REFERENCES IN THE NOTES. H, Harkness; M, Madvig; Z, Zumpt; A, Allen and Greenough; B, Bartholomew; G, Gildersleeve. The Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, are indicated respectively by E, Ge, and Ae. NOTES ON THE BUCOLICS. ECLOGUE I. THE Scene is the country in the neighborhood of Mantua. Tityrus, a keeper of bees, flocks, and herds, who had formerly been a slave, and, though rather late in life, had laid up money (peculium) sufficient to buy his freedom, has lately traveled to Rome in order to obtain his emancipation from his master, a land-owner, residing at the capital. While in Rome the now freed slave accomplishes another object. His neighbors in the Mantuan district had in general been ejected from their lands by the disbanded veterans of Octavian. Tityrus, who has hitherto occupied a small farm as the slave tenant or agent of his master, and is now in danger of being expelled like the rest, petitions Octavian in person to be exempted from the common lot. The youthful triumvir, always accessible to the humble classes (Sueton. Octav. 53), receives him kindly, grants his request (pascite, ut ante, boves, pueri), and sends him rejoicing to his home. The Eclogue introduces him already returned from Rome, secure in the possession of his farm, reclining in the shade, and singing a pastoral song. Meliboeus, a goatherd, involved in the common calamity, and driven from his home, comes along leading his flock, and learning with surprise the extraordinary good fortune of his neighbor, contrasts it with his own unhappy lot. It is entirely unnecessary to encumber the interpretation of this Eclogue with the idea that Tityrus represents any actual personage, whether a freedman and farm-steward of Vergil, or, as some have supposed, Vergil's father, or the poet himself. In the ninth Eclogue, undoubtedly, Menalcas is intended for Vergil, and Meliboeus for a faithful old slave, or, perhaps, steward of his farm. But we have here a pure fiction, so shaped by the poet that, in one particular only, that, namely, of the exemption of the farm of Tityrus, through the kindness of Octavian, from the confiscation to which all the neighboring estates have been condemned, the fortunes of the old freedman are made to resemble those of Vergil. This incident, ingeniously introduced into the story of the imaginary Tityrus, gives the poet the opportunity of expressing publicly and with delicate indirectness his own great obligation to the young Octavian. 1. Fagi. As no beech-trees are now found near Mantua, it is inferred by some that the poet here, as elsewhere in the Eclogues, is aiming merely to picture a pleasing pastoral scene without reference to the actual characteristics of the country. It seems more reasonable, however, to suppose that the beech may have existed there, and have died out in later years; for whole varieties of trees have been known to disappear from certain localities in much shorter periods than nineteen centuries.- -2. Avena, in a secondary sense, means any kind of stalk, tubular growth, or substance, suitable for a musical pipe. The other designations for the shepherd's pipe or flute are calamus (v. 10), fistula (E. III, 22), harundo (E. VI,'S), cicuta (E. II, 36), and, in a contemptuous sense, stipula (E. III, 27). 5. Resonare Amaryllida. The name of Amaryllis, often repeated by Tityrus in his songs, is reechoed by the woods.- 6. Deus. Octavian at a later period, and some time after he had received the title of Augustus, was worshiped in the provinces as a god (Suet. Octav. 59, 60, and see on Ae. I, 290), though he did not permit such honors to be paid to him, at least publicly, in Italy. The tradition that his family was descended from Venus (See Sueton. Jul. Caes. VI), and the annual sacrifices now made on the altars of the deified Caesar (see on É. V, 66), naturally led to the practice of paying divine honors also to Octavian, the successor of Caesar. It is not probable, therefore, that Vergil uses the term deus here merely as a figure to indicate the rank and power of Octavian in the sense in which Horace, in Sat. II, 6, 52, calls the leading men of the state deos; but he intends to represent Tityrus as making a vow in earnest to offer sacrifices to his deliverer as a real divinity; one of his Lares or household gods.- -8. Ab is elliptical as in Ae. III, 647.- -12. Usque adeo, even to such a degree, so much; explanatory of the foregoing words, as in Ae. I, 567.-15. Conixa, instead of the more usual enixa, which here would cause a hiatus.- -16. Fuisset. The apodosis is suggested by prædicere: "So that I should have expected this ill fortune, if," etc. For the sense of the present infinitive with memini, see on Ae. I, 619.. -18. This verse is not found in the best manuscripts, and was probably interpolated here by some copyist from E. IX, 15.-19. Qui seems to be the best authenticated reading, though quis is found in some of the manuscripts. Ladewig thinks qui is better than quis, as Meliboeus perceives that Tityrus does not wish to give the name of his god.- -20-46. Tityrus avoids a direct answer, and, after an account of the circumstances which led him to see the wonders of Rome, he leaves Meliboeus (verses 43-6) to guess the name of his deliverer.- -21. Huic nostrae. The reference is to Mantua.-22. Depellere, to drive down; that is, from the more elevated pasture lands of Andes to the low and marshy site of Mantua. "Down to" is a very common local expression even if the descent, as in this case, is inconsiderable. 28. Libertas. To buy his freedom it was necessary for him to go to his master, who was residing in Rome. Before sera there is an ellipsis of quamquam correlative to tamen.- -29. Candidior, quite gray, growing gray: -31. Habet, strictly, "has been possessing me." See on ardebant, Ae. 1, 581.- -33. Nec spes, etc. Galatea had led him into extravagance by encouraging him to spend his gains for the gratification of her love of finery; so that he had failed in his youth to save that proportion of money which a slave, trading in the name of his master, was allowed to keep for himself (peculium) for the purchase of his freedom. Finding Galatea false, he has taken Amaryllis as his mistress and housekeeper, and by her good management and prudence has laid up the needful sum. The strict relation of husband and wife was not allowed to slaves.-34. Multa. Comp. Ae. I, 334. Victima here is used with reference to animals sold either for sacrifice or for the shambles.- -35. Ingratae, because the return which the city (Mantua) yielded for his produce was not sufficient to meet the demands of Galatea and enable him at the same time to lay up anything for himself. Pinguis, as we say, "rich cheese." Urbi, a dativus commodi. -37. Mirabar, etc. Meliboeus now first understands what has occasioned the long absence of Tityrus and the mournful vows and songs of Amaryllis. -38. Cui, for whom; not" for whose enjoyment," but "for whose charge." Amaryllis has lost heart in his absence and ceased to give proper attention to the farm. Thus, as Conington explains the passage, all things needed his care, the very pines (ipsae, etc.), fountains, and orchards called for him to come |