They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man
Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck.
And are at their wit's end;
or, "all their wisdom is swallowed up" F14; their wisdom in naval affairs, their art of navigation, their skill in managing ships, all nonplussed and baffled; they know not what method to take to save the vessel and themselves; their knowledge fails them, they are quite confounded and almost distracted. So Apollinarius paraphrases it,
``they forget navigation, and their wise art does not appear;''so Ovid, describing a storm, uses the same phrase, "deficit ars",
``art fails.''