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QUESTIONS ARISING FROM 180th. MEETING – 24/4/26
(the record of earlier meetings can be downloaded from the main Circulus page as can the version of Ciceronis Filius with illustrations added. The illustrated text of Genesis is available on the Genesis page, of Kepler's Somnium on the Somnium page, of Eutropius' Breviarium on the Eutropius page, of Suetonius' Vita Neronis on the Suetonius page and of Nutting's Ad Alpes on the Ad Alpes page)
Food ordered at the Basmati included spinachia cum caseō (saag paneer), cicera arōmatica, (chana masala), melongēna contūsa (baingan bharta, mashed eggplant), turundae gallināceae (chicken momos) and ), gallīnācea oxygalactīna (chicken korma). This was accompanied, as usual, by pānis persicus (nan) orȳza (rice), washed down as usual with vīnum rubrum and preceded by pānis tenuis (papadom).
Chicken korma
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_korma_09900
There was some discussion of the USA’s current condition and Charles pointed out that 60% of the population have no savings and are thus living from pay cheque to pay cheque (or welfare payment to welfare payment). John referred to the impression that Trump has never really been accepted by the New York elite, and continued to resent this. Charles, however, felt that Trump’s money and power mean he is no longer excluded by the old elites whether in New York or Florida, which now boasts a Donald J Trump International Airport.
Charles thinks Trump has only made open what was always happening behind the scenes. John agreed that `America first’ has always been a fundamental part of American foreign policy, just as `China first’ and `Britain first’ had been at the heart of Chinese and British policy. However, he thought that some elements of idealism were also present, albeit in a secondary role.
In the British case, this is well brought out by Paul Scott in his Raj Quartet, set in the final years of British India. Though the novels are deeply critical of British imperialism, several of the main characters do have some sense of responsibility towards the people they are governing. In contrast, the least sympathetic of the colonial officials portrayed is described as completely devoid of `that liberal instinct which is so dear to historians that they lay it out like a guideline through the unmapped forests of prejudice and self-interest as though this line, and not the forest, is our history’ (A Division of the Spoils (1975), pg.301 – see https://archive.org/details/divisionofspoils0000paul/page/n3/mode/2up ). The `liberal instinct’ may not be the main story but it remains important and Trump’s trashing it is not just a matter of changing the optics.
Pat had been reading Waterhouse, D.M. (ed.). The Origins of Himalayan Studies: Brian Houghton Hodgson in Nepal and Darjeeling, 1820–1858. (London: Routledge.2004). Hodgson was the British East India Company’ ss representative at the court of the independent state of Nepal at a critical period in the mod-19th century but is now best remembered for his contributions to the study of the country’s people, flora and fauna and to the collection of Buddhist scriptures. The editor of the volume was the head of the British Council in Kathmandu in the early 1970s and John, who was a VSO English teacher in the country at the same time and later did his doctoral research on min-19th century Nepal, contributed an essay on Hodgsons’s political role. The whole book is available on-line but on pg. 28 in John’s chapter (https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.3759/page/28/mode/2up there is a serious error: because of a misplaced letter in the records of the British Residency, John claims there that Hodgson;s attitude towards Bhimsen Thapa, then the dominant figure in Nepal’s government, swung within a few months in 1833 from hostility to enthusiastic support and then back to hostility. Hodgson in fact turned against Bhimsen in 1832 and retained a negative view until Bhimsen lost power in 1837. The abbreviated summary of Hodgson’s career at https://linguae.weebly.com/brian-hodgson.html luckily omits the erroneous detail.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_korma_09900
There was some discussion of the USA’s current condition and Charles pointed out that 60% of the population have no savings and are thus living from pay cheque to pay cheque (or welfare payment to welfare payment). John referred to the impression that Trump has never really been accepted by the New York elite, and continued to resent this. Charles, however, felt that Trump’s money and power mean he is no longer excluded by the old elites whether in New York or Florida, which now boasts a Donald J Trump International Airport.
Charles thinks Trump has only made open what was always happening behind the scenes. John agreed that `America first’ has always been a fundamental part of American foreign policy, just as `China first’ and `Britain first’ had been at the heart of Chinese and British policy. However, he thought that some elements of idealism were also present, albeit in a secondary role.
In the British case, this is well brought out by Paul Scott in his Raj Quartet, set in the final years of British India. Though the novels are deeply critical of British imperialism, several of the main characters do have some sense of responsibility towards the people they are governing. In contrast, the least sympathetic of the colonial officials portrayed is described as completely devoid of `that liberal instinct which is so dear to historians that they lay it out like a guideline through the unmapped forests of prejudice and self-interest as though this line, and not the forest, is our history’ (A Division of the Spoils (1975), pg.301 – see https://archive.org/details/divisionofspoils0000paul/page/n3/mode/2up ). The `liberal instinct’ may not be the main story but it remains important and Trump’s trashing it is not just a matter of changing the optics.
Pat had been reading Waterhouse, D.M. (ed.). The Origins of Himalayan Studies: Brian Houghton Hodgson in Nepal and Darjeeling, 1820–1858. (London: Routledge.2004). Hodgson was the British East India Company’ ss representative at the court of the independent state of Nepal at a critical period in the mod-19th century but is now best remembered for his contributions to the study of the country’s people, flora and fauna and to the collection of Buddhist scriptures. The editor of the volume was the head of the British Council in Kathmandu in the early 1970s and John, who was a VSO English teacher in the country at the same time and later did his doctoral research on min-19th century Nepal, contributed an essay on Hodgsons’s political role. The whole book is available on-line but on pg. 28 in John’s chapter (https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.3759/page/28/mode/2up there is a serious error: because of a misplaced letter in the records of the British Residency, John claims there that Hodgson;s attitude towards Bhimsen Thapa, then the dominant figure in Nepal’s government, swung within a few months in 1833 from hostility to enthusiastic support and then back to hostility. Hodgson in fact turned against Bhimsen in 1832 and retained a negative view until Bhimsen lost power in 1837. The abbreviated summary of Hodgson’s career at https://linguae.weebly.com/brian-hodgson.html luckily omits the erroneous detail.
w Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1890) in Louisa Starr’s portrait (c.1872)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Houghton_Hodgson
There was also brief discussion of Penang, the Malaysian island acquired by the British in 1786, which John and Rita had visited in March. Situated just off the NW shore of the Malay peninsula, the island served as the main centre of British power in the region until it lost this status to Singapore in the early 19th century. Like Singapore and Hong Kong, Penang Island developed essentially as a Chinese trading city under British control and just over half the current population are ethnically Chinese. The current mayor of the island’s capital, George Town, is a Tamil and the head of the municipal administration is Chinese. The city is also the capital of Penang state, which included an adjoining area on the mainland and has the second highest GDP per capita of all Malaysia’s constituent states. The old centre of George Town was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2008.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Houghton_Hodgson
There was also brief discussion of Penang, the Malaysian island acquired by the British in 1786, which John and Rita had visited in March. Situated just off the NW shore of the Malay peninsula, the island served as the main centre of British power in the region until it lost this status to Singapore in the early 19th century. Like Singapore and Hong Kong, Penang Island developed essentially as a Chinese trading city under British control and just over half the current population are ethnically Chinese. The current mayor of the island’s capital, George Town, is a Tamil and the head of the municipal administration is Chinese. The city is also the capital of Penang state, which included an adjoining area on the mainland and has the second highest GDP per capita of all Malaysia’s constituent states. The old centre of George Town was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2008.
Street scene in the old centre of George Town
A good overview of the island’s history is provided by the Penang History Gallery, with photographs, reconstructed interiors of shops and hoses and AI-generated portraits of major personages, including Francis Light, who obtained the island for the EIC, One interesting feature is the captioning of the photos in line with the official government line at the time – images from1941 to 1945, when Penang was part of the Japanese Empire, stress the enthusiasm of the locals for Japanese control and those from the British era similarly emphasise loyalty to the British Empire. One imagines local attitudes would have been fairly cynical about empires in general: with a Japanese attack imminent in 1941, the British authorities organised an evacuation of European residents without giving any notice to Penang’s Asian communities, and the local Chinese certainly did not relish coming under the control of their new overlords.
We also touched on Singapore’s strict regulation of everyday life through financial penalties, earning it the label of a `fine city.’ It was agreed, however, that Changi was a fine airport in the positive sense,
Pat was due to give a talk to the Anthropological Society on 1 May about the development of market towns in Hong Kong. The abstract for the talk is available at https://linguae.weebly.com/hkas.html but on the day itself, he laid particular stress on the development of `anchorage’ towns like Aberdeen, which grew to meet the demands of the trade in salted fish. This had apparently been pioneered by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century and became an important source of protein for villagers in the New Territories. A large ship could bring ashore 25 tons of fish and, when setting out to sea, would have on board 7 tons of salt for the initial preservation of the catch. The fish involved were principally yellow croakers, which were at their best when passing through the Pearl Estuary during their annual migration.
The `anchorage’ towns were a separate category from the oldest market towns – Kowloon City, Tai Po and Yuen Long – which had been established around 1200.
A good overview of the island’s history is provided by the Penang History Gallery, with photographs, reconstructed interiors of shops and hoses and AI-generated portraits of major personages, including Francis Light, who obtained the island for the EIC, One interesting feature is the captioning of the photos in line with the official government line at the time – images from1941 to 1945, when Penang was part of the Japanese Empire, stress the enthusiasm of the locals for Japanese control and those from the British era similarly emphasise loyalty to the British Empire. One imagines local attitudes would have been fairly cynical about empires in general: with a Japanese attack imminent in 1941, the British authorities organised an evacuation of European residents without giving any notice to Penang’s Asian communities, and the local Chinese certainly did not relish coming under the control of their new overlords.
We also touched on Singapore’s strict regulation of everyday life through financial penalties, earning it the label of a `fine city.’ It was agreed, however, that Changi was a fine airport in the positive sense,
Pat was due to give a talk to the Anthropological Society on 1 May about the development of market towns in Hong Kong. The abstract for the talk is available at https://linguae.weebly.com/hkas.html but on the day itself, he laid particular stress on the development of `anchorage’ towns like Aberdeen, which grew to meet the demands of the trade in salted fish. This had apparently been pioneered by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century and became an important source of protein for villagers in the New Territories. A large ship could bring ashore 25 tons of fish and, when setting out to sea, would have on board 7 tons of salt for the initial preservation of the catch. The fish involved were principally yellow croakers, which were at their best when passing through the Pearl Estuary during their annual migration.
The `anchorage’ towns were a separate category from the oldest market towns – Kowloon City, Tai Po and Yuen Long – which had been established around 1200.
Colourised photo of Kowloon City, c. 1890
Old Hong Kong Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639311162816368/posts/9227207904026618/
After dinner, we read lines 694 to 755 from Ilias Latina, Pat pointing out that John had omitted the translation of respōnsa in the first line.
ĪLIAS LATĪNA 694-755
Irrita lēgātī referunt respōnsa Pelasgīs
Useless the-representatives carry-back to-Pelasgians
et dapibus cūrant animōs lēnīque sopōre. 695
and with-feasting they-take-care-of spirits and-with-gentle sleep
Alterius tenebrae tardē lābentibus astrīs
of-next night slowly gliding-by with-stars
restābatque super tacitae pars tertia noctis,
and-there-was-left over of-silent part third night
cum Danaum iussū castrīs Aetōlius hērōs
when of-Danaans by-order from-camp Aetolian hero
ēgreditur sociumque sibi dēlēgit Ulixem,
goes-out and-[as]-companion for-himself has-chosen Ulysses
NOTES
Pelasgīs; see on l.10 for the original Pelasgians and for the later use of the term as a name for the Greeks.
Alterīus tenebrae: the translation assumes this is a genitive phrase qualifying lābentibus astrīs, even though tenebra is normally only used in the plural in Classical Latin However, the use of -que in the next line would be more natural if it was linking two clauses rather than an ablative absolute and a clause. It is therefore also possible that tenebrae is nominative plural and a verb like erant or vēnērunt has to be understood; ‘It was the night of the next day’.
Aetōlius hērōs: Diomedes, whose father was from the royal family of Calydin in Aetolia,, the region of western Greece on the north side of the Gulf of Corinth.
quī sēcum tacitae sublūstrī noctis in umbrā 700
who with-him of-silent glimmering of-night in shadow
scrūtētur studiō quae sit fīdūcia Trōum
could-spy-out with-zeal what is confidence of-Trojans
quidve agitent quantāsve parent in proelia vīrēs.
or-what they-are-doing or-how-much they-are-preparing for war strength
Dumque iter horrendum loca pernoctāta paventēs
And-while journey terrible places stayed-in-over-night fearing
carpēbant, venit ecce Dolōn, quem Trōia pūbēs
they-were-taking there-came see! Dolon whom Trojan youth
mīserat, ut Danaum sollertī pectore vīrēs 705
has-sent so-that of-Danaans with-careful mind strength
perspiceret sēnsūsque ducum plēbisque referret.
he-could observe and-feelings of-leaders and-of-common-people he-could-report.
Quem procul ut vīdit socius Diomēdis Ulixēs,
Whom far-off when saw companion of-Diomedes Ulysses
abdiderant occultantēs sua corpora fūrtim
they-had-hidden concealing their-own bodies furtively
post dēnsōs fruticēs, dum spē percussus inānī
behind thick bushes until by-hope struck vain
Trōs Eumediadēs cursū praecēderet illōs, 710
Trojan son-Eumedes on-his-route went-past them
nē facile oppressus gressum in sua castra referret.
So-that-not easily when-attacked step to his-own-camp he-might-take-back
Post, ubi trānsierat fīdēns animōque manūque,
afterwards when he-had-gone-past confident in-his-mind and-hand
NOTES
studiō: probably to be taken with scrūtētur; Ulysses, with Diomedes, is to zealously carry out his spy mission, Alternatively, studiō could be taken as dative with Trōum; `’What confidence there is in the enthusiasm of the Trojans’, i.e whether one could be sure that the Trojans would keep up the martial spirit they had just shown,
Dolōn: brother to five sisters; his grandson, named Eumedes after Dolon’s father, appears in the Aeneid where he died fighting under Aeneas in Italy (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolon_(mythology))
pubēs: a collective noun
prōsiluēre uirī iuvenemque ēuādere cursū
jumped-forward the-men and young-man to-escape by-running
cōnantem capiunt ferrōque manūque minantur.
trying capture and-with-iron ans-hans threaten
Ille timōre pavēns: "Vītam concēdite" - dīxit -, 715
he with-fear trembling life allow(-me) said
"hoc ūnum satis est; quod sī perstātis in īrā,
This one-thing enough is for if you-persist in anger
quanta ex morte meā capiētis praemia laudis?
How-great from death my will-you-gain rewards of-praise
At sī cūr veniam tacitīs exquīritis umbrīs:
And if why I-come in-silent you-ask shadows
maxima Troia mihī currum prōmīsit Achillīs
mighty Troy to-me chariot promised of-Achilles
sī vestrās cēpisset opēs. Haec dōna secūtus 720
if your it-had-captured wealth these gifts chasing
in dubiōs cāsūs, cōram quod cernitis ipsī,
into dangerous situation in-front—of-you] which you-see yourselves
īnfēlīx cecidī. Nunc vōs per nūmina dīvum,
unfortunate I-fell now you by divine-powers of-the-gods
per mare, per Dītis flūctūs obtestor opācī,
by sea by of-Pluto waters I-plea dark
nē rapere hanc animam crūdēlī caede velītis.
that-not to-seize this soul by-cruel slaughter you-be-willing
Haec prō concessā referētis dōna salūte: 725
These for granted you-will-receive gifts safety
NOTES
prōsiluēre: contracted form of prōsiluērunt.
ferrōque manūque: either `with sword and fist’ (McKinley) or hendidadys (`with the swords in their hands’)
timōre pavēns: the first word is not really needed as paveō on its own means `tremble with fear’
hoc: although the neuter nominative singular of hic has a short vowel and the final `c’ is pronounced with vowel at the start of the following word, the `c’ is pronounced double and so the syllable scans long.
tacitīs..umbrīs: in locative sense, without the preposition needed in prose
currum..Achillis: Ulysses in the Iliad tells him that only Achilles can handle his horses!
cōnsilium Priamī rēgis remque ōrdine gentis
plan of-Priam king and-situation systematically of-race
expediam Phrygiae." Postquam quid Troia parāret
I-will-explain Phrygian after what Troy was-preparing
cognōvēre virī, faucēs mucrōne reclūsō
learned the-men throat with-sword unsheathed
dētrūdunt iuvenis. Post haec tentōria Rhēsī
they-thrust down of-young-man after this tents of-Rhesus
intrant atque ipsum somnō vīnōque sepultum 730
they-enter and man-himself in-sleep and-wine buried
obtruncant spoliantque virum fūsōsque per herbam
they-slaughter and-despoil the-man and-sprawled over grass
exanimant sociōs. Tum trīstī caede perāctā
they-kill comrades then with-grievous slaughter completed
praeda umerōs onerant, multō et candōre nītentēs
with-booty shoulders they-load with-much also whiteness gleaming
Thrācas equōs rapiunt, quōs nec praecēderet Eurus
Thracian horses they-seize which neither would-outpace Eurus
nec posset volucrī cursū superāre sagitta. 735
nor would-be-able in-swift flight to-overtake arrow
Inde iterum Argolicās prīmae sub tempore lūcīs
And-then again Argive of-first towards time light
ad classēs redeunt, quōs Nestoris accipit aetās
to fleets they-return and-them of-Nestor meets age
ac recipit portīs. Postquam sua castra tenēbant,
and-receives at-gates after own camp they-occupied
NOTES
ōrdine: literally, `in/by order
cognōvēre: short form of cognōvērunt
Rhēsī: Rhesus was the son of King Eioneus of Thrace and Dolon had told Diomedes and Ulysses that his camp was an easy target.
Eurus: the east or south-east wind but sometimes just meaning a wind of any kind. As a god, Eurus, associated with autumn, is not mentioned as often as his siblings Boreas, Notus and Zephyrus, the north, south and west winds respectively.
Nestoris…aetās: ie, old Nestor. The king of Pylos is said by the mythographer Hyginus (c.64 BC to 17 AD) to have been granted a life of three generations (saecula) by Apollo in compensation for the years which Apollo had taken when he killed Nestor’s maternal uncles, the children of Niobe (Fabulae, 10). In Hyginus’s version of the myth, Chloris, Nestor’s mother and youngest of Niobe’s daughters, was spared by Diana.
facta ducī referunt: laudat Pelopēius hērōs,
deeds to-leader they-report praises Pelopian hero
fessaque iūcundae trādunt sua membra quiētī. 740
and-tired to-pleasant they-hand-over their limbs rest
Lūx exorta virōs in prīstina bella remīsit,
Dawn having-risen men to former wars sent-back
īnstaurantque animōs recreātō mīlite pugnae
and- renew spirits having-been-refreshed army for-battle
Dardanidum Danaumque ducēs: volat undique nūbēs
of-Trojans and-of-Greeks leaders flies from-everywhere cloud
tēlōrum et ferrō ferrum sonat, undique mixtīs
of-missiles and on-iron iron sounds from-everywhere having-clashed
inter sē strīdent mucrōnibus: īnstat utrimque 745
with-each-other they-make-shrill-sound swords presses-hard on-both-sides
dēnsa aciēs mixtusque fluit cum sanguine sūdor.
packed battle-line and-mixed flows with blood sweat
Tandem ferventī Danaum rēx concitus īrā
At-last by-boiling of-Greeks king aroused anger
Antiphon ingentī prōstrātum vulnere fundit
Antiphus with-huge low wound lays
Pīsandrumque simul frātremque ad bella ruentem
And-Pisander at-same-time and-brother to fight rushing
Hippolochum; post hōs gladiō petit Īphidamanta. 750
Hipplochus after these with-sword attacks Iphidimas
Hūc frāter dextram iaculō ferit; ille dolōre
Here his-brother {Agamemnon’s}right-hand with-javelin struck he from-pain
NOTES
Pelopēius: Agamemnon, grandson of Pelops (see on l.131 above).
animōs: referring presumably to to the spirits or courage of the whole army, The dative pugnae is probably best associated with instaurant… animōs rather than the ablative absolute recreātō mīlite
mixtīs…mucrōnibus: an ablative absolute, so the subject of strīdent should, strictly, speaking, be the warriors themselves rather. than their weapons. In any case, it is the clanging of the swords that is referred to.
Antiphon: a Greek accusative. Antiphus was a son of Priam. He and his brother Isus had earlier been captured by Achilles when tending sheep on Mt Ida but then ransomed. Agamenon also killed Isus, who was his brother’s charioteer, and recognised both of them when he stripped the armor from their bodies.
Pisandrum..Hippolochum: Pisander and Hippolochus were sons of Antimachus, who had strongly opposed returning Helen to Menelaus. Agamenon killed them despite their plea to be held for ransom..
Īphidamanta: Iphidimas was the son of Antenor, the Trojan who had recently advocated returning Helen to the Greeks (see on lines 636-9 above). Antenor’s elder brother, Cöon, attacked Agamemnon in revenge but he also was killed,
ille: Agamemnon
ācrior acceptō fugientem Antēnore nātum
fiercer received fleeing from—Antenor man-born
persequitur trāxitque ferōx cum vulnere poenās.
chases and-extracted ferociously with wound penalty
Hector tunc pugnae subit ācrī concitus īrā
Hector then to-fight comes-up by-bitter aroused anger
Prīamidēs et percussōs agit undique Graiōs; 755
son-of-Priam and having-been-struck drives from-all-directions Greeks
Old Hong Kong Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639311162816368/posts/9227207904026618/
After dinner, we read lines 694 to 755 from Ilias Latina, Pat pointing out that John had omitted the translation of respōnsa in the first line.
ĪLIAS LATĪNA 694-755
Irrita lēgātī referunt respōnsa Pelasgīs
Useless the-representatives carry-back to-Pelasgians
et dapibus cūrant animōs lēnīque sopōre. 695
and with-feasting they-take-care-of spirits and-with-gentle sleep
Alterius tenebrae tardē lābentibus astrīs
of-next night slowly gliding-by with-stars
restābatque super tacitae pars tertia noctis,
and-there-was-left over of-silent part third night
cum Danaum iussū castrīs Aetōlius hērōs
when of-Danaans by-order from-camp Aetolian hero
ēgreditur sociumque sibi dēlēgit Ulixem,
goes-out and-[as]-companion for-himself has-chosen Ulysses
NOTES
Pelasgīs; see on l.10 for the original Pelasgians and for the later use of the term as a name for the Greeks.
Alterīus tenebrae: the translation assumes this is a genitive phrase qualifying lābentibus astrīs, even though tenebra is normally only used in the plural in Classical Latin However, the use of -que in the next line would be more natural if it was linking two clauses rather than an ablative absolute and a clause. It is therefore also possible that tenebrae is nominative plural and a verb like erant or vēnērunt has to be understood; ‘It was the night of the next day’.
Aetōlius hērōs: Diomedes, whose father was from the royal family of Calydin in Aetolia,, the region of western Greece on the north side of the Gulf of Corinth.
quī sēcum tacitae sublūstrī noctis in umbrā 700
who with-him of-silent glimmering of-night in shadow
scrūtētur studiō quae sit fīdūcia Trōum
could-spy-out with-zeal what is confidence of-Trojans
quidve agitent quantāsve parent in proelia vīrēs.
or-what they-are-doing or-how-much they-are-preparing for war strength
Dumque iter horrendum loca pernoctāta paventēs
And-while journey terrible places stayed-in-over-night fearing
carpēbant, venit ecce Dolōn, quem Trōia pūbēs
they-were-taking there-came see! Dolon whom Trojan youth
mīserat, ut Danaum sollertī pectore vīrēs 705
has-sent so-that of-Danaans with-careful mind strength
perspiceret sēnsūsque ducum plēbisque referret.
he-could observe and-feelings of-leaders and-of-common-people he-could-report.
Quem procul ut vīdit socius Diomēdis Ulixēs,
Whom far-off when saw companion of-Diomedes Ulysses
abdiderant occultantēs sua corpora fūrtim
they-had-hidden concealing their-own bodies furtively
post dēnsōs fruticēs, dum spē percussus inānī
behind thick bushes until by-hope struck vain
Trōs Eumediadēs cursū praecēderet illōs, 710
Trojan son-Eumedes on-his-route went-past them
nē facile oppressus gressum in sua castra referret.
So-that-not easily when-attacked step to his-own-camp he-might-take-back
Post, ubi trānsierat fīdēns animōque manūque,
afterwards when he-had-gone-past confident in-his-mind and-hand
NOTES
studiō: probably to be taken with scrūtētur; Ulysses, with Diomedes, is to zealously carry out his spy mission, Alternatively, studiō could be taken as dative with Trōum; `’What confidence there is in the enthusiasm of the Trojans’, i.e whether one could be sure that the Trojans would keep up the martial spirit they had just shown,
Dolōn: brother to five sisters; his grandson, named Eumedes after Dolon’s father, appears in the Aeneid where he died fighting under Aeneas in Italy (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolon_(mythology))
pubēs: a collective noun
prōsiluēre uirī iuvenemque ēuādere cursū
jumped-forward the-men and young-man to-escape by-running
cōnantem capiunt ferrōque manūque minantur.
trying capture and-with-iron ans-hans threaten
Ille timōre pavēns: "Vītam concēdite" - dīxit -, 715
he with-fear trembling life allow(-me) said
"hoc ūnum satis est; quod sī perstātis in īrā,
This one-thing enough is for if you-persist in anger
quanta ex morte meā capiētis praemia laudis?
How-great from death my will-you-gain rewards of-praise
At sī cūr veniam tacitīs exquīritis umbrīs:
And if why I-come in-silent you-ask shadows
maxima Troia mihī currum prōmīsit Achillīs
mighty Troy to-me chariot promised of-Achilles
sī vestrās cēpisset opēs. Haec dōna secūtus 720
if your it-had-captured wealth these gifts chasing
in dubiōs cāsūs, cōram quod cernitis ipsī,
into dangerous situation in-front—of-you] which you-see yourselves
īnfēlīx cecidī. Nunc vōs per nūmina dīvum,
unfortunate I-fell now you by divine-powers of-the-gods
per mare, per Dītis flūctūs obtestor opācī,
by sea by of-Pluto waters I-plea dark
nē rapere hanc animam crūdēlī caede velītis.
that-not to-seize this soul by-cruel slaughter you-be-willing
Haec prō concessā referētis dōna salūte: 725
These for granted you-will-receive gifts safety
NOTES
prōsiluēre: contracted form of prōsiluērunt.
ferrōque manūque: either `with sword and fist’ (McKinley) or hendidadys (`with the swords in their hands’)
timōre pavēns: the first word is not really needed as paveō on its own means `tremble with fear’
hoc: although the neuter nominative singular of hic has a short vowel and the final `c’ is pronounced with vowel at the start of the following word, the `c’ is pronounced double and so the syllable scans long.
tacitīs..umbrīs: in locative sense, without the preposition needed in prose
currum..Achillis: Ulysses in the Iliad tells him that only Achilles can handle his horses!
cōnsilium Priamī rēgis remque ōrdine gentis
plan of-Priam king and-situation systematically of-race
expediam Phrygiae." Postquam quid Troia parāret
I-will-explain Phrygian after what Troy was-preparing
cognōvēre virī, faucēs mucrōne reclūsō
learned the-men throat with-sword unsheathed
dētrūdunt iuvenis. Post haec tentōria Rhēsī
they-thrust down of-young-man after this tents of-Rhesus
intrant atque ipsum somnō vīnōque sepultum 730
they-enter and man-himself in-sleep and-wine buried
obtruncant spoliantque virum fūsōsque per herbam
they-slaughter and-despoil the-man and-sprawled over grass
exanimant sociōs. Tum trīstī caede perāctā
they-kill comrades then with-grievous slaughter completed
praeda umerōs onerant, multō et candōre nītentēs
with-booty shoulders they-load with-much also whiteness gleaming
Thrācas equōs rapiunt, quōs nec praecēderet Eurus
Thracian horses they-seize which neither would-outpace Eurus
nec posset volucrī cursū superāre sagitta. 735
nor would-be-able in-swift flight to-overtake arrow
Inde iterum Argolicās prīmae sub tempore lūcīs
And-then again Argive of-first towards time light
ad classēs redeunt, quōs Nestoris accipit aetās
to fleets they-return and-them of-Nestor meets age
ac recipit portīs. Postquam sua castra tenēbant,
and-receives at-gates after own camp they-occupied
NOTES
ōrdine: literally, `in/by order
cognōvēre: short form of cognōvērunt
Rhēsī: Rhesus was the son of King Eioneus of Thrace and Dolon had told Diomedes and Ulysses that his camp was an easy target.
Eurus: the east or south-east wind but sometimes just meaning a wind of any kind. As a god, Eurus, associated with autumn, is not mentioned as often as his siblings Boreas, Notus and Zephyrus, the north, south and west winds respectively.
Nestoris…aetās: ie, old Nestor. The king of Pylos is said by the mythographer Hyginus (c.64 BC to 17 AD) to have been granted a life of three generations (saecula) by Apollo in compensation for the years which Apollo had taken when he killed Nestor’s maternal uncles, the children of Niobe (Fabulae, 10). In Hyginus’s version of the myth, Chloris, Nestor’s mother and youngest of Niobe’s daughters, was spared by Diana.
facta ducī referunt: laudat Pelopēius hērōs,
deeds to-leader they-report praises Pelopian hero
fessaque iūcundae trādunt sua membra quiētī. 740
and-tired to-pleasant they-hand-over their limbs rest
Lūx exorta virōs in prīstina bella remīsit,
Dawn having-risen men to former wars sent-back
īnstaurantque animōs recreātō mīlite pugnae
and- renew spirits having-been-refreshed army for-battle
Dardanidum Danaumque ducēs: volat undique nūbēs
of-Trojans and-of-Greeks leaders flies from-everywhere cloud
tēlōrum et ferrō ferrum sonat, undique mixtīs
of-missiles and on-iron iron sounds from-everywhere having-clashed
inter sē strīdent mucrōnibus: īnstat utrimque 745
with-each-other they-make-shrill-sound swords presses-hard on-both-sides
dēnsa aciēs mixtusque fluit cum sanguine sūdor.
packed battle-line and-mixed flows with blood sweat
Tandem ferventī Danaum rēx concitus īrā
At-last by-boiling of-Greeks king aroused anger
Antiphon ingentī prōstrātum vulnere fundit
Antiphus with-huge low wound lays
Pīsandrumque simul frātremque ad bella ruentem
And-Pisander at-same-time and-brother to fight rushing
Hippolochum; post hōs gladiō petit Īphidamanta. 750
Hipplochus after these with-sword attacks Iphidimas
Hūc frāter dextram iaculō ferit; ille dolōre
Here his-brother {Agamemnon’s}right-hand with-javelin struck he from-pain
NOTES
Pelopēius: Agamemnon, grandson of Pelops (see on l.131 above).
animōs: referring presumably to to the spirits or courage of the whole army, The dative pugnae is probably best associated with instaurant… animōs rather than the ablative absolute recreātō mīlite
mixtīs…mucrōnibus: an ablative absolute, so the subject of strīdent should, strictly, speaking, be the warriors themselves rather. than their weapons. In any case, it is the clanging of the swords that is referred to.
Antiphon: a Greek accusative. Antiphus was a son of Priam. He and his brother Isus had earlier been captured by Achilles when tending sheep on Mt Ida but then ransomed. Agamenon also killed Isus, who was his brother’s charioteer, and recognised both of them when he stripped the armor from their bodies.
Pisandrum..Hippolochum: Pisander and Hippolochus were sons of Antimachus, who had strongly opposed returning Helen to Menelaus. Agamenon killed them despite their plea to be held for ransom..
Īphidamanta: Iphidimas was the son of Antenor, the Trojan who had recently advocated returning Helen to the Greeks (see on lines 636-9 above). Antenor’s elder brother, Cöon, attacked Agamemnon in revenge but he also was killed,
ille: Agamemnon
ācrior acceptō fugientem Antēnore nātum
fiercer received fleeing from—Antenor man-born
persequitur trāxitque ferōx cum vulnere poenās.
chases and-extracted ferociously with wound penalty
Hector tunc pugnae subit ācrī concitus īrā
Hector then to-fight comes-up by-bitter aroused anger
Prīamidēs et percussōs agit undique Graiōs; 755
son-of-Priam and having-been-struck drives from-all-directions Greeks
