NOTES. THE ÆNEID. BOOK VII. WITH this book begins the second part of the poem, containing the resistance of the Latins, and the final success of Æneas in establishing himself in Italy. Verses 1-5.- Incidental mention of Æneas' nurse, to connect the cape and city of Caieta also with the Trojan expedition. The place, now Gaeta, famous as a former refuge of the Bourbons of Naples, is the next promontory north of Cumæ, and Æneas must be supposed to have stopped there on his way, in order to perform the funeral obsequies. Verse 1. quoque, as well as Misenus and Palinurus; cf. vi. 234 and 381. — Aeneia, of Æneas; cf. Scyllaeam, i. 200 (§ 190; G. 360, R.1; H. 395, N.2).—nutrix: the nurse seems in ancient times to have continued in a peculiarly tender relation to the grown-up child; cf. iv. 633. 2. moriens, almost equal to by thy death, though better translated literally. — famam, by connecting another locality with the great destinies of Æneas. 3. nunc, with emphasis, now still.—servat sedem, holds a spot, as if the glory of her name still dwelt there in a "local habitation.”. the name of Caieta, which marks the resting-place of her bones. nomen, 4. siqua, etc., with a pregnant meaning, as if the poet said, “and who can doubt it?"'-ea: as usual, the subject takes the gender of the predicate; cf. vi. 129 and note. 5. at, resuming the narrative. -- exsequiis, of Caieta. 6. aggere, the mass of earth, in reference to its structure. — tumuli, the tomb, in reference to the completed result. — quierunt, were at rest; strictly, came to rest. 7. tendit, etc.; cf. vi. 240. 8. portum, of Caieta, afterwards a famous harbor. 9. in noctem, continue to blow on into the night, not going down with the sun. - cursus, etc., explaining their nocturnal voyage, which was contrary to the usual practice. 10. proxima, i.e. next along the shore. - Circaeae: to the promontory of Circeium, opposite the Pontine marshes, the ancients transferred the residence of the famous enchantress Circe, visited by Ulysses; cf. iii. 386. Her proper dwelling-place was the mythical island of Æa, off Colchis, in the Black Sea; cf. Od. x. 135. — raduntur, keep the emphasis in English by changing the voice: they skim by. II. dives, so called in imitation of Homer (cf. Od. x. 348), perhaps originally from a vague association with the far East (cf. superbis, v. 12). inaccessos, the participle with the force of the adjective in -bilis, as often. The idea is, "not to be safely approached.”—solis: Circe was fabled to be the daughter of the Sun and the nymph Perseis. — lucos : here also the poet follows Homer; cf. Od. x. 149. 12. resonat, fills, here in a causative sense, hardly found elsewhere, but common with many other verbs. —cantu, cf. Od. x. 221. —tectis, of the whole palace. 13. urit... telas: the description is taken from Od. v. 57, where it is used of Calypso. 14. tenuis, indicating the fineness of the work. 15. hinc, etc.: these changes produced by the magic art of Circe are famous; cf. Od. x. 135.- gemitus iraeque, angry howling, though the Latin separates the two ideas. 16. recusantum (cf. silentum, vi. 432), spurning, i.e. their unwillingness to be chained is the cause of their rage. 17. praesaepibus, cages, compared to stalls for cattle. 18. formae: the idea is not different from the preceding, but the change is probably for metrical reasons only, though it gives the poet an opportunity to emphasize the horror of the transformation by bringing the forms before the eye. 20. induerat, usually with the abl. of means or the acc. of the thing put on, but here with a different conception of the action; cf. in florem, Geo. i. 187.- terga, i.e. bodies, the most prominent part being taken for the whole (synecdoche). 21. quae, such. — talia, like these.- monstra, horrible fate: the word is used of any superhuman object or occurrence, so here of the magic change into beasts. —pii, and so not deserving such a fate; cf. iii. 266. 22. delati: this, which ought to be the main clause, is absorbed into the principal idea, and is expressed by the participle, entering, &c. 23. implevit, to prevent the necessity of coming to anchor there, which would have been the course in case of contrary winds. 25. iam, the next morning, when they had reached their destination. 26. Aurora, etc., the natural representation of the goddess of the dawn. - lutea, saffron robed; cf. крокÓTETλos. 27. posuere, abated, the reflexive being omitted, as often. For mood, see § 325, b; G. 581, iii. 2 R.; H. 521, i. 28. lento, sluggish. — marmore, marble sea, a natural figure; cf. vi. 729.—tonsae, oars, as made of slender trees stripped of their branches; cf. iv. 399. 29. atque, equal to the more common cum. 30. prospicit, looking forth espies. 31. rapidis, the stream retains a swift current, even through the plain. - et, connecting verticibus rapidis and flavus. Notice with what freedom parallel ideas are connected without regard to construction. — flavus, a standing epithet of the Tiber, from its yellow, muddy water. 34. mulcebant, caressed, a strong poetical figure, not merely soothed, but came through the air like a caressing touch. 35. flectere, etc., not knowing the place, but landing on a delightful spot to wait for the wind. Of course, the special action of the gods is meant to be indicated. 36. opaco, shady. 37. nunc age: the muse is invoked at the beginning of the new theme, which is the state of things in Italy upon Æneas' arrival (cf. i. 8). - Erato, not particularly appropriate, being the muse of love-songs, but put for any of the muses, whose functions were not very precisely apportioned. 38. advena, here used as an adjective, foreign. 39. exercitus, literally, since Virgil now treats the expedition as an invading army. - appulit, anchored, a technical term. 42. animis, passions, particularly the rage of battle. - funera, slaughter, probably to be taken both actively and passively, to slay and be slain. 43. Tyrrhenum: the allusion is to Mezentius, a king of Etruria, whose subjects had just at this moment rebelled, and who is drawn into the war, as is described further on. 44. Hesperiam: properly only Latium was involved, but by a natural hyperbole all Italy is said to be roused to arms. —maior, as more immediately connected with the founding of Rome. 45. maius: the task is the greater, as the theme is more serious. moveo, begin; strictly, set in motion. -arva et urbes, of the cities near the Tiber, with their respective territories. 46. longa, long continued. 47. hunc translate as nom., changing to direct discourse, he, we have heard, &c. - Fauno: this mythical king of Latium was honored as a god |