24...38. These lines form a long parenthesis, in which is described the appearance presented, in the time of Æneas, by the spot upon which Rome afterwards stood. This was a favourite theme with the Roman poets. The student may compare Prop. IV. i.; Ov. Fast. I. 509, (see extracts, p. 72, 73.) and Virg. Æ. VIII. 337. 27. (Lacte madens.) Compare Tibull. I. i. 36, and the note. 29. (Pendebat,) consecrated by those who abandoned minstrelsy as the soldier hung up his arms at the shrine of some god when his campaigns were o'er. Compare Virg. E. VII. 24, Hic arguta sacra pendebit fistula pinu, and Nemesian. B. I. 14, Iam mea ruricolæ dependet fistula Fauno. 30. (Silvestri deo.) Silvanus, or Faunus, or Pan. and 32, Est mihi disparibus septem compacta cicutis Pan primus calamos cera coniungere plures The wings constructed by Daedalus are compared to a σúgy by Ov. Met. VIII. 191. 33. Velabri regio.) The Velabrum was the low ground which occupied the space between the Capitoline and Aventine hills, stretching from the Forum to the river. It was anciently a swamp, liable to be flooded by the Tiber, until drained by the Cloaca Maxima and its branches, after which it was covered with streets and became one of the most populous districts of the city. Propertius, when describing (IV. ix.) the visit paid by Hercules to Evander, says, that the hero halted to repose Qua Velabra suo stagnabant flumine, quaque and again, IV. ii. 7. of the same place. Hac quondam Tiberinus iter faciebat, et aiunt and Ov. Fast. VI. 405. 35...39. Qua Velabra solent in Circum ducere pompas, The rustic maiden is here represented as ferrying across the swampy lake, on a holiday, in order to visit her youthful lover (iuvenem,) the proprietor of a numerous flock, and returning with the pastoral gift of a lamb and a cheese. 39. The main subject of the Elegy, which had been interrupted by the digression commencing at line 23, is now resumed, and the pro. phesy of the Sibyl commences with "Impiger Ænea..." 41. In the geography of the six last books of the Æneid, the Laurentes agri comprehend the low sandy tract, where, to this day, the laurus grows in great profusion, stretching along the coast south of the mouth of the Tiber; the principal town was Laurentum (Torre di Paterno) the royal abode of Latinus; the site first occupied and fortified by the Trojans, was the Laurens Castrum. Virg. Æ. X. 635. 43, 44. Liv. I. 2. "Secundum inde prælium Latinis, Æneæ etiam ultimum operum mortalium fuit. Situs est, quemcumque eum dici ius fasque est, super Numicium flumen : Iovem Indigetem adpellant." See also Ov. Met. XIV. 598. Modern topographers fix on a small stream called the Rio Torto, as the ancient Numicius: it passes within a short distance of Pratica, which is generally recognised as the ancient Lavinium. 47. (Ecce mihi lucent, &c.) Ergo necesse est, fuisse inter veteres de Troianorum rebus in Italia fabulas etiam aliquam narrationem de castris Turni ab Enea captis et incensis, etsi a Virgilio præteritam. 53. (Furtim,) i. e., furtivos. The use of the adverb for the adjective is a Græcism. Compare Virg. Æ. III. 489. O mihi sola mei super Astyanactis imago. 58. (Qua, &c.,) i. e., wherever the cultivated earth extends. 60. (Amnis.) According to Homeric geography, the "ocean" was a mighty river which encompassed the disk of earth, forming its extreme boundary. Hence the expressions ποταμοίο ρέεθρα Ωκεανοῦ, (I. XIV. 245); παρὰ ῥόον Ωκεανοῖο, (I. XVI. 151.) &c. All rivers, seas, fountains, and wells were supposed to flow out of the Ocean stream. Achilles says, that no river can contend with Jovethat mighty Achelous is no match for him, Οὐδὲ βαθυῤῥείται μέγα σθένος Ωκεανοῖο And every fountain spring, and well profound. Il. xxi. 195. 63, 64. (Laurus vescar.) The Pythia, before she ascended the tripod, bathed in the water of Castalia, crowned herself with laurel, and chewed its leaves to increase the inspiration. This is what Lycophron terms Δαφνηφάγων ἐκ λαιμῶν ἔπα, “ a voice proceeding from a laurel-eating throat," and so also Lucian, in the Bis Accusat, ἡ πρόμαντις πιοῦσα τοῦ ἱεροῦ νάματος καὶ μασαμένη τῆς δάφνης &c. 66 63. (Innoxia,) in a passive sense, "suffering no harm," unharmed." So Lucan. IX. 891. We find it also in the active sense of "doing no harm," in Plaut. Capt. III. v. 7. Decet innocentem servum atque innoxium Confidentem esse, suum apud herum potissimum. In like manner innocuus signifies either harmless, or, unhurt. 1. Innocuum rigido perforat ense latus. Ov. Trist. III. ix. 26. 2. Donec rostra tenent siccum, et sedere carinæ Omnes innocuæ..... Virg. Æ. X. 301. 66. (lactavit, &c.) More vaticinantium, omniumque fanaticorum, iactavit caput, pro hoc dixit, iactavit comas fusas ante caput H. 67...70. These lines present many difficulties, and the text has been moulded into various forms by different editors. The general meaning of the passage, as given in the introduction, is clear enough. The prophecy of the Sibyl, who foretold to Æneas the high fortunes of his posterity, being concluded, the poet continues, "Other Sibyls, it is true, predicted the appearance of many prodigies ominous of woe, and these portents have already been made manifest, but may Apollo ward off all calamities in time coming." Some of these prophetesses of evil are specified in the lines before us, in which Tibullus seems to have taken at random names commonly current, without investigating very closely their origin or their relations to each other. 2 Amalthea, as we have seen in the introduction to this elegy, is in Varro' the Sibylla Cumana, who, he says, by others is called Herophile or Demophile. Again Herophile, in Pausanias, is the Sibylla Erythræa, but he quotes certain verses, said to be composed by herself, in which she declares that she was a native of Marpessus, a city of which, Pausanias adds, traces still remained in his time upon Phrygian Ida. A Marpessus, however, in this situation is mentioned by no other ancient authority, while Stephanus Byzantinus, Suidas and others place a Mermessus on this very spot. Hence Salmasius would change Mágnoos, in Pausanias, into Megundoos, and read Mermessia, in Tibullus, instead of Marpessia. But whether we adopt Marpessia or Mermessia, it must be taken as an epithet of Herophile and the punctuation of Husckius. 3 Quidquid Amalthea, quidquid Mermessia dixit, by which Mermessia is made to indicate a personage distinct from Herophile, can scarcely be received. On the other hand, if we place the comma after Herophile, as in our text, the words Phœbo grataque quod monuit stand isolated without any noun to which grata can be referred. Hence critics have supposed that Phobo has been substituted by some ignorant transcriber for the name of a Sibyl, and Vossius would substitute Demo, who, according to Hyperochus, was the Cumana, while Lachmann conjectures Photo Graiaque; Þórw, in Suidas, being the Samian Sibyl. The next couplet, if we follow the best MSS., and read Albana... Tiberis is absolutely unintelligible. The description, given by Varro, of the tenth Sibyl, seems to afford the clue required to guide us. "Decimam Tiburtem, nomine Albuneam; quæ Tiburi colitur, ut Dea, iuxta ripas amnis Anienis; cuius in gurgite simulacrum eius inventum esse dicitur, tenens in manu librum. Cuius sacra (some MSS. sortes) senatus in Capitolium transtulerit." From this, Scaliger, with much plausibility, conjectured Albuna, instead of Albana, although Aniana (i. e. Aniena) Tiburs, which appears in some Italian MSS., is, perhaps, to be preferred. 80. (Merge sub æquoribus.) Non modo monstrosi partus, expiationis causa, in mare proiiciebantur, sed et quæcumque prodigia aut 1 Serv. Æ. VI. 72, says, it is not clearly known which of the Sibyls composed the Roman oracles, yet it is certain that they were brought to Tarquin by a woman named Amalthea. 2 Salmasius, however, has a very happy conjecture, according to which the Sibyl will declare that she herself was Erythræ, and the Nymph, her mother, of Mermessus. 3 Except Varro ap. Lactant., and the reading is disputed. 4 Μερμησσός, πόλις Τρωικὴ, ἀφ ̓ ἧς ἡ ̓́Ερυθραια Σίβυλλα. The MSS. have also Μύρμισσος, and Suidas Μάςμισσος portenta aboleri non poterant. Ita Apollinis simulacrum, quod per tres dies fleverat, paullo ante mortem Scipionis Africani Minoris, concisum et in mare proiectum (xaratovTweev) memorat Dio. Exc. Peirasc. n. 98. Constabat saltem sibi in hoc superstitio, si eæ res mala portendebant, ut eas e medio tollerent; sublata causa videri potuit sublatus effectus. H. 86. (Dolia...lacus.) The lacus, as we have already stated in the note on Tibull. I. 1. 10. p. 130, was the cistern into which the mustum or sweet juice of the grape was received as it flowed from the press; the dolia were the vats in which the process of fermentation was completed. Such is the conclusion we draw from the words of Cato R. R. CXIII. De lacu quamprimum vinum in dolia indito. Post dies XL diffundito in amphoras. 81. (Crepitet bene laurea.) The laurel was thrown into the sacred fire, both in ordinary sacrifices and in magical incantations, and omens were drawn from the crackling sound emitted by the leaves. So Prop. II. xxviii. 35. Deficiunt magico torti sub carmine rhombi, Et tacet extincto laurus adusta foco. and Virgil's sorceress E. VIII. 83. Daphnis me malus urit, ego hanc in Daphnide laurum. 87. (Palilia.) For particulars with regard to Pales and the Palilia, see Extracts from Ovid, p. 92 and notes. 95. (Operata.) See note on Tibullus II. i. 9. p. 182. Ignis ubi in medio, et socii cratera coronant, and E. I. 724. Crateras magnos statuunt, et vina coronant. and E. VII. 147. Crateras læti statuunt, et vina coronant: |
