1 [Written, according to Neander, about a.d. 208.]
4 i.e., in Adrumetum (Oehler).
6 i.e., Etruscans, who were supposed to be of Lydian origin.
8 A Roman knight and mime-writer.
11 Caput vindicantis. But some read capite: "which avenges itself with its head."
12 See Virg., AEn., iii. 415 (Oehler).
14 See Adv. Herm., c. xxv. ad fin. (Oehler).
15 As being "the ears of an ass."
16 Mundus. Oehler's pointing is disregarded.
17 Mundus. Oehler's pointing is disregarded.
18 Mundus. Oehler's pointing is disregarded.
19 Metatio nostra, i.e., the world.
20 i.e., blind. Cf. Milton, P. L. iii. 35, with the preceding and subsequent context.
21 Alluding to the Sibylline oracles, in which we read (l. iii.), Kai Samoj ammoj esh, kai Dhloj adhloj and again (l. iv.), Dhloj ouk eti dhloj, adhla de panta tou Dhlou (Oehler).
22 See Apolog., c. xi. med.; ad Nat., l. i. c. ix. med.; Plato, Timaeus, pp. 24, 25 (Oehler).
23 Oehler's apt conjecture, "et solum sua dabat," is substituted for the unintelligible "et solus audiebat" of the mss., which Rig. skilfully but indffectually tries to explain.
24 The "camp" of Cambyses, said by Herod, (iii.26) to have been swallowed up in the Libyan Syrtes (Salm. in Oehler). It was one detachment of his army. Milton tells similar tales of the "Serbonian bog." P.L., ii. 591-594.
27 "Alias versura compensati redit;" unless we may read "reddit," and take "versura" as a nominative: "the turn of compensation at some other time restores."
28 This rendering, which makes the earth the subject, appears to give at least an intelligible sense to this hopelessly corrupt passage. Oehler's pointing is disregarded; and his rendering not strictly adhered to, as being too forced. If for Oehler's conjectural "se demum intellegens" we might read "se debere demum intellegens," or simply "se debere intellegens," a good sense might be made, thus: "understanding at last" (or, simply, "understanding") "that it was her duty to cultivate all (parts of her surface)."
29 Comp. Gen. xi. 26-xii. 5 with Acts vii. 2-4, 15, 45, and xiii. 17-19.
31 Oehler understands this of Clodius Albinus, and the Augusti mentioned above to be Severus and his two sons Antonius and Geta. But see Kaye, pp. 36-39 (ed. 3, 1845).
32 Reflecti: perhaps a play upon the word = to turn back, or (mentally) to reflect.
34 i.e., a place which he was to work, as condemned criminals worked mines. Comp., de Pu., c. xxii. sub init.; and see Gen. ii. 25 (in LXX. iii. 1), iii. 7, 21-24.
35 Alexander Polyhistor, who dedicated his books on the affairs of the Phrygians and Egyptians to his mother (Rig. in Oehler).
36 The Egyptian Liber, or Bacchus. See de Cor., c. vii. (Rig. in Oehler).
37 Male senescentia. Rig. (as quoted by Oehler) seems to interpret, "which entail a feeble old age." Oehler himself seems to take it to mean "pursuits which are growing very old, and toiling to no purpose."
38 Or, as some take it, with wax (Oehler).
41 Axillenj: from a privative, and seilo<\|dq_, the lip. See Oehler.
42 The Centaur Chiron, namely.
43 Deianira, of whom he had begotten Pyrrhus (Oehler).
44 See the note on this word in de Idol., c. xviii.
45 Hom., Od., svi. 294 (Oehler).
46 Jos. Mercer, quoted by Oehler, appears to take the meaning to be,"to his clandestine Lydian concubine;" but that rendering does not seem necessary.
47 Viraginis; but perhaps = virginis. See the Vulg. in Gen. ii. 23.