Chapter 31
'Aspice, ut insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis 855 Ingreditur, victorque viros supereminet omnes!
Hic rem Romanam, magno turbante tumultu, Sistet, eques sternet Poenos Gallumque rebellem, Tertiaque arma patri suspendet capta Quirino.'
VERGIL, _Aen._ vi. 836-846, 855-859.
[Linenotes: 836. +Ille+ = L. Mummius Achaicus, destroyed Corinth, 146 B.C.
838. +Ille+ = L. Aemilius Paullus, crushed Perseus (= +Aeaciden+ l. 839) at Pydna, 168 B.C.
841. +Cosse+ = Cornelius Cossus, won Spolia Opima a second time, 428 B.C.
842. +Gracchi genus+, e.g. (i.) Tib. Semp.r.o.nius Gracchus, twice Consul 215, 212 B.C., in 2nd Punic War; (ii.) T. S. G. distinguished in Spain; (iii.) the two great Tribunes, Tiberius and Gaius.
843. +Scipiadas+ = (i.) Scipio Africa.n.u.s Maior, victor at Zama, 202 B.C.; (ii.) Scipio Africa.n.u.s Minor, destroyed Carthage, 146 B.C.
844. +Fabricium+, Consul 282 and 278 B.C. in war with Pyrrhus. Proof against bribes.
+Serrane+ = Regulus, victor at Ecnomus, 256 B.C., a prisoner, 255 B.C. True to his word.
845. +Maximus+ = Q. Fabius M. Cunctator, Dictator after Cannae. The s.h.i.+eld of Rome.
846. From the Annals of Ennius (239-169 B.C.), often quoted.
855. +Marcellus+, five times Consul. Took Syracuse 212 B.C. The Sword of Rome.
857. +magno... tumultu+ = _when a great upheaving shakes it_.
--Page.
+Tumultus+ (as Cic. tells us) is specially used of a rising in Italy or in Gaul, as it was close to Italy. (Elsewhere = _bellum_.) 858. +Sistet,... sternet.+ Notice the ant.i.thesis and alliteration (a.s.sonance).]
+The Vision of Anchises+ is the imperishable record of the national life, where the poet 'sums up in lines like bars of gold the hero-roll of the Eternal City.' --Myers.
C2
FIRST PUNIC WAR, 264-241 B.C.
_The Foundation of Carthage, 878 B.C._
Pygmalion, cognita sororis fuga, c.u.m impio bello fugientem persequi pararet, aegre precibus matris deorumque minis victus quievit....
Itaque Elissa delata in Africae sinum incolas eius loci adventu peregrinorum mutuarumque rerum commercio {5} gaudentes in amicitiam sollicitat. Dein empto loco, qui corio bovis tegi posset, in quo fessos longa navigatione socios, quoad proficisceretur, reficere posset, corium in tenuissimas partes secari iubet atque ita maius loci spatium, quam petierat, occupat: unde {10} postea ei loco Byrsae nomen fuit.
Confluentibus deinde vicinis locorum, qui spe lucri multa hospitibus venalia inferebant, sedesque ibi statuentibus ex frequentia hominum velut instar civitatis effectum. est.... Itaque consentientibus omnibus Carthago {15} conditur, statuto annuo vectigali pro solo urbis.
In primis fundamentis caput bubulum inventum est, quod auspicium fructuosae quidem, sed laboriosae perpetuoque servae urbis fuit; propter quod in alium loc.u.m urbs translata. Ibi quoque equi caput repertum, {20} bellicosum potentemque populum futurum significans, urbi auspicatam sedem dedit. Tunc ad opinionem novae urbis concurrentibus gentibus brevi et populus et
JUSTINUS, xviii. 5.
[Linenotes: 1. +Pygmalion+, King of Tyre, murdered Sychaeus, husband of Elissa (Dido).
4. +sinum+ = Gulf of Tunis. (See Murray's Cla.s.sical Atlas.) 5. +peregrinorum+ = _of strangers_. +per + ager+. Cf. _pilgrim_.
Fr. _pelerin_.
+mutuarum rerum commercio+ = _barter_.
11. +Byrsae+, i.e., later, the Citadel quarter, as if from??sa = a _hide_, prob. corrupted from Phoen. _Bozra_ (= a _fort_). So _Carthage_ = _Kirjath (city)_; cp. _Kirjath-Arba_ (Hebron), and _Hannibal_ (= Hanniel) = _the grace of Baal_.
14. +velut instar c.+ = _as if the semblance of a state_; cf.
'instar montis equus,' Verg. --Post.
17. +bubulum+ = _of an ox_, adj. from _bos_.
22. +auspicatam+ = _auspicious_, in active sense.]
+Parallel Pa.s.sages.+ Verg. _Aen._ i. 336-368, 418-438, and _Aen._ iv.
21-22.
+References.+ Bosworth Smith, _Carthage and the Carthaginians_. --Ihne, _Hist. of Rome_, vol. ii. pp. 3-21.
C3
FIRST PUNIC WAR, 264-241 B.C.
_Aeneas views the Building of Carthage, circ. 878 B.C._
Iamque ascendebant collem, qui plurimus urbi Imminet adversasque aspectat desuper arces. 420 Miratur molem Aeneas, magalia quondam, Miratur portas strepitumque et strata viarum.
Instant ardentes Tyrii pars ducere muros Molirique arcem et manibus subvolvere saxa, Pars optare loc.u.m tecto et concludere sulco; 425 Iura magistratusque legunt sanctumque senatum; Hic portus alii effodiunt; hinc lata theatris Fundamenta locant alii, immanesque columnas Rupibus excidunt, scaenis decora alta futuris.
Qualis apes aestate nova per florea rura 430 Exercet sub sole labor, c.u.m gentis adultos Educ.u.n.t fetus, aut c.u.m liquentia mella Stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas, Aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine facto Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent: 435 Fervet opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella.
'O fortunati, quorum iam moenia surgunt!'
Aeneas ait, et fastigia suspicit urbis.
VERGIL, _Aen._ i. 419-438.
[Linenotes: 419. +plurimus+ = _in huge ma.s.s_, with the predicate +imminet+.
421. +magalia+ = _huts_, a Carthaginian (Phoenician) word. Cf.
??a???.
422. +strata viarum+ = _stratas vias_ = _the paved roads_.
--Sidgwick.
423, 424, 425. +ducere... moliri... subvolvere... optare...
concludere+, dependent on the idea of _eagerness_ or _striving_ in +instant+.--S.
426. Vergil is thinking, as often, of Roman inst.i.tutions, and not of what was appropriate to heroic times. Cf. _Aen._ i. 507-8.
430-436. This simile is a reproduction of _Georg._ iv. 162-169. Cf.
Milton, _Par. Lost_, i. 768: 'As bees In springtime, when the sun with Taurus rides, Pour forth their populous youth about the hive.'
432. +liquentia+ = _liquid_, from +liquor+, dep. Elsewhere Vergil uses +liquens+ from +liqueo+.
433. +Stipant+ = _pack_, the notion of _pus.h.i.+ng_ and _tightness_ being given in the very sound of the heavy overhanging spondees in this line. --S.
435. +Ignavum... arcent+ = _drive the drones, a slothful herd, from the enclosure_. Notice the order. --Page.
437. 'The want of a city is the key-note of the _Aeneid_.'
--Conington.]
C4
FIRST PUNIC WAR, 264-241 B.C.
_A Roman Martyr. Country before Expediency._
M. Atilius Regulus, c.u.m consul iterum in Africa ex insidiis captus esset duce Xanthippo Lacedaemonio, iuratus missus est ad senatum, ut, nisi redditi essent Poenis captivi n.o.biles quidam, rediret ipse Carthaginem.
Is c.u.m Romam venisset, utilitatis {5} speciem videbat, sed eam, ut res declarat, falsam iudicavit: quae erat talis: manere in patria, esse domui suae c.u.m uxore, c.u.m liberis, quam calamitatem accep.i.s.set in bello, communem fortunae bellicae iudicantem tenere consularis dignitatis {10} gradum.... Itaque quid fecit? In senatum venit, mandata exposuit, sententiam ne diceret recusavit: quam diu iure iurando hostium teneretur, non esse se senatorem.... Cuius c.u.m valuisset auctoritas, captivi retenti sunt, ipse Carthaginem {15} rediit neque eum caritas patriae retinuit nec suorum,... 'At stulte, qui non modo non censuerit captivos remittendos, verum etiam dissuaserit.' Quo modo stulte? etiamne, si reipublicae conducebat? potest autem, quod inutile reipublicae sit, id cuiquam {20} civi utile esse?
CICERO, _De Officiis_, iii. 99, 100.
[Linenotes: 1. +consul.+ Regulus was Consul 261 and 256 B.C., and Proconsul in Africa 255 B.C., when he was defeated and taken prisoner by Xanthippus.
6. +speciem+ = the _specious (plausible) appearance (semblance)_.
12, 13. +sententiam... recusavit+ = _declined to give his own opinion on the case_.
13. +iure iurando+ (sc. _dato_) = _by the oath sworn to his enemies_.
17. '+At stulte+' (sc. _fecit_) = '_But, it may he said, he acted like a fool._'
19. +etiamne+ (sc. _stulte fecit_) = _What, how did he act like a fool, if_...--Holden.]