[100] The request and the answer are from Il. 7. 394 foll., 408 foll. ‘Oratores’ 7. 153 note. “Urbe Latina” 9. 367.
[101] Velati ramis oleae 7. 154 note. ‘Veniam rogantes’ 1. 519 note. Rom. and three or four others have ‘precantes,’ perhaps from 3. 144.
[102] Ferro fusa like “somno vinoque fusa” 9. 316. ‘Iacebant’ is taken out of the oratio obliqua, perhaps for the sake of liveliness, as if Virg. meant to say that Aeneas did not merely hear of the bodies as mentioned by the ambassadors, but saw them before him as they were speaking. But there are other instances of which no such account can be given: see Madv. § 369, obs. 2.
[103] “Successit tumulo” 5. 93, where however active motion is spoken of. The second Mentelian has ‘tumulos.’
[104] The meaning seems to be not that he ought not to war with the dead, as Serv. explains it, but that no contest with the dead is possible, as the dead cannot be parties to it. Comp. Soph. Aj. 100, “θανόντες ἤδη τἄμ᾽ ἀφαιρείσθων ὅπλα”. Yet v. 110 is rather in favour of Serv.'s view. ‘Aethere cassis’ like “cassum lumine” 2. 85. See on 1. 546.
[105] The Latins are identified with Latinus as fathers-in-law, as in 7. 367. ‘Quondam’ with ‘vocatis.’
[106] “Quos bonus Aeneas dictis solatur amicis” 5. 770. ‘Aspernari’ of rejecting entreaty, G. 3. 393.
[107] “Remos cohortatus, liberaliterque oratione prosecutus” Caes. B. G. 2. 5. The word seems to be used in a derived sense, the notion of courteous attention being deduced from that of courteously accompanying a person, which is a particular mark of it. Mr. Long comp. “prosequitur lacrimis” A. 6. 476. ‘Insuper addit’ 2. 593.
[108] Rom. has ‘tantos.’
[109] Qui = “adeo ut.” Virg. expresses himself loosely, as strictly speaking the avoidance of the friendship of Troy was rather a preliminary than a consequence of the war.
[110] Pacemne, the old reading before Pierius and Heins., is found in corrections of two of Ribbeck's cursives. “Pugnae sorte” 12. 54. The elder Scaliger (Poet. 3. 11) calls these verses “vivi et caelestes.”
[111] ‘Oratīs:’ see Excursus to Book 12.
[112] Nec veni, nisi dedissent, like “Si non fuisset . . . potui” 4. 19, the peculiarity consisting not only in the substitution of the ind. for the subj., for which see G. 2. 133, but in that of the perf. in the apodosis for the pluperf. But though the construction is not regular, the sense is intelligible: Aeneas, for the sake of liveliness, to show the sincerity of his plea, says that he has not come, as if the present could be annulled by the absence of a condition operating in the past. “Fatis datas urbes” 4. 225.
[113] The nation is distinguished from the king, on whom the blame is thrown.
[114] Hospitia: “hoc verbum duo significat, et quo ab alio recipimur, et quo aliquem recipimus,” Serv. Latinus had offered ‘hospitium’ to Aeneas 7. 202, 264. With ‘Turni—armis’ comp. 8. 493, “Turni defendier hospitis armis.”
[115] Though ‘aequius fuerat’ is tolerably common in Latin (“ei rei operam dare te fuerat aliquanto aequius” Plaut. Trin. 119), ‘fuerat’ here is hardly for “fuisset,” but refers to the combat of the day before, at which the obligation is supposed to have existed. ‘Huic’ is better explained by Serv., ‘this, by which your slain countrymen have perished,’ than with Gossrau “morti per me.” ‘Turno,’ the reading of many old editions, seems to have scarcely any MS. support. “Opponere morti” 2. 127.
[116] Manu, by strength of hand, opposed to negotiation, Serv.
[117] ‘His’ is explained by Serv. “aut qui se (queis) Teucros parat pellere, aut tela sua ostendit, ut armatus in concilio fuerit.” But Forb. is doubtless right in understanding ‘his’ as virtually equivalent to “hic,” “hoc in campo.” ‘Decuit’ referring to past time, like ‘fuerat,’ as we might say, ‘he should have done so yesterday.’ ‘Decuit mecum,’ the order in the old editions, is found in two of Ribbeck's cursives.
[118] ‘Vixet’ has a potential or quasiimperative sense, “vivere debuerat,” “let him have lived.” See on v. 162 below, 4. 678., 8. 643. There is something harsh in the expression here, as “vixit” generally means “vivere desiit.” For the form comp. “exstinxem” 4. 606. ‘Deus aut sua dextra:’ it seems strange at first sight that the two causes of success in war, divine favour and human prowess, should be put in the form of an alternative by one who, like Aeneas, would doubtless recognize both. But Virg. in distinguishing the two is naturally led to think of them not as two aspects of the same thing, but as independent though concurrent agencies, so that he comes to speak as if the result might be due to either. See on 5. 466, 808, and comp. Il. 20. 334 quoted on both places. From this, however, it is an easy step to the impiety of the Sophoclean Ajax (Aj. 767), “θεοῖς μὲν κἂν ὁ μηδὲν ὢν ὁμοῦ Κράτος κατακτήσαιτ᾽: ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ δίχα Κείνων πέποιθα τοῦτ᾽ ἐπισπάσειν κλέος”. For ‘sua’ Pal. has ‘cui.’
[119] “‘Miseris civibus’ quasi aliena culpa pereuntibus; et bene commendatur dicentis bonitas, quasi et ipse eorum misereatur,” Serv. ‘Supponite ignem:’ see on 6. 223.
[120] Illi is found in all Ribbeck's MSS. Whether ‘olli,’ the common reading, has any MS. authority is doubtful: Heins. appears to have retained it carelessly as he received it from older editions, and Wagn., relying on a false report of the reading of Pal., thought the archaic form might have been altered by the copyist.
[121] Conversi ora tenebant like “intenti ora tenebant” 2. 1, “defixi ora tenebant” 8. 520, ‘conversi’ qualifying the verb, as if it had been “conversos oculos atque ora tenebant.” ‘Inter se:’ they keep their eyes bent on each other. Forb. comp. Stat. Theb. 2. 173, “fixosque oculos per mutua paulum Ora tenent,” an imitation of this passage, as the context shows.
