Tergora diripiunt costis, et viscera nudant : adhuc trementia verubus 216. Exempta est 218. Seu credant eos 220. Æneas gemit se Amyci 215 Postquàm exempta fames epulis, mensæque remotæ, cum nunc casum acris Nunc Amyci casum gemit, et crudelia secum cum. Alloquitur Venus: O, qui res hominumque Deûmque NOTES. 211. Viscera: neu. plu. of viscus, or visIt properly signifies all the parts of the animal within the skin. Here it means the flesh. 212. Pars secant: a part cut into pieces. Nouns of multitude may have verbs in the singular or plural. 213. Ahena: neu. plu. brazen dishes or vessels. An adj. taken as a substantive. Ministrant flammas: tend the fires. 215. Implentur. This is in imitation of the Greeks, with whom verbs of filling govern the genitive. Bacchi: in the sense of vini. 217. Requirunt: they inquire after their lost companions-converse about them. 219. Pati extrema: to suffer deathdeath being the last of all earthly things.Pati: the present in the sense of the perf. Vocatos nec jam: being invoked, should not now hear. This alludes to a custom among the Romans, of calling the dead three times by name: which was the last ceremony in funeral obsequies. After which, the friends pronounced the word Vale, three times, as they departed from the tomb. The same was observed of those, who perished by shipwreck, or otherwise, when their bodies could not be found. 220. Æneas gemit: Æneas laments now the fate of brave Orontes, now, &c. The most exalted and heroic minds are the most susceptible of humanity and compassion.Virgil therefore says: Præcipuè pius Æneas gemit. But at the same tiine, he conducts his grief with prudence, and carefully avoids whatever would tend to discourage the rest; and therefore it is said, that he grieves privately, secum, keeping his sorrow and grief in his own bosom; and showing to his com 220 225 panions an example of magnanimous forti tude only, which rises superior to dangers and misfortunes. 224. Velivolum: navigable. Jacentes terras: the earth may be said to be lying (jacens) still, dead and at rest, in opposition to the sea, which always in motion. The poet considers here the sails of a ship under the notion of wings, by which it flies over the sea, as a bird moves through the air.Ruæus takes jacentes in the sense of humiles: low-lying low. Populos: in the sense of gentes. 225. Vertice: the pinnacle of heaven: the zenith, or point over our heads. 226. Defixit oculos. Dr. Trapp observes, that nothing to him breathes the soul of poetry, particularly Virgil's, more than this delightful passage, in which the majesty of Jupiter, and the beautiful grief of Venus are so finely contrasted. She still remembers, in all the abruptness of extreme sorrow, that she is addressing the almighty Thun derer, and yet maintains all the sweetness of female complaint, and tender expostulation. Jactantem: in the sense of volventem. 228. Suffusa oculos: wet, as to her shining eyes, with tears. See Ecl. i. 55. Female beauty never appears so engaging, and makes so deep an impression upon the beholder, as when suffused with tears, and manifesting a degree of anxious solicitude. The poet therefore introduces Venus in that situation, making suit to her father. The speech is of the chastest kind, and cannot fail to charm the reader. 229. Venus. The goddess of beauty and love. She is said to have sprung from the foam of the sea, near the island of Cyprus: Æternis regis imperiis, et fulmine terres, NOTES. or according to Hesiod, near the island of Cythera. She was taken up to Heaven, when all the Gods were struck with her beauty, and became jealous of her superior attractions. Jupiter attempted, in vain, to gain her affection; and as a punishment to her, for the refusal, bestowed her upon his deformed son Vulcan. She, however, had many intrigues with Mars, Mercury, and Bacchus. Her partiality for Adonis, induced her to leave Olympus. She also had an affection, it is said, for Anchises, and for his sake, often visited the Groves of Mount Ida. By him she had Æneas. Venus possessed a mysterious girdle or cestus, which gave to any, however ugly and deformed, beauty, elegance, and grace. Her worship was universally established. The rose, the myrtle, and the apple, were sacred to her. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow, were her favorite birds. She had various names, derived chiefly from the places where she was worshipped; or from some property or quality she was thought to possess. Some of which, are the following: Cypria, from the island Cyprus: Paphia, from Paphos: Cytherea, from the island Cythera; in each of which places she had splendid temples. She was also called Telepegcma, because she presided over marriage: Verticordia, because she turned the hearts of women to chastity: Etaira, because she was the patroness of courtezans: Acidalia, from Acidalus, a fountain in Beotia: Basilea, because she was the queen of love: Myrtea, because the myrtle was sacred to her: Libertina, on account of her inclinations to licentious amours: Pontea, Marina, Lemnesia, and Pelagea, because she sprung from the sea. The word Venus is often taken for beauty and love; also for the object of love-the person loved. It is used sometimes for any sensual passion, or lust-the intercourse of the sexes. Imperiis: in the sense of potentia. 233. Quibus passis: against whom, suffering so many deaths, the whole world, &c. 234. Hinc: hence-from the Trojans. Ductores: probably, as Heyne observes, we are to understand Julius Cæsar, and Octavius. 235. Revocato, &c. Commentators are divided in opinion, on these words. Corradus takes sanguine Teucri, for the Trojans, the offspring of Teucer; and revocato, in the sense of restituto. Ruæus rejects this in part. By sanguine Teucri, he understands the Trojans; and by revocato, their return into Italy, whence Dardanus, the founder of their race, originated. The blood of Teucer, and that of Dardanus, were united in the Trojans, their descendants. Revocato: recalled-called back to take possession of the land of their ancestor. 236. Ditione: sway-authority. Tenerent in the sense of regerent. Sententia: in the sense of consilium. 238. Hoc quidem: with this promise, I was mitigating the fall, and sad catastrophe of Troy :-I was consoling myself, at, &c. 239. Fatis rependens contraria: to these fates balancing, (or placing) fates contrary, or of an opposite nature. Fatum, as here used, may mean, either the purposes of the gods concerning the Trojans, or simply, their fortune or destiny. Their city had been rased, and a numerous train of ills had befallen them. These, we are to understand by fatis. By fata contraria, it is plain, we are to understand prosperity, or a state of things different from their former one. if fata be taken for the purposes of the gods toward them, the interpretation will be the same. Or, The downfall of Troy was a very afflicting circumstance to Venus. She strove hard to prevent it. And after the event, she consoled herself with the consideration, that Troy was destined to rise again-that their race was to be restored to the land of Dardanus, and there become the rulers of the world. This lightened her sorrow, and assuaged her grief. Here, perhaps, it may be asked, if she knew that the future glory of the Trojan race had been decreed and fixed by fate; why does she appear to express so much anxiety and solicitude upon that subject? It may be said, that the opposition which Juno made to it, might make her doubt, and her mind waver. For, Jupiter alone had a perfect insight into futurity, and sun, tristesque ruinas Nunc eadem fortuna viros tot casibus actos Regna Liburnorum et fontem superare Timavi: unius NOTES. the rest of the gods, knew no more than he was pleased to reveal to them. See Æn. iii. 251. It is said, by some, that Virgil makes even Jupiter subject to fate or destiny. But from several passages, it will appear, that his notion of fate was truly philosophical. He makes fate to be nothing more than the decrees, purposes, or counsels of Heaven, pronounced by the mouth of Jove; as the etymology of the word implies. He often calls destiny Fata deorum, which can mean nothing else than the Divine decrees, or counsels. And, if he give to fate the epithets, inexpugnabile and inexorabile, he must mean that the laws and order of nature are fixed and unchangeable, as being the result of Infinite wisdom and foresight, and having their foundation in the Divine mind, which is subject to none of those changes that affect feeble and erring mortals. 242. Antenor. He was a noble Trojan. After the sack of Troy, he led a colony of Trojans, and Henetes, a people who came to assist Priam, and lost their king, in quest of a settlement. After various toils and disasters, he arrived at the head of the Adriatic, and having expelled the Euganes, a people inhabiting between the Alps and the sea, he took possession of their country. He built a city called Antenorea, after his own name. Some say he built Patavium, now Padua. The whole nation was called Veneti. 243. Illyricos: an adj. from Illyricum, an extensive country on the borders of the Adriatic, over against Italy, including the ancient Liburnia and Dalmatia. Penetrare: in the sense of intrare. 244. Superare fontem Timavi: to pass beyond the fountain of Timavus. We are told by Servius, on the authority of Varro, that the Timavus was a large river, and the sea. 240 245 250 255 neighboring people gave to it the name of It was formed, says he, by the confluence of nine streams, issuing from a mountain. It is, however, at the present, a small and inconsiderable stream, falling into the Adriatic, near Istria. 245. Unde: whence-from the fountain. The novem ora, I take to mean the nine streams which formed the river, and not so many channels, through which it fell into the Os signifies the fountain, or head of a river, as well as its mouth. sea. 246. It it pours along. Proruptum: rough-swollen. Premit: overflows-deluges. Thompson has finely imitated, in his "Winter," this description of the Timavus. 249. Compôstus: by syn. for compositus: settled. Fixit: in the sense of suspendit. Nos. Here Venus speaks in the person of Eneas to show how nearly she had his interest at heart. Annuis: in the sense of promittis. Thou hast promised that after death he should be received among the gods-should be deified. Arcem cæli: the court or palace of heaven. 251. Infandum. This word is thrown in like an interposing sigh, hen she comes to the most moving part of her complaint; and the artful pauses in this and the twe following lines, together with the abrupt manner in which the speech breaks off, show her quite overpowered by the tide of her grief. Unius: of one, to wit, Juno. Prodimur : we are given up to destruction-we are doomed to toils, misfortunes, and dangers, through the resentment and influence of Juno. 253. Honos: reward-recompense. Sator: 256. Libavit: he kissed the lips of his : Parce metu, Cytherea manent immota tuorum NOTES. daughter. The name Venus was given to several. The one here meant, is the daughter of Jupiter and Dione, but is often confounded with her, who sprung from the froth of the sea. Sce 229. supra. 257. Metu: for metui. See Ecl. v. 29. Cytherea Venus. 261. Fabor: in the sense of dicam. 262. Movebo arcana: I will unfold the secrets of the fates, tracing (volvens) them down to a great distance of time. Remordet: troubles you. 264. Contundet: in the sense of domabit. Mores: in the sense of leges. 265. Dum tertia ætas: until the third year shall see him, &c. The meaning is, that three years were to be spent in the wars with Turnus and the Rutuli; at the expiration of which, having subdued his enemies, Eneas should commence his government in Latium. Dum: in the sense of donec. 266. Terna hyberna: three winters shall have passed, the Rutuli being conquered. 267. Cui nunc cognomen: to whom now the sir-name of Iülus is added. This circumstance is thrown in to show the origin of the Julian family, and the occasion of changing the name of Ilus, to Iülus or Julius. The poet designs this as a compliment to the Cæsars. Iülus succeeded his father in the government, and reigned thirty years at Lavinium. He built Alba Longa, and made it the seat of his government. The throne was filled for three hundred years by a succession of Trojan princes, down to the time of Romulus. He founded Rome, and changed the seat of government from Alba Longa to the new city. At his death, the line of succession was changed, and Numa Pompilius, a wise and virtuous prince of the Sabines, filled the throne. 268. Ilia res: the Trojan state. Ilia: an adj. from Ilium, a name of Troy. See 1. supra. 269. Orbes: in the sense of annos. 270. Imperio: government-reign. La vini: by apocope for Lavinii. See 2. supra. Vi: labor-strength. 273. Hectorea gente: under a Trojan line. After the building of Rome, Alba continued for a considerable time an independent government, and was a rival of the new city. It was finally destroyed by the Romans, and its inhabitants transferred to Rome. 274. Ilia: a daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa. She is called regina, on account of her royal descent. She was one of the vestal virgins, and for that reason called sacerdos, or priestess. Being pregnant (gravis) by Mars, as it is said, she brought forth twins, Romulus and Remus. Amulius, having expelled his brother Numitor, commanded one Faustus, a shepherd, to expose the children to wild beasts, that they might perish. Instead of which, he took them home, where they were nourished by his wife, whose name was Lupa. This gave rise to the story of their being brought up by a wolf, lupa being the name of that animal. The children grew up, and when they became acquainted with the conduct of their uncle, they collected a band of men, attacked him in his palace, slew him, and restored Numitor to the throne. Afterwards, it is said, each of the brothers began to build a city. Remus leaped over the walls of the city founded by Romulus; whereupon, being angry, he slew him. He called the city Rome, after his own name. Romulus was sometimes called Quirinus, from Quiri, a Sabine word, which signifies a spear. minam prolem: simply, twins. Gε 275. Inde Romulus Inde lupa fulvo nutricis tegmine lætus lætus fulvo tegmine nu- Romulus excipiet gentem, et Mavortia condet tricis lupa excipiet gen- Mania, Romanosque suo de nomine dicet. tem 277. Dicet incolas Ro- His ego nec metas rerum, nec tempora pono: Imperium sinè fine dedi. Quin aspera Juno, manos 275 Quæ mare nunc terrasque metu cœlumque fatigat, 280 288. Ille erit Julius, Julius, à magno demissum nomen Iülo. nomen Hunc tu olim cœlo, spoliis Orientis onustum, NOTES. 276. Mavortra: an adj. from Mavors, a name of Mars: warlike-martial. Mania: in the sense of urbem. 278. Nec pono metas: I place (prescribe) to them neither bounds nor duration of dominion. The Romans had a belief that their empire would always continue, while other governments would be unstable and fluctuating. 280. Metu: through fear that the Trojans would rise to power, and become dangerous to her dear Carthage and Argos. Futigat: in the sense of commovet. 281. In melius. This is taken adverbially for the better. Referret: shall change. 282. Gentem togatam: the nation of the gown. The toga, or gown, was the distinguishing badge of the Romans, as the pallium was that of the Greeks. Rerum. Res signifies power-rule-dominion. In the present case it signifies, the world. 283. Sic placitum: thus it pleases methis is my pleasure-it is my decree. The verb est is to be supplied. Etas venit: the time shall come, years having passed away, when, &c. Lustrum: properly the period of four years. It is often put for time in general. Etas: in the sense of tempus, and lustris for annis. 284. Domus Assaraci. By this we are to understand the Romans. Assaracus was the son of Tros, and brother of Ilus. He was the father of Capys, and Capys the father of Anchises, the father of Eneas, from whom the Romans descended. Phthiam. This was a city of Thessaly, the royal seat of Achilles. Mycenas-Argis. These were cities of the Peloponnesus, over which Agamemnon reigned, put, by synec. for Greece in general. This prophecy was fulfilled under the Roman generale Mummius, 285 290 who conquered Achaia; and Paulus Æmilius, who subdued Macedonia and Thessaly. Argis: in the sing. Argos, neu.; in the plu. Argi, mas. It was situated about two miles from the sea, on the Sinus Argolicus. It was founded by Inachus, 1856 years before Christ. Its inhabitants were called Argolici and Argivi: by synec. put for the Greeks in general. Premet: shall subject to servitude-shall subdue. 286. Pulchra: in the sense of illustris: Cæsar, a Trojan of illustrious origin. 288. Nomen demissum: a name derived from, &c. 289. Tu secura: you, sure, shall receive him hereafter. Cæsar was honored with four triumphs on four successive days. To this, refer the words: Onustum spoliis orientis. Cæsar received divine honors by a decree of the senate. 291. Aspera sæcula. Here is an allusion to the golden age; or, at least, to the universal peace which took place in the reign of Augustus, when the temple of Janus wa shut. Mitescent: shall grow mild-soften Aspera: in the sense of dura. 292. Cana fides. The meaning is: that the fidelity of former times should returnthat men should devote more of their time to the service of the gods-that there should be no more civil wars, in which brother should be armed against brother. The epithet can alludes to the figure of faith, which was represented with hoary locks, to denote that it was the peculiar virtue of former times-the golden age. By the word Vesta, Servius says, we are to understand religion. Vesta was the daughter of Saturn and Ops, the goddess of fire, and patroness of the vestal virgins. Eneas was the first who introduced her mysteries into Italy |