Aeneid Book X, line 367 (Loeb)

Latin Learning Latin
1

A few lines of preceding context, starting at 364:

Arcadas insuetos acies inferre pedestris
ut vidit Pallas Latio dare terga sequaci
aspera aquis natura loci dimittere quando
suasit equos, unum quod rebus restat egenis, (line 367)
nunc prece, nunc dictis virtutem accendit amaris;

The Arcadians unused to attacking on foot
when Pallas saw them [the Arcadians] running away before pursuing Latins
(the rough nature of the place caused by flowing water persuaded
them to send away the horses) unum quod rebus restat egenis
now by pleas now by bitter words he [Pallas] kindled their courage

I can’t make out “unum quod rebus restat egenis”

hlawson38

It looks like “insofar as alone in this needful business he (Pallas) stood fast”

The English translation in the Loeb Classical LIbrary gives:

“then as the one hope in such straits”

However, I can’t see how they got this.

2

Unum quod restat = the one thing (it’s neuter) that remains, rebus egenis, in tough times (or whatever you wish to translate that with). The following verse (nunc prece etc) is “the one thing that remains (to do)”

3

Many thanks, timeodanaos!!

The expansion of the neuter “unum” to “the one thing” and the relationship of the line 367 to what follows it was exactly what I needed.

For lurkers, “Adjectives used Substantively”, as it seems “unum” is here, is in Allen and Greenough, section number 288, New Latin Grammar, Dover Publications; Floyd and Rita, “adjectives used as nouns” is in unit III; Wheelock, “Substantive Adjectives,” Chapter 4, Sixth Edition Revised.