Aeneid: Chapter 11

● Although he's disturbed by the death of Pallas, Aeneas makes offerings to the gods as a sign of thanks for his victory.
● Then he addresses his soldiers. He tells them that the lion's share of their work is over. Then he instructs them to bury the dead. He also
orders that Pallas's body be sent back to his father Evander.
● He goes to the shelter where Pallas's body is laid out, and weeps at his death. He is especially sad for having failed in his promise to Evander
to keep Pallas safe.
● Virgil now describes Pallas's funeral procession heading off. It includes the four prisoners Aeneas intends to have sacrificed over Pallas's pyre.
● When Aeneas gets back to camp, he finds that emissaries from the Latins have come; they ask for a day of truce to bury their dead.
● Aeneas says, "Fine. But you guys should know that you're a bunch of real jerks. Why did you let Turnus turn you guys against us? If he likes
fighting so much, he should have stayed on the battle and let me kill him."
● Then Drances, a Latin elder, speaks up. He tells Aeneas that they will get rid of Turnus as an ally and make peace again with the Trojans.
● The Trojans and Latins decide on a twelve-day truce.
● Pallas's funeral procession reaches the city of the Arcadians. King Evander is overcome with grief and throws himself on his son's body.
● He gives vent to a lengthy lamentation. In it, he says he wishes he had died instead of his son; he also says that he doesn't blame Aeneas for
Pallas's death.
● The next morning, the Trojans burn their dead.
● When the third day of the truce comes round, the Trojans bury the ashes and bones.
● That same day, in the city of the Latins, mothers lament the loss of their sons. Some of them say that they should sever their alliance with
Turnus. Drances supports this, but Queen Amata – who still wants Turnus, not Aeneas, as a son-in-law – nixes it.
● At just this moment, the emissaries who were sent to the Greek King Diomedes come back. (They set out at the beginning of Book 8 to get
him to join them in war against the Trojans; check your translation or our summary of that book if this doesn't ring a bell.)
● The emissaries say that Diomedes won't join them.
● King Latinus wants to hear the full story, so he calls an assembly and orders the emissaries to address it.
● They report what Diomedes told them: that he's suffered enough fighting against the Trojans at Troy. He says the Trojans are some mean
dudes; the Trojans should take the gifts they were offering him and present them to Aeneas instead.
● After hearing the emissaries out, King Latinus addresses the assembly and reveals what he heard from the oracle in Book 7 – that the Trojans
are destined to rule in Italy. He says that there is no point in fighting them; the Latins should either join them as a single people, or, if the
Trojans choose to leave, they should help them build a fleet.
● Then Drances speaks up. He says that Latinus should go a step further and promise his daughter Lavinia in marriage to Aeneas. Then he
addresses Turnus, who apparently is present at the meeting. He tells Turnus to renounce his claim to Lavinia's hand. If he still has his heart
set on her, then he should man up and face Aeneas in combat.
● In reply to him, Turnus says, "You talk big, but I don't see you fighting. As for myself, I killed tons of those Trojans, even when I faced them
alone inside their own fort. You think we can't take them in war?"
● Then he turns to address Latinus. He tells him that they still have enough allies to fight the Trojans. On the other hand, if it's him alone
Aeneas wants to face, he'll be ready.
● In the meantime, Aeneas and his army have marched into the plain. A messenger enters the Latin city and alerts the people, who arm for
battle.
● In the assembly, Turnus takes this as proof that peace is useless. He orders his captains to prepare for war.
● The city is quickly fortified. At the same time, Amata, Lavinia, and the town's other prominent women head to the shrine of Minerva; they
pray to her to keep their city safe.
● Turnus arms for battle. When he emerges, he runs into Camilla, the Volscian warrior queen, riding up with her battalions.
● Turnus is glad to see her. He tells her to engage Aeneas head-on, while he and his men will set an ambush for him in a wooded mountain
pass. He tells her that she will have the forces of another guy called Messapus to back her up in the plain.
● Up in heaven, Diana, goddess of the hunt, is talking to Opis, one of her serving maidens (and a goddess herself). Diana explains how
Camilla's father, Metabus, was an exiled king who raised his daughter in the woods, taking on Diana as his child's patron goddess.
● Diana gives Opis and arrow and says, "Whoever kills Camilla, you kill him with this."
● By this point the Trojans are approaching the town. Camilla and Messapus are in the plain waiting to meet them. Battle is soon joined.
● Camilla kills lots of men.
● At a certain point in the battle, she ends up chasing a guy called Arruns, who is sporting some really fancy duds. Virgil tells us that Camilla
has fallen prey (as Fitzgerald translates) to "a girl's love of finery."
● Finally, Arruns turns to face her. He makes a prayer before throwing his spear – basically saying, "I don't expect any glory when I get home
from killing a woman, I just need to stop her from killing all our guys."
● Apollo grants the killing Camilla part, but not the coming home part.
● Arruns throws his spear and strikes Camilla in her one exposed breast.
● Then Arruns runs away. Camilla gets her friend Acca to help her as she slips from the saddle. In a short time she is dead.
● Then, as promised, Diana's servant Opis draws an arrow, takes aim, and shoots, killing Arruns.
● After the death of Camilla, the Italians are driven into the city. As the crowds of fleeing Italians bottleneck at the city gates, the Trojans press
in behind them. Many are killed in the furious slaughter. Eventually, the Italians seal up their city.
● When news reaches Turnus, where he is still waiting to ambush Aeneas in the mountain pass, he is dismayed. He leads his soldiers away from
their ambush and heads toward the town.
● Then Aeneas and his own contingent – who haven't yet arrived at the scene of the battle – march through the undefended pass and also
head for the town.
 ● The two armies see each other. Turnus's men would battle Aeneas if the day weren't ending.
● The night finds Turnus and his men in the city.

Chapter 12

● In the city of the Latins, Turnus announces that the time has come for him to fight Aeneas one-on-one.
● Latinus tries to convince him to give it up – to take some other woman as wife and leave Lavinia to Aeneas.
● Turnus refuses.
● Then Amata pleads with Turnus, telling him that, if she dies, she'd sooner kill herself than have Aeneas as a son-in-law.
● Lavinia, who has been watching all this, blushes. Turnus, seeing her, is overcome with love for her.
● Turnus tells Amata not to jinx him. He says he's got to go fight Aeneas – no ifs, ands, or buts.
● Then Turnus makes ready his chariot-team and arms himself for battle.
● At the same time, Aeneas makes himself ready.
● The next morning, the Italians emerge from their city. Both armies make room on the plain for the coming battle between the two champions.
● From a nearby height, Juno is watching what's going on. Standing beside her is Turnus's sister, the nymph Juturna.
● Juno says, "I helped your brother as long as I could, but fate's against him. If you want to try to save him, have at it. Either that, or stir up
the war again."
● Down on the plain, the leaders from both sides are meeting. Aeneas prays, saying that, if Turnus wins, the Trojans will go packing. If he wins,
however, he will not enslave the Italians, but will ask them to join him as equal citizens in a new nation.
● Latinus agrees to the terms. They sacrifice animals to formalize the deal.
● But now the Rutulians are getting upset. Now that they see the two champions ready for battle, they can easily tell that their own guy isn't
strong enough.
● Seeing this, Juturna descends among them, taking the shape of the warrior Camers.
● She tries to stir them up to fight on behalf of Turnus.
● Just then, they see an eagle – considered to be the bird of Jupiter – swoop down and seize a swan. Then, a whole bunch of other seabirds
attack it in group formation; eventually, the eagle is forced to release the swan and beat a retreat.
● Tolumnius, the augur (a soothsayer who interpreted the movements of birds), says that this is a sign that they should back up Turnus.
● Then Tolumnius himself throws his spear at the Trojans.
● The spear kills one of a group of nine brothers all standing together. Predictably, the other brothers grab their weapons and race forward for
revenge.
● In no time, both armies are fighting again.
● Aeneas tries to stop his men from fighting, but then somebody hits him with an arrow – though not fatally.
● When Turnus sees Aeneas falling back, he gets a boost of excitement. He whips his chariot team into action and starts racing through the
battle, killing guys left, right, and center.
● Meanwhile, behind the lines, Aeneas is being treated by the healer Iapyx, who was taught the art by Apollo.
● But Iapyx isn't having any success; he can't get the arrowhead out. Then, without anyone seeing her, the goddess Venus comes down with a
special plant, called dittany, which she picked from Mount Ida in Crete.
● She mixes the essence of this plant, along with some other nifty stuff (like ambrosia – the food of the gods), in the water Iapyx is using the
wash the wound.
● In no time, Aeneas is completely healed, and the arrowhead comes out easily.
● Then, Iapyx calls people to get Aeneas his armor and send him back to battle.
● Once he has got his armor on, Aeneas turns to Ascanius and says, "Watch me in this fight. You'll learn how things get done."
● Then he leads the Trojans in a counterattack; they kill many of their enemies.
● Not liking this one bit, Juturna knocks Turnus's charioteer, Metiscus, onto the ground. Then she takes his form and starts driving Turnus
erratically over the battlefield, keeping him out of Aeneas's reach. Aeneas keeps up as best he can.
● But then Aeneas gets distracted by other Italian soldiers.
● For the next little while, both Aeneas and Turnus rage in their own corners of the battlefield, each killing many opponents.
● Then Venus gives Aeneas an idea. Taking a stand on a hilltop overlooking the city, Aeneas announces to his captains that the time has come
to level the Latins' home – unless they surrender immediately.
● The Trojans start attacking the city.
● Seeing from her window how the ramparts are being besieged, Amata thinks that Turnus must be dead. In grief, she hangs herself with cloth
torn from her robe.
● Lavinia, learning of her mother's grief, laments loudly, as does King Latinus, who covers his head in filth.
● Turnus hears the commotion from the city. Juturna, still disguised as his charioteer Metiscus, tries to convince him to keep killing Trojans on
the periphery, but Turnus recognizes her and refuses.
● After having lost so many friends in battle, he can't bear the destruction of the city to top it off. Death does not frighten him; he must go to
face Aeneas!
● At just that moment, word comes to Turnus of the dire straits of the city – and of the death of Amata.
● Now he is firmly decided. He goes to face Aeneas, knowing he will die.
● When Aeneas hears that Turnus is coming, he stops attacking the city and goes to meet him.
● A space is cleared for them to fight, and in no time they are throwing spears at each other. Then they fight with swords.
● While they are fighting, Jupiter raises a scale. In it, he places each man's destiny; whosever's sinks toward the ground will die.
● Meanwhile, Turnus gives Aeneas a mighty blow with his sword – but the blade shatters on impact.
● It turns out that Turnus was using Metiscus's sword, instead of his own. It was no match for Aeneas's divine armor.
● Then Turnus turns tail and runs. (The puns just keep flowing.)
● The problem is, he's hemmed in – by the Trojans, by the city walls, and by an inconveniently located marsh.
● As he runs, he calls out to his men to get him his sword, but Aeneas tells them not to – threatening to destroy their city if they help Turnus.
● Eventually, Aeneas approaches the olive tree stump where his spear earlier stuck fast.
● Seeing him, Turnus prays to the local divinities to prevent Aeneas from being able to pull it out.
● The gods hear him, and Aeneas is unable to remove it. Meanwhile, Juturna, disguised as Metiscus again, runs up to Turnus and gives him
back his sword.
● Venus doesn't like this, so she comes and pulls the spear out of the tree. She gives it to Aeneas.
● Up in the heavens, Jupiter tells Juno that the end has come. He forbids her to interfere with Aeneas any more.
● Juno says, "Fine. But promise me that, after Lavinia and Aeneas marry and join their peoples, the Latins won't have to change their name."
● Jupiter says, "No biggie. Latin will stay Latin. The Trojans will join with them, not the other way around."
● Then Jupiter sends down one of the Furies to stop Juturna's meddling. It changes itself into a bird and starts flapping around Turnus,
annoying him. Juturna realizes what it is, and withdraws from the fight.
● Now Aeneas stands face to face with Turnus. They exchange hostile words.
● Then Turnus picks up a huge rock to throw at Aeneas, but he isn't strong enough, and it falls short.
● Now Aeneas throws his spear; it punctures Turnus's shield and stabs him in the thigh.
● Turnus falls to the ground. He asks Aeneas to spare his life so he can see his father again; he relinquishes his claim to Lavinia.
● Aeneas is debating with himself what to do, when he sees on Turnus shoulder the belt he stole from the dead body of Pallas.
● Becoming enraged, Aeneas shouts out that Pallas is now taking his revenge. With that, he stabs Turnus, killing him.
● With a groan, Turnus's outraged soul flutters down to the underworld.