[239] The meaning of ‘fatis contraria fata rependens’ is clearly, ‘compensating or repaying destiny (of the destruction of Troy) with destiny’ (of reaching Italy). “Rependere et compensare leve damnum delibatae honestatis maiore alia honestate,” Gell. 1. 3. ‘Contraria’ expresses the opposition between destiny and destiny as in 7. 293, “fatis contraria nostris Fata Phrygum.” Strictly then the epithet would agree with ‘fatis,’ as the latter of the two correlatives, but by a poetical variety it is joined with ‘fata,’ the former.
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