[77] Phoebi patiens as the horse is said “lituos pati,” “verbera pati” G. 3. 183, 208. ‘Inmanis’ qualifies ‘bacchatur,’ as if it had been ‘inmane’ (comp. G. 4. 370), like “spirans inmane” 7. 510.
[78] Si possit 9. 512. ‘Pectore excussisse’ 5. 679 note. Here, as Forb. remarks, the metaphor is brought out more definitely, being that of a horse trying to throw its rider.
[79] The perf. inf. is used like the Greek aorist, where a prose writer would have used the present: Madv. § 407, obs. 2. Wagn. remarks that it is much commoner in the elegiac poets than in Virg. The reason is doubtless to be found in the exigencies of the pentameter. ‘Fatigat,’ plies her till she is weary and gives in, the special reference here being to the use of the bit.
[80] Os is meant to remind us at once of the mouth of the horse and the tongue of the Sibyl. The object of ‘fingit’ is the Sibyl herself, not ‘os’ or ‘corda:’ comp. Hor. 1 Ep. 2. 64, “Fingit equum tenera docilem cervice magister,” and G. 2. 407, “Persequitur vitem attondens, fingitque putando,” where see note. ‘Premendo,’ as it was by restraint that Apollo gained the victory.
[81] See on v. 43. The doors are supposed to fly open simultaneously with the opening of the Sibyl's mouth. ‘Iamque’ placed as in 3. 588. ‘Patuere,’ the perf. of instantaneous action, G. 1. 49 &c. Aeneas is in the temple, the Sibyl in the ‘adytum,’ the cavern beyond, and the sound of the prophecy is carried to him through the open doors; but the hundred passages form a picture which, as I have observed on v. 43, is hard to realize, and which scarcely seems appropriate to the circumstances of the narrative.
[83] The address is not unlike “O passi graviora” 1. 199. The Sibyl tells him that one class of perils is over, but that another, and a more grievous one, is at hand. The old pointing is doubtless right, the Sibyl's address in this line being in fact an announcement, which is followed by another announcement, ‘sed terrae’ &c., as against Forb. and Henry, who would throw ‘sed—manent’ into a parenthesis.
[84] Terrae Med., Pal., ‘terra’ Rom. The former is the more difficult reading, and as such is, I think, rightly restored by Wagn. There is however still considerable doubt about the interpretation of it, as it may be either a possessive gen. or a locative gen. or dat. The former is sufficiently supported by 10. 57, “Totque maris vastaeque exhausta pericula terrae;” 1. 598, “terraeque marisque Omnibus exhaustos iam casibus:” the latter has the analogy of ‘humi’ in its favour, and is defended by such passages as 10. 555, 11. 87, G. 2. 290, and by ‘Cretae’ 3. 162. The passage itself is perhaps rather in favour of the locative, as there would be a slight harshness in the omission of ‘pericula’ if it is intended to be closely constructed with ‘terrae.’ Yet it would be too hazardous to argue from the passages referred to that Virg. regarded ‘terrae’ as an actual locative like ‘humi’ or ‘Cretae,’ as the ordinary sense of the dative can be traced more or less clearly in all three. The etymological history of a case is one thing, the manner in which it is likely to have been employed by a poet at a time when that history was forgotten or ignored, another. I think then that Wagn. and Forb. are right in their second thoughts, in regarding ‘terrae’ as a possessive gen. For ‘Lavini’ Serv. mentions a variant ‘Latini:’ but the prophetess, as Heyne remarks, sees the future in the present, and calls the kingdom from the city which is to be built (1. 258).
[85] There is the same kind of emphatic contrast in ‘Dardanidae’ as in v. 57 above. ‘Mitte hanc de pectore curam’ is not a purely poetical expression, as “curam or animo miserat” is quoted from Livy 30. 3. ‘Mittere’ is more commonly used alone, as 1. 203.
[86] ‘They shall reach Latium, but they shall not also be glad that they have reached it.’ ‘They shall not wish that they had come’ is another way of saying ‘they shall wish that they had not come.’ “Horrida bella” 7. 41.
[87] For the general sense comp. 8. 538 foll., for the particular feature 10. 24. Heyne refers to Il. 7. 329, τῶν νῦν αἷμα κελαινὸν ἐΰρ᾽ῥοον ἀμφὶ Σκάμανδρον Ἐσκέδασ᾽ ὀξὺς Ἄρης.
[88] Serv. is perhaps right in supposing Simois and Xanthus to refer specially to the Tiber and the Numicius, the latter of which, according to the legend, was the scene of Aeneas' death or disappearance. The names may be used without any such reference; but without such a reference they would rather want force. ‘Dorica castra’ 2. 27. In 10. 60 foll., which Heyne compares, Venus asks that if the Trojans are to suffer a second destruction, they may at least suffer it in the old place, and have Xanthus and Simois near them again.
[89] Defuerint, the perf. subj. or fut. perf. used instead of the ordinary future for poetical variety or metrical convenience. ‘They will not have been wanting:’ ‘you will not say they have been wanting when you look back on the event.’ If any special propriety is to be discovered in its use here, we may say that the prophetess throws herself as far as possible into the future, so as to look at part of what is to come as already past. ‘Alius Achilles,’ Turnus. Heyne comp. Eur. Tro. 614, ἄλλος τις Αἴας, ὡς ἔοικε, δεύτερος Παιδὸς πέφηνε σῆς, and Virg.'s own words, E. 4. 36, “Atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles.” For the peculiar sense of ‘partus’ see on 2. 784. ‘Iam’ with ‘partus,’ ‘is already provided,’ not, as Wagn. thinks, with ‘alius.’ ‘Latio,’ according to Wagn., is the dat.; I would rather regard it as the abl., ‘in Latium,’ like ‘illic’ 2. 783 (not, as Wakef., ‘ex Latio’), supplying ‘tibi’ for ‘partus,’ ‘is in store for thee.’ But it is very doubtful, as the sense may very well be, ‘Latium has her defender ready.’
[90] Natus dea: comp. 10. 75, “Turnum . . . . cui diva Venilia mater.” ‘Addita’ is rightly explained by the later editors as simply strengthening ‘nec usquam aberit.’ So ‘addere comitem,’ or ‘socium,’ which occurs frequently in Virg., e. g. vv. 528, 777 below.
[91] Cum connects what follows with the previous sentence as belonging to the same time, being in fact equivalent to ‘et tum.’ The prophecy is fulfilled by the mission to Evander, which occupies Book 8. ‘Rebus egenis’ of distress 10. 367.
[92] This rhetorical interrogation or exclamation, introduced into a categorical sentence, is not uncommon in Greek. Comp. Aesch. Ag. 556, τί δ᾽ οὐ Στένοντες, οὐ λαχόντες ἤματος μέρος; ‘Oraveris:’ the perf. implies that Aeneas will have tried every resource, yet the evil will still be unconquered.
[93] “Caussa mali tanti” 11. 480, also of Lavinia. Lavinia was to be the prize of this second war, as Helen had been of the first. The parallel is more natural in the mouth of an enemy of the Trojans, like Amata (7. 363), or Turnus (9. 136 foll.); but it has its place here, as the Sibyl's object is to show that the tragedy of Troy is to repeat itself.
[95] Contra (mala). ‘Audentior,’ all the bolder for opposition.
[96] For ‘quam’ Heyne restored ‘qua,’ the reading of the first Aldine edition, supported by the MSS. of Sen. Ep. 82, as it was not likely that the Sibyl should advise Aeneas to act contrary to his destiny. The objection to giving ‘quam’ this sense, by connecting it either with ‘audentior’ or, as might be proposed, with ‘contra,’ seems valid, in spite of Wagn.'s defence, as though a rhetorical writer, like Tac. Hist. 2. 46 (quoted by Cerda), might talk of opposing fortune, the sentiment is not in Virg.'s manner (comp. 5. 710), and would in any case scarcely have been put by him into the mouth of a prophetess. It seems better then with Heins. and Burm. to understand ‘quam’ on the analogy of ‘quam potest,’—‘as far as your destiny will permit you.’ With ‘via prima salutis’ comp. 2. 387.
[97] “Qua prima viam victoria pandit” 12. 626. The expression is found in Livy: see Forc. ‘pando.’ The city is of course Evander's, Pallanteum.
[98-123] ‘Aeneas replied that he was not appalled by the prospect of dangers, but that his errand to the shades was to see his father—an errand towards which he besought her assistance, as similar favours had been vouchsafed to others.’
