52. neque ante: i.e. not before Aeneas shall have made supplication. 53. Attonitae: the cave of the Sibyl is personified as if itself awed by the presence of the god. 57. qui direxti (direxisti): Apollo, as the patron of archery, gave Paris the skill to hit Achilles (Aeacidae) in the heel, the only point where he was vulnerable. 58. in: governs corpus. 59. duce te: because it was the response of Apollo at Delos (III, 154 sqq.) which led him to undertake his voyage, first to Crete, and finally to Hesperia. penitus: 'far remote.' He did not actually visit the Massyli (Massylum, the old form of the genitive plural) and the shores of the syrtes, but Carthage, near by them. 60. praetenta: 'bordering upon '; followed by the dative, as in III, 692. 61. prendimus: 'we grasp'; the significance of the word is shown the more distinctly by fugientes. Italy is seeking, as it were, to elude our grasp. Cf. V, 629. 62. Hac, etc.: 'thus far let Trojan fortune have pursued us'; and let that be enough of ill fortune to satisfy the hostile gods. For the subjunctive, see H. 558, 1; LM. 714; A. 266; B. 275; G. 260; (H. 483, 2). 63. iam fas est: 'it is now right'; it cannot be opposed now to the divine decrees even that you (Juno, Minerva, etc.) should spare the Trojan race. 66. non indebita: sc. mihi. 67. fatis: 'according to my destiny.' See I, 205. da considere: the priestess, or prophetess, can 'grant' this, in so far as she can inform them how to secure it. See note on III, 85. 69. An allusion to the temple of Apollo, erected by Augustus on the Palatine, in 28 B.C. In this temple a splendid statue of the god was placed between those of Latona and Diana. 70. festosque dies: the Ludi Apollinares, which were established in 212 B.C. 71. Te quoque: this vow, made to the Sibyl to consecrate sacred arcana in the future kingdom of Aeneas for the preservation of her oracles, was fulfilled in the history of the so-called Sibylline books. These were at first, in the reign of the Tarquins, deposited in the Capitol; but, after the destruction of the Capitol and its contents by fire in the time of Sulla, 82 B.C., no new collection of such books for state purposes was made, until the building of the above-mentioned temple of Apollo. In this were deposited what were supposed to be genuine Sibylline books, or oracles, collected by Augustus from different sources, and placed in two chests at the foot of the statue of the god. penetralia: 'sacred shrines'; i.e. archives for the preservation of :he books of the Sibyl. 74. Alma: 'kind prophetess.' viros: at first two, afterward ten, and finally fifteen men (Quindecemviri Sacris Faciundis) were appointed to the custody of the Sibylline books. 76. Ipsa canas: cf. III, 457. 77. Phoebi — patiens: 'not yet yielding to Apollo.' Divine inspiration is too much for human weakness at first to sustain, and her nature instinctively struggles against the influence. The prophetess thus resisting is com pared to an unbroken horse, which resists the efforts of the rider to subdue his fierceness. immanis: 'wild'; join with bacchatur. 78. si: elliptical and interrogative, as in I, 181; 'whether she may.' 79. Excussisse: the perfect infinitive is not used here merely for the present, a usage which is occasionally met with in poetry, but it denotes the instant completion of the action; she desires to have done with the terrible influence. 80. fingit premendo: 'forms her to his will by curbing.' The metaphor is continued. 81, 82. The priestess and Aeneas are in the cavern, in antro (see l. 77), in the general sense of the term, and before the threshold (ante fores, 1. 47) of the inner grotto, or place of the oracle; but, after Aeneas has made his prayer. the doors spontaneously open, and the Sibyl rushes in, leaving him on the outside; her voice is then immediately heard from within. 84. terrae: sc. pericula. regna Lavini: the kingdom to be established by Aeneas, of which Lavinium is destined to be the chief city. 86. non limits volent. 89. Defuerint: H. 540, 1; LM. 748; A. 281, R; B. 264; G. 244; (H. 473, 1). alius Achilles: this other Achilles is the Rutulian Turnus, who is already being raised up by the fates in Latium to resist the Trojans. 90. Natus dea: Turnus was the son of the nymph or goddess Venilia. See X, 76. For the force of et ipse, see H. 509, 7; G. 311, 2; (H. 452, 6). 90, 91. nec-aberit: 'nor shall Juno, (always) haunting the Trojans, ever leave their side.' Teucris addita: i.e. adhering (in hatred) to the Trojans. 91. cum: the fulfillment of the prophecy is found in VIII, 126 sqq. 93. coniunx: i.e. Lavinia, the daughter of Latinus, who had promised her in marriage to Turnus, but on the arrival of Aeneas violated this promise in order to espouse her to the latter. This was the cause of the war. iterum: join with erit understood. hospita Teucris: 'a stranger alien to the Trojans'; just as had been the case with Helen, who had been in like manner the cause of the war against Troy. 96. Qua: sc. via. 97. Graia urbe: Aeneas will find his first ally in Evander, a Grecian prince who had formed a little settlement called Pallanteum, on what was afterward named the Palatine hill, at Rome. See VIII, 49 sqq. 99. Horrendas ambages: 'the dread mysteries'; the ambiguous utterances of oracles. 100. ea frena: 'such reins'; i.e. such influences as to make her prophesy thus. The metaphor of ll. 77-80 is resumed. 103. rabida ora: 'frenzied lips.' Cf. 1. 80. 105. praecepi, etc.: he has been led to ‘anticipate all hardships and encounter them in thought,' by the revelations of Helenus and Anchises, III, 441; V, 730. 107. palus Acheronte refuso: 'the pool from overflowing Acheron.' The lake alluded to is probably that called in ancient times Acherusia palus. Its waters were supposed to rise up from the river Acheron in the lower world. 109. Contingat: 'let it be my lot.' 114. Invalidus: ' :(though) feeble.' ultra sortem: for the proper lot of old age is quiet and ease. 116. mandata dabat: see V, 731 sqq. 117. potes omnia: 'you have all power,' i.e. so far as the object of my present petition is concerned; for you control the Avernian entrance to Hades. Omnia, cognate accusative; H. 409, 1; LM. 507; A. 238, b; B. 176, 2, b; G. 333, 2, R. 6; (H. 371, II (2)). 118. Hecate: see note on 1. 13. 119. Si potuit: if Orpheus or Pollux had such power, because they were divine, I also am of divine parentage, and am therefore entitled to the same privilege. 121. Of the twin sons of Leda, Pollux was the son of Jupiter, and Castor son of Tyndarus; so that one was mortal, the other immortal. But when Castor died, the love of Pollux led him to share his immortality with his brother by descending every other day to the lower world, and allowing Castor to dwell during the same day with the gods in Olympus. 122. viam: see note on IV, 468. Thesea: Theseus descended with his friend Pirithoüs into Hades, to assist him in carrying off Proserpine. 123. Alciden: Hercules brought Cerberus from the lower world, and afterward Alcestis. 124. arasque tenebat: see note on IV, 219. We must suppose an altar placed in front of the limen. 126. descensus Averno: 'the descent into Hades'; dative for in AverSee note on Latio, I, 6, and pelago, I, 181. num. 128. superas ad auras: 'to the upper air'; to this world of ours, above the regions of the dead. Cf. ll. 436, 481, 568, 719. 129. Pauci, etc.: 'a few sons of the gods, whom propitious Jupiter has loved.' The descent to Hades is easy and open to all; in the natural order of things, mortals are continually thronging to the lower world; but only a gifted few, men of divine birth and character, are permitted both to descend and return again. 131. Tenent omnia, etc.: 'woods occupy all the intervening space'; i.e. between the upper and lower world. Cocytus, Styx, and Acheron are used indifferently to denote the waters which are supposed to flow around Hades. More strictly, they are branches of one great stream. See note on 1. 295. Cf. Milton's description of the rivers of the lower world (Par. Lost, 2, 577) :Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate; Sad Acheron of sorrow, black and deep; Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls Her watery labyrinth; whereof who drinks 133. menti (est): 'your mind has.' For the infinitive with amor, cupido see note on II, 10. 134. Bis: i.e. once now, and again after death. position that Aeneas will die like other men. This is said on the sup 137. foliis, vimine: join with aureus; 'golden in leaves and stem.' H. 480; LM. 650; A. 253; B. 226; G. 397; (H. 424). 138. Iunoni infernae: cf. IV, 638. dictus sacer: 'consecrated.' 141. qui: indefinite; 'any one.' In prose, cuiquam would have been used in the foregoing clause, and the pronoun omitted here. fetus: 'growth.' 142. Hoc suum munus: 'this as her peculiar gift'; most dear to her. 144. simili-metallo: 'a twig of the same metal puts forth leaves'; or metallo may be joined with frondescit as an ablative of manner. 145. alte: i.e. with your eyes directed high. rite: 'properly'; not by cutting, but by 'pulling off' with the hand; join with carpe. 146. sequetur: 'will yield.' 149. Praeterea she has now given the necessary directions for his descent to the lower world, and now adds of her own accord the information following in regard to the sudden death of Misenus. tibi: ethical dative. 150. incestat: 'defiles'; in a religious sense. 151. consulta: 'responses.' The term was used technically of the legal advice given by Roman lawyers. 152. Sedibus suis: 'to his own resting place'; the tomb. 153. Duc: lead (to the altar).' nigras pecudes: see note on V, 736. prima: 'first'; i.e. preliminary, initiatory, prior to the descent into Hades. 154. Sic: i.e. by first making such a sacrifice. 156-235. Aeneas returns to the shore, and discovers that the dead body spoken of by the Sibyl is that of Misenus. While preparing the funeral pile, he enters the forest and is led by the doves of Venus to the tree on which the golden bough is hid. He plucks the branch and conveys it to the cave ʊí the Sibyl, and then completes the funeral rites of Misenus. 158. Cui: see note on II, 704. 162. Diceret: the question depends on serebant. They were uncertain what person the Sibyl spoke of; for they could not think that her words (11. 149, 150) had reference to Palinurus, who had been lost on the first night of the voyage from Sicily to Cumae. 163. indigna: 'unworthy'; not such a death as was meet for a hero. 164. Aeoliden: 'the son of Aeolus'; Aeolus, a Trojan, mentioned in XII, 542, as slain in battle with the Latins. 165. Aere: cf. III, 240. ciere, accendere: H. 608, 4; LM. 952; A. 273, d; B. 333; G. 241, c; (H. 533, II, 3). cantu: 'with the sound.' 170. inferiora: 'fortunes less noble'; for Aeneas was a hero of the same rank as Hector, with whom he is placed side by side in XI, 289. 171. personat: for the tense, see note on I, 494. concha: he used the shell on this occasion, such as Triton himself employed, thus showing still more daring in competing with him. 173. exceptum immerserat: 'seized and plunged him.' See note on I, 69. si credere dignum: this indicates a doubt as to the truthfulness of the report about the manner of his death. 176. iussa Sibyllae: see l. 152. 177. aram sepulcri: the funeral pile, termed below, l. 215, pyra. 178. caelo: dative for ad caelum. 179. stabula: cf. tecta, 1. 8. 182. montibus: 'from the mountains.' The ad- in advolvunt has reference to the pyre. 183. primus: 'foremost.' Cf. I, 24. 184. accingitur, etc.: 'girds himself (middle use) with like implements.' : 185. ipse he himself,' while employed in common with the rest, is also turning over in his mind these (the following) thoughts. 187. Si: if only,' 'O that.' arbore: 'on the tree.' 188. quando: 'since.' As she has proved true in regard to Misenus, she must be trusted also as to the golden bough. 191. Ipsa sub ora: 'before his very eyes'; so that they could not fail to attract his attention. caelo: for de caelo. 193. Maternas: 'sacred to his mother.' Doves as well as swans were sacred to Venus. |