[198] Neque enim. Comp. v. 65, “Aeole, namque tibi,” note. There seems no occasion to follow the commentators (Gossrau is an exception) in joining ‘ante malorum’—τῶν πρὶν κακῶν. ‘Sumus ante’ (including the present time in the past) corresponds to the idiom πάλαι ἔσμεν. So in the Greek use of the superlative for the comparative the object compared is included in the objects of comparison. The speech is modelled on Od. 12. 208 foll. Macrob., Sat. 5. 11, thinks Virg. the “locupletior interpres” here. Serv. says Virg. has borrowed it from Naevius' Punic War, which, if it means anything more than that Naevius imitated Hom., may apply to the latter part, where Virg. has deviated from his Greek original. See p. 23 above.
[199] O passi graviora: probably from Hor. 1 Od. 7. 30, “O fortes peioraque passi Mecum saepe viri, nunc vino pellite curas,” the ultimate source being Od. 20. 17, τέτλαθι δή, κραδίη: καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο ποτ᾽ ἔτλης.
[200] ‘Scyllaeam rabiem,’ like βίη Ἡρακληείη. ‘Rabiem’ probably has reference to the dogs with which Scylla is encircled in Virg. Comp. Lucr. 5.892, “rabidis canibus succinctas semimarinis Corporibus Scyllas”. ‘Penitus sonantis’ (‘resounding through their caverns’) also has reference to the dogs. Comp. 3. 432, “Scyllam et caeruleis canibus resonantia saxa.”
[201] ‘Accestis.’ There is a similar syncope in 4. 606, “exstinxem,” 4. 682, “exstinxti,” 5. 786, “traxe,” 11. 118, “vixet.” Forb. has collected similar instances on Lucr. 1.71. ‘Cyclopia saxa:’ they did not actually enter the cave of the Cyclops, but they landed on the shore, and so may be said to have known it. So they did not actually pass Scylla, but they came near enough to be in danger. In Od. 12. 209 Ulysses consoles his crew by reminding them of their escape from the Cyclops, but carefully avoids mentioning Scylla, which they were just approaching. The orthography ‘Cyclopia’ (Κυκλώπιος) is not found in any MS., but was restored by Heins., who remarked that ‘Cyclopea’ (Κυκλώπειος) would have the penult long. ‘Saxa,’ for a cave, v. 139 above.
[203] Od. 15. 400, μετὰ γάρ τε καὶ ἄλγεσι τέρπεται ἀνήρ, Ὅστις δὴ μάλαπολλὰ πάθῃ καὶ πόλλ᾽ ἐπαληθῇ: ib. 12. 212, καί που τῶνδε μνήσεσθαι ὀΐω. Macrob. Sat. 7. 2, quotes from Eur. (fr. 131), ὡς ἡδύ τοι σωθέντα μεμνῆσθαι πόνων, which is translated by Cic. Fin. 2. 32. Contrast, 11. 280, “nec veterum memini laetorve malorum.” Two assertions are included in Virg.'s words: ‘we shall remember these things’ (i. e. we shall live to think of them as past, and recall them as we are now recalling previous perils, which is the meaning of Od. 12. 212), and ‘we shall remember them with pleasure.’
[204] Discrimina rerum = “res periculosas.” Comp. “miracula rerum” G. 4. 441. ‘Tot’ then will go with ‘discrimina.’
[205] Heyne inquires how Aeneas came to know the name of Latium, when elsewhere he exhibits so much ignorance about his destination, and answers that he must have been told it by Anchises in the shades,—meaning probably by Helenus in Epirus, as Aeneas does not visit the shades till afterwards. But the proportions of Aeneas' knowledge and ignorance at various times even Virg. himself would probably have found it difficult to adjust (compare e. g. his knowledge of Italy from Creusa 2. 781 with his ignorance afterwards, 3. 100 foll.), so that we need hardly invent an explanation where the poet most likely had none. “Sedes quietae” Lucr. 3. 18 of the abodes of the gods.
[206] Ostendunt, ‘promise.’ “Quod mihi saepe ostendis, te esse facturum,” Cic. Ep. Div. 5. 12, quoted by Gossrau.
[207] Durate, ‘hold out,’ as in G. 2. 295. Τλῆτε, φίλοι, Il. 2. 299. ‘Servate rebus secundis,’ like “exitio reservat” 5. 625.
[208-222] ‘They prepare, cook, and eat their meal, and then lament for their lost comrades.’
