THE GEORGICS, BOOK IV

...by the movement [he] drives away? of which the innate?
...of vanities while he subverts? he begins?
...who of his own accord from there? the mind?
...to lay aside cares from the mind?

...the cause; from this, the wretched? Nymphs The Nymphs were companions of Eurydice; their grief over her death led them to destroy Aristaeus’s bees.
...to lead the dances in the groves? sad?
...at that time, [offer] gifts as a suppliant?
...graciously worship?, for the [Nymphs of the glade]? original: "NAPAEAS"; these are nymphs presiding over dells and silver groves.
...for they will grant pardon to your prayers and let go their anger.?
...if first I shall tell you the order [of the rite]?.
...bulls of outstanding body?.
...which now graze for you on the summits of? Lycaeus Mount Lycaeus in Arcadia, a wild region sacred to the gods of the forest.
...heifers with untouched necks? This refers to young cows that have never been broken to the yoke, signifying their purity for sacrifice.
...to the shrines of the goddesses?
...leave the bodies [of the herds]?
...leave [them] in the leafy grove?
...you shall send the [offerings] shown?
...you shall send [to the] Avernian [Lethe]? Avernus was considered the entrance to the Underworld, and Lethe the river of forgetfulness. Aristaeus is being told to send offerings to the spirits below.
...and you shall revisit the grove?
...as an offering for Orpheus?
...you shall appease Eurydice by sacrificing a heifer.?

This page is a fragment from the Vergilius Vaticanus (Vat. lat. 3225), one of the oldest surviving illuminated manuscripts of Virgil, dating to approximately 400 AD. The text is written in Rustic Capitals, a formal Roman script. A decorative red and purple border remains visible on the right edge, though the left side of the vellum has been lost to time.