Book VII, the first book in the second half of the Aeneid, resembles Book I in a number of ways: Each has its address to the muse, and in both books Juno foments trouble in order to frustrate Aeneas and the Trojans. Just as Dido welcomed Aeneas, so does Latinus, but the initial harmony in both cases is followed by antagonism: Dido is wounded by Cupid and falls hopelessly in love with Aeneas, and Turnus, aroused by Allecto, overrides Latinus’s peaceful intentions.
Similarities between other characters from the first half of the poem and those in Book VII abound. Perhaps the greatest is that of King Priam, Troy’s ruler, and King Latinus. Physically, both are old and feeble: In Book II, Virgil describes Priam as “the old man . . . shaking with old age”; at the time the Trojans arrive in his land, Latinus has “now grown old.” In terms of their effectiveness as rulers, both kings are unable to stop an onslaught of their peoples. Priam finds refuge in his wife’s arms, and Latinus shuts himself away in his palace, dismissing all responsibility for running his kingdom.
Additionally, once Dido and Amata are infected by overwhelming desire—Dido in her lust for Aeneas, and Amata to see her daughter marry Turnus—both vent their frustration similarly. Virgil says of the Carthaginian queen: “Unlucky Dido, burning, in her madness / Roamed through all the city.” Of Amata, he writes: “. . . the poor queen, now enflamed / By prodigies of hell, went wild indeed / And with insane abandon roamed the city.” Not only is the image of fire linked to both women, but each roams her respective city in a state of psychological madness.
The spirit of the Iliad, which appears in many places throughout the second half of the Aeneid, is most evident in Book VII, in the list of the warriors summoned by Turnus to fight against the Trojans. Roman readers would have likened Virgil’s cataloging to that of Greek and Trojan warriors in Book II of Homer’s epic. In the Aeneid, the listing of warriors and their lineage underscores the importance Virgil placed on pietas, or patriotism and duty. He first introduces a combatant and then includes the man’s noble ancestry. For example, he describes the twin brothers Catillus and Coras as “progeny / Of Argos, by descent from Amphiaraus.” Of special note are Mezentius and his son, Lausus, both of whom will appear again in Book X. In all, Virgil’s cataloging demonstrates the deep respect he and his contemporaries had for familial relationships, the foundation for a successful society.
