Turnus- Roman HeroHero"King of the Rutulians"

Allecto's Torch

Before the Trojans came, Turnus was the natural bridegroom for Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus. He was young, warlike, and of royal Rutulian blood. Queen Amata, Latinus's wife, already regarded him as a son. Only the oracle of Faunus, warning Latinus to seek a foreign husband, stood between Turnus and the marriage.

When Aeneas arrived and Latinus recognized the prophecy's fulfillment, he offered Lavinia to the Trojan prince. Juno, who hated the Trojans, sent the Fury Allecto to make certain the insult would not be borne quietly. Allecto appeared to Turnus in a dream disguised as a priestess of Juno. When he dismissed her, the Fury revealed her true form and hurled a smoking torch into his breast. He woke burning with rage.

A pretext followed almost immediately. Ascanius, Aeneas's son, killed a tame stag belonging to the Italian farmer Tyrrhus and his daughter Silvia. Allecto ensured the skirmish between hunters and farmers became a war.

Alone Inside the Gates

Turnus proved himself in the fighting that followed. While Aeneas was away seeking allies, Turnus attacked the Trojan camp. He broke through the gates and fought alone inside the fortifications, surrounded and vastly outnumbered. He killed the giant Pandarus after the gates closed behind him. Even surrounded, he cut down opponent after opponent until sheer numbers pushed him toward the river. He escaped by swimming the Tiber.

The Belt of Pallas

Turnus met Pallas, the young son of King Evander and protégé of Aeneas, in single combat. Pallas threw his spear. It grazed Turnus's shoulder. Turnus threw his. It went through the boy's shield and through his chest. Pallas fell.

Turnus stripped the ornate sword belt from the dead youth and wore it on his own shoulder. He did not know it would kill him.

The Final Duel

The war came down to single combat between Turnus and Aeneas. Jupiter held the scales. Turnus's sword shattered on contact with Aeneas's armor, forged by Vulcan at Venus's request. He hurled a great stone, but it fell short of its mark. Virgil says it was like a nightmare where the body fails the dreamer.

Wounded by Aeneas's spear, Turnus fell to his knees and begged for mercy. Not for himself. For his aged father Daunus. Aeneas hesitated. Then he saw the belt of Pallas gleaming on Turnus's shoulder. "Pallas strikes this blow," he said, and drove his sword into Turnus's chest.

His sister Juturna, an immortal nymph, had fought to save him throughout the battle. She had disguised herself as his charioteer, deflected weapons, prolonged the fighting. Jupiter's messenger finally forced her to withdraw. She dove into her river. Above, Turnus's soul fled to the shades below.