[66] Mollis might go with ‘flamma,’ not in the modern sense of “the tender passion,” but expressing the subtle penetrating nature of the flame, and so harmonizing with ‘tacitum volnus.’ It seems better however to take it with ‘medullas,’ which is strongly supported by Catull. 43 (45). 16, “Ignis mollibus ardet in medullis,” a passage possibly imitated by Virg. Probably ‘mollis’ does not express the ease with which Dido's vitals become a prey to love, as Forb. thinks, but by calling attention to a characteristic of the ‘medullae,’ makes the image appear more real. So we might say ‘drinks her warm blood,’ meaning to express no more than ‘drinks her very blood.’ See on 2. 173.
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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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