[313] Henry takes ‘manu crispans hastilia’ as equivalent to “crispans manum in hastilia,” and interprets ‘crispans’ as ‘clenching.’ He objects to the ordinary sense ‘brandishing’ (making the spear curl or quiver), on the ground that it is unsupported and inappropriate, when, as here and in 12. 165, where the line recurs, the person is peacefully engaged. While however it may be granted that ‘crispans’ is a strong expression for the motion of the spear merely as carried in the hand in walking, it must be remembered that it is hazardous to assume that one expression is put for another, which itself has no example in the Latin language. Hom.'s heroes carry two spears. “Lato venabula ferro” 4. 131.
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John Conington. P. Vergili Maronis opera. P. Vergili Maronis Opera. The works of Virgil, with a Commentary by John Conington, M.A. Late Corpus Professor of Latin in the University of Oxford. London. Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane. 1876.
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