Creber utraque manu pulsat versatque Dareta. Et saevire animis Entellum haud passus acerbis ; Sternitur, exanimisque tremens procumbit humi bos. 460 465 470 475 480 'Hanc tibi, Eryx, meliorem animam pro morte Daretis Persolvo: hic victor cestus artemque repono.' Protinus Aeneas celeri certare sagitta Invitat, qui forte velint, et praemia ponit: Ingentique manu malum de nave Seresti Erigit; et volucrem trajecto in fune columbam, 485 -460. Creber. See A. 2, 627.-466. Vires alias, other strength; or, 'his strength different from what it was in the early part of the contest," as if the conversa numina (especially Eryx) had in pity given Entellus supernatural vigour. Hence Cede deo. See below, verse 483.471. Galeamque, &c. See verse 367.-472. See verse 111.-473. Superans animis = superbiens. 478. He drew back his right hand, poised the cestus so as to strike right between the horns, and rising on tiptoe (see verse 426), crashed in skull and brain.-481. Observe the effect of the monosyllabic ending. -483. He felt himself bound to offer something to his divine teacher (verse 391) and protector (verse 466) Eryx; the strife was sacred, and so he offered up the bull as a worthier gift than Dares. And with it, as usual, relinquishing the practice, he devotes to the god the arms of his former accomplishment. 487. Mālum, not mălum.-488. Trajecto in fune, by a knot,' or 'by Р Quo tendant ferrum, malo suspendit ab alto. Tum validis flexos incurvant viribus arcus, 490 495 500 505 Alta petens; pariterque oculos telumque tetendit. 510 Quîs innexa pedem malo pendebat ab alto: 515 a cord passed round it; that is, the pigeon: others' passed through' the mast. The more usual phrase is the abl. absol. trajecto fune. 492. Hippocoön, thus, was the brother of Nisus. See A. 9, 177.— 493. Victor: the first three in the boat-race were crowned as victors, verse 269. Mnestheus was the second, verse 258.-494. Oliva, See verse 111.-496. Pandarus, a Lycian auxiliary of the Trojans, celebrated as an archer. The event alluded to by Virgil is told by Homer, I. 4, 86, &c., where we learn that, instigated (jussus) by Minerva, he broke a truce then subsisting between the Greeks and Trojans. 500. Incurvant, bend into an arch' their flexile bows, in order to fasten the string.-501. Pro se quisque, viri. The collocation of these words deserves notice and imitation.-507. Adducto, the ancient archers drew the string to the breast, not, as the English, to the ear. -511. Quis, an old form for quibus. For innexa pedem, and innexa crinem (A. 6, 281), see A. 4, 558.—512. Notos = in ventos.-513. Rapidus, Decidit exanimis, vitamque reliquit in astris 520 Namque, volans liquidis in nubibus, arsit arundo, 525 530 535 Ferre sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris.' Et primum ante omnes victorem appellat Acesten, 540 At pater Aeneas, nondum certamine misso, 545 as often, for rapide.-517. Life was left behind in the sky, while the dove fell to earth.-519. Superabat, supererat. See verse 713.520. To shew his skill, and the excellence of his bow, he shot up into the air, and his arrow reached the clouds (nubibus, verse 525).521. The position of pater shews that his skill was from his experience. Pater, with e long by the arsis.-522. This prodigy was probably intended by Virgil to have regard to the burning of the ships, verse 604, &c.; the soothsayers interpreting the omen when it was too late (sera) to avert the evil, and the event itself, not they, with all their awe-inspiring power (terrifici), had explained the prophetic meaning of the portent.-533. Olympi. See Ecl. 5, 56.-537. Cisseus, king of Thrace (Thracius), father of Hecuba, the wife of Priam.-538. Ferre dederat. See verses 248, 572.-539. See verse 111. Epytiden vocat, et fidam sic fatur ad aurem : 550 555 Pars leves humero pharetras: it pectore summo Tres equitum numero turmae, ternique vagantur 560 Agmine partito fulgent, paribusque magistris. Una acies juvenum, duxit quam parvus ovantem 565 570 547. Such guardians of young heroes were common in heroic times, as well as those of Virgil. Homer mentions (Il. 17, 323) Periphas, son of Epytus, an attendant of Anchises.-548, &c. Ascanio, dic ut ducat. 550. Avo, the dativus commodi, in honorem avi.-551. Aeneas orders the circular space described verse 206, &c., to be cleared.-553, &c. The ludus Trojae (verse 600) here described by Virgil was often celebrated by Augustus and succeeding emperors.-556. In morem, in a uniform manner.' Tonsa erat corona, probably of olive. See verse 774; G. 3, 21. The meaning of tonsa is doubtful; either plucked from the tree, or picked leaves, or clipped into proper shape. This chaplet was worn above the helmet. See verse 673; A. 7, 751.-559. A periphrasis for torques aureus.-560. There were three leaders, who each headed twelve young horsemen.-562. Paribus = pariter ornatis et armatis.—564. Polite. See A. 2, 526, &c.-565. Auctura Italos. See verse 117. An old commentator mentions that, according to Cato, Polites founded Politorium, a Latin town.-568. Ati. This is said in honour of Augustus, whose mother Atia belonged to the gens Atia. Hence, too, from the intermarriage of the families, Atia being the daughter of Julius Caesar's sister, the ingenious allusion in the next verse, pueroque puer. Cetera Trinacriis pubes senioris Acestae Excipiunt plausu pavidos; gaudentque tuentes 575 580 585 Epytides longe dedit, insonuitque flagello. 590 580. Pares, &c. They were first in a line; then they galloped apart (discurrere), breaking up (solvere) into separate parties (diductis choris) of three each (terni). At a signal, they stopped, wheeled round, and seemed to commence an attack. Then drawn up in opposite rows (adversi spatiis), they galloped through each other's ranks, and rode in circular windings, exhibiting a mimic fight with all its evolutions. -581. Choris turmis.-587. Pariter, together,' 'the two parties united' or combined.-588. The Labyrinth of Crete was contrived by the artist Daedalus, and concealed in its mazes the Minotaur. See A. 6, 27.-589. Pārietibus, four syllables, the first i being pronounced as y. Caecis, intercepting the view,' not allowing one to take in with the eye all the windings.-590. Sequendi, the genitive, depending on signa, the signs of the course to pursue.'-591. Indeprensus = indeprehensibilis.-594. Delphinum similes. See Zumpt, § 411.-595. The island Carpathus lies between Crete and Rhodes, giving name to the adjacent sea. Luduntque per undas; that is, ludentes per undas. These words are wanting in many of the best manuscripts and editions.-596. Others read Hunc morem, hos cursus, &c.-597. Longam Albam. See A. 1, 271.-598. Retulit, 'renewed.' Virgil seems here to use priscos 6 |