Book 5

‘When the Trojans depart from Carthage a black rain-cloud appears above their heads darkening the sky and the seas. Palinurus, standing on the lofty stern, blames ‘Neptunus ‘ for it;1 he tells Aeneas that it is impossible to reach Italy against the wind and suggests that they should make for Sicily, which should not be far away, if he remembers correctly as he retraces the stars which he had watched before ( ‘si modo rite memor seruata remetio astra ‘). Components of the name ‘Palinurus ‘ are Sight (ovpos), Memory, and Return (7T<1Atv); in addition, ovpos ( ‘watchman ‘) interacts semantically with oopos ( ‘favourable wind ‘ of return). ‘Palinurus ‘ guides the ships back to Sicily, a familiar shore, by watching the stars, relying on his recollection of the earlier voyage, and running before a favourable wind (32-3). The present deviation from the voyage of return to Italy is a welcome one (30-1) for the purpose of honouring Anchises.

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