[638] Aetheria plaga 1. 394. ‘Crinitus’ 1. 740. “Intonsum Cynthium” Hor. 1 Od. 21. 2. “Crinitus Apollo” occurs Enn. Alcumaeo fr. 4 Vahlen.
[639] Urbem seems to be the campsettlement, which the ‘Ausoniae acies’ are attacking. Comp. above v. 8 &c.
[640] “Iunonem . . . fulva pugnas de nube tuentem” 12. 792.
[641] For ‘macte’ see Excursus to this Book.
[642, 643] Dis genite: see on 6. 322. ‘Geniture deos’ points to the Caesars. What follows is expressed with something of oracular obscurity. The meaning seems to be that the house of Assaracus is qualified by merit as well as ordained by destiny to put an end to war: they are born to conquer, and their enemies have to submit. The primary reference is to Ascanius putting down the wars that were to trouble Aeneas (if we suppose Virg. to follow this form of the legend: see on 4. 615) and reigning in peace: the secondary reference is to Augustus composing civil discord and shutting the temple of Janus. ‘Fato ventura’ perhaps with ‘resident,’ are destined to settle down: it may however be simply constructed with ‘bella,’ ‘all the wars of the future,’ indicating among other things, as Cerda suggests, that the civil wars were devised by fate, and are not to be charged on the Caesars. “Gente sub Hectorea” 1. 273. “Domus Assaraci” 1. 284. Some MSS. and perhaps originally Gud. have ‘residunt.’
[644] Nec te Troia capit is again a prophecy with more than one fulfilment, pointing to the removal from Nova Troia to Lavinium and from Lavinium to Alba, and also to the necessary extension of the Roman power over the world. There is doubtless an allusion too to Philip's speech to Alexander, thus given by Plut. Alex. 6, ὦ παῖ, ζήτει σεαυτῷ βασιλείαν ἴσην: Μακεδονία γάρ σε οὐ χωρεῖ. ‘Simul’ with ‘effatus,’ ἅμα εἰπών.
[645] “Caelo se protinus alto Misit” 10. 634. Pal. and originally Gud. have ‘misit’ here. ‘Spirantis dimovet auras’ i.q. “ventos secat,” as Forb. remarks. In 4. 223 the winds are to help Mercury's flight. Gossrau comp. 5. 839, “Aera dimovit tenebrosum et dispulit umbras.”
[646] Formam oris like “imaginis formam” Enn. Epig. 1.
[647] Butes is of course different from the one mentioned 5. 372. Possibly he may be the one who is killed 11. 690 foll. ‘Dardanio Anchisae’ 1. 617. The appearance of Apollo in the form of Butes is from Il. 17. 322 foll., where he appears to Aeneas in the form of Periphas Ἠπυτίδης, his father's herald. We have already had Epytides 5. 546 foll., described as “custodem comitemque Iuli,” so that it is strange that Virg. should here mention Butes instead, unless we suppose him to mean the same person by both, Butes, son of Epytus, which is scarcely likely. This passage also recalls Il. 14. 136, where Poseidon addresses Agamemnon παλαιῷ φωτὶ ἐοικώς.
[648] “Qui Parrhasio Euandro Armiger ante fuit” 11. 31, of Acoetes, the ‘comes’ of Pallas. ‘Ad limina custos’ like “ad lecticam servus,” as Heyne remarks. The office intended seems to be that of the “atriensis,” which is Roman, not heroic.
[650] This and the next line are repeated with alterations from 4. 558, 559.
[651] Rom. and some others have ‘flaros,’ an evident interpolation from 4. 559. ‘Saeva sonoribus’ = “saeve sonantia.” We must suppose the old man to be a warrior still. Apollo in his own person would only have had bow and quiver.
[653] Aeneade, the old reading, is supported by Rom. ‘Aeneadae.’ Ribbeck's other MSS. (one of the cursives in an erasure) have ‘Aenide,’ which is supported by Priscian p. 583 and Serv., the latter apparently reading ‘Aeneide’ as a trisyllable and comparing “Theseide.” Wagn. supposes Virg. to have purposely avoided the more usual form, just as he has chosen to call his poem “Aeneis” rather than “Aeneăs.” Whether there was ever a form “Aeneus,” or whether Virg. has only imagined one for the moment, we cannot say.
[654] “Coniugis dextra oppetiit” 11. 268. ‘Primam laudem,’ the glory of a first success. “Magnus Apollo” E. 3. 104.
[655] “Mihi concede laborem” E. 10. 1. “Paribus armis” 6. 826 &c. Here the word is emphatic: Apollo does not grudge you the comParison of himself as a successful archer. Contrast Triton's jealousy of the rivalry of Misenus 6. 173, and comp. Il. 23. 865, ὄρνιθος μὲν ἅμαρτε: μέγηρε γάρ οἱ τόγ᾽ Ἀπόλλων.
[656] Cetera adverbially 3. 594. ‘Parce bello’ like “parce metu” 1. 255. Πολέμου δ᾽ ἀποπαύεο πάμπαν Il. 1. 422. ‘Orsus’ at the end of a speech 12. 806, contrary to what we should expect, as Serv. remarks.
[657, 658] Repeated from 4. 277, 278, with the change of “visus medio” into ‘medio aspectus.’ Gud. has ‘medio visus’ here as a variant. Med., Pal., Rom., and Gud. have ‘aspectu,’ a curious agreement in error, though of course the mistake is easily accounted for by the initial letter of ‘sermone’ and the proximity of ‘medio.’ Donatus strangely takes ‘mortalis’ as nom., “i. e. constitutus sub hominis forma.”
[659] Apollo resumes his divinity as he flies, like Venus 1. 402 foll., Iris 5. 657 foll. In Il. 17. 333 Aeneas recognizes Apollo by looking him in the face.
[660] Sonantem with the motion of his flight. Ἔκλαγξαν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπ᾽ ὤμων χωομένοιο Αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος Il. 1. 46.
[661] “Othryadae dictis et numine divom” 2. 336. Med. has ‘et numine,’ and ‘ac’ in Rom. is apparently in an erasure.
[662] Rursus, as if Ascanius' adventure had been an interlude, and so ‘succedunt.’ “Succedere in pugnam,” “in stationem” &c. are found in Livy: see Forc.
[663] With ‘animas in aperta pericula mittunt’ Cerda comp. Il. 9. 322, αἰεὶ ἐμὴν ψυχὴν παραβαλλόμενος πολεμίζειν.
[664-690] ‘The Trojans become more daring. Pandarus and Bitias, two gigantic brothers, throw open the gates, and the besieged prepare for a sally.’
[664] Totis per propugnacula muris, an amplification for “per muros,” as Heyne remarks.
[665] “Acris tendunt arcus” 7. 164. ‘Amenta’ Dict. A.
[666] From Il. 12. 156 foll., comp. by Heyne.
[667] “‘Flictu’ pro adflictu aut inflictu, i. e. ictu: nam detraxit more suo praepositionem. Et locutus est iuxta antiquum morem. Pacuvius Teucro [fr. 15] ‘flictus navium’” Serv. Rom. and Med. have ‘adflictu’ or ‘atflictu.’ “Pugna aspera surgit” 11. 635. Virg. doubtless imitates Il. 15. 696, αὖτις δὲ δριμεῖα μάχη περὶ νηυσὶν ἐτύχθη.
[668] In Il. 12. l. c. the comParison is to a snow-storm. ‘Pluvialibus Haedis’ abl. of circumstance or time. For the Kids see G. 1. 205. “Inpetus orientis Haedi” Hor. 3 Od. 1. 28.
[669] “Quam multa grandine nimbi Culminibus crepitant” 5. 458.
[670] “‘In vada’ noli temptare: variat rem: antecedenti membro ‘humum’ memoraverat, nunc mare” Serv. The words are probably suggested by a line in the second description of a snow-storm in Il. 12 (278 foll.), καί τ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἁλὸς πολιῆς κέχυται λιμέσιν τε καὶ ἀκταῖς. “Iuppiter uvidus austris” G. 1. 418.
[671] νέφεα σκιόεντα δονήσας Il. 12. 157. “Hiemis aquosae” E. 10. 66. ‘Torquet’ expresses the formation of hail: comp. 8. 429. For ‘caelo’ one MS. has ‘telo,’ an ingenious variety, which Wakef. prefers; but ‘caelo’ means from or in the sky. Med. a m. p. has ‘cava lumina,’ which perhaps some future editor will introduce into the text, in the sense of ‘the windows of heaven’ (see Forc. ‘lumen’), but the expression would be quite un-Virgilian.
