Aeneid

Toward the middle of the image, Camilla has been hit in the chest with the spear thrown by Arruns [Arnus] (794-831). Arruns, to the right, has been hit in the chest by an arrow loosed by Opis, who stands at the top of the image framed by clouds (836-67). At the left and right edges of the image, Volscian and Rutulian soldiers flee the battle (868-75). In the upper left, people watch from the city. These are either soldiers who have fled the battlefield and locked themselves in the city (883-6) or women who mourn the death of Camilla. In the upper right corner, Turnus, who has received news of the dearth of Camilla, leads his men to the battlefield (896-902). Aeneas, shown here with Ascanius by his side, enters the field with his sword drawn, ready for battle (903-11).

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 387v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

A battle breaks out between the Trojans and Etruscans, and the Latins, Rutulians, and Volscians. Camilla fights in the upper center of the image, among a crowd of warriors (648-52). In the upper right, Tarchon [Tarthon], holding his sword in one hand and the blade of a spear or sword in his other hand, charges toward Venulus [Vemilus] (741-58). From the left, Arruns [Aruns] charges toward Camilla, attacking her as she pursues another target (759-82). Raising his spear, Arruns prays to Apollo to hit his target (783-93). In the foreground, unlabeled warriors vie in battle.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 385r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Turnus and his troops ride from the right of the image to a place outside the fortress, ready for battle (486-97). Camilla and her troops meet him (498-501), arriving from the left. The standard she carries has two crossed arrows, symbolizing her close relationship with the goddess Diana (532-86). Turnus asks her to meet the Trojan cavalry that are advancing in the field, so that he may face Aeneas (507-21). At the top of the image, the goddess Opis, who is part of Diana's retinue, points a bow and arrow at Aeneas, who is placed close to the troops of Camilla, but is not meant to be associated with them. The arrow is pointed at Aeneas because one of his men is destined to kill Camilla, and Diana intends for the perpetrator to die for his actions by the hand of Opis (587-96). The dog in the lower right corner would be appropriate in a hunt scene, but it is a bit out of place here.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 383r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the top left corner, Aeneas rides toward the battlefield (446). Below this, a messenger gives a message to Latinus that the Trojans approach the battlefield prepared for battle (447-50). A messenger would not usually carry this kind of message in a written form, but the presence of a letter in the messenger's hand helps to identify the figure. Latinus is visibly saddened by this news, because he still strongly desires peace (469-73). Behind Latinus, a Latin soldier arms for battle (453-4). In the center of the image, Amata has brought Lavinia and several mothers from the city to the temple of Pallas Athena, portrayed here as a small round temple. With the help of the women, she prays to the goddess to let Turnus kill Aeneas (477-85). The city walls are prominent in this image, emphasizing that all the actions take place within the city, and that all actions within the city are preparing to defend it.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 381v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Latinus has called an assembly of his closest advisers to decide what to do once they hear the envoy from Diomedes. The hall is stately, much more spacious than the halls of Dido. After hearing from Venulus the response given by Diomedes, which is that the Latins should make alliance with Aeneas (252-95), Latinus wishes to do so immediately (296-335). In a long-winded speech, Drances, on the left, agrees and further insists that Latinus give Lavinia to Aeneas (343-67). He argues that if Turnus insists on making war on Aeneas, Turnus should challenge Aeneas directly (368-75). Turnus, offended, defends his honor and argues that the defeat so far does not mean that the Latins should surrender, but that they should fight harder (376-445).

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 378r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In this image, the Latins bury their dead. The number of indistinguishable dead was so great that the Latins burned them all on one large pyre and then buried the ashes and bones under a large mound of earth right where the pyre had been (203-12). In the upper left, an envoy sent to Diomedes for help has come back bringing a refusal from Diomedes (225-30). In the upper right, Latinus, sitting among grieving citizens outside Laurentum, hears the news and is struck with unbearable grief himself (231).

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 375v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

The corpse of Pallas has arrived at Pallanteum. On the right stand the Trojan soldiers who brought Pallas back to Pallanteum (145-6). On the left, near the gates of the city, two Arcadians, wearing ceremonial hooded robes hold funeral torches (142-4). They stand in front of several of the matrons of Pallanteum (146-7). In the center, King Evander kneels at the bier that bears Pallas and gives a mournful speech, in which he asks Aeneas to avenge the death of Pallas by killing Turnus (148-81). It is worth noting that this scene happens at night.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 373v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Aeneas, Tarchon, and Ascanius stand with other soldiers to the right of a pyre for the cremation of the Trojan and Etruscan dead. According to Vergil, multiple pyres would have been built, so that the various clans could cremate their dead separately (184-7), but for the sake of illustration, just one pyre is shown. In the upper right are the horses that ceremonially circle the pyre (188-90). In the upper left, a man on horseback sounds a horn in mourning. Below him, a man throws a breastplate, Latin spoils, onto the fire (193-4). Another throws into the fire a sword, and what seems to be a spur, war equipment of the dead (195-6). At the bottom of the image, pigs and cattle have been sacrificed, disemboweled, as offerings to Death and to the gods (197-9).

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 374v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

The Latins have come to Aeneas to request permission to properly bury their dead (100-5), who lie sprawled at the bottom of the image. Aeneas gives it willingly (106-7). He suggests making peace (108-19), and Drances agrees to bear the request back to the Latin city (122-31). In the twelve-day truce that follows, the Teucrians and Latins work together to bury the dead (132-8). Some men chop down trees to make pyres and others transport the dead in horse-drawn carts.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 372v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the center of the image is the bier of Pallas. Here it is constructed out of wood rather than Vergil's wicker, arbutus (strawberry tree) shoots, and oak branches (64-6), though Brant alludes to these elements by having oak leaves and sprigs of arbutus. On top of Pallas's bier, to the left of the leaves is draped one of two elaborately embroidered robes which Dido gave to Aeneas, and which Aeneas now uses as a shroud for Pallas's coffin (72-7). The bier is pulled by a pair of horses. In the upper right, Aethon, Pallas's war horse (89-90) is part of the procession that accompanies Pallas back to Pallanteum, along with a wagon of spoils and an array of Tuscan, Teucrian, and Arcadian cavalry and infantry holding their spears upside down in mourning (92-4). Acoetes, who is labeled here and in Brant's version of the text as Acestes, rides in front of the cavalry, helped along by two men (85-7). The war prisoners mentioned by Vergil, sent by Aeneas as sacrifices, (81-4) are not shown, possibly for moral reasons. Aeneas watches from inside the city as the train leaves for Pallanteum (94-99).

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 371r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.