[129] Repeated 11. 1. Heins. and Heyne read ‘relinquit,’ which is supported by Med. a m. pr.; the majority of MSS. however appear to be for the perfect, and there is no variation in the parallel passage. Virg. copies Il. 19. 1, Ἠὼς μὲν κροκόπεπλος ἀπ᾽ Ὠκεανοῖο ῥοάων Ὤρνυθ᾽.
[130] ‘It portis’ like “it naribus” G. 3. 507. Used absolutely, ‘iubar’ seems to stand for Lucifer, the morning star (see Forcell.); nor is there any reason against following Serv. in giving it that sense here, though it would be possible to refer it to ‘Aurora’ in the preceding line.
[131] On ‘retia’ and ‘plagae’ see Dict. A. ‘Rete,’ where the latter is said to be much smaller than the former, and to have been placed across roads and narrow openings between bushes. Serv., who mentions this distinction, asserts as his own opinion that properly ‘plagae’ are the cords used in stretching the ‘retia.’ In the art. in Dict. A. ‘rara’ is explained of the width of the meshes; and this is also Forb.'s view, who observes that if understood of the slightness of the texture it would show that the nets were too thin to resist the struggling of the game. But it seems simpler here and in Hor. Epod. 2. 33, where the same epithet is used with the same substantive, to regard ‘rarus’ as expressing the quality of nets in general, not any thing which distinguishes one kind of net from another. ‘Venabula’ Dict. A. s. v. ‘Lato ferro’ 1. 313.
[132] Ruunt properly applies only to the horsemen and the dogs, but the hunting apparatus is regarded as part of the cortege, and one verb accordingly does duty for all. Wund. well comp. Hor. 1 Ep. 6. 58, “qui mane plagas, venabula, servos, Differtum transire forum populumque iubebat.” ‘Canum vis,’ which occurs twice in Lucr. (“permissa canum vis” 4. 681, “fida canum vis” 6. 1222), is obviously modelled on the Greek use of βία in a periphrasis, so that it seems equally vain to understand ‘vis’ here in the sense of multitude, with Taubm., and with Henry to explain it strictly with reference to ‘odora,’ as if ‘odora vis’ meant merely the smelling instinct or gift, though it would be wrong to suppose that the notions of the epithet and the noun are meant to be kept quite separate. This seems a solitary instance of ‘odorus’ for ‘having a keen sense of smell.’
[133] On ‘cunctantem’ Serv. observes “morabatur studio placendi,” and compares Terence's remark on the length of ladies' toilets (Heaut. 2. 2. 11), “Dum moliuntur, dum comuntur, annus est,” where however a better supported reading is “conantur.” ‘Ad limina’—at the palace door rather than at the door of the chamber.
[134]
The meaning seems to be that
the housings of the horse are of purple
embroidered with gold. The gold however
may refer to the ornaments of the
horse, its phalerae, poitrel, curb, &c.,
while the purple may be a rug or horsecloth.
Comp. the fuller description in 7.
277 foll.:
“Instratos ostro alipedes pictisque tapetis;
Aurea pectoribus demissa monilia pendent;
Tecti auro fulvum mandunt sub dentibus
aurum.
”
[135] Sonipes like “alipes,” “cornipes,” “quadrupes,” is used first as an epithet of a horse, secondly as a synonyme for it. No instance of “sonipes equus” is quoted; but the word occurs as an adjective in Grat. Cyn. 43. The earliest place where it is used of a horse appears to be a fragm. of Attius' Thebais “quadrupedantum sonipedum.”
[137] See on G. 4. 337.
[138] ‘In aurum,’ on account of the common construction ‘in nodum.’ The thing specifically referred to may be either the Roman ‘acus discriminalis,’ or hairpin, or the Greek ‘fibula,’ the latter of which is expressly mentioned 7. 815.
[141] Incedunt, join the procession.
[142] Infert se 1. 439. ‘Agmina iungit’ 2. 267 note.
[143] The general notion of the following simile, and the geographical names in the first two lines, are taken, as Henry remarks, from Apoll. R. 1. 307 foll., where Jason is compared to Apollo. The other circumstances of the simile correspond, as Heyne observes, to those in the simile of Dido to Diana 1. 498 foll. Apollo is supposed to fix his winter quarters in his temple at Patara in Lycia, and thence to go to Delos. Nothing is said about his dividing the year between the two, so that we need not speculate with Henry whether Delos is more than a halting-place on the way to Delphi. The journeyings of Apollo formed the subject of a paean by Alcaeus, the substance of which is preserved by Himerius, Orations 14. 10, and is extracted by Bergk, Poetae Lyrici Graeci, pp. 569, 570 (1st edition). From this it appears that when Apollo was born, Zeus gave him a mitre, a lyre, and a car driven by swans, and sent him to Delphi; but he chose first to go to the Hyperboreans, spending a year with them, and thence going to Delphi, where nature as well as men greeted him with demonstrations of welcome. A passage from Procopius cited by Turnebus, Adversaria 24. 26, speaks of the ἐπιδημία Ἀπόλλωνος (an expression supported also by Himerius l. c.) as a festival at Delphi. Serv. says definitely that Apollo was supposed to give oracles for the six winter months at Patara, for the six summer ones at Delos: a practical realization of the belief in Apollo's migratory habits which is supported by Hdt. 1. 182, as Heyne observes in his Excursus. But the meaning may be, as Mr. Long thinks, that Apollo leaves Lycia in the winter, and goes to the more genial Delos—an interpretation already suggested as a question by Serv., “an quam hiberno tempore deserere soleat?”
[145] Instaurat v. 63 note, here of a renewal of intermitted observances. Members of the different nations where the worship of Apollo was especially kept up appear to have engaged in his service in other countries. So in Homer's Hymn to Apollo, vv. 391 foll., Cretans sailing to Pylos are brought by Apollo to Crisa and established as his priests. It is also possible, as Heyne suggests, that these strangers may have been sent on sacred embassies to Delos. See on the whole subject of the worship of Apollo Müller's Dorians, Book 2.
[146] The Dryopes, who originally lived in the neighbourhood of Parnassus, were consecrated as a subject people to the Pythian Apollo (Müller, Book 1, ch. 2, § 4). The Agathyrsi, who, like their neighbours the Geloni (G. 2. 115), are called ‘picti,’ tattooed, represent Apollo's Hyperborean worshippers.
[147] On a comparison of 1. 498, 501 it seems probable that Apollo is represented as himself joining in the dance.
[148] His hair is twined with a wreath of bay and a circlet of gold. ‘Premit fingens’ like “fingit premendo” 6. 80. The notion is that of restraint and regulation. Henry cites Callim. Hymn to Apollo, v. 32, to show that golden dress and ornaments specially belonged to Apollo.
[149] The image is from Il. 1. 46, ἔκλαγξαν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὀϊστοὶ ἐπ᾽ ὤμων χωομένοιο, Αὐτοῦ κινηθέντος, though the nature of the motion is different. Cerda comp. Ov. Rem. Am. 705, “Phoebus adest: sonuere lyrae, sonuere pharetrae: Signa deum nosco per sua: Phoebus adest.” ‘Haud segnior’ 7. 383.
[150] Tantum, i. e. ‘quantum Apollinis.’ Aeneas is compared with Apollo in respect first of the grace and ease of his movements, secondly of his beauty.
[152] The meaning seems to be that some of the attendants drove the game down from the crags into the plains and valleys. This sense of ‘deiicere,’ as Wagn. remarks, is hardly supported by the passages adduced in its favour, the word as a technical term being applied rather to killing an animal than to driving it down a precipice; but there is nothing inconsistent with Latin in it, and it seems certainly better than the tautology which would arise between ‘deiectae’ and ‘decurrere,’ if ‘deiectae’ were understood with Heyne, Forb., &c. as “quae se deiecerant.”
[153] Perhaps from Lucr. 2.330, “Tramittunt valido quatientes impete campos.” See on 6. 313.
[154] The deer fly in a body. For deer in Africa see on 1. 184.
[158] Spumantem aprum 1. 324. ‘Dari’ refers to ‘votis optat,’ granted in answer to prayer. ‘Votis’ probably goes with ‘optat,’ as in 10. 279, not with ‘dari.’ The vows then will be actual vows to Diana, as Wund. remarks, comp. E. 7. 29 foll. ‘Inertia’ = “imbellia,” as in 2. 364, &c. “Pecora inter inertia” 9. 730.
[159] Fulvum leonem is just one of those cases where an epithet, which at first sight appears merely ornamental and poetical, has a real force. It is in fact the same thing as saying a real, actual lion— a lion in propria persona.
[160-172] ‘A storm comes on. Aeneas and Dido take refuge in the same cave. The marriage is accomplished and ratified by Juno. Dido herself proclaims and glories in it.’
