[383] Dare funera G. 3. 246 note, A. 8. 571.
[385] For ‘comes’ Rom. has ‘puer’ (as in 2. 598, &c.), which Heyne prefers.
[386] Aeneas leans on his spear every other step that he takes. Comp. Il. 19. 47 foll., Τὼ δὲ δύω σκάζοντε βάτην Ἄρεος θεράποντε, Τυδείδης τε μενεπτόλεμος καὶ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς, Ἔγχει ἐρειδομένω: ἔτι γὰρ ἔχον ἕλκεα λυγρά. The constr. apparently is ‘nitentem gressus cuspide,’ leaning on his spear as to his steps: ‘gressus’ being a cogn. acc. after “niti,” like “vestigia” after “labant” 10. 283. Virg. is probably imitating the Greek use of ἐρείδεσθαι with acc. in such a passage as Eur. Ion 743, Βάκτρῳ δ᾽ ἐρείδου περιφερῆ στίβον χθονός. Val. Fl. 2. 93, and Sil. 6. 79, imitate this passage (Wagn.).
[387] The shaft of the arrow is broken, and the barb is in the wound. ‘Infracta,’ see on v. 1 above. ‘Luctor’ with inf. is a poetical constr. (Forc.) Heyne comp. Il. 16. 508 foll., where Glaucus, after the death of Sarpedon, is cured of his wound by Apollo: Γλαύκῳ δ᾽ αἰνὸν ἄχος γένετο . . . . χειρὶ δ᾽ ἑλὼν ἐπίεζε βραχίονα, &c. ‘Caelum’ Med. a m. p. for ‘telum.’
[388] Auxilio =‘ad auxilium:’ see on 5. 686, “Auxilioque vocare deos.” ‘Viam quae proxuma,’ &c., bids them use the readiest method.
[389] Secent, ‘rescindant,’ ‘remittant,’ subjunctives depending on ‘poscit.’ ‘Secet’ Med. a m. p. ‘Lato,’ see on v. 374 above. ‘Latebras’ Med. Comp. “Tum, latebras animae, pectus mucrone recludit” 10. 601. The sing. ‘latebra’ is used nowhere else in Virg., but it is not uncommon in Cicero. Ἐκ μηροῦ τάμνε μαχαίρῃ Ὀξὺ βέλος περιπευκές, Il. 11. 844.
[390] Rescindant penitus, cut open to its depths. “Quam si quis ferro potuit rescindere summum Ulceris os” G. 3. 453. ‘Remittat’ Med. originally.
[391] Delectus Pal. and originally Gud. All the better MSS. have ‘Iapyx’ or ‘Iapix:’ so Macrob. S. 5. 18, 12, and Ribbeck, following Heins., recalls it. Only some inferior copies have ‘Iapis.’ But Heyne was probably right in reading ‘Iapis,’ which is confirmed by Ausonius, Epig. 29. 7, “Idmona quod vatem, medicum quod Iapida dicunt.” (Taubm.) This passage shows that ‘Iapis’ was considered to be derived from ἰάομαι, a word to which ‘Iapyx’ (the name of a wind) would hardly be referred except by way of a pun. The authority of MSS. is very slight in the case of proper names: in G. 3. 475 they are decidedly in favour of ‘Iapygis,’ as against the true reading ‘Iapydis.’ Serv. gives no help here as to the form of the word. With the whole passage comp. Il. 4. 210 foll.
[392] Iasus, Iasides, are Homeric names: Il. 15. 332, Od. 11. 282., 17. 443. Virg. no doubt intended them to suggest ἰάομαι.
[394] Dedit Med., ‘dedi’ Gud. originally. “Vera lectio est ‘dabat;’ nam non dedit” Serv. ‘Dabat’ = offered, wished to give: so “lenibat dictis animum” of Aeneas trying to console Dido, 6. 468. See Madv. § 115. 6. Πάνδαρος, ᾧ καὶ τόξον Ἀπόλλων αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν, Il. 2. 827 (Ursin.).
[395] ‘Depositi, i. e. desperati:’ “nam apud veteres consuetudo erat ut desperati ante ianuas suas collocarentur, vel ut extremum spiritum redderent terrae, vel ut possint a transeuntibus forte curari, qui aliquando simili laboraverant morbo” Serv. Comp. Lucil., 3. fr. 24 (Gerlach), “Symmachus praeterea iam tum depostus bubulcus Exspirans animam pulmonibus aeger agebat.” Cic. Verr. 2. 1. 2. 3, “aegram et prope depositam reipublicae partem suscepisse:” see also Ov. 3 Trist. 3. 40, Pont. 2. 2. 47. (Forc. and Forb.)
[397] Multas Pal. originally for ‘mutas.’ ‘Mutas’ = quiet, silent, in the literal sense, as opposed to the arts of prophecy and music, and in the secondary sense of obscure, in connexion with ‘inglorius.’ Cic. uses the phrase of arts which do not require speaking: “Si hoc in his quasi mutis artibus est mirandum, quanto admirabilius in oratione atque in lingua,” De Or. 3. 7. (Forc.) Silius and Statius have appropriated the phrase, using it in different senses respectively: Sil. 3. 579, “Obscura sedendo Tempus agit, mutum volvens inglorius aevum:” Stat. Theb. 4. 183, “Mutos Thamyris damnatus in annos, Ore simul citharaque.” (See Heyne's Exc. 4 to this book.) ‘Agitareartis:’ on the analogy of “agitare aevum,” 10. 235 (note). ‘Inglorius’ G. 2. 486, A. 10. 52., 11. 793.
[398] Acerba fremens like “acerba tuens” Lucr. 5.33, Virg. A. 9. 794; “acerba sonans” G. 3. 149. ‘Fixus’ Med. for ‘nixus,’ which is confirmed by Arusianus, p. 249 L.
[399, 400] Magno concursu, amid a great throng: comp. “concursu accedere magno” 1. 509. ‘Lacrimisque’ Rom., and so the edd. before Heins. For ‘ille’ followed by ‘senior succinctus’ in the next line, see G. 4. 457 foll., A. 5. 609, v. 901 below (Wagn. Q. V. 21. 7).
[401] ‘Paeonidum’ Med., ‘Paeonum’ Pal., “fortasse recte,” says Ribbeck. Serv. apparently read ‘Paeonium.’ “Paeoniis revocatum herbis et amore Dianae” 7. 769. Paeonius = Παιώνιος, and should probably be scanned as a trisyllable, and there seems no warrant for shortening the o. But it is quite possible that Virg. meant to leave the quantity doubtful, as in the case of “conubium” (see Munro on Lucr. 3.776): the ambiguity is kept up by later poets, as Ov. M. 15. 535, Stat. 1 Silv. 4. 107, Sil. 14. 27, and Claudian, Aponus 67, de Bello Get. 121, de Cons. Stilichonis 173. (Forc.) ‘Retorto amictu,’ that his hands might be free: so Sil. 5. 367 (of the physician curing Mago), “intortos de more adstrictus amictus:” comp. Stat. 1 Silv. 4. 107, “ritu se cingit uterque Paeonio.” (Heyne and Forb.) “Medici enim fere palliati, etiam Romae, quandoquidem Graeci fere erant genere. Obvius quoque idem habitus Aesculapii in veterum signis ac nummis.” (Heyne, Exc. 4).
[402] Multa expresses his various attempts. ‘Hermis’ (perhaps for ‘armis’?) Med. a m. p.
[404] “Versantque tenaci forcipe ferrum” G. 4. 175. ‘Pressat’ Rom. ‘Forfice’ Rom., but ‘forcipe’ is the right word here, “forfex” meaning shears or scissors: see Calpurn. E. 5. 73, Mart. 7. 95. 12 (Forc.). Rom. has the same mistake 8. 453.
[405] Nulla viam, &c.: Fortune is not there to guide his hands; for ‘nulla’ see on 6. 405. ‘Rego’ as in 6. 30, “regit vestigia.” “‘Auctor’ medicinae inventor” Serv. Rather, his patron and adviser: so “auctor Acestes” 5. 418. “Auctor Apollo” of Apollo as god of augury, 8. 336.
[406] “Armorumque ingruit horror” 2. 301.
[407] Pulvere caelum stare is partially an imitation of Enn., “stant pulvere campi” Ann. 592, which is itself varied from Il. 23. 365, Ὑπὸ δὲ στέρνοισι κονίη Ἵστατ᾽ ἀειρομένη. (Taubm.) “Stare sentibus” of a field seems to have been a proverbial phrase: see Munro on Lucr. 2. 181. Serv. says ‘stare’=“plenum esse:” the meaning seems to be ‘the heaven is like a wall of dust to their eyes,’ the expression being a kind of hypallage for “pulvis caelo stat.” Comp. “stant lumina flamma” 6. 300. Others (says Serv.) took ‘stare’ as = “constare:” Donatus, cited by Taubm., explains it as = ‘to lean upon:’ “talis apparebat pulvis, ut caelum portare videretur.”
[408] Subeunt Pal. and Gud., and so Med., but written above the line; ‘subeuntque’ Rom. and so Heins. from Pierius. Heyne retained ‘subeuntque,’ though he preferred the omission of the copula: Wagn. thinks the omission of the ‘que’ may be due to the beginning of the next word ‘equites.’ Ribbeck is probably right in following the balance of authority, and reading ‘subeunt.’
[409] Tristis, dismal.
[410] The assonance ‘bellantum’—‘cadentum’ is no doubt intentional. Comp. 11. 886.
