[869] Ac Rom. for ‘at.’ ‘Procul,’ hard by, as E. 6. 16, A. 10. 835. ‘Stridorem et alas’ poetical for “stridentes alas:” comp. 11. 801, 802, “Nihil ipsa nec aurae Nec sonitus memor” = “aurae sonantis.”
[870] Infelix of one under the pressure of a sudden calamity, as 7. 376, v. 598 above. ‘Crinis scindit solutos’ = “solvit et scindit crinis.” ‘Scindit crinis’ Rom.
[871] Soror emphatic by position, like ‘genetrix’ v. 412 above.
[872] ‘Iuvo’ with double acc., as 10. 84, “aliquid Rutulos iuvisse.”
[873] Durae was restored by Heins. for ‘miserae,’ which is given as a variant in Gud. ‘Durae,’ because I could look so long on your struggle: the self-reproach is like that of Anna 4. 681, “sic te ut posita crudelis abessem,” which is well comp. by Forb. Heyne refers to Statius, Theb. 12. 214, 215, “Et nunc me duram, si quis tibi sensus, ad umbras, Me tardam quereris Stygiis, fidissime, divis.”
[874] Possim Rom. ‘Monstrum,’ as often, of an omen: comp. δεινὰ πέλωρα θεῶν, Il. 2. 321.
[875, 876] Iam iam of action just beginning, like “iam iamque” 8. 708. ‘Timentem’ is not proleptic. ‘Obscenus,’ ill-omened: comp. G. 1. 470, A. 4. 455. “Obscenum omen est omen turpe” Varro, L. L. 7. 97. The pl. probably represents the bewilderment of Turnus' mind. Wagn.'s explanation, “una ex earum genere quae obscenae sunt,” would equally suit the sing.
[877] Fallunt, escape me. ‘Solum’ Med. a m. p. for ‘sonum.’
[878] Magnanimi ironical, as v. 144 above. ‘Repono’ = “rependo,” as in Cic. ad Fam. 1. 9. 19, “ne tibi ego idem reponam, cum veneris.” See Mayor on Juv. 1. 1 (2nd edition). Wagn. and Ribbeck rightly put a mark of interrogation at the end of the line.
[879] His gift of eternal life will only serve to make my grief eternal.
[880] Possem = “debebam posse:” see on 8. 643., 11. 118, 161. ‘Possim’ Med.: ‘ut possem’ Minoraug., with some inferior copies.
[881] Sub umbras for ‘per umbras,’ the reading of some inferior copies, with the Medicean of Pierius, is given as a variant in Gud. Heyne would prefer it; but, as Wagn. well remarks, “optime convenit praepositio ‘per’ comitis notioni.”
[882] For ‘inmortalis’ Minoraug. and mother of Ribbeck's cursives have ‘iam mortalis.’ The thought is ‘my life will be no life without you.’ ‘Aut quicquam’ &c.: comp. 4. 317, “Fuit aut tibi quicquam Dulce meum,” where nearly the same words give a different shade of sense. ‘Haud’ for ‘aut’ Gud. corrected, with other less important copies.
[883] For the lengthening of the final syllable of ‘erit’ before a vowel, see Excursus to this book. For ‘quae’ Pal. and originally Gud. have ‘quam.’ ‘Satis alta’ Minoraug. and another of Ribbeck's cursives, with the Medicean and Porcian of Pierius: so Heins. and the edd. after him till Ribbeck, who rightly restores ‘satis ima’ from Med., Rom., Pal. corrected, and Gud. See on 10. 675, where the same words occur. Here, as there, ‘dehiscat’ is given by a large majority of the best copies: Pal. originally, however, gives ‘dehiscet’ here, which is adopted by Ribbeck.
[884] Deam emphatic by its position. ‘Demittit’ Pal. originally, ‘demittat’ Pal. corrected, Med., Rom., and Gud. ‘Demittet’ Ribbeck, from one of his cursives.
[885] “‘Glauco amictu’ quasi propter undarum similitudinem” Serv. “Eum glauco velabat amictu Carbasus” 8. 33 of the river-god Tiberinus. See on 10. 205.
[886] Fluvio must apparently be taken, not of the Tiber, but of the river flowing out of Juturna's lake, though the epithet ‘alto’ seems exaggerated. Perhaps, as Mr. Munro has suggested, Virg. was thinking of his own line G. 4. 428, “Haec Proteus, et se iactu dedit aequor in altum.”
[887-952] ‘Aeneas and Turnus meet for their final encounter. Turnus, who is numbed and bewildered by the presence of the Fury, is at length struck down by a would from Aeneas' spear. He begs for life: Aeneas is half moved by the entreaty, until his eyes light on the belt of Pallas, which was conspicuous on his enemy's shoulder. The sight decides him to deal the fatal blow.’
[887, 888] Contra as opposed to Juturna, who has been helping her brother. ‘Arboreum,’ huge as a tree: comp. “centena arbore” of huge oars 10. 207. ‘Ingens’ is joined by Serv. (whom Wagn. follows) with Aeneas; but it is better to join it with ‘telum:’ comp. 8. 622, of Aeneas' corselet, “Sanguineam, ingentem” &c. In such passages Virg. allows himself the use of a double epithet. Schrader conj. ‘roboreum.’
