opaca Accipe, quae peragenda prius. Latet arbore 136.] Whether this notion of propitiating Proserpine by a golden bough is Virg.'s own invention we cannot tell. Heyne acutely argues from v. 409 below that it probably was a feature in some other legend. The commentators have collected many things which might have suggested the invention to Virgil-the use of a bough in supplication, and also in lustration, the golden rod of Hermes, the gilded branch in the mysteries of Isis; while the appearance of the golden bough in the wood may conceivably have been suggested, as Heyne thinks, by the golden fleece hanging from the beech in the sacred grove of Hecate, Apoll. R. 4. 123 foll. Ov. M. 14. 113 follows Virg. 137.] The bough is altogether golden, stem as well as leaves. 138.] Proserpina is Iuno inferna,' as Pluto is Zeus x0órios, Iuppiter Stygius,' 4. 638. The same, or a similar title is given to her by Ovid, Statius, and Silius. Dictus' is here used almost in the sense of dicatus' or 'addictus,' naming or pronouncing being a way of setting a thing apart and appropriating it. So Serv. here and on 1. 73 (which see), and Bentley on Hor. 2 S. 2. 134. 'Omnis,' as if the whole forest conspired to hide it. Comp. Aeneas' prayer below v. 186 foll. 139.] The sense is virtually the same as if Virg. had said "claudunt convalles umbris," the glades being looked upon as the instruments by which the trees close up the golden bough. 140.] Sed,' still, in spite of the difficulty of finding the bough, it is the only passport. Opertum' is used substantively more than once in Cic.: see Forc. 6 141.] Wagn. restores qui' from Med. and one or two other MSS. for quis,' which is read by Pal., Rom., Gud., &c. Either would stand, as Wagn.'s objections to the indefinite 'quis' seem untenable: 140 145 but 'qui' is the more likely to have been altered. The construction is non ante datur quam ei qui decerpserit,' a natural confusion between the hour and the man, 'nulli nisi qui decerpserit' and non ante quam aliquis decerpserit.' 'Auricomus' is perhaps a coinage of Virg.'s own, on the analogy of xpuσókoμos. Val. Fl. and Sil. have followed him: see Forc. Fetus' of the bough as the produce of the tree, v. 207 below. In G. 1. 189 it signifies fruit opposed to leaves. 142.] Pulchra' need be no more than an ornamental epithet: but its position seems to show that the beauty of the gift is considered to be appropriate to the beauty of the goddess. 'Suum munus' like "Phoebo sua semper apud me Munera" E. 3. 62, though there is not the notion here of restoring to the goddess her own. 'Ferre instituit' like "mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis " E. 5. 41. 143.] Primo has the force of 'primo quoque,' the first in each case, and 'alter' of course is its correlative. 144.] Wagn. and Forb. think 'aureus' feeble; but surely it has considerable force here, the meaning being that a golden bough is never wanting-no sooner is one plucked than another as golden comes in its place. Simili' is virtually = 'eodem ;' but it need hardly be pointed out as a special use of the word, as the truth seems to be that the two thoughts are generally convertible. It is doubtful whether Med. has similis' or 'simili: Foggini's volume gives simili,' Heyne and Ribbeck's collation 'similis.' 'Frondescit metallo' like "auri frondentis" v. 208. 145.] 'Ergo,' its importance being such, v. 140. 'Alte vestiga oculis' is explained by v. 136. Serv. says, "rite carpe,' id est, cum observatione; non rite reper. tum,'" and later editors follow him. I am by no means sure however that Virg. Carpe manu; namque ipse volens facilisque sequetur, did not intend to join 'rite repertum,' 149.] Praeterea,' as a further thing to be done before approaching the shades, who would be offended by the neglect of the rites due to the dead. The notion of being unburied is contained in iacet,' the body being left to lie where it fell, instead of being taken up and burnt. So 2. 557 (note), 5. 871., 9. 486., 11. 102, in which passages however other words are added to bring out the notion more clearly. Tibi' to show how the obstacle affected Aeneas. 150.] 'Incestat funere' like "patrios foedasti funere voltus" 2. 539, comp. by Forb. The whole fleet partakes in the pollution, so that it would be hopeless for the commander to approach the shades till the pollution has been removed. Comp. the language in Soph. Ant. 1016 foll. about the unburied body of Polynices and the extent of pollution caused by it. 151.] Consulta' are apparently the 150 decrees of the gods or of destiny, so that 152.] Some difficulty has been made about sedibus suis; the choice however lies between taking it of the grave, as the natural resting-place of the dead, and the shades, as the natural abode of the spirit. The former might be supported by v. 328, the latter by v. 371. The difficulty is further increased by the apparent inconsistency of Virg.'s language or belief (see on 3. 68., 4. 34), the spirit and the body being elsewhere confused. Refer' however is in favour of supposing the grave to be meant, in spite of the tautology with the rest of the line, as the agency of Aeneas in transferring the spirit to its home would be only indirect. In any case 'refer' is explained by 'suis,' meaning to pay a due (comp. 2. 543 note). Conde sepulchro' 3. 68. 153.] The sacrifice had no reference to Misenus (comp. below vv. 236, 243 foll.), but was intended to propitiate the shades towards their living visitor. Nigras pecudes' is more fully explained by vv. 243 foll. 'Prima' seems rightly taken by Heyne as previous or preliminary. nearly 1. 24, "Prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis." So 154.] Med. a m. p. and Rom. have Stygiis,' a corruption which seems to have led to a false correction Stygios' (Pal. a m. s. &c.), and hence to the omission of 'et,' which is supported by one of Ribbeck's cursives. Wagn. rightly restored Stygis et,' which is apparently the original reading of Pal. 'Lucos Stygis:' it matters little whether the woods are supposed to overshadow the Styx, which may naturally be regarded as giving its name to the whole infernal territory. Regna invia vivis' tells plainly what the Sibyl hitherto had only asserted indirectly. See on v. 126. Aspicies. Dixit, pressoque obmutuit ore. Aeneas maesto defixus lumina voltu It comes, et paribus curis vestigia figit. Quem socium exanimem vates, quod corpus humandum 155.] Presso ore' like "premere vo cem 9. 324. 156-178.] On reaching the shore they find the body of Misenus, who had been drowned by a jealous sea-god. They lament, and set about the funeral.' 156.] Comp. 8. 520, where as here the downcast eye indicates both sorrow and thoughtfulness. 157.] Ingreditur' seems to mean 'enters on his journey to the shore,' or perhaps merely 'goes on:' comp. 8. 309. A correction in Med. gives progreditur.' "Caecos eventus' probably includes the various things he had heard from the Sibyl -the prediction of vv. 83 foll., the doubt about the golden bough, and the mysterious death. 158.] Achates was with him, v. 34. 159.] Figere' is so often used as a synonyme of 'ponere' that it would be most natural to take vestigia figit' like "vestigia ponat " G. 3. 195, or the more common "vestigium facere:" the meaning merely being that he walks along moodily. Forb. however, who contends against this, may be so far right that the use of 'figere' may be intended to show that the tread is slow, the foot being as it were driven into the earth each time, though he is certainly wrong in making it equivalent to "vestigia pressit vv. 197, 331 below, where the notion is that of stopping. Comp. Lucr. 3. 3, "inque tuis nunc Fixa pedum pono pressis vestigia signis," where curiously enough all three verbs are used, though the use of "pressis" does not really support Forb.'s view. Serv. gives both explanations of 'figit,' stepping and stopping. 160.] "Vario sermone" 1. 748., 8. 309. Ferebant' was an old reading: but 'serebant' is found in all the best MSS., and recognized by Serv. Serere sermonem' is as old as Plaut., and 'serere colloquia' occurs in Livy (see Forc.): it is 155 160 doubtless to be explained by giving 'serere' the sense of 'connecting,' 'setting in order,' though Stat. Achill. 2. 35 has a strange expression, " campumque patentem. Alterno sermone serunt," apparently taking it, if the reading is right, from 'sero, sevi.' It is possible, as Serv. hints, that Virg. means to indicate that 'sermo' and 'serere' are cognate words, according to Varro's explanation (L. L. 6. § 64), sermo non potest in uno homine esse solo, sed ubi oratio cum altero coniuncta," though such a grammatical spirit belongs rather to the early Latin poets, who never forgot that they were literary teachers. The next line seems to show that Wagn. is right in understanding 'vario sermone' not of various topics, but of various conjectures on one topic. 161.] Heyne rightly remarks that it is strange they should not at once have thought of Palinurus, or rather strange that Virg. should not have perceived that Palinurus would at once be thought of as the lost comrade. As Forb. observes, it is probably one of those confusions which Virg. would have rectified had he lived to finish his Aeneid. With the construction comp. 2. 121. Humandum' 10. 493., 11. 2. Exanimum' Pal., Rom., Gud., 'exanimem' Med., which is more euphonious. 162.] Atque:' see on E. 7. 7. 164.] It was one of the legends about the landing of Aeneas that he lost a comrade called Misenus at that time, and called that part of the coast after him (comp. v. 234 note). See Heyne, Excursus 4 and 7 to this book. One of the stories seems to have made him Aeneas' pilot, which might tend further to make Virg. waver between him and Palinurus. liden' probably means, as Heyne thinks, the son of Aeolus, a Trojan of age and rank, killed afterwards 12. 542 foll. There would however be plenty of Homeric pre Aeo Aere ciere viros, Martemque accendere cantu. cedent for making him the son of a god, and some propriety in ascribing the birth of an illustrious trumpeter to the god of the winds. Quo non praestantior alter' &c. may be taken, as Cerda suggests, from II. 2. 553, τῷ δ ̓ οὔπω τις ὁμοῖος ἐπιχθονίων γένετ ̓ ἀνήρ, Κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας. 165.] Praestantior ciere' like "boni inflare" E. 5. 1 note. Misenus has already appeared 3. 239 as a trumpeter, an officer, as has often been remarked, unknown to Hom., who however mentions a trumpet in a simile II. 18. 219. Serv. tells the story that "Martemque accendere cantu' was added by the poet during the fervour of recitation, the line having been previously a hemistich. It is at any rate a good specimen of an effective and poetical tautology. The story as told in Virg.'s life says further that the previous line ended at 'Aeoliden,' and that the remainder was similarly improvised, which is to the last degree unlikely, as aere ciere viros' postulates the existence of the previous words. Cerda thinks Martem accendere cantu' is imitated from Aristoph. Peace 310, Tò Пóλеμov ÈkSwπuphσer' evδοθεν κεκραγότες. 166.] Hectoris magni' like Hom.'s "EKTOρa diov. Circum' is like the use of ἀμφί οι περί in Greek to express companionship. 167.] The lituus' differed from the 'tuba,' which appears below v. 233 as Misenus' instruinent, in being slightly bent: but the two are used as synonymous by Virg., just as he uses the names of various trees indifferently for the wood of which the Trojan horse is made. Heyne refers to Stat. Theb. 6. 120, 128 for a similar confusion of 'lituus' and 'tuba :' but the two words do not occur there, though in the former line the tibia' is said cornu mugire adunco.' 'Insignis' probably with lituo' and 'hasta,' like 'insignis equis 10. 354 &c., and the Homeric KAUTds yxeï doupí &c., which 165 170 170.] Addiderat sese socium' 2. 339, Ε. 6. 20. Inferiora is rightly explained by Heyne as a Grecism, τὰ ἥττω for τὸν Tovα. Virg.'s doctrine of the equality of Aeneas to Hector appears again 11. 291. It is in 171.] Concha' is probably the same as the 'lituus' or 'tuba,' being substituted for it as more appropriate to a performance on the water, and more likely to rouse the jealousy of Triton, whose instrument it was, 10. 209. Comp. Ov. M. 1. 333 foll. (too long to quote), where Triton is made by Neptune to sound on his shell a retreat for the waters of Deucalion's flood, the shell being afterwards spoken of as cava buccina." Emm., to whom this citation is due, also quotes Hesych. S. ν. κόχλος, κόχλοις τοῖς θαλασσίοις ἐχρῶντο πρὸ τῆς τῶν σαλπίγγων εὑρέσεως, a natural supposition enough. fact the rationale of the myth which attributes the shell to Triton. It is possible however, as Peerlkamp and Forb. think, that Misenus is meant really to have taken up a shell on the shore and tried his powers. Personat aequora concha' like "personat regna latratu" v. 417 below. Here as elsewhere dum' is followed by the present when the rest of the sentence would have led us to expect some other tense: see on E. 7. 6, G. 4. 560. Here there may be a rhetorical propriety in the discrepancy, the suddenness of the retribution being expressed by the intimation that it was over while the provocation was still going on. 172.] Demens' is used like vários II. 2. 37 and elsewhere. Strictly speaking it belongs to the second clause here rather than to the first; but the act of defiance is implied in the first clause, so that Forb. is wrong in pointing it with the second, contrary to the Homeric parallels. 'Vo Aemulus exceptum Triton, si credere dignum est, care' in the sense of 'provocare' is found, though not very commonly see Forc. Vocare in' is very common in Virg., the general sense being apparently the same in all, that of calling to a place (e. g. "vocare in vota," to invoke the presence of the gods at a vow), though the particular applications are very different. 'Provocare in aleam' occurs Plaut. Curc. 2. 3. 76 (Forc.), but provocare ad' is more usual. Heyne, Excursus 7, remarks that in mythical language men who excel in any thing are said either to have received it from some god or to have provoked the jealousy of some god by it. Misenus is in fact like Thamyris, Arachne, &c. 173.] Exceptum inmerserat''exceperat et inmerserat,' 'excipere' being used of surprise, as in 3. 332, E. 3. 18. "Si credere dignum est" G. 3. 391. Virg. represents the cause of Misenus' death as mythical, as Forb. remarks. 174.] Inter saxa' implies that the provocation and its punishment took place on the coast, and 'spumosa' perhaps points the same way. 175.] Fremere' of lamentation 4. 668. 176.] "Praecipue pius Aeneas" 1. 220. 177. Festinare with acc. 4. 575. 'Sepulchri' Med., Rom., 'sepulchro' Pal., Gud., which Ribbeck adopts. But Sil. 15. 387 has "alta sepulchri Protinus exstruitur caeloque educitur ara," where Drakenborch notes no various reading. Aram sepulchri' seems rightly understood by Serv. not of the altars to the Di Manes' (3. 63 note), but of the pyre piled up like an altar. Congerere arboribus' might be said of heaping the altar with boughs for fuel, but caelo educere' points to a more considerable structure, and the gen. 'sepulchri' would be somewhat harsh for 'sepulchralis,' though 'sepulchro' might be more tractable. Sil. I. c. follows Virg. closely, evidently showing that he under 175 180 stood him in this way. Val. Fl. 5. 10, also quoted by Heyne, is somewhat doubtful: much more Ov. M. 8. 479, whom Forb. cites. Bauós is used in Hom. of any raised place, and in later Greek actually of a tomb: see Lidd. and Scott. 178.] Congerere arboribus' uevoeikéa neov vλny Il. 23. 139. Apoll. R. 1. 403 has vheov avтóo Bwuóv, which may have been in Virg.'s mind. "Caelo educere" 2. 186. 179-211.] They go into the wood for fuel for the pile. Aeneas prays that he may see the golden bough. Two doves guide him to it. He plucks and carries it off.' 179.] The description is imitated from Il. 23. 114 foll., and also from Enn. A. 6. fr. 11, preserved by Macrob. Sat. 6. 2. The latter, as the rarer author, may be quoted: |