652. Agyllina, Agylla or Cære, an ancient city of Etruria. — nequidquam, as destined to fall in battle.

653. patriis imperiis, in a father's command, i.e. having a better

father to serve under.

654. et cui, etc., and to have another father than Mezentius, lit. have not Mezentius for a father.

655. palma, i.e. for victories in the race.

656. Hercule: the visit of Hercules to Italy on his return from Spain was famous in tradition (see viii. 200), and gives the poet a chance to invent this hero Aventinus.

€62. Geryone, cf. vi. 289. — Tirynthius: the hero was said to have 'been educated at Tiryns, of which city his grandfather Alcæus was king. 664. pila, the heavy javelin common to all the Italian nations.—dolones, apparently a long pike with a short blade.

665. veru, another form of pike with a round point (tereti mucrone), particularly used by the Sabines and kindred nations.

666. tegumen leonis, a natural covering of rude nations (see Figs. 34 and 45). - torquens, flinging round him.

669. Herculeo, i.e. his apparel, as above set forth, was the same as that of Hercules.

670. Tiburtia, Tiburtus, Catillus, and Coras were said to have founded Tibur (Tivoli), coming from Argos.

674. nubigenae: the Centaurs were sons of the cloud embraced by Ixion in place of Juno.

675. Homolen, Othrys, mountains of Thessaly.

677. silva, in general, of their making their way through the wood. -virgulta, the detailed description of the manner.

678. Praenestinae, all that is known of the mythical founder of Præneste (Palestrina) is here given.

681. altum, in accordance with its position.

682. Gabinae, the same as Juno of Lanuvium, a manifestation of the goddess in arms (see Fig. 34), worshipped at Gabii, a Latin city near Præneste, and at Lanuvium.

683. Anienem, a tributary of the Tibur, near Antemnæ.

684. Hernica: the Hernici were a branch of the Marsi, in the mountains south-east of Rome. One of their cities was Anagnia.

685. Amasene, a river of the Volsci.

687. glandes, balls of lead cast for throwing with slings.

691. Messapus: the poet borrows a name from the eastern coast of Italy, but he seems to make the hero an Etruscan king. Neptunia, some local tradition, which Virgil weaves in to make variety.

694. retractat, i.e. after it had been long sheathed.

695. Fescenninas, of Fescennium, a town of southern Etruria, as the other places mentioned are also in that region. — Aequos Faliscos, the people of Falerii, but why their ancient name was Aequi is uncertain. 696. Soractis, a high mountain, visible from Rome to the northward. 698. aequati, with regular step, and so, keeping their ranks even by music. — canebant, apparently the ancient Italians sang songs in praise of their heroes on the march, a custom elsewhere mentioned of barbarous nations.

701. amnis, the Cayster in Asia Minor, near Ephesus. — Asia, thẹ name of a marsh in the vicinity of the Cayster, a favorite resort of swans, cf. Il. ii. 461.

702. pulsa, re-echoing.

703. nec quisquam, etc., so numerous a throng pressing on to battle seemed rather like flocks of birds.

704. misceri, were uniting.

706. Clausus, the great Claudian family, to which many great Romans, and especially the successors of Augustus, belonged, was supposed to have been founded by a Sabine, Attus Clausus, who, or an ancestor of the name, is here put back into a more mythical antiquity than that in which he belongs; but time is of no account in prehistoric narrative.

710. Quirites, the Romans themselves seem to have regarded this name as derived from Cures, whatever be its true etymology.

711. Eretum: the whole description is to us hardly more than a list of names; but for Virgil's contemporaries it connected the ancient towns with the founding of Rome, and so catered to local pride and antiquarian tastes.

716. classes, in its old meaning of "army.' ."— Latini, i.e. those settled in the Sabine region.

717. infaustum, ill-starred; on account of the defeat of the Romans by the Gauls, B.C. 365, this river became memorable, and even the day of the fight, July 18, became an inauspicious day in the calendar.

719. saevus, etc. Cf. note to i. 535.

720. aristae, i.e. as many as the ears when, &c.

721. Hermi, a river of Asia Minor, rising in Lydia and flowing through Phrygia. — Lyciae, not particularly famous for its fertility, but the name is probably borrowed from some Greek poet.

723. Agamemnonius: he was the charioteer of Agamemnon, and fled to Italy after the death of his chief. He is usually associated with Falerii.

726. Massica: Mt. Massicus, on the borders of Campania, produced

one of the most famous ancient wines. belong in the south, in or near Campania.

728. aequora, plains.

The peoples here mentioned

729. accola, probably attracted by the last construction, qui linquunt, as the main sentence calls for the accusative.

731. flagello, a thong, the amentum wound on the shaft, and held in the hand as the javelin was thrown, so that by unwinding it produced a rifle-ball motion.

733. indictus: notice the two meanings of in, compounded with the verb or the participle.

735. regna, in apposition with Capreas (Capri).

736. non et filius, i.e. as the father had been, supplied by the emphasis upon patriis.

741. cateias, a huge spear used by the Germans.

744. Nersae, the poet now returns to the north.

745. Ufens: he appears as a hero in xii. 460; the name is also that of a river in v. 802.

746. horrida, rough in apparel and habits.

747. Aequicula, with gens.

748. armati, i.e. they divide their time between agriculture and plunder.

753. vipereo, etc., the famous skill of the Marsi in magic, in potent herbs, and antidotes against poison, is seized upon by the poet for the fine turn in v. 756.

759. Angitiae, a grove sacred to the sister of Medea of that name, and a famous seat of magic arts. It was near Lake Fucinus.

761. Hippolyti, see v. 765.

762. mater, mother city.

763. Egeriae, a fountain and grove near Aricia.

764. pinguis, rich in victims. — placabilis, propitious, where her favor is easily obtained.

765. novercae, Phaedra.

766. patrias, demanded by his father (Theseus).

767. turbatis, by a sea monster, see v. 780.

769. Paeoniis (trisyllable), of Apollo, the god of healing.

revo

catum, by Aesculapius called Phoebigenam below. — Dianae, whose favor may be supposed to have been gained by his contrivance.

772. medicinae et artis, Hendiadys.

776. ignobilis, in obscurity.

781. haud setius, in spite of his father's misfortune, and the consequent exclusion of horses. — aequore campi, outside the grove.

785. triplici. Chimaeram, cf. the similar one in Fig. 88, a.

...

789. Io: the shield had for its ornament a representation of Io and Argus.

791. argumentum, subject, as we say.

792. Inachus, the father of Io, a king and river-god of Argolis.

794. Argiva, see v. 372.

795. Sicani, some of the race of the Sicilians who remained behind in Italy, hence veteres.

796. picti, ornamented, in what way is uncertain, for the word is applied to all kinds of ornamentation.

797. Numici, cf. v. 242.

799. Circaeum, cf. v. 10. — Anxurus, a name under which Jove was worshipped at Terracina (old Anxur), a city of the Volsci.

800. Feronia, a nymph who passed for the wife of Jupiter Anxurus, honored with a grove and temple, with a fountain, a few miles from Terracina.

802. vallis, the Pontine Marshes.

803. Camilla, see xi. 535.

805. Minervae, cf. v. 284, and note.

808. intactae, uncut, still standing, ears and all, not mere stubble. volaret, see § 307, ƒ; G. 598, r.1; H. 485 (?).

809. laesisset, the pluperfect for metrical reasons.

814. ut, to see how.

815. honos, cf. Ecl. x. 24.

816. Lyciam: the Lycians were famous archers.

817. pastoralem, i.e. a shepherd's staff, used for a spear shaft.

BOOK VIII.

In this book the preparations for war are continued more in detail. In an episode the poet introduces the story of Evander, which, as having for its scene the site of Rome, was closely connected with the Roman traditions, and thus two myths of foreign settlement in Italy are united. The worship of Hercules is accounted for and emphasized. The episode of the shield of Æneas gives occasion for celebrating the glories of Rome.

1. signum: a little banner hung out from headquarters was the signal for battle; cf. Cæs. B. G. ii. 20.-Turnus: by the withdrawal of Latinus (see vii. 600), the command seems to have been devolved on Turnus as his successor by the intended marriage through popular movement for war.

2. cornua: there was also a trumpet call, as a more immediate signal for battle.

3. concussit, spurred, excited. —impulit arma, shook his rattling arms, i.e. the actual preparation rouses all to greater fury.

4. turbati, roused to fury.

5. coniurat, join the ranks en masse. The allusion is to taking the military oath in a body, as was done in cases of sudden gathering of armies. 9. Diomedis: the story was that this hero had wandered to Apulia, and having married a daughter of Daunus, had built a city Argyripa or Arpi.

II. victos Penates, see i. 68.

12. posci, intended, called for to fulfil the fates.

13. multas, etc.: this fact has not yet been mentioned, and the verse has therefore been suspected, but the poet (or the ambassadors) may be well supposed to anticipate. As Mezentius was on the Latin side, his enemies would naturally take the other.

16. ipsi: he, as the enemy of the Trojans, could guess who would be the next attacked.

23. sole repercussum, reflected from the sun, a distortion of the fact, probably for metrical reasons.

25. lacuaria tecti, fretted ceiling, of the square recesses or panels made by cross-beams in the ceiling.

27. habebat, bound.

30. dedit quietem, etc., let rest steal over.

33. glauco, the usual color of river-gods.

34. carbasus, flaxen robe, suggesting the aquatic plants growing in the shallows. — harundo, the reeds on the banks.

37. revehis, bring away, probably with no reference to the origin of Dardanus.

39. absiste, withdraw, yield to the threats.

41. concessere, had given way.

42. Cf. iii. 389.

45. nati, supply iacebunt, but translate with, &c.

48. clari cognominis, of that famous name. The words undoubtedly imply a supposed connection between the name of the city (Alba) and the white sow, though there is in fact no etymological affinity.

51. Arcades: the story was that Evander came from Arcadia, and settled on the spot where Rome was built. - Pallante: among their ancestors was another Pallas, from whom Evander's son was named, and his city also.

53. montibus: the Latins inhabited the plain.

57. ripis, etc., i.e. you have only to follow the river. 59. cadentibus, cf. ii. 9.