Book 7: War in Latium

Question 1

Where has Aeneas come from?

Answer 1

Cumae

Question 2

Where does Aeneas land? What is the significance of this place?

Answer 2

Harbour of Caieta, named after Aeneas’ nurse as he buries her there.

Question 3

Which Homeric character is mentioned on the way to the river Tiber?

Answer 3

Circe - Aeneas sails past her island (with Poseidon’s help) - Homeric nod, but doesn’t actually land

Question 4

Describe the view and atmosphere when Aeneas sees the river Tiber?

Answer 4

‘beauty bursting’, ‘racing waves’, ‘yellow sand’, birds singing through trees - natural, vibrant, calm

Trojans were ‘rejoicing’

Question 5

Who does Virgil call on before talking of Latium (etc)? Why does he say that this part is a ‘greater work’?

Answer 5

Erato (muse of love as the war revolves around Lavinia) - asks muse to tell of the war.
Greater:
- War is a more traditional epic subject
- Tranferral from Odyssey to Iliad (now in Italy)
- The half where Aeneas’ destiny is realised
- Beginning of Rome’s founding

Question 6

Describe the situation in Latium before Aeneas arrives

Answer 6

• King Latinus is an ‘old’ and peaceful ruler - son of Faunus and a nymph (descended from Saturn)
• Lavinia, Latinus’ only daughter (son died as an infant) is ready to be marry
• Queen Amata wants her to marry Turnus, her most worthy suitor, but there have been portents from the gods that have forbade it

Question 7

Describe the portents against a marriage between Lavinia and Turnus

Answer 7

• Cloud of bees swarmed around a laurel tree sacred to Apollo (means a stranger will arrive with an army and take over the land)
• Lavinia’s hair caught fire (her fate will be bright but will bring war on surrounding peoples)
• Troubled by these portents, Latinus visited the oracle of Faunus and sacrificed 100 sheep - a voice told him to not marry Lavinia to a Latin, a stranger will come and they will marry and their descendants will bring fame and rule the world
• Rumour spread this prophecy through the city

Question 8

Explain what happened and why Ascanius says the Trojans are ‘eating their tables’

Answer 8

• Trojans on the river bank, feasting. Spread fruit on flatbreads at the advice of Jupiter - so hungry they ate the flatbreads too
• Ascanius joked that they were eating their tables - fulfills prophecy given by the harpy Celaeno (in Book 3)
• Marks that they have arrived at the end of their sufferings and should lay down foundations
• Aeneas made libations to Jupiter and Anchises, to many gods (including those yet unknown)

Question 9

How do the rest of the Trojans realise that they have come to the place to lay down foundations?

Answer 9

Jupiter thundered 3 times and displayed a ‘burning cloud’ with ‘rays of golden light’ in the sky
Trojans rejoiced

Question 10

Describe the embassy Aeneas sends to Latinus. What is he doing while they go to the city?

Answer 10

• 100 men bearing olive branches wrapped in wool for supplication
• Meanwhile, Aeneas surrounded the settlement with ‘a stockade and rampart as though it was a camp’ - ominous, fortifying for war

Question 11

Describe the scene when Aeneas’ embassy arrive in the city. What does Latinus’ palace look like?

Answer 11

• Boys exercise in front of the city, associated with war (javelin, chariots, archery, sparring, racing)
• Palace is ‘massive and soaring to the sky’ - used as a temple, senate house, and for kings’ inaugurations
• Features statues of ancestors (e.g. Saturn, Janus)
• Statue of Picus with a toga, augural staff - ceremonial objects of future Rome

Question 12

Why, when the Trojans arrive in the city, are they described as being in ‘strange costume’?

Answer 12

In the East they wore trousers - barbaric, non-Roman

Question 13

What is the name of the Trojan that speaks to Latinus on Aeneas’ behalf?

Answer 13

Ilioneus

Question 14

What does Ilioneus say to Latinus?

Answer 14

• Talks of long journey, all they want is a ‘little piece of land for their fathers’ gods’
• They will bring fame, Aeneas is strong in war and many wanted alliances with them
• Apollo sent them here
• Gives Latinus gifts: Anchises’ libation cup, Priam;s sceptre, and sacred headdress

Question 15

How does Latinus respond to the Trojans when they first arrive?

Answer 15

Welcomes them with ‘kindly words’ - says they’ve heard of Troy, what do they want here. Offers xenia friendship

Question 16

How does Latinus respond to the Trojans’ requests?

Answer 16

Moved by the gifts - realises that Aeneas is fated to marry his daughter. Blesses them and says he’ll give them ‘rich land to farm’ (generous).
Says he must meet Aeneas as he is the prophecised future husband of Lavinia
Gives the Trojans 100 horses and Aeneas a chariot with 3 fire breating horses

Question 17

How does Juno react when she realises the Trojans have arrived at their destination?

Answer 17

• ‘bitter resentment’
• Says she’s done everything (storm, Troy, Scylla and Charybdis) - other gods have defeated races, but she (wife of Jupiter) has been ‘thwarted’
• Knows she cannot stop the marriage but will cause a war to delay it (refers to meeting of son-in-law and father-in-law - JC and Pompey in civil wars)
• Will be a second Troy, a second Paris

Question 18

How is Allecto described?

Answer 18

• ‘bringer of grief’ - fury associated with the horrors of war, treachery, anger - even Pluto and her sisters hate her - has many faces and many shaps, head crawls with ‘black serpents’

Question 19

What does Juno ask Allecto to do?

Answer 19

To see that Latinus doesn’t accept the marriage between Aeneas and Lavinia, and ensure the Trojans don’t settle in Italy

• Says she can turn brothers and houses against themselves, and use all ways of causing pain
• ‘shatter this peace’

Question 20

How did Amata feel about the loss of Lavinia’s marriage with Turnus?

Answer 20

• ‘seething’ with ‘anger and disappointment’

Question 21

How does Allecto madden Amata?

Answer 21

• Allecto took a snake from her hair and threw it into Amata’s heart, causing ‘a horror driving her to frenzy’
• Became a great necklace around her neck and a ribbon in her hair
• ‘infection of the liquid venom’ ‘oozing through all her senses and winding fire about her bones’

Question 22

How does Amata try to persuade Latinus to change his mind? What is his reaction?

Answer 22

• Asks if he has no feelings for Lavinia or Amata
• Aeneas will take her away when the weather improves (like a second Helen)
• Says he’s given sacred pledges to Turnus
• Turnus’ ancestors come from Greece so he is technically a stranger (Faunus’ prophecy)
• Latinus was not moved

Question 23

After speaking to Latinus, Amata’s madness increases. What does she do? Which simile is used to describe her?

Answer 23

• Amata rages through the city like a spinning top being whipped by boys (Amata is a toy of the gods)
• Takes Lavinia into the forests and told Bacchus she is his
• All the mothers of Latium joined her, left their houses - ‘hair streaming’, throats bare, clad in animal skins, sharpened vine shoots into spears

Question 24

How does Allecto appear to Turnus?

Answer 24

As Calybe, an ‘old’ priestess of Juno with ‘horrible wrinkles’

Question 25

Where is Turnus when Allecto appears to him?

Answer 25

In the palace at Ardea, asleep

Question 26

What does Allecto tell Turnus?

Answer 26

That Latinus has refused his marriage and therefore his crown - tells him it is Juno’s will that he fights against the Trojans

Question 27

What is Turnus’ initial reaction to Allecto’s words?

Answer 27

Laughs at her (confident) - says her age has made her a ‘fool’ - says the gods haven’t fogotten them and that ‘war is the business of men’

Question 28

How does Allecto cause Turnus to decide to fight the Trojans?

Answer 28

Throws a burning torch into his heat - caused him to sweat in the ‘frenzy of rage’ - Turnus rages through the palace, roaring for his armour, consumed with ‘lust for battle’

Question 29

What does Allecto do to cause the herdsmen to rise against the Trojans?

Answer 29

• Puts the scent of stag into Iulus’ hounds’ noses - went and Iulus shot the stag through with an arrow
• The stag was raised by Tyrrhus (Latinus’ herdsman) and his sister, Silvia
• It returned home, bleeding - Silvia beat her arms in grief
• Tyrrhus called the troops and Allecto blew the herdsmen’s signal

Question 30

Describe the herdsmen gathering for war (lots of imagery)

Answer 30

The countrymen drew up in lines, ‘no longer a village brawl’

• ‘dark crop of drawn swords’, bronze gleamed up to the clouds
• gathered ‘like the sea whitening’ - crests building up height (Natural, agricultural imagery - peaceful)
• Killing started, including Galaseus who tried to stop them (justest and richest among them - farmer)

Question 31

What does Allecto want to do next? What does Juno say in response?

Answer 31

Wants to bring in neaighbouring cities but Juno says she has done enough.

Question 32

How does Latinus react to the brewing war?

Answer 32

The herdsmen, Turnus, Amata, and the women all went to Latinus to demand war

• Latinus was ‘unmoved, like a solid rock in the ocean pounded by breakers’ - but couldn’t resist, syas he has lost all happiness
• Latinus shut himself in the palace and gave up the reins of power (peaceful nature contrasts Turnus’ energy and violence)

Question 33

Who opens Latium’s gates of war?

Answer 33

Juno struck the gates (like the Gates of Janus in Rome)

Question 34

How does Virgil lament the war?

Answer 34

Says they have given up ‘love for the plough - the swords of their fathers’

Question 35

Why does Virgil call on the Muses and have a catalogue of Italian troops at the end of Book 7?

Answer 35

• Homeric links (like catalogue of Greek fighters in Book 2 of the Iliad)

Question 36

Who are the three key warriors mentioned in the catalogue of Italian fighters?

Answer 36

• Mezentius of Etruria, ‘scorner of the gods’ and his son, Lausas (beautiful, deserved a better father)
• Turnus - fairest and tallest, Chimaera on helmet (archaic violence - Homeric) - shield with Io on it (one of Jupiter’s lovers that Juno changed into a heifer = Juno’s power)
• Camillia, ‘warrior maiden’, led cavalry - battle-hardened (war instead of weaving) - fleet footed, all stared at her beauty and clothing. Carried a shepherd’s staff with the head of a lance (mixed together)

Question 37

Which similes are used of Camilla’s speed?

Answer 37

• could run over crops and not bruise an ear of grain

- could run over the waves and not get wet