Sæcula? qui tanti talem genuere parentes ?

In freta dum fluvii current, dum montibus umbræ
Lustrabunt convexa, polus dum sidera pascet,
Semper honos nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt,
Quæ me cumque vocant terræ. Sic fatus, amicum 610
Ilionea petit dextra, lævaque Serestum,

Post alios, fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum.
Obstupuit primo aspectu Sidonia Dido,
Casu deinde viri tanto, et sic ore locuta est :
Quis te, nate dea, per tanta pericula casus
Insequitur? quæ vis immanibus adplicat oris?
Tune ille Æneas, quem Dardanio Anchisæ
Alma Venus Phrygii genuit Simoentis ad undam?
Atque equidem Teucrum memini Sidona venire
Finibus expulsum patriis, nova regna petentem
Auxilio Beli; genitor tum Belus opimam
Vastabat Cyprum et victor dicione tenebat.
Tempore jam ex illo casus mihi cognitus urbis
Trojanæ nomenque tuum regesque Pelasgi.
Ipse hostis Teucros insigni laude ferebat,
Seque ortum antiqua Teucrorum ab stirpe volebat.
Quare agite, o tectis, juvenes, succedite nostris.

607.] While the shadows in the mountains move with the sun's course along the valleys. Umbræ are the shadows cast by mountains themselves. For convexa compare such expressions as "convexo nemorum," and "cæli

convexa.

608. polus-pascet] According to the ancient belief that the stars were nourished in the sky by the exhalations from the earth and seas.

609. manebunt] shall endure in lasting remembrance in the land to which fate shall call me.

616. immanibus] refers to the savageness of the inhabitants.

617.] Cf. E. 2. 24, "Actæо Aracyntho." This hiatus often occurs in a line ending with a

615

620

625

quadrisyllable, and is imitated from the Greek usage.

619.] When Teucer, the brother of Ajax, returned to Salamis, from Troy, his father refused to receive him; he therefore went in quest of a new kingdom, and by the aid of Belus settled himself in Cyprus. The incident here related by Dido must be supposed to have occurred in the course of this expedition.

624. Pelasgi] The oldest inhabitants of Greece; hence the name is applied by the poets to the Greeks generally.

625. laude ferebat]=laudabat. 626. Se volebat] professed himself to be.' The Homeric exeтaι elval. Teucer's mother, Hesione, was the daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy.

Me quoque per multos similis fortuna labores
Jactatam hac demum voluit consistere terra.
Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco.
Sic memorat; simul Ænean in regia ducit
Tecta, simul divûm templis indicit honorem.
Nec minus interea sociis ad litora mittit
Viginti tauros, magnorum horrentia centum

630

Terga suum, pingues centum cum matribus agnos,
Munera lætitiamque dii.

635

At domus interior regali splendida luxu

Instruitur, mediisque parant convivia tectis :
Arte laboratæ vestes ostroque superbo,
Ingens argentum mensis, cælataque in auro
Fortia facta patrum, series longissima rerum
Per tot ducta viros antiquæ ab origine gentis.
Eneas-neque enim patrius consistere mentem
Passus amor-rapidum ad naves præmittit Achaten,
Ascanio ferat hæc, ipsumque ad moenia ducat;
Omnis in Ascanio cari stat cura parentis.
Munera præterea, Iliacis erepta ruinis,
Ferre jubet, pallam signis auroque rigentem
Et circumtextum croceo velamen acantho,
Ornatus Argivæ Helenæ, quos illa Mycenis,
Pergama cum peteret inconcessosque hymenæos,
Extulerat, matris Ledæ mirabile donum ;
Præterea sceptrum, Ilione quod gesserat olim,

632. templis ind. hon.] pro- | 2. 464. claims a thanksgiving sacrifice for the safe arrival of Æneas.

636. dii] gen. of dies, for diei. The presents which Dido sends are to be a means of passing a joyous day. There is another reading, dei, which is explained as Bacchi; a present of wine to make merry with.

639.] In a rapid description or narration the verb is often omitted. Cf. 3. 216; 4. 201; 5. 822; 8. 678.

640

645

650

640. Ingens] refers to the large number of silver vessels.

644. præmittit] sends him on to bear (ferat) the news to Ascanius, and to bring him back with the presents, in time for the banquet which Dido was preparing. Cf. 6. 34.

648. signis auroque] = 'aureis signis,' embroidered with figures worked in gold. A hendiadys, cf. G. 1. 173, where "fagus stivaque" ='stiva faginea.'

Maxima natarum Priami, colloque monile
Baccatum, et duplicem gemmis auroque coronam.
Hæc celerans iter ad naves tendebat Achates.

At Cytherea novas artes, nova pectore versat
Consilia, ut faciem mutatus et ora Cupido
Pro dulci Ascanio veniat, donisque furentem.
Incendat reginam, atque ossibus implicet ignem ;
Quippe domum timet ambiguam Tyriosque bilingues,
Urit atrox Juno, et sub noctem cura recursat.
Ergo his aligerum dictis adfatur Amorem:
Nate, meæ vires, mea magna potentia solus,
Nate, patris summi qui tela Typhoia temnis,
Ad te confugio et supplex tua numina posco.
Frater ut Æneas pelago tuus omnia circum
Litora jactetur odiis Junonis iniquæ,
Nota tibi, et nostro doluisti sæpe dolore.
Hunc Phonissa tenet Dido blandisque moratur
Vocibus; et vereor, quo se Junonia vertant

655

660

665

670

661. ambiguam bilingues] These epithets are to be explained with reference to Virgil rather than to Venus. They are the natural expressions of a Roman's conception of Punica fides.'

662. Urit atrox Juno] i. e. Juno's fierce persecution of Æneas disquiets her.

664. solus] the nominative. Cf. Ov. Her. 14. 73, "Surge, age, Belide, de tot modo fratribus unus." The vocative of solus and unus is very rare, that of nullus, totus, and ullus, never occurs.

665. Typhoia] the bolts with which Jupiter slew Typhoeus. 668. For the metre, cf. G. 4. 453; A. 5. 853; 9. 610.

669. Nota] a Grecism for notum est.

dolore] at my sorrow.' 671. Jun. hospitia] so called because Carthage was sacred to Juno.

Hospitia; haud tanto cessabit cardine rerum.
Quocirca capere ante dolis et cingere flamma
Reginam meditor, ne quo se numine mutet,
Sed magno Æneæ mecum teneatur amore.

675

Qua facere id possis, nostram nunc accipe mentem;
Regius accitu cari genitoris ad urbem

Sidoniam puer ire parat, mea maxima cura,

Dona ferens, pelago et flammis restantia Trojæ ;
Hunc ego sopitum somno super alta Cythera
Aut super Idalium sacrata sede recondam,
Ne qua scire dolos mediusve occurrere possit.
Tu faciem illius noctem non amplius unam
Falle dolo, et notos pueri puer indue vultus,
Ut, cum te gremio accipiet lætissima Dido
Regales inter mensas laticemque Lyæum,
Cum dabit amplexus atque oscula dulcia figet,
Occultum inspires ignem fallasque veneno.
Paret Amor dictis cara genetricis, et alas
Exuit, et gressu gaudens incedit Iuli.

680

685

690

At Venus Ascanio placidam per membra quietem

Irrigat, et fotum gremio dea tollit in altos
Idaliæ lucos, ubi mollis amaracus illum
Floribus et dulci adspirans complectitur umbra.
Jamque ibat dicto parens et dona Cupido
Regia portabat Tyriis, duce lætus Achate.
Cum venit, aulæis jam se regina superbis

672. cessabit] i. e. Juno, understood from Junonia ; as πατὴρ from Tarpa in Eur.. Hec. 23.

cardine] used in a metaphorical sense of the turningpoint or crisis of events.

673. flamma] Cf. v. 660,"incendat reginam."

674. ne quo, &c.] that her mind be not changed by any influence, i. e. of Juno's.

679. pelago] abl.; vid. note to v. 358.

680. super] properly used of approaching a high place, and therefore more strictly accurate

695

here than in or ad would be. Cf. v. 700; 6. 203, 515; 7. 557. Ov. Met. 15. 875.

684. Falle faciem] assume his countenance. Cf. Soph. Phil. 129, μορφὴν δολώσας.

688. fallas veneno] sc. eam; fill her unsuspecting mind with the poison of love.

697-756.] The banquet begins; as conversation flows, Dido begs Æneas to relate the story of Troy's fall and of his own wanderings.

697. aulæis superbis] 'beneath a gorgeous awning.'

Aurea composuit sponda mediamque locavit ;
Jam pater Æneas et jam Trojana juventus
Conveniunt, stratoque super discumbitur ostro.
Dant manibus famuli lymphas, Cereremque canistris
Expediunt, tonsisque ferunt mantelia villis.
Quinquaginta intus famulæ, quibus ordine longam
Cura penum struere et flammis adolere Penates;
Centum aliæ totidemque pares ætate ministri,
Qui dapibus mensas onerent et pocula ponant.
Nec non et Tyrii per limina læta frequentes
Convenere, toris jussi discumbere pictis.
Mirantur dona Æneæ, mirantur Iulum
Flagrantesque dei vultus simulataque verba,
Pallamque et pictum croceo velamen acantho.

700

705

710

ordine] i. e. each having a certain portion of the task assigned her.

longam penum] refers to the number and variety of the courses; struerent to their arrangement for carving (whence the name structor). Al. ordine longo, and in v. 706, onerant and ponunt.

705.] Cf. Tac. Ann. 15. 69, "Vestinus decora servitia et pari ætate habebat."

708. jussi] = keλevóμevol, invited to sit down.

709.] The words pallamque &c., explain dona Æneæ, and ought to follow them immediately; the interposition of Iulum &c., shows the divided admiration of the Tyrians.

710. Flagrantes vultus] his glowing cheeks and sparkling eyes.