Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem Inpulit in latus: ac venti, velut agmine facto, Qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant. Incubuere mari, totumque a sedibus imis Una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus. Insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum. Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque Teucrorum ex oculis; ponto nox incubat atra. Intonuere poli, et crebris micat ignibus aether, repeats v. 78, and this when the mention of the banquet has intervened. 81-101.] He opens the cave, the winds rush out, and there is a dreadful tempest. Aeneas, seeing nothing but death before him, wishes he had died with honour at Troy, like so many of his friends.' 81.] Henry rightly explains the meaning to be that Aeolus, going to the cave, pushed the mountain on the side with his spear turned towards it (conversa cuspide'), and so opened the 'claustra,' which are to be conceived of as folding doors opening inwards. Comp. 7. 620, "Tum regina deum caelo delapsa morantis Inpulit ipsa manu portas," and the imitation of Val. F. (1. 608), "Cum valido contortam turbine portam Inpulit Hippotades." The words and rhythm of the line are imitated from Enn. A. inc. 77, nam me gravis impetus Orci Percutit in latus," quoted by Serv. Excipit in latus' occurs 12. 507, and Stat. Theb. 1. 119 has "dubiumque iugo fragor inpulit Oeten In latus." The cuspis' is perhaps the same as the sceptre, v. 57; but we need not press these details. ་ 82.] Velut agmine facto,' as it were with one accord, the sense of combination lying in the 'facto. Comp. G. 4. 167, and Juv. 3. 162, "agmine facto Debuerant olim tenues migrasse Quirites." 83.] Qua data porta,' through the 'claustra,' so opened. 84.] For the instantaneous effect expressed by the transition to the perfect here and in v. 90, comp. G. 1. 330. 'Heavily they are fallen on the sea.' 85.] Hom. Od. 5. 295, Zùv d'Evpós τε Νότος τ' ἔπεσε, Ζεφυρός τε δυσαής, Καὶ Βορέης αιθρηγενέτης, μέγα κύμα κυ Alvowv. Seneca (Nat. Quaest. 16) reproves Virg. for having made three out of the four winds blow at once. Trapp and Heyne try to defend him on the plea that shifting winds are common. But this obviously is not his meaning. All the winds leave the cave at once. Milton's classicism has led him to the same violation of nature, Par. Reg. Book 4: "nor slept the winds Within their stony caves, but rushed abroad From the four hinges of the world, and fell On the vexed wilderness" (quoted by Henry). The effect of the emission of all the winds from the skin in Hom. (Od. 10. 54), is that Ulysses is blown back to the island from which he came. Ruunt' seems here to be upheave' (see note on G. 1. 105); but it is possible that the aequor' may be conceived of as a kind of ceiling, which crashes down on a movement from below. 87.] As in Od. 10. 121 foll., the havoc made on the ships is not expressly mentioned, but more vividly indicated by the cries of distress on board. Serv. quotes a fragment from the Teucer of Pacuvius: "armamentum stridor, flictus navium, Strepitus, fremitus, clamor tonitruum, et rudentum sibilus" (as restored by Hermann: see Ribbeck, Fragm. p. 100). 88.] Οd. 5. 293, σὺν δὲ νεφέεσσι κάλυψε Γαϊαν ὁμοῦ καὶ πόντον ὀρώρει δ ̓ οὐρανόθεν vú. Comp. 3. 198, "Involvere diem nimbi et nox humida caelum Abstulit." 90.] 'Intonuere poli,' "axes, i.e. extremae partes caeli super quibus caelum vertitur, i. e. Toλeira, unde vertices Latine, Graece Tóλo dicuntur: duo enim sunt, Notios et Boreos, a quibus totum caelum contonuisse significat," Serv. It thunders from pole to pole.' Heyne and others think it would be more forcible to omit 'et,' with one or two MSS.; but this would spoil the sense, as of course the lightning really comes before the thunder, whereas, if the two were mentioned separately, it would seem as if the poet actually intended to reverse the natural order. Praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem. 91.] "Ostentant omnia letum," Catull. 62. (64.) 187. 92.] Frigore,' 'chilling fear,' in 12. 951, where these words are repeated, the chill of death. In the same connexion Hom. (Od. 5. 297), kai tót' 'Odvoσños λúto γούνατα καὶ φίλον ἦτορ. 93.] Schirach renders 'duplicis,' clasped.' But see 7. 140, "Et duplicis caeloque Ereboque parentes." So Lucr. 6. 1146, "Et duplicis oculos suffusa luce rubentis." 94.] Referre' cannot here have its usual sense of 'reply;' nor can it mean to recount, as in "quid referam." Either then the word must be construed simply 'says,' or it must be explained as an elliptical expression for "refert pectore," which we find 5. 409.-'O terque quaterque beati,' &c. The whole of this is closely imitated from part of the speech of Ulysses, Od. 5. 306-312. The horror of Ulysses is excited by the prospect of death without glory and without burial; that of Achilles when in danger of drowning (II. 21. 272), by the prospect of death without glory. Comp. also for the sentiment, Aesch. Cho. 345 foll., 363 foll. 95.] 'Ante ora patrum' probably means dying with the friends, for whom they are fighting, to cheer them on. What is here the consolation of the son, is elsewhere the aggravation of the father's sorrow, as in G. 4. 477, A. 10. 443. Troiae sub moenibus altis,” 10. 469. 96.] Oppetere' is merely a synonym for obire,' as appears from Phaedr. 3. 16. 2, Sen. Troad. 3. 6. 9; not, as Forb. and Doederlein think, especially appropriated to death voluntarily or bravely encountered. Aeneas is nearly killed by Diomede, from whom he is rescued by Aphrodite, Il. 5. 297 full. Diomede is characterized as the bravest of the Greeks by Helenus, II. 6. 98, Achilles being specially not excepted. 95 100 97.] From a fragment of Ennius quoted by Serv. on 2. 62, "Morti occumbunt obviam," it would seem as if 'morti occumbere' was the full phrase; so that the preposition may thus be explained. 'Morte occumbere' and 'mortem occumbere 'however also occur. Mene' with inf. v. 37, note. 99.] 'Saevus' has no special meaning here, but is the Homeric Exтopos àvôpapóvolo. 100.] Virg. appears to have forgotten that in Hom. (Il. 16. 667 foll.) the body of Sarpedon is carried away to Lycia. Wagn. and Forb. however understand iacet' in the sense of a historic present, and render it was slain.' Perhaps we may say that Aeneas, who in the line before speaks of the act of dying, is here thinking merely of the moment of death. The expression however is the same in Od. 3. 108 foll., which Heyne comp. ἔνθα δ ̓ ἔπειτα κατέκταθεν ὅσσοι ἄριστοι ἔνθα μὲν Αἴας κεῖται ἀρήϊος, ἔνθα δ' Αχιλλεὺς κ.τ.λ., where the meaning seems to be 'There we Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella Dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons. 105 102-123.] The storm grows worse: the ships are dashed on rocks, stranded on sandbanks, or spring leaks, and one is wholly lost.' 102.] Virg. continues to imitate Hom. (Od. 5. 313 foll.). 'Iactare' expresses the wild and whirling words of Shakspeare. See on E. 2. 5. Lactanti' is a variety of the ethical dative, and may be illustrated by such passages as Livy 1.8, "Locum qui nunc saeptus descendentibus inter duos lucos est, asylum aperit." Comp. the Greek idiom βουλομένῳ τινὶ εἶναι. Aquilone,' 'ab Aquilone,' Serv. But it seems better to render stridens Aquilone,' howling with the north wind.' Comp. Od. 12. 407 (a passage which Virg. had before him throughout this scene), alya yàp 0e Κεκληγώς Ζέφυρος μεγάλῃ σὺν λαίλαπι Obwv. The north wind, as Seneca remarked (see on v. 85), has not been hitherto mentioned; but it is evident that the variety is in the expression, not in the incident. So in v. 131, Eurus and Zephyrus are obviously meant to include all the winds. 103.] Velum adversa ferit,' 'strikes the sail full in front.' Gud. and the first reading of Med. have 'fluctum.' 104.] Franguntur remi:' the oars are broken in the portholes by the sudden stroke of the wave, which dashes them out of the hands of the rowers. Val. F., in his imitation (1.618), has "excussi manibus remi." Rowing and sailing at the same time is contrary to the Homeric practice, so far as it can be gathered; and in Virg. himself (3. 207) the crew lower the sail first, and then take to the oar. Med., Gud., and some other MSS. (not Rom.), have 'proram avertit,' which Jahn adopts. But procella,' as Wagn. remarked, can hardly be nom. to 'dat latus,' though it might be to proram avertit;' and it would harsh to understand navis' with both. We have 'avertens' in an intrans. sense v. 402. Wagn. now says (Lect. Verg.) "proram restituo, sed paene invitus." be very Haupt and Ribbeck retain prora.' 105.] Undis dat latus,' like "telo dat pectus," 10. 425. Cumulo' is an adverbial ablat. So 2. 498, "amnis Fertur in arva furens cumulo," in a mass.' 'Praeruptus aquae mons ' is taken from Apoll. R. 2. 580, κύμα—ἀποτμήγι σκοπιῇ ἴσον. 106.] Hi' is seen from what follows (Tris Notus,' &c.) to refer to different ships, not to men in different parts of the same. Here the elevation and depression are described as simultaneous; in 3. 564 foll. they are undergone successively by the whole fleet. Pendent' as in 10. 303. 107.] Henry rightly understands furit arenis,raves with the sand,' not 'on the sand;' comp. "aestu miscentur arenae," in the parallel passage 3. 557, note. As he remarks, Virg. may be thinking of, if not specially referring to, the Syrtes, which are "Ubi mare described by Sall. Jug. 80, magnum esse et saevire coepit ventis, limum arenamque et saxa ingentia fluctus trahunt. . . Syrtes ab tractu nominatae." Comp. also Soph. Ant. 590, Kuλívdel Buooóθεν κελαινὰν θῖνα καὶ δυσάνεμον, and Apoll. R. 4. 1265 (speaking of the Syrtes, and probably imitated by Virg.), ia d'üdwp Ξαινόμενον πολιῇσιν ἐπιτροχάει ψαμάθοισιν. Surf and sand are raving together.' 108.] Latentia,' i. e. in a storm, for in a calm they are visible, dorsum inmane mari summo.' Comp. 5. 125. These 'saxa' are generally supposed to be the Aegimori insulae' at the mouth of the bay of Carthage. Pliny 5. 7, "Contra Carthaginis sinum duae Aegimori arae, scopuli verius quam insulae, inter Siciliam maxime et Sardiniam." Mr. Long, however, identifies the 'saxa' with the Skerki Rocks, which are on the Adventure Bank, a shallow plateau between Sicily and Tunis. 109.] Suspicion has been cast by Heyne on this verse as a prosaic interpolation, but it is acknowledged by Quinct. Inst. 8. 2; and without it, as Wagn. remarks, dorsum inmane mari summo' would contradict 'latentia.' The order is 'saxa quae Dorsum inmane mari summo; tris Eurus ab alto Arma virum, tabulaeque, et Troia gaza per undas. mediis in fluctibus (exstantia) Itali vocant aras.' Med. and Gud. ' mediisque,' an ob vious error. 110.] Dorsum,' 10. 303. Ab alto, from the deep sea, contrasted with 'brevia.' 111.] In brevia et Syrtis,' i. e. in brevia Syrtium.' We have brevibus vadis,' 5. 220. So Tac. A. 1. 70, Neque discerni poterant incerta ab solidis, brevia a profundis." Serv. compares тà ẞpaxéa. 113.] Oronten:' Med. and Gud. here, and in 6. 334 (in the latter passage Rom. also), have 'Orontem.' But the analogy of other words of the sort formed from the Greek, as written in the best MSS. of Virg., is in favour of Oronten; which is supported too by Charisius (see on v. 220), and defended by Wagn. (Q. V. 3); who however does not appear altogether consistent in adopting im' as the accus. of names in 'is,' though the best MSS. support him. Fidus' is a natural epithet of an ally who had followed the fortunes of Troy, not only during the siege, but in exile. 114.] Ipsius,' Aeneas. Ingens pontus,' a vast mass of sea,' as we speak of shipping a heavy sea.' No authority is quoted for this use of pontus;' and from the imitation by Val. F. (4. 666), magno puppim procul aequore vestit," it would appear to be a phrase invented by Virg. himself. Hom. Od. 5. 313, aoer μέγα κύμα κατ ̓ ἄκρης Δεινὸν ἐπεσσύμενον. A vertice' is a translation of kат' ǎкρns. 115.] Ferit (navim) in puppim,' like "montem inpulit in latus," v. 81. Magister,' properly the pilot, who is here the same as the steersman, 'gubernator.' Both names are given to Palinurus, 6. 337, 353 66 110 115 120 (where "excussa magistro" is parallel to 117.] Vertex,' not 'vortex,' is the constant orthography of Med. Rom. and Gud. here have vortex.' Vorat aequore,' engulfs.' So 'vorago.' 118.] Rari nantes,' with reference to 'vasto. Comp. Od. 12. 418, where the drowning crew are compared to sea-birds. 119.] Some difficulty has been raised about arma' floating, which is justified by a passage in Livy, 1. 37, "fluitantia arma ad urbem cognita in Tiberi." But the picture here is momentary, and flashes before the eyes of Aeneas. Tabulae,' planks. Comp. πίνακάς τε νεῶν καὶ σών ματα φωτῶν Κύμαθ ̓ ἁλὸς φορέουσι, Οd. 12. 67. Troia:' this is the orthography of the best MSS. in Virg., though Troicus' is found in other authors. Troia gaza,' 2. 763. For gaza' see on 5. 40, where, as in 2. 763, Med. has the spelling 'gazza.' 120.] The names of lioneus and Abas are from Hom. (Il. 14. 489., 5. 148), but the persons are different, both being killed in Hom. 121.] 'Grandaevus' is said not to be found in any author earlier than Virg. ; grandaevitas' however is quoted from Pacuvius, Hermi. fr. 1, and Attius, Alcum. fr. 6, Bacch. fr. 7. 123.] Imbrem.' Serv. quotes Ennius (Ann. 490), "ratibusque fremebat Imber Neptuni." Lucr. uses 'imber' for the element of water, e. g. 1. 715. 124-141.] Neptune rises from the deep, and dismisses the winds with threats." Interea magno misceri murmure pontum, Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehinc talia fatur: Iam caelum terramque meo sine numine, Venti, 125 130 Quos ego! Sed motos praestat conponere fluctus. 135 124.] Ulysses in the Odyssey (5. 382) is saved by Leucothea and Pallas, from pity and interest in his fate; but Neptune appears to intervene only to assert his own authority and repress Aeolus. See however 5. 801. Magno misceri murmure,' 4. 160. 126.] Serv. takes 'stagna' as the still water at the bottom of the sea. Heyne considers it to be the Homeric Alurn. There is no difficulty in fixing the general sense of 'refusa' as 'disturbed.' Stat. Theb. 1. 359, "Stagnoque refusa est Funditus et veteri spumavit Lerna veneno." But the specific sense, and the connexion of that sense with other uses of the word in Virg. (see 6. 107., 7. 225, G. 2. 163), are more doubtful. It may mean no more than that the water is poured back or worked up from the bottom. Alto prospiciens,' 'looking out over the sea. Comp. v. 154. To the other interpretation, 'in care for the main,' it may be objected that we should rather have expected 'suis regnis,' or some such expression, and that Virgil no where else uses 'prospicio' metaphorically. 127.] Repeated from G. 4. 352, with the substitution of placidum' for 'flavum.' 'Placidum caput,' because he was about to still or make placid the waves (Heyne). Henry compares v. 255, supposing, perhaps without necessity, that the gods took particular countenances on particular occasions. At any rate, there is no inconsistency between commotus' and placidum,' a subject on which Heyne has written an Excursus. 130.] Nec latuere,' oùdè λálov, Apoll. R. 4. 753. 132.] 'Generis fiducia vestri,' confidence in your semi-divine origin. · 133.] Iam-,' is it come to this, that' &c. Caelum terramque miscere' is a proverbial expression for universal confusion. Quid tandem est cur caelum ac terras misceant?" Livy 4. 3. Another variety of the same image is found in the parallel A. 5. 790 (note), "maria omnia caelo Miscuit." It is doubtful whether 'meo sine numine' is more than a periphrasis for 'sine me,' which would be quite idiomatic; but 'numine' may be taken nearly in its strict sense of 'nutu,' without my assent given. 134.] We may either take'moles' metaphorically, as confusion' (tollere' being excitare'), or as moles undarum,' which is more poetical. Sil. 14. 123, "molem maris." See on 5. 790. 135.] Quos ego ! A similar aposiopesis in a threat is quoted by Serv. from Ter. Andr. 1. 1. 137, "Quem quidem ego, si sensero -! Sed quid opus est verbis ?" Emm. remarks that they are commonly followed by 'sed,' as in the passage just given. Comp. Ov. Her. 12. 207, Quos equidem actutum. . Sed quid praedicere poenam Attinet? ingentis parturit ira minas." 136.] It matters little whether we take non' with 'simili' or 'luetis;' but the former is best. Post,' another time.' 137.] Maturate,' accomplish betimes,' a sense which here would be equivalent to 'properate,' though in G. 1. 260 (note) the two are naturally distinguished. |