non sibi sed toti	Classics Teaching Resources

Aeneid Book 10 - summaries Summary no.1 from Book Rags Book 10 While this happens, Jupiter calls a council of the gods. He asks why the Italians and the Trojans are fighting against each other against his will. He promises that there will be plenty of war when Rome and Carthage fight later. Venus says that the Rutulians led by Turnus are massacring Trojans and that Greek armies are going to march out and help them. The Trojans have done everything they were supposed to but Juno sent Allecto out to cause trouble. She begs that Ascanius be spared if Troy is to be destroyed again. Juno bursts in and calls the Trojans thieves, saying that they never ask for peace and alleges that they started the conflict to begin with. Juno pleads that the war cannot be ended. Jupiter speaks and says that he will help neither the Rutulians nor the Trojans: "'What each man does will shape his trial and fortune. For Jupiter is king of all alike; the Fates will find their way.'" Book 10, lines 160-62 All of the gods are to stay out of the battle and let it run its course. The Trojans and Latins continue to struggle. The Trojans strain to hold their halls and Ascanius helps. Mnestheus hurls his weapons down. At this point , Aeneas has made the camp of the Tuscans and convinced them to follow him against Mezentius. He sails downriver followed by the chiefs of the Tuscans with about thirty ships of men. It is night as Aeneas sails and one of the nymphs who was once one of his ships grabs the stern and lifts herself up. She tells him to hasten because the Trojans are in dire straits. Aeneas prays to the earth and promises offerings. Day begins as the ships near the camp. They rain arrows from the ships. The attackers stare at Aeneas looking noble and godlike in his armour. Turnus does not despair, but he rallies his men and tells them to cut the Trojans down as they step on land. They begin to jump from the ships, but King Tarchon has his men run the ships right on to land. His ship gets stuck, but the Tuscans begin to pour onto the field. Aeneas jumps down and immediately begins to slay Latins. Aeneas loses his spear but is rearmed by Achates. He continues to kill brothers and relatives. Clausus begins to fight back with the rest of the Latins. At another part of the battle. Pallas rallies the Arcadians. He cuts down many and his men are excited. Another Rutulian begins his own killing spree, but Pallas prays to the gods that he may slay the man and he does. Lausus the son of Mezentius, is threatened by the battle and Turnus tells him to leave so that he may face Pallas alone. Turnus begins to hunt him like a lion after a bull. When Pallas sees this, he prays to Hercules that he will not die in vain. Hercules hears him but is unable to do anything and Jupiter comforts him. Pallas hurls at Turnus and misses. Turnus hurls and kills him. He announces the death of Pallas to the Arcadians as he rips off the prince's belt covered with the scene of the slaughter of fifty bridegrooms. A messenger brings Aeneas word of this deed and he cuts through the battle towards the Arcadians. One man pleads for his life, but Aeneas kills him as well as a priest. He curses more men as he cuts them down. Many flee his path. two brothers are driving a chariot up and down the field. They taunt Aeneas, but he kills one of them with a javelin. He seizes the chariot and kills the other even though he asks for mercy. Meanwhile, Jupiter speaks to Juno: "'Both wife and sister to me, and much loved, as you supposed (your judgement is not wrong), the power of Troy has been sustained by Venus, not by the fighting men's keen hands in battle, not by their stubborn souls, patient in trials...'" Book 10, lines 834-38 Juno admits that she is afraid of his wrath but asks that Turnus be spared. He tells her that she may arrange this and she goes to the field cloaked in a cloud and then disguised as Aeneas. Turnus runs after her and she leads him to a ship which she sends sailing off. Aeneas rushes around the field looking for Turnus. When Turnus realizes where he is, he pleads with the gods that they return him because he feels shameful for committing desertion. He tries to stab himself and throw himself in the river but Juno won't let him. Mezentius takes the lead of the Rutulians and he rallies his men after he kills one of the Trojans who curses him. The battle continues with each side losing men equally. Mezentius rushes and fights nobly. Aeneas hastens to meet him. Mezentius misses the Trojan leader only to be hit in the thigh by him. He limps off the field. His son, Lausus, rushes Aeneas and misses him. Aeneas gets surrounded by Lausus' companions but he taunts them anyway. He overcomes them and kills Lausus but regrets it. Mezentius washes by the river and laments when his son's body is carried to him. He rearms and wishes to take Aeneas' life. He mounts his horse and calls a challenge to Aeneas. Aeneas accepts the challenge and waits as Mezentius rides around him multiple times. He flings his spear and kills the horse. He rushes forward and taunts Mezentius. Mezentius replies: "'why do you taunt and threaten me? There is no crime in killing me; I did not come to war with any thought of quarter, nor did Lausus ever draw such terms with you. I ask you only this: if any grace is given to the vanquished, let my body be laid in earth'" Book 10, lines 1236-42 Aeneas kills Mezentius. Summary no.2 from Barron's Booknotes Book X describes the ferocious battle between the Trojans and the Italians. (The Italians are all the people fighting the Trojans, including the Rutulians, the Latins, and their allies.) It's one of the best war stories you'll ever read, full of action and suspense. There are scenes of bravery and loyalty, cowardice and cruelty. Virgil shows you both the heroic side of war and its terrible brutality. When the Book opens, Jupiter has summoned a council of the gods. He wants to know why the Trojans and the Italians are fighting. Of course, Venus blames Juno. Juno answers that it isn't her fault because she wasn't the one who drove the Trojans from Troy in the first place. All the gods start blaming each other and a big fight breaks out. Finally, Jupiter has had enough and tells them to calm down. From now on, he orders, no one is to favor either side. Men, by their own luck and ability, will have to resolve matters on their own. Fate will be revealed without the gods' intervention. NOTE: Why do the gods withdraw from the scene? For one thing, they've certainly made a mess of everything. But more importantly, Virgil wants you to focus on the individuals involved, on the rights and wrongs of what they do on their own. We've seen this idea before in Virgil. The gods may start the action, but men always have to resolve matters in the end. Aeneas returns by ship with a fleet of Etruscan allies. He first appears high on the stern of his ship, holding his great shield before him. It glints in the sun. The Trojans holding the fort give a wild whoop of joy. Aeneas is first off the boat and Turnus' troops are already on the beach to meet them. Although Virgil describes many battles and killings, you should pay the most attention to two of them. In the first, we see young Pallas scoring many victories. (Remember that Pallas is Evander's son and the old man entrusted him to Aeneas. Aeneas feels a special responsibility for the boy, almost as though he were his own son.) Finally, Pallas goes after Lausus, the son of Mezentius (the tyrant and one of Turnus' greatest allies). Lausus is losing the fight and Turnus charges over to help him, like a lion stalking its prey. Although the match is grossly uneven, Pallas bravely throws his spear at Turnus. It barely grazes Turnus. Then Turnus throws his spear, taunting the boy with "Which pierces deeper, Your spear or mine?" The spear goes right through the boy's shield and pierces his chest. Pallas doubles over, belching blood, and dies. Gloating over his victory, Turnus stands with his foot on the body and snatches a beautiful metal belt that Pallas had worn. (If you remember how Euryalus met his downfall by looting the bodies of his victims, you'll begin to suspect that Turnus may regret this move.) When Aeneas finds out what has happened, he flies into a rage and we see a great change in how he fights. Before this he was fierce, but now he's furious and doesn't spare anyone in his path. However, he's out to get Turnus in particular. Aeneas seems a bit out of control himself in these scenes. At this point Juno becomes truly depressed, for she realizes that the end is coming soon. (From this point on you'll see that Juno seems less angry and more depressed. You can understand why-all her schemes have failed. But it wouldn't be like Juno to give up completely.) She asks Jupiter's permission to delay the end a little longer. She tricks Turnus into chasing a ghost of Aeneas, and gets him away from the action and out of danger. For once it seems that Juno is preventing violence. However, the truth is that her delaying tactics only prolong the killing and chaos. Once again we see that Juno's irrational behavior is always destructive. Now that Turnus is chasing a ghost of Aeneas, we get a good look at Aeneas in action, and we see the second important scene in this Book. Aeneas fights the tyrant Mezentius and wounds him badly. Lausus rushes in to help his father. Aeneas realizes that the boy has no chance and warns him away, but the son won't abandon his father. Finally, Aeneas loses his patience and drives his sword through the boy's body. And now Aeneas changes. Looking on that face So pale in death, he groans in pity; he reaches As if to touch him with his hand, in comfort Knowing, himself, how one can love a father. 'Poor boy, what tribute can Aeneas offer, What praise for so much glory? Keep the armour You loved so much'