Mox et Leucatae nimbosa cacumina montis, 'Ergo, insperata tandem tellure potiti, 'Hic incredibilis rerum fama occupat aures, 275 280 285 290 295 275. Formidatus, on account of its rocks. Aperitur, is opened to our view as we approach;' just as, verse 291, abscondimus has the opposite meaning we pass, and lose sight of.' Apollo; that is, a temple of Apollo, situated on a dangerous headland, which rises near the town of Actium.-276. Parvae urbi, Actium. 279. The slaughter of the cattle of the Harpies required a purificatory sacrifice (lustramur), and that to Jupiter, who had been invoked to share the spoil. See verse 223.-280. The poet here designedly says litora Actia celebramus, &c., we celebrate with festivities those shores on which a change so fortunate for the destinies of Rome will be brought to pass. By this fiction, Virgil wishes to assign an ancient origin to the ludi Actiaci, an annual festival instituted by Augustus in commemoration of the battle of Actium.-281. Labente, which runs over the skin:' the wrestlers anointed themselves. 283. Argolicas. See A. 2, 55.-284. Magnum circumvolvitur annum, 'forms in its revolution a complete year.'-286. Abantis. There was a king of Argos, of the name of Abas, whose shield was famous in old traditions. According to Virgil, one of his descendants had been stripped of this shield by Aeneas.-289-718. The Sixth year of the wanderings of Aeneas.-291. Abscondimus. See note on verse 275.292. Legimus. See Ecl. 8, 6. Portu. See Ecl. 5, 29. 295. Helenus, a son of Priam, had been taken prisoner by Ulysses, and conveyed to Epirus by Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, the king of Epirus, who had married Andromache, Hector's widow. After the death of Conjugio Aeacidae Pyrrhi sceptrisque potitum ; 300 305 310 Hector ubi est?" Dixit, lacrimasque effudit, et omnem "Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco. 315 Heu quis te casus, dejectam conjuge tanto, 'Dejecit vultum, et demissa voce locuta est: "O felix una ante alias Priameïa virgo, 320 Pyrrhus, Helenus succeeded him both in marriage and in his kingdom. 297. Cessisse.-Cedere alicui is to fall to the lot of one.'-302. Falsi. In this part of Epirus, Andromache had imitated all the objects of her regrets-Ilion, the Simoïs, the Scamander-and thus beguiled the sorrows for her heavy losses.-304. Inanem tumulum, 'a cenotaph.'305. Geminas. One for her husband Hector; the other, probably, for her son Astyanax.-307. Amens. The position of this word indicates that it was the sight of the Trojan army that had made her amens.310. Verane dea? that is, art thou going to tell me that thou art the real identical Aeneas?'-313. Furenti impatienter dolenti.315. Extrema, mortal dangers.'-317. He does not say 'torn away from so glorious a husband, but cast down' as from the summit of greatness.-318. Revisit = obtigit tibi.-319. Pyrrhin'. The interrogative particle -ne is often elided in comic poetry, and sometimes by Virgil. See also A. 6, 779. The question shews that Aeneas had not believed the report mentioned in verse 294, &c. 6 = 321. Polyxena, a daughter of Priam, was slain on the grave of Achilles, to whom she was on the point of being married when Paris slew him. Hostilem ad tumulum Trojae sub moenibus altis 325 330 Nos, patria incensa, diversa per aequora vectae, Ecqua tamen puero est amissae cura parentis? 'Talia fundebat lacrimans, longosque ciebat Et multum lacrimas verba inter singula fundit. 335 340 345 327. Enixae. Andromache had borne three children to Pyrrhus.328. Hermione, grand-daughter of Leda, and daughter of Menelaus, king of Sparta, had been betrothed to Orestes, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. 329. To a servant gave me, who was also a servant (famulamque).-331. Conjugis. Hermione was betrothed to him. See Ecl. 8, 18. The Furies, the instigators and avengers of crime, had driven to madness Orestes for slaying Clytemnestra, who had murdered Agamemnon. Pyrrhus was slain at Delphi, where he had erected an altar to Achilles.-332. Patrias aras, the altar erected by Neoptolemus at Delphi, in honour of his father.-340. Quae; others read quem. Either the passage is corrupt, or it indicates that, while Andromache was proceeding to ask regarding the fate of Creusa, she was warned by the countenance of Aeneas that his wife was dead. She stops abruptly, and asks if Ascanius still remembered him. 343. Avunculus means a mother's brother. According to one tradition, Creusa was the sister of Hector. Pergama, et arentem Xanthi cognomine rivum 350 355 Jamque dies, alterque dies processit ; et aurae Italiam petere, et terras tentare repostas: 360 365 370 375 350. Arentem. In Virgil's time, the Scamander was but a rivulet; in Homer's, it was a much larger stream.-354. Aulai, an antiquated form of the genitive singular. See A. 6, 747; 7, 464; 9, 26. 360. Clarii, a name for Apollo, from an Ionian town, Clarus, where he had a temple and oracle. The laurel was sacred to Apollo.361. Omens among the Romans were taken either from the chirping (linguas) or the flight of birds (praepetis pennae); hence the distinction between oscines and praepetes.-363. Religio, the commands of Heaven. See verse 94, &c., and 163, &c.-365. See verse 255, &c.-367. Obscoenam, because, when reduced to extremities, they devour such things as produce nausea.-372. Multo suspensum numine, agitated by the mighty influence of the presence of the god.'-373. Divino, prophetic." 6 374. Majoribus solito.-379. Parcae. See Ecl. 4, 47. Scire Helenum, farique vetat Saturnia Juno. 380 385 390 395 Et Sallentinos obsedit milite campos Lyctius Idomeneus; hic illa ducis Meliboei 400 Quin, ubi transmissae steterint trans aequora classes, 6 = 405 383. Invia, impassable by land, as Aeneas could not make his way over the intervening territories (longis terris) from the Greek colonies on the coasts.-386. Inferni lacus, Avernus.' At A. 7, 10, Circe's Isle is described at length. Aeaeae = Colchicae, from Aea, a town of Colchis. -389. Quum, &c. See this prophecy repeated by the river-god Tiberinus, A. 8, 43, &c. Secreti fluminis in secreta parte fluminis, isolated. 392. Alba. From this, according to the usages of his time, Virgil derives the name of the town Alba.-395. Viam, a way by which the fulfilment of the prediction will prove to be harmless. 396. Hanc, the coast nearest the east coast.-397. Nostri aequoris, the Adriatic.400. Sallentini campi, in Messapia, now Terra di Otranto.-401. Idomeneus. See verse 121.-402. Either Petelia (now Strongoli) Philoctetae, or muro Philoctetae, as there was a tradition that the town existed before, and that it was only walled in by Philoctetes. The force of subnixa muro seems to be raised high on the wall.' Philoctetes was the friend of Hercules. 403. Stětěrint, from sisto.405. Velare, the imperative. Velare comas. For the construction of passive verbs of dressing with the accusative, see |