Reference edition:

Iunii Philargyrii Grammatici Explanatio in Bucolica Vergilii, in  Appendix Seruiana. Ceteros praeter Seruium et scholia Bernensia Vergilii commentatores continens, recensuit H. Hagen, Hildesheim 1961, 1-189 (= G. Thilo et H. Hagen, Servii grammatici commentarii III 2, Leipzig 1902).

Three manuscripts of the 9^th-10^th c. transmit two commentaries in continuous form on Vergil’s Eclogues 1 and 2 (Explanationes); the subscriptio of the commentaries identifies their author as “Iunius Philargyrius,” with a certain “Valentinianus” mentioned as dedicatee. Explanatio 2 is an abridged version of Explanatio 1, but is not based solely on that text; rather, they appear to share a common source, probably the late-antique commentary of Philargyrius / Philagrius (a different recension of this commentary is comprised of the Scholia Bernensia on the Eclogues).

The man who compiled Explanatio 1 is probably the “Fatosus” who signed the subscriptio; he was an Irish monk named Toicthech (cfr. Miles 2011: 28), probably active in the 7^th c.  In addition to compiling the Vita Philargyriana 1, which serves as a foreword to Explanatio 1, he has been credited with the glosses into Old Irish that are present in the Explanatio (cf. Ziolkowski and Putnam 2008: 698-700) and other additions to the late-antique text that cannot be individuated with certainty (one of these may be the Christian interpretation of Eclogue 4 that is offered by a few of the scholia).

Numerous influences can be identified within the commentary: these include Servius; exegesis predating Servius, which is transmitted by Servius Danielis; and interpretations characterized by a markedly allegorical approach.

The edition of the text compiled by H. Hagen in the Appendix Serviana (Leipzig 1902: 1-189) presents the two Explanationes in parallel columns on each page.  This text is based on two manuscripts from Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale: lat. 7960 (9^th c.) and 11308 (10^th c.).  The third codex of the Explanationes is Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana plut. 45, 14 (9^th c.).  [F. Stok; tr. C. L. Caterine].