Expleo ‘Minuo.’

Extract

Caper in his section on the preposition ex cited Ennius, Ann. 309:

nauibus explebant sese terrasque replebant,

and declared that Virgil used the verb with this antique sense in Aen. 6, 545:

discedam; explebo numerum reddarque tenebris,

i.e. ‘minuam vestrum numerum.’

This we are told in Servius' note, which begins: Ut diximus supra, explebo est minuam. Thilo gives no reference to any such previous words of Servius, and I have failed to find them. Can it be that Servius has carelessly transcribed a note of Donatus, and that Donatus had discussed ex minuens at Geo. 2, 65, or 4, 145 ? Donatus' note on Terence, Hec. 755, is Explere exinanire Terentianum est; the passage of Terence is:

eas ad mulieres huc intro atque istuc iusiurandum idem

polliceare illis: exple animum îs teque hoc crimine expedi,

i.e., relieve their mind of suspicion against Pamphilus and free yourself from this charge. The phrase recurs in the next Scene (785; 787):

illis modo explete animum.

i atque exple animum îs, coge ut credant.