quod in Servianis legitur, a Vulcano facta fuisse ei arma, ad barbaricum exercitus Memnonii apparatum, a Troiano more diversum, referendum est; cf. Dictyn, 4. 4 et 5. Quod nisi probare malis, accipienda verba sunt simpliciter, ut sit variata oratio pro vulgari: multa rogitans porro super Memnone, et Diomede, et Achille" - an answer as misty, uncertain, and bewildering as the answer of the Wakefield to the same question ("De his armis rogat, utpote divini artificis solertia elaboratis, quum ex Vulcani prodierint officina, ipso Virgilio teste, 8. 384: 'te potuit lacrymis Tithonia flectere coniunx)

is clear, decisive, and, even without the testimony of Servius (ed. Lion), ad 8. 384 (Aurora [quae petivit] pro Memnone"), undoubtedly true.

NUNC QUANTUS ACHILLES. "Quam magnus corporis viribus et animi virtute," Heyne. I think not: because such a question bears no resemblance to the other questions asked by Dido, all of which concerned particularities about which a woman was likely to be curious, and which were capable of being answered in a few words, whereas the question, "quam magnus Achilles corporis viribus et animi virtute?" was too comprehensive to be answered in less than an Achilleis. The question relates solely to the great stature for which Achilles was remarkable; see Hom. Il. 21. 108 (Achilles himself speaking):

ουχ οράας, οιος καγω, καλός τε, μέγας τε

Propert. 2. 9. 13:

"et tanti corpus Achilli

maximaque in parva sustulit ossa manu."

Lycophron, Cassandra, 860 (ed. Potter):

πένθειν τον είναπηχυν, Διακου τρίτον,
και Λωρίδος, πρηστήρα δαΐου μάχης.

Philostratus, Heroic. p. 204 (ed. Boisson): catogrns de to ocuα
εφαίνετο, αυξήθεις τε ραον η τα προς ταις πηγαις δενδρα.
Quintus Calaber (3. 60), describing Achilles wounded by Apollo:
ως αρ' εφη, και αΐστος όμου νεφεεσσιν ετύχθη.
πέρα Ꮄ εσσάμενος, στυγερον προέηκε βέλεμνον,
και ε θεως αύτησε κατα σφυρον. aiva d'avia
δυσαν υπο κραδίην ο δ' ανετράπετ' ηύτε πύργος,

Also the account given by the same author (3. 709) of the vastness of the funeral pyre required to burn the corpse of Achilles. Also Hor. Carm. 4. 6. 9:

"ille [sci. Achilles], mordaci velut icta ferro

pinus, aut impulsa cupressus Euro,

procidit late, posuitque collum in
pulvere Teucro."

So understood, the question is in the most perfect harmony with the context, but should any one still doubt that it is solely to the physical build, and not at all to the valour or other moral qualities of Achilles, Dido's question refers, let him compare Hom. II. 24. 629:

To leodard's Homenos Fernes Azine,

οσσός έην, οιός τε θεοίσι γαρ αυτα εωκει,

where oooog (exactly Dido's QUANTUS) can mean nothing else than of how great stature, exactly as Philostr. Heroic. (ed. Boisson), p. 30, και είδον, ξενε, πλεύσας ες το Σίγειον, αυτο τε το πάθος της γης, και τον Γίγαντα οσος ην.

Val. Flacc. 5. 209:

"quam magnus Enipeus,

et pater aurato quantus iacet Inachus antro."

Compare also

Aen. 2. 592:

"confessa deam, qualisque videri

caelicolis et quanta solet."

Ibid. 2. 644: "tantus in arma patet." Ibid. 3. 641: "qualis quantusque cavo Polyphemus in antro." Ovid, Met. 13. 842 (Polyphemus recommending himself to Galatea):

"aspice, sim quantus. non est hoc corpore maior
Iupiter in caelo."

Ibid. 3. 284:

"quantusque, et qualis ab alta

Iunone excipitur."

Ibid. 15. 661 (Aesculapius speaking):

"vertar in hunc [anguem]. sed maior ero, tantusque videbor

in quantum verti caelestia corpora debent."

And Aen. 12. 701, where Aeneas himself is described to be

"quantus Athos, aut quantus Eryx, aut ipse, coruscis

cum fremit ilicibus, quantus, gaudetque nivali
vertice se attollens pater Appenninus ad auras

See Rem. on "ingenti manu," 5. 487: