356. Jamque unus dies, alterque Necnon et Teucri sociâ simul urbe fruuntur. Jamque dies, alterque dies processit; et auræ 365 360 Fare, age (namque omnem cursum mihi prospera dixit Relligio; et cuncti suaserunt numine Divi Italiam petere, et terras tentare repôstas: 365. Harpyia Coleno Sola novum dictuque nefas Harpyia Celano sola canit novum prodi- Prodigium canit, et tristes denuntiat iras, gium Obscœnamque famem) quæ prima pericula vito? NOTES. turning, to embrace the pillars and threshold of their houses. 354. Aulaï: for aula. The gen. of the first declension was sometimes formed in ai. See Grammar. Bacchi: Bacchus, the god of wine, by meton. put for wine itself. Libabant pocula. It was customary at entertainments, after the first table or course, to introduce wine, with a libation to the gods; which consisted in pouring a few drops upon the altar, or upon the table. Libabant: in the sense of bibebant. 355. Impositis auro: served up in goldin golden dishes. 357. Tumido Austro: by the rising wind. Auster here is put for wind in general. Carbasus: the canvass, of which the sails were made. 358. Aggredior: I address the prophet Helenus. 360. Qui sentis numina: who knowest the will of Phoebus. The vero sentis is to be supplied with each accusative following. The poet here enumerates five ways of divination. First, by the immediate inspiration of the gods-sentis numina Phœbi. Second, by sitting upon the Tripod. Third, by burning laurel. Fourth, by contemplating the stars. Fifth, by the observation of birds. 360. Tripodas. The tripod was a kind of three footed stool, upon which the priestess of Apollo sat, when she delivered the oracles. Clarii. Clarius was an epithet of Apollo, from Claros, a city of Greece, where he had a celebrated temple. One way of divination was, to burn a branch of the laurel tree. If it made a crackling noise, it was a good omen; but if not, it was considered a bad one. 361. Linguas volucrum. The omens were taken from birds in two ways; from the sounds they uttered, and the manner 36 of their flight. The former was called augurium; the observation of which constituted the art of the augures: the latter was called auspicium; the observation of which constituted the art of the auspices. Omina præpetis penna: the omens of the swift wing-widely extended wings. The augurs were certain persons, who pretended to foretell future events, principally from the noise of certain birds. Romulus created, three; Servius Tullius added another, and Sylla appointed six additional ones. So that the number in his time was ten. They generally sat upon some tower, or high place, the better to make their observations. 362. Prospera relligio: favorable or propitious auspices and predictions have directthe sense of auctoritate. ed (dixit) my whole course. Numine: in Some take this for omnis relligio dixit mihi prosperum cursum: by hypallage. Here relligio is to be the oracles, and the various intimations taken for the responses and predictions of which he had received: all which declared that he should arrive safe in Italy. Ruæus says, ceremoniæ propitiæ. 364. Repôstas: by syn. for repositas. It may mean remote, or at a distance: also reserved, laid up in store. In this sense Rumus takes it here. In either case it will be true, as it respects the land of Italy, whither he was going. Tentare: to search out-to find: in the sense of petere. 365. Nefas dictu: horrible to be told. Nefas here is taken as an adj. indeclinable : the same as nefandum. 366. Canit: in the sense of prædicit. 367. Obscœnam: in the sense of rabidam vel vehementem. Quæ pericula prima vito? What dangers first do I shun?—what are the first, or chief dangers, which I have to avoid? Quidve sequens, tantos possim superare labores? 368. Quid sequens: following what counsel, can I surmount, &c. 370. Resolvit vittas: the priest, in performing sacrifice, had his head bound about with fillets: now he is about to prophesy, he unbinds, and takes them from his head. Pacem favor-grace. 372. Suspensum: in the sense of solicitum, vel trepidantem. Multo numine: at thy awful majesty-thy mighty power. Ruæus says, ob magnam reverentiam Dei. Some copies have suspensus, which means that Helenus was full of anxiety, perturbation, and awe, from the power or influence of the god. But suspensum is the better reading, referring to Eneas, who had good reason to be in awful suspense and anxiety about his future fortune, which the god was about to declare to him by the mouth of Helenus. 373. Canit: in the sense of eloquitur. 374. Majoribus auspiciis: may mean, with the greater auspices, signs, or manifestations. Among the various omens or signs, which were thought to give insight into futurity, some were considered more important than others. Of these were visions, appearances in the heavens, &c. which all along had accompanied Æneas. But auspicium signifies any event or fortune. If this be the meaning here, which most probably is the case, then majoribus auspiciis will be, for greater or more important events-for better fortune for more prosperous days. This is the opinion of Heyne. 375. Sic rex Deûm: thus the king of the gods dispenses his decrees, and fixes (volvit, rolls) the series of events: this order (or course of things) is fixed. It is plain the poet hath here in view the fabulous story of the Parca, who were thought to preside over the events of human life; and to order, or fix, whatever befell to every individual froin his birth to the close of his life. The first was represented as holding the distaff; the second as drawing out, or turning off (volvere,) and fixing the course of events; the third as cutting the thread. See Ecl. iv. 46. 370 371. Ipseque ducit me manû ad tua limina, O Phoebe, suspensum multo numine 274. Manifesta fides 375 est mihi te ire 377. Expediam dictis pauca tibi, è multis, quò tu tutior lustres hospita: æquora 376. Sortitur. This alludes to the custom of consulting the oracle, which was sometimes done by casting or drawing lots: ordinat, says Heyne. 377. Hospita: an adj. intervening. Ruæus interprets it by, quæ excipient te: which shall receive you. It is plain that the seas over which ne was to pass, were those that intervened, or lay between Epirus, and that part of Italy to which he was bound. These would be the Ionian sea, lying between Epirus and the extremity of the peninsula; that part of the Mediterranean lying to the east and south of Sicily; and the Tuscan sea, lying between Sicily, Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. Lustres: in the sense of naviges. Valpy takes hospita, in the sense of ignota: to which he was a stranger. 379. Parca prohibent: the fates forbid that you should know the rest. Pierius observes, that in most of the ancient copies there is a full stop after scire; Servius approves of it, and it appears the best. The sense is easier, and we avoid any inconsistency. If we make both the verbs, prohibent and vetat, refer to Helenus, there will be an inconsistency. For, would Juno forbid him to declare what he did not know himself? Besides, he had just said that he would only inform him of a few of the events that were to befall him; which certainly implies that he knew the rest, but was restrained by heaven from communicating them to him. Some of these events it was not proper for him to know; because the accomplishment depended on his own free will. Others Juno prevented him from revealing, that he might be the more perplexed with doubts and uncertainty; and the more surprised and unprovided against the calamity when it came. Of this kind is the interpretation of Celano's prophecy, which Helenus appears to have understood: for he forbids him to be much concerned about it, for the gods would find a way to extricate him from it: verse 394. infra. Another particular is the death of Anchises. Æneas does not question the fore Scire: Helenum farique vetat Saturnia Juno. 381. Principio, longa Principio, Italiam, quam tu jam rere propinquam, via invia longis terris Vicinosque, ignare, paras invadere portus, procul dividit Italiam à te, quam tu, O ignare Longa procul longis via dividit invia terris. vir, jam rere esse propin- Antè et Trinacriâ lentandus remus in undâ, quam, parasque invadere Et salis Ausonii lustrandum navibus æquor, vicinos portus. Infernique lacus, Eææque insula Circæ, 386. Infernique lacus Quàm tutâ possis urbem componere terrâ. que Exæ Circa adeun- Signa tibi dicam : tu condita mente teneto. da est, antè quàm tu pos- Cùm tibi sollicito secreti ad fluminis undam Litoreis ingens inventa sub ilicibus sus, 389. Cùm ingens sus, Triginta capitum fœtus enixa jacebit, inventa tibi sollicito ad Alba, solo recubans, albi circum ubera nati; undam secreti fluminis Is locus urbis erit; requies ea certa laborum. sub litoreis ilicibus, enixa fœtus triginta caNec tu mensarum morsus horresce futuros. pitum, jacebat solo re- Fata viam invenient, aderitque vocatus Apollo. transeundi sunt, insula sis NOTES. knowledge of Helenus concerning that event: he only complains that he did not reveal it to him: verse 712. infra. Expediam: in the sense of explicabo. 381. Rere: in the sense of putas. 382. Invadere: to take possession of-to enter. 383. Longa via invia: a long voyage, interrupted by extensive lands, separates Italy at a distance from you, which, &c. Invia in the sense of perdifficilis. Eneas' voyage was much lengthened by his being obliged to sail round the southern part of Sicily; the islands that lay in his course, and other lands, rendered it long, difficult, and dangerous; and much interrupted and turned from a direct course. 384. Trinacriâ: a name of Sicily, (used here as an adj.) taken from its triangular form. Its three promontories were Pelorus, Pachynus, and Lilybeum. Remus lentandus: the oar must be bent in the Sicilian sea. This implies that they were to labor hard at the oar. The verb est is to be supplied. 385. Equor Ausonii salis: the surface of the Italian (Tuscan) sea is to be sailed over. Salis: gen. of sal: by meton. put for the sea. Equor is here used in its proper sense and meaning. 386. Inferni lacus: the infernal lakes must be passed, and the island of Exan Circe must be approached, before that (antè quàm) you can, &c. Helenus here intimates to Eneas his descent to hell, which is the subject of the 6th book. Circe was a celebrated sorceress, the daughter of the sun, and the nymph Perse. She is here called Eran, from Ea, an island and city of Colchis, not far from the river Phasis. She married a king of Sarmalia, whom she poi sor.ed. After which she fled into Italy, to a mountain and promon 380 385 390 395 tory, which, from her, was called Circe's Mount. Hodie, Circello. 387. Componere: in the sense of condere. Tuta terra: in a safe land. This, perhaps, is said in allusion to his being obliged to abandon the settlements he had made in Thrace and in Crete. In Italy he should find a sure and permanent residence. 388. Condita: in the sense of reposita. it agrees with ea, understood. 389. Tibi sollicito inventa: found by you solicitous-anxious-musing. The dat. is frequently used by the poets in the sense of the abl.; also, in the sense of the gen. Ad undam fluminis. The river Tiber is here meant. 390. Sub litoreis: under the holm-trees shading the river-growing on the bankɛ ɔf the river. 391. Enixa fœtus: having brought forth a litter of thirty head. 392. Recubans: this I take in the sense of prostratus, flat (at full length) on her side, in reference to the manner of her lying that being the position of the female when she gives suck to her young. Jacebit solo recubans, alba: shall lie on the ground flat on her side; herself white, and her pigs white around her teats. In this ordo of construction, recubans conveys an additional idea to that already communicate by the verb jacebit, and is very significant. In the usual ordo it is mere tautology. This circumstance of finding a white sow, with thirty pigs, was founded on ancient historical tradition. Alba, a city built by Ascanius, and made the seat of his government, took its name from this omen of the white sow and her pigs, as Varro inforn's us. 394. Morsus: the eating, or consumption of your tables. 395. Aderit: in the sense of adjuvabit. 396. Effuge has terras. Helenus means the lands of Calabria, Apulia, and all the lower part of the peninsula of Italy, which was called Magna Græcia: the whole of which lies not far from Chaonia, in Epirus. After the Trojan war, many of the Greeks were forced on this coast, and formed settlements in various places. Hence this part of the peninsula of Italy took the name of Magna Gracia. It now constitutes a considerable part of the kingdom of Naples. It was washed on the east by the Ionian sea, which Helenus here calls nostri æquoris, because the same sea washed the shores of Epirus. 398. Malis: in the sense of hostilibus. 399. Naryci Locri. The Locrians originally were a people of Phocis, in Achaia. They followed Ajux, the son of Oïleus, to the Trojan war: and, after the capture of that city, a colony of them settled in this part of Italy, most probably under the conduct of Evanthes; Ajax having perished on his return home. There they built a city called Nurycia or Narycium, probably after the name of Naryx, the city of Ajax. 401. Idomeneus. He was called Lyctius, from Lyctus, a city of Crete. Being expelled from his dominions, he came to Italy, and planted a colony on the promontory of Salentum, then in possession of the Salentini. This peninsula, which extends almost to the coast of Epirus, was formerly called Messapia, and läpygia; hodie, Terra d'Otranto: and its extremity, the cape of St. Mary, or St. Mary de Lucca. Idomeneus either subdued the Salentini; or, which is more probable, expelled them from their country. See verse 122. supra. Obsedit: in the sense of occupat. saly, near the foot of mount Ossa. He set fire to the funeral pile of Hercules, at the request of that hero, and received in return his bow and arrows, that had been dipped in the poisonous blood of the Hydra Lernaa. He set out for Troy with the other Greeks, but was abandoned by them in the island of Lemnos, on account of a wound which he had received from a serpent. But it being predicted, that Troy could not be taken without these arrows, the chiefs were obliged to send for him. On his return from Troy, hearing that the Mel.boans had revolted, he went to Italy, and founded the city Petilia, or as some say, only fortified it. Subnixa: in the sense of defensa. 404. Solves: you shall pay, or discharge. 405. Velare adoperius: be thou veiledcovered as to your hair, with a purple veil. Simply, cover your head with a purple veil. From this circumstance, it is said, the Romans derived the custom of veiling or covering the head in sacrifice, and other acts of worship. Velare. Heyne takes this actively, the verb memento being understood: remember to veil your locks, covering them, &c. 406. Honore. Ruæus says, cultu. 409. Casti in the sense of pii. Relligione: rites-ceremonies. 410. Admoverit: in the sense of appulerit, vel attulerit. 411. Claustra: the straits of narrow Pelorus shall widen-grow wider. Pelorus is the northern promontory of Sicily: hodie, Capo di Faro. It is separated from Italy by the straits of Messina. As Æneas approached, the shores would appear to separate, and grow wider. 412. Lava Tellus. Helenus advisesÆneas, as son as he had approached Sicily so 402. Philoctete. Philoctetes was the son near t. at the straits of Pelorus should apof Peas, king of Melibœa, a city of Thes- pear to view, and plainly to grow wider, it Equora circuitu: dextrum fuge litus et undas. 414. Homines ferunt Hæc loca, vi quondam et vastâ convulsa ruinâ, hæc loca, quondam con- (Tantùm ævi longinqua valet mutare vetustas) vulsa vi, et vastâ ruinâ Dissiluisse ferunt: cùm protinùs utraque tellus Una foret, venit medio vi pontus, et undis Hesperium Siculo latus abscidit, arvaque et urbes 419. Angustoque æs- Litore diductas angusto interluit æstu. tu interluit arva, et urbes diductas, quasque suo li tore Dextrum Scylla latus, lævum implacata Charybdis Obsidet: atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos Sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras Erigit alternos, et sidera verberat undâ. 426. Prima facies est At Scyllam cæsis cohibet spelunca latebris, hominis, et illa est virgo Ora exsertantem, et naves in saxa trahentem. pulchro pectore, tenùs pube: postrema Prima hominis facies, et pulchro pectore virgo pars est pristis cum im- Pube tenùs: postrema immani corpore pristis, mani corpore, commissa Delphinûm caudas utero commissa luporum. quoad caudas Delphi- Præstat Trinacrii metas lustrare Pachyni hûm utero luporum cum 429. Præstat te cessantem lustrare metas Cessantem, longos et circumflectere cursus, NOTES. would then be time to alter his course to the left, and coast down the eastern shore of Sicily, rather than venture through the strait, the passage of which was attended with many difficulties and dangers to those who were not acquainted with it. 415. Longinqua vetustas ævi: in the sense of longa duratio temporis polest mutare res tantùm. Ferunt: they report. 416. Cùm utraque tellus: when each land was entirely one-united and formed one contiguous tract. It is supposed that Sicily at first was united to Italy, and rent or torn from it by some convulsion of nature; and there is some ground for such a supposition. Virgil here gives us a full account of the tradition. 417. Pontus: in the sense of fretum. 418. Abscidit: in the sense of separavit. It separated the Italian shore from the Sicilian. 419. Angusto astu: with a narrow strait or current, flows between, &c. meaning the straits of Pelorus, now Messina, which separate Sicily from Italy. Diductas: in the sense of aisjunctas. 420. Scylla-Charybdis. Scylla, is a rock lying in the straits of Messina on the Italian side Charybdis, a dangerous whirlpool opporite to Scylla, on the Sicilian side. These rendered the passage of the straits very dangero is. They were represented by the poets as hideous monsters. Scylla was the daughter of Phorcus, whom Circe is said to have transformed into this monster, because she was her rival. Charybdis is said to have been a rapacious prostitute, who, having stolen the oxen of Hercules, was thunderstruck by Jupiter, and thrown into the sea, where she was changed 415 420 425 430 into this devouring whirlpool. See Ecl. vi. 74. Implacata: insatiable-greedy. Ruæus says, immanis. Obsidet: in the sense of occupat. 421. Atque imo gurgite: and thrice she swallows the vast waves precipitately into the deep gulf of her maw, and again raises them alternate on high, and strikes the stars. Charybdis is represented as a hungry and voracious monster. In abruptum, may be taken adverbially, denoting the rapidity and quickness with which she absorbs the water. Taken as a sub. it conveys no additional idea: it is merely expletive. 425. Exsertantem: in the sense of pandentem. It agrees with Scyllam. She is here represented as a most hideous monster; her upper part down to her waist resembling a human being, while her parts below were a huge Pristis, whose belly resembled that of a wolf, with the tail of a dolphin. 426. Hominis: gen. of homo. It is here used in the sense of humana. Homo properly signifies a man or woman-the human kind. Prima facies: in the sense of superior pars. 428. Commissa: in the sense of conjuncta. It is a part. adj. agreeing with pristis. This is a fish of the whale kind, said to be of great length. Pliny mentions one of them in the Indian sea, to have been two hundred cubits in length. 429. Lustrare: in the sense of circumnavigare. Pachyni. Pachynum is the southern promontory of Sicily. Trinacrii: an adj. from Trinacria, a name of Sicily, from its triangular figure, or form. Hodie, Capo Passaro. 430. Cessantem: delaying. |