Illi me comitem et consanguinitate propinquum
Pauper in arma pater primis huc misit ab annis.
Dum stabat regno incolumis regumque vigebat
Consiliis, et nos aliquod nomenque decusque
Gessimus. Invidia postquam pellacis Ulixi-
Haud ignota loquor-superis concessit ab oris,
Adflictus vitam in tenebris luctuque trahebam,
Et casum insontis mecum indignabar amici.
Nec tacui demens, et me, fors si qua tulisset,
Si patrios umquam remeassem victor ad Argos,
Promisi ultorem, et verbis odia aspera movi.
Hinc mihi prima mali labes, hinc semper Ulixes
Criminibus terrere novis, hinc spargere voces
In vulgum ambiguas, et quaerere conscius arma.
Nec requievit enim, donec Calchante ministro -
Sed quid ego haec autem nequiquam ingrata revolvo?
Quidve moror, si omnes uno ordine habetis Achivos,
Idque audire sat est? Iamdudum sumite poenas;
Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atridae.

Tum vero ardemus scitari et quaerere causas,
Ignari scelerum tantorum artisque Pelasgae.
Prosequitur pavitans, et ficto pectore fatur :

and wrecked the Greek fleet

89. Nos. The editorial “we”="I." | dangerous parts of the Euboean coast, 92. Vitam trahebam. Cf. Catullus, LXIII. 71:

Ego vitam agam sub altis Phrygiae columinibus

96 Cf Propertius, V. I. 115-6: Nauplius ultores sub noctem porrigit ignes, Et natat exuviis Graecia pressa suis Nauplius, the father of Palamedes, caused beacons to be placed on the most

100. Calchante. Calchas was a celebrated soothsayer, who had accompanied the Greeks to Troy as high-priest and prophet.

104. A special stroke of art.

107. Ficto pectore fatur. Cf Catullus, LXIV. 383 :

Carmina divino cecinerunt pectore Parcae.

86. Illi, 100. Me comitem, 112. 93 Casum, 110.94. Si tulisset, 200. 95. Remeassem, 216.-98. Terrere spargere, 167. – 100. Ministro Sed quid, 244. Velit

mercentur, 209. Magno, 145.107. Ficto pectore, 245. 6).

104.

Saepe fugam Danai Troia cupiere relicta

Moliri et longo fessi discedere bello;

Fecissentque utinam! Saepe illos aspera ponti

Interclusit hiems, et terruit Auster euntes.

110

Praecipue, cum iam hic trabibus contextus acernis
Staret equus, toto sonuerunt aethere nimbi.
Suspensi Eurypylum scitantem oracula Phoebi
Mittimus, isque adytis haec tristia dicta reportat:
Sanguine placastis ventos et virgine caesa,
Cum primum Iliacas, Danai, venistis ad oras;
Sanguine quaerendi reditus, animaque litandum
Argolica. Vulgi quae vox ut venit ad aures,
Obstipuere animi, gelidusque per ima cucurrit
Ossa tremor, cui fata parent, quem poscat Apollo.
Hic Ithacus vatem magno Calchanta tumultu
Protrahit in medios; quae sint ea numina divûm,
Flagitat. Et mihi iam multi crudele canebant
Artificis scelus, et taciti ventura videbant.
Bis quinos silet ille dies, tectusque recusat
Prodere voce sua quemquam aut opponere morti.
Vix tandem, magnis Ithaci clamoribus actus,
Composito rumpit vocem, et me destinat arae.
Assensere omnes, et, quae sibi quisque timebat,

112. Acernis. Vergil seemingly forgets that he has already (16) said the horse was of fir. Con. remarks that it is not "from confusion or forgetfulness, but as an assertion of the poet's privilege to represent, in as many ways as he pleased, the general notion of wood."

115

120

125

130

116. In order to appease the winds which prevented their departure from Aulis for Troy, the Greeks were directed by the oracle to sacrifice Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon.

130-1. A striking instance of the selfishness of human nature.

110. Fecissent utinam! 207.-113. Cum staret, 181.-114. Scitantem, 214. How expressed in classical prose? 174, 190, 211, 212. 116. Sanguine et virgine, 223. 117. Cum venistis, 181. -118. Anima, 143.-121. Parent-poscat, 168.126. Dies, 117. -129. Composito, 142.

Unius in miseri exitium conversa tulere.
Iamque dies infanda aderat; mihi sacra parari,
Et salsae fruges, et circum tempora vittae.
Eripui, fateor, leto me, et vincula rupi,
Limosoque lacu per noctem obscurus in ulva
Delitui, dum vela darent, si forte dedissent.
Nec mihi iam patriam antiquam spes ulla videndi,
Nec dulces natos exoptatumque parentem;
Quos illi fors et poenas ob nostra reposcent
Effugia, et culpam hanc miserorum morte piabunt.
Quod te per superos et conscia numina veri,
Per, si qua est, quae restet adhuc mortalibus usquam
Intemerata fides, oro, miserere laborum
Tantorum, miserere animi non digna ferentis.

His lacrimis vitam damus, et miserescimus ultro.

M

VITTAE. (From a bas-relief.)

133. The customary preparations for sacrifice.

141 Quod. Used in adjuration, equals propter quod VI 363; Horace,

Epist. I. VII. 94.

135

140

145

Quod te per Genium dextramque deosque

Penates

Obsecro et obtestor.

145. Cf. Spenser (F. Q. I. V. 18):
As when a wearie traveiler, that strayes
By muddy shore of broad seven-mouthed

Nile,
Unweeting of the perilous wandring

wayes,

Doth meete a cruell craftie crocodile, Which, in false griefe hyding his harmefull guile,

Doth weepe full sore, and sheddeth tender teares;

The foolish man, that pitties all this while

His mournefull plight, is swallowd up

unwares;

Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

132. Parari, 167. 136. Darent, 186. Dedissent, 200.- 139. Quos-poenas, 113. -142. Quae restet, 175.-143. Laborum, 93.

Ipse viro primus manicas atque arta levari
Vincla iubet Priamus, dictisque ita fatur amicis:
Quisquis es, amissos hinc iam obliviscere Graios;
Noster eris, mihique haec edissere vera roganti:
Quo molem hanc immanis equi statuere? quis auctor?
Quidve petunt? quae religio? aut quae machina belli?
Dixerat. Ille, dolis instructus et arte Pelasga,
Sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera palmas:
Vos, aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum
Testor numen, ait, vos arae ensesque nefandi,
Quos fugi, vittaeque deûm, quas hostia gessi:
Fas mihi Graiorum sacrata resolvere iura,
Fas odisse viros, atque omnia ferre sub auras,
Si qua tegunt; teneor patriae nec legibus ullis.
Tu modo promissis maneas, servataque serves
Troia fidem, si vera feram, si magna rependam.

Omnis spes Danaûm et coepti fiducia belli
Palladis auxiliis semper stetit. Impius ex quo
Tydides sed enim scelerumque inventor Ulixes,
Fatale aggressi sacrato avellere templo
Palladium, caesis summae custodibus arcis,

150

155

160

165

161. Sed enim. But (her aid failed us) for.

166. Palladium. A celebrated statue of Minerva, said to have fallen from the skies, on the preservation of which depended the safety of Troy. Among other legends, it is said that the Greeks learned from Helenus, whom they had captured, that the Palladium was the chief obstacle to the fall of Trov. The Greeks then resolved to carry off this image, and the

146. Viro, 102. - 148. Graios, 110.-154. Aeterni ignes, 237. - Non violabile, 240. 160. Maneas, 205, 238. — 161. Si feram, 199. — Magna, 111.

Corripuere sacram effigiem, manibusque cruentis
Virgineas ausi divae contingere vittas;
Ex illo fluere ac retro sublapsa referri
Spes Danaûm, fractae vires, aversa deae mens.
Nec dubiis ea signa dedit Tritonia monstris.
Vix positum castris simulacrum; arsere coruscae
Luminibus flammae arrectis, salsusque per artus
Sudor it, terque ipsa solo-mirabile dictu —
Emicuit, parmamque ferens hastamque trementem.
Extemplo tentanda fuga canit aequora Calchas,
Nec posse Argolicis exscindi Pergama telis,

170

175

To the chief Mosque, and on it shall be laid

Vergil makes one other reference to Spells of such pow'r, that long as we the Palladium (IX. 150):

Tenebras et inertia furta

retain The new Palladium in our keep, a train Palladii, caesis summae custodibus arcis, Of mighty spirits shall protect thy states; Ne timeant.

In Ovid (Met. XIII. 334) Ulysses boasts of this exploit:

Tamque tuis potiar, faveat Fortuna, sagittis,

Quam sum Dardanio, quem cepi, vate potitus ;

Quam responsa deum Troianaque fata
retexi ;

Quam rapui Phrygiae signum penetrale
Minervae

Hostibus e mediis.

The idea of the Palladium survives in
Tasso (Ger. Lib. II. 6), though here the
image is that of the Virgin Mary:
Now this their image I would have
convey'd,

With thine own hand from their invaded
fane,

While steel attacks, and fire assaults in vain,

Unrent the wall, impregnable the gates, We shall the war roll back, and disappoint the fates!

169. With this line compare Geo. I.

199-200:

Sic omnia fatis

In peius ruere, ac retro sublapsa referri. 171. Tritonia. There are three theories as to the origin of this epithet of Minerva. The first supposes it to signify "Head-sprung," referring to her birth from the head of Jove. The second derives it from the river or lake Triton, in Libya or Boeotia, the supposed birthplace of Minerva. The third would make the epithet mean the three phases of the moon, inasmuch as her shield was regarded as the full-orbed moon.

169. Fluere, 167. — 172. Arsere, 183.