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NOTES

TO THE

ECLOGUES.

INTRODUCTION.

PASTORAL poetry is, properly, "a representation of shepherd life, with its simple habits, its coarse humor, its passionate susceptibility, and its grotesque superstition," and in this form we find it in Theocritus of Sicily and his immediate successors. Even among the Greeks, however, it soon lost much of this simple and primitive character, and began to assume greater latitude and a wider range of subjects. Hence it is that the Eclogues of Virgil partake only in a limited degree of the true pastoral character, and that some of them are, strictly, not pastoral at all. The feelings, thoughts, and sentiments of the Eclogues are rarely those of the shepherd; they are rather those of refined and cultivated personages "playing at shepherd," and we may add that the same remark may, in general, be said to characterize most modern pastoral poetry.

Virgil was a professed imitator of Theocritus. Yet it was the peculiar nature of this imitation-an imitation of the external form of his model, which consisted in borrowing many of his expressions, epithets, and names, and in mingling Sicilian with Italian scenery that deprives the Eclogues of much of the charm of originality and of the feeling of reality. It is manifest that he is too often thinking of his model. Hence many of his lines are mere translations of the Sicilian poet, and many of his scenes and epithets remind us rather of Sicily than of Italy, while many of the names of his personages, with their Greek endings, are easily traced to the Greek original.

Yet if we approach the Eclogues, not as so many pastoral poems, but as so many representations of human nature and as the work of a cultivated and polished mind delicately attuned to harmony and versed in all the niceties of expression, we shall find no difficulty in accounting for the high place accorded them in permanent literature,

and in bestowing upon them somewhat of that admiration which has been their meed for nearly two thousand years.

The term Bucolica (sc. poemata or carmina) means Bucolic poems, and is simply the Greek Boukoλiká (Boucolica), from Boukodéw, to tend cattle. The genitive plural is Bucolicon. These poems were probably called Bucolica by Virgil himself, and the term Eclogae, which properly means "select poems," and their various titles, are supposed to have been added by the grammarians.

ECLOGUE I.

INTRODUCTION.

THIS Eclogue consists of a dialogue between two shepherds. Meliboeus is represented as leaving his native country and going into exile. While driving his flock before him, he meets Tityrus, a neighboring shepherd, whom he finds quietly playing upon his pipe under the shade of a spreading beech, while the rest of his countrymen, like himself, were compelled by colonies of soldiers to yield up their cherished fields and homes, and to flee to foreign lands.

In reply to the inquiries of Meliboeus, Tityrus relates in what manner he obtained his liberty and his happy exemption from the common calamity with which his fellow-countrymen were visited. Tityrus, as it appears, belonged to that class of bondmen who were employed by the wealthier Romans as husbandmen and shepherds. These frequently obtained their freedom by paying their masters an equivalent for their services. The master of Tityrus, we learn, resided at Rome, whither Tityrus, as he informs us, went, when he was now well advanced in years, for the purpose of obtaining his manumission. His journey having been crowned with success, he speaks in very grateful terms of the kindness of his master, whom he resolves henceforth to honor as a god.

Such appears to be the outline of the subject assumed by the poet; but under this, as a kind of allegory, Virgil seems to have depicted his own fortunes, and to have expressed his personal obligations to his imperial benefactor, Caesar Octavianus, for protecting him in the enjoyment of his rural home near Mantua. This allegorical meaning must not, however, be sought for in every part of the Eclogue; for while in some passages it is easy to conceive that in the person of Tityrus Virgil himself is speaking, yet it is only in his character of a shepherd and slave that Tityrus most frequently appears.As. This Eclogue was probably composed in the year 41 B. C.

Lines.

Page

1-10. Tu. The pronoun is used because it is in contrast with 13 nos, line 3. 2. Silvestrem musam, a pastoral song. Meditaris, are practising, with a view to greater proficiency. Others translate, are composing. Avena, pipe of reeds; "not a straw, which would be absurd." Con. Ablat. of means. 3. Dulcia, because with them dwell the sweet associations of home and kindred. 4.

Lentus, at ease, unconcerned. 5. Doces silvas resonare, etc.
Amaryllida, Greek accus. 6. Deus, a god, as is explained in
the next line. Otia. The plural of such abstract nouns is some-
times used in poetry, especially in the nominative and accusative,
for the sake of emphasis or metre. 7. Mihi, to me, even if to
no other.
The deus is Augustus. 9. Ille permisit meas boves
errare, ut cernis, et (me) ipsum ludere, etc. 10. Quae vellem,
what I pleased: such things as I pleased; hence vellem is sub-
junctive of result. A. & S. 2264, 1, (a) and (b); H. 501, I.; B.
1218-20; A. 65, I. and 69, Note; G. 424 and 425.

11-17. Non invideo, I do not grudge you your good fortune. Magis, rather. 12. Usque adeo to such a degree; lit. (usque) as far as (adeo) to this (degree which we now witness). Turbatur, disturbance is made; the verb is here used impersonally. It is convenient in such cases to form a subject out of the substantive idea (confusion, disturbance) implied in the verb. Agris, governed by in understood. See A. & S. 2254, Rem. 2, (b) and Rem. 3; H. 422, 1, 1); B. 937, 3; A. 55, III. 5; G. 2185. The disturbance alluded to was occasioned by the soldiers of Octavianus taking possession of the lands assigned them. (Ego) ipse. 13. Protinus, on, before me. Hanc, sc. capellam. 14. Modo, just, just now. The use of namque so late in the sentence is peculiar to poetry. 15. Spem is in apposition with gemellos. The interjection ah! does not break the continuity of the sentence. Connixa, having brought forth; expressing severe labor. 16. Malum, misfortune. Laeva, stupid, silly. The words si- fuisset form the protasis, to which an apodosis may be mentally supplied (e. g. and I would have guarded against it). 17. De-tactas, touched from heaven struck by lightning. The striking of anything by lightning was an evil omen. Praedicere, foretold. Why not praedixisse? A. & S. 2 268, 2, Rem. 1 (a); B. 1131; A. 57, IV.; G 277, Rem.; Z. 589; M. 408, Obs. 2. Quercus, subject accus. of praedicere. 18-27. Saepe-cornix. This line is generally regarded as 14 spurious, and is not found in the best MSS. See Eclogue IX. 15.

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Page 14 Sinistra, the ill-boding. Decide by scanning the line to which word cava belongs. 19. Iste deus, that god of yours. Notice the force of iste, the demonstrative pronoun of the second person. A. & S. 207, Rem. 25; H. 450; B. 1028; A. 20, II.; G. 2 90. Sit, is (not, may be); subjunct. of indirect question. Find the rule by means of the index in your grammar. Da=dic, tell. 20. Urbem, sc. esse, of which it is the subject accusative. 21. Stultus, foolishly, as an adverb, on account of difference of idiom. Or perhaps rather stultus ego=fool that I was; this would also account for the presence of ego, which is here neither emphatic nor contrasted. Nostrae, sc. urbi, i. e. Mantua. 22. Depellere, to drive down. 24. Noram (=noveram), I knew ; novi I know, i. e. time is moved forward one degree. Parvis, with small. A. & S. 3 224; H. 386; B.826; A. 51, V.; G. 144. 25. Haec, sc. urbs. Extulit, has raised. Tantum — quantum, as much -as. 26. Lenta, pliant; the viburnum was a shrub much used in binding fagots. H. and An. 27. Fuit tibi =/ had you. Tibi, dat. of the possessor.

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28-36. Libertas, i. e. to buy his freedom. Sera, i. e. though it came late. Inertem, indolent, in saving his peculium (his own private property) in order to buy his freedom. 29. Candidior, more gray. Tondenti, sc. mihi, = as I clipped it off, lit. to me clipping it. Manumitted slaves shaved their beards. F. 30. Respexit tamen, it (freedom) did look upon me nevertheless. Longo tempore post longum tempus. The expression admits of four variations. Post is an adverb. See A. & S. 2 253, Rem. 1; H. 427 and 1; B. 954; G. 196, 3. 31. Postquam, since. (Et) Galatea. There was no marriage between slaves; it was merely a contubernium or living together. An. 33. Nec spes, etc., because Galatea was wasteful, while Amaryllis was thrifty. Peculi, peculii, of my savings. This form of the genitive from nouns in ius and ium is always used by Virgil. 34. Multa, many a. Exiret, subjunct. of concession. A. & S. 2263, (1); H. 515, I.; B. 1282; A. 61, 2; G. 400, and 259. 35. The emphasis given to pinguis places it before the connective. Ingratae, because he thought the city (Mantua) poorly repaid his labor. 36. Non umquam, never. 36. Mihi dextra, my right hand. The dative, however, depends upon the verb, and seems to be used here, instead of the possessive pronoun, by a colloquial force. Redibat, the imperfest of customary (and completed) actions.

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37–51. Mirabar, I used to wonder why Amaryllis was so sad; 14 I did not know of your journey to Rome. Amarylli, the Greek vocative. Vocares, you were invoking (not, might be); subjunct. of indirect question. 38. Sua in, on their proper. Poma, the fruits. 39. Aberat. The final syllable (naturally short) is lengthened by the caesura (pause in the verse). 41. Facerem, subjunct. in a question of appeal. A. & S. 260, Rem. 5; H. 486, II.; B. 1180; A. 60, 3; G. ¿ 54, 2. 42. Praesentes, propitious. 43. Hic, i. e. in Rome. Juvenem, i. e. Augustus. 44. Bis senos dies, i. e. on the first day of each month. W. 45. Primus, i. e. after my long anxiety, and hence demum or tandem. 46. Pueri is the common term for slaves, like Taïs in Greek, and "child" in old English. Con. There is a little confusion in this line: Tityrus goes to Rome to procure his freedom, and the answer secures to his master (Virgil) the restitution of his property. Probably Virgil intended the answer to indicate the accomplishment of both results. Submittite, rear, raise. Serv. and others give it the meaning of "yoke." 47. Rura, lands. 48. Quamvis nudus lapis obducat omnia (them all) palusque limoso junco (obducat) pascua. Nudus lapis, the bare rock: bare stones. 49. Palus, probably the overflowing of the Mincius. Obducat, o'erspreads. 50. Non, no. Temptabunt, shall assail, with noxious herbs. Graves fetas, the sickly ewes or mothers: fetas means either pregnant, or that has just brought forth; and graves, in its general meaning of heaviness, is a term equally applicable to either condition. Gravis however sometimes gravidus (pregnant), and is so rendered by some. 51. Mala, the mischievous.

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52-64. Nota, well known. 53. Sacros, because the popular 15 superstition assigned a divinity to every fountain and spring. 54. Order: hinc, ab vicino limite, sepes depasta florem salicti Hyblaeis apibus, saepe suadebit tibi levi susurro, quae semper, inire somnum. Hinc, on this side here, is further explained by the words vicino ab limite, on the neighboring boundary. Quae semper (tibi suasit, etc.) ut semper, which (has) always (done so). 55. Hyblaeis. Hybla, in Sicily, was famed for its bees and honey. Hence, by Hyblaean, Virgil would indicate the best bees. The practice of applying to products epithets which are strictly applicable only among and by the people who produce them is not unknown to modern times. Apibus. A. & S. ? 225, II.; H. 388, II.; B. 844; A. 51, VIII.; G. 150. Florem. A. & S.

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