Aeneid 12

1. The Combat of Aeneas & Turnus by Aureliano Milani (1675-1749) Aeneid 12 GCSE Latin Set Text 2013

2. (1) Lines 697-703

3. at pater Aeneas audito nomine Turnideserit et muros et summas deserit arcespraecipitatque moras omnes, But father Aeneas, having heard the name of Turnus, both abandons the walls and abandons the lofty towers, and throws aside all delays;

4. at pater Aeneas audito nomine Turnideserit et muros et summas deserit arcespraecipitatque moras omnes, But father Aeneas, having heard the name of Turnus, both abandons the walls and abandons the lofty towers,and throws aside all delays; pater: reminds us of Aeneas’s importance as the ancestor of the Romans. Note that the names of the two main characters appear in this line together – foreshadowing the duel. deserit: repetition of this word twice in the same line emphasises how Aeneas immediately drops everything else in his haste to encounter Turnus. Note the historic present used to make the action seem more vivid and immediate. Repetition of et … et (polysyndeton) further stresses this and so does omnes(echoed by omnia in the next line). arces: the Trojans have been attacking the Latin capital, the city of Laurentum.

5. opera omnia rumpitlaetitia exsultans horrendumque intonat armis:           700 he breaks off all tasks, exalting with joy, and he thunders, dreadful in arms:

6. opera omnia rumpitlaetitia exsultans horrendumque intonat armis:       700 he breaks off all tasks, exalting with joy, and he thunders, dreadful in arms: laetitia exsultans: these two words of very similar meaning show how Aeneas rejoices in the prospect of finally grappling with Turnus. horrendumlends force to the phrase intonat armis– we hear his armour clashing.

7. quantus Athos aut quantus Eryx aut ipse corusciscum fremit ilicibus quantus gaudetque nivalivertice se attollens pater Appenninus ad auras. as great as Athos, or as great as Eryx, or as great as father Appeninus himself, when he roars with waving oaks and rejoices, uplifting himself with his snowy top to the winds.

8. quantus Athos aut quantus Eryx aut ipse corusciscum fremit ilicibus quantusgaudetquenivalivertice se attollens pater Appenninus ad auras. as great as Athos, or as great as Eryx, or as great as father Appeninus himself, when he roars with waving oaksand rejoices, uplifting himself with his snowy topto the winds. Triple simile, each part signalled by quantus. Aeneas is compared to three different mountains, which may symbolise his journey from Troy to Italy: Mount Athos:on a peninsula in Thrace to the NE of Greece – Aeneas visited Thrace after his escape from Troy. Mount Eryx:in Sicily, which Aeneas visits twice on his journey; in Book 5 he holds funeral games for his father Anchises there. Famous for workship of Venus. Mount Appenninus: a peak in Italy (it is not certain which one) where he now is. This mountain alone is described in detail to convey the importance of Italy as his final destination. It is also personified. ipse coruscis:sibilance here suggests the sound of the wind in the leaves of the trees on the mountain (fremit ilicibus). gaudet, applied to the mountain (personification), recalls the description of Aeneas in line 700 as exsultans. nivali verticeis a strong image of a snowcapped peak pushing up to the sky, se attollens … ad auras– personification again, also recalling exsultansin the sense of “leaping up”. pater Appenninusparallels pater Aeneasin line 697.

9. (2) Lines 704-722

10. iam vero et Rutuli certatim et Troes et omnesconvertere oculos Itali, quique alta tenebant               705moenia quique imos pulsabant ariete muros,armaque deposuere umeris. Now indeed the Rutulians also, and the Trojans, and all the Italians turned their eyes eagerly, both [those] who were holding the high walls and [those] who were beating the base of the walls with the battering-ram, and they took off their arms from their shoulders.

11. iam vero et Rutuli certatimet Troes et omnesconvertere oculos Itali, quique alta tenebant               705moenia quique imos pulsabant ariete muros,armaque deposuere umeris. Now indeed the Rutulians also, and the Trojans, and all the Italians turned their eyes eagerly, both [those] who were holding the high wallsand [those] who were beating the base of the walls with the battering-ram, and they took off their arms from their shoulders. Repetition of et … et (polysyndeton) shows how many groups turned to watch: the Rutulians, the Trojans and all the Italians. This is also a tricolon (three groups of people listed). This is followed by repetition of quique … quique, listing the activities they stopped in order to watch (alta tenebant moenia … imos pulsabant ariete muros). Note the contrast between altaand imos. armaque deposuere umeris: because the issue will now be decided by single combat between Aeneas and Turnus. A strong pause in the line after umeris(hence the full stop)indicates a pause in the action before the duel begins.

12. stupet ipse Latinusingentes, genitos diversis partibus orbis,inter se coiisse viros et cernere ferro. Latinus himself is amazed [at] the mighty men, born in different parts of the world, come together between themselves and to decide by the sword.

13. stupet ipse Latinusingentes, genitos diversis partibus orbis,inter se coiisse viroset cernere ferro. Latinus himself is amazed [at] the mighty men, born in different parts of the world, come together between themselves and to decide by the sword. ingentis: this word, which expresses the greatness of the two combatants, is heavily emphasised by its position at the beginning of the line and its separation from its noun viros. (hyperbaton).

14. atque illi, ut vacuo patuerunt aequore campi,              710procursu rapido coniectis eminus hastisinvadunt Martem clipeis atque aere sonoro. And they, when the spaces became cleared with an empty plain, with spears thrown from afar, like lightning they rush forward; they press on into war with shields and with clanging brass.

15. atque illi, ut vacuo patuerunt aequore campi,              710procursu rapido coniectis eminus hastisinvadunt Martem clipeis atque aere sonoro. And they, when the spaces became cleared with an empty plain, with spears thrown from afar, like lightning they rush forward; they press on into war with shields and with clanging brass. vacuere … campi: the field is cleared in preparation for the duel. procursu rapido: after this build-up the fight is quickly joined. Martem: the use of the god’s name to personify the battle makes this a powerful and poetic description; it also reminds us of fate and the ever-presence of the gods. clipeis atque aere sonoro: it’s their shields that are made of clashing bronze, so this description is one thing not two (hendiadys) – Virgil uses it to draw out the image so that you hear the clash of shields for longer.

16. dat gemitum tellus; tum crebros ensibus ictuscongeminant, fors et virtus miscetur in unum. The earth gives a groan; then they redouble the blows repeated[ly] with their swords. Chance and courage are mingled in one.

17. dat gemitum tellus; tum crebros ensibus ictuscongeminant, fors et virtus miscetur in unum. The earth gives a groan; then they redouble the blows repeated[ly] with their swords. Chance and courage are mingled in one. dat gemitum tellus: the aural imagery continues as we imagine the earth groaning under the feet of the ingentes viros. There is also a suggestion of how important this battle is – they are fighting for the future of Italy and destiny. This is underlined by the strong pause after tellus. congeminantechoes gemitumin the previous line. fors et virtus … unumthe fight is so fierce that the effects of chance and valour cannot be distinguished.

18. ac velut ingenti Sila summove Taburno                715cum duo conversis inimica in proelia taurifrontibus incurrunt, And just as on great Sila or on highest Taburnus when two bulls with foreheads turned against [each other] charge into hostile battles,

19. ac velut ingenti Sila summove Taburno                715cum duo conversis inimica in proeliataurifrontibus incurrunt, And just as on great Sila or on highest Taburnus when two bulls with foreheads turned against [each other] charge into hostile battles, Extended or epic simile: Aeneas and Turnus are compared to two bulls fighting. Virgil uses this kind of elaborate simile to provide variety in his narrative, to make it easier for the reader to visualise the scene by comparing it to something which would be more familiar in daily life, and also in imitation of Homer. Sila … Taburno:again the location is in Italy (both small mountain ranges in the South) reminding us that it is Aeneas’s destiny to be here. A series of words expressive of hostility are used: conversis, inimica, proelia, incurrunt.

20. pavidi cessere magistri,stat pecus omne metu mutum, mussantque iuvencaequis nemori imperitet, quem tota armenta sequantur; their masters have retreated fearful; all the herd stands dumb with dread and the heifers are silent, [wondering] who is to rule the grove, whom the whole herd is to follow;

21. pavidi cessere magistri,stat pecus omne metu mutum, mussantque iuvencaequis nemori imperitet, quem tota armenta sequantur; their masters have retreated fearful; all the herd stands dumb with dread and the heifers are silent, [wondering] who is to rule the grove, whom the whole herd is to follow; By contrast, the cowherds and the remainder of the herd are passive: cessere, stat, mussant – they are like the spectators of the fight mentioned previously. In line 718 there is alliteration: omne metu mutum, mussantquewhich seems to expresse the lowing of the herd. Question words quis … quemexpress the doubt in their minds about who is going to win leadership of the herd/the people of Italy.

22. illi inter sese multa vi vulnera miscent                720cornuaque obnixi infigunt et sanguine largocolla armosque lavant, gemitu nemus omne remugit: they intermingle wounds between themselves with much violence, and pressing hard they thrust in deep their horns and bathe their necks and shoulders with copious blood; the whole grove resounds with a bellowing.

23. illi inter sese multa vi vulnera miscent                720cornuaque obnixi infigunt et sanguine largocolla armosque lavant,gemitu nemus omne remugit: they intermingle wounds between themselves with much violence, and pressing hard they thrust in deep their horns and bathe their necks and shoulders with copious blood; the whole grove resounds with a bellowing. In line 721 where the bulls lock horns has a series of long syllables (it is spondaic) expressing the pressure of their horns as they try to push each other back, piercing each other till they bleed. In line 722 there is alliteration again (gemitu nemus omne remugit) showing the reaction of the herd and articulating the lowing suggested in the previous alliteration as well as here.

24. (3) Lines 723-741

25. non aliter Tros Aeneas et Daunius herosconcurrunt clipeis, ingens fragor aethera complet. Just so did Trojan Aeneas and the Daunian hero clash shields, and a great crash filled the air.

26. non aliter Tros Aeneas et Daunius herosconcurrunt clipeis, ingens fragor aethera complet. Just so did Trojan Aeneas and the Daunian hero clash shields, and a great crash filled the air. Tros Aeneas et Daunius heros: the words Trosand herosemphasise the heroic status of both Aeneas and Turnus. Daunius was the name of Turnus’s father. concurrunt clipeis: alliteration conveys the sound of the clash of their shields, the rest of the line also focusing on the noise they made (ingens fragor aethera complet).

27. Iuppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances                725sustinet et fata imponit diversa duorum,quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum. Jupiter himself held up two scales with the balance set equal, and put in the different fates of the two men: whom the struggle may doom and whom death may oppress with its weight.

28. Iuppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances                725sustinetet fata imponit diversa duorum,quem damnet labor et quo vergat pondere letum. Jupiter himself held up two scales with the balance set equal, and put in the different fates of the two men: whom the struggle may doomand whom death may oppress with its weight. Jupiter weighs their fate in the balance. The chiasmusduas aequato examine lances perhaps represents the scales. quem … quo: this line parallels line 719 in the simile (quis …. quem) – in each case the question is posed who will win the fight. This image is very closely based on Homer Iliad, XXII, when shortly before Hector is killed by Achilles, Zeus (= Jupiter) weighed the fates of the two men in his golden scales and that of Hector sank down, spelling his doom. Here the fateful word letumis emphatically and appropriately positioned at the end of the line. Unlike Homer, Virgil does not tell us which scale sank, to create suspense.

29. emicat hic impune putans et corpore totoalte sublatum consurgit Turnus in ensemet ferit; exclamant Troes trepidique Latini,               730arrectaeque amborum acies. Here Turnus springs forward, and with his whole body he rises onto his sword lifted high, thinking [he is] safe, and strikes. The Trojans shout out and the Latins [are] alarmed, and the armies of both aroused.

30. emicat hic impune putans et corpore totoaltesublatumconsurgitTurnus in ensemet ferit; exclamant Troes trepidique Latini,               730arrectaeque amborum acies. Here Turnus springs forward, and with his whole body he rises onto his sword lifted high, thinking [he is] safe,and strikes.The Trojans shout outand the Latins [are] alarmed, and the armies of both aroused. emicat hic … Turnus. emicatis a very visual word: his sword flashes as he draws it suddenly. Notice also the delay of Turnusfor suspense. A series of long syllables in line 729 (it is spondaic) convey Turnus’s effort as he raises himself and his sword to strike. This contrasts with the short, fast phrase et feritat the beginning of the next line as Turnus strikes. There is a pause after ferit, corresponding to the sharp intake of breath before the spectators react. arrectaeque amborum acies: alliteration suggests their rapt attention. acies is deliberately ambiguous, meaning both the two battle lines and their gaze. The word can mean “battle lines” but can also mean eyes, so both the bodies and minds of the spectators are arrectae – on tiptoe – with excitement.

31. at perfidus ensisfrangitur in medioque ardentem deserit ictu,ni fuga subsidio subeat. But the treacherous sword breaks and abandons [him], burning in the middle of the blow, unless flight could come to [him] in rescue.

32. at perfidus ensisfrangitur in medioque ardentem deserit ictu,ni fuga subsidio subeat. But the treacherous sword breaks and abandons [him], burning in the middle of the blow, unless flight could come to [him] in rescue. perfidus ensis … deserit. Personification: the sword is described as treacherous and as deserting Turnus because it breaks. frangituris emphatically positioned.

33. fugit ocior Eurout capulum ignotum dextramque aspexit inermem. He flees, swifter than the East wind, when he noticed an unfamiliar sword-hilt and his defenceless right hand.

34. fugit ocior Eurout capulum ignotum dextramque aspexit inermem. He flees, swifter than the East wind, when he noticed an unfamiliar sword-hilt and his defenceless right hand. Turnus flees when he sees that the sword has broken. ignotumcomes as a shock to both him and the reader – it is only now he realises that he has picked up the wrong sword. This is explained in the next three lines.

35. fama est praecipitem, cum prima in proelia iunctos       735conscendebat equos, patrio mucrone relicto,dum trepidat, ferrum aurigae rapuisse Metisci; The tale is when heading into the first battle he was mounting the yoked horses, he left his father’s sword behind; as he rushed, he snatched the sword of his charioteer Metiscus;

36. fama est praecipitem, cum prima in proelia iunctos       735conscendebat equos,patrio mucrone relicto,dum trepidat, ferrum aurigae rapuisse Metisci; The tale is when heading into the first battle he was mounting the yoked horses, he left his father’s sword behind; as he rushed, he snatched the sword of his charioteer Metiscus; praecipitem: he was over-hasty. This is typical of Turnus’s impulsive character, in keeping with his haste to strike the first blow in line 728. The words trepidatand rapuissedescribe the same characteristic of Turnus (pleonasm).

37. idque diu, dum terga dabant palantia Teucri,suffecit; and it sufficed for a long time, while the Trojans were giving their backs, scattering;

38. idque diu, dum terga dabant palantia Teucri,suffecit; and it sufficed for a long time, while the Trojans were giving their backs, scattering;

39. postquam arma dei ad Volcania ventum est,mortalis mucro glacies ceu futtilis ictu                740dissiluit, fulva resplendent fragmina harena. after it was come to the Vulcanian arms [made by] the god, the man-made blade flew apart with the blow, like brittle ice: the fragments glittered on the yellow sand.

40. postquam arma dei ad Volcania ventum est,mortalis mucro glacies ceu futtilis ictu                740dissiluit, fulva resplendent fragmina harena. after it was come to the Vulcanian arms [made by] the god, the man-made blade flew apart with the blow, like brittle ice: the fragments glittered on the yellow sand. arma deiis contrasted with mortalis mucro. The inferior sword did not have a chance against Aeneas’s weapons, which had been made for him by Vulcan. glacies ceu futtilis: the comparison to the brittleness of ice underlines how fragile the sword was in comparison to Aeneas. dissiluit: note contrast with suffecit (line 738), similarly placed with a pause after it. fulva resplendent fragmina harena:this phrase is spondaic (mostly long syllables) representing the sword lying inactive on the ground.

41. (4) Lines 742-757

42. ergo amens diversa fuga petit aequora Turnuset nunc huc, inde huc incertos implicat orbis; Therefore Turnus, demented, makes for different places in flight, and now to here, then to there, he winds about in doubtful circles;

43. ergo amens diversa fuga petit aequora Turnuset nunc huc, inde huc incertos implicat orbis; Therefore Turnus, demented, makes for different places in flight, and now to here, then to there, he winds about in doubtful circles; amensexpresses Turnus’s panic, as he runs about not knowing where to go. His uncertainty is expressed by diversa, nunc huc, inde hucand incertos.

44. undique enim densa Teucri inclusere coronaatque hinc vasta palus, hinc ardua moenia cingunt.       745 For the Trojans surrounded [him] on all sides in a crowded ring, and on this side a broad marsh, on that high walls enclose [him].

45. undiqueenim densa Teucriinclusere coronaatque hinc vasta palus, hinc ardua moenia cingunt.       745 For the Trojans surrounded [him] on all sides in a crowded ring, and on this side a broad marsh, on that high walls enclose [him]. Turnus is trapped – shut in on three sides by the crowd, the swamp and the city walls.

46. nec minus Aeneas, quamquam tardata sagittainterdum genua impediunt cursumque recusant,insequitur trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget: Nor any less did Aeneas pursue [him], although his knees, impeded by the arrow, sometimes restrained [him] and held back his running, and ablaze, on foot he presses hard upon the heels of the hurrying [Turnus].

47. nec minus Aeneas, quamquam tardata sagittainterdum genua impediunt cursumque recusant,insequitur trepidique pedem pede fervidus urget: Nor any less did Aeneas pursue [him], although his knees, impeded by the arrow, sometimes restrained [him] and held back his running,and ablaze, on foot he presses hard upon the heels of the hurrying [Turnus]. sagittarefers to the arrow-wound which Aeneas suffered in the earlier battle. Venus put some herb-salve on it but it’s clearly still troubling him.impediuntand recusantshow its effect on him. Line 748 is dactylic (lots of short syllables) giving a sense of Aeneas’s haste in pursuing Turnus. Verbs at the beginning and end (insequitur and urget) focus on the action.trepidi(describing Turnus) contrasts with fervidus(describing Aeneas). pedem pede: putting these words together shows how closely Aeneas followed Turnus (“hard upon his heels”).

48. inclusum veluti si quando flumine nactuscervum aut puniceae saeptum formidine pennae         750venator cursu canis et latratibus instat; Just as if when a hunting dog, having found a stag encircled by a river, or hedged in by the trap of crimson feather[s], presses upon [him] with running and with barking:

49. inclusum veluti si quando flumine nactuscervum aut puniceae saeptum formidine pennae         750venator cursucanis et latratibus instat; Just as if when a hunting dog, having found a stag encircled by a river,or hedged in by the trap of crimson feather[s],presses upon [him] with running and with barking: velutisignals another pic simile. Turnus and Aeneas are compared to a deer being hunted by a dog (again this is in imitation of Homer who uses a similar simile to describe Achilles’s pursuit of Hector). Note the dramatic word order here. Neither the deer nor the hound are mentioned in the first line, which just tells us that some creature has been trapped (inclusum) and that another has caught it (nactus). The deer is introduced at the start of line 750 but we do not find out the aggressor until the third line of the simile (canis). puniceae saeptum formidine pennae gives another possible method of trapping: hunters place a rope to fence it in, strung with red feathers to scare it – note the colour makes the simile more vivid. Inclusum … flumine and saeptum recall line 745 where Turnus was trapped between the marsh and the city walls. latratibus instatwe hear the baying of the hound as it pursues the deer.

50. ille autem insidiis et ripa territus altamille fugit refugitque vias, at vividus Umberhaeret hians, iam iamque tenet similisque tenentiincrepuit malis morsuque elusus inani est;                755 while he, frightened by the trap and a high bank, flees and flees back a thousand ways. But the lively Umbrian [dog], gaping, sticks close, and right now is holding and as if [he is already] holding has snapped with his jaws and has been foiled with an empty bite;