Lecture Notes: Book 12 of the Aeneid

Key Characters:

• Aeneas: Trojan hero, protagonist.
• Turnus: Leader of the Rutulians, antagonist.
• Juno: Goddess opposing Aeneas, supporting Turnus.
• Juturna: Turnus's sister, a minor goddess aiding him.
• Venus: Aeneas's divine mother, aiding him.

Key Events:

Single Combat Setup

• Turnus demands that terms for a duel with Aeneas be established.
• Both armies line up to witness the fight.

Divine Interference

• Juno, still defying fate, encourages Juturna to protect Turnus.

The Duel and Broken Truce

• Aeneas makes offerings, vowing to treat the Italians honorably.
• Juturna incites the Rutulians by showing a sign of birds attacking an eagle.
• A Rutulian breaks the truce by throwing a spear.
• Aeneas is injured by an arrow but gets healed by Venus.
• Turnus briefly gains hope and fights aggressively.

Resuming Conflict

• War resumes not as intended single combat but as a larger battle.
• Aeneas, guided by Venus, seeks Turnus.
• Juturna attempts to keep Turnus from Aeneas.
• Aeneas attacks the city, prompting a reaction.

Tragic Outcomes

• The queen hangs herself, believing Turnus is dead.
• Turnus returns to battle as his city falls apart.

Final Combat

• In single combat, Turnus's sword breaks.
• Juturna gives Turnus his own sword.
• Juno capitulates, accepts Aeneas's fate, ensuring his descendants are called Latins.
• An omen from Jupiter convinces Juturna to stop interfering.

Conclusion of the Duel

• Aeneas wounds Turnus, who pleads for mercy.
• Seeing Pallas's sword belt on Turnus, Aeneas kills him in anger.

Themes:

• Fate and Destiny: Aeneas's journey and eventual victory symbolize the destined founding of Rome.
• Piety and Honor: Aeneas's actions demonstrate reverence for gods, family, and country.
• War and Grief: The abrupt ending emphasizes the tragedy and loss inherent in war.

Virgil's Intention

• The poem's abrupt ending might reflect an unfinished epic due to Virgil’s death.
• Alternatively, it serves to underscore the costs of war, highlighted by Turnus's sad ghost.

Analysis:

• Aeneas represents Roman virtues of piety and duty.
• Turnus's failure to recognize the inevitable loss highlights the cost of pride and defiance against fate.
• Despite divine interventions, Aeneas's destiny is preserved, symbolizing the eventual rise of Rome.