holy sages. Ancient Hebrew prophets, but perhaps also Virgil, who predicts the birth of a peace-bearing child in Eclogues 4.
Trinal Unity. Later in life, Milton rejected the doctrine of the trinity; see Christian Doctrine 1.5.
spangled host. The stars, and perhaps also the angelic orders they were thought to represent.
Wisards. The three wise men of Matthew 2 were often associated with wizardry and Persians; see the Geneva annotations to Matthew 2:1. See also Flemalle's Nativity (1425).
prevent. Come before.
blessed feet. Michael Lieb writes of these lines: "through both the humility of his posture and the humble nature of his gift, he desires metaphorically to take upon himself the form of a servant. His desire, in turn, reveals his gratitude for Christ's corresponding act" (Lieb Sinews 45).
hallow'd fire. See Isaiah 6:5-7.
sympathize. Lieb writes; "While Christ disrobes himself of the insignia of his dignity, Nature appropriately disrobes herself of the outward signs of her corruption" in sympathy for his act and in preparation for his arrival (Lieb Sinews 49). Lieb also notes that "to sympathize" may mean to resemble.
sphere. The Ptolemaic version of the universe had the stars revolving around the Earth in a sphere.
amorous clouds. The image suggests Jupiter assuming the form of a cloud to seduce Io in Ovid's Metamorphoses 1.
mirtle. Associated with Venus in Virgil's Eclogues 7.62.
whist. Hushed.
Birds of Calm. The halcyons or kingfishers that Ovid describes in Metamorphoses 11.745-6 making love and nesting on the seas calmed especially for them. Kingfisher picture.
Lucifer. The morning star, Venus. In Latin, literally, "light-bearer." Milton consistently associates Venus, Lucifer and the "morning star" in his poetry, and Hesperus, Vesper, and the evening star. See also Isaiah 14:12.
Axletree. A metonymy for the sun's chariot.
greater Sun. For the conceit of "another Sunne," see Spenser, Shepheardes Calender "April" 73-81.
Pan. The [great] Pan is an image of Christ in Spenser's Shepheardes Calender "May."
hollow round of Cynthia's seat. The sphere of the moon.
sons of morning. See Job 38: 6-8.
power to touch our senses. The Lines allude to the Pythagorean notion that the celestial spheres make music as they turn, a music mortals cannot normally hear. The notion is elaborated by Lorenzo in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice 5.1.
age of gold. See Virgil, Eclogues 4.
Sinai. See the account of Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai: Exodus 19:16.
throne. See Matthew 24:30.
Dragon. The devil, Revelation 12:9.
Genius. The guardian spirit of a place.
Lars and Lemures. Roman gods of home and spirits of the dead.
Flamins. Priests serving a Roman deity.
Peor and Baalim. Mount Peor was the home of the Phoenician deity Baal-peor (Numbers 23:28 and Psalm 106:28). Baalim in general are Phoenician deities.
Palestine. Dagon was twice cast down (1 Samuel 5:4). See also Dagon's role in Samson Agonistes and his description in Paradise Lost 1.462-63.
Ashtaroth. Astarte, a powerful goddess of the moon and fertility. She is described in Paradise Lost 1.437-446.
Hammon. Lybian god, Jupiter-Ammon, represented as a ram.
Thamuz. Also known as Dammuzi, a Phoenician god whose death was celebrated annually. He was the lover of the more powerful Astarte. His death and re-birth symbolized the cyclical growing season. The Greeks knew him as Adonis, beloved of Venus.
Moloch. The name is Ammonite for "king." A god whose rites included child sacrifice to a calf-headed brass idol filled with fire. See 2 Kings 23:10 and Paradise Lost 1.392.
gods of Nile. Isis was the Egyptian moon goddess, horned like a cow according to Herodotus (History 2.41). Horus, the Egyptian sun god, was her son by her brother Osiris. Anubis, his son, was figured with a jackal's head.
Osiris. The principal Egyptian ("Memphian") god also known as Apis, usually figured as a black bull with a white triangle on its forehead (Herodotus Histories 3.27-29).
his worshipt Ark. According to Herodotus (Histories 2.63), the Egyptian festival of Ares in Pampremis included carrying an image of Apis or Osirus in a gilt wooden shrine or ark.
Typhon. In Greek myth, Typhon or Typhoneus was a fire-breathing giant with 100 heads and a serpentine body. See Hesiod's Theogony 820.
his Godhead true. These Lines compare Christ to Hercules, who strangled two serpents a jealous Hera sent to destroy him while he was only an infant. See the story in the Pseudo Apollodorus' Library 1.175.
Orient. Eastern.
teemed. Born.