73. Quo gemitu nostri animi sunt conversi, et

78. Me cretum esse de

finxit Sinonem

fando

eum

stabat

74. Impetus fury-violence. Compressus: restrained. The verb est is understood. 75. Memoret: in the sense of dicat. Quid ferat: what message or news he brought, or what confidence there might be placed in him, a captive. This is the sense usually given to the words; but Valpy gives them another turn: "What he might have to relate in his own defence, and what ground he had for hoping for mercy, now he was a prisoner."

77. Cuncta vera: the whole truth-all things true. Heyne and Valpy read, quodcunque fuerit, for quæcunque, &c.

80. Vanum: in the sense of fallaccm. Finxit: hath made, or rendered. Improba: in the sense of adversa.

81. Si fortè, fando aliquid: if by chance, by common report, the name of, &c. Fando aliquid: the same as dum aliquid dicitur. Narratione aliorum, says Heyne.

82. Belida Palamedis. Palamedes was the son of Nauplius king of Eubœa, an island in the Egean sea, and descended from Belus, a king of Africa, by Amymone, the daughter of Danaus. Ulysses, to avoid going to the Trojan war, pretended to be insane; but the deception was discovered by Palamedes. See note 7, supra. This, Ulysses never forgave, and finally he wrought his ruin, by accusing him of holding a correspondence with Priam. To support this charge, he forged letters from Priam to Palamedes, which he pretended to have intercepted. He also conveyed gold to his tent, pretending it was sent from Priam as a bribe. Upon which Palamedes was accused of treason, and stoned to death.

The whole of Sinon's speech is artful, and calculated to impose upon his audience, being made up, partly of truth, and partly

75

80

85

of falsehood. What he says of himself is downright falsehood; what he says of Palamedes is in substance true. His death might have been known to the Trojans by common report, (fando aliquid,) though the circumstances of it might not have been. By relating them, therefore, he could not fail of becoming interesting, of gaining a favorable reception, and of preparing the way for the accomplishment of his purpose.

83. Sub falsa proditione: under a false accusation of treachery-treason. This alludes to the letters, which Ulysses forged, mentioned above. Pelasgi. See Æn. i. 624.

84. Infando indicio. This alludes to the gold, which Ulysses conveyed to his tent, and pretended to have been sent him by Priam. This was adduced in evidence against him: we may therefore render infando indicio : upon an iniquitous evidence. Quia vetabat bella. This was false: so far from Palamedes being opposed to the war against Troy, that he was among the first to promote it.

85. Cassum lumine: deprived of the light of life. Demisere: they condemned to death.

86. Illi me comitem. Here, too, Sinon speaks falsely. So far from his being a relation of Palamedes, he was the relation of Ulysses, whose mother was the sister of Esinus, the father of Sinon.

87. Ab primis annis: not from his infancy, but from the first years of his bearing arms, which among the Romans was at the age of seventeen. Arma: by meton, war.

88. Regno. Regnum may either mean the kingdom of Euboea, where his father reigned; or the confederate power and council of the Grecian states, that had leagued together for the destruction of Troy

:

90. Gessimus aliquod: I also bore some reputation and honor. Et: in the sense of etiam. Nos: for ego.

91. Ab superis oris: from the upper regions-this upper world. Concessit: in the sense of decessit.

93. Indignabar: I grieved, or repined at the death of my innocent friend.

94. Demens nec tacui: I, a fool, did not hold my peace. Demens, compounded of de and mens. Si qua fors: if any opportunity or chance should present. Tulisset: in the sense of obtulisset.

95. Remeâssem: in the sense of rediissem. 97. Hinc mihi prima: hence the first source of misfortune to me. Labes, properly signifies a stain, or blemish. An allusion is here made to the first appearance of a plague or contagious disease breaking out upon the surface of the body in spots. Sinon's declaration that he would avenge the death of Palamedes roused the bitter resentment of Ulysses; and from that time, (hinc,) he began to plot his destruction. Labes: in the sense of origo, vel causa. Fuit is understood.

98. Novis criminibus: with new charges or accusations. Voces: in the sense of verba, vel sermones

99. Conscius: conscious, (of his crimethat he was guilty of the death of Palamedes,) he began to seek the means of destroying me also. Arma: the means or implements by which any thing is done. Valpy says: the means of defence against Sinon.

100. Calchante ministro: Calchas being his assistant-being employed. Calchas was a famous soothsayer in the Grecian camp, and nothing of any moment was done with

90

92. Ego afflictus trahebam vitam

94. Et promisi me 95 fore ultorem, si qua fors tulisset, si unquam

100

97. Hinc Ulysses cœpit

semper

104. Magno pretio. 105 Tum verò nos ignari tan

torum

out his being consulted. This sudden pause and transition are very artfully contrived, and show the great judgment of the poet in the management of his subject. Requievit: in the sense of cessavit. Enim: in the sense of equidem.

101. Autem here is an expletive; or used in the sense of verè, vel equidem. Revolvo: in the sense of narro. Nequicquam: in vain-to no purpose: because the relation of those unpleasant topics would not save his life. Habetis: if ye regard or consider. Uno ordine: on one footing-in the same state, or condition of enemies.

103. Jamdudum. This is to be taken in

the sense of jam. Or we must suppose, as Dr. Trapp observes, something to be understood. Sumite pœnas jamdudum debetas, or the like.

104. Ithacus. Ulysses is so called from Ithaca, a barren and rocky island in the Ionian sea, where he was born, and where his father Laërtes reigned. Sinon gives this appellation to him by way of contempt. Atride: Agamemnon and Menelaus, the sons of Atreus. Their religion required that a devoted victim that had escaped from the altar, should be put to death wherever found: and Sinon having been destined as a victim to the gods, to procure favorable winds for their return, nothing could afford the Greeks in general, and the leaders in particular, greater joy, than to hear that the Trojans had put him to death. Hoc velit: this, Ulysses wishes, and the sons of Atreus will purchase it at a great price.

106. Artis: in the sense of fraudis. Pelasga: Grecian. See Æn. i. 624.

110. Aspera hyems ponti interclusit, et Aus

ter terruit illos euntes.

116. O Danai, vos pla

câstis

118. Reditus sunt quæ

rendi

rent mortem

109. Moliri fugam: in the sense of efficere fugam.

110. Aspera hyems: a violent storm at

sea.

112. Contextus: framed, or built of maple timber. Some part of the horse might have been built of maple, others of fir and pine: so that the poet may be consistent in what he says of this same machine, verse 15: Intexunt costas sectâ abiete; and also in verse 258, infra, where he calls it, pinea claustra.

113. Sonuerunt: raged-roared. Nimbi: turbines,says Heyne. See En. i. 102.

114. Suspensi in suspense we send Eurypulus. Homer informs us that he was a famous augur, and brought with him forty ships to the Trojan war. Scitatum: to consult; a sup. in um, from the verb scitor, put after mittimus, a verb of motion.

115. Adytis. Adytum was the most secret, as well as the most sacred place of the temple, and where the images of the gods were placed the shrine from which the responses were delivered. It is governed by the preposition à or ab, understood.

116. Placâstis ventos: ye appeased the winds with blood, and a virgin slain, when, &c.

The Greeks, on their way to the siege of Troy, came to Aulis, a port of Beotia, where Diana, incensed against Agamemnon for killing one of her favorite deer, withheld the wind. Upon which Calchas was sent to consult the oracle upon the subject. He brought back the answer that Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, must be sacrificed to appease the anger of the goddess. When

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115

120

125

the virgin was brought to the altar, he informed them that Diana was satisfied with that act of submission; but demanded that the virgin should be transported to Tauris, and there serve her in capacity of priestess. The virgin was slain in intention, and saved only by the interposition of the goddess. This warrants the expression of the poet, Virgine casa.

118. Litandum: a ger. in dum of the verb lito: an atonement must be made with the life of a Greek. Ruæus interprets it by sacrificandum. But it implies more than simply to offer sacrifice; it includes the idea of expiation, or atonement. The gerund in dum has a peculiar signification. While it has the form of a noun, it retains the nature of the verb; and implies the necessity, duty, or obligation, to do, or perform an action.

123. Numina Divûm: the will, purpose, or response of the gods. Numen, froin the verb nuo: I express my will by a nod.

124. Et jam and now many foretold to me the atrocious design, or plot, of the vil lanous man.

125. Taciti: not silent; for that would contradict what is said just before: but quiet, content, well satisfied. Ventura: in the sense of res venturas. The best reason why canere came to signify to prophesy, or to foretell, is, that the responses of oracles were at first delivered, and written in verse.

126. Tectus: in the sense of occultatus. 127. Prodere: in the sense of designare. Opponere: in the sense of damnare. 128. Tandem vix actus: at length, with difficulty forced or compelled, &c.

129. Rumpit vocem: he opens his mouth.

130

135

144

149

:

130. Et, tulere qua: they permitted (were content to have) what every one feared to himself, to be turned to the destruction of one unhappy being. Tulere conversa: simply for converterunt, says Heyne.

133. Salsa fruges: the salted cakes. This cake was made of bran, or meal, mixed with salt, and called mola. They sprinkled it upon the head of the victim, the fire of the altar, and upon the sacrificing knife. The ceremony was called immolatio: hence the verb immolare came to signify, to sacrifice in general. Vitta: these were fillets of white wool, with which the temples of the victim, and also the priest, and statues of the gods, were bound.

134. Rupi vincula. The victims were loose and unbound when they were brought forward to the altar. But even so, it is not probable that Sinon could have made his escape from the guards and spectators, that would accompany him. By rupi vincula, we may understand that he broke the prison in which he was confined against the day of sacrifice, and made his escape. Any thing that binds, holds, or restrains another, may be called vinculum. Eripui: rescued

or delivered.

135. Delituique obscurus: and I lay concealed or hid. Lacu. Lacus here means a fen, or marshy ground. Ulva: weeds, or rushes.

137. Anliquam: dear country; or antiquam may be used in the sense of veterem, or pristinam.

138. Natos: in the sense of liberos. Exoptatum: dear-greatly beloved.

139. Quos illi fors: whom they, perhaps, will demand for punishment on account of my escape; and will expiate this fault of mine by the death of those innocents.

Here the poet alludes to an ancient law among the Romans, which subjected children to suffer for some particular crimes, committed against the state by their parents. 143. Intemerata: inviolable-pure-holy. Laborum: sufferings.

144. Animi: animus, the soul, is here used by meton. for the man, viz. Sinon.— Pity me bearing such undeserved, or unmerited treatment. Non digna: in the sense of indigna.

146. Manicas: hand-cuffs. Arcta vincla: tight cords.

149. Edissere: declare-speak. plu. of verum, truth.

Vera:

150. Quò statuere: for what purpose did they erect this mass of a huge horse? Who was the author of it? The following interrogatories, as Mr. Davidson observes, are elliptical. They are thus supplied: Quid petunt? What do they intend? Is it to fulfil some duty of religion? If it be so, quæ religio? What duty or motive of religion led to it? Or is it an engine of war? If so, quæ machina belli? What engine of war is it?

153. Exutas vinclis: free from cordsfetters

155. Testor vos, O infandique

aræ,

158. Fas est odisse

Inissis tuis,

164. Sed enim ex quo

tempore impius

tæ sunt, et

cùm coruscæ

154. Teslor vos: ye eternal fires, I call you, and your inviolable divinity, to wit

ness.

Some think this is an allusion to the fire of the altar. But Servius, with more propriety, thinks the sun, moon, and other heavenly luminaries are meant: which the ancients thought to be globes of fire, to shine with their own proper lustre; and to be inhabited by divinities. The fire of the altar could hardly be called eternal, unless there be an allusion to the fire of Vesta.

155. Nefandi enses: ye horrid instruments of death, which I escaped. I take enses here for the implements used in offering the sacrifice, such as the axe, knife, &c.

156. Villæque Deûm: and ye fillets of the gods, which as a victim I wore.

In order to excite their compassion the more, and to show the horrid apprehensions he had of the act, he speaks as if he had actually been brought to the altar, and as if that had been actually put in execution, which had only been intended against him. 157. Sacrata jura: sacred obligations. Jus properly signifies a natural right, law, duty, or obligation. It differs from fas, which properly signifies a divine right, law, &c. Any thing that the laws of God permit may be called fas.

158. Sub auras: into light.

159. Siqua tegunt: if any lie hid. Nec ullis legibus, &c. He is no longer bound by any ties of his country. He is at liberty to break or dissolve his allegiance, and place himself under the protection of the Trojans. Their barbarous treatment had cancelled all hiz obligations to them: the are on which he was to have been slain-the enses nefandi, by which he was to have been slain-the

155

160

165

170

vitta, with which he was to have been bound, were so many witnesses that he was now under no obligations to regard the interests of the Greeks, who had withdrawn all protection from him.

161. Si feram vera: if I relate the truth, if I repay thee largely-great things.

164. Enim: in the sense of equidem. 166. Fatale Palladium. The Palladium was a statue of Pallas with a small shield and spear. It was said to have fallen from heaven near the tent of Ilus, when he was building the citadel of Troy. Some say it was made of the bones of Pelops. All, however, agree that it was a pledge of the safety of Troy.

Ulysses and Diomede entered the temple where it stood, and carried it away to the Grecian camp, having slain the guards. It is called fatale, because, on the safe keeping of it, the preservation of Troy depended.

169. Ex illo from that time, the hope of the Greeks, tottering, began to slip, and to be carried backward.

This is a metaphor taken from a person standing on a slippery place, and with difficulty maintaining his position The least movement of his body destroys his equilibrium. At first he totiers, and reels to and fro in order to recover himself. Unable to do it, he is borne away, and hurried along with accelerated motion.

171. Tritonia. This was a name of Pallas or Minerva, taken from a lake in Africa, called Tritona, where she is said to have been born: or, at least, where she first made her appearance on earth. Monstris: prodigies-indications of her anger.

172. Corusca flammæ: sparkling fiames flashed from her steady eyes. The signs