Iam validam Ilionei navem, iam fortis Achatae, Eurum ad se Zephyrumque vocat, dehine talia fatur : 120 125 130 Quos ego! Sed motos praestat conponere fluctus. 135 the picture here is momentary, and flashes before the eyes of Aeneas. 'Tabulae,' planks. 120.] The names of Ilioneus and Abas are from Hom. (Il. 14. 489., 5. 148), but the persons are different, both being killed in Hom. 123.] Imbrem:' Serv. quotes Ennius (Ann. 490), "ratibusque fremebat Imber Neptuni." Lucr. uses 'imber' for the element of water, e. g. 1. 715. 124.] Neptune asserts his authority in his own element, against the interference of Aeolus. own 126.] Serv. takes 'stagna' as the still water at the bottom of the sea. Comp. Stat. Theb. 1. 359, "Stagnoque refusa est Funditus et veteri spumavit Lerna veneno," from which it appears that 'refusa' has the general sense of disturbed.' Specifically it means, that the water is upheaved from its depths by the force of the wind, and falls back by the force of gravitation. Alto prospiciens,' 'looking out over the sea.' Comp. v. 154. 127.] Repeated from G. 4. 352, with the substitution of placidum' for 'flavum.' 'Placidum,' calm,' because he was about to calm the waves. 129.] 'Caeli ruina:' comp. G. 1. 324, "ruit arduus aether. The downfall of the sky.' 132.] Generis fiducia vestri,' confidence in your semi-divine origin. 133.] 'Iam-,'' is it come to this, that' &c. 'Caelum terramque miscere' is a proverbial expression for universal confusion. It is doubtful whether 'meo sine numine' is more than a periphrasis for 'sine me, 'which would be quite idiomatic; but 'numine' may be taken nearly in its strict sense of nutu,' without my assent given. 134.] We may either take 'moles' metaphorically, as 'confusion' ('tollere' being 'excitare'), or as 'moles undarum, which is more poetical. Sil. 14. 123, "molem maris." See on 5.790. 135.] Quos ego-!' A similar aposiopesis in a threat is quoted by Serv. from Ter. Andr. 1. 1. 137, "Quem quidem ego, si sensero - ! Sed quid opus est verbis ?" 136.] It matters little whether we take non' with 'simili' or 'luetis. but the former is best. 'Post,' another time.' 137.] Maturate,' accomplish betimes,' a sense which here would be equivalent to 'properate,' though in G. 1. 260, the two are naturally dis tinguished. Non illi inperium pelagi saevumque tridentem, Sic ait, et dicto citius tumida aequora placat, 140 145 Iamque faces et saxa volant (furor arma ministrat); 150 Tum, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virum quem Conspexere, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant; 138.] 'Saevum,'' stern;' the badge of stern authority. Tibull. 1. 1. 22, "Terreat ut saeva falce Priapus aves. 139.] 'Sorte datum,' the division between the three brothers was by lot, Il. 15. 187 foll. Tenet ille,' 'his province is. Hor. 3 Od. 4. 62, "qui Lyciae tenet Dumeta." 140.] Vestras,' referring to the whole company, though only one is named. So 9. 525, "Vos, O Calliope, precor, adspirate canenti." 141.] Clauso' is emphatic and a predicate ( KEKλELOμEVO TO SeoμTnpiw), though it may also be abl. abs. The words are well rendered by Trapp, "But bid him bar the prison of his winds." 142.] Dicto citius,' before he had done his speech the waters were calm. 143.] The reversal of v. 88, "Eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque." 144.]Cymothoe,' one of the Oceanides, Hes. Theog. 245. 145.] Navis, i. e. the three ships mentioned v. 108. 'Levat,' raises them with his trident, so that they may float off the rock. 146.] Vastas aperit Syrtis,' makes a way through the Syrtes, so that the three ships (v. 110) may get out. 148.] This simile is remarkable as An illustration of Nature from man, the reverse of which is the general rule in Virg.. as in Homer. The image was no doubt suggested by the riots in the Roman forum during the furious political contests of the later republic. 'Ac' couples the whole (vv. 148-156) with what has gone before. The apodosis to 'veluti' is 'sic' (v. 154); that to cum' would seem to be tum' (v. 150), as it is there that the point of the simile is introduced. 'Cum saepe,' as Lucr. 3. 912., 4. 1203, apparently a confusion between saepe cum' and 'cum, ut saepe fit.' Magno in populo,' 'in a concourse of people,' in a great crowd of people,' not 'in a mighty people.' 149.]Animis,' 'in their minds :' like "obstupuere animis," 9. 123, not, as Heyne renders it, 'with passion.' 150.] 'Iamque,' 'and at last they have begun to throw,' &c. Comp. 12. 656, Iamque faces ad tecta volant."Faces, to fire buildings with, were regular arms of a Roman mob. Tac. A. 14. 45, "conglobata multitudine saxa et faces minitante." 151.] 'Pietate:' for the meaning of 'pietate' see the explanation on v. 10. 152.] Adstant:' here and in 2. 303 (where the same words recur), 'ad' expresses attention. Comp. the expression "adesse animo," to attend to a speaker.' 155 Ille regit dietis animos, et pectora mulcet. 153.] Animos,' like 'animis' in v. 149. 154.] Cecidit fragor,' like "ventosi ceciderunt murmuris aurae," E. 9. 58. 155.] Aperto,' cleared of clouds. With clear sky all round him.' 'Genitor,' 5.817, note. 156.] Curru' (his chariot and horses) is the dat. after dat lora.' The idea in 'secundo' is that of easy gliding, from 'sequundo,' that which follows easily the tractive power, as in the case of a well-made carriage or a railway train; and the expression may be compared with " cursus secundus" and "secundo amne," and, what comes still closer, "vela secunda" in Ov. A. A. 264, F. 3. 790 (quoted by Wagn.). Volans:' see on G. 2. 41. Dat lora,' v. 63. · 157.] Aeneadae: Lucr. (1.1) calls the Roman nation Aeneadae.' So 'Thesidae,' G. 2. 383, of the Athenians. 'Quae proxuma litora:' comp. V. 72, " quae forma pulcherrima." So E. 1. 54, quae semper." relative supplies the want of an article. Cursu' 'rapide,' as in 2. 321, &c. The 158.] Vertuntur ad oras:' comp. v. 528. The more usual expres. sion would be "advertuntur oris." Vertuntur' seems to be middle in sense. 159.] Serv. seems right in treating this as an imaginary description. In secessu longo,' 'in a deep retiring bay. The words recur 3. 229. 160.] 'Obiectu laterum' = 'object is 160 alteribus,' 'by the shelter of its sides.' Caesar has almost the same words (B. C. 3. 112), "Haec insula obiecta Alexandriae portum efficit." 161.] Inque sinus,' &c., 'parts into the deep hollows of the shore.' Comp. G. 4. 420, 66 quo plurima vento Cogitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos;" in which passage there is no island or breakwater, though the place is said to be "statio tutissima nautis." 162.] It seems best to take vastae rupes as the line of cliffs, and 'scopuli' as the peaks at its extremities. Gemini' implies likeness; comp. 3 535, "gemino demittunt bracchia muro Turriti scopuli." Minantur,' either threaten the sky,' or 'threaten those below from their elevated place.' The first is our 'towering,' the second 'beetling' cliffs. Comp. 2. 242, 628., 8. 688, which rather supports the latter. 163.] Late:' there is an expanse of sleeping water below. 164.] Tuta' includes the two notions, protected from the wind, and safe for ships. The latter seems to come from the context: the former is established by Od. 13. 99, aï T' ἀνέμων σκεπόωσι δυσαήων μέγα κῦμα. 'Scena' was the wall which closed the stage behind (Dict. Ant. 'theatrum'); here it is that which closes the view. 'A background of waving woods.' 165.] Horrenti,'' shaggy.' 166.] Fronte sub adversa,' under the front of the cliffs facing the Intus aquae dulces vivoque sedilia saxo, Aeneas scopulum interea conscendit et omnem entrance of the harbour: i. e. at the head of the cove. 167.1 'Dulcis' of fresh water, G. 2. 243. Vivo saxo,' 3. 688, not hewn, but natural, and as it were growing. Comp. G. 2. 469. 168.] 'Fessae:' comp. Shaksp., Rom. and Jul. Act 5. Sc. 4, "Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy sea-sick, weary bark." The weary ship reposes without the strain which the strong cable and biting anchor imply. Od. 13. 100., 9. 136. 169.] Unco morsu,' prob. with 'alligat,' as "dente tenaci" in the parallel 6. 3 with 'fundebat.' Anchors are post-Homeric. ships are moored with evvaí, large stones, or 'sleepers.' Homer's 170.] Septem,' three from the reef, three from the sand-bank, and his own. 'Collectis' (mustered) may be either an abl. abs. or an instrumental abl. Comp. v. 381, "Bis denis Phrygium conscendi navibus quor." ae 171.] 'Amore' for 'desiderio,' as ἒρως for πόθος. 173.] Tabes' is properly the moisture of decomposition, as in Livy 21. 36. Here 'tabentis' is simply dripping, perhaps with a notion of foulness. Ponunt,' stretch. 175.] The form 'succepit' is found in some MSS., and supported by Serv here and in 6. 249. The verb, 170 175 180 however written, harmonizes with 'nutrimenta,' bringing out the image of infancy. 176.] Serv. explains fomites' to mean assulae,' chips.' The process would be clear if we might take the 'arida nutrimenta' to be the 'folia,' the tinder in which the spark is first caught and kept alive, and from which the chip or match (fomes') is then lighted. 'Rapuit,' hurried, i. e. caused to spread rapidly. 177.] Cerealia arma,' the handmill, or quern (Dict. A. 'mola'), and perhaps the kneading-trough, Máктρа. 'Fessi 178.] 'Expediunt,' v. 702. rerum,' weary of the struggle with fortune. Comp. 12. 589 (of bees attacked in their homes), "trepidae rerum." For 180.] The prep. in 'conscendo' implies energy or effort, 'scales.' this force of cum' in composition, see Key, Lat. Gr. 1323. Òmnem belongs more properly to 'pelago' than to prospectum,' which denotes rather the faculty or opportunity of the observer than the view or prospect in our sense. 181.] 'Si quem' = 'sicubi.' Comp., besides v. 8,"quo numine laeso," the more exact parallel Aesch. Ag. 55, ὕπατος δ ̓ ἀΐων ἤ τις ̓Απόλλων for ἤ που, Apollo it may be.' 'Si,' in the hope that, if peradventure.' 182.] Biremis: it is an anachro 185 190 Aut Capyn, aut celsis in puppibus arma Caici. 195 O socii, neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum— nism to speak of hiremes, or, as Virg. in 5. 119, of triremes, in the Homeric age. 183.] Arma' is best taken in the strict sense of the word. Comp. 8. 92, "Miratur nemus insuetum fulgentia longa Scuta virum fluvio pictasque innare carinas." 184.]In conspectu,' 10. 260. 185.] Armenta,' though strictly used of oxen, is applied 3. 540 to horses, and by Pliny, 7. 2, to apes. See G. 3. 286. 188.] Fidus quae tela gerebat Achates,' marks the accidental character of the affair. The appearance of the stags was a 'piece of good luck,' as we might say, and Achates happened to have the arms at hand. This would be an omen of further good fortune. 'Quae tela' follows arcum sagittasque,' as "quo litore follows "locum " in 7. 477. 189.] We should probably connect 'alta' with 'cornibus arboreis.' For 'arboreis' comp. E. 7. 30, 66 ramosa cornua cervi." The antlers, of course, denote the age and size of the stags. 'Ferentis' implies conscious dignity, as in v. 503. "talem se laeta ferebat.' 190.] Volgus' of beasts G. 3. 469. 191.] Miscet,' breaks up the array (agmen'). "Turbam' is said rather proleptically. There may be an allusion to the rout of an army whose chiefs are killed. Connect telis,' as in 4. 71. 'Agens' occurs agens alone in a similar connexion G. 3. 412, where also 'turbabis' may illustrate 'turbam' here. 'Nemora inter frondea:' comp. 4. 70. 192.] Victor' continues the imagery of a battle. 193.] Fundat-aequet:' the subj. is used to denote not only that Aeneas did not stop till he had killed seven stags, which would be the force of the indic., but that he intended to kill seven, and purposely went on till he had done so. 194.] Hinc,' then.' 'Portum' is the landing-place where the crew was encamping. 'Socios partitur in omnis:' he gives each ship a stag, in which each man shares equally. 195.] The order seems to be 'deinde dividit vina quae,' &c., as there is no other way of making sense of 'deinde.' There are other passages in Virg. where' deinde' may be regarded as out of place, 3. 609., 5. 14, 400., 7. 135, but none where the necessity is at once so harsh and so inevitable as here. Onerarat cadis,' 'had stowed in casks,' instead of the usual phrase onerarat cados vinis." Comp. 8. 180,"onerantque canistris Dona." 196.] Heros' is in apposition to Acestes, not the nom. to 'dividit.' Comp. 8. 464., 12. 902, and v. 496 below. It denotes the noble courtesy of the donor. |