BOOK IV
This portion of the Æneid was written when the memory of Antony and Cleopatra was still fresh, and many traits of royal, imperious Dido seem suggestive of the Egyptian queen. Cf. Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, and Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women.
[74:8.] Dawn-goddess. Aurora, with Phœbus’ torch. Apollo is constantly identified with the sun-god.
[75:3.] Erebus. God of darkness, son of Chaos and brother of Night. Synonymous with darkness, especially that of the underworld.
[76:5.] Lyæus. Bacchus. As the god that makes men unbend and frees them from care, he is called Father Lyæus.
[78:9.] Hymen. God of marriage.
[79:24.] Fame. Cf. Bacon, Fragment of an Essay of Fame. “The poets make Fame a monster. They describe her in part finely and elegantly, and in part gravely and sententiously. They say, look how many feathers she hath, so many eyes she hath underneath; so many tongues; so many voices; she pricks up so many ears. This is a flourish; there follow excellent parables; as that she gathereth strength in going; that she goeth upon the ground, and yet hideth her head in the clouds, that in the day-time she sitteth in a watch-tower, and flieth most by night; that she mingleth things done with things not yet done, and that she is a terror to great cities.”
[79:31.] Cœus. One of the Titans; was father of Latona.
[80:34.] Mæonian cap. Mæonia, part of Lydia, Asia Minor. Since Lydia and Phrygia were adjacent, Mæonian = Phrygian = Trojan.
[81:15.] The laws. Rome, the world’s lawgiver.
[83:18.] Mænad. Mænads, or Bacchantes, women worshipping Bacchus in wild and orgiastic fashion in the woods or on mountain slopes of Cithæron.
[84:19.] Elissa. Dido.
[84:31.] Grynean. Refers to oracle of Apollo at Gryneum.
[89:29.] Hecate. Diana, moon-goddess, is identified with Hecate, also moon-goddess. As goddess of cross-roads, Hecate was called Trivia, and is represented by three statues standing back to back. Hecate is especially a goddess of the underworld and of witchcraft.
[90:28.] Laomedon. The father of Priam. He was notorious for his trickery and broken promises. Hence Trojans in a derogatory, scornful sense were termed race of Laomedon.
[91:38.] Tithonus. Son of Laomedon, husband of Aurora.
[95:10.] Iris. Goddess of the rainbow, the messenger of Juno.
[95:14.] Proserpine. Daughter of Ceres, wife of Pluto, and hence queen of underworld.