Before anything else I think it is important that we recognise this as formally a type scene - the recognition of a piece of equipment re-ignites hatred and battle - the locus classicus for this in Norse and Old English is the Ingeld- Starkathr episode, this said, it is clearly up to the individual writer to make what he will of the traditional form. I am not sure that my reaction to the does not involve reading in more than the text can actually bear: 1. I think the passage should be read with that combats with Mezentius and his son Lausus. In Lausus's death Aeneas transcends the moment and self-absorption in an act of imaginative recognition of his own son in him, in which a sense of common humanity calls him to a higher moral sense, if still in personal terms. Looking upon Turnus, Aeneas is moved by the loss of one who stood in the place of a son to him. 2. We shouldalso remember the relationship of Aeneas to Pallas and his relationship to Pallas's Father Evander. It is fair to say that we have here a pattern of mutuality of regard and encouragement descending through three generations which would have counted for much among Vergil's original audience.
One thing come to me no - is there in the commentary tradition anything which addresses the problem that Pallas, must die for Rome to be Rome? Evander's city, however, virtuous and appealing must wither for Rome is to be the city of the Trojans and Latins not of the Greeks - even those whose identification with Aeneas's interests and whose piety in regard to the gods is so great. Helen COB ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
