[643] Consistere mentem. Cic. 2 Phil. 28. 68, “neque vigilantem neque in somnis posse mente consistere.” Pro Domo, 54, “ut neque mens, neque vox, neque lingua consisteret.”
[644] Rapidum explains ‘praemittit.’ Achates is sent express to bring Ascanius in time for the feast which is about to begin.
[645] Ferat—ducat are a sort of oratio obliqua, “Ascanio fer ipsumque duc” (comp. 2. 652., 4. 288 foll., 8. 507), though it is not easy to distinguish between such constructions as these and such as “volo facias.”
[646] No strictly parallel instance has been adduced of this use of ‘stat,’ which seems to imply concentration, halting as it were and making a stand. Comp. “consistere in aliquo.” See on 2. 163, which is not parallel.
[647] Comp. 7. 243, “Dat tibi praeterea Fortunae parva prioris Munera, reliquias Troia ex ardente receptas.” “Pergameis erepte ruinis” 3. 476.
[648] Pallam. It is difficult to extract a consistent view from the two articles “Pallium” and “Tunica” in the Dict. Ant., the former of which makes “palla” a poetical synonym for “pallium,” the outer garment worn by both sexes, while the latter makes “palla” as characteristic of women as “toga” of men. The common opinion (comp. Forc. “Palla” and Forb. on this verse) seems to be that “palla” was a long garment (probably a pall without sleeves) worn by women and by persons of dignity, especially by the gods. For ‘signis auroque rigentem’ (which is probably a hendiadys) comp. Lucr. 5.1427, “veste Purpurea atque auro signisque ingentibus apta,” where “rigentibus” has been plausibly conjectured.
[649] ‘A veil with a border of yellow acanthus.’ Serv., on 7. 188, mentions the veil of Ilione as one of the seven national heirlooms which preserved the Roman empire. The ‘acanthus’ seems to have been specially appropriated to borders of this kind, so that Hesychius actually defines the word περίραμμα ὑφασμένον. ‘Circumtextum’ seems to have been used as a subst., equivalent to the Greek κύκλας, by which Serv. renders it here: comp. Varro L. L. 5. 132, Isidor. 19. 24. 10, cited by Lersch, A. V. § 79. The more ordinary colour of the ‘acanthus’ was white, but later poets (Calp. 4. 68, Stat. 3 Silv. 1. 37, quoted by Heyne) speak of it as red or purple.
[650] Argivae Helenae: Ἀργείην Ἑλένην, Il. 2. 161. ‘Mycenis:’ 2. 577 note. Contrast Aesch. Ag. 690, ἐκ τῶν ἁβροτίμων προκαλυμμάτων ἔπλευσε. Helen took away with her κτήματα which the Greeks sought to recover, Il. 3. 285 &c.
[653] Ilione, according to one story, was married to Polymestor, the treacherous king of Thrace. She is unknown to Hom. Juno bears a sceptre Ov. F. 6. 38, and Hecuba speaks of herself as supported by Priam's sceptre Eur. Tro. 150, but no instance has been adduced where it is carried by a woman who is not even a queen, but only a princess royal.
[654] Collo for the neck, a construction generally found where there is a verb or verbal notion, as in 10. 135, “Aut collo decus aut capiti.” Such a notion we may borrow here if we please from “munera ferre” above v. 647. So perhaps 7. 350, “fit tortile collo Aurum ingens coluber,” though there a local abl. is at least equally possible. For ‘monile bacatum’ see Dict. A. “monile.”
[655] Duplicem gemmis auroque coronam: probably a double circlet of gold and gems, whether formed by one circlet of each is difficult to say. The commentators evidently are at a loss, as their explanations are mere conjecture; some suggesting that ‘duplex’ refers to the combination of gems and gold, while others think that the double crown means a bridal crown as distinguished from the crown worn by virgins, which may have been single.
[656] Celerans = “celeriter exsequens,” an expression imitated by Val. Fl., who has “inperium celerare” twice, 4. 80, 385.
[657-694] ‘Venus distrusts Dido, and lays a plot to secure her affections by substituting Cupid for Ascanius, whom she conveys to Idalia.’
