Adparent terrae, caelum undique et undique pontus, 200 Noctem hiememque ferens, et inhorruit unda tenebris. 195 note. 195.] Inhorruit unda tenebris 'is an ornamental rendering of the Homeric Avre dè nóvtos úπ' avts, the words being borrowed from Pacuv. inc. fr. 45, "inhorrescit mare, Tenebrae conduplicantur, noctisque et nimbum occaecat nigror," a description of the storm that fell upon the Greeks as they returned from Troy. The picture seems to be of the surface of the water roughened or curled partly by the wind, partly by the darkness, which would change its outline to the eye. Perhaps we might say in English "And darkness ruffled the billow's crest." 196.] Venti volvunt mare:' comp. 1. 86. Magna' with 'surgunt.' 198.] Involvere diem' is a poetical variety for involvere caelum.' See on G. 4.59. With the line generally comp. 1. 88, " Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque Teucrorum ex oculis." 199.] For abruptis' two MSS. give abrupti,' which is strongly supported by Luer. 2. 214, "Nunc hine, nunc illine abrupti nubibus ignes concursant;" but Virg. is as likely to have made a variation upon Lucr. as to have copied him exactly. 200.] Caecis in undis' like "freta caeca "G. 2. 503, though here the uncertainty arises from actual darkness, not from the mariner's ignorance or rashness. 201.] 'He cannot distinguish day and 205 night in the sky' as he looks at the sky, he cannot tell whether it is day or night. 202.] Nec' is used as if an affirmative verb, such as 'dicit,' had preceded. See 'Media in unda' seems Madv. § 462. b. contrasted with 'caelo:' as he cannot tell the time of the day in the sky, so he cannot tell the path in the water. 203.] Adeo' strengthens tris,' like "quinque adeo" 7. 629, as we might say 'three long days.' See on E. 4. 11. Incertos' goes closely with 'caeca caligine suns obscured by blinding darkness.' 204.] Serv. says that after this verse the following lines were found enclosed in brackets or placed in the margin Hinc Pelopis gentes Maleaeque sonantia minantur: Pulsamur saevis et circumsistimur undis.' The locality may be correctly given, as the storm is supposed to have arisen about the promontory of Malea (see 5.193): but the lines, even if intrinsically worthy of the poet, would be inconsistent with the con text, which tells us expressly that they did not know where they were, and that land was not seen till the fourth day. 206.] The rising of smoke as a sign of an inhabited country is from Od. 10. 99, καπνὸν δ ̓ οἷον ὁρῶμεν ἀπὸ χθονὸς ἀΐσσοντα. 208.] Repeated 4. 513. Caerula verrunt' Servatum ex undis Strophadum me litora primum Huc ubi delati portus intravimus, ecce may be from Catull. 62 (64). 7, "caerula verrentes abiegnis aequora palmis." 209-267.] We find ourselves on the Strophades, the islands of the Harpies. Oxen and goats are seen grazing: we kill, sacrifice, and eat, when the Harpies come upon us and tear and pollute the meat. We do the same in another spot, and the same visitation follows. A third time we try, and on their coming attack them with the sword, but make no impression. One of them, Celaeno, threatens us with famine, which shall drive us when landed in Italy to eat our very tables, as a punishment for our present gluttony and violence. My father deprecates the denunciation, and bids us set sail again.' 209.] The episode which follows is imitated partly from Od. 10. 260 foll., where the companions of Ulysses devour the herds of the sun, partly from Apoll. R. 2. 178 foll., where Zetes and Calais deliver Phineus from the Harpies. For 'primum' Med. and Gud. have 'prima,' which seems to be a corruption from the preceding word. 210.] Stant' is obviously a variety for 'sunt' (E. 7. 53): but whether the additional notion is that of the position of the island, or, as Wagn. thinks, the permanence of the name, is not clear. Apoll. R. 2. 285 foll. makes Zetes and Calais chase the Harpies to the Пral voo, where they would have killed them, had not Iris interposed. The assailants turn back from the islands, which are thence called ΣTроpades: the Harpies fly to Crete. Other writers expanded the story (see Dict. Biog. Harpyiae'), but it does not appear whether any but Virg., whom Ov. M. 13. 709 210 215 220 obviously follows, made the Strophades the regular habitation of the Harpies. 211.] For the Greek rhythm comp. G. 1. 437. 212.] The Homeric conception of the Harpies is of personified storm-winds, which agrees not only with their general designation and with the name Podarge, given to one of them II. 16. 149, but with the names given to them in later legends, Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno. In the story of Phineus they appear in the loathsome character in which they are represented here. Aeschylus, one of whose lost plays was on that subject, makes the priestess in the Eumenides name them along with the Gorgons as the most frightful monsters with which her memory supplies her for comparison with the Erinnyes. 213.] Metu:' for fear of Zetes and Calais. 215.] Ira deum' is a bold expression for the effect of divine anger. Val. Fl. 1. 683 has adopted it from Virg., applying it to Sirius. 216.] Theirs are the maiden countenances of birds' they are birds with maidens' countenances, The expression somewhat resembles Lucr. 4. 733, bereasque canum facies." "Cer 217.] The Harpies are the goddesses of eternal famine, carrying off and spoiling the food of others, yet ever hungering themselves, which gives point to Celaeno's denunciation v. 256. 218.] Virg. follows Od. 12. 353 foll., though not very closely. 221.] Caprigenum pecus' is from Pacuvius and Attius, according to Macrob. Sat. 6. 5. Satis nove et affectate' is Inruimus ferro, et divos ipsumque vocamus 225 230 235 Aere cavo. Invadunt socii, et nova proelia temptant, 240 223.] In praedam partemque' was read before Heins. The expression seems a fair instance of hendiadys (note on G. 2. 192), standing for in partem praedae.' 224.] They piled up turf to recline, or, as we should say, to sit on while eating. "Exstructos toros" 11. 66. 225.] Heins. restored subitae' for the common reading 'subito.' 226.] κλαγγῇ ταίγε πέτονται, Π. 3. 5, comp. by Wagn. Virg. follows Apoll. R. 2. 187 foll. ἀλλὰ διὲκ νεφέων ἄφνω πέλας άΐσσουσαι Αρπυιαι στόματος χειρῶν τ' ἄπο γαμο φηλῇσι συνεχέως ἥρπαζον· ἐλείπετο δ ̓ ἄλλοτε φορβῆς οὐδ ̓ ὅσον, ἄλλοτε τυτθόν, ἵνα ζώων ἀκάχοιτο καὶ δ ̓ ἐπὶ μυδαλέην ὀδμὴν χέον. 229, 230.] Partly repeated from 1. 310, 311. Ribbeck omits v. 230, without authority. 231.] Reponimus' is rightly under stood by Wund. of a second sacrifice, the first being implied, if not actually expressed, in v. 222. See on G. 3. 527. 232.] Ex diverso' 2. 716. 233.] Virg. has chosen his words with attention, praedam suiting pedibus uncis,' 'dapes' 'ore.' It matters little whether we understand praedam' rela tively to the Trojans, as in v. 222, or to the Harpies, as in v. 244. 234.] Comp. 10. 258. 236.] "Haud minus ac iussi faciunt," v. 561 below, which shows, what would else be very doubtful, that 'iussi' is a participle, not a verb, 237.] Latentia' of course is proleptic. 238. This must refer to a third, not, as Forb. thinks, to the second visitation, which came to an end v. 234. Virg. tells us of the banquet indirectly, more suo, in v. 244. Sed neque vim plumis ullam nec volnera tergo Et patrio Harpyias insontis pellere regno Quae Phoebo pater omnipotens, mihi Phoebus Apollo 245 250 255 251.] Phoebus receives his revelations from Zeus, whose rроphτηs he is, Aesch. Eum. 19. In his turn he has the power of imparting inspiration, as to Cassandra, Ag. 1202. Whether Celaeno is to be regarded as a prophetess, or merely as possessed of this single communication of the future, is not clear. 252.] Furiarum maxuma' 6.605. The later mythology, which limited the number of the Erinnyes, introduced gradations of age among them. Virg. identifies or confuses the Harpies with the Furies, as Aesch. Eum. 50 does with the Gorgons. 253.] Cursu petere' of a speedy journey 1. 157., 2. 399, E. 6. 80. It is for Italy that you are crowding all sail.' As Donatus remarks, Celaeno shows them that she knows the present, that they may believe her prophecy of the future. Vocatis' is understood by Wagn. duly invoked,' and therefore favourable. Perhaps the sense rather is the winds shall come at your call,' as if any stress were laid on due invocation, Celaeno would be inadvertently giving profitable advice where she intends only to terrify. Comp. 5. 211., 8. 707, where the words occur, and see on 4. 223. 254.] With the repetition of 'Italiam' comp. 1. 553, 554. 255.] Datam urbem' like "data moenia" v. 501 below, "datas urbes" 4. 225. 256.] Dira,' monstrous, like cupido G. 1. 37. Iniuria the wrong is regarded as having the power of avenging itself. Caedis, since the Trojans were murderers in will, if not in deed, as Mene P Ambesas subigat malis absumere mensas. laus says of Ajax (Soph. Aj. 1126 foll.), κτείναντά με ..... θεὸς γὰρ ἐκσώζει με, τῷδε δ' οἴχομαι. 257.] Ainbesas absumere:' see on 1. 29. Malis' goes with absumere' as in G. 3. 268. So "absumere ferro" 4. 601., 9. 494. This prophecy formed part of the traditional account of Aeneas' landing in Italy (Heyne, Excursus 8), so that Virg. had no choice about introducing it. The notion of putting it into the mouth of Celaeno, so far as we know, is his own; others having represented it as given by Jupiter at Dodona, or by the Erythrean sibyl to Aeneas, or by Venus to Anchises. In 7. 122 foll., where the prophecy is fulfilled, it is said to have been delivered by Anchises to Aeneas, no mention being made of Celaeno, though she is expressly named as its author later in this work, v. 365, an inconsistency which it seems better to acknowledge than, with the commentators, to attempt to explain. The fulfilment of the prophecy will be commented on in its proper place. Subigat:' the subj. is used as if the Trojans would be anxious to anticipate the visitation by establishing themselves in their city. One MS. has subiget.' f 258.] Pennis ablata' 11. 867. 260. 'Deriguit' was restored by Heins. from Med. and others for diriguit.' Cecidere animi:' comp. "contunsos animos " G. 4. 240, and see on A. 2. 120. : 261.] The pax' which they sought by arms was liberty to feed unmolested that which they seek by prayer is freedom from further annoyance, if the Harpies are merely monsters, deliverance from divine vengeance, such as that just denounced, if 260 265 263.] Et' was restored by Heins. for 'at,' which is supported by a correction in Med. 264.] Numina magna: the powers above, such as those from whom Celaeno derived her knowledge. He offers sacrifice on the shore. 266.] Placidi' seems to have the force of placati.' Pal. and Gud. a m. pr. have placide.' 267.] Med. has diripere:' see on 1. 211 &c. 'Excutere rudentis' v. 682 below. The 'rudentes' here are the ropes fastened to the bottom of the sail at its two corners (pedes '). "Before setting sail these ropes, which our seamen call the sheets, would lie in a coil or bundle. In order therefore to depart, the first thing was to unrol or untie them, the next to adjust them ac cording to the direction of the wind and the aim of the voyage. 'Laxate rudentes' was equivalent to ease the sheets."" Dict. A. rudens.' 268-277.] We sail by the islands off the west coast of Greece, and at last land in Leucadia.' 268.] For fugimus' Heins. restored 'ferimur,' from Pal. a m. s., Gud., and a few other MSS.; but the authority is not sufficient to recommend the word, though it may have a slight rhythmical advantage. Wagn. thinks it may have arisen from 5.33, "vela secundi Intendunt Zephyri: fertur cita gurgite classis;" but the resemblance is hardly great enough, and the parallel might be turned into an argument on the |
