Exsiliumque pati. Vos o, quibus integer aevi Me si caelicolae voluissent ducere vitam, Demoror, ex quo me divom pater atque hominum rex 638.] Integer aevi' 9. 255. So "aevi maturus" 5. 73. 639.] 'Suo' emphatic. Anchises says in fact that his very inability to fly without aid is a reason why he should not fly at all. "Mole sua stat" 10. 771. There seems to be an imitation of Il. 23. 629, ete' ὡς ἡβώοιμι, βίη τέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη. = 640.] Agitate fugam' seems nearly "fugam moliri v. 108 above. One MS. fills up the line with the words 'et rebus servate secundis.' 642.] Satis &c. In prose we might have had "satis superque est quod vidimus" &c. The allusion of course is to the destruction of Troy by Hercules and in the time of Laomedon. 643.] Superavimus' v. 597. Una,' in the form of "semel," has to be supplied to captae urbi.' 644.] This line was omitted in Med., doubtless by accident, and had to be added in the margin. See on G. 2. 433. Sic' is probably to be taken with positum,' 'just as I am:' we may however comp. the emphatic 'sic, sic' with which Dido apparently stabs herself 4. 660, as well as "sic ut te posita crudelis abessem," ib. 681. Comp. also G. 4. 303, "Sic positum in clauso linquunt," of the slain calf. Positus' of the dead, like Ketola: see Forc.: and so 'corpus.' 'Adfati' seems to refer to the "conclamatio" rather than to the "acclamatio" (see on 1. 219); but it is difficult to say. They are to treat him as if he were already dead, and leave him. 645.] The words 'ipse manu' are so frequently connected by Virg. in the sense of doing a thing with one's own hand, that it seems impossible to give them any 'Miserebitur hostis' on other sense here. the other hand is more naturally under stood of death from an enemy than of an 640 645 175 enemy's abstaining from maltreating the 647.] The story was that Anchises was struck (some said killed) by lightning for divulging his intercourse with Venus. See Hom. Hymn to Aphrodite, vv. 287 foll. Inutilis, as Achilles Il. 18. 104 calls himself in his inaction ἐτώσιον ἄχθος apoúpns. Annos demoror' seems rightly explained by Serv. "quasi festinantis diu vivendo detineo," though there is still room for question whether the notion is that of deferring the day of doom or of acting as it were as a clog upon time by passing a feeble spiritless dead-alive existence. Comp. 3. 481 "fando surgentis deImpudens moror austros," and Horace's " Orcum moror" 3 Od. 27. 50. 648.] Divom pater atque hominum rex' 1.65. 649.] Ventis' seems to be an extension of the notion of adflavit,' which exSo Lucr. 5. 567, presses the effect of the "vapor" or heat of the thunderbolt. 650 Talia perstabat memorans, fixusque manebat. "calidum membris adflare vaporem," of 650.] 'Memorans' here, as in other passages (v. 75, 1. 327 &c.) seems to be simply 1" dicens," a use which may be accounted for perhaps by Virg.'s artificial style, which probably led him, as similar causes led our post-Restoration poets, to give a conventional and poetical sense to certain words. The Greek μeμvñola is used rather loosely, though not with the same latitude. Perstabat memorans' seems to be on the analogy of Aéywv DIETÉλEL. The more usual Latin construction is with an infinitive, or with "in" and an ablative. Fixus' seems better taken with Donatus "inmobilis sententia" than with Heyne "affixus loco, non discedens domo." 651.] Effusi lacrimis:''poured out in respect of tears,' or as we should say 'in tears,' like "studio effusae matres" 12. 130, though'studio' there may be an instrum. abl. Effusi in lacrimas' would be a more common expression. 'Effusis la crimis' is the reading of five inferior MSS., but is much less Virgilian. Comp. "caesariem effusae" G. 4. 337 note. 653.] To lend his weight to the destiny that was bearing us down.' Forb. comp. Livy 3. 16, "id prope unum maxime inclinatis rebus incubuit." Serv. says, "simile est, ut currentem incitare, praecipitantem inpellere.” 654.] Inceptoque et sedibus haeret in isdem' is one of those plays on similar ap. plications of different words of which Ovid is so fond (comp. M. 2. 146 "consiliis, non curribus utere nostris "), but in which Virg. does not often indulge so unmistakably as here, though on v. 378 above we have seen that he is not wholly free from them. Wund. comp. Cic. in Cat. 2. 5 "si et in urbe et in eadem mente permanent," which he calls "eadem compositionis suavitas." With the position of the preposi tion Weidner comp. 5. 512 "Illa notos atque atra volans in nubila fugit," 6. 416 "Informi limo glaucaque exponit in ulva." 655-670.] Maddened at his refusal, I resolve to plunge into the battle again. What else could I do? not leave him to die. No; if that must be, let Pyrrhus come and despatch us both. And was it for this that my mother brought me home? I will return whence she took me.' 656.] "Quasi vetuerit regina audito morteinque miserrimus opto,' responderet Aeneas, Nam quod consilium aut quae iam fortuna dabatur?"" Serv. Aeneas is talking partly to himself, partly to his father, and his thoughts in the next verse assume the form of a regular address. Fortuna' nearly as in G. 3. 452. Some MSS. leave out iam,' and Heins. thought the hiatus thus produced preferable to the present reading. 657.] Efferre pedem' like " gressum extuleram" v. 753. 658.] "Bene excusat patrem dicendo 'excidit,' et ipsam temperat obiurgationem." Serv. See on 6. 686. Virg. was probably thinking of the Homeric ov σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων ; Et sedet hoc animo, perituraeque addere Troiae Iamque aderit multo Priami de sanguine Pyrrhus, 660.] Sedet' of a fixed resolution 4. 15., 5. 418 &c., sometimes with 'animo,' sometimes with a dative of the person, sometimes without a case. With the thought, rather than the expression of 'periturae addere Troine teque tuosque' comp. 4. 606 "memet super ipsa dedis sem. 661.] For 'isti' many MSS. give 'istic.' Serv. takes 'isti' as an adv., and so Weidner, referring to Ritschl Opusc. 2. 453. See on G. 1. 54. 'Isti' naturally refers to what immediately precedes, "that death you covet so." "Leti ianua" and similar expressions occur repeatedly in Lucr., e. g. 5. 373, "Haud igitur leti praeclusa est ianua caelo.” Virg. has perhaps varied the image a little, though it is not clear whether he means the door that leads to death, or, as the dative would rather suggest, the door through which death may come. For a similar doubt about a similar expression comp. note on G. 3. 482. The latter interpretation is favoured by two passages which Henry quotes, "Illa ianuam famae patefecit," Pliny Ep. 1. 18, and 'Quantam fenestram ad nequitiam pate feceris!" Ter. Heaut. 3. 1. 72. 662.] Pyrrhus will be here in a moment, fresh from bathing in Priam's blood, Pyrrhus, who butchers the son before the father's face, who butchers the father at the altar.' Heyne well observes, that Aeneas refers to the words "miserebitur hostis" v. 645, drawing the same picture of death by an enemy's hand in utterly different colours. He also remarks on the discriminating choice of the epithet multo.' Lady Macbeth's "Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him ?" may be compared, though not exactly similar in feeling. 663.] Serv. seems right (in spite of Wagn.'s denial) in explaining obtruncat' "obtruncare consuevit." It was Pyrrhus' only act of the kind; but it agreed so thoroughly with his nature that it would VOL. II. 660 665 stamp him ever afterwards. He is the butcher of son and father, says Aeneas: therefore doubt not that he will butcher us. 'Obtruncet,' the original reading of the Mentelian MS. which Heius. thinks more Virgilian, would give a different sense. 'Ad aras' is meant to deepen the horror as well as ante ora patris.' For 'patrem qui' Med. and others give 'patremque,' clearly a false reading, though supported by Jahn. Med. also gives the spelling 'gnatum,' which I have followed Wagn. in restoring, though with some hesitation, as I have no confidence in his notion that Virg. used the archaic form in grander and more solemn passages, the modern in an ordinary context. 664.] Hoc erat' &c. was this thy deliverance of me, that I might see' &c. Quod eripis' is the subject, hoc' the predicate, and ut cernam' depends on hoc.' Taubmann comp. Prop. 3. 18. 1, "Hoc erat in primis quod me gaudere iubebas?" Quod' is an adverbial or cognate accusative: see on v. 141. The tenses are confused, ut cernam' depending on 'hoc erat,' a change doubtless favoured by the use of 'eripis' immediately preceding the dependent clause: or we may say with Jahn that there is a mixture of constructions, "hoc erat quod me eripuisti ut cernerem" and "hoc igitur consilio me eripis ut cernam." 'Hoc erat' may throw some light on such expressions as "tempus erat" Hor. 1 Od. 37. 4, "nunc non erat his locus" Id. A. P. 19. Priscian pp. 948, 958 says that the oldest copies of Virg. in his time had hoce erat,' which is his way of accounting for the lengthening of 'hoc' before a vowel. 665.] "Medium in penetralibus hostem" v. 508. 667.] A reference to the circumstances of Priam's death, v. 551. 668.] We are meant to suppose, as Serv. remarks, that he had taken off his armour on returning home. 'Lux ultima' N Reddite me Danais; sinite instaurata revisam like "summa dies" v. 324. The call of the day of death rings in the ears of the conquered.' 669.] Instaurata' seems to be proleptic. The fight had not been, so far as the Trojans generally were concerned, renewed, as it had never been suspended: but it would be renewed in his case by his return to it. 670.] Numquam hodie' E. 3. 49 note. 'Omnes: if my father dooms himself and the rest of the family to an unresisting death, I will not share it.' Heyne comp. Hector's words when he finds himself betrayed to death by Pallas II. 22. 304, μὴ μὲν ἀσπουδί γε καὶ ἀκλειῶς ἀπολοίμην, ̓Αλλὰ μέγα ῥέξας τι καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι. 671-678.] 'I was arming and sallying forth, when my wife fell at my feet with my child in her arms, begging me, if I merely rushed on death, to take them with me; if I thought of resistance, to stay and defend my home.' 671.] Ferrum is the sword, as 'clipeo' shows. Heins. restored 'hine' for 'hic' from Med. and others. 664 672.] Insertabam: this word is peculiarly appropriate, the strap or handle of the shield, through which the arm was passed, being (as we are informed by Cael. Rhod. ad locum) technically denominated insertorium.'" Henry. 674.] Patri' is to be noted, as occur. ring in a context where we should be more likely to think of Anchises than of Ascanius' father, Aeneas. See on v. 138, though I do not think that Henry's interpretation there quoted receives any additional support from the present parallel. Aesch. (Cho. 909, 974) uses TатроктоVEIν, TатроKTÓνOS, of those who kill, not their 670 675 680 677.] Cui... relinquor,' as we should say, "Consider to whom you are leaving Heyne comp. 4. 323, "Cui me moribundam deseris, hospes ? us. 678.] Coniunx quondam tua dicta' seems to be "I who once enjoyed all a wife's honours." So Hom.'s on Kekλĥσ0αι aкоITIV, which Heyne comp. See on 1.73. 679-704.] 'While she was weeping, Ascanius' hair suddenly burst out into a bright but harmless flame. We were terrified: but my father rejoiced, and begged the gods to confirm the omen. Instantly we beard thunder on the left, and saw a shooting star with a long trail of light. My father acknowledged the hand of heaven indicating that he was to go with me.' 680.] For subitum' Med., Pal., and others have 'subito,' as also in 5. 522. Here however 'subitum' is found in fragm. Vat. and recognized by Serv., and seems almost required by the grammar, as 'subito' could not in strictness be united by 'que' to 'dictu mirabile,' the latter constituting an ordinary epithet, not an adverbial part of the sentence; though such a coupling of two not strictly co-ordinate expressions Namque manus inter maestorumque ora parentum might perhaps be paralleled on the one 681.] So in 5. 525 the description of the prodigy is introduced by namque.' 'Manus inter' 9. 502. Creusa had Ascanius in her arms and was pressing him upon Aeneas. 'Inter ora' seems a kind of zeugma, as we should rather have expected "ante;" but the meaning may be while we were holding Ascanius in our arms and pressing his lips to ours,' 683.] It is not easy to say whether apex is to be taken with Cerda and most of the later commentators of a pointed tongue of fame, or with Henry of the crown or topmost point (a tuft of hair, as he suggests with reference to 'levis') of Ascanius' head. The latter would be supported by 10. 270, "ardet apex capiti," the apex' there being the crest of the helmet which Aeneas happened to be wearing the former has the authority of Ovid, who three times (F. 6. 636, M. 10, 279, Pont. 4. 9. 54) uses apex' of a point or spire of flame, and agrees with Val. Fl. 3. 188, where "frontis apex seems to mean a luminous halo or star on the brow of Castor. This evidence in favour of a special use is to a certain extent confirmed by the language of the present passage, by the epithet 'levis' and the words summo de vertice,' which do not agree equally well with Henry's view, as in that case apex' and 'Iuli' could hardly be separated. The tautology between fundere lumen apex' (as explained of the flame) and 'lambere flamma comas,' of which he complains, is not unVirgilian. It is singular that there should be two passages in later poets, one (Claud. 4 Cons. Hon. 192 foll.) alluding to, the other (Sil. 16. 119 foll.) modelled on, the present, in both of which the same doubt might be raised as here. A third interpretation, dating from Serv. and adopted by Burm., and more recently by Schirach, supposes the apex' to be the Phrygian 685 cap or mitre which Ascanius may have worn, as it is specially used of the cap worn by the "flamines" and "salii" at Rome (see 8. 664, and Dict. A. 'Apex'), which Serv. says Ascanius himself was the first to introduce at Alba: but the whole description seems to show that at this time at least his head was bare. The parallel instance in Roman legend, which doubtless was in Virg.'s mind, is the blazing of the hair of Servius Tullius when a boy, for which see Livy 1. 39. The appearance, wherever it was seen, was supposed to be an omen of future greatness, perhaps of royal dignity, so that here it points out Ascanius as a future king, and shows that the house of Aeneas is destined to survive. Virg. also had in view Apoll. R. 3. 1017, τοῖος ἀπὸ ξανθοῖο καρήατος Αισονίδαο Στράπτεν Έρως ἡδεῖαν ἀπὸ pλóya.-Tactu innoxia' seems to be a variety for "tactu innoxio," a form of expression of which Persius is particularly fond. "Mala tactu," G. 3. 416, which Wund. and Jahn comp., is not parallel, as 'tactu' there is the passive supine. "Tractu' was adopted by Burm. from a few MSS.; but Virg. is not now thinking of a trail of light. Mollis' is the reading of the great majority of MSS., and is doubtless right, though molli,' the reading before Heyne, has some plausibility. It has been questioned whether 'mollis' belongs to 'flamma' or to 'comas.' The imitation in Sil. 1. c., where "mitis flamma" occurs, may seem to point to the former, and so perhaps deîav in Apoll. 1. c. but the concurrence of the two epithets innoxia' and 'mollis' is a decided objection to it. The wavy, curling appearance of Ascanius' locks forms a natural object in the picture, and is in keeping with the character of the flames which play among them. 684.] Pasci' must not be pressed, as the harmlessness of the flame would of course require that it should burn without nutriment. 685.] It matters little whether 'metu' be taken with 'trepidare,' or, as Wakefield on Lucr. 2. 44 and Wagn. wish, with pavidi.' 686.] Crinem flagrantem excutere' is |
