quem Mnestheus modò victor Quem modò navali Mnestheus certamine victor in navali certamine consequi: Consequitur, viridi Mnestheus evinctus olivâ. tur, Mnestheus evinctus viridi oliva. Tertius erat Eurytion, Tertius Eurytion, tuus, ô clarissime, frater, mâque galeâ, et ipse ausus ma 495 500 tuus frater, ô clarissime Pan- Pandare, qui, quondam jussus confundere foedus, dare, qui, quondam jussus confundere fœdus, torsisti telum In medios telum torsisti primus Achivos. primus in medios Achivos. Extremus, galeâque imâ subsedit Acestes; Acestes subsedit extremus i- Ausus et ipse manu juvenum tentare laborem. nu tentare laborem juvenum. Tum validis flexos incurvant viribus arcus Tum viri quisque pro se incur. Pro se quisque viri, et depromunt tela pharetris. bus, et depromunt tela phare- Primaque per coelum, nervo stridente, sagitta tris. Sagittaque juvenis Hyr- Hyrtacidæ juvenis volucres diverberat auras; tacidæ prima diverberat volucres auras, nervo stridente, per Et venit, adversique infigitur arbore mali. cœlum, et venit, infigiturque Intremuit malus, timuitque exterrita pennis intremuit, alesque exterrita ti. Ales, et ingenti sonuerunt omnia plausu. vant flexos arcus validis viri in arbore adversi mali. Malus Mnestheus constitit arcu ad 505 muit pennis, et omnia sonue- Post acer Mnestheus adducto constitit arcu, runt ingenti plausu. Post acer Alta petens; pariterque oculos telumque tetendit. ducto, petens alta; pariterque Ast ipsam miserandus avem contingere ferro tetendit oculos telumque. Ast Non valuit; nodos et vincula linea rupit, miserandus non valuit contin gere ipsam avem ferro; rupit Queis innexa pedem malo pendebat ab alto. nodos et linea vincula, queis innexa pedem pendebat ab alto malo. TRANSLATION. 510 vouring shouts; whom follows Mnestheus lately victorious in the naval strife, Mnestheus crowned with a green olive-wreath. The third is Eurytion, the brother, illustrious Pandarus, of thee, who, once urged by Minerva to violate the treaty, didst first hurl the dart into the midst of the Greeks. Acestes remained the last, and in the bottom of the helmet; he too adventuring with his aged hand to essay the feats of youth. Then with manly force they bend their pliant bows, each according to his ability, and draw forth their arrows from their quivers. And first the arrow of young Hyrtacus' son, shot through the sky from the whizzing string, cleaves the fleeting air, reaches the mark, and fixes in the wood of the opposite mast. The mast quivered; and the frighted bird, by fluttering its wings, showed signs of fear; and all quarters rang with loud applause. Next keen Mnestheus stood with his bent bow, aiming on high, and directed his eye and arrow both together. But it was his misfortune not to be able to hit the bird itself with his shaft; but he burst the cords and hempen ligaments to which it hung tied by NOTES. 495. Clarissime Pandare. Pandarus, the son of Lycaon, is he whom Homer represents as having broken the truce between the Greeks and Trojans, when they had agreed to put the decision of the war upon the issue of a single combat between Paris and Menelaus. Juno, not willing that the disasters of Troy should come so soon to a period, instigated Jupiter to bring about a violation of the treaty. Jupiter employed Minerva as his agent in that busi ness; and by her persuasion Pandarus shot an arrow at Menelaus after he had vanquished Paris: thus the war was rekindled. See Hom. Il. IV. 86. The epithet clarissimus is here given to Pandarus, as being a distinguished archer, insomuch that Homer equals him almost to Apollo. He was killed at last by Diomede. 510. Nodos et vincula linea rupit. Mr. Pope, in his comparison between the games of Homer and Virgil, owns that Virgil has in this out Illa Notos atque atra volans in nubila fugit. Illa volans fugit in Notos atque atra nubila. Tum rapidus Eurytion, jamdudum tenens tela contenta parato arcu, vocavit 515 fratrem in vota; jam speculatus columbam lætam in vacuo cœlo, et plaudentem alis, figit eam sub nigrâ nube. Illa decidit exanimis, reliquitque vitam in ætheriis astris, delapsaque refert fixam sagittam. 520 Acestes solus superabat palmâ amissâ; qui tamen contorsit telum in aërias auras, pariterque ostentans artem, sonantemque arcum. Monstrum subitò futurumque magno augurio objicitur hic oculis: in Namque volans liquidis in nubibus arsit arundo, 525 gens exitus docuit hoc post, terSignavitque viam flammis, tenuesque recessit rificique vates cecinerunt sera omina. Namque arundo vo lans in liquidis nubibus arsit, signavitque viam flammis, consumtaque recessit in tenues ventos; TRANSLATION. the foot from the high mast. She with winged speed shot into the air and dusky clouds. Then Eurytion in eager haste, having his arrow long before extended on the ready bow, poured forth a vow to his brother Pandarus, as he now beheld the joyful dove in the void sky, and pierced her under a dark cloud as she was clapping her wings. She dropped down dead, left her life among the stars of heaven; and falling to the ground, brings back the arrow fastened in the wound. Acestes alone remained after the prize was lost; who, notwithstanding, discharged his shaft into the aërial regions, ostentatiously displaying both his address and twanging bow. Here is unexpectedly presented to view a prodigy, designed to be of high portent; this the important event afterwards declared, and the alarming soothsayers predicted the omens late. For the arrow, flying among the watery clouds, took fire, and with the flames marked out a path, till, being quite NOTES. done his original, by the addition of two cir-, cumstances that make a beautiful gradation. In Homer the first archer cuts the string that held the bird, and the other shoots him as he is mounting. In Virgil the first only hits the mast which the bird was fixed upon, the second cuts the string, the third shoots him, and the fourth, to vaunt the strength of his arm, directs his arrow up to heaven, where it kin dles into a flame and makes a prodigy. is derived from monstro, because such prodi gies were reckoned to be sent from heaven, to signify some remarkable future event, as this presaged the burning of Æneas' fleet. 524. Seraque. Servius explains sera by gravia, others by futura; But I choose rather to understand it in the common acceptation, intimating that the soothsayers could make nothing of the omen till the event happened; and then, when it was too late to prevent it, and the ships were actually set on fire, they agreed that this must have been the thing sig nified by the omen. 518. Etheriis. Others read aëriis; but the former appears to be the better reading, because aërias follows in the next line but one. 522. Magnoque futurum augurio monstrum. 525. Liquidis in nubibus. It would have been Monstrum signifies any event that happens a very singular prodigy any way, but much contrary to the ordinary course of nature. It more when the air was moist and cloudy. seu sæpe sidera refixa cœlo Consumta in ventos; cœlo seu sæpe refixa transcurrunt, volantiaque du cunt crinem. Trinacrii viri Transcurrunt, crinemque volantia sidera ducunt. Teucrique hæsere attonitis ani- Attonitis hæsere animis, Superosque precati nec maximus neas abnuit mis, precatique sunt superos: Trinacrii Teucrique viri: nec maximus omen 530 omen, sed amplexus lætum Abnuit Æneas, sed lætum amplexus Acesten Acesten cumulat eum magnis Muneribus cumulat magnis, ac talia fatur : muneribus, ac fatur talia: Pa ter, sume hec; nam magnus Sume, pater; nam te voluit Rex magnus Olympi Rex Olympi talibus auspiciis Talibus auspiciis exsortem ducere honorem. voluit te ducere exsortem ho norem. 535 Habebis hoc munus Ipsius Anchise longævi hoc munus habebis, ipsius longævi Anchise, cratera Cratera impressum signis; quem Thracius olim impressum signis; quem Thracius Cisseus olim dederat An- Anchisa genitori, in magno munere, Cisseus chise genitori ferre in magno Ferre sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris. munere quasi monumentum et Sic fatus, cingit viridanti tempora lauro; pignus sui amoris. Fatus sic, cingit ejus tempora viridanti Et primum ante omnes victorem appellat Acesten. lauro, et appellat Acesten pri- Nec bonus Eurytion prælato invidit honori, mum victorem ante omnes. Nec bonus Eurytion invidit Quamvis solus avem cœlo dejecit ab alto. prælato honori, quamvis solus Proximus ingreditur donis, qui vincula rupit; rupit vincula; extremus, qui fixit malum volucri arundine. TRANSLATION. 541 consumed, it vanished into thin air; as often stars loosened from the firmament shoot across the sky, and flying draw after them a fiery train. The Sicilians and Trojans stood fixed in astonishment, and poured out prayers to the gods: nor does great Eneas reject the omen, but embracing Acestes overjoyed, loads him with ample rewards, and thus bespeaks him: Accept these, venerable prince; for the great sovereign of heaven, by these omens, has signified his will, that you receive the honour of the victory, though out of course. This gift, which belonged to aged Anchises' self, you shall enjoy, a bowl embossed with figures, which Thracian Cisseus formerly gave for a magnificent present to my sire, as a monument and pledge of his love. This said, he crowns his temples with verdant laurel, and in view of all pronounces Acestes the first conqueror. Nor does good Eurytion envy him the preference in honour, though he alone struck down the bird from the exalted sky. The next prize is given to him who broke the cords; the last is he who pierced the mast with his winged shaft. NOTES. 530. Nec omen abnuit Æneas. This shows that the soothsayers had not yet interpreted the omen, otherwise Eneas would not have embraced it with joy as he here does, probably misled by the similitude between this presage and that in the second book, verse 680. 536. Thracius Cisseus. Cisseus was king of Thrace, and, according to Virgil, the father of Hecuba. 543. Ingreditur donis. Both ingreditur and incedit are military terms, and imply stateli- At vero ingentem quatiens Mezentius hastam Orion 545 At pater Eneas, certamine 550 At pater Eneas, nondum certamine misso, 555 nondum misso, vocat ad sese Epytiden custodem comitemque impubis lüli, et sie fatur ad ejus fidam aurem : Vade age, ait, et dic Ascanio, si jam habet puerile agmen paratum secum, instruxitque cursus equorum, ut ducat turmas avo, et ostendat sese in armis. Ipse Eneus jubet omnem populum infusum decedere longo circo, et campos esse patentes. Pueri incedunt, pariterque lucent in frænatis equis ante ora parentum; quos euntes omnis juventus Trinacriæ Trojæque mirata fremit. Coma est pressa omnibus tonsâ coronâ in morem. Ferunt bina hastilia cornea præfixo ferro; TRANSLATION. But father Æneas, the games not being yet ended, calls to him the son of Epytus, young Iulus' guardian and companion, and thus whispers in his trusty ear: Go quick, says he, desire Ascanius (if he has now gotten ready his company of boys, and put himself and them in array for the cavalcade) to bring up his troops, and show himself in arms to do his grandsire honour. The hero himself orders the crowd to remove from the extended circus, and the field to be cleared. The boys advance in procession, and uniformly shine on managed steeds full in their parents' sight; in admiration of whom, as they march on, the whole Trojan and Trinacrian youth join their acclamations. All in due form had their hair pressed with a trim garland. They bear two cornel NOTES. 346. Custodem Iüli. Servins quotes Tully as having said somewhere that the young Romans, during the first year of their bearing arms, had guardians or military tutors allowed them from the public, under whom they were trained to military exercises, and instructed in the art of war. But because Iulus is here called impubis, which implies that he was not yet of age to bear arms (seventeen years) I rather understand by custodem a guardian to take care of his education, such an one as Horace speaks of, Art. Poet. 161. Imberbis juvenis, tandem custode remoto, Gaudet equis canibusque, et aprici gramine campi. 547. Epytiden; Periphas, the son of Epytus, Anchises' herald, of whom Homer speaks, II. XVII. 324. 547. Fidam ad aurem. He had been one of Anchises' most trusty servants, one who had grown old in his service : VOL, II παρα πατρι γεροντι Κηρύσσων, γηράσκε, φίλα φρεσι μηδεα ειδώς. II. XVII. 553. Incedunt pueri. This game, commonly known by the name of the Lusus Troja, is purely of Virgil's own invention: he had no hint of it from Homer. This he has substituted for three of his, the wrestling, the single combat, and the discus; and, in the opinion of a very judicious modern, it is worth all those three in Homer. This game Virgil added to please Augustus, who had at that time renewed the same. Suetonius tells us, Troja lu dum edidit (Augustus) frequentissime, majorum minorumve puerorum delectu ; prisci decorique moris existimans, clure stirpis indolem sic innotescere, &c. Suet. in August. cap. 43. Julius Cæsar had also exh the same before, as we learn from theme autor, Trojam lu sit turma duplex, r orum minorumque puero In Jul. cap. Tum. N pars fert lèves pharetras hu- Pars lèves humero pharetras. It pectore summo Flexilis obtorti collum circulus auri. mero. Flexilis circulus obtorti auri it per collum in summo per pectore. Turma equitum sunt Tres equitum numero turmæ, ternique vagantur 560 tres numero, ternique duc: Ductores: pueri bis seni quemque secuti, tores vagantur: bis seni pueri secuti quemque fulgent partito Agmine partito fulgent, paribusque magistris. agmine, paribusque magistris. Una acies Una est acies juvenum, quam Nomen avi referens Priamus (tua clara, Polite, juvenum, ducit quam parvus ovantem parvus Priamus, referens no men avi, ducit ovantem, tua Progenies, auctura Italos), quem Thracius albis 565 clara progenies, O Polite, auc- Portat bicolor maculis; vestigia primi tura Italos, quem Thracius equus equus bicolor albis maculis por- Alba pedis, frontemque ostentans arduus albam. tat; vestigia ejus primi pedis Alter Atys, genus unde Attî duxere Latini; sunt alba, arduusque ostentans albam frontem. Alter dux Parvus Atys, pueroque puer dilectus lulo. erat Atys, unde Atti Latini Extremus, formâque ante omnes pulcher, Iülus 570 duxere genus; parvus Atys, puerque dilectus puero Tülo. Sidonio est invectus equo, quem candida Dido Extremus, pulcherque formâ Esse sui dederat monumentum et pignus amoris. Sidonio equo, quem candida Dido dederat esse monumentum et pignus sui amoris. ante omnes, Iülus invectus est TRANSLATION. spears pointed with steel; and some have polished quivers on their shoulders. A pliant circle of wreathed gold goes from the upper part of their breasts about their necks. Three troops of horsemen, and three leaders, range over the plain: twelve striplings follow each, shine in a separate body, and with commanders equally matched. One band of youths young Priam, bearing his grandsire's name, leads triumphant; thy illustrious offspring, O Politus, who shall one day do honour to the Italians, whom a Thracian courser bears, dappled with grey spots; the fetlocks of his foremost feet are white, and, tossing his head high, he displays a starry front. The second is Atys, from whom the Attii of Rome have derived their origin; little Atys, a boy beloved by the boy Iülus. Iülus the last, and in beauty distinguished from all the rest, rode on a Sidonian steed which fair Dido had given him as a monument and pledge of her love. The rest of NOTES. 558. Pars pharetras. These probably were the leaders who were thus distinguished from the rest. 558. It pectore summo, &c. Pierius assures us, that some of the more ancient copies read, Et pectore summo Flexilis obtorti per collum it circulus auri. 559. Flexilis circulus obtorti auri. This is only a poetical circumlocution for a golden chain. 564. Polite; Politus, the son of Priam, mentioned to have been slain by Pyrrhus, En. II. 526. 565. Auctura Italos. This is generally translated to add to the number; but as augeo signifies likewise to raise the honour, it is obvious which sense is preferable. 565. Thracius equus. Thracia was a famous country for breeding horses; hence Hesiod says δια Θρήκης πωλοτροφs, through Thracia, the nursing soil of martial steeds. 568. Genus unde Attt. This Virgil mentions in compliment to Augustus, whose mother was Attia. M. Attius Balbus married Julia, the sister of Julius Cæsar, the issue of which marriage was Attia, the wife of Octavius, and mother of Augustus. Thus Virgil, who was a very refined flatterer, signalizes in this game Iulus and Atys, that is, the founders of his prince's family, both by the father's and mother's side; and in feigning so strict a friendship between them, alludes to the affinity be tween the Julian and Attian families, now reunited in the person of Augustus. |