[705] Creat is virtually the reading of all known MSS., Med. a m. p. having ‘crepat,’ and one or two others some similar corruption. The subject of ‘occubat’ is obviously Paris, but the omission of the nom. is unaccountable, and could only be justified in a poem confessedly left uncorrected. Serv. notices it, attributing it to metrical necessity. Various attempts to supply the defect have been made: some earlier critics suggested “occubat hic: carum,” which, with the change of ‘carum’ into ‘Clarium,’ Wagn. rather approves, while Cunningham would read ‘hic cubat.’ But the most plausible emendation is Bentley's (on Hor. Epod. 5. 28), “Cisseis regina Parim: Paris urbe paterna Occubat,” which has been approved almost unanimously by critics, and adopted by Heyne and all subsequent editors but Gossrau. There can be little doubt that the change of ‘creat’ into ‘Paris’ would be an infinite improvement, and it seems strange that Virg. should not have so written: but that is hardly a reason for introducing such an alteration in the face of all external authority. Whatever may be the case with other authors, it is not likely that in the text of Virg. ‘Paris’ should have dropped out and have been replaced by ‘creat.’ ‘Creat’ itself is critically probable, the pres. being used in the case of that and similar verbs when we should expect the past: see on v. 518 above, E. 8. 45 note, G. 1. 279. The assertion made by Pottier, that six Paris MSS. read ‘Paris,’ received with suspicion by most critics, has been ascertained to be untrue by Mr. Duckworth, of Trinity College, Oxford. Bentley also turned ‘genitori’ v. 704 into ‘genitore,’ in which he has not been followed.
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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. and Henry Nettleship, M.A. London. Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane;. George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1876.
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