836. ille: L. Mummius, conqueror of Corinth, B.C. 146. 838. ille: L. Æmilius Paullus, conqueror of Perseus (Æaciden, as descended from Achilles), B.C. 168. By Argos, &c., is meant all Greece, of which in Anchises' time this was the chief city. 840. templum Minervæ, see ii. 163. 841-4. Cato, etc. Cato the Censor; Cossus, a hero of the early wars against the Gauls; Gracchi, the celebrated tribunes of the people an ancestor had distinguished himself in Spain; the Scipios, Africanus elder and younger; Fabricius, “strong in poverty," who defeated Pyrrhus; Serranus (Regulus), a general in the first Punic war the name was given to Regulus from the anecdote of his sowing in the field (sulco serentem) when the news was brought of his election as consul. 845. quo fessum rapitis, whither do you hurry me, out of breath? - Maxumus, the commander against Hannibal. The following verse is taken almost verbally from Ennius (see Cic. Cato Major, 4, 10). 847. spirantia æra, the breathing bronze, statues like life. 848. vivos... voltus, shall mould the living features in marble. The expression ducere applies strictly to yielding materials, like metal, clay, or wax, and suggests that marble itself is pliable in the hands of a consummate artist. 849. orabunt melius: in forensic oratory, the names of Crassus, Hortensius, and Cicero, stand as high as their Greek masters. But Anchises purposely disparages every other glory — art, oratory, science beside that of arms. 852. pacis morem, the laws of peace, the chief glory of the reign of Augustus. 853. parcere subjectis (see Liv. xxx. 42): remorseless as was the Roman policy of conquest, it did protect the existence of the subject states. 854. mirantibus: Æneas and the Sibyl are filled with amazement at the grandeur of these prophetic words, — hinting, as has been suggested, that Virgil was stirred himself by the tone of it. 855. Marcellus (M. Claudius), one of the best generals against the Gauls, and afterwards against Hannibal. The spolia opima were won by slaying with his own hand the Gallic chief Viridomarus. His name is mentioned last, to introduce that of his young namesake. 857. tumultu, alarm: strictly, the name for civil war. Cicero (Phil. viii. 1) says, "Potest enim esse bellum sine tumultu; tumultus esse sine bello non potest. Quid est enim tumultus, nisi per turbatio tanta, ut major timor oriatur? unde etiam nomen ductum est tumultus. Itaque majores nostri tumultum Italicum, quod erat domesticus; tumultum Gallicum, quod erat Italiæ finitimus; præterea nullum nominabant." 858. sistet, shall set firm (contrasted with tumultu). — eques : the most celebrated exploits of Marcellus were with cavalry. 859. Quirino, the Sabine god of battles (identified with the deified Romulus), to whom the spolia opima were consecrated. 865. instar (this word had originally a sense similar to standard, sta, etc.), in himself how noble! 868. gnate the antique spelling is thought to be preferred by Virgil in solemn discourse. 869. ostendent tantum: the young Marcellus, son of Octavia, sister of Augustus, died in his twentieth year. 872. quantos virum gemitus, what griefs of strong men ! – Mavortis urbem, Rome, the city of Mars. 873. quæ funera: in the funeral procession of the young Marcellus, there were six hundred couches containing the images of his illustrious kindred. 876. spe tollet avos, shall elate with hope his forefathers, who are supposed to be conscious of his merits while in the shades below. 881. seu... armos, or spur the flanks of the foaming steed, repeating the allusion of v. 858. 883. tu Marcellus eris, thou shalt be Marcellus, when born upon earth; or a Marcellus, worthy of so illustrious a name. A celebrated anecdote relates that, when Virgil recited these lines before Augustus, Octavia swooned; and on her recovery ordered 10,000 sesterces to be given to the poet for each of the verses in which mention was made of her son. 887. aeris campisthe shadowy fields, the light of which is neutral, neither sun nor shade. 889. famæ . . . amore, with desire of the coming glory. 893. geminæ portæ : this description of the horn and ivory gates is taken from the words of Penelope to Odysseus (Od. xix. 562-567). In the Greek, the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of the dream is hinted by a play of words (κέρας, κραίνω; ἐλέφας, ἐλεφαίρομαι). There is no such significance in Latin; and Virgil appears to have adopted the imagery as part of the Homeric tradition, and also to hint at another passage from the land of dreams than that by which Æneas had entered. By those who think this book a symbolic ex hibition of certain mysteries, the legend of the Gates, with the dismissal of Æneas from the ivory one, is considered a warning that the language may not be taken literally, or understood except by the initiated. fatur, is reported (citing the above legend). 900. recto litore, along the shore. LIST OF PLANTS Taken principally from Fée's Flore de Virgile. The botanical names added are those of Linnæus. E. Æneid.-C. Ciris.Cul. Culex.-Cop. Copa.-E. Eclogues.-G. Georgics. M. Moretum. ABIES (nigra), fir, a hardy mountain evergreen tree (E. vii. 66). ACANTHUS (mollis), bear's-foot, a thorny shrub (E. iii. 45): a conventional form of the leaf appears on Corinthian capitals; (semper frondens, G. ii. 119), an unknown foreign tree. ACONITUM, monk's-hood, a well-known poisonous herb (G. ii. 152). ESCULUS: = Esculus. ALGA, sea-weed, also fresh-water confervæ (E. vii. 42). ALLIUM, garlic, a rank edible bulb, like the onion (E. ii. 11; M. 88). ALNUS, alder, a tall slender tree-like bush, growing near the water (E. vi. 63; G. ii. 110): Betula alnus. AMARACUS, sweet marjoram, a fragrant herb (Æ. i. 693). AMARANTHUS, Coxcomb (amaranth=unfading), an agreeable flowering plant, retaining its color when dry, and used for wreaths in winter (C. 405): Celosia cristata. AMELLUS (pratensis), purple starwort, a meadow flower (G. iv. 271). ARUNDO, reed, a riverside plant, with hollow stem, used for musical BACCAR, fox-glove, an herb with purplish flower and fragrant root (E. iv. 19): Digitalis purpurea. BALSAMUM, balsam, a fragrant oriental resin (G. ii. 119), probably of several different sorts, especially Amyris opobalsamum. BETA, white beet (M. 72): Beta cicla. BUMASTUS (= cow's udder), a grape of extraordinary size (G. ii. 102). CALTA (CALTHA), perhaps marigold, a yellow flower of strong fragrance (E. ii. 50): Calendula officinalis? CARDUUS, thistle (E. v. 39; G. i. 151): Centaurea solstitialis ? CAREX (CARECTUM), reed-grass, a tall coarse sedge (G. iii. 231). CASIA, cinnamon (G. ii. 466); mezereon, a medicinal shrub, with fragrant pink flowers (E. ii. 49; G. iv. 40): Daphne Gnidium. CASTANEA, chestnut (E. i. 82, ii. 52; G. ii. 15, 71): Fagus castanea. CEDRUS, cedar, especially valuable for carpentry (G. ii. 443, iii. 414). CENTAUREUM, centaury, a kind of gentian, with fragrant root (G. iv. 270): Centaurea centaurium. CEPA, red onion (M. 84). CERASUS, cherry (G. ii. 18): Prunus cerasus. CERINTHA, honey-wort (G. iv. 63): Fr. melinet: Cerinthe major. CHRYSANTHUS, chrysanthemum (C. 404), perhaps of several kinds. CICUTA, poison-hemlock; more generally, any umbelliferous herb with hollow stalk used for pipes (E. ii. 37): Cicuta virosa. COLOCASIUM, Egyptian bean, a superb water-lily (lotus); or a humbler plant, wake-robin (E. iv. 20): Arum colocosia. CORIANDRUM, coriander, an aromatic garden seed (M. 90). CORNUS, cornel, a small tree with very hard wood and harsh astringent berries (G. ii. 448): Cornus mas. CORYLUS, hazel (E. v. 3): Corylus avellana. CROCUS, yellow crocus (G. i. 56): Crocus sativus. CRUSTUMIUM, a pear from Crustumerium (G. ii. 88). CUCUMIS, cucumber (G. iv. 122). CUCURBITA, pumpkin (M. 77): Cucurbita pepo. CUPRESSUS (CYPARISSUS), cypress (E. i. 26), a hardy and noble mountain evergreen, of sombre foliage: Cupr. sempervirens. CYTISUS, medicago, a plant valuable, like clover, for cattle and bees (E. i. 79, x. 30): Medicago arborea. DICTAMNUS, dittany, a plant with purple flowers, described in Æn. xii. 412-414: Origanum dictamnus. DUMUS (DUMETUM), bramble (G. i. 15). |