Atque malā vītēs incidere falce novellas. D. Aut hic ad veteres fāgōs cum Daphnidis arcum M. Cantando tu illum? aut umquam tibi fistula cērā 11. Arbustum incidere. According to Pliny (XVII. 1), quoted by Wordsworth, the laws of the Twelve Tables imposed a heavy fine for cutting another man's trees. "Cautum est XII Tab. ut qui iniuria cecidisset alienas (arbores) lueret in singulas aeris xxv." 12. Aut hic, sc. tum riserunt. Damoetas answers the last charge by the charge of a similar wanton outrage perpetrated by Menalcas. 13. Calamos is understood by some editors to refer to the shepherd's pipe as in Ecl. I. 10. But in the present passage, in connection with " arcum," it very naturally means the reed arrows. 16. Talia, such things as the fol lowing. 17-31. Observe the art with which the poet leads up to the challenge to a contest in song. M. "I saw you steal 15 20 23 ing a goat from Damon's flock." D. 'But it was mine. I won it from him in a singing match." M. "You don't mean that you won a match from Damon ? Why, you can't play the shepherd's pipe; your only instrument is a grating straw." D. "Do you want to test my skill? I'll stake this cow on it." 18. Lycisca, from the Greek, a wolfhound. Here the name of the dog, "Wolf." 20. Tityrus was Damon's shepherd. 25. So Theocritus (V. 5): Comatas: τὺ γὰρ πόκα, δῶλε Σιβύρτα, ἐκτάσω σύριγγα; τί δ', οὐκέτι σὺν Κορύδωνι ἀρκεῖ τοι καλάμας αὐλὸν ποππύσδεν ἔχοντι; "When gat'st thou a pipe, thou slave of Sibyrtas? Why does it no more suffice thee to keep a flute of straw, and whistle with Corydon?" 15. Aliqua (sc. re), 141.-16. Faciant, 208.–18. Multum, 116.-21. Redderet, 208. Iuncta fuit? non tu in triviis, indocte, solēbās D. Vis ergō, inter nos, quid possit uterque, vicissim 26. In triviis. I. e. you are a mere street musician, whose wont is "to split the ears of the groundlings" by murdering a song on a cracked flute. From this word was developed the post-Augustan adjective "trivialis," and the English "trivial," i. e. found in the street, anywhere; hence common, of no importance. 27. Stipula is here used in a contemptuous sense. Cf. Ecl. I. 2, note. 32. Ausim, an old future subjunctive from audeo. Cf. Madvig, § 115, f. 32-34. This passage is from two different Idyls of Theocritus : 30 29. Experiamur, (sc. ut), 169.-31. Quo pignore, 136; or else, supplying posito, 155. 32. De grege quicquam, 135. — Ausim, 209. DECONOIVOS? [heghiouokle 1103 ECURILS| DEGRIOLH`NMİST LIQUICQUAALDE CONI RETECT ESTALTI CIAJAÓ DOAVI PATFRESTINIUSIANOUERCA BISO QUI QUATERANITAMBOLECUSALLERU FODOS EX SCHEDIS VERONENSIBUS. - Eclogue III. 31-34. Vērum, id quod multō tute ipse fatebere maius, In medio duo signa, Conōn, et quis fuit alter, 37. Fagina. Con. remarks that cups of beech wood belong to primitive country life," and cites the following beechen cups a part of the humble furniture of Philemon and Baucis: post haec caelatus eodem Sistitur argento crater fabricataque fago Pocula, qua cava sunt, flaventibus illita ceris. Alcimedontis, an unknown woodcarver, perhaps a friend of Vergil, whom the latter wished to compliment. 38. Quibus refers to pocula. 40. In medio duo signa (sc. sunt). I. e. on the empty field surrounded by the ivy wreath are carved portraits of the two famous astronomers, Conon, who lived about 250 B C., and a second, whose name the shepherd forgets. This second astronomer is thought by some to be Eudoxus, by others, Archimedes. 42. Curvus, the habitual posture of And Ovid (Met. VIII. 669) makes the the plowman as he bends over his plow. VERLIW LOOVODMUU OTUELLISE ÉXLEBEREMA JUS INSANIRF!!BEIQUONHAMILBILOCULACONA FAGINACALLAWMPI OLALOLOS ALUMAI ONIS LIMIAQUFBUS|ANQI ACLLISSEIU RAL EX SCHEDIS VERONENSIBUS. - Eclogue III. 35-38. Et molli circum est ansas amplexus acanthō, Si ad vitulam spectas, nihil est, quod pocula laudēs. Efficiam posthac ne quemquam voce lacēssās. D. Quin age, si quid habes, in me mora non erit ülla, 47. Seemingly in mockery of Menalcas (1. 43). 49. Menalcas understands that Damoetas, in depreciating the cups, is trying to evade the contest, and he is now resolved to have the trial of skill on any terms. 50. A very realistic touch. Menalcas is on the point of naming an umpire, when his eye falls upon an approaching shepherd, whom he chooses on the spot, and recognizes a moment later as Palaemon. So in Theocritus (V. 62), while Lacon, one of the contestants, wants a certain neat-herd as umpire, the other proposes a chance wood-cutter in the neighboring field, who on nearer inspection turns out to be Morson: Lacon : αἴθ' ἔνθοι ποθ ̓ ὁ βωκόλος ὧδε Λυκώ πας. Comatas: οὐδὲν ἐγὼ τήνω ποτιδεύομαι ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄνδρα, αἱ λῇς, τὸν δρυτόμον βωστρήσομες, ὃς τὰς ἐρείκας τήνας τὰς παρὰ τὶν ξυλοχίσδεται· ἐντὶ δὲ Μόρσων. L. "Would that Lycopas, the neatherd, might chance to come this way." C. "I want nothing with him; but that man, if thou wilt, that wood-cutter we will call, who is gathering those tufts of heather near thee. It is Morson." 52. Quin age, si quid habes. Damoetas, as the challenger, had the right to begin. Thus in Theocr. (VI. 5): πρᾶτος δ ̓ ἄρξατο Δάφνις, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρᾶτος ἔρισδεν. 48. Quod laudes, 175.- Quod, 116.54. Sensibus imis, 151. - Reponas, 205. Nunc frondent silvae; nunc förmōsissimus annus. D. Ab Iove principium, Mūsae; Iovis omnia plēna; M. Et me Phoebus amat; Phoebō sua semper apud me D. Mālō mē Galatea petit, lasciva puella, 57. Formosissimus annus, i. e. Spring, the fairest season of the year. 59. Camenae, the pure Latin name (cf. carmen) corresponding to the Greek Moûσal, or musae as used in the next line. 60. Ab Iove principium, a favorite starting point with the poets. Cf. Theocr. (XVII. 1): Ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα, καὶ ἐς Δία λήγετε, Μοῖσαι, ἀθανάτων τὸν ἄριστον ἐπὴν ᾄδωμεν ἀοιδαῖς. "From Zeus let us begin, and with Zeus make end, ye Muses, whensoever we chant in song the chiefest of immortals!" Iovis omnia plena. In this thought, Vergil follows very closely Aratus (Phaenomena, 1), who, however, presents the idea much more fully: Ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα, τὸν οὐδέποτ' ἄνδρες ἐῶμεν * Αῤῥητον μεσταὶ δὲ Διὸς πᾶσαι μὲν ἀγυιαί, πᾶσαι δ ̓ ἀνθρώπων ἀγοραί, μεστὴ δὲ θάλασσα, 60 65 It is the last line of this passage from Aratus that Paul quotes in his address to the Athenians (Acts xvii. 28). 62. Menalcas would match his rival by a reference to Apollo, the especial patron of bards. 63. Lauri et hyacinthus. These were sacred to Apollo because of their mythical connection with a maiden and a youth beloved by him. Daphne, a beautiful maiden, had been changed into a laurel at her own prayer, in order to escape the pursuit of her lover Apollo (Ovid, Met. I. 452); Hyacinthus was a lovely youth, who was accidentally killed by Apollo while throwing the discus. From the blood of the youth sprung the hyacinth (hyacinthus poeticus), upon whose petals the Greeks fancied they could trace the letters AI AI, alas! alas! Milton's Lycidas thus alludes to this plant: Like to that sanguine flower inscribed with woe. 64. Malo. "Apples were sacred to καὶ λιμένες· πάντῃ δὲ Διὸς κεχρήμεθα Venus, whence μήλῳ βάλλειν, μηλοβολεῖν, πάντες. τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν. was a method of flirting. Theocr. V. 88; Aristoph. Clouds, 997."-CON. 59. Alternis (sc. carminibus), 141.61. Curae, 103.63. Lauri et, 4. |