[46] "Gad-fly" or "brize." See the commentators.
[47] On the discrepancies of reading, see Dind. With the whole passage compare Nonnus, Dionys. III. p. 62,2.
ταυροφυὴς ὅτε πόρτις ἀμειβομένοιο προσώπου εἰς ἀγέλην ἄγραυλος ἐλαύνετο σύννομος ᾽Ιώ. καὶ δαμάλης ἄγρυπνον ἐθήκατο βουκόλον Ἥρη ποικίλον ἀπλανέεσσι κεκασμένον ῎Αργον ὀπωπαῖς Ζηνὸς ὀπιπευτῆρα βοοκραίρων ὑμεναίων. Ζηνὸς ἀθηήτοιο καὶ ἐς νομὸν ἤϊε κούρη, ὀφθαλμοὺς τρομέουσα πολυγλήνοιο νομῆος. γυιοβόρῳ δὲ μύωπι χαρασσομένη δέμας ᾽Ιώ ᾽Ιονίης [ἁλὸς] οἶδμα κατέγραφε φοιτάδι χηλῇ. ἦλθε καὶ εἰς Αἴγυπτον—
This writer, who constantly has the Athenian dramatists in view, pursues the narrative of Io's wanderings with an evident reference to Æschylus. See other illustrations from the poets in Stanley's notes.
[48] The ghost of Argus was doubtless whimsically represented, but probably without the waste of flour that is peculiar to modern stage spectres. Perhaps, as Burges describes, "a mute in a dress resembling a peacock's tail expanded, and with a Pan's pipe slung to his side, which ever and anon he seems to sound; and with a goad in his hand, mounted at one end with a representation of a hornet or gad-fly." But this phantom, like Macbeth's dagger, is supposed to be in the mind only. With a similar idea Apuleius, Apol. p. 315, ed. Elm. invokes upon Æmilianus in the following mild terms: "At ... semper obvias species mortuorum, quidquid umbrarum est usquam, quidquid lemurum, quidquid manium, quidquid larvarum oculis tuis oggerat: omnia noctium occursacula, omnia bustorum formidamina, omnia sepulchrorum terriculamenta, a quibus tamen ævo emerito haud longe abes."
[49] I have followed Dindorf's elegant emendation. See his note, and Blomf. on Ag. 1.
[50] After the remarks of Dindorf and Paley, it seems that the above must be the sense, whether we read ὧν with Hermann, or take ὡς for ἢ ὡς with the above mentioned editor.
[51] Paley remarks that τὰς πολ. τύχας is used in the same manner as in Pers. 453, φθαρέντες="shipwrecked" (see his note), or "wandering." He renders the present passage "the adventures of her long wanderings."
[52] With the earlier circumstances of this narrative compare the beautiful story of Psyche in Apuleius, Met. IV. p. 157, sqq. Elm.
[53] Cf Ag. 217, ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἀνάγκας ἔδυ λέπαδνον