[796] Serv. refers to a passage in the first book of Naevius' poem on the Punic War, already cited Introd. p. 24. The same scene is described in a fragment of Sophocles' Laocoon (fr. 343), Συμπάζεται δὲ πλῆθος οὐχ ὅσον δοκεῖς Οἳ τῆσδ᾽ ἐρῶσι τῆς ἀποικίας Φρυγῶν.
[797] Matresque, virosque is meant to be exhaustive, including all of the two sexes, of whatever age.
[798] Donatus read ‘ex Ilio,’ which Heins. prefers; but it could only be scanned by assuming a synizesis, and ‘exsilio’ was evidently read by Silius, who imitates it, “Dux erat exsilio collectis Marte Metellus” (10. 420, cited by Forb.). For the construction comp. “venturum excidio” 1. 22. ‘Pubem’ is meant to include vaguely the whole body, or at any rate the men, ‘virosque,’ not to designate the youth as a separate class, as Heyne thinks. Perhaps there is some bitterness in the expression, “pubem, non bello, sed exsilio collectam.”
[799] Animis opibusque parati gives another and brighter side of the picture of which we have just had the darker aspect in ‘miserabile volgus.’ With ‘opibus’ comp. the story mentioned on v. 636. “Ire” or some similar word has to be supplied for ‘parati’ to complete the full grammatical construction.
[800] Serv. reminds us that ‘deducere’ is the regular word for founding a colony.
[801] See notes on E. 6. 86., 8. 30. The story was that Lucifer, the star of Venus, guided Aeneas to Italy: Varro ap. Serv.
[802] With ‘ducebatque diem’ comp. E. 8. 17. Two reasons are given why Aeneas effected his retreat, the approach of morning, which made it necessary to avoid the enemy, and the fact that the Greeks were keeping their hold on the city. Wagn rightly removes the period after v. 803, regarding vv. 801—803 as the protasis, v. 804 as the apodosis, which here as in many other places is expressed without any logically connecting particle. Comp. v. 134 above (note).
[803] Spes opis may either be hope of giving aid, or, more probably, hope of receiving it, Aeneas identifying himself with the city.
[804] Cessi seems to include the two notions of giving way metaphorically and actually quitting the scene. ‘Montem’ was the old reading; but ‘montis,’ which Wagn. restored, is found in Med. and some other MSS., and supported by v. 636 above, and by 3. 6.
