Story of Aeneas Part 11

At dawn of morning the fleet came within view of the Trojan camp. Then AEneas standing on the deck of his own vessel, held aloft his bright shield made by Vulcan. His people saw it from the ramparts, and shouted loud with joy, and now, their hope being revived, they a.s.sailed the enemy with fresh courage. The Rutulians and Latians were amazed at this sudden change, not knowing the cause, but looking back, they too beheld the fleet approaching the sh.o.r.e.

The brave Turnus however was not dismayed at the sight. On the contrary he resolved to give battle to the new foe without delay, and so addressing his men he bade them fight valiantly for their homes and country, remembering the glorious deeds of their ancestors.

"Your sires, your sons, your houses, and your lands, And dearest wives, are all within your hands; Be mindful of the race from whence you came, And emulate in arms your fathers' fame."

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

Then he hurried to the sh.o.r.e with the main body of his army, and AEneas having already landed his companions and allies, a fierce battle began. The Trojan hero performed wonderful feats of valor.

First he attacked the Latian troops, who were in front of the hosts of the enemy, and he slew their leader The'ron, a warrior of giant size.

Through his brazen shield and golden coat of mail AEneas smote him with his sword. Next he slew Lycas, and then Cis'seus and Gyas, tall men and powerful, who, with clubs like the club of Hercules, had been striking down the Trojans. Then a band of seven warrior brothers, the sons of Phorcus, attacked the Trojan chief, hurling seven darts upon him all together, some of which rebounded from his shield, and some, turned aside by Venus, harmlessly grazed his skin. AEneas now called to the faithful Achates to bring him darts--those with which on the plains of Troy the bodies of Grecian warriors had been pierced--

"Those fatal weapons, which, inured to blood, In Grecian bodies under Ilium stood; Not one of those my hand shall toss in vain Against our foes, on this contended plain."

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

Grasping a mighty spear, as soon as these weapons were brought to him, AEneas hurled it at Macon, one of the brothers. It pierced through his shield and breastplate, and he fell mortally wounded. At his brother Alcanor, who had run to his relief, AEneas cast another dart, which penetrated his shoulder, leaving the warrior's arm hanging lifeless by his body. And now Hal-ae'sus with his Auruncian bands, and Messapus, the son of Neptune, conspicuous with his steeds, hastened up to encounter AEneas. The fight then became more furious and many were slain on both sides.

Thus Trojan and Italian meet, With face to face, and feet to feet, And hand close pressed to hand.

CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

In another quarter of the field young Pallas, fighting at the head of his Arcadian hors.e.m.e.n, slew many chiefs of the Latians and Rutulians.

Opposed to him was Lausus, son of the tyrant Mezentius. Lausus being hard pressed by the Arcadians, King Turnus was called to his a.s.sistance, and rushing up he cried to the Rutulians, "Desist you for a moment from the battle. I alone will fight Pallas. Would that his father were here to see." Hearing these words the brave son of Evander advanced boldly into the open plain between the two hosts. The hearts of his Arcadian followers were filled with dread at seeing their young chief about to engage in single combat with so great a warrior as the Rutulian king. Turnus sprang down from his chariot, to meet his foe on foot.

And, as a lion--when he spies from far A bull that seems to meditate the war, Bending his neck, and spurning back the sand-- Runs roaring downward from his hilly stand; Imagine eager Turnus not more slow To rush from high on his unequal foe.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

Then Pallas prayed to Hercules, once his father's guest, to help him.

Hercules in his place in heaven, hearing the prayer, groaned in distress and poured forth tears, for he knew that the fate of the brave youth could not be averted. Noticing the grief of his son, almighty Father Jupiter spoke to him in comforting words. "To every one," said he, "his period of life is fixed. Short is the time allotted to all, but it is the part of the brave man to lengthen out fame by glorious deeds. Many even of the sons of the G.o.ds have fallen under the lofty walls of Troy. Turnus too awaits his destiny, and already he has nearly arrived at the limit of existence left to him."

So saying the king of heaven turned his eyes from the scene of battle.

Pallas now hurled his spear with great force. The weapon struck the armor of Turnus near his shoulder, and piercing through it, grazed his body. Then Turnus poising his sharp steel-tipped javelin, darted it at Pallas. Through the centre of his many-plated shield and the folds of his corselet the fatal shaft pa.s.sed into the breast of the brave youth, inflicting a mortal wound. Down on the earth he fell, and Turnus approaching the dead body exclaimed, "You Arcadians carry these my words to your king. In such plight as he deserved I send his son back to him. His league of friendship with AEneas shall cost him dear."

[Ill.u.s.tration with caption: PALLAS' BODY BORNE FROM THE FIELD. (Drawn by Birch.)]

Then Turnus stripped from the body of Pallas a beautiful belt, embossed with figures carved in gold, and putting it on his own armor, triumphed in the spoil. It proved to be a fatal possession for Turnus.

O mortals! blind in fate who never know To bear high fortune, or endure the low!

The time shall come when Turnus, but in vain, Shall wish untouched the trophies of the slain-- Shall wish the fatal belt were far away, And curse the dire remembrance of the day.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

The body of the brave young prince was laid upon his shield, and borne away from the field of battle, accompanied by a numerous retinue of his sorrowing friends.

O sad, proud thought, that thus a son Should reach a father's door!

This day beheld your wars begun; This day beholds them o'er, CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

The news of the fate of Pallas soon reached AEneas, who was deeply distressed at the thought of the sorrow the youth's death would bring upon his aged father Evander. Eager for vengeance, he hastened through the battle field in search of Turnus, slaying many chiefs of the enemy whom he encountered on his way. But he was not yet to meet the Rutulian king face to face, for Juno, by Jupiter's permission, led Turnus off the field, and saved him for a time from the wrath of the Trojan hero. Out of a hollow cloud she fashioned a phantom with the shape, likeness and voice of AEneas, and caused it to appear before Turnus, as if challenging him to combat.

A phantom in AEneas' mould She fashions, wondrous to behold, Of hollow shadowy cloud, Bids it the Dardan arms a.s.sume, The shield, the helmet, and the plume, Gives soulless words of swelling tone, And motions like the hero's own, As stately and as proud.

CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

The Rutulian king bravely advanced to attack the supposed Trojan chief, upon which the spectre, wheeling about, hastily retreated towards the river. Turnus followed, loudly upbraiding AEneas as a coward. It happened that at the sh.o.r.e there was a ship, connected with the land by a plank bridge or gangway. Into this ship the phantom fled, closely pursued by Turnus; and no sooner had the latter reached the deck of the vessel than Juno, bursting the cables which held it to the bank, sent it floating down the stream. Then the figure of cloud, soaring aloft, vanished into the air, and Turnus knew that he had been deceived.

He was much distressed at being thus separated from his brave followers, and mortified at the thought that they might think he had deserted them in the hour of danger. In his grief he attempted to destroy his own life with his sword, but Juno restrained him, and the ship, wafted along by favoring wind and tide, bore him to Ardea, the capital city of his own country, where his father, King Daunus, resided.

Meanwhile, on the battle field, the Etrurian king, Mezentius, who had taken the place of Turnus, attacked the Trojans with great fury. He had slain many valiant warriors when AEneas espying him from a distance, hurried forward to encounter him. Mezentius stood firm, and relying on his strong arm and his weapons, rather than on divine aid (being a despiser of the G.o.ds) he cast a spear at the Trojan leader.

The missile struck the hero's shield, but it was the shield which Vulcan had made, and could not be pierced by earthly weapon. Then AEneas hurled his javelin. Through the triple plates of bra.s.s, and the triple bull-hide covering of the Etrurian king's shield it pa.s.sed, and, lodging in his groin, inflicted a severe, though not fatal, wound. Instantly the Trojan chief rushed, with sword in hand, upon his foe, as, disabled, he was about to withdraw from the conflict. But at this moment young Lausus, the son of Mezentius, sprang forward and received on his sword the blow that had been intended for his father.

The pious youth, resolved on death, below The lifted sword, springs forth to face the foe; Protects his parent, and prevents the blow.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

But Lausus was no match for the veteran Trojan warrior. Yet AEneas, admiring his courage and filial devotion, would fain have spared the brave youth. "Why do you attempt," said he, "what you have not strength to accomplish? You do but rush to your own destruction."

Regardless, however, of danger, the gallant Lausus fought till he fell lifeless on the earth. AEneas was touched with pity at the sight, for he thought of his own son, and of how he himself had loved his own father. Then, he tenderly lifted the body from the ground, and consigned it to the care of his friends. They carried it to Mezentius, who was resting on the river bank, after having bathed his wounds in the water. When he beheld the lifeless form, the unhappy man burst into tears, and bitterly lamented his own misdeeds which had brought such calamities upon him--banishment from his throne and country, and now, worst of all, the loss of his son. "Why do I live, my son," cried he, "at the cost of thy life? My crimes have been the cause of thy death."

"Dear child! I stained your glorious name By my own crimes, driven out to shame From my ancestral reign; My country's vengeance claimed my blood; Ah! had that tainted, guilty flood Been shed from every vein!

Now 'mid my kind I linger still And live; but leave the light I will."

CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

Then though he was suffering much from the pain of his wound, he called for his horse, the gallant steed Rhoebus, which had borne him victorious through many a fight. The animal seemed to feel the grief of its master, and to understand the words he spoke: "Long, Rhoebus,"

said he, "have we lived, companions in war,--if indeed the life of mortals can be said to be long. But to-day we shall either die together, or bear away the body of AEneas, and so avenge the death of Lausus."

Mounting his horse, and filling both hands with javelins Mezentius then rode rapidly to the scene of conflict, calling loudly for AEneas.

The Trojan chief knew the voice, and eager for the encounter, he quickly advanced. But the brave Etrurian, fearing not to meet his foe, cried out, "Cruel man, you cannot terrify me, now that my son is s.n.a.t.c.hed from me. I am not afraid of death, for I have come to die.

First, however, take these gifts which I bring for you." Thus speaking he hurled a dart at the Trojan leader, and then another and another, and three times he rode in a circle round the hero, casting javelins at him. But the weapons of Mezentius could not pa.s.s through the celestial shield of AEneas, though they fixed themselves in it, and there were so many that they resembled a grove of spears.

Thrice, fiercely hurling spears on spears, From right to left he wheeled; Thrice, facing round as he careers, The steely grove the Trojan bears, Thick planted on his shield.

At length AEneas hurled a javelin at the warrior's horse, striking it between the temples. The animal reared, beating the air with its hoofs, and rolling over its rider, pinned him to the earth. Then the Trojan chief rushed, sword in hand, upon his fallen foe, and the brave Mezentius died asking only the favor of burial for his body.

"For this, this only favor, let me sue; If pity can to conquered foes be due, Refuse it not; but let my body have The last retreat of human-kind, a grave.

This refuge for my poor remains provide; And lay my much-loved Lausus by my side."

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

X. FUNERAL OF PALLAS--AENEAS AND TURNUS FIGHT--TURNUS IS SLAIN.

With the death of Mezentius the battle of the day came to an end.

Early next morning AEneas offered sacrifices to the G.o.ds in thanksgiving for his victory. On a rising ground he caused to be erected the trunk of a huge oak, with its boughs lopped off. Upon this he hung as an offering to the war-G.o.d Mars, the arms that had been borne by the Etrurian king--his crest, and his broken spears, his breastplate, showing the marks of many blows, his shield of bra.s.s, and his ivory-hilted sword. Then he spoke words of encouragement to his chiefs and companions.

"Brother warriors, our most important work is done. Henceforth we need have no fear. Having vanquished the tyrant Mezentius, the way lies open for us to the Latian capital. Make ready your arms so that there may be no obstacle to detain us when the proper moment arrives for leading forth our valiant youth from the camp. Meanwhile let us commit to the earth the bodies of our dead friends. It is the sole honor remaining for us to pay to the heroic men who, with their lives, have won for us a country to dwell in. But first, to the mourning city of Evander let the body of the n.o.ble Pallas be conveyed."

"Brave Pallas, heir of high renown, Whose hopeful day has set too soon, O'ercast by darkness ere its noon"

CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK X.

The obsequies of the young prince were carried out on a scale of great magnificence. A thousand men formed the funeral procession. The body was dressed in rich robes, stiff with embroidery of gold and purple, which Queen Dido with her own hands had wrought for AEneas. Beside the bier were borne the dead youth's arms, and the spoils he had won in battle. His war-horse AEthon, too, was led along, big tear drops running down the animal's cheeks, as if it shared in the general sorrow.

Then AEthon comes, his trappings doffed, The warrior's gallant horse; Big drops of pity oft and oft Adown his visage course.

CONINGTON, _AEneid_, BOOK XI.

Behind followed the numerous escort of Trojan, Etrurian and Arcadian warriors, and the long procession pa.s.sed on with a last sad adieu from the Trojan chief. "By the same fearful fate of war," said he, "I am called to other scenes of woe. Farewell, n.o.ble Pallas, farewell, forever." When the sorrowing cortege reached Pallanteum, the whole city was in mourning. To the gates the people hastened in vast numbers bearing funeral torches in their hands, according to ancient custom, and Trojans and Arcadians joined in loud lamentations.