913. Cf. Hom. Il. 8. 485 ἐν δ ̓ ἔπεσ ̓ Ωκεανῷ λαμπρὸν φάος ήελίοιο, gurgite Hibero, 'the Spanish main.' 915. considunt...] Most say that both sides 'encamp and fortify ramparts,' but Servius seems right in supposing that the attacking party 'encamp' while the inhabitants of the city, as would be natural, retire within the city and 'strengthen the ramparts.' BOOK XII 1-17. Turnus sees that the Latins, dispirited by their illsuccess, look to him to take the field as their champion. Furious as a wounded lion he accordingly bids King Latinus arrange a single combat between him and Aeneas, the issue of which shall end the war. 1. infractos] 'broken,' i.e. in spirit, so that they had become faint-hearted' (defecisse). adverso Marte: i.e. by their failure in the combat described in the last Book, during which Camilla was slain. 2. sua] Emphatic by position, like se in the next clause: they themselves had failed, and now it was of his promises that they claimed the due fulfilment.' Reposco here is not 'to ask back,' but 'to ask for something which is due'; re often has this sense in composition, cf. 76 refer 'duly deliver' of a message, and reddo commonly, e.g. of a postman 'delivering' a letter. The 'promise' referred to is that made by Turnus (11. 438 seq.) of meeting Aeneas in single combat. 3. ultro] This word, connected with ultra, often describes action which goes beyond what might be expected. Turnus might be expected to share the depression of his fellow-countrymen, but instead he 'blazes out in fury unappeasable.' The word is variously rendered here of himself,' 'of his own accord,' 'unprompted,' or 'at once,' but there is no close English equivalent. Cf. 11. 286 n. 4. Poenorum] i.e. the Carthaginians. The lions of North Africa were noted at Rome. 5. saucius ille...] 'then at last advances to battle, when wounded, look you,.. ,...a lion.' Ille is deictic, and draws marked attention to the subject of the sentence; cf. 11. 494 n. The word also goes closely with saucius; it is 'when wounded, look you' and 'then only' (tum demum) that the lion attacks, just as Turnus is only stung to action by defeat and the unspoken taunts of the Latins. 6. movet arma] 'advances battle,' a military phrase; cf. Livy 7. 29 adversus Samites...mota arma war was begun.' comantes toros, 'the masses of his mane.' Torus (perhaps from sterno storus, or else from the same root as rúλos) is commonly used of (1) a couch and (2) a bulging mass of muscles, but can describe anything which 'bulges' out, and the adj. comantes here makes its meaning plain. 7. latronis] This word, which describes (1) a mercenary soldier and (2), more usually, a brigand or assassin, is used with a certain contempt, as though the lion scorned the hunter who had attacked him by stealth. 9. accenso] 'kindled (with rage)'; cf. 3 ardet. 'Violence' is the special characteristic of Turnus in Virgil, who applies the term to him only (cf. 45; 10. 151; 11. 354, 376); this habitual violence is now increased by his rage at defeat. 10. turbidus] i.e. in the 'wild,' 'disordered,' or 'troubled' speech of passion; cf. Hamlet 1. 5. 133 These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.' 11. nihil est, quod...] 'no need for these coward followers of Aeneas to recall their promise or repudiate their pledge.' The pledge is the offer to meet Turnus made by Aeneas 11. 115-18. Sidgwick rightly says, nihil est quod, "there is no reason why," quod being used relatively just as quid is used interrogatively.' 13. congredior] Stronger and more graphic than the future. pater, et: Virgil allows himself considerable license in lengthening final syllables when the ictus is on them, and usually when some pause follows. Cf. 68 ebur, aut; 422 dolōr, omnis; 550 domitor, et; 668 amor et; 772 stabāt; huc; 883 erīt? o; 7. 174 erat: hoc; 8. 98 procul at; 363 subit, haec; 9. 9 petīt Euandri (5th foot); 610 fatigamus hasta; 10. 383 dabāt, hastam; 433 sinīt. hinc; 10. 720 profugūs hymenaeos (5th foot); 11. 69 languentis hyacinthi (5th foot); 111 oratis? equidem; 323 amor, et; 469 patēr, et. It will be noted that with three exceptions the lengthening is (1) of nouns ending in r, (2) of the 3rd pers. sing. of verbs, or (3) in connexion with exceptional line-endings. concipe foedus, 'draw up the compact' (cf. Hamlet 1. 1. 86 seq.). Concipere is technically used of 'drawing up' something according to the strict formula (conceptis verbis), e.g. concipere vadimonium, iusiurandum ('a form of oath'), stipulationem, etc. Here the compact as to the terms of the proposed single combat is not only to be drawn up formally, but ratified by a solemn sacrifice (cf. fer sacra). The terms of the compact are given in 14-17. 15. desertorem Asiae] 'this Asian runaway.' Both words are contemptuous, for Asiae suggests the Roman scorn of effeminate Orientals. sedeant...: a parenthesis full of bitter indignation against his countrymen, who can sit and gaze' while their chief hazards his life in their behalf; cf. the next line where he says that he will alone refute the general charge of cowardice under which they labour. See too 11. 460. 17. aut...] or (i.e. if I fail to slay him) let him hold sway over the vanquished, let Lavinia be yielded as his bride.' 18-53. Latinus answers: 'Thy passion, valiant youth, makes calm deliberation on my part the more needful. Thou hast no lack of wealth, and there are many noble maidens whom thou mayest wed, while the oracles forbid me to give my daughter to any of her former suitors, and by refusing to Aeneas her promised hand I have brought disaster and bloodshed upon my people. Shouldst thou fall, think of my shame and thy sire's grief.' These soothing words only excite the rage of Turnus, and he demands the right to defend his own cause with his own sword. 18. olli...] Note the slow spondees marking the calm of Latinus in contrast with the rage of Turnus; cf. 9. 740. sedato) turbidus, 10. 19. praestans animi] 'excelling in spirit,' 'gallant-hearted.' Animi might be gen. of respect (Kenn. Pub. Sch. Gr. § 135; Roby S. G. 526) like integer aevi, aevi maturus, 5. 73, but is so constantly used as a locative case (like domi, humi) that it is safer so to take it; cf. 4. 203 amens animi ('mad in mind'); 6. 322 sortemque animi ('in his mind') miseratus iniquam; 11. 686 animi miserata; Lucr. 1. 136 nec me animi fallit; and elsewhere in Virgil animi furens, inops, infelix, dubius, while in prose animi aeger, anxius; animi pendere, cruciari, and the like are common. quantum...] 'as much as thou dost excel...so much the more earnestly is it just that I deliberate...." Quantum is the cognate acc. used adverbially, or it may be said to express 'the extent of action' in the verb exsuperas (Roby S. G. 461). 23. manu] Cf. 11. 453 n. nec non..., 'moreover Latinus has gold and good will,' i.e. so as to satisfy your desires if your own possessions do not suffice. 25. nec genus indecores] 'of not ignoble birth' of very noble birth; so too haud mollia is really='very hard.' These are instances of the rhetorical figure Litotes (Tórns, a making smooth) or Meiosis (uelwois, a making less) by which a mild and negative form of expression is intentionally used instead of a very strong affirmative one. Cf. 50 haud debile= ( very strong'; 76; 229 haud nescia well-versed'; 619 n.; 7. 202 neve ignorate 'be well assured'; 261 nec sperno=‘İ gladly accept'; 8. 49 haud incerta; 9. 552 haud nescia wellknowing'; 804; 11. 27 non virtutis egentem; 45 non haec 'very different'; 64 haud segnes; 152; 238 haud laeta; 452; 725 non nullis oculis 'with very regardful eyes.' 26. simul hoc animo hauri] 'therewith drink thou this into thy soul,' i.e. take heed to it; cf. for hauri 945 n. and 10. 648 animo spem turbidus hausit. But the intolerable elision in the sixth foot has no parallel, and, if the words are genuine, we must take haec in line 25 of what Latinus has already said in contrast with hoc which describes what he is going to say, although such a contrast between haec and hoc is almost impossible, while the 'hard plain words' which Latinus asks permission to utter are clearly those which follow his request. Either this is the attempt of some grammarian to complete one of Virgil's unfinished lines (cf. 631), or it may be one of the 'props (tibicines) which he is said to have occasionally inserted to make up a line until he could revise his work. Conington strangely leaves the line without comment. 27. me natam...] The prohibition to give his daughter 'to any of her ancient suitors' had been uttered by the oracle of Faunus (see 7. 95 seq.), which declared that she should wed a foreign prince. 28. canebant]' foretold,'' declared'; cf. 7. 78 n. homines: i.e. augurs, soothsayers, and the like. 29. cognato sanguine] by ties of blood.' Venilia, mother of Turnus, was sister to Amata, the wife of Latinus. 30. vincla omnia] i.e., as the next line shews, the 'bonds' (1) of his plighted word and (2) of his obedience to the gods. 31. genero] i.e. Aeneas, to whom he had promised his daughter, see Introd. p. xv. inpia, 'unholy,' because he was resisting the declared will of heaven; cf. 27, 28 and 7. 584. The hiatus in genero; arma is aided by the pause; but cf. 535 n. 32. ex illo] from that'='in consequence,' but the meaning 'from that day' is not excluded. |