{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/wikisource_The_Age_of_Fable_Chapter_XXXIII/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/wikisource_The_Age_of_Fable_Chapter_XXXIII","id":"wikisource_The_Age_of_Fable_Chapter_XXXIII","license":"Public Domain / CC-BY-SA (see source)","rights_basis":"wikisource_site_inclusion_policy","source":"wikisource","source_url":"https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Fable/Chapter_XXXIII","summary":null,"tags":["Headers_applying_DefaultSort_key","Subpages"],"text":"XXXIII. CAMILLA \u2014 EVANDER \u2014 NISUS AND EURYALUS \u2014 MEZENTIUS \u2014 TURNUS\n\n\u00c6neas, having parted from the Sibyl and rejoined his fleet,\ncoasted along the shores of Italy and cast anchor in the mouth of\nthe Tiber. The poet, having brought his hero to this spot, the\ndestined termination of his wanderings, invokes his Muse to tell\nhim the situation of things at that eventful moment. Latinus,\nthird in descent from Saturn, ruled the country. He was now old\nand had no male descendant, but had one charming daughter,\nLavinia, who was sought in marriage by many neighboring chiefs,\none of whom, Turnus, king of the Rutulians, was favored by the\nwishes of her parents. But Latinus had been warned in a dream by\nhis father Faunus, that the destined husband of Lavinia should\ncome from a foreign land. From that union should spring a race\ndestined to subdue the world.\n\nOur readers will remember that in the conflict with the Harpies\none of those half-human birds had threatened the Trojans with dire\nsufferings. In particular she predicted that before their\nwanderings ceased they should be pressed by hunger to devour their\ntables. This portent now came true; for as they took their scanty\nmeal, seated on the grass, the men placed their hard biscuit on\ntheir laps, and put thereon whatever their gleanings in the woods\nsupplied. Having despatched the latter they finished by eating the\ncrusts. Seeing which, the boy Iulus said playfully, \"See, we are\neating our tables.\" \u00c6neas caught the words and accepted the omen.\n\"All hail, promised land!\" he exclaimed, \"this is our home, this\nour country.\" He then took measures to find out who were the\npresent inhabitants of the land, and who their rulers. A hundred\nchosen men were sent to the village of Latinus, bearing presents\nand a request for friendship and alliance. They went and were\nfavorably received. Latinus immediately concluded that the Trojan\nhero was no other than the promised son-in-law announced by the\noracle. He cheerfully granted his alliance and sent back the\nmessengers mounted on steeds from his stables, and loaded with\ngifts and friendly messages.\n\nJuno, seeing things go thus prosperously for the Trojans, felt her\nold animosity revive, summoned Alecto from Erebus, and sent her to\nstir up discord. The Fury first took possession of the queen,\nAmata, and roused her to oppose in every way the new alliance.\nAlecto then speeded to the city of Turnus, and assuming the form\nof an old priestess, informed him of the arrival of the foreigners\nand of the attempts of their prince to rob him of his bride. Next\nshe turned her attention to the camp of the Trojans. There she saw\nthe boy Iulus and his companions amusing themselves with hunting.\nShe sharpened the scent of the dogs, and led them to rouse up from\nthe thicket a tame stag, the favorite of Silvia, the daughter of\nTyrrheus, the king's herdsman. A javelin from the hand of Iulus\nwounded the animal, and he had only strength left to run\nhomewards, and died at his mistress's feet. Her cries and tears\nroused her brothers and the herdsmen, and they, seizing whatever\nweapons came to hand, furiously assaulted the hunting party. These\nwere protected by their friends, and the herdsmen were finally\ndriven back with the loss of two of their number.\n\nThese things were enough to rouse the storm of war, and the queen,\nTurnus, and the peasants all urged the old king to drive the\nstrangers from the country. He resisted as long as he could, but,\nfinding his opposition unavailing, finally gave way and retreated\nto his retirement.\n\nOPENING THE GATES OF JANUS\n\nIt was the custom of the country, when war was to be undertaken,\nfor the chief magistrate, clad in his robes of office, with solemn\npomp to open the gates of the temple of Janus, which were kept\nshut as long as peace endured. His people now urged the old king\nto perform that solemn office, but he refused to do so. While they\ncontested, Juno herself, descending from the skies, smote the\ndoors with irresistible force, and burst them open. Immediately\nthe whole country was in a flame. The people rushed from every\nside breathing nothing but war.\n\nTurnus was recognized by all as leader; others joined as allies,\nchief of whom was Mezentius, a brave and able soldier, but of\ndetestable cruelty. He had been the chief of one of the\nneighboring cities, but his people drove him out. With him was\njoined his son Lausus, a generous youth, worthy of a better sire.\n\nCAMILLA\n\nCamilla, the favorite of Diana, a huntress and warrior, after the\nfashion of the Amazons, came with her band of mounted followers,\nincluding a select number of her own sex, and ranged herself on\nthe side of Turnus. This maiden had never accustomed her fingers\nto the distaff or the loom, but had learned to endure the toils of\nwar, and in speed to outstrip the wind. It seemed as if she might\nrun over the standing corn without crushing it, or over the\nsurface of the water without dipping her feet. Camilla's history\nhad been singular from the beginning. Her father, Metabus, driven\nfrom his city by civil discord, carried with him in his flight his\ninfant daughter. As he fled through the woods, his enemies in hot\npursuit, he reached the bank of the river Amazenus, which, swelled\nby rains, seemed to debar a passage. He paused for a moment, then\ndecided what to do. He tied the infant to his lance with wrappers\nof bark, and poising the weapon in his upraised hand thus\naddressed Diana: \"Goddess of the woods! I consecrate this maid to\nyou;\" then hurled the weapon with its burden to the opposite bank.\nThe spear flew across the roaring water. His pursuers were already\nupon him, but he plunged into the river and swam across, and found\nthe spear, with the infant safe on the other side. Thenceforth he\nlived among the shepherds and brought up his daughter in woodland\narts. While a child she was taught to use the bow and throw the\njavelin. With her sling she could bring down the crane or the wild\nswan. Her dress was a tiger's skin. Many mothers sought her for a\ndaughter-in-law, but she continued faithful to Diana and repelled\nthe thought of marriage.\n\nEVANDER\n\nSuch were the formidable allies that ranged themselves against\n\u00c6neas. It was night and he lay stretched in sleep on the bank of\nthe river under the open heavens. The god of the stream, Father\nTiber, seemed to raise his head above the willows and to say, \"O\ngoddess-born, destined possessor of the Latin realms, this is the\npromised land, here is to be your home, here shall terminate the\nhostility of the heavenly powers, if only you faithfully\npersevere. There are friends not far distant. Prepare your boats\nand row up my stream; I will lead you to Evander, the Arcadian\nchief, he has long been at strife with Turnus and the Rutulians,\nand is prepared to become an ally of yours. Rise! offer your vows\nto Juno, and deprecate her anger. When you have achieved your\nvictory then think of me.\" \u00c6neas woke and paid immediate\nobedience to the friendly vision. He sacrificed to Juno, and\ninvoked the god of the river and all his tributary fountains to\nlend their aid. Then for the first time a vessel filled with armed\nwarriors floated on the stream of the Tiber. The river smoothed\nits waves, and bade its current flow gently, while, impelled by\nthe vigorous strokes of the rowers, the vessels shot rapidly up\nthe stream.\n\nAbout the middle of the day they came in sight of the scattered\nbuildings of the infant town, where in after times the proud city\nof Rome grew, whose glory reached the skies. By chance the old\nking, Evander, was that day celebrating annual solemnities in\nhonor of Hercules and all the gods. Pallas, his son, and all the\nchiefs of the little commonwealth stood by. When they saw the tall\nship gliding onward near the wood, they were alarmed at the sight,\nand rose from the tables. But Pallas forbade the solemnities to be\ninterrupted, and seizing a weapon, stepped forward to the river's\nbank. He called aloud, demanding who they were, and what their\nobject. \u00c6neas, holding forth an olive-branch, replied, \"We are\nTrojans, friends to you, and enemies to the Rutulians. We seek\nEvander, and offer to join our arms with yours.\" Pallas, in amaze\nat the sound of so great a name, invited them to land, and when\n\u00c6neas touched the shore he seized his hand, and held it long in\nfriendly grasp. Proceeding through the wood, they joined the king\nand his party and were most favorably received. Seats were\nprovided for them at the tables, and the repast proceeded.\n\nINFANT ROME\n\nWhen the solemnities were ended all moved towards the city. The\nking, bending with age, walked between his son and \u00c6neas, taking\nthe arm of one or the other of them, and with much variety of\npleasing talk shortening the way. \u00c6neas with delight looked and\nlistened, observing all the beauties of the scene, and learning\nmuch of heroes renowned in ancient times. Evander said, \"These\nextensive groves were once inhabited by fauns and nymphs, and a\nrude race of men who sprang from the trees themselves, and had\nneither laws nor social culture. They knew not how to yoke the\ncattle nor raise a harvest, nor provide from present abundance for\nfuture want; but browsed like beasts upon the leafy boughs, or fed\nvoraciously on their hunted prey. Such were they when Saturn,\nexpelled from Olympus by his sons, came among them and drew\ntogether the fierce savages, formed them into society, and gave\nthem laws. Such peace and plenty ensued that men ever since have\ncalled his reign the golden age; but by degrees far other times\nsucceeded, and the thirst of gold and the thirst of blood\nprevailed. The land was a prey to successive tyrants, till fortune\nand resistless destiny brought me hither, an exile from my native\nland, Arcadia.\"\n\nHaving thus said, he showed him the Tarpeian rock, and the rude\nspot then overgrown with bushes where in after times the Capitol\nrose in all its magnificence. He next pointed to some dismantled\nwalls, and said, \"Here stood Janiculum, built by Janus, and there\nSaturnia, the town of Saturn.\" Such discourse brought them to the\ncottage of poor Evander, whence they saw the lowing herds roaming\nover the plain where now the proud and stately Forum stands. They\nentered, and a couch was spread for \u00c6neas, well stuffed with\nleaves, and covered with the skin of a Libyan bear.\n\nNext morning, awakened by the dawn and the shrill song of birds\nbeneath the eaves of his low mansion, old Evander rose. Clad in a\ntunic, and a panther's skin thrown over his shoulders, with\nsandals on his feet and his good sword girded to his side, he went\nforth to seek his guest. Two mastiffs followed him, his whole\nretinue and body guard. He found the hero attended by his faithful\nAchates, and, Pallas soon joining them, the old king spoke thus:\n\n\"Illustrious Trojan, it is but little we can do in so great a\ncause. Our state is feeble, hemmed in on one side by the river, on\nthe other by the Rutulians. But I propose to ally you with a\npeople numerous and rich, to whom fate has brought you at the\npropitious moment. The Etruscans hold the country beyond the\nriver. Mezentius was their king, a monster of cruelty, who\ninvented unheard-of torments to gratify his vengeance. He would\nfasten the dead to the living, hand to hand and face to face, and\nleave the wretched victims to die in that dreadful embrace. At\nlength the people cast him out, him and his house. They burned his\npalace and slew his friends. He escaped and took refuge with\nTurnus, who protects him with arms. The Etruscans demand that he\nshall be given up to deserved punishment, and would ere now have\nattempted to enforce their demand; but their priests restrain\nthem, telling them that it is the will of heaven that no native of\nthe land shall guide them to victory, and that their destined\nleader must come from across the sea. They have offered the crown\nto me, but I am too old to undertake such great affairs, and my\nson is native-born, which precludes him from the choice. You,\nequally by birth and time of life, and fame in arms, pointed out\nby the gods, have but to appear to be hailed at once as their\nleader. With you I will join Pallas, my son, my only hope and\ncomfort. Under you he shall learn the art of war, and strive to\nemulate your great exploits.\"\n\nThen the king ordered horses to be furnished for the Trojan\nchiefs, and \u00c6neas, with a chosen band of followers and Pallas\naccompanying, mounted and took the way to the Etruscan city,\n\nhaving sent back the rest of his party in the ships. \u00c6neas and\nhis band safely arrived at the Etruscan camp and were received\nwith open arms by Tarchon and his countrymen.\n\nNISUS AND EURYALUS\n\nIn the meanwhile Turnus had collected his bands and made all\nnecessary preparations for the war. Juno sent Iris to him with a\nmessage inciting him to take advantage of the absence of \u00c6neas\nand surprise the Trojan camp. Accordingly the attempt was made,\nbut the Trojans were found on their guard, and having received\nstrict orders from \u00c6neas not to fight in his absence, they lay\nstill in their intrenchments, and resisted all the efforts of the\nRutulians to draw them into the field. Night coming on, the army\nof Turnus, in high spirits at their fancied superiority, feasted\nand enjoyed themselves, and finally stretched themselves on the\nfield and slept secure.\n\nIn the camp of the Trojans things were far otherwise. There all\nwas watchfulness and anxiety and impatience for \u00c6neas's return.\nNisus stood guard at the entrance of the camp, and Euryalus, a\nyouth distinguished above all in the army for graces of person and\nfine qualities, was with him. These two were friends and brothers\nin arms. Nisus said to his friend, \"Do you perceive what\nconfidence and carelessness the enemy display? Their lights are\nfew and dim, and the men seem all oppressed with wine or sleep.\nYou know how anxiously our chiefs wish to send to \u00c6neas, and to\nget intelligence from him. Now, I am strongly moved to make my way\nthrough the enemy's camp and to go in search of our chief. If I\nsucceed, the glory of the deed will be reward enough for me, and\nif they judge the service deserves anything more, let them pay it\nto you.\"\n\nEuryalus, all on fire with the love of adventure, replied, \"Would\nyou, then, Nisus, refuse to share your enterprise with me? And\nshall I let you go into such danger alone? Not so my brave father\nbrought me up, nor so have I planned for myself when I joined the\nstandard of \u00c6neas, and resolved to hold my life cheap in\ncomparison with honor.\" Nisus replied, \"I doubt it not, my friend;\nbut you know the uncertain event of such an undertaking, and\nwhatever may happen to me, I wish you to be safe. You are younger\nthan I and have more of life in prospect. Nor can I be the cause\nof such grief to your mother, who has chosen to be here in the\ncamp with you rather than stay and live in peace with the other\nmatrons in Acestes' city.\" Euryalus replied, \"Say no more. In vain\nyou seek arguments to dissuade me. I am fixed in the resolution to\ngo with you. Let us lose no time.\" They called the guard, and\ncommitting the watch to them, sought the general's tent. They\nfound the chief officers in consultation, deliberating how they\nshould send notice to \u00c6neas of their situation. The offer of the\ntwo friends was gladly accepted, themselves loaded with praises\nand promised the most liberal rewards in case of success. Iulus\nespecially addressed Euryalus, assuring him of his lasting\nfriendship. Euryalus replied, \"I have but one boon to ask. My aged\nmother is with me in the camp. For me she left the Trojan soil,\nand would not stay behind with the other matrons at the city of\nAcestes. I go now without taking leave of her. I could not bear\nher tears nor set at nought her entreaties. But do thou, I beseech\nyou, comfort her in her distress. Promise me that and I shall go\nmore boldly into whatever dangers may present themselves.\" Iulus\nand the other chiefs were moved to tears, and promised to do all\nhis request. \"Your mother shall be mine,\" said Iulus, \"and all\nthat I have promised to you shall be made good to her, if you do\nnot return to receive it.\"\n\nThe two friends left the camp and plunged at once into the midst\nof the enemy. They found no watch, no sentinels posted, but, all\nabout, the sleeping soldiers strewn on the grass and among the\nwagons. The laws of war at that early day did not forbid a brave\nman to slay a sleeping foe, and the two Trojans slew, as they\npassed, such of the enemy as they could without exciting alarm. In\none tent Euryalus made prize of a helmet brilliant with gold and\nplumes. They had passed through the enemy's ranks without being\ndiscovered, but now suddenly appeared a troop directly in front of\nthem, which, under Volscens, their leader, were approaching the\ncamp. The glittering helmet of Euryalus caught their attention,\nand Volscens hailed the two, and demanded who and whence they\nwere. They made no answer, but plunged into the wood. The horsemen\nscattered in all directions to intercept their flight. Nisus had\neluded pursuit and was out of danger, but Euryalus being missing\nhe turned back to seek him. He again entered the wood and soon\ncame within sound of voices. Looking through the thicket he saw\nthe whole band surrounding Euryalus with noisy questions. What\nshould he do? how extricate the youth, or would it be better to\ndie with him.\n\nRaising his eyes to the moon, which now shone clear, he said,\n\"Goddess! favor my effort!\" and aiming his javelin at one of the\nleaders of the troop, struck him in the back and stretched him on\nthe plain with a death-blow. In the midst of their amazement\nanother weapon flew and another of the party fell dead. Volscens,\nthe leader, ignorant whence the darts came, rushed sword in hand\nupon Euryalus. \"You shall pay the penalty of both,\" he said, and\nwould have plunged the sword into his bosom, when Nisus, who from\nhis concealment saw the peril of his friend, rushed forward\nexclaiming, \"\u2019Twas I, 'twas I; turn your swords against me,\nRutulians, I did it; he only followed me as a friend.\" While he\nspoke the sword fell, and pierced the comely bosom of Euryalus.\nHis head fell over on his shoulder, like a flower cut down by the\nplough. Nisus rushed upon Volscens and plunged his sword into his\nbody, and was himself slain on the instant by numberless blows.\n\nMEZENTIUS\n\n\u00c6neas, with his Etrurian allies, arrived on the scene of action\nin time to rescue his beleaguered camp; and now the two armies\nbeing nearly equal in strength, the war began in good earnest. We\ncannot find space for all the details, but must simply record the\nfate of the principal characters whom we have introduced to our\nreaders. The tyrant Mezentius, finding himself engaged against his\nrevolting subjects, raged like a wild beast. He slew all who dared\nto withstand him, and put the multitude to flight wherever he\nappeared. At last he encountered \u00c6neas, and the armies stood\nstill to see the issue. Mezentius threw his spear, which striking\n\u00c6neas's shield glanced off and hit Anthor. He was a Grecian by\nbirth, who had left Argos, his native city, and followed Evander\ninto Italy. The poet says of him with simple pathos which has made\nthe words proverbial, \"He fell, unhappy, by a wound intended for\nanother, looked up at the skies, and dying remembered sweet\nArgos.\" \u00c6neas now in turn\nhurled his lance. It pierced the shield of Mezentius, and wounded\nhim in the thigh. Lausus, his son, could not bear the sight, but\nrushed forward and interposed himself, while the followers pressed\nround Mezentius and bore him away. \u00c6neas held his sword suspended\nover Lausus and delayed to strike, but the furious youth pressed\non and he was compelled to deal the fatal blow. Lausus fell, and\n\u00c6neas bent over him in pity. \"Hapless youth,\" he said, \"what can\nI do for you worthy of your praise? Keep those arms in which you\nglory, and fear not but that your body shall be restored to your\nfriends, and have due funeral honors.\" So saying, he called the\ntimid followers and delivered the body into their hands.\n\nMezentius meanwhile had been borne to the riverside, and washed\nhis wound. Soon the news reached him of Lausus's death, and rage\nand despair supplied the place of strength. He mounted his horse\nand dashed into the thickest of the fight, seeking \u00c6neas. Having\nfound him, he rode round\nhim in a circle, throwing one javelin after another, while \u00c6neas\nstood fenced with his shield, turning every way to meet them. At\nlast, after Mezentius had three times made the circuit, \u00c6neas\nthrew his lance directly at the horse's head. It pierced his\ntemples and he fell, while a shout from both armies rent the\nskies. Mezentius asked no mercy, but only that his body might be\nspared the insults of his revolted subjects, and be buried in the\nsame grave with his son. He received the fatal stroke not\nunprepared, and poured out his life and his blood together.\n\nPALLAS, CAMILLA, TURNUS\n\nWhile these things were doing in one part of the field, in another\nTurnus encountered the youthful Pallas. The contest between\nchampions so unequally matched could not be doubtful. Pallas bore\nhimself bravely, but fell by the lance of Turnus. The victor\nalmost relented when he saw the brave youth lying dead at his\nfeet, and spared to use the privilege of a conqueror in despoiling\nhim of his arms. The belt only, adorned with studs and carvings of\ngold, he took and clasped round his own body. The rest he remitted\nto the friends of the slain.\n\nAfter the battle there was a cessation of arms for some days to\nallow both armies to bury their dead. In this interval \u00c6neas\nchallenged Turnus to decide the contest by single combat, but\nTurnus evaded the challenge. Another battle ensued, in which\nCamilla, the virgin warrior, was chiefly conspicuous. Her deeds of\nvalor surpassed those of the bravest warriors, and many Trojans\nand Etruscans fell pierced with her darts or struck down by her\nbattle-axe. At last an Etruscan named Aruns, who had watched her\nlong, seeking for some advantage, observed her pursuing a flying\nenemy whose splendid armor offered a tempting prize. Intent on the\nchase she observed not her danger, and the javelin of Aruns struck\nher and inflicted a fatal wound. She fell and breathed her last in\nthe arms of her attendant maidens. But Diana, who beheld her fate,\nsuffered not her slaughter to be unavenged. Aruns, as he stole\naway, glad, but frightened, was struck by a secret arrow, launched\nby one of the nymphs of Diana's train, and died ignobly and\nunknown.\n\nAt length the final conflict took place between \u00c6neas and Turnus.\nTurnus had avoided the contest as long as he could, but at last,\nimpelled by the ill success of his arms and by the murmurs of his\nfollowers, he braced himself to the conflict. It could not be\ndoubtful. On the side of \u00c6neas were the expressed decree of\ndestiny, the aid of his goddess-mother at every emergency, and\nimpenetrable armor fabricated by Vulcan, at her request, for her\nson. Turnus, on the other hand, was deserted by his celestial\nallies, Juno having been expressly forbidden by Jupiter to assist\nhim any longer. Turnus threw his lance, but it recoiled harmless\nfrom the shield of \u00c6neas. The Trojan hero then threw his, which\npenetrated the shield of Turnus, and pierced his thigh. Then\nTurnus's fortitude forsook him and he begged for mercy; and \u00c6neas\nwould have given him his life, but at the instant his eye fell on\nthe belt of Pallas, which Turnus had taken from the slaughtered\nyouth. Instantly his rage revived, and exclaiming, \"Pallas\nimmolates thee with this blow,\" he thrust him through with his\nsword.\n\nHere the poem of the \"\u00c6neid\" closes, and we are left to infer\nthat \u00c6neas, having triumphed over his foes, obtained Lavinia for\nhis bride. Tradition adds that he founded his city, and called it\nafter her name, Lavinium. His son Iulus founded Alba Longa, which\nwas the birthplace of Romulus and Remus and the cradle of Rome\nitself.\n\n\u00a0\n\nThere is an allusion to Camilla in those well-known lines of Pope,\nin which, illustrating the rule that \"the sound should be an echo\nto the sense,\" he says:\n\n\"When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw,\n\nThe line too labors and the words move slow.\n\nNot so when swift Camilla scours the plain,\n\nFlies o'er th' unbending corn or skims along the main.\"\n\n\u2014Essay on Criticism.","title":"The Age of Fable/Chapter XXXIII","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":4319}