How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Book.Line). We used Robert Fitzgerald's translation.
Quote #10
At this, Turnus grew mad with fear. He said:
"Faunus, have pity, I entreat you! Gracious
Earth, hold fast the steel, if I have honored you
All my life, whereas Aeneas' men
Warred on you and profaned you."
So he prayed
And asked divine assistance, not in vain (12.1049-1055)
In these lines, Turnus draws a sharp contrast between himself (and, by extension, his people), who are from the land they are fighting in, and Aeneas and his men, who are potentially dangerous outsiders. By praying to the guardian spirits of the land, his primitive (in the sense of being their first) status in Italy pays off, when the gods prevent Aeneas from being able to pull his spear out of a tree-stump. Unfortunately, more powerful gods – and the fates – are on the side of the Trojans, and primitive Italy is destined to fall under the sway of a more modern empire.