 25 20. cogitur] is condensed. Cf. G. 4. 36 (of the thickening of honey in cold weather). Cic. de Nat. Deor. 2. 39, "aer tum fusus et extenuatus sublime fertur, tum autem concretus in nubes cogitur." 21. tantum] i. e. with force enough to make head against the wind. 24. fraterna] Eryx, the founder of the Sicilian town of the same name, was a son of Venus, and therefore the brother of Æneas. 25.] If now, on our return voyage, I rightly remember the position of the stars, which we previously observed on our way to Africa. 28. velis] i. e. by altering the position of the sails, and then changing our direction. Quam quæ Dardanium tellus mihi servat Acesten At procul excelso miratus vertice montis Quem genuit. Veterum non immemor ille parentum Postera cum primo stellas Oriente fugarat Jamque dies, nisi fallor, adest, quem semper acerbum, 31.] The death of Anchises is related in 3. 710. 37. Horridus in jaculis] with lance erect; horridus in pelle, clothed in a shaggy bear-skin. Cf. Esch. Prom. 424, oğuπрúpoiσ βρέμων ἐν αἰχμαῖς. 38. Crimisus] a river in Sicily. 40. gaza agresti] with homely fare. Gaza' (yáça) is a Persian word signifying the royal trea sure.' ་ 45. a sanguine divûm] because the Trojans were the descendants of Dardanus, who was the son of Jupiter. 50. honoratum] i. e. set apart for solemn observance, in commemoration of an event, whether 30 335 40 45 50 joyful or otherwise, of which it is the anniversary. sic di voluistis] an expression of regret on the part of Eneas, that the honours had to be paid to a deceased parent, instead of to a living one. 51, sqq.] It is difficult to imagine how Eneas would have been able to keep his resolution. 52. deprensus] i. e. if this day should find me. Exsequerer, strueremque suis altaria donis. Erga agite, et lætum cuncti celebremus honorem ; Cuncti adsint, meritæque exspectent præmia palmæ. 70 54. struerem] load by heaping the offerings upon them. altaria] The use of this word instead of are supposes Anchises to be among the Dî Superi. 55. ultro] by no will or effort of our own. Cf. 9. 7, and 2. 145. 56. numine] will. Cf. 1. 133. 58. honorem] sacred rites. 59.] After the solemnities are over, let us pray to the winds to give us a safe passage; and when we arrive in Italy, let us renew the same rites there. 64. si] with the fut. = 'quando.' Cf. 6. 829; Hor Epist. 1. 7. 10, Quod si bruma nives Albanis illinet agris, Ad mare descendet vates tuus." nona] The mourning for deceased parents among the Romans (parentalia) lasted nine | days; on the last day the funeral ceremonies were performed. 68. jaculo] No actual javelinmatch is mentioned hereafter; perhaps, however, this is meant to be included in the archery. Aut-Seu] = aut - aut; or perhaps seu (= vel quis) is used to express Eneas' uncertainty whether any one would come forward to compete in the boxing-match or not. incedit] denotes confident bearing. Cf. 1. 46; also v. 543, where ingreditur is used to indicate the haughty gait of the victor. 69. crudo] made of raw OXhide. Cf. v. 404. 71. ore favete] Evonμeîte. 72. materna] i. e. sacred to his mother Venus. Cf. G. 1. 28. Hoc Helymus facit, hoc ævi maturus Acestes, Ad tumulum, magna medius comitante caterva. 75 80 85 Nec tecum Ausonium, quicumque est, quærere Thybrim. 90 90 the shrine, a most holy place in a temple, where none but the priests might enter; the name is here applied to the tomb of Anchises, to express the notion of peculiar sanctity. 85. Septem gyros, septena volumina] i. e. seven coils, which as they unfolded made seven twists or turns in the animal's body. 87. nota] sc. distinguebant, or some equivalent word, from incendebat, which forms a zeugma with note and fulgor. maculosus fulgor] spots of gold, which made the scales of the snake gleam like fire. Cf. Sil. 15. 678, “clipeumque accenderat auro." 90. agmine] Vide note to 2. 84.] The 'adytum' was properly | 212. |