[41] Infreni refers to the habit of the Numidians of riding without bridles, for which Forb. comp. Sil. 1. 215, “Numidae, gens nescia freni;” but it is hard to avoid suspecting that Virg. intended the epithet to have a further symbolical application. Perhaps it would not be going too far to translate ‘the Numidians, unbridled as their own horses.’ ‘Cingunt’ is not to be pressed, as Virg. is expressly speaking of Dido's neighbours on one side only. ‘Inhospita Syrtis’ again may be meant to have a double reference—primarily to the Syrtes as unfriendly to ships, secondarily to the tribes near as barbarous to strangers —the latter being of course that which constitutes the real point of the words, as part of Anna's argument. See on the next verse. Comp. generally 1. 540, “hospitio prohibemur arenae.”
