Vergil

In the foreground, the Rutulians have affixed the heads of Nisus and Euryalus to pikes and hold them up within view of the Trojans on the ramparts of their fortress (465-72). On the rampart furthest to the right stands the mother of Euryalus, stricken with grief at the sight of his head (473-80). She lifts her hands to the heavens in prayer to the gods (480-97). Men try to climb the walls to the city using ladders (507); Vergil says these men are the Volsci, led by Camilla (Williams, note 505), but all commanders in the image appear to be male. The Teucrians on the wall above hold rocks to throw on the men climbing (512-4). Below the city walls, the Rutulians hold spears which they will throw at the Teucrians standing on the walls of the city (518-20). On the right, Mezentius holds a torch (521-2). Cannons and shovels, used to break down the walls of the city, lie at the bottom of the image.

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. 339v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the foreground, several men lie dead in the Rutulian camp, as a result of the massacre by Nisus and Euryalus (314-366). Behind the tents, to the left, horsemen coming from Latinus's city (367-70) see Euryalus with his shiny helmet leaving the scene of the massacre (371-4). In the top center, the Latins have chased the two Trojans into the woods, where the pair has become separated (377-93). A Rutulian soldier kills Euryalus with a spear (394-8; 422-4, 431-7) as Nisus enters the scene from the very right edge of the image (394-401).

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. 337r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Nisus and Euryalus kill several men in the Rutulian camp, which is positioned near the city of Troy. In the top left corner, Nisus kills the augur Rhamnes, who sleeps in a luxurious bed (324-8). Next to him, Euryalus kills a man who has hid behind a wine crater; this man must be Rhoetus (345-6). In the lower left, Nisus kills three men, who are either the attendants of Remus (329-30) or Lamyrus, Lamus and Serranus (334-5). In the lower right, Euryalus approaches two sleeping men, though Vergil lists four, including Rhoetus, and it is unclear which two these are (342-5).

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. 336v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the top right, Messapus stands guard with several men, with a fire lit to ensure that the Trojans do not try to attack or escape in the night (159-61). The troops who are not currently on guard duty sit in the Rutulian camp around a central fire a short distance from Troy. Some men eat and drink (157-8), others appear to be playing a gambling game with stones (166-7), one man appears to be preparing his weapons, and two attempt to sleep. From the city of Troy, Mnesthes [Mnesche] and Sergestus, who have been left in charge of the city while Aeneas is away (171-3), direct the final preparations of the city for battle (168-70). Nisus and young Euryalus stand guard at the gate of the city (176-83). Nisus has expressed a desire to catch the Rutulians unaware with a night raid, and Euryalus insists on accompanying him (184-223).

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. 332v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the upper right, Iris, signified by her double rainbow, speaks to Turnus, urging him to attack Aeneas's camp in Latium while Aeneas is away (1-13). In this image, she appears to have nearly completed her speech, and is turning to fly away (14-5). Turnus, recognizing the presence of a goddess, raises his hands, clasped in the Christian way rather than upturned in the pagan tradition, and vows to do as she says (16-22). He is shown already by the river where he goes to solemnize his vows (22-4). In the lower left, Turnus's army, commanded by Turnus and Messapus advance proudly across the plain toward the Trojan camp (25-34) under a standard of three birds. The sons of Tyrrhus, who are supposed to be commanding the rear of the army (27-8), are shown standing and seated near Messapus, unlabeled but distinguished by the shepherd's staff held by one and the club held by another. Since the Teucrians have locked themselves within the strong walls of their camp and at first refuse to engage in conflict (35-57), Turnus sets fire to the ships, on the right (69-76). Once the fire has touched the ships, they turn into sea goddesses in maiden form, here shown as mermaids, because the trees used to build the ships were sacred to Cybele (77-122).

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. 329v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

This image portrays a portion of what is illustrated on the shield that Vulcan has made for Aeneas. In the upper right, Romulus and Remus are nursed by a wolf in a cave by the river (630-4). In the upper middle, two Roman men take two Sabine women into the city by force, and the Sabine king Tatius [Tacius], leads an armed cavalry toward the city (635-8). Below the city, on the left, Tatius and Romulus stand before the altar of Jupiter holding vessels, while an attendant sacrifices a sow, to solemnize the treaty between them (639-41). At the bottom of the image, Mettus Fufetius [Metius Suffetius], is about to be pulled apart by two chariots moving at top speed in opposite directions (642-4). Tullus Hostilius [Mostilius] looks on, though not mentioned specifically by Vergil. It is a bit disappointing that Brant's illustrator did not attempt to fit more scenes in the image, and that he did not depict anything from the most prominent scene, the Battle of Actium (675-713). (Katy Purington)

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. 326r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Aeneas prepares to depart from Pallanteum. A number of Evander's men set out in a boat down the river to alert Ascanius and the Trojans of the latest development in the impending war (545-50). To the right, Evander bids a tearful farewell to his son Pallas, who is preparing to follow Aeneas into battle (558-84). Two weeping women stand by the gate. They are either the attendants who will escort Evander back into the palace (783-4) or the mothers weeping to see their sons depart from the city (592-3). A head peering out from behind the wall may also represent a distraught mother. Pallas rides on horseback away from the city toward Aeneas and Achates, who prepare to start the march toward the Latins. In the top left, Tarcho and his Etruscan forces come to join Aeneas (603-5). (Katy Purington)

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. 324r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Evander, wearing a simple tunic and sandals (457-60), accompanied by Pallas and two dogs, meets Aeneas and Achates in an open space in the middle of Pallanteum (461-68). Evander explains to Aeneas the nature of his aid in the war: he will appoint Aeneas leader of an army of Etruscans who have all come together to wage war on Turnus (470-519). In the upper left corner, storm clouds represent a massive thunderclap unleashed by Venus as a sign to Aeneas (523-9). A full set of arms hangs from the cloud (528-9), held in the image by a hand that perhaps belongs to Venus. The four men all react to the omen; while Evander looks worried, Aeneas appears to be explaining that this is a good omen (530-40). (Katy Purington)

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. 322r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

On the right, Venus approaches Vulcan in their bedroom, seducing him in order to convince him to make special armor for Aeneas to wear in battle (370-87). Vulcan does not appear to be resisting Venus's seductions, since he is facing toward her and has his hand on her shoulder. On the left is the forge of Vulcan under Mount Etna. Here, three Cyclopes, Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon, hammer out what appears to be a piece of armor. Brontes holds it in a pair of tongs, while he and the other two swing their hammers in rhythm to beat out the metal into shape (452-3). The workshop floor has various other metallic objects scattered on it. The chariot in the lower left must be the war chariot of Mars mentioned in lines 433-4: Parte aliā Martī currumque rotāsque volucrīs īnstābant, quibus ille virōs, quibus excitat urbēs.

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. 319v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Evander, Aeneas and Pallas walk from the grove to the city of Pallanteum (306-9). As they walk, Evander recounts the lore and history of the land on which he built his city (310-3). In the lower left, two Fauns represent the first inhabitants of the land, which also included Nymphs and a race of men born of the trees (314-8). Near the Fauns and also behind the three men herds of cattle and goats graze in the fields very near the city.  (Katy Purington)

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. 317v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.