Camilla, Warrior Woman in Battle! Vergil, Aeneid , 11.648 - 663

Camilla in Battle

Name:  Vergil Date:  70 – 19 BCE Region:  Mantua [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Aeneid 11.648 – 663

The Amazon Camilla was reveling in the midst of battle

With half her chest bare and a quiver on her back.

First, she’s rapid-firing spears by hand.

Next, she’s deftly wielding her battle-ax

With boundless energy.

Her golden bow, the weapon of Diana,

Twanged from her shoulder.

And now, attacked from behind,

Even while in retreat, Camilla kept firing her arrows.

Surrounded by her elite companions,

The maiden Larina, Tulla, and bronze-ax wielding Tarpeia,

Italian-born women whom divine Camilla

Chose for herself to be her honor-guard,

Were excellent companions in peace and war.

These women fought the way that Amazons

Wearing their multi-color armor

On the banks of the Thermodon River fought,

Battling alongside Hippolyte

Or accompanying Penthesilea’s chariot

As she returned from battle

With a great war-cry

They reveled, an army of women,

Lifting their half-moon shaped shields.

 

 

Camilla in Battle

At medias inter caedes exsultat Amazon
unum exserta latus pugnae, pharetrata Camilla,
et nunc lenta manu spargens hastilia denset,
nunc validam dextra rapit indefessa bipennem;

aureus ex umero sonat arcus et arma Dianae.

illa etiam, si quando in tergum pulsa recessit,

spicula converso fugientia derigit arcu.

At circum lectae comites, Larinaque virgo    

Tullaque et aeratam quatiens Tarpeia securim,

Italides, quas ipsa decus sibi dia Camilla

delegit pacisque bonas bellique ministras:

quales Threiciae cum flumina Thermodontis

pulsant et pictis bellantur Amazones armis, 

seu circum Hippolyten seu cum se Martia curru

Penthesilea refert, magnoque ululante tumultu

feminea exsultant lunatis agmina peltis.

Vergil, also known as Virgil, [Publius Vergilius Maro; 70 – 19 BCE, modern Italy] was born in Mantua, Cisalpine Gaul, and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His writing talent earned him a place of honor among Maecenas’ fellow authors under Augustan rule. He was friends with numerous famous authors of the time period, including Horace and Asinius Pollio. His former slave Alexander was the most influential romantic partner in his life, and the poet memorialized his love for him under the pseudonym “Alexis” in Eclogue 2. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.

A Roundabout Curse: Camilla's Demise, Servius, In Aen.11.8.42

Name: Servius Date: 4th – 5th century CE Region: [modern Italy] Citation:   Commentary on the Aeneid, 11.8.42

“You paid the cruel punishment...” A person ‘pays,’ who uses money. Here it is used as a metaphor for the death penalty. This has a fairly long explanation: the Volsci come from the Hylinas River, and Amazons are said to live there. Camilla ‘paid the penalty’ because she fought against the Trojans, when her predecessor agreed to be their allies [i.e, Penthesilea].

 

crudele luisti supplicium iuris verbo usus est. 'luere' enim debere dicitur qui pecuniam solvit: quod hic usurpatum est in capitis poenam. quidam huius loci longam expositionem tradunt: Volscos a Volscatibus Hylinis originem ducere, †exclytas autem, inter quos Amazones sunt, regionem Illyricam incolere. luisse ergo supplicium Camillam dicunt, quae adversum Troianos arma tulerit, quibus maiores eius auxilium constat tulisse, id est Penthesileam.

 

Servius [Maurus Servius Honoratus; 4th – 5th century CE] Servius’ name is unfortunately the only thing we know of this author. Little is known about the author or manuscript tradition for the grammatical commentary of Vergil’s Aeneid.

Aeneas Says Trans Rights: Chloreus, Vergil, Aen.11.768-789

Chloreus, Aeneas’ Gallus Soldier

Name:  Vergil Date:  70 – 19 BCE Region:  Mantua [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Aeneid 11.768 – 784

It happened that Chloreus,

A sacred retired priest of Cybele [1],

Was sparkling conspicuously in Phrygian armor

As they rode their horse onward. Their horse

Was covered in gilded bronze adornments

The way that feathers adorn a bird.

Chloreus was equally conspicuous,

Wearing bright purple armor,

Shooting Gortynian arrows from a Lycian bow.

There was a golden ceremonial bow on their shoulders

And they wore a priest’s helmet, also golden;

They tied their purple cloak with a golden tie;

They even wore pants—how barbaric!—embroidered with a needle.

Camilla spotted them from far away,

And wanted to seize the Trojan armor,

Either to dedicate it as an offering in a temple

Or perhaps she wanted to wear the golden outfit herself.

The Amazon hunter blindly targeted Chloreus   

For single combat, and,

While she burned with a womanly love of treasure

And was caught off guard,

Arruns used the advantage to brandish his weapon deceitfully...

 

[1]  Chloreus is coded as a gallus.

Chloreus, Aeneas’ Gallus Soldier

Forte sacer Cybelo Chloreus olimque sacerdos

insignis longe Phrygiis fulgebat in armis

spumantemque agitabat equum, quem pellis aenis             

in plumam squamis auro conserta tegebat.

Ipse peregrina ferrugine clarus et ostro

spicula torquebat Lycio Gortynia cornu;

aureus ex umeris erat arcus et aurea vati

cassida; tum croceam chlamydemque sinusque crepantis  

carbaseos fulvo in nodum collegerat auro

pictus acu tunicas et barbara tegmina crurum.

Hunc virgo, sive ut templis praefigeret arma

Troia, captivo sive ut se ferret in auro

venatrix, unum ex omni certamine pugnae             

caeca sequebatur totumque incauta per agmen

femineo praedae et spoliorum ardebat amore,

telum ex insidiis cum tandem tempore capto

concitat … 

Vergil, also known as Virgil, [Publius Vergilius Maro; 70 – 19 BCE, modern Italy] was born in Mantua, Cisalpine Gaul, and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His writing talent earned him a place of honor among Maecenas’ fellow authors under Augustan rule. He was friends with numerous famous authors of the time period, including Horace and Asinius Pollio. His former slave Alexander was the most influential romantic partner in his life, and the poet memorialized his love for him under the pseudonym “Alexis” in Eclogue 2. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.

More Dear Than All Others, part I: The Story of Camilla, Vergil Aeneid 11.532-538

Diana Laments Camilla, More Dear than All Others

Name:  Vergil Date:  70 – 19 BCE Region:  Mantua [modern northern Italy] Citation:  Aeneid 11.532 – 538

Meanwhile, up on Mount Olympus,

Diana sadly calls to her side

One of her sacred companions, swift Opis.

She said, “Camilla is entering this cruel war;

She is arming herself with my weapons in vain;

She is dearer to me than any other woman.

This isn’t the first time I’ve felt love for her;

These feelings of tenderness aren’t a new addition inside my heart….”

 

Diana Laments Camilla, More Dear than All Others

Velocem interea superis in sedibus Opim,

unam ex virginibus sociis sacraque caterva,

compellabat et has tristis Latonia voces

ore dabat: “Graditur bellum ad crudele Camilla,

o virgo, et nostris nequiquam cingitur armis,

cara mihi ante alias. neque enim novus iste Dianae

venit amor subitaque animum dulcedine movit.”

 

 Vergil, also known as Virgil, [Publius Vergilius Maro; 70 – 19 BCE, modern Italy] was born in Mantua, Cisalpine Gaul, and lived during the tumultuous transition of Roman government from republic to monarchy. His writing talent earned him a place of honor among Maecenas’ fellow authors under Augustan rule. He was friends with numerous famous authors of the time period, including Horace and Asinius Pollio. His former slave Alexander was the most influential romantic partner in his life, and the poet memorialized his love for him under the pseudonym “Alexis” in Eclogue 2. His masterpiece, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas’ migration from Troy to Italy; it was used for centuries as the pinnacle of Roman literature.

Christianizing the Myth of Camilla: Excidium Troiae 45-46

Name:  Unknown Date:     prior to the 9th century CE Region:    Unknown Citation:   Excidium Troiae 45 - 46

Camilla, Queen of the Amazons, came with her great army to offer aid to King Latinus.

After a few days’ rest, Aeneas readied for battle and headed for Laurentum. Turnus, together with Mezentius and Queen Camilla, came out to meet him, and a heated battle broke out. In this battle Turnus killed Pallas, Evander’s son and the very same person Aeneas had sought as an ally; Turnus stripped Pallas’ body of armor and stole his bracelet, wearing it on his own body and began to fight with even more determination. Aeneas took up Pallas’ body and lovingly lay him in state in his own quarters.

While the battle raged on, Queen Camilla was killed by Arruns. Arruns was on Turnus’ side of the battle, too; but when he saw Camilla fighting so fiercely, he said, “The glory of the battle is going to women, not us!"  When no one was looking he struck her down and killed her. Since the forest goddess Diana nursed Camilla on mare’s milk and raised her as her very own, the goddess displayed her grief by striking down Arruns with her own arrows.

Etiam Camilla regina Amazonum cum exercitu suo magno Latino petita in auxilium venit. Quid multa?

Eneas, post quod paucis diebus quievit, se armavit et illuc ad civitatem Laurentinam perrexit. Cui Turnus una cum Mezentio vel Camilla regina obvius venit et cepit pugna acerba exerceri; in qua pugna Pallas filius Evandri, quem sibi Eneas in auxilium petierat, a Turno occisus est. Quem Turnus expoliavit et brachialem eius tulit, et se eo cinxit cepitque plus pugna invalescere. Eneas vero tulit corpus Pallantis et eum diligenter condidit et in papilione suo habuit. Et dum pugnatur, etiam Camilla regina occisa est ab Arronte. Iste Arrons qui eam occidit de populo fuit Turni, et quando vidit Camillam multa prelia facere, dixit: ‘Feminis et non nobis virtus habet assignari.’ Et surrepticie in loco occulto eam percussit et occidit. Et quia ista Camilla a Diana dea silve de lacte equarum nutrita fuerat, dolens Diana a morte eius Arontem qui eam occiderat de arcu suo fulmine sagittavit, et Arons percussus a Diana mortuus est. Quid multa?

 

The Excidium Troiae is a medieval manuscript that provides a 20 page abridged version of the Trojan War, including the Judgment of Paris, the birth and childhood of Achilles, the contents of Vergil’s Aeneid, the founding of Rome and the ultimate rise of the Roman Empire. Little is known of its author or origin, but they predate the 9^th century CE. Because of its ease of grammatical readability, this text is a favorite among Latin teachers.