aut

Rome instantly declared war, which ended in the destruction of Corinth, and the subjugation of its allies. This was completed by the consul Mummius, in the year of Rome 609. Ille victor. This refers to Mummius. He was honored by a triumph. Capitolia: neu. plu. a famous temple of Jupiter at Rome, commenced by Tarquinius Priscus upon the hill called Tarpeïus, but afterward Capitolinus, from the circumstance of a human head (caput) being found when they were laying the foundation of that edifice. Hitherto the victors used to be drawn in a car to place their laurels in the lap of Jove. 838. Ille eruet Argos: he shall overthrow Argos, &c. Virgil is here supposed by Hyginus to confound two events which took place at different periods-the war of Achaia, which ended in the destruction of Corinth, and the war with Pyrrhus, king of Epirus. The former was conducted by the consul Mummius, to whom the ille, in the preceding line, refers; but it is not certain to whom the ille here refers; whether to Quinctius Flaminius, Paulus Æmilius, Cacilius Metellus, or M. Curius, each of whom acted a distinguished part in the war with Greece and Epirus. By Argos-Mycena, the best interpreters understand the power of Greece in general. And by aciden, not Pyrrhus, but the power-the government of Epirus. This was not destroyed during the reign of that monarch. It was, however, completed in the reign of Perses or Perseus, king of Macedonia, the last of the descendants of Achilles, whom Paulus Æmilius led in triumph. He may be called acides, as being descended from Achilles, the grandson of Eacus, by Olympias, the daughter of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus. He united the interests of northern Greece.

840. Ultus avos Troje: having avenged his ancestors of Troy. Temerata templa: the violated temple of Minerva. This alludes to the violence offered to it by Diomede and Ulysses, in taking away the Palladium. 841. Cato. There were two distinguished persons of this name. The one here spoken of is the Cato Major, sometimes called Cato Censorius, from his great gravity and strictness in the censorship. He lived to a very great age. He sprang from an obscure family; and, on account of his wisdom and prudence, was called Cato, from

suring

catus, wise or prudent. The other Cato was his great grandson, and called Minor. He arrived at the prætorship. He subjugated Sardinia; and, in the year of Rome 560, obtained a triumph in Spain, where he acted as proconsul. He took part against Cæsar, and, when he saw the republic was lost, slew himself. Cosse: Cornelius Cossus. He slew the king of the Veientes, and consecrated his spoils to Jupiter Feretrius. These were the second spolia opima, since the building of Rome. He was afterward nominated dictator, and triumphed over the Volsci.

842. Genus Gracchi. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was the most distinguished of his family. He was appointed prætor, and triumphed over the Celtiberi in Spain, destroying three hundred of their towns, in the year of Rome 576. He was twice consul, and once censor. He married Cornelia, the daughter of Scipio Africanus. By her, among other children, he had the two famous brothers Tiberius and Caius. They were both appointed tribunes of the people at different times, and were the sincere advocates of their rights. This excited the jealousy of the senate, who raised a tumult, in which they both perished. The former in the year of Rome 621, and the latter in the year 633.

843. Scipiadas. There were two Scipios, Cornelius Scipio major, and Cornelius Scipio minor. They were both surnamed Africanus. The latter was grandson of the former, and was adopted by Paulus Emilius, and to distinguish him from the former, he was called also Emilianus. They were both distinguished men. At the age of twenty-four, Scipio Major was appointed to command in Spain against the Carthaginians, whom he expelled from that country. He was afterward, anno urbis 549, made consul. He passed over into Africa, where he defeated them again, and terminated the second Punic war, much to the advantage of the Romans. He obtained a triumph, anno urbis 553. Hence he was called Africanus. Scipio Minor was appointed consul in 607. He took the department of Africa in the third Punic war, and entirely erased Carthage. He triumphed in 608. Hence also called Africanus. Duo fulmina belli: two thunderbolts of war. They were so called by Lucretius and Cicero..

844. Fabricium. Fabricius was raised from a low estate to the command of the Roman army. The Samnites and Pyrrhus both attempted to corrupt him with money; but he gave them to understand that Rome was not ambitious of gold, but gloried in commanding those who possessed it. He was twice consul, and twice he triumphed. Serrane: Quinctius Cincinnatus. He was twice dictator. At the age of eighty he was taken from his farm of four acres only, which he ploughed and sowed with his own hand. Whence he is called Serranus, from the verb sero. Florus calls him dictator ab

aratro.

845. Fabii. These were a noble family at Rome, of whom Quintius Fabius was the most distinguished. In the second Punic war Annibal reduced the Roman state

to the brink of ruin by two signal victories obtained over them, one at Trebia, the other at Trasimenus. In this state of things, Fabius was appointed dictator, and took the command of the army against the conqueror. By delaying to give him battle, by degrees he broke his power and compelled him to leave Italy. Cunctando restituis rem by delaying you restore the state. He was honored with the surname of Maximus. He was five times consul, twice dictator, once censor, and twice he triumphed. 846. Rem: the state--the republic. Most copies have restituis, in the present; some restitues, in the future.

847. Alii excudent: others shall form with more delicacy the animated brass, &c. The Corinthians were famed for statuary; the Athenians for eloquence, and the Chaldeans and Egyptians for astronomy. These are the arts or sciences here alluded to. The Romans are advised to neglect them, or consider them of inferior importance to the art of war, to ruling the nations, and dictating the conditions of peace. It is well known

that for a long time the Romans paid little attention to the arts of civilized life; not until they had made themselves masters of Greece. Vivos: to the life. Era: statuas

ex ære.

849. Meatus cæli: nempe, cursus sidcrum. Radio: the radius was a stick or wand, used by the geomitricians to mark or describe their figures in the sand. Dicent: shall explain-treat of.

852. Morem: in the sense of legem, vel conditiones.

855. Marcellus ingreditur : Marcellus moves along, distinguished by triumphal spoils, &c. The spolia opima were those spoils which a Ronan general took from the general of the enemy, whom he had slain with his own hand on the field of battle. Such spoils Marcellus won from Viridomarus, the general of the Gauls. Tumultu. By tumultus here we are to understand a Gallic war, which broke out and threatened the peace of Italy. A civil war, or intestine commotion, was properly called tumultus. Majores nostri tumultum Italicum, quod erat. domesticus; tumultum Gallicum, quòd erat Italiæ finitimus; præterea nullum tumultum nominabant, says Cicero. Marcellus was appointed to the command of the army, and wishing to attack the Gauls by surprise, or before they were prepared to receive him, he left his infantry behind, and proceeded with his cavalry, or horse, alone, because they could march with speed. Hence he is called here eques. Sistet: in the sense of firmabit.

859. Suspendetque tertia arma. The first spolia opima were offered to Jupiter Feretrius by Romulus, taken from Acron, king of the Caninenses. The second were offered by Cornelius Cossus, mentioned 841, supra. The third were taken by Marcellus from Viridomarus. It is not certain who

1

866

879. Non quisquam obvius tulisset se illi armato impunè, seu

Austling

we are to understand by Patri Quirino, to whom these spoils were to be suspended and offered. Nascimbænus explains Quirino by Marte, vel bello. He suspends to father Jove the spoils taken (capta) in battle. Servius, by Quirino understands Romulus. He suspends to father Romulus, &c. and produces a law of Numa which ordered the first spolia opima to be offered to Jupiter, the second to Mars, and the third to Romulus. But this law regarded those who might repeat the spolia opima. Ruæus understands by Patri Quirino, Jupiter Feretrius, in the same manner as Janus is called Quirinus by Suetonius; because he presided over war, and because his temple was built by Romulus Quirinus. He thinks Jupiter. Feretrius may be called Quirinus. Suspendet, &c. he shall suspend to father Jove the third triumphal spoils taken from the enemy. Marcellus was of a plebeian family, and was advanced to the consulship five times. In his third, he was sent to Sicily, where he distinguished himself in the defeat of Hannibal. He laid siege to Syracuse, and took it after he had been before it three years. It was nobly defended by the celebrated mathematician Archimedes, who repeatedly destroyed the fleet of the assailants by his machines and burning glasses. It was at last taken by stratagem, and Archimedes slain.

862. Parùm lata: in the sense of tristis. 863. Virum: M. Marcellus, the consul. 867. Ingressus: in the sense of cœpit. Obortis: gushing from his eyes.

869. Fala ostendent: the fates will only show him to the earth, &c. This is Marcus

870

875

880

Marcellus, the son of Caius Marcellus and Octavia, the sister of Augustus. He designed him for his daughter Julia. When a boy, he adopted him as a son, and intenued him for his successor in the empire. He died about the age of twenty years, at Baïas. His body was carried to Rome, and consumed to ashes in the campus Martius. The Romans were much affected at his loss, and made great lamentation over him. He was interred near the banks of the Tiber with great pomp. Propago: race-stock-offspring.

871. Propria: lasting-permanent; that is, if Marcellus had been permitted to live.

872. Quantos gemitus ille: how great groans of men shall that Campus Martius send forth! Marortis, gen. of Mavors, a name of Mars. Rome was sacred to Mars, as being the father both of Romulus and Remus. Aget in the sense of emittet. Ad: in the sense of prope.

876. Tantum spe. Some read, in tantam spem: others, in tanta spe. Heyne reads in tantùm spe; so also Ruæus. But spe may be for spei, the gen. (as die is put for diei. Geor. i. 208.) governed by tantùm. Th.s last I prefer.

878. Heu pietas! heu prisca fides! The poet here deplores the loss which virtue, integrity, and valor, sustained in him. Both Velleius and Seneca give young Marcellus a most excellent character.

880. Seu cùm pedes. The meaning is: whether, as a footman, he should rush against the foe, or whether he should spur on his foaming steed to the attack.

881. Armos: in the sense of latera.

each

882. Aspera: in the sense of dura, vel crudelia. Plenis manibus: in full hands.

883. Marcellus eris. On hearing this line, it is said, Octavia fainted. The encomium which the poet passes upon this noble youth is esteemed one of the finest passages of the Eneid. Augustus was so much pleased with it when he heard Virgil read it, that he ordered a present to be given him of ten sestertia for every line, which is about seventyeight pounds sterling.

886. Munere: Ruæus says officio. 887. Latis campis aëris. By this we are to understand the Elysian fields, so called; quia vacuum, et inanibus umbris habitatum; vel quia situm in aëreis pratis, says Ruæus. Heyne takes the words simply in the sense of locis caliginosis.

888. Per qua: through all which things. Singula: properly, all taken separately and singly-all one by one. Venientis in the sense of futura.

890. Viro: Encas. Exin: (for exinde :) in the sense of tunc.

891. Laurentes. See En. vii. 63.

893. Gemina porta. This fiction is borrowed from the Odyss. lib. 19. The most probable conjecture why true dreams are said to pass through the horn gate, and false ones through the ivory gate, is, that horn is a fit emblem of truth, as being transparent and pervious to the sight, whereas ivory is impervious and impenetrable to it.

894. Umbris. Heyne takes this in the sense of somniis. Runs says figuris.

895. Perfecta: in the sense of facta est. 896. Manes: here the inferna! gods. Ad cœlum: in the sense of ad homines, vel ad superas auras.

897. Ubi. This is the common reading. Some copies have ibi. The sense is the same with either.

898. Prosequitur Anchises: Anchises accompanies Æneas and the Sibyl through the various parts of the infernal regions, and discourses with them as they pass along, till they arrive at the ivory gate, through which he dismisses them. Servius thinks that Virgil, by telling us that Æneas passed through the ivory gate, would have us believe all he had been here saying was fiction. But it is hardly to be imagined that so judicious a poet, by one dash of his pen would destroy the many fine compliments he had paid his prince and the whole Roman people, by informing them the whole was false. Mr. Davidson conjectures that Virgil had in view the Platonic philosophy. By emitting his hero through the ivory gate, through which lying dreams ascend to the earth, he might mean that thus far he had been adınitted to see the naked truth—had the true system of nature laid open to his view, and the secrets of futurity unveiled; but henceforth he was returning to his former state of darkness, ignorance, and error; and therefore he is sent forth from those regions of light and truth by the ivory gate, in company with lying dreams and mere shadows, which are to attend him through life. But, on the whole, as the poet hath concealed from us the reason of his hero's passing through the ivory gate, after all our conjectures on the subject, we may be as far as ever from the truth. Prosequitur: in the sense of alloquitur.

900. Fert se ad portum: he takes himse1 along the shore direct to the port, &c. C