CRE. [O greatly glorious Victory, mayest thou uphold my life, and cease not from crowning me!] (See note [H].)

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NOTES ON THE PHOENICIAN VIRGINS

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[1] That is, through the signs of the zodiac:  [Greek:  aster] differs from [Greek:  astron], the former signifying a single star, the latter many.

[2] The preposition [Greek:  syn] is omitted, as in Homer,

  [Greek:  Autei ken gaiei erysaimi.]

The same omission occurs in the Bacchae, [Greek:  auteisin elatais], and again in the Hippolytus.  It is an Atticism.

[3] See note on Hecuba, 478.

[4] The word [Greek:  tounoma] must be supplied after [Greek:  touto], which is implied in the verb [Greek:  kalousin].

[5] The [Greek:  zaros] is a bird of prey of the vulture species.  The sphinx was represented as having the face of a woman, the breast and feet of a lion, and the wings of a bird.

[5a] Dindorf would omit this verse.

[6] [Greek:  arai] and [Greek:  arasthai] are often used by the poets in a good sense for prayers, [Greek:  euchai] and [Greek:  euchesthai] for curses and imprecations.

[7] [Greek:  dieres hyperoon, e klimax].  HESYCHIUS.

[8] Milton, Par.  Regained, b. iii. l. 326.

  The field, all iron, cast a gleaming brown.

[9] Lerna, a country of Argolis celebrated for a grove and a lake where the Danaides threw the heads of their murdered husbands.  It was there also that Hercules killed the famous Hydra.

[10] This alludes to the figure of Argus engraved on his shield.  See verse 1130.

[11] Tydeus married Deipyle, Polynices Argia, both daughters of Adrastus, king of Argos.

[12] Some suppose [Greek:  hysteroi podi] to mean with their last steps, that is, with steps which are doomed never to return again to their own country.

[13] Triaena was a place in Argolis, where Neptune stuck his trident in the ground, and immediately water sprung up.  SCHOL.

[14] Amymone was daughter of Danaus and Europa; she was employed, by order of her father, in supplying the city of Argos with water, in a great drought.  Neptune saw her in this employment, and was enamored of her.  He carried her away, and in the place where she stood he raised a fountain, which has been called Amymone.  See Propert. ii.  El. 20. v. 47.

[15] [Greek:  allelas legousin] is, they say one of another; [Greek:  allelais legousin], they say among themselves.

[16] By [Greek:  pedion akarpiston] is to be understood the sea.  The construction [Greek:  pedion perirrhyton Sikelias], that is, [Greek:  ha Sikelian perirrhei].  The same construction is found in Sophocles, Oed.  Tyr. l. 885. [Greek:  dikas aphobetos].  L. 969. [Greek:  aphaustos enchous].  See also Horace, Lib. iv.  Od. 4. 43.