“Simply a monotonous catalogue of killing in a stalemate battle; there is little of interest in Book 10” How
far do you agree?
Book 10 of Virgil’s Aeneid is packed full of action from start to finish; firstly, with the magnificent
council of the gods, gripping battle scenes with various aristeias and immense character development. This
Book houses the epic’s most important themes such as family, fate and the impact of war. While it is fair
to state that Book 10 is essentially a ‘catalogue of killing’, to call it ‘monotonous’ or lacking interest is
certainly a weak claim to make. From his vivid similes to his intense graphic detail, Virgil’s epic language
alone makes Book 10 so magnificent, discrediting that ‘there is little of interest in Book 10’.
First and foremost, the council of the gods in the opening of the book undoubtedly disproves that Book 10
is ‘monotonous’ or in any way dull. In this scene, which acts as a direct parallel to Book 8 of the Iliad, we
are transported to the world of the divine; making the book all the more fascinating seeing the perspective
of the gods in Olympus looking down on the mortals, while marking a shift in tone as Virgil breaks up the
storyline of the epic. For instance, for the first time Virgil gives a bird’s eye view of the scene in which
Turnus is described to be “riding in glory in the midst (of the Rutulians) swollen with the success of his
arms”. Although this change of location and perspective alone certainly makes Book 10 thrilling and
unique, Virgil’s language is packed with stylistic details that make it sound as though it has come straight
from the law courts of Rome, to resonate with the contemporary audience. To be specific, in the first 100
lines of the book we see a gripping debate between the two goddesses Venus and Juno, full of very
persuasive arguments and methodically crafted speeches. On one hand Venus pleads for sympathy as she
begs for Jupiter “to take Ascanius safely out of the war,” and uses short emotive sentences such as “Allow
my grandson to live.” to make her argument convincing. While on the other hand Juno’s consistent use of
rhetorical questions and short punchy points make her claims even stronger, as demonstrated when she
exclaims “Where is Juno in all this?”- a rather ironic statement considering her actions in sending Allecto
to stir up trouble. With that being said, this exchange between the goddesses acts as a kind of brilliant
sparring as the pair hurtle blows at each other, using a variety of rhetorical tricks; making it false to state
than Book 10 is just ‘simply a monotonous catalogue of killing in a stalemate battle’ as of the vivid and
rich council of the gods.
On top of this, it is unfair to say that there is little of interest in Book 10 as of Virgil’s remarkable and
intricate language, that truly characterises the poem as an epic. In this book, the poet exhibits some of his
most impressive techniques; for instance, his richly detailed extended similes. By illustration, Virgil
describes Ascanius “like a gem sparkling in its gold setting,” “or like glowing ivory … his long hair lay on
his milk-white neck,”, very effectively capturing his innocence and youth. In a similar way Virgil uses
very elaborate language to describe the thirty ships that “ploughed the plains of salt with bronze”; another
typical exhibit of the excellence of Virgilian technique. Moreover, Virgil writes of the nymphs “swimming
in line” and dancing in the water; these devices all add very tranquil, almost fairy-tale like elements to the
poem, building an epic and mythological tone (soon to contrast with the battle scenes) that makes Book 10
fascinating and certainly more than a ‘catalogue of killing’. Furthermore, it is Virgil’s variation in this
language that makes Book 10 so interesting. To be specific, after this peaceful and mystical portrayal of
the nymphs, the leader of them – Cymodocea, talks of the battlefield “heaped high with Rutulian dead”; a
stark contrast and very dark ending; all in all, making Book 10 more enriching and captivating as of
Virgil’s variation in language.
In addition to this Book 10 cannot be “simply a monotonous catalogue of killing,” for it highlights the key
themes of the epic, such as war, as well as developments in characterisation. Importantly, Book 10 exhibits
Aeneas excellent leadership qualities; he is kept awake by his duty at night and after being visited by the
nymphs “his first thought was to order his allies to … fit their minds for the use of their weapons and
prepare themselves for battle.”. As Aeneas remains calm and his ‘first thought’ regards his men and their
wellbeing; it portrays him as level headed and admirable leader – clearly an important feature to the epic,
disproving that ‘there is little of interest in Book 10’. In contrast with this, Virgil also uses Book 10 to
address the themes of recklessness and war. With great irony Turnus confidently declares that “Fortune
favours the bold”, certainly not a true statement given the events of book 10 and the system of fate. In a
similar way, this theme of war sending men into recklessness is very apparent in the outcome of Tarchon,
who foolishly cries “I do not care if my ship is wrecked … if only we take possession of this land.” before
having his ship “broke up” and “smashed” sending him to his death.
far do you agree?
Book 10 of Virgil’s Aeneid is packed full of action from start to finish; firstly, with the magnificent
council of the gods, gripping battle scenes with various aristeias and immense character development. This
Book houses the epic’s most important themes such as family, fate and the impact of war. While it is fair
to state that Book 10 is essentially a ‘catalogue of killing’, to call it ‘monotonous’ or lacking interest is
certainly a weak claim to make. From his vivid similes to his intense graphic detail, Virgil’s epic language
alone makes Book 10 so magnificent, discrediting that ‘there is little of interest in Book 10’.
First and foremost, the council of the gods in the opening of the book undoubtedly disproves that Book 10
is ‘monotonous’ or in any way dull. In this scene, which acts as a direct parallel to Book 8 of the Iliad, we
are transported to the world of the divine; making the book all the more fascinating seeing the perspective
of the gods in Olympus looking down on the mortals, while marking a shift in tone as Virgil breaks up the
storyline of the epic. For instance, for the first time Virgil gives a bird’s eye view of the scene in which
Turnus is described to be “riding in glory in the midst (of the Rutulians) swollen with the success of his
arms”. Although this change of location and perspective alone certainly makes Book 10 thrilling and
unique, Virgil’s language is packed with stylistic details that make it sound as though it has come straight
from the law courts of Rome, to resonate with the contemporary audience. To be specific, in the first 100
lines of the book we see a gripping debate between the two goddesses Venus and Juno, full of very
persuasive arguments and methodically crafted speeches. On one hand Venus pleads for sympathy as she
begs for Jupiter “to take Ascanius safely out of the war,” and uses short emotive sentences such as “Allow
my grandson to live.” to make her argument convincing. While on the other hand Juno’s consistent use of
rhetorical questions and short punchy points make her claims even stronger, as demonstrated when she
exclaims “Where is Juno in all this?”- a rather ironic statement considering her actions in sending Allecto
to stir up trouble. With that being said, this exchange between the goddesses acts as a kind of brilliant
sparring as the pair hurtle blows at each other, using a variety of rhetorical tricks; making it false to state
than Book 10 is just ‘simply a monotonous catalogue of killing in a stalemate battle’ as of the vivid and
rich council of the gods.
On top of this, it is unfair to say that there is little of interest in Book 10 as of Virgil’s remarkable and
intricate language, that truly characterises the poem as an epic. In this book, the poet exhibits some of his
most impressive techniques; for instance, his richly detailed extended similes. By illustration, Virgil
describes Ascanius “like a gem sparkling in its gold setting,” “or like glowing ivory … his long hair lay on
his milk-white neck,”, very effectively capturing his innocence and youth. In a similar way Virgil uses
very elaborate language to describe the thirty ships that “ploughed the plains of salt with bronze”; another
typical exhibit of the excellence of Virgilian technique. Moreover, Virgil writes of the nymphs “swimming
in line” and dancing in the water; these devices all add very tranquil, almost fairy-tale like elements to the
poem, building an epic and mythological tone (soon to contrast with the battle scenes) that makes Book 10
fascinating and certainly more than a ‘catalogue of killing’. Furthermore, it is Virgil’s variation in this
language that makes Book 10 so interesting. To be specific, after this peaceful and mystical portrayal of
the nymphs, the leader of them – Cymodocea, talks of the battlefield “heaped high with Rutulian dead”; a
stark contrast and very dark ending; all in all, making Book 10 more enriching and captivating as of
Virgil’s variation in language.
In addition to this Book 10 cannot be “simply a monotonous catalogue of killing,” for it highlights the key
themes of the epic, such as war, as well as developments in characterisation. Importantly, Book 10 exhibits
Aeneas excellent leadership qualities; he is kept awake by his duty at night and after being visited by the
nymphs “his first thought was to order his allies to … fit their minds for the use of their weapons and
prepare themselves for battle.”. As Aeneas remains calm and his ‘first thought’ regards his men and their
wellbeing; it portrays him as level headed and admirable leader – clearly an important feature to the epic,
disproving that ‘there is little of interest in Book 10’. In contrast with this, Virgil also uses Book 10 to
address the themes of recklessness and war. With great irony Turnus confidently declares that “Fortune
favours the bold”, certainly not a true statement given the events of book 10 and the system of fate. In a
similar way, this theme of war sending men into recklessness is very apparent in the outcome of Tarchon,
who foolishly cries “I do not care if my ship is wrecked … if only we take possession of this land.” before
having his ship “broke up” and “smashed” sending him to his death.
