Two questions from Orberg Cap XXXVII

[pmda]

I have two questions:

1) In Roman mythology is it correct to say that Picus, Faunus, Latinus were succeeded by Aeneas as King of Latium?

2) Point of Grammar: The Trojans deliberating on the probity of the wooden horse...

'...Alii eum ut donum Minervae, deae Troianis benignae.

Orberg says the above is an example of dative with use of 'benignus'. I take it that Troianis here is dative, rather than Minervae, right? So it would be 'others (saw it) as a gift of the benevolent goddess Minerva to the Trojans.

Do I have that right?

Also we have the sea serpents attacking Laocoon...

'...collo longa corpora sua circumdant = collum longis corporibus (abl) suis circumdant

Orberg identifies 'collo' as dative with 'circumdant'. I'm not sure how this works...

Their long bodies entwined about his neck....'with the sense of 'about' being indicated by dative 'collo'??

[adrianus]

1) In Roman mythology is it correct to say that Picus, Faunus, Latinus were succeeded by Aeneas as King of Latium?

According to Vergil, you could say that.
Id dicatur, saltem secundum poetam Vergilium.

2. Seu anglicè "a gift of Minerva, a god who favoured the Trojans [favourable to the Trojans]"

3. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dcircumdo

I. Aliquid (alicui rei), to place something around something, to put, set around, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).
(a). With dat.: “aër omnibus est rebus circumdatus appositusque,” Lucr. 6, 1035: “moenibus subjectos prope jam ignes circumdatosque restinximus,” Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 2: “circumdare fossam latam cubiculari lecto,” id. Tusc. 5, 20, 59: “satellites armatos contioni,” Liv. 34, 27, 5: “hinc patre hinc Catulo lateri circumdatis, Romam rediit,” i. e. one on each side, id. 30, 19, 9; 3, 28, 2: “milites sibi,” Tac. A. 13, 25: “arma umeris,” Verg. A. 2, 510: “licia tibi,” id. E. 8, 74: “vincula collo,” Ov. M. 1, 631: “bracchia collo,” id. ib. 9, 459; 9, 605; 6, 479; “and in tmesis: collo dare bracchia circum,” Verg. A. 6, 700 (cf. the simplex: “bracchia cervici dare,” Hor. C. 3, 9, 3): “lectis aulaea purpura,” Curt. 9, 7, 15: “cum maxime in hostiam itineri nostro circumdatam intuens,” i. e. divided, and part placed on each side of the way, Liv. 40, 13, 4