Aeneid XII.216-310
Juturna meddles. The treaty dissolves.
But the duel had for a long time seemed unfair to the Rutulians,
and their hearts were torn by varied emotions, more so
when they saw the combatants’ unequal strength near to.
Turnus added to the unrest, in advancing with silent tread
and venerating the altar humbly with downcast eyes,
and by his wasted cheeks and the pallor of his youthful body.
As soon as his sister, Juturna, was aware that talk was spreading
and the minds of the multitude were wavering in doubt,
she entered the heart of the army in the guise of Camers,
whose birth was of noble ancestry, his father’s name
famous for virtue, and he himself of the bravest in arms,
she entered the heart of the army, not ignorant of her task,
sowing various rumours and speaking as follows:
“O Rutulians, aren’t you ashamed to sacrifice one life
on behalf of so many of you ? Aren’t we their equals
in numbers and might? See, all the Trojans and Arcadians
are here, and the Etrurian band, led by fate and hostile to Turnus:
if every other man attacks, there’s barely an opponent for each of them.
Turnus will climb in glory to the gods, at whose altars
he has dedicated his life, and live borne on men’s lips:
but we will be forced to submit to proud masters,
our country lost, we who now sit inactive in the field.”
The will of the young men was roused by these words,
more and more so, and a murmur spread through the ranks:
even the Laurentines and the Latins changed their minds.
Those who had lately hoped for rest from battle and a safe existence
now longed for weapons, prayed for the treaty to be broken,
and pitied Turnus’s unjust fate. Juturna added another greater spur,
showing a sign in the depths of the sky, none more significant
to disturb Italian minds and charm them by the wonder of it.
Jove’s tawny eagle, flying through reddened air,
stirred the shore-birds with noisy confusion
in their winged ranks, when suddenly diving to the water
he seized the most outstanding swan cruelly in his curved talons.
The Italians paid attention, and (amazing to see)
all the birds wheeled, clamouring, in flight and, in a cloud,
drove their enemy through the air, darkening the sky
with their wings until, defeated by force and the weight,
the bird gave way and, dropping the prey
from his talons into the river, fled deep into the clouds.
Then the Rutulians truly hailed this omen with a shout
and spread wide their hands, and Tolumnius the augur was first
to cry out: “This, this was what my prayers have often sought.
I understand it and recognise the gods; snatch up the sword
with me, with me at your head, o unhappy race, fragile birds
whom a cruel foreigner terrifies with war, ravaging
your coast with violence. He will take flight and sail
far away over the deep. Close ranks, together, and defend
the king who has been snatched from you in battle.”
He spoke and, running forward, hurled his spear
at the enemy; the hissing cornel shaft sang and cut unerringly
through the air. At one with this, at one, was a mighty shout,
the army all in uproar and hearts hot with the turmoil.
The spear flew on to where, by chance, nine handsome brothers
stood in its path, all of whom one faithful
Tuscan wife had borne to Arcadian Gylippus.
It struck one of them, a youth of great beauty, in shining armour,
at the waist, where a stitched belt rubbed against
his stomach and the buckle bit into the overlapping ends,
pierced his ribs, and hurled him to the yellow sand.
But his spirited band of brothers, fired by grief,
drew their swords or snatched their iron spears
and rushed forward blindly. The Laurentine ranks
charged them: Trojans and Agyllines and Arcadians
in decorated armour poured in from the other side:
so all had one longing, to let the sword decide.
They stripped the altars, there was a fierce storm
of spears in the whole sky, and a steely rain fell,
wine-bowls and hearthstones were carried off.
Latinus himself fled, taking his defeated gods,
the treaty void. Others harnessed their chariots or leapt
on their horses and waited with drawn swords.
Messapus, keen to destroy the truce, charging on his horse,
scared off Auletes, an Etruscan king with a king’s emblems;
the unfortunate man, as he backed away, entangled, fell,
head and shoulders, on to the altar behind him: and Messapus
flew at him furiously, spear in hand, and from his horse’s height
struck mightily at him with the massive weapon
as Auletes begged piteously, and spoke like this over him:
“He’s done for: this nobler victim is given to the great gods.”
The Italians crowded round and stripped the warm body.
Against them, Corynaeus snatched a charred brand
from an altar, and aiming a blow at the charging Ebyso
dashed flames in his face: his great beard flared
and gave off a smell of burning. Corynaeus, following through
his blow, clutched the hair of his stunned enemy in his left hand
and brought him to earth with a thrust of his bent knee,
then stabbed him in the side with his straight sword.
Podalirius towered over the shepherd Alsus, pursuing him
with naked steel as he ran through the shower of spears
in the front rank; but Alsus swung his axe back
and sliced through the front of his enemy’s brow and chin,
drenching his armour with widely spouting blood.
Harsh repose and iron slumber pressed on his eyes
and their light was sunk in everlasting night.
At vero Rutulis impar ea pugna videri
iamdudum et vario misceri pectora motu,
tum magis ut propius cernunt non viribus aequos.
adiuvat incessu tacito progressus et aram
suppliciter venerans demisso lumine Turnus 220
pubentesque genae et iuvenali in corpore pallor.
quem simul ac Iuturna soror crebrescere vidit
sermonem et vulgi variare labantia corda,
in medias acies formam adsimulata Camerti,
cui genus a proavis ingens clarumque paternae 225
nomen erat virtutis, et ipse acerrimus armis,
in medias dat sese acies haud nescia rerum
rumoresque serit varios ac talia fatur:
'non pudet, o Rutuli, pro cunctis talibus unam
obiectare animam? numerone an viribus aequi 230
non sumus? en, omnes et Troes et Arcades hi sunt,
fatalisque manus, infensa Etruria Turno:
vix hostem, alterni si congrediamur, habemus.
ille quidem ad superos, quorum se devovet aris,
succedet fama vivusque per ora feretur; 235
nos patria amissa dominis parere superbis
cogemur, qui nunc lenti consedimus arvis.'
Talibus incensa est iuvenum sententia dictis
iam magis atque magis, serpitque per agmina murmur:
ipsi Laurentes mutati ipsique Latini. 240
qui sibi iam requiem pugnae rebusque salutem
sperabant, nunc arma volunt foedusque precantur
infectum et Turni sortem miserantur iniquam.
his aliud maius Iuturna adiungit et alto
dat signum caelo, quo non praesentius ullum 245
turbavit mentes Italas monstroque fefellit.
namque volans rubra fulvus Iovis ales in aethra
litoreas agitabat avis turbamque sonantem
agminis aligeri, subito cum lapsus ad undas
cycnum excellentem pedibus rapit improbus uncis. 250
arrexere animos Itali, cunctaeque volucres
convertunt clamore fugam (mirabile visu),
aetheraque obscurant pennis hostemque per auras
facta nube premunt, donec vi victus et ipso
pondere defecit praedamque ex unguibus ales 255
proiecit fluvio, penitusque in nubila fugit.
Tum vero augurium Rutuli clamore salutant
expediuntque manus, primusque Tolumnius augur
'hoc erat, hoc votis' inquit 'quod saepe petivi.
accipio agnoscoque deos; me, me duce ferrum 260
corripite, o miseri, quos improbus advena bello
territat invalidas ut avis, et litora vestra
vi populat. petet ille fugam penitusque profundo
vela dabit. vos unanimi densete catervas
et regem vobis pugna defendite raptum.' 265
dixit, et adversos telum contorsit in hostis
procurrens; sonitum dat stridula cornus et auras
certa secat. simul hoc, simul ingens clamor et omnes
turbati cunei calefactaque corda tumultu.
hasta volans, ut forte novem pulcherrima fratrum 270
corpora constiterant contra, quos fida crearat
una tot Arcadio coniunx Tyrrhena Gylippo,
horum unum ad medium, teritur qua sutilis aluo
balteus et laterum iuncturas fibula mordet,
egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis, 275
transadigit costas fulvaque effundit harena.
at fratres, animosa phalanx accensaque luctu,
pars gladios stringunt manibus, pars missile ferrum
corripiunt caecique ruunt. quos agmina contra
procurrunt Laurentum, hinc densi rursus inundant 280
Troes Agyllinique et pictis Arcades armis:
sic omnis amor unus habet decernere ferro.
diripuere aras, it toto turbida caelo
tempestas telorum ac ferreus ingruit imber,
craterasque focosque ferunt. fugit ipse Latinus 285
pulsatos referens infecto foedere divos.
infrenant alii currus aut corpora saltu
subiciunt in equos et strictis ensibus adsunt.
Messapus regem regisque insigne gerentem
Tyrrhenum Aulesten, avidus confundere foedus, 290
adverso proterret equo; ruit ille recedens
et miser oppositis a tergo involvitur aris
in caput inque umeros. at fervidus advolat hasta
Messapus teloque orantem multa trabali
desuper altus equo graviter ferit atque ita fatur: 295
'hoc habet, haec melior magnis data victima divis.'
concurrunt Itali spoliantque calentia membra.
obvius ambustum torrem Corynaeus ab ara
corripit et venienti Ebyso plagamque ferenti
occupat os flammis: olli ingens barba reluxit 300
nidoremque ambusta dedit. super ipse secutus
caesariem laeva turbati corripit hostis
impressoque genu nitens terrae applicat ipsum;
sic rigido latus ense ferit. Podalirius Alsum
pastorem primaque acie per tela ruentem 305
ense sequens nudo superimminet; ille securi
adversi frontem mediam mentumque reducta
dissicit et sparso late rigat arma cruore.
olli dura quies oculos et ferreus urget
somnus, in aeternam conduntur lumina noctem. 310
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