24. NVBIBVS AEQVA. 'As high as the clouds'. For this use of aequus compare Aen IX 674 'abietibus iuuenes patriis in [Heyne: et codd; cf Il XII 132 'ἕστασαν ὡς ὅτε τε δρύες οὔρεσιν ὑψικάρηνοι'] montibus aequos', Statius Ach I 173 'aequus uertice matri', Sen Ep 94 61 'aequum arcibus aggerem ... et muros in miram altitudinem eductos', and Aen IV 89 'aequataque machina caelo'.
25. SITHONIO = Thracio.
25. INTERCEPERAT. Intercipere 'capture' common in Livy (IX 43 3, XXI 1 5, XXVI 51 12, XXXVI 31 10); compare Ammianus XX 7 17 & XX 10 3 'locis ... recuperatis quae olim barbari intercepta retinebant ut propria'.
26. EREPTAS VICTOR HABEBAT OPES. Similar phrasing at Fast III 49-51 'hoc ubi cognouit contemptor Amulius aequi / (nam raptas fratri uictor habebat opes), / amne iubet mergi geminos'.
27. FLVMINEA ... VNDA. Flumineus does not occur elsewhere in the Tristia or Ex Ponto; fluminea ... aqua at Fast II 46 & 596.
27. VITELLIVS. This Vitellius is presumably one of the four sons of Publius Vitellius, grandfather of the emperor. Suetonius wrote of the sons, Aulus, Quintus, Publius, and Lucius, that they were 'quattuor filios amplissimae dignitatis cognomines ac tantum praenominibus distinctos' (Vit 2 2). Heinsius suggested Aulus (cos AD 32) was the one here meant, 'nisi ad L. Vitellium patrem [sc principis] referre mauis'. 'On the general and reasonable assumption', wrote Syme (HO 90), 'this is P. Vitellius'. But Suetonius calls P. Vitellius 'Germanici comes', and he is heard of in 15 assisting Germanicus in a campaign (Tac Ann I 70 1): it is perhaps more likely that Publius would have been with Germanicus at the time of the capture of Aegissos, and that another of the brothers is meant. Certainty is in any case not attainable.
29. PROGENIES ALTI FORTISSIMA DONNI. For the phrasing, compare EP II ix 1-2 'Regia progenies, cui nobilitatis origo / nomen in Eumolpi peruenit usque ['goes back to'], Coty'.
The Donnus here referred to is Vestalis' grandfather (CIL V 7817), or possibly a more distant ancestor. Vestalis' father, Cottius, became a client of Augustus; at XV 10 7 Ammianus mentions the worship still accorded Cottius 'quod iusto moderamine rexerat suos, et ascitus in societatem rei Romanae quietem genti praestitit sempiternam'. At Nero 18 Suetonius mentions as one of the few additions to the empire under Nero the 'regnum ... Alpium defuncto Cottio'. This Cottius would probably have been Vestalis' older brother; André is therefore right to infer that Vestalis 'n'était pas l'héritier du trône, ce qu'Ovide n'aurait pas manqué de signaler'.
30. IMPETVS. Impetus + infinitive usually indicates a mad impulse: the only other exception in Ovid is Met V 287-88 (one of the Muses speaking) 'impetus ire fuit; claudit sua tecta Pyreneus / uimque parat, quam nos sumptis effugimus alis'.
31. CONSPICVVS LONGE FVLGENTIBVS ARMIS. Modelled on Aen XI 769 'insignis longe Phrygiis fulgebat in armis'.