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Et tuba commissos medio canit aggere ludos.
Prima pares ineunt gravibus certamina remis
Quatuor ex omni delectae classe carinae.

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Velocem Mnestheus agit acri remige Pristim-
Mox Italus Mnestheus, genus a quo nomine Memmi—
Ingentemque Gyas ingenti mole Chimaeram,
Urbis opus, triplici pubes quam Dardana versu
Impellant, terno consurgunt ordine remi;
Sergestusque, domus tenet a quo Sergia nomen,
Centauro invehitur magna, Scyllaque Cloanthus
Caerulea, genus unde tibi, Romane Cluenti.

Est procul in pelago saxum spumantia contra
Litora, quod tumidis submersum tunditur olim
Fluctibus, hiberni condunt ubi sidera Cori;
Tranquillo silet, immotaque attollitur unda
Campus, et apricis statio gratissima mergis.
Hic viridem Aeneas frondenti ex ilice metam
Constituit signum nautis pater, unde reverti
Scirent et longos ubi circumflectere cursus.
Tum loca sorte legunt, ipsique in puppibus auro
Ductores longe effulgent ostroque decori;
Cetera populea velatur fronde juventus
Nudatosque humeros oleo perfusa nitescit.
Considunt transtris, intentaque brachia remis;
Intenti exspectant signum, exsultantiaque haurit
Corda pavor pulsans laudumque arrecta cupido.
Inde, ubi clara dedit sonitum tuba, finibus omnes,
Haud mora, prosiluere suis; ferit aethera clamor
Nauticus, adductis spumant freta versa lacertis.
Infindunt pariter sulcos, totumque dehiscit

Convolsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor.

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ornament.-113. Tuba, a Roman usage. See i. 73.116. Pristim. The vessels were named from the figure-heads of the ships, as among ourselves. The four ships that started in this rowing match had at their figure-heads, one, a large fish (pristis or pistrix; see iii. 427); another, the Chimera; the third, a Centaur; and the fourth, Scylla. See at vi. 285.-117. Construe Mnestheus mox Italus. Virgil is fond of proving the descent of the Romans from the Trojans by the analogy of their names. Thus Mnestheus (uvñoris) gives rise to the Latin name fancifully of analogical etymology, Memmi (gen.) from memini. So also the others. 119. Urbis instar opus.125. Olim. See iv. 627.-127. Tranquillo, in calmı weather;' the ablative of time.-134. Populea. The poplar was sacred to Hercules (see Ecl. vii. 61), who himself had instituted games, 135. Perfusa humeros, the accusative of limitation. - 139. See 113.-142. Dehiscit. See i. 106, iv. 24.-143. This line occurs viz. 690.

Non tam praecipites bijugo certamine campum
Corripuere ruuntque effusi carcere currus,
Nec sic immissis aurigae undantia lora

Concussere jugis pronique in verbera pendent.
Tum plausu fremituque virum studiisque faventum
Consonat omne nemus, vocemque inclusa volutant
Litora, pulsati colles clamore resultant.
Effugit ante alios primisque elabitur undis

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Turbam inter fremitumque Gyas; quem deinde Clo-
anthus

Consequitur, melior remis, sed pondere pinus
Tarda tenet. Post hos aequo discrimine Pristis
Centaurusque locum tendunt superare priorem ;
Et nunc Pristis habet, nunc victam praeterit ingens
Centaurus, nunc una ambae junctisque feruntur
Frontibus et longa sulcant vada salsa carina.
Jamque propinquabant scopulo metamque tenebant,
Cum princeps medioque Gyas in gurgite victor
Rectorem navis compellat voce Menoeten:
'Quo tantum mihi dexter abis? huc dirige gressum;
Litus ama, et laevas stringat sine palmula cautes;
Altum alii teneant.' Dixit; sed caeca Menoetes
Saxa timens proram pelagi detorquet ad undas.
'Quo diversus abis?" iterum, 'Pete saxa, Menoete!'
Cum clamore Gyas revocabat; et ecce Cloanthum
Respicit instantem tergo, et propiora tenentem.
Ille inter navemque Gyae scopulosque sonantis
Radit iter laevum interior, subitoque priorem
Praeterit et metis tenet aequora tuta relictis.
Tum vero exarsit juveni dolor ossibus ingens,
Nec lacrimis caruere genae, segnemque Menoeten,
Oblitus decorisque sui sociumque salutis,
In mare praecipitem puppi deturbat ab alta;
Ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister,
Hortaturque viros, clavumque ad litora torquet.
At gravis, ut fundo vix tandem redditus imo est,

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145. He compares the galleys to chariots in a race, the leaders to the charioteers, and the rowers to the horses. The picture of the drivers shaking the reins (while the horses (jugis) are urged on (immissis) to victory), and hanging forward to ply the whip, is truly graphic.-152. Turbam inter fremitumque; turbae inter fremitum See at Georg. ii. 486.-162. Mihi. See at Ecl. viii. 6. Huc, pointing to his left hand. 163. Sine ut stringat. See Zumpt, 624.170. Gyas had taken the road too far out, and to the right hand, Cloanthus, keeping to the left, comes between him and the rock.172. Ossibus; the dative. See at vi. 473.

Jam senior madidaque fluens in veste, Menoetes
Summa petit scopuli siccaque in rupe resedit.
Illum et labentem Teucri et risere natantem,
Et salsos rident revomentem pectore fluctus.
Hic laeta extremis spes est accensa duobus,
Sergesto Mnestheique, Gyan superare morantem.
Sergestus capit ante locum scopuloque propinquat,
Nec tota tamen ille prior praeeunte carina;
Parte prior; partem rostro premit aemula Pristis.
At media socios incedens nave per ipsos
Hortatur Mnestheus: 'Nunc, nunc insurgite remis,
Hectorei socii, Trojae quos sorte suprema
Delegi comites; nunc illas promite vires,
Nunc animos, quibus in Gaetulis Syrtibus usi
Ionioque mari Maleaeque sequacibus undis.

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Non jam prima peto Mnestheus, neque vincere certo;
Quamquam o!-Sed superent, quibus hoc, Neptune,

dedisti;

Extremos pudeat rediisse; hoc vincite, cives,

Et prohibete nefas.' Olli certamine summo

195

Procumbunt; vastis tremit ictibus aerea puppis,

Subtrahiturque solum; tum creber anhelitus artus
Aridaque ora quatit; sudor fluit undique rivis.

200

Attulit ipse viris optatum casus honorem.

Namque furens animi dum proram ad saxa suburguet

Interior spatioque subit Sergestus iniquo,

Infelix saxis in procurrentibus haesit.

205

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Concussae cautes, et acuto in murice remi
Obnixi crepuere, illisaque prora pependit.
Consurgunt nautae et magno clamore morantur,
Ferratasque trudes et acuta cuspide contos
Expediunt, fractosque legunt in gurgite remos.
At laetus Mnestheus successuque acrior ipso,
Agmine remorum celeri ventisque vocatis,
Prona petit maria et pelago decurrit aperto.

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181. Risere, laughed at him while he fell into the water, and now laugh at him while, &c.-192. Gaetulis Syrtibus. See at 51.193. Ionioque, equivalent to Argolico, 52. Maleae, a promontory, now St. Angelo, in the south of Laconia. Mnestheus alludes to the voyage described iii. 190, &c.-195. A fine instance of the mode of speech noticed at i. 135.- 196. Hoc nefas; or, hoc, in this, so far.'-199. Solum, here applied to the sea, above which the boat rose high, as if heaved from above it, at each stroke of the oars.203. The space was too narrow (iniquum). -205. Murice. See iv. 262.-210. Successu, &c. Compare possunt, &c. 231.· 212, &c. Prona, in the open sea, out where the channel begins to

Qualis spelunca subito commota columba,

Cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi,

Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 215
Dat tecto ingentem, mox aëre lapsa quieto

Radit iter liquidum, celeris neque commovet alas:
Sic Mnestheus, sic ipsa fuga secat ultima Pristis
Aequora, sic illam fert impetus ipse volantem.
Et primum in scopulo luctantem eserit alto
Sergestum brevibusque vadis frustraque vocantem
Auxilia, et fractis discentem currere remis.
Inde Gyan ipsamque ingenti mole Chimaeram
Consequitur; cedit, quoniam spoliata magistro est.
Solus jamque ipso superest in fine Cloanthus:
Quem petit, et summis adnixus viribus urguet.
Tum vero ingeminat clamor, cunctique sequentem
Instigant studiis, resonatque fragoribus aether.
Hi proprium decus et partum indignantur honorem
Ni teneant, vitamque volunt pro laude pacisci;
Hos successus alit: possunt, quia posse videntur.
Et fors aequatis cepissent praemia rostris,
Ni palmas ponto tendens utrasque Cloanthus
Fudissetque preces, divosque in vota vocasset:
'Di, quibus imperium pelagi est, quorum aequora

curro,

Vobis laetus ego hoc candentem in litore taurum
Constituam ante aras, voti reus, extaque salsos
Porriciam in fluctus et vina liquentia fundam.'
Dixit, eumque imis sub fluctibus audiit omnis
Nereïdum Phorcique chorus Panopeaque virgo,
Et pater ipse manu magna Portunus euntem
Impulit illa Noto citius volucrique sagitta
Ad terram fugit, et portu se condidit alto.

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slope to the shore. See 130, reverti.-213. He compares the swift but steady motion of the Pristis to the motion of a dove frightened from its rocky home, when, reassured, it calmly sinks down the sky, without moving its wings. 221. Three stages in the escape of Sergestes. First off the rock; then in the shallow water at its edge; then, after a vain cry for help, trying the broken oars. He took to his sails at last; 281.-224. Cedit. Chimaera.-229. Hi, these of Cloanthus.-231. Hos, these of Mnestheus. 235. Aequora curro. A poetical construction; the prose would be, per aequora. See iv. 256. 237. Voti reus; liable to pay the vow in the sense mentioned Ecl. v. 80.-240. Nereïdum. See iii. 74. Phorcus, Phorcys, or Phorcyn, a sea deity, as was Panopea, from the Greek Пavón.- 241. Portunus, or Portumnus, the Roman tutelary god of harbours. Through him the ship entered the harbour. See 243.243. Notice fugit, present, and condidit, (has

Tum satus Anchisa, cunctis ex more vocatis,
Victorem magna praeconis voce Cloanthum
Declarat, viridique advelat tempora lauro ;
Muneraque in navis ternos optare juvencos
Vinaque et argenti magnum dat ferre talentum.
Ipsis praecipuos ductoribus addit honores:

245

Victori chlamydem auratam, quam plurima circum 250
Purpura Maeandro duplici Meliboea cucurrit,
Intextusque puer frondosa regius Ida
Velocis jaculo cervos cursuque fatigat,

Acer, anhelanti similis; quem praepes ab Ida
Sublimem pedibus rapuit Jovis armiger uncis-
Longaevi palmas nequidquam ad sidera tendunt
Custodes, saevitque canum latratus in auras.
At qui deinde locum tenuit virtute secundum,
Levibus huic hamis consertam auroque trilicem
Loricam, quam Demoleo detraxerat ipse
Victor apud rapidum Simoënta sub Ilio alto,
Donat habere viro, decus et tutamen in armis.
Vix illam famuli Phegeus Sagarisque ferebant
Multiplicem, connixi humeris; indutus at olim
Demoleos cursu palantis Troas agebat.
Tertia dona facit geminos ex aere lebetas,
Cymbiaque argento perfecta atque aspera signis.
Jamque adeo donati omnes opibusque superbi
Puniceis ibant evincti tempora taeniis,
Cum saevo e scopulo multa vix arte revolsus,
Amissis remis atque ordine debilis uno,

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hidden), perfect.-246. See 111.-247. From ternos we infer that each of the three ships received three heifers, wine, and a talent. 248. Dat ferre. See the same construction, 306, and similarly, donat habere, 262. Magnum talentum seems to mean simply a mighty talent, without reference to the distinction between the greater and the smaller talent properly so called.-250. The victor's special prize was a cloak embroidered with gold (auratam), with two waving lines of deep (plurima) purple.-251. The Maeander is properly a river of Asia Minor, with numerous turnings. Meliboea. See p. 181, line 1.-252. The story of Ganymede (see i. 55), borne by an eagle from Mount Ida, was vividly woven in the cloak. 255. Virgil is blamed for representing Ganymede as both hunting and in the grasp of the eagle. But such twofold representations were not unknown in ancient art. 258. Qui-huic. See i. 573. 259. See iii. 467.. 260. Demoleos is only known to us from this passage in Virgil. 261. Ilio alto: o unelided, and short, according to Greek usage. -265. The coat of mail worn by Demoleos with ease, was almost too heavy for the united strength of two men. So much the greater the glory of Aeneas in vanquishing him.-269. Taenis pronounce in two syllables. See 111.-271. Ordine, the

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