= Page in 15 Though the word may also mean plant. Ordine, in order rows. Vines were set in quincunx order. Georg. 2, 277. 75. Ite, go on now before me. 76. Viridi moss-covered. Projectus, stretched at length, lying. 78. Me pascente, i. e. with me as your shepherd. 80. The closing lines are full of rural beauty. Poteras, lit. you were able you might have, but your mind is made up to go on. Hence there is no need of giving the indicative a subjunctive force or of reading poteris. 81. Fronde, i. e. a bed of green leaves. 82. Pressi lactis, i. e. of fresh cheese, because the whey was pressed out of the curdled milk. H. 83. Summa culmina, the tops of the roofs. Fumant, and this was an indication that the evening meal was being prepared. ECLOGUE II. INTRODUCTION. THIS is the first of all the Eclogues written by Virgil, it having been composed B. C. 42. The poet had seen, in the house of Asinius Pollio, then governor of Gallia Transpadana, a youth named Alexander, who acted as cup-bearer, and he formed for him the same attachment as Socrates, Plato, and others manifested to handsome boys. In the poem he bears the name of Alexis, Virgil that of the shepherd Corydon, and Asinius that of Iollas. Pollio, charmed with this poem, presented Alexander to Virgil. By him he was carefully educated, and became a grammarian. Virgil has transferred many things into this poem from Theocritus. Z., from W. 1-11. Formosum Alexim. Observe the emphasis given to 16 these two words by their position (the beginning and the end of the sentence). Ardebat, ardently loved. Ardeo, usually intransitive, here acquires a transitive signification and governs the accus. 2. Nec habebat, nor had he what to hope for (lit. nor had he what he could hope for) nor had he any hope. i. e. of his love being reciprocated. Be careful not to translate, nor had he what he hoped for; that would be, nec quod sperabat habebat. The object of habebat is quid speraret, an indirect question, and hence the subjunctive. 3. Tantum, only. His only solace was his coming, etc. Cacumina, tree-tops: in apposition with fagos. 4. Incondita (sc. carmina), disordered strains, implying absence of premeditation and orderly arrangement. Cf. Tennyson: Page 16 "Forgive these wild and wandering cries, Confusions of a wasted youth."— In Mem. 5. Montibus, dative. Studio inani, with fruitless (unavailing) fervor. 6. Alexi, Greek vocative. Nihil, not at all; stronger than non, and though used as an adverb, is properly an accus. of specification (Greek accus.). 7. Nostri. Gen. from ego. A. & S. 2 215; H. 406, I.; B. 783; A. 50, IV. 3; G. § 173. Me is subject accus. of mori. 8. Nunc etiam, etc., i. e. it is now about midday, when the heat is greatest. Frigora, coolness, i. e. cool retreats. 9. Occultant. Virgil says, poetically, "conceal;" but under this poetical covering observe the real force of the line: "even the green lizards seek the shade of the thorn-hedges from the intense heat of midday." And the student of Virgil has frequent occasion to make similar observations. 10. Et, too (seems better than and). Rapido, by the intense, consuming. 11. Allia―olentes. She is preparing the dish called moretum (described by Virgil on pp. 99–102). Contundit, is bruising together in a mortar. 12-34. At marks a strong contrast in the thought. Vestigia, i. e. examining his footprints, all that can now be seen of him. 13. Cicadis. There is no English name for this insect, but it may be translated "grasshoppers," which it somewhat resembles; or use the word cicadae itself. 15. Nonne (fuit satius pati) Menalcan (Greek accus.). 16. Quamvis, however; followed by the concessive subjunct. esses, which agrees with tu, but the tense refers to ille. 18. Cadunt, fall to the ground, are not gathered. Vaccinia. A difference of opinion exists as to whether the vaccinium was the hyacinth (of the Greeks, not ours), or the bleaberry. The former view is mostly preferred. 19. Tibi may be rendered by you; it is not, however, dat. of the agent, but dat. of reference "to you I am a despised thing." Qui sim. The difference between the interrog. pronouns quis and qui, as educed from the practice of the best writers, is this: while quis is freely used substantively, and not unfrequently as an adjective, qui is rarely used as a substantive, and is found almost exclusively in dependent interrogative clauses, as here by Virgil; and further, while quis generally asks for the person or individual, qui asks for his quality or circumstances: hence qui sim what sort of a person I am. Madrig, 88, Obs. 1. 20. Quam, how. Pecoris, in cattle. A. S. 2 213; H. 399; B. 776; A. 50, I. 4; Page Non fri- 16 G. 170. 21. Meae, of mine. 22. Novum, fresh. gore, nor in winter. A. & S. 253; H. 426; B. 949; A. 55, I.; G. ¿192 (a). 23. Canto (ea) quae Amphion solitus (est cantare). Si quando, if at any time = whenever. Vocabat, at evening, from pasture. 24. Dircaeus, Dircaean, i. e. Boeotian or Theban; so called from the fountain Dirce near Thebes. Actaeo, Actaean, i. e. Attic; Aracynthus was a mountain on the confines of Attica and Boeotia, and Acte an old name of Attica. 25. In litore, i. e. he saw his form reflected from the water. 26. Ventis, ablat. of cause; because the winds were not blowing. Staret, subjunct. after cum in narration. A. & S. 2263, 5, Rem. 2; H. 518, II. 1; B. 1244; A. 62, I., in fin.; G. 368. 27. Judice te, ablat. absol.; "with even you as judge." 28. Libeat, let it please; subjunct. of wish, introduced by the interj. O. A. & S. 263, 1; H. 487 and 488, II. 1; B. 1193; A. 68, I.; G. 255. 30. Hibisco, dat. and poetical for ad hibiscum; it may be explained as a dat. of advantage, to drive the flock for marsh-mallows. The hibiscus was good for pasture. J. 31. Una, along, in company. Canendo, ablat. of specification, or denoting in what respect. 32. Plures, several. 33. Instituit, taught how. 34. Trivisse (from tero), by passing the pipe along the under lip. 35–53. Haec eadem, sc. carmina, which Pan played. But no- 17 tice the prominence given to the object by placing it not only before the verb, but before the conjunction ut. Non faciebat, i. e. he did everything. 36. Cicutis, (hollow) hemlock stalks; joined together with wax. As.; ablat. of the material (= means). 37. Dono, as a gift. A. & S. 2 227; H. 390; B. 848; A. 51, VII.; G. 148. Quam. In prose, the relative generally stands at the head of its clause. 38. Ista, and not haec, as being already Corydon's property when Damoetas spoke. Con. A. & S. 2 207, Rem. 25; H. 450; B. 1028; A. 20. II.; G. 90. Secundum, as its second owner: my worthy successor; secundus being used of that which is nearly equal. Con. 40. Nec tuta, in no safe ous; the valley being infested with wild beasts. A. & S. 2 225, II.; H. 388; B. 844; G. 150. Valle, sc. in. 41. Capreoli, sc. sunt mihi. Etiam nunc, even now, shows their tender age; for when the roe is six months old the white spots disappear. Albo, ablat. of means. 42. Bina-ubera, they drain the dugs of a sheep twice a day; lit. the dugs of a sheep, two 8-E. & G. in a dangerMihi, by me. Page 17 apiece, in a day, the distributive bina referring to the dugs col lectively and not individually, so that bina bis. 43. Jam pridem orat, has been asking for a long time. The present tense is often used of that which has endured for some time and still continues; especially with jam diu, jam dudum, jam pridem. A. & S. 2 145, I. 2; H. 467, III. 2; B. 1083; A. 27, I.; G ¿ 29 ; M. 334. Obs. Abducere orat, instead of the regular prose construction, orat ut abducat. 44. Sordent, seem paltry. 45.. Ades, come; from adsum.. 46. Nymphae, beautiful female forms peopling all the regions of earth and water. An. The nymphs personated the sweet and lovely aspects of nature, as did the satyrs the wild and grotesque. T. C. Calathis, ablat. of manner. 47. Summa papavera, the heads of poppies. A. & S. 205, Rem. 17; H. 441, 6; B. 662; A. 47, VIII.; G. 2 87, Rem. 48. Jungit, she adds. Bene = sweet. 49. Casia, with casia, an aromatic shrub, common in the south of Europe. 50. Pingit, she embellishes, sets off. Vaccinia, hyacinths. See note on line 18. 51. Cana mala, (gray apples,) i. e. quinces, usually called mala Cydonia, Cydonian (Cretan) apples, from Cydonia, in Crete. Lanugine, ablat. of quality or description. 52. Amabat, used to like; notice the force of the imperfect. 53. Cerea, wax-like, yellow, like new wax. 54–72. Proxima, next, i. e. to the bays in forming the chaplet, as the next verse explains. 56, Rusticus, a clown; your thoughts and even your presents are clownish. 57. Certes concedat. A. & S. 2 261, 2; H. 509; B. 1265; A. 59, IV. 1; G. 2381. Iollas, the master of Alexis. 58. Quid — mihi, what have I been at, wretch that I am? So quid tibi vis= what do you mean, what are you at? Order: perditus (undone, ruined) immisi (I have let in) austrum floribus et apros, etc. This is said to be a proverbial expression. Con. 59. Liquidis, into my clear. 60. Quem fugis. Do you shun me because I live in the country? But the gods too (di quoque), etc. 61 Paris, as a shepherd on Mount Ida. Pallas ipsa colat, let Pallas (Minerva) herself inhabit, i. e. by herself, alone. Condidit. Pallas Athene or Minerva was the reputed founder of Athens, to whose Acropolis the word arces especially refers. 62. Nobis, silvae, observe how these emphatic words occupy the positions of strong emphasis (the beginning and end of the sentence). 63. Torva leaena, etc. "Every creature pursues that for which it hungers; I pursue = Page thee." Con. 65. Corydon, sc. sequitur. The interj. O is here 17 scanned short. Sua, his own, one's own. Trahit, entices, lures on. 66. Jugo suspensa = suspended from the yoke, "so as not to touch the ground;" jugo is generally made ablat. governed by ex or ab understood; but it may also be considered ablat. of instrument. 67. Umbras, i. e. the length of them. 68. Me = amor, i. e. yet my passion ends not with the day. Quis. See note to qui sim, line 19. Modus, moderation. Adsit amori, can there be in love. Adsit, subjunct. in a question of appeal (deliberative subjunct.). A. & S. 2 260, II., Rem. 5; H. 486, II.; B. 1180; A. 60, 3; G. 254, 2. 69. Corydon now reproaches himself for his folly and neglect of his business. 70. Tibi vitis est =your vine is. 71. Order: quin tu potius paras detexere viminibus mollique junco aliquid saltem, quorum usus indiget? Quin, i. e. quî+ne, why not, when used as an interrogative particle with the indicative. Aliquid saltem, something at least, if nothing more than baskets and the like. Quorum — usus, i. e. (aliquid) eorum quorum, of those things which occasion needs. Quorum. A. & S. ? 220, 3; H. 409, 1; B. 910; A. 50, IV. 5; G. 189, Rem. 1. 72. Viminibus, ablat. of material, i. e. means. ECLOGUE III. -- INTRODUCTION. were car THIS Eclogue is principally occupied with a contest in poetical skill between two shepherds, Menalcas and Damon. Such contests - still not uncommon among the improvisatori of Italy ried on in verses, called carmen amoebaeum, from the Greek ȧporßaîos, answering alternately. And in them no sequence of ideas was necessary on the part of the challenger, but the party challenged was bound to exceed in language or ideas the thoughts first expressed. The introduction, wherein the challenge is given, occupies the first fifty-nine lines, introducing Palaemon as an arbiter. In the course of the amoebaean verses, Virgil takes occasion to glorify his friend and patron, Pollio, and to sneer at Bavius and Maevius, two envious satirists, who attacked both him and Horace. This Eclogue is said to have been written B. C. 42. Z. |