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Non Viribus Aequis: Some Problems in Virgil's Battle-Scenes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2009

Nicholas Horsfall
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Extract

Little of the ‘Iliadic’ Aeneid is devoted to actual combat: two-fifths of books 7–12, on a generous count. Modern scholarship largely avoids the topic; certainly, Virgil has not yet found his Fenik. This paper grew from a desire to know just what determined victory in Virgilian combat, and though the actual answer may prove simple and unexciting, the question itself sheds new light upon the structure and personalities of the later books. The issue is vastly more complex in Homer's huge battle-scenes: there the ‘serious and grim Achaeans’ are more frequent victors and it is clear that the outcome of many duels will have pre-existed the creation of the Iliad and could not be altered. In Homer too, the vastly greater number of heroes developed into figures of individual interest results in the establishment of what is in effect an unofficial ‘rating’ system: not only is ‘The minor warriors of the Iliad' substantial and valuable study, but within that group, further clear discriminations of ranking apply: Idomeneus, Antilochus, Helenus, Deiphobus, for example, stand in mid-scale and Homer's system of ‘seeding’ excludes unexpected or improbable winners: thus when Aeneas meets Diomedes in Il. 5, he is clearly outclassed, but also, traditionally, survives the battles against the Achaeans. An honourably drawn fight would be too good a result for Aeneas' talents and a divine rescue is an alternative fortunately open to Homer. What then happens in the Aeneid?

Type
Research Article
Information
Greece & Rome , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , April 1987 , pp. 48 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1987

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References

Notes

1. Cf. Raabe, H., Plurima Mortis Imago (München, 1974)Google Scholar, Willcock, M. M., PCPhS 29 (1983), 87ffGoogle Scholar., Nisbet, R. G. M., PVS 17 (1978–1980), 55ffGoogle Scholar.

2. Fenik, B., Typical Battle-scenes in the Iliad, Hermes Einzelschr. 21 (1968)Google Scholar.

3. Griffin, J., Homer on Life and Death (Oxford, 1980), p. 4Google Scholar; cf. Mueller, M., The Iliad (London, 1984), pp. 82 and 89Google Scholar.

4. Strasburger, G., Die kleinen Kämpfer des Ilias (diss. Frankfurt, 1954)Google Scholar; note pp. 130ff., some valuable remarks on minor warriors in the Aeneid.

5. Strasburger's, ‘mittlere Helden’ (n. 4), pp. 106ffGoogle Scholar.; cf. Fenik (n. 2), p. 15.

6. The classic exposition remains R. Heinze, Virgils epische Technik (repr. Stuttgart, 1965), pp. 171ff.

7. Saunders, C., TAPA 71 (1940), 538ffGoogle Scholar.

8. See now Poucet, J., Less Origines de Rome (Bruxelles, 1985), pp. 287ffGoogle Scholar.

9. Varro, , Ling. Lat. 5.30, 43Google Scholar; Aen. 6.763ff. shows Virgil knew his Alban king-lists.

10. Brill, A., Die Gestalt der Camilla bei Vergil (diss. Heidelberg, 1972), pp. llffGoogle Scholar., Horsfall, , CR 34 (1984), 61fGoogle Scholar.

11. Catalogues of Trojan allies and Myrmidons: Knauer, G. N., Die Aeneis und Homer (Göttingen, 1964), p. 297Google Scholar.

12. Horsfall, , JRS 63 (1973), 75fGoogle Scholar., West, S., JHS 104 (1984), 125ffGoogle Scholar., etc.

13. Cf. Cato Orig. fr. 9P, Liv. 1.1.6, etc.

14. Fowler, W. Warde, Death of Turnus (Oxford, 1919) remains valuable (pp. 86ff.)Google Scholar.

15. Cf. Knauer, , GRBS 5 (1964), 79ffGoogle Scholar.

16. In all senses: cf. Lieberg, G. in Vergiliana, ed. Bardon, H., Verdière, R. (Leiden, 1971), pp. 185ffGoogle Scholar, Feeney, D., CQ 33 (1983), 214CrossRefGoogle Scholar. At. 1.210ff. it is not clear that Aeneas joins his men for vintage wine and barbecued venison.

17. On the first appearance of Nisus and Euryalus in the foot race in bk. 5, cf. Berres, T., Die Entstehung der Aeneis, Hermes Einzelschr. 45 (1982), pp. 189ffGoogle Scholar.; also Lennox, P., Hermes 105 (1977), 333 n. 19Google Scholar.

18. So Mynors in his index, but, to judge from his name, can Herminius be thought of as anything other than an indigenous ally (cf. 11.465, 604)?

19. 11.620, 12.127, 550; the same suits a Rutulian (9.571) just as well.

20. Macr. 5.15.6f., Serv. on 7.647.

21. 10.411ff.; cf. Willcock (n. 1), 92. His death corresponds structurally to Sarpedon's: Knauer (n. 11), p. 298; the contrast of characterization requires no further comment.

22. Achates at 3.523 is interesting: Aeneas' cardboard companions are otherwise strikingly absent from bk. 3; Palinurus (3.513, 562) of course dies before the Trojans reach Italy. This minimal role for Aeneas' followers is a generally unrecognized oddity in bk. 3; the special function assigned to Anchises in that book perhaps reduces the room available: cf. Lloyd, R. B., AJP 78 (1957), 143fGoogle Scholar.

23. Cf. West, G. S., Vergilius 31 (1985), 27fGoogle Scholar. Contrast Chloreus, distinguished as priest of Cybele (11.768) and here likewise killed by Turnus; one might have expected him to play some role in the journey west.

24. Cf. Winnington-Ingram, R. P., PVS 11 (1971–1972), 66fGoogle Scholar.

25. Cf. Griffin (n. 3), pp. 140ff.; in Virgil see e.g. 7.535ff., 10.388f, 390ff. 12.517ff.

26. Summarized, Willcock (n. 1), 90f.

27. Williams, Gordon, Technique and Ideas in the Aeneid (New Haven and London, 1983), pp. 17ffGoogle Scholar. should be viewed with extreme caution.

28. Oversimplified in Barchiesi's, A. interesting discussion, in Lecturae Vergilianae, ed. Gigante, M., 3 (L'Eneide) (Napoli, 1983), pp. 352fGoogle Scholar.

29. Cf. Lennox (n. 17), 335ff.

30. On Virgil's tragic foreshadowing and unequal duels, cf. Krischer, T., Pap. Liverpool Lat. Sem. 2 (1979), 147fGoogle Scholar.; MacDermott, E. A., CJ 75 (1978–1980), 153ffGoogle Scholar. on the ‘unfair fight’ is inadequate.

31. 8.560ff. But see 12.93ff. for Actor the Auruncan; but could the spear be thought of as an inherited trophy, as the sword had been made for his father?

32. cf. West, D., G & R 21 (1974), 28fGoogle Scholar.

33. Aeneas in Homer: Horsfall, , CQ 29 (1979), 372fCrossRefGoogle Scholar., Galinsky, G. K., Aeneas, Sicily and Rome (Princeton, 1969), pp. 11ffGoogle Scholar.

34. At his best in Il. 13, 14, 15, 17. But the victory related by Virgil at 5.260ff. looks invented.

35. Cf. 10.82, 12.52, Austin on 1.752; note the spectre of his defeat by Diomedes: e.g. 1.96, 4.228.

36. Cf, more fully, my remarks in Vergilius forthcoming.

37. I am most grateful to Robert Peden and Stephen Harrison for attempting to moderate some of my excesses and for contributing much of value. Malcolm Willcock read the text with painstaking attention.