[132] Generis fiducia vestri, confidence in your semi-divine origin.
[133] ‘Iam—,’ ‘is it come to this, that’ &c. ‘Caelum terramque miscere’ is a proverbial expression for universal confusion. “Quid tandem est cur caelum ac terras misceant?” Livy 4. 3. Another variety of the same image is found in the parallel A. 5. 790 (note), “maria omnia caelo Miscuit.” “Sine numine divom” 2. 777., 5. 56, where as here ‘numine’ may be taken nearly in its strict sense of “nutu” (comp. 2. 123 note). The expression is not confined to poetry: Cic. Phil. 13. 5 has “Mihi quidem numine deorum immortalium videtur hoc Fortuna voluisse.”
[134] We may either take ‘moles’ metaphorically, as ‘confusion’ (‘tollere’ being “excitare”), or as “moles undarum,” which is more poetical. Sil. 14. 123, “molem maris.” See on 5. 790.
[135] Quos ego—! A similar aposiopesis in a threat is quoted by Serv. from Ter. Andr. 1. 1. 137, “Quem quidem ego, si sensero—! Sed quid opus est verbis?” Emm. remarks that they are commonly followed by ‘sed,’ as in the passage just given. Comp. Ov. Her. 12. 207, “Quos equidem actutum . . Sed quid praedicere poenam Attinet? ingentis parturit ira minas.”
[136] It matters little whether we take ‘non’ with ‘simili’ or ‘luetis:’ but the former is best. ‘Post,’ ‘another time.’
[137] Maturate, ‘accomplish betimes,’ a sense which here would be equivalent to “properate,” though in G. 1. 260 (note) the two are naturally distinguished.
[138] Saevum, ‘stern;’ the badge of stern authority. Tibull. 1. 1. 22, “Terreat ut saeva falce Priapus aves.”
[139] Sorte datum, the division between the three brothers was by lot, Il. 15. 187 foll. ‘Tenet ille,’ ‘his province is.’ Hor. 3 Od. 4. 62, “qui Lyciae tenet Dumeta natalemque silvam Delius et Patareus Apollo.”
[140] Vestras, referring to the whole company, though only one is named. So 9. 525, “Vos, O Calliope, precor, adspirate canenti.” ‘Euri domus,’ in a different sense, G. 1. 371. ‘Illa,’ &c. Hom. Il. 1. 179, Οἴκαδ᾽ ἰὼν σὺν νηῦσί τε σῇς καὶ σοῖς ἑτάροισι Μυρμιδόνεσσιν ἄνασσε.
[141] Clauso is emphatic and a predicate (ἐν κεκλεισμένῳ τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ), though it may also be abl. abs., as Henry prefers to regard it. The words are well rendered by Trapp, “But bid him bar the prison of his winds.” This and the previous clause may seem to favour some other interpretation of v. 56 than that adopted there; but without extending, as Henry does, ‘aula’ to the whole of Aeolia, we may suppose that Aeolus occasionally visits and rebukes his prisoners. “Regnet in aula,” G. 4. 90 (quote dby Henry).
[142-156] ‘He allays the storm, and extricates the ships.’
