What does the phrase to immolate someone to one’s manes mean as it used in the following pair of literary citations?
- “Do thou, brave wolf, avenge our queen, by immolating this traitor to her august manes.”
― translation of Jean de La Fontaine’s Fables, Les obsèques de la Lionne (‘The Obsequies of the Lioness’) via Google Books. - “ [...] whence he received the order to immolate his mother to the paternal manes.”
― Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte, via Google Books.
After long ratiocinations upon to immolate (someone) to one’s manes, I settled upon the following meaning: “to seek revenge upon someone”. I would nevertheless like certain further explanation both of grammar and of meaning regarding how this idiomatic phrase has been used in the two citations provided above.
My specific questions are:
- What does august refer to? To the way the retaliation should be committed?
- Is the manes the character of the person who should be avenged?
- What does paternal refer to? To the person who should be revenged?