[296] The commentators comp. the simile Il. 2. 144 foll., but there is no real resemblance. There the effect of Agamemnon's speech is to sway the assembly as the sea is swayed by the wind: here the effect of the ambassadors' speech is to produce a confused murmur like the noise of a river impeded by rocks. ‘Vix ea legati’ without a verb, as in 12. 154. For ‘que’ after ‘vix’ see on 2. 692. The structure of the latter part of the line is like 2. 120, “gelidusque per ima cucurrit Ossa tremor.”
[297] Fremor is quoted from an old writer by Varro L. L. 6, § 67 Müller.
[298] Med. originally and Pal. have ‘rapidus,’ evidently introduced by a transcriber who mistook the case of ‘amnis’ and had no knowledge of the construction, a warning against supposing a majority of first-class uncials to be infallible. ‘Rapidus’ is also in Gud. “Magno indignantur murmure clausi” Lucr. 6.197.
[299] Heyne would have preferred ‘strepitantibus,’ but Virg. is describing not so much a loud as a confused sound. Wagn. comp. Hor. Epod. 16. 47, “Levis crepante lympha desilit pede.” Barth on Stat. Theb. 1. 1 notices the frequent occurrence of the letter ‘r’ in these lines.
[300] Varied from 6. 102, “Ut primum cessit furor et rabida ora quierunt.” Rom. has ‘rabida’ here (and so Canon.), and ‘quierant.’
[301] On ‘praefatus divos’ Serv. says, “More antiquo. Nam maiores nullam orationem nisi invocatis numinibus inchoabant, sicut sunt omnes orationes Catonis et Gracchi. Nam generale caput in omnibus legimus. Unde Cicero” (Divin. 13) “per irrisionem ait ‘Si quid ex vetere aliqua oratione, Iovem ego opt. max.’ Et Demosthenes in oratione contra Aeschinem πρῶτον μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχομαι πᾶσι καὶ πάσαις.” Cerda adds other instances, Pliny, Paneg. 1, Livy 39. 15, Ov. M. 15. 593.
