2 Reginam opperiers, dum, quae fortuna sit urbi, 455 460 465 Bellaque jam fama totum vulgata per orbem, 470 475 Lora tenens tamen; huic cervixque comaeque trahuntur 458. Achilles had quarrelled with the Greeks, especially with Agamemnon, thereby damaging the cause of Menelaus, both included in the word Atridas; and he was the relentless foe of the Trojans, here represented by Priam. -461. Hic etiam is to be considered as belonging to sunt lacrymae rerum (the tears of, due to life's incidents), and to tangunt, &c.-463. In his emotion, Aeneas forgets Achates, and soliloquises.-465. In this description of the picture, composed of six compartments, a great deal depends in preserving the notion of the tenses, as given by Virgil. -466-468. In this first compartment Virgil has probably in view the slaughter of the Trojans by Achilles, when infuriated by the death of Patroclus. Fugerent, were (represented in the picture as) in the act of fleeing; and so with the other imperfects.-469-473. The second compartment represents the capture of the horses of Rhesus. See Ovid, Met. xiii. 249, &c.-472. Avertit, the present is driving away, but with the real force of an imperfect; hence gustassent. 473. Prius quam gustassent. This subjunctive indicates that it was the intention of Diomede (Tydides) to drive away the horses before, &c.-474-478. The third compartment is that of Troilus, Priam's youngest son, slain by Achilles, dragged by his chariot. -478. Pulvis; long by the arsis.-479-482. The fourth compartment is that of the Trojan dames offering to Pallas the peplus, or sacred robe. Crinibus Iliades passis peplumque ferebant, Haec dum Dardanio Aeneae miranda videntur, 480 485 490 495 Hinc atque hinc glomerantur Oreades; illa pharetram 500 Talis erat Dido, talem se laeta ferebat 505 510 483-487. The fifth compartment is that of Priam ransoming the dead body of Hector. See Aen. ii. 272.-488-493. In this sixth compartment we have a general engagement, wherein figure A eneas, the Greek princes, the black Memnon, son of Tithonus and Eos or Aurora, with his Aethiopian followers, Penthesilea at the head of the Amazons, with their crescent bucklers, herself with naked breast and golden baldrick. -498. Eurotae. See Ecl. vi. 83. Cynthi. A mountain in the island Delos, sacred to Apollo and Diana.500. Oreades, from opos, the mountain nymphs. Illa. See 405,502. Latonae. The mother of Apollo and Diana.-505. In the middle of the temple, where the vaulted roof (testudo) was overhead, but at the door of the inner holy place, where the goddess had a statue. It was usual in Rome (see 73) for the senate to meet in a templum. Obstupuit simul ipse, simul percussus Achates Postquam introgressi et coram data copia fandi, Cum subito adsurgens fluctu nimbosus Orion In vada caeca tulit, penitusque procacibus austris 515 520 525 530 535 Quod genus hoc hominum? quaeve hunc tam barbara morem Permittit patria? hospitio prohibemur arenae; 540 515. The reason of their perplexity is expressed by the adjective incognita. 521. Maximus, natu et auctoritate. 526. Propius, accuratius.527. Populare. Populatum would be the prose construction. Penates, the gods presiding over the household, here equivalent to domos, sedes. 530. Hesperus (corpos), the evening star-the west. Hesperia, any land west of the speaker; Spain sometimes; here Italy, called (569) Hesperia magna. · 532. Oenotri, a tribe of Pelasgians, early inhabitants of the west of Southern Italy.533. Italus; a fabulous prince of Italy is alluded to. Such names, derived from the country, but said to give name to it, are called eponymous. 534. Hic, &c. The reader will often find in the Aeneid such unfinished lines, arising probably from the premature death of Virgil before he had time to revise his great poem. 535. Orion, a famous hunter in the old mythes, then a constellation whose rising was supposed to be accompanied with violent storms. See Aen. iii. 517, iv. 52. Mark O short, in iii. 517 long. — 540. Patria, referring to the previous hominum. Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma, Arvaque, Trojanoque a sanguine clarus Acestes. Tum breviter Dido, vultum demissa, profatur: Quis genus Aeneadum, quis Trojae nesciat urbem, Nec tam aversus equos Tyria Sol jungit ab urbe. 545 550 555 560 565 570 543. At, saltem; a common meaning of at. Sperate; see Ecl. viii. 26. — 548. Officio certasse prior, means, to have taken the lead in the mutual contest of kindly deeds.' 550. Acestes. See 196. - 551, &c. Either Aeneas would be restored, and then the Trojans would repair to Italy, or, if not, they would return to Sicily. -557. At. See 543.-564. Moliri. This verb always indicates effort. Here it insinuates the reluctance with which she had recourse to such expedients. 565. Quis nesciat. A strong potential form-who so ignorant as not to know of.'-568. Alluding to a notion, that cold regions produced stupid inhabitants.569. See 530. Saturnia. Saturn, dethroned by Jupiter, was said to have taken refuge in Italy.570. Erycis. A mountain in the west of Sicily; also a king of that name. See 533.573. We may notice four forms of the construction and position of the antecedent and relative. 1. The substantive may be in the antecedent clause, and Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur. His animum adrecti dictis et fortis Achates 575 580 585 Os humerosque deo similis; namque ipsa decoram Caesariem nato genetrix lumenque juventae 593 Purpureum et laetos oculis adflarat honores: Non opis est nostrae, Dido, nec quidquid ubique est 595 600 unexpressed in the relative clause: quam statuo, urbs vestra est. This is the most common construction. 2. The substantive may be expressed in both clauses: quam urbem statuo, vestra urbs est, Caesar is fond of this iteration. 3. The substantive may be expressed in the relative clause, and unexpressed in the antecedent clause, the relative coming first: quam urbem statuo, vestra est. 4. As in the third method, the relative coming last. Both these last are rare. In this and similar instances, the circumstance of the substantive coming first seems to demand attention to the substantive: The city which I am rearing-even it.'-576. Certos, fidos. -584. See 113, &c. -585. See 390, &c. 587. Both scindit and purgat refer to se. - -589. For this construction, see Zumpt, $ 458. 591. Purpureum. See Ecl. ix. 40.593. Parius. Paros was an island of the Cyclades, celebrated for its sparkling marble. The comparison is between Aeneas and his increased beauty, and the rilliant effects produced by artistic skill on ivory, silver, or marble. 601. Opis, &c. A singular expression, equivalent to 'non pos gumus.' |