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the Trojans to understand, was exercised in turning the oracle to his private purpose by causing his tool, Calchas, to single out Sinon as the victim.

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126. Bis quinos: cf. I, 71, 381, and notes. tectus: concealing his thoughts'; possibly also in its literal sense, 'shut up in his tent.' 129. Composito: for ex composito, by agreement'; i.e. with Ulysses. 131. conversa (ea): equivalent to earum rerum conversionem. See note on 1. 413. "They (readily) suffered the turning of those ills, which each feared for himself, to the destruction of one unhappy wretch'; i.e. when once I had been declared the victim, they were all relieved from farther apprehensions for themselves.

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Fig. 13.- Head of Bull adorned with Vittae (1. 133)

132. parari: historical infinitive.

133. salsae fruges: for mola salsa, 'the salted meal.' Cf. IV, 517. Grain, parched, crushed, and mixed with salt, was thrown upon the victim. vittae: 'fillets,' or twisted bands of white and red wool.

134. fateor: the term implies that it might be considered culpable to have shrunk from a sacrifice demanded by religion. vin. cula: the cords with which he was bound when being led to the altar.

135, 136. obscurus Delitui: 'I lay hid and unseen.' si- dedissent: 'if perchance they should set sail.' See note on 1. 94. dedissent is put by the law of sequence of tenses (after delitui) for the fut. perf. dederint. The clause is virtually in indirect discourse, depending upon the idea of thinking in Sinon's mind. There was the uncertainty whether the Greeks would, after all, set sail without having made the appointed sacrifice of one of their own countrymen. 139. Quos: accusative of the person; poenas: of the thing; 'from whom, perchance, they will also exact punishment.' H. 411; LM. 522; A. 239, c ; B. 178, I, a; G. 339; (H. 374).

141. Quod: 'wherefore,' lit. 'as to which.' H. 416, 2; LM. 507; A. 240, b; B. 176, 3; G. 334; (H. 378, 2). te: addressed to Priam.

142. Per: the following clause suggests the object: if there still be any inviolable pledge anywhere among men, by this I adjure thee.' For the sepa ration of per from its case in adjurations, see note on IV, 314. quae restet: clause of characteristic.

143. laborum: for the case, see H. 457; LM. 586; A. 221, a; B. 209, 2; G. 377; (H. 406, I).

144. animi: 'a spirit'; put for the person. non digna: 'undeserved.' 145. lacrimis: ablative of cause; 'by reason of these tears.' ultro: 'besides,' 'moreover.' This word is capable of a variety of significations, arising from the fact that it means that 'beyond' what is expected or required.

148. amissos: 'whom you have given up.' hinc: 'henceforth.' 149. haec edissere vera: 'declare these things truthfully.'

150. Quo: 'whereto,' 'to what end.'

151. quae religio, etc.: 'what sacred token is it, or (if none) what engine of war?'

154. aeterni ignes: sun, moon, and stars. Cf. III, 599; IX, 429.

155. enses: the sacrificial knives. All the holy objects Sinon appeals to are witnesses of the outrage he has suffered, and of his being bound by no tie of loyalty to his countrymen. 157. Fas: sc. est.

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165. Fatale: 'fateful'; the Palladium was so termed because the fate of Troy depended on its preservation. It was a small, rude image of Pallas, which was believed to have fallen from heaven, and was guarded by the Trojans with great care.

168. vittas: the fillets round the head of the image.

169. fluere, referri: historical infinitives. This metaphor seems to be drawn from the movement of a ship which the rowers have ceased to propel against the current, so that it again falls down the stream.

171. ea signa: 'tokens of this,' i.e. of her displeasure. Cf. III, 505. 172. simulacrum: the Palladium. arsere: would be regularly connected

with the foregoing vix positum by -que, et, or cum. Cf. 1. 692.

173. Luminibus arrectis: 'from her starting eyeballs.'

174. ipsa: the image itself, per se. ter: see note on I, 94. solo: H. 464; LM. 600; A. 243, b; B. 214; G. 390; (H. 434, N. 1). dictu: see note on I, III. 176. That an image should show such miraculous signs of anger is a sufficient reason to the minds of the Trojans, as Sinon is well aware, for the advice of Calchas and the hasty departure of the Greeks. There is, therefore, no difficulty now in believing that the Greeks have actually gone, and that what Sinon adds about the destination of the wooden horse is reasonable and true.

178. Omina ni repetant Argis: 'unless they seek the omens again in Greece.' They had before sailing for Troy taken the omens at Aulis. Virgil may have in mind the practice of Roman generals, who, under certain circumstances, went back to Rome to renew the auspices. numen: 'the favor of heaven.'

179. quod-avexere: 'which (says Sinon) they brought away (of old) upon the sea.' The indicative mood shows this statement to be the language of Sinon, not of Calchas, which would have been quoted indirectly, and be put therefore in the subjunctive mood.

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180. quod petiere-parant: 'as to the fact that they have sought — (it is because) they are preparing.' H. 588, 3, N.; LM. 847; A. 333, a; B. 299, 2; G. 525, 2; (H. 540, IV, N).

181. Arma, deos: i.e. reënforcements for war and the favor of the gods. 183. moniti: 'being instructed'; namely, by Calchas. pro: 'in place of.' Here Sinon comes to the most delicate part of his story; he must give a plausible reason both for the building of the horse and for its vast size, and he must make such suggestions as shall induce the Trojans to take it into the city.

184. quae piaret: 'to atone for.' See note on I, 20.

185, 186. The emphasis is on immensam, which should be joined to attollere. They were not only advised to build this in place of the Palladium, but to build it of vast dimensions, so that the Trojans might not get it into the city to serve as a new Palladium, and that they might be tempted through suspicion to lay violent hands upon it, and thus incur the anger of Minerva. 186. Roboribus: ablative expressing the means of attollere. caelo: dative for ad caelum. See note on Latio, I, 6.

187. portis: the instrumental ablative of way by which. H. 476; LM. 644; A. 258, g; B. 218, 9; G. 389; (H. 420, 1, 3)). moenia: for urbem. 188. Neu: 'or lest'; et ne. antiqua sub religione: under the same religious security as that which they had enjoyed under the Palladium.

189. Nam-violasset: this is the continuation, in the oblique form, of what Calchas had stated. An idea of saying is implied in the foregoing verb, iussit (1. 186). For the subjunctive, see note on 1. 94.

190. omen: i.e. the fate or destruction indicated by the omen. ipsum: refers to Calchas.

193. Ultro: 'beyond' what you would expect; i.e. 'actually,' 'even.' See note on 1. 145.

194. nostros: refers to the Greeks. ea fata: 'such fates,' namely, as the exitium in 1. 190. This calamity would await the posterity of the Greeks if the horse should be received into the city by the Trojans.

198. mille: a round number. In the Iliad, II, 924 sqq., the number of the Grecian ships is stated as 1186.

199. Hic: see note on 1. 122. maius: even a greater event than the

adventure of Sinon.

201. ductus sorte: though priest of Apollo, Laocoön had been appointed by lot on this day to make sacrifices to Neptune.

202. Sollemnes: 'sacrificial,' 'where the sacrifices are customarily made.' Note the derivation.

203. Ecce: cf. 1. 57. gemini: 'two'; implying similarity. Cf. I, 162. a Tenedo: they come from Tenedos as an omen that the enemy is coming from its concealment there to destroy the city.

204. immensis orbibus: an ablative of description, limiting angues. 205. Incumbunt pelago: 'they breast the sea'; with tranquilla per alta. pariter: 'side by side.' ad litora tendunt: 'make for the shore.' 207. Sanguineae: 'bloody'; of the color of blood.

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pars cetera: all except the head and breast. pontum Pone legit: 'courses the sea behind.' 208. sinuatque in connection with legit may be translated as a present participle, 'curving.' volumine: 'in folds'; referring to the undulating curves made by the long bodies of serpents in propelling themselves over the waves. 209. sonitus spumante salo: note the alliterative effect. The repetition of the s-sound is intentional, in imitation of the plashing of the waves. 'the shores.'

210. oculos: see note on I, 228.

arva:

212. visu exsangues: 'terrified by the sight.' agmine certo: 'in an undeviating course'; indicating that they had been sent, by a higher power, expressly to destroy Laocoön, and were not merely seeking for prey.

215. morsu depascitur: 'devours.'

216. Post: adverbially for postea. ipsum: refers to Laocoön. dative of the end or purpose. See note on I, 22.

auxilio:

218. medium: sc. eum; around his body. collo: around his neck. For the dative, see H. 426, 6; LM. 535; A. 225, d; B. 187, 1, a; G. 348; (H. 384, II, 2).

219. superant: 'rise above him.' capite: with their heads. Cf. volumine, 1. 208, for a similar use of the singular for the plural.

221. vittas: see note on I, 228.

223. Qualis mugitus: sc. est. If Virgil was familiar with the famous statue of Laocoon, now preserved in the Vatican, he chose rather, with true poetic faste, to transfer the spirit of that great work to his description than to adhere to the original in respect to all its details.

225. At: in transition. delubra summa: 'the lofty shrine'; the same as arcem in the following line.

226. arcem: for templum. It was situated on the summit of the Acropolis. 227. Sub pedibus: the statues of Minerva are often represented with ser pents coiled at the feet.

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Fig. 15.-Laocoon and his Children attacked by the Serpents (11. 212 sqq.)

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