Belgica vel molli melius feret esseda collo. Tum demum crassa magnum farragine corpus Crescere iam domitis sinito: namque ante domandum Verbera lenta pati et duris parere lupatis. Sed non ulla magis viris industria firmat, Quam Venerem et caeci stimulos avertere amoris, evidently an imitation. 'Spatia,' 1. 513. Spumas aget,' Lucr. 3. 488. 'Cruentas:' from the bit against which he pulls, showing his spirit (Keightley). So Aesch. Ag. 1067, πρὶν αἱματηρὸν ἐξαφρίζεσθαι μένος, 2 metaphor from a horse being broken in. 204.] The essedum' was the British war-chariot, mentioned repeatedly by Caesar (B. G. 4. 24, 33., 5. 16). This would be naturally transferred to the Belgae by Virgil, as it is to the Germans by Pers. 6. 47, and the poet may have thought it well to speak of the use of horses in war by the formidable enemies of Rome, instead of recurring to Homeric precedents. As however it had been introduced into Rome, and was used by the luxurious classes there in Virgil's time (Prop. 2. 1. 86., 3. 24. 5), it is a question whether Keightley is not right in supposing that he is speaking of the employment of high-bred horses to draw the carriages of the rich, ayaλμa rс Vπρπλούτου χλιδῆς, as Aeschylus calls them. The previous mention of battle in conjunction with racing as the two chief objects for breeding a horse, is in favour of the former view; the words' molli melius feret collo,' which seem to indicate a more luxurious alternative, countenance the latter. An imitation by Sil. 3. 337, "Aut molli pacata celer rapit esseda collo," also supports the latter, as he is speaking of the Asturian jennet," parvus sonipes, nec Marti notus." The national epithet is used similarly in Prop. 2. 1. 86 (speaking of Maecenas), "Si te forte meo ducet via proxima busto, Esseda caelatis siste Britanna iugis." Bellica,' the reading of Med. a m. p. and three others, is less likely in any case. 'Feret' seems to refer to the wearing of the yoke on the neck and to drawing the car. If the war-chariot is meant, molli' must be taken of the easy management of a welltrained horse, with Serv., who well comp. A. 11. 622, "mollia colla reflectunt." 205.] Farrago' is explained by Festus 205 210 as "id quod ex pluribus satis (spelt, barley, vetches, pulse) pabuli caussa datur iumentis," so called because the spelt predominated in the mixture. These crops were sown together, as appears from Varro 1.31, who gives another orthography and etymology, "quod ferro caesa, ferrago dicta." It is called 'crassa from its effects, as Pers. 3. 55 talks of 'grandi polenta.' 'Tum demum' is explained by iam domitis,' which Wagn. accordingly marks off by 209-241.] The chief danger to the strength both of bulls and horses is from the excess of the passion of love. Thus bulls have to be kept at a distance from the COWS. Rivalries often arise among them; they will fight for the same heifer, and the beaten one will retire, and after a long interval, during which he has been practising and collecting his strength, return and renew the conflict.' 211.] Whether you prefer rearing bulls or horses.' 212.] The political word 'relegant' is in keeping with the language of the paragraph generally, where the bulls are spoken of in terms appropriate to men, and so invested with a kind of heroic dignity. So the horses, v. 163. There is also a special fitness in the word, as the essence of 'relegatio' was confinement to or exclusion from a particular place. Dict. A. Banishment.' Aut intus clausos satura ad praesepia servant. Illi alternantes multa vi proelia miscent 215 220 225 All of 213.] The intervening hill excludes the with the passage in the Aeneid, represent view the breadth of the stream prevents the object of the combat as here. : crossing. the passages seem to be modelled, those of the later poets especially, on the fight between Hercules and Achelous, Soph. Trach. 517 foll. 214.] Satura,' to keep up their strength and divert them. 215.] "Caeco carpitur igne," A. 4. 2. Videndo:' see on E. 8. 71. Here it = 'visu,' 'by the sight of her.' 217.] Et,' even. Nay, they are often driven to fight with each other.' 219.] All the MSS. give 'silva,' v however being marked as if for omission in Med. Sila' is mentioned as a various reading by Serv., comparing A. 12. 715, where a fight between two bulls is described in a simile as taking place "ingenti sila summove Taburno," though he does not think it is needed. Heyne was the first to restore it, and there can be little doubt that he is right, as the specification is quite after Virgil's manner, and is particularly in place here, announcing as it were by a change of tone that a narrative description is going to begin. This is a sufficient vindication of the line itself against the objections of Heyne and Wagn., who wish it away; but we may also say with Keightley that it points a contrast between the heifer feeding unconcerned and the bulls fighting furiously for her love. For a similar contrast comp. E. 6. 52 foll. Perhaps Horace had this line in view, 1 Ep. 3. 36, "Pascitur in vestrum reditum votiva iuvenca." 220.] The language in A. 12. 720 foll. is very similar. The conflict there is not for a particular heifer, but for the sovereignty of the herd. The imitations in Ov. M. 8. 46 foll., Stat. Theb. 6. 864, while in their general detail agreeing rather Ergo omni cura viris exercet, et inter interpretation) and with 'regnis avitis' E. 1. 70. 'A wistful look at his stall, and the king has quitted his ancestral domain.' · 230.] Pernox' is the reading of a few MSS. including perhaps the Pal., and of the Schol. on Juv. 7. 10, and is noticed by Philarg. and the Dresden Serv. Pernix,' the other reading, can only be supported by an appeal to the etymology, 'pernitor,' its usual sense being active,' not 'pertinacious,' and is less suited to the context, where iacet' and 'cubili' plead strongly for 'pernox.' 'Instrato' presents great difficulty. The frequent use of 'insterno ' of spreading a couch, and the evident parallel of Lucr. 5. 987, “instrata cubilia fronde," are strongly in favour of making it a participle here, but we should then have to understand it 'spread on' (the rocks) not spread with,' which is the usual meaning of the word. If we could connect 'instrato saxa,' as Forcell. does, the objection would be obviated, and the passage would gain greatly in force; but this does not seem possible with inter dura' preceding. Thus there is some plausibility in the view of Germ., Heyne, and others, who make instratus' an adjective, as if it were 'non stratus.' Virgil must then be supposed to have wished to translate άorpwTOC, which is applied both to the rough ground, Eur. H. F. 52, and to persons who sleep without a bed, Plato, Politicus 272 A. Wakef.'s proposal to connect 'instrato' with 'frondibus hirsutis' cannot be maintained. 231.] His fare is hard as well as his couch. 232.] "Irasci in cornua temptat," A. 12. 104, where the two next lines are repeated. The words are translated from Eur. Bacch. 732, ταῦροι ris Képas Ovμovμevoi, and are probably to be explained with Voss as if the bull were throwing his anger into his horns. So Ov. M. 8. 882, "viris in cornua sumo." But it is not easy to ana 230 235 lyze the expression, or to be certain that Eur. and Virgil meant exactly the same thing: siç képaç might be explained as denoting the object, siç μáxηv kepáτwv: 'in cornua' may be framed on the analogy of 'in speciem,' &c., as a sort of modal accusative, so that irasci in cornua' would virtually irasci cornibus.' 233.] Obnixus,' butting, as in v. 222. Ventos:' so' ventilare' is used of a fencer's flourishes (Lemaire). 234.] "Iam cornu petat et pedibus qui spargat arenam," E. 3. 87. 235.] Refectae' was restored by Heins. from Med. and other MSS. The old reading 'receptae' is to a slight degree supported by the imitations in Lucan and Statius above referred to. 236.] See on v. 212. 237.] Virgil shows his judgment by calling off the reader's attention to a simile instead of following the animals through a second encounter. The comparison is from Il. 4. 422 foll., where the thing to be illustrated is the march of the Greeks. It recurs in a briefer form A. 7. 528 foll., where the quarrel with the Italian rustics is swelling into a battle. Here probably the likeness is in the roar as well as in the rush of the water. With regard to the latter, two points are evidently meant to be noted, the appearance in the distance and the final collision. 'Uti medio' Rom., ' ut in medio' Med. Wagn. prefers the former on the ground that the preposition is omitted by Virgil, when he uses 'medius' loosely, signifying 'in' rather than 'in the centre.' 238] I have followed Martyn in connecting 'longius' with the preceding line. To suppose with Heyne and Wagn. that 'que' couples ex alto' with longius' either involves an awkward asyndeton, or obliges us to make 'trahit' the apodosis, which can hardly be the case, as there seems to be no apodosis in the second divi Ad terras inmane sonat per saxa, neque ipso 240 245 250 are- 242-283.] In fact, the maddening effects of passion are universal throughout animal nature, but none undergo so much as mares.' sion of the comparison, utque 66 239.] Ipso monte:' the 'mons' being the whole of which the 'saxum' is a part. Saxum, Haud partem exiguam montis," A. 10. 127. Here 'mons' is probably the crag against which the sea breaks. The same comparison occurs 4. 361, A. 1. 105. 241.] Subvectat' is found in Med., Rom., and other good MSS., but it does not suit the sense, being used of carrying freights, upheaving burdens, &c. 'Subiectat,' on the other hand, is supported by Lucr. 6. 700, 66 'Saxaque subiectare, et arenae tollere nimbos," which Virgil plainly imitated. 'Arenam' is the sand at the bottom which the sea casts up, the kελaivav θῖνα καὶ δυσάνεμον, heaved up βυσσόθεν, of Soph. Ant. 590. Comp. A. 1. 107, "furit aestus arenis," where the same thing is described. 'Like a billow which begins to whiten far away in the mid sea, and draws up from the main its bellying curve; like it too, when, rolling to the shore, it roars terrific among the rocks, and bursts, in bulk as huge as their parent cliff, while the water below boils up in foaming eddies, and discharges from its depths the murky sand.' 243.] 4. 525. Pecudes, pictaeque volucres,' A. 'Pictae' is supposed by Forb. to be an imitation of 'variae volucres,' which occurs frequently in Lucr. (e. g. 2. 344, a passage not unlike this), but it may be doubted whether the epithet there has that meaning. Pecudes: added because not included in 'ferarum' (see v. 480), though that word might easily be pressed so as to include all quadrupeds, as might' pecudes' itself (A. 6. 728). 216.] The perfects are explained by 'non alio tempore.' See on 1.374. "Dare funera," A. 8. 571; " dare stragem," v. 556 below. Edere' is also used with both, A. 9. 526, so that the meaning is probably to put forth or produce. 247.] Informes,' on account of their size, as well as their appearance, great bulk being itself a deformity, as involving a departure from symmetry. So probably turpe,' v. 52. 248.] Pessima,' as 'malus' is used of serpents, vv. 416, 425. 249.] "Heu, male tum mitis defendet pampinus uvas,” 1. 448. 'Male erratur' like male creditur,' Hor. 2 S. 4. 21. 'Solis,' though grammatically belonging to agris,' really points to the traveller. 250.] 'Nonne vides,' 1. 56. Pertemptat,' which is found in three MSS., would agree better with attulit,' and supported by 'mittit' in the passage just referred to, where see note. Tremor pertemptat' occurs Lucr. 6. 287. 251.] Heyne remarks that we might rather have expected aurae odorem at T Ac neque eos iam frena virum, neque verbera saeva, tulere.' As the scent comes with the gale, 255 256.] Prosubigit:' a rare word, used by Val. Fl. 4. 288, of the Cyclops forging the thunderbolt, and by Prudentius, Tεpi 252.] Iam' implies that the fury has orEp. 3. 129, in the same sense as here, risen beyond control. 'Virum,' because with 'pede.' 'Subigere' is frequently used other than human obstacles are mentioned of breaking up land (1. 125., 2. 50), and in the next verse. 'Verbera saeva " is this may be the reference here, with the questioned by Keightley, who remarks that addition of 'pro' to denote the forward no one would beat a run-away horse to action of the feet, as in 'proculco,' 'prostop him; so he suggests that either the tero.' Serv. says, "fodit, et pedibus imhorse is beaten in the stable to frighten pellit alternis." 'Arbore' may be either him, or that Virgil wrote without any clear the instrumental or the local ablative. conception. Aristot. 1. c. speaks of boars as πρòç áλλýovg μèv πоLovvτes μáxus Davμaoràs θωρακίζοντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ποιοῦντες τὸ δέρμα ὡς παχύτατον ἐκ παρασκευῆς, πρὸς τὰ δένδρα διατρίβοντες καὶ τῷ πηλῷ μολύνοντες πολλάκις καὶ ξηραίνοντες avrovs. 253.] Macrob., Sat. 6. 2, cites a line from Varius, which Virgil is supposed to have imitated, “ Non amnes illum medii, non ardua tardant." 254.] I have restored • correptosque,"as only one MS. omits the copulative. Its insertion is probably to be defended not by distinguishing between the breadth of a river and its violence as two kinds of obstacles, with Jahn and Ladewig, but by appealing to other instances where Virgil couples things not strictly co-ordinate, as A. 2. 86, "comitem et consanguinitate propinquum . . . misit;" 12. 305, "Pastorem primaque acie per tela ruentem." 'Torquentia montis' is a heightening of the picture of Lucr. 1. 288, "volvitque sub undis Grandia saxa.' 'Unda' may be connected with either correptos' or 'torquentia.' 255.] The wild boar has been already named v. 248, so Serv. and others have supposed that Virgil here means the tame one, which they think explains the force of 'ipse.' Ladewig quotes Varro 2. 1, from which it would appear that the name 'sus' was restricted by some to the tame sort. But the dignity of the language would pass into burlesque if applied to the domestic swine, and the facts mentioned here agree with Aristotle's description of the wild boar, H. A. 6. 17. 'Ipse' is apparently meant to prepare the reader for something exalted, and the monosyllabic ending (comp. Lucr. 5. 25, "horrens Arcadius sus") is doubtless intended to be in keeping. Sabellicus' too has a similar object, recalling the woods and mountains of Samnium. 257.] If atque . . atque' are for 'et.. et,' as in E. 5. 23, we had better connect 'atque . . illinc' with what goes before, and read humerosque' with the Rom. and many other MSS. But hinc atque illinc' would be feeble if understood of the boar's rubbing himself backwards and forwards, or against more trees than one; while in connexion with durat' they answer to arbore' in the previous line, being intended no doubt to indicate his rolling himself in the mud. On the whole then it seems best to take the first 'atque' as coupling 'durat' with the other verbs, and read humeros' with Med. and some other copies. 258.] He glances at the story of Leander to show what love can make men do. Martyn remarks on the judgment which leads him to avoid mentioning it expressly, thereby representing the action as what the whole species would do. 'Versat' merely expresses the motion within, as probably in 4. 83, "Ingentis animos angusto in pectore versant." Some such verb as 'facit' is probably to be understood with 'quid,' as also in v. 264. Comp. Hor. 1 Ep. 2. 10, "Quid Paris? ut salvus regnet vivatque beatus Cogi posse negat.' We should say, What of the youth whose marrow the fierceness of love has turned to flame?' |
