[122] The story as told by Serv. and others is that Idomeneus in a storm vowed to the gods of the sea that he would sacrifice the first thing that met him on landing, that this proved to be his son, that he fulfilled his vow, that a plague visited Crete, and that the inhabitants consequently expelled him, when he settled in Calabria, as mentioned v. 400 below.
[123] Virg. expresses himself as if the Cretans had vacated the country as well as Idomeneus; but he may only mean that now that the chief was gone, the people would not be unwilling to receive the Trojans. ‘Adstare’ is rightly explained by Henry, ‘stand ready to our hand.’
[124] Ortygia, the ancient name of Delos.
[125] Bacchatam G. 2. 487 note. ‘Iugis’ is either a local abl. or ‘in respect of its mountains.’ There is a question about the Greek forms, the chief authority for which is Med., Pal., fragm. Vat., and Gud. a m. pr. having ‘Naxum,’ ‘Oliarum,’ or ‘Olearum,’ and ‘Parum;’ and so Ribbeck. Donusa, one of the Sporades, is called ‘viridis’ probably from its vegetation rather than, as Serv. suggests as an alternative, from the colour of its marble, like ‘niveam Paron.’
[127] With Henry, following Heins., I prefer ‘consita,’ the reading of at least two copies, the ‘primus Moreti,’ and one at Munich, to ‘concita,’ which is found in the great majority of MSS., attested by Serv., and alluded to by Paullinus, Epist. 34. The latter would make sufficiently good sense, as the number of the islands would affect the character of the sea and the safety of the sailing; but the former is much more natural in this context, referring unmistakably to the name of the Sporades, some of which the poet has mentioned already, as he has also mentioned some of the Cyclades individually before summing them up in the general clause ‘sparsasque per aequor Cycladas.’ There is no force in the supposed geographical objection, as Virg. need not be supposed to be enumerating the countries in the precise order in which Aeneas sailed by them. For ‘terris’ some copies give ‘remis.’
[128] The ‘clamor’ is the κέλευσμα (see 5. 140), the ‘vario certamine’ (with which comp. v. 280 “Certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt,” v. 668 “Verrimus et proni certantibus aequora remis”) the efforts of the rowers.
[129] Hortantur seems to mean that they encourage each other, which is perhaps intended to be brought out by ‘socii.’ ‘Cretam proavosque petamus’ is doubtless meant to give a notion of sailor-language. ‘For Crete and our forefathers, ho!’
[130] Virg. copies Od. 11. 6, ἡμῖν δ᾽ αὖ μετόπισθε νεὸς κυανοπρώροιο Ἴκμενον οὖρον ἵει πλησίστιον, ἐσθλὸν ἑταῖρον, the last words being rendered by ‘prosequitur,’ which, as Henry remarks, has here its proper sense of acting as an escort or convoy.
[131] Curetum: note on v. 111. ‘Adlabimur’ is in keeping with the general tone of the context, expressing the ease with which the passage was effected.
[132-146] ‘I had begun the foundation of a city, when a pestilential season set in. My father recommended returning to Delos and consulting the oracle again.’
[132] Optatae refers to the choosing of the site with auspices, after the Roman fashion: see note on 1. 425. ‘Molior’ seems to denote that the building of the walls was begun, though the word is rather a vague one. The remark of Serv., “ordo est, avidus optatae urbis, muros molior, non, avidus molior,” will hardly find any one to accept it now. With the description generally comp. 1. 422 foll., 5. 755 foll.
[133] Pergameam is the spelling of the MSS.; but Wagn. would prefer to write ‘Pergamiam,’ as answering to the Greek Περγαμία, though he admits that Roman custom may have been in favour of using a short ĕ where we should expect ē or ĭ. See on 1. 201. The city, which Pashley (Travels in Crete, vol. ii. p. 23) identifies with the modern Platania, seems generally to have been called Pergamum. Serv. mentions another legend that the place was founded by some Trojan captives from Agamemnon's fleet, under the leadership of another Aeneas, whose history is not very clearly indicated. Heins. restored ‘et’ before ‘laetam.’ Some of those who omitted it omitted likewise the stop after ‘voco,’ placing it at the end of the line. ‘Laetam cognomine,’ like “gaudet cognomine terra” 6. 383. Here as in vv. 334, 350, &c., “cognomen” may = ἐπωνυμία.
[134] Amare focos seems to mean ‘to regard the place as their settled home,’ “ut haberent cum laribus novis affectus,” as Donatus gives it, a sense with which Forb. well comp. 4. 347, “Hic amor, haec patria est,” and G. 2. 486, “Flumina amem silvasque.” ‘Tectis’ is the modal abl., not as Gossrau, after Cerda, takes it, the dative. Henry comp. 2. 185, “attollere molem Roboribus textis,” and Stat. Achill. 1. 437, “galeasque attollere conis.” See on 2. 460.
