(Varro, ap. Augustine, Civ. Dei. xxii. 28). According to some obscure notices, there was to be a series of ten ages, the last of which was that of Apollo, or the Sun. = this glorious age. "" to the pre 11. adeo, just: giving a "rhetorical prominence ceding word. - decus hoc ævi te consule, means merely in the time of your consulship; te duce (below), under your guidance. — inibit, will come in (intransitive, a rare use). 12. magni menses, the months of the great year, or sæculum. 13. sceleris: the guilt of the bloody civil wars. 14. irrita: the remains of civil war will be made harmless. 15. deum (gen. plur.), i. e. he shall become a god, and hold communion with gods and demigods. 16. herōǎs: in the golden age, gods and heroes dwelt familiarly with men upon the earth. 17. patriis: i. e. the virtues of Pollio, Virgil's noble friend. 18. prima, i. e. at first (as soon as you are born). The idea is that the age will grow with the babe and come to its highest development, as he does. munuscula, its modest gifts (for these names of plants, see Index). The gifts of the earth are first flowers (v. 19), then fruits and grain (v. 28), lastly the richer produce of various climates (v. 39). 20. ridenti, i. e. pleasing, 21. ipsæ, of themselves. 22. nec...leones: this and similar images have been thought to be imitated from the Hebrew prophets, particularly Isaiah xi. 6: "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb," &c. But if Virgil had known this passage, he would hardly have missed the words so exquisitely fit to his purpose, 66 a little child shall lead them." He appears to copy here the established imagery of the golden age (compare Hesiod, Works, &c., 118, 236; Theocr. xi. 12; Hor. Od. iii. 4, 17; Epod. xvi. 49). 23. blandos, charming. 24. fallax veneni, of treacherous poison. 25. volgo, everywhere (instead of being a rare exotic). 26. simul ... .. virtus, as soon as you can read the glories of heroes, and your father's deeds, and learn what manhood is. 28. molli arista, smooth grain (with no rough beard). 29. sentibus: "to gather grapes from thorns” seems to have been a proverb of impossibility. 30. roscida mella: it seems to have been believed that honey fell in the form of dew, and was gathered by bees. This makes clearer the notion that the cicada fed on dew. Wild honey found in hollow trees might possibly be thought to be exuded from the tree itself. — sudabunt, distil (here followed by a cognate accusative). 31. priscæ fraudis, the old taint of wickedness. — suberunt, lurk. ... 32. temptare: it was the depraved desire of wealth, the ancients thought, which first led men to brave the perils of the sea (see Hor. Od. i. 3, 9). Thetim, a sea-nymph, mother of Achilles : here, the sea. 34. Tiphys, the pilot of the Argo: there must still be some attempts at adventure and conquest, until the age reaches its perfection. An immediate reign of peace would be too sudden a shock to Roman notions. 35. altera bella, a second series of wars like the first. — Achilles, the type of a youthful hero. 37. hinc (like inde), then (after that); jam, at length. —firmata: matured. 38. vector, passenger (merchant). 40. rastros: the rastrum was a heavy pronged hoe, with two or more teeth. 41. robustus, sturdy. 42. mentiri colores, to put on false colors. 43. suave rubenti, sweetly blushing. 44. mutabit vellera, shall vary his fleece: murex is purple; luto, yellow; sandyx, scarlet,—-in each case the dye being used for the color. 46. sæcla (acc. after currite, § 52, 1, b; G. 331), spin such ages! so sang to their spindles the Destinies, accordant with the firm decree of Fate. 47. Parca: these were three ancient Italian divinities presiding over birth (root as in pario), Nonà, Decuma, and Morta. They were easily identified with the Greek Moîpai, destinies, who allotted the doom of each man at his birth. 49. deum suboles: it is said that the family of Pollio claimed descent from Apollo. — incrementum, progeny (root in creo and cresco). Observe the force and weight of this spondaic verse. 50. mundum, the system of the universe, of which the earth is the visible centre. The heavens, "with their rounded weight," are represented as moved (nutantem) at the coming of the age of gold. 52. lætantur: in prose it would be lætentur (§ 67, 2, d; G. 469, R1). 53. O mihi vitæ = ... longed at my latter end! O that my life might be so far pro 54. spiritus et, breath too, or inspiration. 55. Orpheus, Linus, the mythic bards of the age of heroes. 60. incipe, etc.; a prayer for the speedy advent of the miraculous child (compare v. 46). —risu, with thy smile, a lovely image of infancy. 61. tulĕrunt: e is short by systole, as often in Virgil, 62. cui, etc.: him on whom his parents have not smiled (in response). ECLOGUE V. This Eclogue is divided, as are iii. and vii., between two poets; but here the Amoebæan strain or alternate form is not pre served. The first finishes before the second begins. 1. cur non, — here the common quin. boni, skilled, followed by infin. (§ 57, 8, ƒ; G. 424, R1). 2. lěvīs: notice the quantity of the i, showing the acc. plural. 3. corylis (dat. § 51, 2, b; G. 346, R2), why not sit here among the elms mingled with hazels. —consedimus, imitation of rí oỷ with aorist; many editions have considimus, the regular Latin form, with quin; it is here equivalent to an exhortation in either case. 4. major, the elder. 5. sive ... sive, whether we come beneath the zephyrs that stir the quivering shadows, or into the grotto rather. 6. ut sparsit: the question may be direct, or the indicative may be used, according to the earlier usage (§ 67, 2, d; G, 469, R'). 7. silvestris labrusca, the wild vine that runs to wood, and has clusters only here and there (raris). These words hint, modestly, his preference for the grotto. 8. tibi certat (§ 51, 2, g; G. 344, R3), i. e. attempts to rival you. 9. quid si certet, a playful disparagement of his rival: suppose he were to rival Phœbus (with a hint at the fate of Marsyas, whom Apollo first beat in music and then flayed alive). II. Alconis: this name occurs in Ovid, Met. xiii. 683, as that of a famous sculptor. —jurgia Codri, quarrels of Codrus (cf. vii. 22, 26). The idea is, "whether you have love, or praise, or quarrels to sing of." 13. immo hæc experiar, nay, rather, I will try these, i. e. none of those themes. 14. descripsi, compare x. 53. — modulans alterna notavi, I set them to music, marking the alternations (of flute and voice). 15. deinde jubeto: then bid Amyntas try (if you dare): Mopsus is a little piqued at the hint of Amyntas's rivalry, till Menalcas soothes him by the elaborate compliment, which follows. ut certet, rare construction with jubeo (§ 70, 3, a; G. 546). 16. salix, saliunca: the leaves of willow are in shape and color similar to olive, though the plant is comparatively worthless; and the herb saliunca, though fragrant, cannot be woven into garlands like the rose. Thus both the likeness and unlikeness heighten the contrast. These plants are chosen as resembling the valuable ones. 20. Daphnim: Daphnis, the ideal shepherd, is represented in Theocritus as drowned and bewailed by the nymphs. 21. flebant: observe the effect of this word, making a single foot, and followed by a pause, in heightening the pathos of the verse. cum vocat, inversion of clauses (§ 62, 2, b2; G. 582). - 23. vocat, etc., calls on the gods and the cruel stars: the stars, which by astrological fancy were supposed to control the destinies of human life. -mater: it is observed that the position of this word gives it a peculiar emphasis, as a sort of predicate: "with a mother's grief." 24. pastos boves, the pastured cattle (after feeding-time). 25. flumina, amnem, in allusion to the "watery death" of Daphnis. 26. graminis herbam, a blade of grass. 27. Pœnos leones, lions of Barbary (with a hint at Carthaginian ferocity). "The wild mountains and forests tell how fierce lions howled at thy death : ” i. e. all nature, even the most savage forms. 29. curru (dat.) subjungere tigres, to yoke tigers to the car: this and the other acts of Bacchus here ascribed to Daphnis are held to be typical of Cæsar's beneficent acts as conqueror. Here, as well as elsewhere, the worship of Bacchus indicates a great service to mankind, i. e. the cultivation of the vine, and so the introduction of husbandry instead of grazing. For this reason his worship is often coupled with that of Ceres. 30. thiasos inducere, to lead the mystic dance belonging to the rites of Bacchus. The thyrsus is a spear, wreathed with grape-vine and ivy (mollibus foliis). 34. decus: notice that this nom. is precisely equivalent to the dat. decori, v. 32.—tulerunt, bore away=abstulerunt, an imitation of the Greek φέρω. 35. Pales (sometimes masculine), deity of the flocks: the root is found in pasco, probably also in the name Palatium. The day of her festival, the Palilia (April 21), was taken as the anniversary of the founding of Rome. — Apollo: who had been keeper of the flocks to Admetus, and so was a patron of shepherds. 36, 37. grandia . . avenæ, worthless sorrel and sterile wild oats spring up in the furrows to which we have often committed the large (select) barley-grains. This plural, hordea, was ridiculed by Bavius and Mævius in the line "Hordea qui dixit, superest ut tritica dicat." Grain was carefully selected for sowing (G. i. 197-199): it was even thought that unless such care were taken it would degenerate into worthless weeds. 38. purpureo: properly purple or red; but sometimes used of the brilliancy of color. The narcissus is white; but one sort has a purple calyx. 40. spargite, etc.: i. e. strew the ground with flowers, and plant shade-trees about the fountain at his grave. A favorite burial-place was near a shaded running stream, to keep the friend's “memory green." ―inducite, draw the shadows over (a poetical view of the matter). 47. dulcis, fresh, i. e. not brackish, nor medicated, as is very common in that country.—restinguere (§ 57, 8, a; G. 423), to quench the thirst in summer at a leaping brook. 48. magistrum: perhaps Daphnis, whose muse is praised by Theocritus. 49. alter ab illo, second to him. 50. quocumque modo, i. e. with such skill as I may.—vicissim, in my turn. 51. tollemus ad astra, uplift to the stars, i. e. celebrate his admission among the gods. 53. an quicquam, why! can any boon be greater? 54. ipse, himself as opposed to the song. - cantari dignus, § 65, 2, f; G. 424, R4.—ista carmina, these strains of yours, written long ago, and probably improved and polished since. 56. candidus, in glory: the word means a brilliant white, like the garments of the gods.—miratur, gazes on the threshold of Olympus, strange to his eyes. 58. alacris voluptas, eager delight, showing itself in ges |
