see H. 613,4; LM. 1019; A. 292, e; B. 337, 3; G. 536; (H. 535, 4). The Greeks make an attack on the front of the palace in two divisions. One party, headed by Pyrrhus, storms the gate, under cover of their shields. These they join together above their heads, by lapping one shield over another, like the tiles or shingles of a roof, forming thus a testudo, under the shelter of which they are safe from the missiles hurled down upon them by the defenders (ll. 441 and 469 sqq.). The other party attempts, by scaling ladders, to gain the battlements (11. 442-444). 441. acta testudine: 'with an advancing testudo.' 442. parietibus: for the case, see note on I, 226. of the word here, paryetibus, cf. note on abiete, 1. 16. 'close to the very posts'; i.e. of the palace gate. limen: 'the gate.' On the pronunciation postes sub ipsos: 443. Nituntur: 'they climb'; referring to the assailants. gradibus: 'on the steps' of the ladders. Join sinistris with obiciunt. "They present their shields with their left hands against the missiles (of the defenders), shielding themselves (thus, while) they grasp the battlements with their right hands.' 444. fastigia: 'battlements' of the parapet. See note on 1. 458. 445. tecta Culmina: refers to the whole roofing, including also the gilded rafters, auratas trabes, underneath the tiles. 446. His telis: 'with such weapons,' or 'missiles, as these.' Notice the emphatic position of His. ultima: 'the end of things'; when they see that things have come to the last extremity. 447. Extrema in morte: 'in death's extremity.' 449. alii: these are Trojans in the vestibule and court, standing ready with drawn swords to meet the enemy, if they should burst through the doors. imas fores: 'the doors below,' as distinguished from the roof where Aeneas stood. 451. Instaurati animi: refers both to himself and to his two companions. 452. vim: 'force'; i.e. new impulse. 453. Limen erat, etc.: this passage serves to explain how Aeneas and his comrades made their way into the palace in the rear, while the host of Greeks was swarming round the front walls and the principal entrance. Limen, fores, and postes all refer to the private entrance in the rear (relicti a tergo). Within this were corridors, affording an easy communication (pervius usus) of the various buildings or parts of the palace with each other (inter se). 456. incomitata: in a more public place the custom of the Trojans and Greeks would have required the matron to be attended by a female servant. 457. soceros: Priam and Hecuba. So patres, below, l. 579. 1. 458. Evado: 'I make my way'; by the private passage just described. ad summi fastigia culminis: 'to the battlements on the top of the roof.' Cf. 1. 302, and note. The poet has in mind a roof resting in the rear, on the colonnade which surrounds the courts, and sloping upward to the top, or terrace, of the outer wall, where it is fortified with a battlemented parapet, interrupted here and there with turrets. From this roof, or terrace Aeneas commands the view both of what is going on outside of the palace in front of the walls and gate, and also in the courts within. 460. Turrim: object of convellimus, l. 464. in praecipiti: 'on the edge.' summis Eductam tectis: 'rising with lofty roof.' 462: solitae: sc. sunt. 463. qua summa labantes, etc.: where the topmost stories afforded yielding joints.' The summa tabulata, 'highest flooring' or 'highest stories' of the palace, served as the base, or floor, of the tower; and if the tower was of wood, it could be easily thrown down in one mass, when loosened and separated at that point. 464. altis Sedibus: 'from its lofty foundations'; the tabulata and tecta, or palace roof, just mentioned. 468. interea: refers to the time occupied in tearing up the tower, and in the replacing of the Greeks destroyed by its fall. 469. Vestibulum: 'the entrance' into the atrium, or first court. See note on 1. 449. 470. Exsultat: 'springs to and fro'; indicates the swift movements of the warrior. telis et luce aëna: 'with the gleaming of brazen weapons.' A case of hendiadys (see note on I, 61). 471. Qualis ubi: the full expression would be talis, qualis est coluber, ubi, etc. See note on I, 316. 472. sub terra: is contrasted with in lucem. to be swollen by eating venomous herbs. 473. positis exuviis: 'his old skin laid aside.' tumidum: he is supposed 475. Arduus ad solem: 'uprising toward the sun.' place. ore: ablative of 477. Scyria pubes: 'the Scyrian band'; followers of Pyrrhus, from the island of Scyros, one of the Cyclades, which was ruled over by Lycomedes, the grandfather of Pyrrhus. 478. Succedunt tecto: 'advance to the palace.' They hurl firebrands up to the battlements, to prevent the Trojans from casting down missiles on Pyrrhus and the other assailants. 479. Ipse: Pyrrhus. 480. Limina: the lintel and threshold, for the door. perrumpit, vellit: the present denotes the continuance of the act, the 'attempt to break' and 'wrench,' contrasted with cavavit and dedit (ll. 481, 482), which denote the completion of the act. postes: fores, 'the door." cardine: the hole in = the lintel and threshold, in which the pivots at the top and bottom of the docr turned. See Fig. 19. 481. Aeratos: 'bronze,' 'covered with bronze.' Cf. I, 448, 449. 482 ore limits fenestram; 'an opening with a broad mouth.' See note on silvis, I, 164. 483. Apparet: through this opening the great central apartments are at once visible to the Greeks; for the vestibule admitted directly to the courts, which were connected by open passages, so that the eye could range through the whole at one view. 485. Armatos: the armed guards defending the vestibule, mentioned in 1. 449. vident: refers to the Greeks. 487. cavae aedes: a second court, or square, around which the more private apartments were built, was often called cavaedium, but Virgil may not necessarily have been thinking of this part of the Roman house in the expression, cavae aedes. 491. Instat vi patria: 'presses on with his father's fury'; with the impetuosity inherited from his father, the wrathful Achilles. Fig. 19 The first illustration is designed to show the general shape of the ancient door. The postis was the upright pillar (a, b), at whose ends were fastened bronze pivots (shown on an enlarged scale in the annexed cut, b). These pivots moved in bronze sockets (cardines), made in the threshold and lintel. The third cut presents a horizontal cross section of the door with the threshold (11. 480 sqq.). 492. sufferre: 'to withstand (him).’ ariete: pronounced here ar-ye-te. See note on 1. 16. The battering-ram in its primitive form is probably meant, i.e. a long stick of timber, wielded by men without the aid of machinery. crebro: as below, 1. 627. 493. cardine, postes: see above, 1. 480. from the socket.' Join cardine with emoti; 'started See note on 1. 20. 495. milite: used as a collective noun. 496. aggeribus ruptis: 'the barriers burst.' The Po in many places was kept within its channel, like the lower Mississippi at the present day, by embankments; and Virgil was familiar with the disastrous floods produced by a crevasse, or breach in the dike. 497. Exiit: i.e. from its channel. 498. cumulo: 'in a mass'; ablative of manner, as in I, 105. 499. Vidi ipse: 'I myself saw.' Aeneas, who had been repelling the storming party of Greeks from the battlements, was compelled to witness the entrance of Neoptolemus and the other assailants at the gate, without the power to render help. 501. nurus: 'daughters'; put for both the daughters and daughters-inlaw of Hecuba. per aras: usually explained as equivalent to inter aras. 504. Barbarico: 'barbaric'; because the gold and spoils which adorned the door posts were trophies captured from foreign or barbarian enemies of the Trojans. It was customary to hang such spoils on the door posts of houses, as well as of temples. Cf. V, 393; VII, 183. The same use of 'barbaric' occurs in Milton, Par. Lost, II, 3: 'Or where the gorgeous East, with richest hand, 506. fuerint: see note on videat, I, 181. The fate of Priam has just been indicated in general terms, but it is natural to ask the particulars of his death. requiras: H. 552; LM. 717, 718; A. 311, a; B. 280, 1; G. 257; (H. 486, 1). 507. uti: temporal, as ut, in 1. 67. 508. medium: cf. I, 348. 509. Arma: especially the lorica. aged king.' diu: join with desueta. senior: 'the 510. umeris: dative. See note on I, 412. ferrum: accusative with cingitur, which has a middle force. See note on exuvias, 1. 275. 511. fertur: ‘is hurrying'; but he is interrupted by Hecuba. See 1. 515. moriturus: cf. periturus, 1. 408. 512. Aedibus in mediis: 'in the midst of the palace'; in the inner court. See note on 1. 487. nudo sub axe: ' under the open vault.' 515. nequiquam: 'in vain'; for, in the end, its sacredness failed to save them. circum: see note on I, 32. 516. Praecipites: 517. sedebant: it was the custom to flee for refuge, in time of peril, to the altars and images of the gods. 519. mens: 'purpose.' 520. cingi: sc. te. 521. auxilio: for the ablative, see note on 1. 44. defensoribus istis: 'such defenses as those (weapons) of thine.' 522. non, si, etc.: 'not even if my Hector were now here.' For not even Hector could now help us with arms; it is only the altar, and the gods, that can save us. 525. sacra in sede: i.e. on the altar, or steps of the altar. 526. Polites has been defending the entrance to the palace, in company with those mentioned in 1. 449. Pyrrhus, from whom he has already received a deadly wound, is on the point of dispatching him. Pyrrhi de caede: 'from the death-dealing hand of Pyrrhus.' 528. Porticibus: along the porticoes'; the ablative of the way or route. His flight is through the colonnades which surround the courts, and also across the courts. vacua: either 'empty,' referring to some of the courts not yet occupied by the Greeks, or 'open,' 'spacious.' Cf. l. 761. lustrat: 'traverses.' 529. infesto vulnere: 'with deadly aim'; join with insequitur. 530. iam iam: 'now, even now.' -que: connects insequitur with the following verbs. premit: 'is close upon him.' 533. in media morte tenetur: i.e. death is all around him; his son lies before him dead, and his own death is imminent. 535. ausis: 'reckless deeds.' 536. si: as in I, 603. curet: clause of characteristic. 538. coram: equivalent to oculis meis. 539. foedasti: 'hast violated.' It implies both the outrage to his nature as a father, and the defiling of his person with the blood of the slain; for the touch, or even the presence, of a corpse rendered the individual religiously impure. 540. quo: H. 469, 2; LM. 609; A. 244, a and N. 1; B. 215; G. 395; (H. 415, II). mentiris: 'you falsely pretend'; for you would dishonor such a father. 541. in hoste: 'in respect to (toward) his enemy.' iura fidemque sup plicis erubuit: 'he respected (lit. ‘blushed at’) a suppliant's rights, a suppliant's trust.' 542. sepulcro: dative of the purpose; for burial.' 543. Hectoreum : see note on I, 200. 544. senior: cf. 1. 509. sine ictu: 'without force' or 'effect.' 545. repulsum: sc. est. 547. ergo: 'so then.' The particle expresses bitter irony. The future here is almost equivalent to an imperative. 549. Degenerem: a scornful allusion to the comparison between father and son, just made by Priam, ll. 540 sqq. 550. Hoc dicens: 'while saying this.' trementem: not with fear, but with age. See 1. 509. 552. Implicuit comam laeva: for comae laevam. Cf. 1. 723. 553. Extulit: 'raised on high.' lateri: dative for in latus. See note on 1. 18. capulo tenus: 'up to the hilt.' For the position of tenus, see note on I, 13. 555. Sorte tulit: 'befell by fate.' 556. populis, terris: ablative, denoting the cause of superbum. 558. sine nomine: 'without a name'; because deprived of the head, that by which the individual is distinguished. 559-631. Aeneas is reminded, by the fate of Priam and his house, of his own father and family, and is hastening homeward, when he discovers the Grecian Helen, the cause of all these misfortunes, hiding in the temple of Vesta. He stops, and is on the point of taking vengeance by putting her to death, but he is deterred by his mother, who appears to him in her own form, and reveals to |