Page images
PDF
EPUB

455

Leniit; hic primum Aeneas sperare salutem
Ausus et afflictis melius confidere rebus.
Namque sub ingenti lustrat dum singula templo,
Reginam opperiens, dum, quae fortuna sit urbi,
Artificumque manus inter se operumque laborem
Miratur, videt Iliacas ex ordine pugnas,
Bellaque jam fama totum vulgata per orbem,
Atridas Priamumque et saevum ambobus Achillen.
Constitit, et lacrymans: Quis jam locus,' inquit,
'Achate,

[ocr errors]

Quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris?

En Priamus! Sunt hic etiam sua praemia laudi;
Sunt lacrymae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.
Solve metus; feret haec aliquam tibi fama salutem.'
Sic ait, atque animum pictura pascit inani,
Multa gemens largoque humectat flumine vultum.
Namque videbat, uti bellantes Pergama circum,
Hac fugerent Graii, premeret Trojana juventus;
Hac Phryges, instaret curru cristatus Achilles.
Nec procul hinc Rhesi niveis tentoria velis
Agnoscit lacrymans, primo quae prodita somno
Tydides multa vastabat caede cruentus,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

460

465

470

probably nexae aere, 'bound with brass.'-452. Afflictis rebus, in his shattered fortunes.'-453. Sub templo; that is, in templo, sed in inferioribus templi partibus, FORBIGER: cf. A. 9, 244.–455. Artificum manus, 'the style of the artists.' Inter se, comparing with each other,' or 'one with another.' Operum laborem, the elaborate finish of their works.' See A. 5, 623, where Dido accounts for her knowledge of the Trojan war described in these paintings.-456. Ex ordine, in succession,' in series.'-458. Ambobus, to both parties.' Take saevus = nocens, as Atridas includes Menelaus. Ambo, like μow and μgóTEÇO, is applied to two parties,' irrespective of the number of individuals that may be comprised in either.-461: Hic etiam, even here;' repeat these words with sunt and with tangunt, and render: 'Even here, in this distant region, merit has its due reward; here is tearful sympathy for affliction; and the vicissitudes of mortal life touch the heart.' Laus bears here its transferred sense of merit,'virtue,'' that which merits praise.'-463. Feret afferet.-464. Animum pascit, feeds his mind.' Inani, visionary.' Seven subjects painted on the walls are here described, and much care should be taken to preserve the idea of the tenses in translating the passage: 1. Trojans and Greeks, with varied fortunes, engaged. 2. The camp of Rhesus surprised by night. 3. Troïlus flying. 4. Trojan matrons going in procession to the temple of Pallas. 5. Priam redeeming the body of Hector. 6. Memnon. 7. The Amazons.-467. Fugerent, were (represented in the picture as) in the act of fleeing; and so render the other imperfects.—

=

Ardentesque avertit equos in castra, priusquam
Pabula gustassent Trojae Xanthumque bibissent.
Parte alia fugiens amissis Troilus armis,

Infelix puer atque impar congressus Achilli,

Fertur equis, curruque haeret resupinus inani,

475

=

480

485

Lora tenens tamen; huic cervixque comaeque trahuntur
Per terram, et versa pulvis inscribitur hasta.
Interea ad templum non aequae Palladis ibant
Crinibus Iliades passis, peplumque ferebant,
Suppliciter tristes, et tunsae pectora palmis;
Diva solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat.
Ter circum Iliacos raptaverat Hectora muros,
Exanimumque auro corpus vendebat Achilles.
Tum vero ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo,
Ut spolia, ut currus, utque ipsum corpus amici
Tendentemque manus Priamum conspexit inermes.
Se quoque principibus permixtum agnovit Achivis,
Eoasque acies et nigri Memnonis arma.
Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis
Penthesilea furens, mediisque in millibus ardet,
Aurea subnectens exsertae cingula mammae,
Bellatrix audetque viris concurrere virgo.

[ocr errors]

490

472. Ardentes, 'spirited.' Avertit = abigit, is driving away,' but with the real force of an imperfect; hence gustassent, which indicates that it was the intention of Diomede to drive away the horses before, &c.475. Impar congressus, an unequal match.'-476. Curru inani, to the empty chariot: curru is the archaic dative.-477. Lora tenens tamen, "yet grasping the reins,' though his feet were entangled in them.478. Hasta versa, either with (his own) spear,' or that of Achilles, which transfixed his body. The last syllable of pulvis is lengthened by the arsis.-479. Interea, among the other subjects.' Non aequae iniquae, unpropitious.' Ibant, were (represented in the picture as) moving in procession,' appeared moving.'-480. Peplum. See Dr W. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, sub voce.— 481. Pectora is the accusative of limitation.-482. Aversa. The gods are said to be aversi when they regard not the prayers of suppliants. -483. Raptaverat vendebat, had already dragged'.. (and) was already selling.' Virgil is the only author who asserts that the body of Hector was dragged round the walls of Troy: cf. Hom. Il. 22, 399, &c., and 24, 14, &c.-485. Gemitum dat (sc. Aeneas).-486. Ut— ut-ut, an example of polysyndeton. Spolia, the arms' (of which Achilles had despoiled him).-490. Lunatis, crescent-shaped.' elegant form of the pelta is depicted on a sepulchral urn in the Capitoline Museum at Rome, representing Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons, in the act of offering aid to Priam.-492. Exsertae, 'bared,'

....

An

[ocr errors]

Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur,
Dum stupet obtutuque haeret defixus in uno:
Regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido,
Incessit, magna juvenum stipante caterva.
Qualis in Eurotae ripis, aut per juga Cynthi,
Exercet Diana choros, quam mille secutae

495

499

Hinc atque hinc glomerantur Oreades: illa pharetram

Fert humero, gradiensque deas supereminet omnes;
Latonae tacitum pertentant gaudia pectus:
Talis erat Dido, talem se laeta ferebat
Per medios, instans operi regnisque futuris.
Tum foribus divae, media testudine templi,
Saepta armis solioque alte subnixa resedit.
Jura dabat legesque viris operumque laborem
Partibus aequabat justis, aut sorte trahebat;
Quum subito Aeneas concursu accedere magno

505

Anthea Sergestumque videt fortemque Cloanthum, 510
Teucrorumque alios, ater quos aequore turbo
Dispulerat penitusque alias avexerat oras.

exposed.' They are thus represented on gems and monuments, with one breast exposed to facilitate the use of the bow. Cf. this use of exsertus (= nudatus), in A. 11, 649, and 803.

[ocr errors]

=

6

[ocr errors]

6

495. Obtutugue uno, and with uninterrupted gaze clings to the spot.-497. Incessit, proceeded in state:' cf. verse 46.-498. Eurotae. The Eurotas, now the Basilipotamo, flowed by Sparta, where Diana was worshipped. Cynthi, a mountain of Delos, Diana's native place, whence she is often called Cynthia, and her brother Apollo, Cynthius. The comparison of Dido to Diana may be seen in Hom. Od. 6, 102-110, whence Virgil borrowed it. -499. Exercet choros, leads the dance." The first syllable of Diana, though generally short, is long here.500. Oreades 'Ogrades, mountain nymphs,' from gos, a mountain.' -501. Deas, the nymphs' just mentioned.-502. Latonae pectus 'intense secret delight thrills the breast of Latona,' at the divine beauty and surpassing grace of her daughter.-505. Tum.... templi, then at the door of (the inner shrine of) the goddess, under the vaulted dome of the temple.' Media testudine means simply within the dome.' Cf. mediā silvā, within a wood;' medio mari, at sea," but not in the very centre. The passage alludes to the custom of the Roman senate meeting in a temple, and placing the tribunal immediately within the door. See Varro, L. L. 4, 33.–506. Saepta armis (= armatis), 'surrounded with a bodyguard,' and seated on a lofty throne.-507. Jura dabat legesque the more simple formula, jus dice bat, was deciding causes," was dispensing justice according to law.' -508. Sorte trahebat (sc. laborem); the more prosaic style would be sortem trahebat ad assignandum laborem.-510. Anthea. See verse 30.512. Avexerat conveys the idea not only of them being borne away

[ocr errors]

6

=

515

Obstupuit simul ipse, simul percussus Achates
Laetitiaque metuque; avidi conjungere dextras
Ardebant, sed res animos incognita turbat.
Dissimulant, et nube cava speculantur amicti,
Quae fortuna viris; classem quo litore linquant;
Quid veniant; cunctis nam lecti navibus ibant,
Orantes veniam, et templum clamore petebant.
Postquam introgressi et coram data copia fandi, 520
Maximus Ilioneus placido sic pectore coepit:
'O Regina, novam cui condere Jupiter urbem,
Justitiaque dedit gentes frenare superbas,
Troës te miseri, ventis maria omnia vecti,
Oramus: prohibe infandos a navibus ignes;
Parce pio generi, et propius res aspice nostras.
Non nos aut ferro Libycos populare Penates
Venimus, aut raptas ad litora vertere praedas;
Non ea vis animo, nec tanta superbia victis.
Est locus, Hesperiam Graii cognomine dicunt.

[ocr errors]

525

530

from' the rest of the party, but that they were wafted to' other shores.-515. Res incognita, uncertainty as to the issue' of their reception by the Carthaginians and their queen; or 'the strangeness of the circumstance;' or with Forbiger: "their dubious and uncertain condition,' as they knew not how Dido and her subjects might be affected towards them.-516. Dissimulant, they remain in disguise,' or 'they restrain themselves.'-517. Quae fortuna viris, &c., 'what fortune may have befallen the men,' on what coast they may have left the fleet; why they may have come.' Linquant indicates that the fleet still remains on the shore on which they may have left' it.-519. Orantes veniam, entreating the favour' (of an audience), WAGNER. The common rendering, 'good-will,' is not so consistent with the following

verses.

[ocr errors]

6

[ocr errors]

520. Postquam . fandi, having gained admission, and liberty to speak in the royal presence,' Ilioneus, their senior and chief, &c.522. Novam cui condere Jupiter urbem, &c.: compare the address to King Latinus in A. 7, 213, &c. Dido is here reminded that they are in difficulties similar to those from which she herself was rescued by the favour of the gods: cf. verses 66 and 319.-523. Gentes frenare superbas, to curb fierce nations;' not the Tyrians, but the native African tribes around.-524. Before maria supply per.-525. Infandos, inhuman.'-526. Propius, more closely 'or accurately; that is, be not deceived by appearances, judge not hastily.-527. Populare ad popu landos, or populatum, in prose.-528. Vertere avertere, abigere: cf. verse 472; also, A. 8, 208; 10, 78, where the compound is more properly used.-529. Non ea vis, no such hostile design.'-530. Est locus... gentem. These four verses again occur in 4. 3, 163-166. Hesperiam, from origos, Hesperus, the evening-star,' 'the west:' hence it is applied to any country west of Greece. Here it means Italy, which is called

6

=

Terra antiqua, potens armis atque ubere glebae;
Oenotri coluere viri; nunc fama, minores

Italiam dixisse ducis de nomine gentem.
Hic cursus fuit:

Quum subito assurgens fluctu nimbosus Orion
In vada caeca tulit penitusque procacibus austris
Perque undas, superante salo perque invia saxa
Dispulit; huc pauci vestris adnavimus oris.

535

Quod genus hoc hominum? quaeve hunc tam barbara

morem

Permittit patria? hospitio prohibemur arenae!
Bella cient, primaque vetant consistere terra.
Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma:
At sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi.
Rex erat Aeneas nobis, quo justior alter
Nec pietate fuit nec bello major et armis.
Quem si fata virum servant, si vescitur aura
Aetheria, neque adhuc crudelibus occubat umbris:

540

545

Hesperia Magna in verse 569; A. 7, 601; 8, 148; and Hor. Od. 1, 36, 4. Spain is designated Hesperia Minor. Cognomine, 'by the derived name.' -531. Potens.... glebae, distinguished for its bravery in arms, and the richness of its soil:' cf. A. 3, 95; 7, 262; and G. 2, 185 and 234.532. Minores, their descendants.'-533. Ducis, of their leader,' meaning Italus, a fabulous king. Gentem = terram.—534. Hic cursus fuit, 'this was our destination," hither our course was bent.' This is the first of many imperfect verses which occur in the Aeneid; probably they were occasioned by Virgil's premature death, which prevented him from revising and completing his great work.-535. Nimbosus Orion. Both the rising and setting of this remarkable southern constellation were accompanied with storms: cf. A. 3, 517; 4, 52. The first o is short here, but long in A. 3, 517. See Index of Proper Names.536. Caeca, concealed.' Penitusque procacibus austris, and with the winds wantonly mocking all our efforts:' Horace uses the epithet proterri, and Lucretius, petulantes.-537. Superante salo, the billows overpowering us: cf. Vulcano superante, A. 2, 311.-538. Oris, the dative after a verb of motion for the prosaic acc. c. ad or in: cf. it clamor coelo for ad coelum.-539. Quod.... hominum? what kind of race of men is this? (See note on Ed. 1, 19): how fierce and inhuman,' HEYNE. -540. Patria refers to hominum in the preceding verse.-541. Primā terra, on the very verge of the land.'-543. At nefandi, at least expect this, that the gods will have an unalterable regard for right and wrong.'-544. Quo justior alter, &c.-545. Pietate, in moral virtue;' bello, in skill as a leader in war;' armis, in personal prowess.' -546. Vescitur aurā, 'feeds on air,' 'breathes.' Virgil mostly uses the plural of aura, when, as here, it means the atmosphere; but as the verses preceding and following end in ablatives plural, he may in this instance have preferred the singular, WAGNER.-547. Crudelibus,

6

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »