Camilla and the Genre Savvy Ligurian

Aeneid Book XI

Once again, Latinus tries to stop the fighting, and once again, he is over-ruled, although in this case, not by a divinity. Turnus points out, correctly, that they’re nowhere near defeated, and that the Trojans have lost a lot of people too. And Latinus’s wife, Amata, is still backing Turnus.

Camilla, the warrior queen leading the Volscian cavalry, rides up to Turnus in the streets of the city. She asks to be allowed to lead the attack on the Tuscan cavalry. Turnus thanks her, calls her his co-commander, and deploys her with Messapus and the men from Tibertus to attack the Tuscans. He tells her that Aeneas is planning on attacking the city from a different direction, through a mountain path, and that’s where he’ll be.

Next, we get Camilla’s backstory. It turns out she’s consecrated to Diana, who deeply regrets that one of her favorites is fighting in this war. She declares that whoever kills Camilla, Trojan or Latin, is doomed to die.

Camilla takes to the field, and she seems to be unbeatable. Every javelin she throws hits its mark, every man she attacks, falls. It is similar to the description of Aeneas when he took to the field earlier. The men attacking notice this, ride away, and get speared in the back for their trouble.

Now a man, whose father and tribe is named, but not himself, finds himself facing her. The Ligurian, the son of Aunus, tries deceit. “Just like a girl,” he taunts her, “depending on your horse. Get down on the ground and let’s fight hand to hand! [my paraphrase].”

It works! She gets off her horse to fight him with sword and shield. He stays on his horse, turns around, and spurs off in the other direction, as fast as he can. Unfortunately, as we were already told in Book VII when Camilla was first introduced, she can run faster than the wind. Or a galloping horse. She outruns him and kills him.

camilla-slaying-Ligurian son of aunus-by-wenceslas-hollar

Next up is Arruns, the poor guy who’s fated to kill her. He’s very devout and prays to Phoebus Apollo that his javelin be allowed to hit, and that he be allowed to return home. He promises not to boast about killing her, or take spoils. It’s almost like he knows that whoever kills her is doomed, but Virgil doesn’t come straight out and say he knows this.

No dice. Apollo lets the javelin hit, but his twin sister Diana still rules over the fate of whoever kills Camilla. One of her attendants, minor goddess Opis, descends from the sky and kills Arruns with one of Diana’s arrows. Sadly, Arruns’s fellow troopers have already moved on, and don’t notice their fallen comrade, implying he won’t get a burial, which seems rather an extreme punishment.

As always, Virgil is careful not to demonize either side. We mourn Camilla, but also Arruns.