Note 92 — Chapter IV · ENNIUS.
Reading edition
A comparison with the original passage (Iliad, vi. 506), will show that Ennius, while reproducing much, though not all, of the force and life of Homer's image, has added also some touches of his own:—
ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε τις στατὸς ἵππος, ἀκοστήσας ἐπὶ φάτνῃ δεσμὸν ἀπορρήξας θείῃ πεδίοιο κροαίνων, εἰωθὼς λούεσθαι εὐρρεῖος ποταμοῖο, κυδιόων· ὑψοῦ δὲ κάρη ἔχει, ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται· ὁ δ᾽ ἀγλαΐηφι πεποιθώς, ῥίμφα ἑ γοῦνα φέρει μετά τ᾽ ἤθεα καὶ νομὸν ἵππων.
Cf. Virgil, Aen. xi. 492:—
Qualis ubi abruptis fugit praesepia vinclis Tandem liber equus, campoque potitus aperto Aut ille in pastus armentaque tendit equarum, Aut adsuetus aquae perfundi flumine noto Emicat, arrectisque fremit cervicibus alte Luxurians, luduntque jubae per colla, per armos.