Aeneid Revision Game

You are sailing at sea. What ruins your day? [[Juno makes a storm]] [[Poseidon makes a storm]] [[You see a bad omen]]

Yes- Juno has asked Aeolus to create a storm and wreck your fleet, because she feels you haven't suffered enough yet. You get blown about by the storm, and get separated from most of your ships. How do you get out of this situation? [[Juno changes her mind]] [[Neptune comes to your aid]] [[The Carthaginians rescue you]]

That's the Odyssey.

No. She does not relent against the Trojans until almost the very end of book 12.

Yes. Neptune is annoyed that the winds are making a storm in his domain. He scolds them, calms the sea, and gets the ships off the dangerous rocks. You land on a strange shore, missing many of your ships. What is the first thing you do? [[find something to eat]] [[make a speech to raise morale]] [[pray to your mother Venus]]

They do not. You do not meet them until a little later in book 1.

Yes. You climb a hill and shoot down seven deer, one for each of your ships. You then make a rousing speech to your people, telling them to cheer up because soon you'll be in Italy, and they'll look back on even this happily. What do you do then? [[found your city here]] [[set up camp and get some rest]] [[explore the surrounding area]]

Not yet. Your stomach is rumbling.

No. Venus is currently too busy complaining to Jupiter on your behalf to listen to you.

You've tried this before in Crete, but the gods will only let you build in Italy.

Yes. You spend the night sleeping, and wake up the next morning, ready to explore. During the night, Venus complains to Jupiter about how badly things are going for the Trojans. In response, he gives a long speech about how everything will be fine- you'll crush the people in Italy, and then reign for three years until your death, when your son Ascanius, now also called Iulus, will build a new city- Alba Longa. Then in a few hundred years, Romulus will show up, and the Roman empire will conquer the world, and everything will be sunshine and rainbows. Venus doesn't tell you this. You go into a forest, and encounter a strange woman in hunters' clothing. Who do you think this might be? [[Venus]] [[Diana]] [[A spartan girl]]

Not yet. You are too tired.

No. You do not recognise your mother just yet.

The woman is clearly divine, and as a hunter, you think she might be Diana. This is a reasonable, if incorrect, assumption. She insists she is a mortal from Carthage, although you do not believe her. She tells you about Dido and the city of Carthage, and about how it would be really good if you went there. As she disappears, you realise she is your mother, and you complain about how she never spends time with you. You go to Carthage, and are amazed by the city under construction. But in addition to being amazed, what is your reaction? [[Cower in fear when you see the temple of Juno]] [[Cry]] [[Get really jealous]]

This is how she is described, but it would be a little strange.

No. You do see a temple to Juno, but it elicits no strong reaction from you.

Yes. You catch sight of a series of carvings depicting the Trojan war. They are really vivid carvings, and remind you of all your trauma. At this point, you are overjoyed to see that some representatives from your missing ship have arrived! What do you do? [[Wait and see what happens]] [[Greet them]] [[Go to Dido before they do]]

No. In fact you are happy to see that things are going right for someone at least.

Yes. You wait and let your men approach the queen. She greets them warmly, and seems sympathetic to your plight. You reveal yourself dramatically, much to everyone's delight, as Venus removes the cloud around you. Dido promises to send supplies to your men, and says she wants you to be her guest. What do tell your men to do? [[Get your son Ascanius]] [[Get your father Anchises]] [[Get the greatest gifts you have for Dido]]

No. You have been hidden in a magical cloud by your mother, and no one can see you.

No. You are happy to wait for now.

Yes. You send for your son. Unfortunately, Venus has other plans, and puts him to sleep in one of her shrines. She tells her other son Cupid to disguise himself as Ascanius and take his place. This is because she thinks it would be a great idea if Dido fell in love with you. Luckily, this will have no negative consequences for the future. You however, are blissfully unaware of all this happening, and you take your place at the feast. What does Dido ask you? [[your favourite colour]] [[how you got here]] [[your son's name]]

Unfortunately, your father died a while ago. You are going to see him later, in book 6, but this requires a trip to the underworld.

This would be good xenia, as a guest, but you have a greater concern.

This is not a concern she appears to have. It's purple by the way, although after a while of sacrificing in purple cloth, you'll probably be sick of it.

Yes. This is the most interesting issue, seeing as you've been travelling for years. And so ends book 1! You begin your story... [[Book 2]]

No. Dido does get very attached to Ascanius, but right now she is more interested in you.

You begin your story with the place you come from. Where is that again? [[Lavinium]] [[Troy]] [[Ithaca]]

Lavinium doesn't exist yet. You will establish it in Italy in a while.

Yes. You come from Priam's great city of Troy. You begin your story on its last morning... You woke up to discover that all the Greeks had mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a giant wooden horse. As the Trojans gather around, inspecting it, who came down from the citadel telling you all what you should do? [[Priam]] [[Cassandra]] [[Laocoon]]

That's Odysseus' home. You've sailed past, but you probably wouldn't be welcome there.

Priam is already there.

Cassandra will also warn you all about the horse, but she doesn't come in yet.

Yes. The priest of Apollo Laocoon came down, very angry. He told you all you should destroy the horse in case it's some kind of trick or trap the Greeks have set. What stopped you from listening to him? [[A Greek had been captured]] [[Snakes came and attacked him]] [[Someone told him to shut up]]

Yes. Shepherds had found a random Greek called Sinon. He looked to be in pretty bad shape. You all crowded around mocking him, but he looked and sounded so miserable that you all went quiet, and listened to what he had to say. He told you a long, long story most of which you've forgoten. But what was the main point? [[He slept in and missed the ships leaving]] [[The god Apollo hated him, and kept him here while the Greeks left]] [[Ulyses hated him, and tried to sacrifice him to get back]]

Not yet.

Laocoon was in fact well respected by the Trojans.

No. The Greeks would probably have noticed. It's not like Ulyses has any history of forgeting a member of his crew exists...

Apollo was on the side of the Trojans, but he has nothing to do with Sinon.

Yes. He told you about how the evil Ulyses had always had it in for him. When the Greeks had had enough of fighting, they asked the gods how they could get back, and eventually the seer Calchas told them they needed to sacrifice a person to get back, since they had sacrificed Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia to get here. Ulysses had naturally nominated Sinon to take one for the team, and Sinon managed to escape being sacrificed, but now he had no people or home to go to. Priam felt so sorry for Sinon, that he ordered him to be released, and then asked him about the giant wooden horse. What did Sinon say it was for? [[An offering to Minerva, since Ulyses had offended her]] [[A way to get Greeks into Troy]] [[An apology to the Trojans]]

Yes. Ulyses had, with the help of Diomedes, stolen a statue of Minerva from Troy on one of his escapades. This had apparently offended her so much that she sent the Greeks all sorts of omens. And the horse was an offering to her. Sinon told you that the reason it is so big is so that it won't fit through the gates of Troy, since if you were to get it in, you would win the gods' favour, and invade Mycenae succesfully. This all sounded great to you, but what happened then that really made you believe Sinon? [[Juno sent an omen to support him]] [[Priam remembered an old prophecy that this was going to happen]] [[Laocoon was attacked]]

That is what it's actually for... But it's not what Sinon told you.

After years of fighting, this might be polite, but it's not really the kind of things Greeks did.

No. Juno is nowhere to be found right now. Another god did intervene though...

This does seem to be a thing old men do frequently in epic, but not in this particular instance.

Yes. While making a sacrifice, Laocoon and his two sons were attacked by giant sea-serpents (that may or may not have had legs), and then they reatreated under a statue of Minerva. Everyone interpreted this as punishment from the gods for having attacked the horse. So you all took apart the walls of Troy, and dragged the horse inside, among celebrations. You were oblivious to the sound of weapons ringing inside, and you all had a great time celebrating the end of the war. When you eventually went to sleep, who came to you in a dream? [[Your mother Venus]] [[Hector]] [[Jupiter]]

Yes, the horribly mutilated ghost of your cousin Hector came to you in your sleep. You tried to talk to him, but he ignored you, and told you to leave Troy as soon as possible, since the Greeks had attacked, and were destroying it. You woke up, climbed to the top of your house, and saw that it was true! The Greeks really had gotten inside. What did you decide to do then? [[Flee the city with your family]] [[Make sure Priam is safe]] [[Go and fight the Greek in the streets]]

No. Jupiter doesn't take that much of an interest in you to be honest.

No. She did not appear to you yet.

This is what Hector told you to do, and it would have been sensible, but you weren't thinking very straight right then..

You did do this later, but not yet.

Yes. Despite all advice to the contrary, you went out onto the streets with your weapons and armour. You got a band of men to accompany you, and you went out to fight some Greeks. The first group you encountered was led by Androgeos. In the dark, he mistook you for friends, so it was easy for you to kill them all. Then Coroebus came up with a bright idea. What is it? [[Get out of the city while you still can]] [[Set the horse on fire]] [[Put on the Greeks' armour]]

No. You were all currently in a state of furor, and wanted to keep on fighting.

No. Some Greeks did flee back to the horse from you, but this didn't occur to Coroebus.

Yes. He suggested putting on the armour and weapons of the Greeks, to confuse them, and let you kill more of them. You did this enthusiastically, and it worked well for a while, until some Trojans also mistook you for Greeks, and they started attacking you. At this point, who did you see being dragged away by the Greeks? [[Cassandra ]] [[Priam ]] [[Ajax]]

Yes. Cassandra was being dragged away by Greeks in chains. Coroebus (who was engaged to her) went mad and attacked. You all helped him, and freed her, but then some Trojans mistook you for Greeks and attacked you. Ajax also attacked, and Coroebus was killed. You got separated from the others, and was swept along to Priam's palace, where a huge battle was taking place. You entered the palace through a secret passage, and helped some people collapse a tower onto a column of Greeks. You then went inside, and saw how the defences were overwhelmed. Led by Pyrrhus, the Greeks got into the palace, and eventually to the altar where Priam and his family were sheltering. What happened to Priam? [[he fled with his family]] [[He was killed by Ajax]] [[He was killed by Neoptolomus]]

No. Priam was still safe in the palace at this point. Though not for long...

Ajax was the one doing the dragging.

No. There aren't really any happy endings in this book...

Ajax wasn't there.

Yes. Neoptolomus, who is also called Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, broke in, and killed Priam's son Polites. Then he dragged Priam through his son's blood by the hair, and stabbed him to death. Who did you then find in the palace? [[Helen]] [[Venus ]] [[Creusa]]

Yes. You found Helen hiding away from both sides. You got very angry at her, blaming her for all this. You even decided to kill her in punishment, but then your mother Venus suddenly appeared before you. She told you to spare Helen, and also let you see that all the gods (or at least Neptune, Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter) were all helping the Greeks. She told you to go home and escape with your family now. You did this, telling your family they had to leave now. Who proved reluctant to do this? [[Ascanius]] [[Creusa ]] [[Anchises]]

She was about to make her appearance, but it wasn't her that you saw.

No. Your wife was still safe at home. Waiting for you.

Ascanius is too young to get any meaningful role in this story (until book 9)

Yes. Your father argued he was too old, and would stay here. The rest of you pleaded with him to come, but he was very stubborn. You had enough at this point, and decided to go out again, much to the dismay of Creusa. But then what happened? [[Jupiter sent an omen]] [[the Greeks arrived]] [[you came up with a way to convince Anchises to leave]]

No. Creusa is pretty happy to leave immediately.

Yes. Ascanius' head spontaneously caught fire (without damaging him). This was not enough to convince Anchises though, and he called out to Jupiter to confirm this sign. Jupiter obliged, sending some thunder. This was enough to change his mind, and he was ready to leave. Organising the escape, you had to take Anchises, Ascanius, Creusa, and the household gods. Unfortunately you only have two arms. How did you take the household gods? [[Held them in one hand]] [[Ascanius took them]] [[Anchises took them]]

No. They seemed to have been taking their time to get to your house.

No. You had given up on this.

No. None of your hands are free, and you are also unclean from fighting.

No. He was too young to be trusted with such important things apparently.

Yes. You were too unclean from fighting to take them, so you gave them to your father to carry. Now, who was going to have to walk without you holding them? [[Anchises ]] [[Ascanius ]] [[Creusa ]]

No. He was too old and frail, so you carried him on your shoulder.

No. He was holding your hand.

Yes. You told your wife to stay close behind you. You left the house, but in the streets, the Greeks came near, so you had to run. In the confusion, you lost Creusa. What did you do? [[Get the others to safety first]] [[Go back into the city and look for her]] [[Leave her- she had no chance of survival]]

They were already relatively safe with a large group of other survivors outside the city.

Yes. You ran back in, shouting her name, and ignoring the fact that the city was full of Greeks who wanted to kill you. Then, Creusa's ghost appeared to you. She told you she'd been killed, but this was OK, since it was a better fate than becoming a slave to a Greek. As you were weeping, she told you you had a long exile ahead, and would found a new city, and get a new wife. So everything was alright. Finally, she told you to look after Ascanius, and then she diappeared. You tried to hug her three times, but failed (obviously). You finally went back to the other survivors, and left for the mountains. And so ends book 2! You begin the story of your journies after Troy... [[Book 3]]

This is true... but it's not what you did.

Under the Phrygian mountain range of Ida, you were gathering your people, and building a fleet. In the Summer, you set out, leaving behind your home shores. You were quite sad at this. There may even have been some crying. Where did you first go? [[Crete]] [[Athens]] [[Thrace]]

It's a bit more than that...

Of arms and of the man do I sing, who first from the shores of Troy, To Italy, exiled by fate, and to Lavinium came, And hopefully I'll remember correctly what happened to him... Welcome to the choose Aeneas' Story Game! In this story, you play as Aeneas, the aim being to pick the events that happen in the Aeneid. Written between 29 and 19 BCE by Virgil, the Aeneid is one of the most important pieces of Latin literature. Virgil's patron in this undertaking was Maecenas, an important official in the emperor Augustus' regime, and though rumour has it Virgil left the Aeneid unfinished, and wished for it to be destroyed, it was published anyway. I have tried to present a mostly unbiased (if not always fully reverent) reading of the Aeneid, to let you make up your own mind about what you think. I have kept in most of the details, including many lists of names- it's generally OK to skip past these if your eyes glaze over when you read them, but it felt wrong to omit them, so I didn't. Enjoy! Book selection: [[Book 1]] Arrival in Carthage [[Book 2]] The Fall of Troy [[Book 3]] Wanderings [[Book 4]] Dido [[Book 5]] Funeral Games [[Book 6]] The Underworld [[Book 7]] Arrival in Italy [[Book 8]] The Arcadians [[Book 9]] Nisus, Euryalus, and Turnus [[Book 10]] Battle on the banks [[Book 11]] Discussions and Cavalry Battle [[Book 12]] The Final Battle

Not yet.

This would probably not be a good idea.

Yes. The land of Mars, once ruled by the savage Lycurgus, had a lot ties with Troy, so you decided to try your luck founding a city there. Being very creative, you called it Aeneadae. It was all going great. You were building walls, sacrificing a big white bull to the gods, but then what happened? [[A tree started bleeding]] [[Mercury told you to get going]] [[Venus came to you in a dream]]

Yes. You were getting some branches to put on the altar, but when you tore up some branches, they started bleeding. Who spoke to you then, explaining what was happening? [[Venus ]] [[Polydorus]] [[The household gods]]

Not yet. That's in Carthage.

No. This happened during your sacrifice.

No. Venus was happy to leave you to your trauma.

Yes. During the Trojan war, Priam had sent Polydorus here with a lot of gold. But when the war turned in the Greek's favour, the king of Thrace murdered him, taking the gold. Now the weapons he'd been killed with had taken root, and the land was cursed. You discussed this with your people, and you all decided it was probably not a good idea to settle here. So after giving Polydorus a proper burial, you set off once more. Where did you go? [[Crete ]] [[Lesbos]] [[Delos]]

Not yet.

No. Still not yet.

No. It is in roughly the right place, but no.

Yes. Once floating, now moored by Apollo, the island of Delos was your next destination. When you arrived, you marvelled at the city and temple of Apollo (apparently Diana didn't get one...). But your admiring was interrupted by King Anius (no relation), who recognised Anchises, and took you into his home. You prayed to Apollo, asking where on earth you're supposed to be going. What was his reply? [[Nothing- he was too busy to deal with you that day]] [[Crete ]] [[Where you came from]]

Apollo, in fact, apparently had nothing better to do than help you.

Still not yet. This is how you interpreted his answer, but it's not what he said.

Yes. He gave a very vague, and not very helpful answer in dramatic fashion, telling you to go to your ancestral homeland. Luckily, Anchises remembered that Teucer, who founded the kingdom of Troy, sailed to Asia from Crete, and so this must be where you need to go. Everyone very enthusiastically set off once more, after making some sacrifices, and finally, you got to Crete! Unfortunately this was not where you were supposed to go. What happened? [[General bad things]] [[Another bleeding tree]] [[Venus came to you]]

Yes. There was a plague which killed people, one which killed your crops, your fields burned, and the land became barren. Anchises said you should go back to Delos, to ask Apollo for help again, but luckily you didn't have to do this. Why? [[the household gods spoke to you]] [[Apollo saved you the trouble, and came to you in a dream]] [[Venus spoke to you]]

Thankfully not.

No. Again, she seemed perfectly fine at this stage to let you suffer.

Yes. You got a dream, where the household gods appeared to you. They told you these lands were forbidden to you, and this wasn't where you were supposed to go. Instead, you were supposed to go to a place called Italy, since that's where you actually come from. You sprang out of bed, and told everyone about it. What was the reaction? [[they thought you should double check]] [[Anchises remembered this now]] [[Ascanius had gone missing]]

No. Apollo is not really going to appear for a while now.

No. She apparently doesn't really care.

No. They were perfectly happy to stake their future on a dream you had. Dreams never tell anything but the truth after all.

Yes. Anchises suddenly remembered that Cassandra had told him a while ago that the Trojans originally came from Italy, but he hadn't believed her, because the idea was just too ridiculous. I mean, whoever heard of people coming from Italy? So you set off on your merry way, but what happened soon afterwards? [[You came near Scylla and Charybdis]] [[Your navigator drowned]] [[A storm came]]

He isn't mentioned, but you go onwards, and he's there later, so presumably he didn't go missing.

Not yet.

That didn't happen yet.

Yes. A big storm came, and swept you off course. You eventually came to the Strophades, the island of the... [[Cyclopes]] [[Harpies]] [[Phaecians]]

No. You didn't get there yet.

Yes. The land is inhabited by the harpies, strange creatures made of bits of women and birds. They are also really hungry and rather disgusting. But luckily they're not what you saw first. No: you saw a herd of delicious looking cows. So you killed a bunch of them, and set up the feast. You were just about to consume that delicious, delicious meat, when the harpies came and spoiled everything. So you left, and set up a new feast elsewhere. But the harpies came again. At this point you had enough, and ordered your men to attack them. They did not take this well. Their leader Celaeno spoke to you. What did she tell you? [[you are cursed]] [[you are rude]] [[you're ugly]]

That's Scheria. And also not a place you visited.

Yes. She said that when you get to Italy, you'll be so hungry that you'll eat your tables. This did not bode well, and Anchises made a prayer, and told you all to leave. So, stomachs rumbling, you set off, sailing the seas again. What landmark did you pass? [[The kingdom of Menelaus]] [[The kingdom of Helenus]] [[The kingdom of Laertes]]

She presumably did think this... but it's not what she said to you.

The aesthetic tastes of harpies are not described by Virgil.

No. You weren't really near Sparta.

Not just yet.

Yes. You sailed past Ithaca, but you didn't stop for souvenirs. It would have been in rather poor taste given the state of its current king. You stopped off in Actium, and you let some of your men get slippery with oil, and wrestle. You also left a Greek shield there, with an inscription of your name. Then you set off once more, and you arrived at Chaonia. What rumour reached you here? [[There were hostile Greeks living here]] [[There was a shortcut to Italy accessible from here]] [[There was a colony of Trojans living here]]

No, luckily.

No such luck unfortunately.

Yes! You heard that Helenus, a son of Priam, was ruling here with his new wife Andromache (previously Hector's wife). You were just walking from the harbour, when you spotted Andromache herself, pouring a libation to Hector. After much crying and disbelief, she told you what had happened. After the sack of Troy, she was taken as Pyrhus' slave, as was Helenus. She was forced to have Pyrhus' child, but then he became distracted by Hermione, the daughter of Helen and Menelaus. So he gave Andromache to Helenus, to pursue his own romantic pursuits. But then he died. How did this happen? [[The Gods punished him]] [[Andromache killed him in his sleep]] [[Orestes killed him]]

No. Well, not really anyway.

I'm sure she would have liked to, but no.

Yes. Orestes, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra also fancied Hermione (I guess they're not THAT closely related...), and killed Pyrhus in a jealous rage while he was sacrificing to his father's spirit. That meant that Helenus inherited some land, and he married Andromache, building a new Troy, called Pergamum, and naming the land Chaonia, after Chaon, a hero of Troy. Anyway. Helenus arrived, and took you into his city, which is a little recreation of Troy. You were all very happy to be there, and it was all going well, but after a few days, you decided to ask him for a prophecy. Because apparently you felt you hadn't been given enough of them yet. So Helenus made a sacrifice, and then gave a very long speech telling you your future. He told you your journey to Italy would take quite a long time, and you'd have to pass through a lot of ~~cool~~ dangerous places, like Aeaea, and the underworld. What did he say would signal you had found the place you were allowed to found your city? [[a sow with 30 piglets]] [[a tree with a bunch of bees]] [[a horse's head buried under ground]]

Yes. Helenus also told you not to worry about the whole eating-your-tables thing- it'll be fine. He also said you had to leave urgently, since there were lots of dangerous Greeks nearby. But not that urgently, since first he continued his prophecy for a page and half. He told you to make a sacrifice wearing a purple cloth over your head when you next get to land, and that your ancestors will have to continue this same practice (destiny of Rome! Yay!). He said you then needed to go around Sicily to avoid Scylla and Charybdis, and that you really needed to try and appease Juno. Helenus also told you you need to visit a priestess called the Sybil when you get to Cumae and the lakes of Avernus. She's apparently really disorganised with her prophecies (she writes them on leaves, but then they get scattered, and she never organises them), so you need to make sure she tells you a prophecy. Then Helenus returned to his normal self, gave you a bunch of gifts, and sent you off on your merry way. Andromache gave Ascanius a bunch of gifts, since he looked just like her (dead) son Astyanax, and you said one day you would unite your two cities (cough. Roman empire. Cough). And then you finally set off. Where did you get to? [[Italy]] [[Carthage]] [[France]]

This is a sign that is important in Italy, but it is Latinus who will see it, not you.

This is the sign Dido got when she first founded Carthage, but it's not what you will see.

Yes! You finally caught sight of Italy and landed. You saw four white horses, and Anchises interpreted this as a sign that the locals would either attack you or not. Very helpful. You made sacrifices with the purple head-covering, and making sure to honour Juno especially, just as you were told to do. You then set off again, sailing past Tarentum, and seeing mount Etna. You avoided Scylla and Charybdis, and then came... ...where? [[The island of the Laestrygonians]] [[The island of the lotus eaters]] [[The island of the Cyclopes]]

Not yet.

No...

That's the Odyssey

That's the Odyssey.

Yes. You spent a night there, oblivious to who lived here, until in the morning a man called Achaemenides came out of the woods. He looked rather wild, with a big beard, and thorns holding his clothes together. He got a bit scared when he saw you were Trojans, but begged you to take him with you. How did he say he got here? [[He was shipwrecked, and was the only survivor]] [[Ulyses accidentaly left him here]] [[He was born here]]

This is the story Ulyses told Polyphemus, but as with many things that come out of Ulyses' mouth, it is not true.

Yes. Achaemenides had had the misfortune to be a member of Ulyses' crew, but in a shocking twist, Ulyses had forgoten about him, and left him here. He had been surviving in the wild, and begged you to take him away, telling you about how scary Polyphemus is. You saw Polyphemus himself, using a pine tree as a walking stick, out walking his sheep- "the only pleasure he had left, his sole consolation in distress". So you took Achaemenides with you, and got out of there as quickly as possible. All the Cyclopes came and watched you, which was a bit scary, but luckily you got away unscathed. Following Achaemenides' advice, you sailed to an island called Ortygia, where you worshiped the local gods. You sailed past a bunch more places, and got to Drepanum. What happened there? [[Ascanius died]] [[Anchises died]] [[Aechemenides died]]

No. He is the only human on the island.

No. He was safe and well.

Yes. You lost your father here. Which was very sad. Then you sailed on, and that was when the storm washed you up in Carthage. And that's the end of book 3! [[Book 4]]

I mean, for all we know he did- he's not mentioned ever again in the story. But someone far more important died.

Back to the present! Dido has developed a bit of a crush on you. She speaks to her sister Anna, lamenting the fact that despite how absolutely awesome you are, she can't let herself love you since she swore she would remain true to her dead husband Sychaeus. What is Anna's advice? [[She should distract herself from you]] [[She should kill you]] [[She should let herself love you]]

On the contrary.

Anna seems to be a fairly peaceful character.

Yes. Anna says it would be a shame if Dido never experienced love again, and never had the joy of children. She also says you would make an excellent husband, and the Trojans would be an asset to the kingdom. This is enough to convince Dido, and she sets about making sacrifices to Apollo, Bacchus, and Juno. She also takes you on tours of the city, but can never bring herself to speak her mind. She frequently gets you to tell her stories, and she also spends a lot of time with Ascanius, getting him to talk about you. This all leads to her neglecting her duties as queen, and Carthage begins to suffer as a result: soldiers stop doing their duties, and work stops on construction projects. Which god notices and intervenes? [[Juno]] [[Venus ]] [[Jupiter ]]

Yes. Juno loves Carthage and Dido dearly, and she decides this won't do. She talks to Venus, and suggests that the two of them should get you and Dido married, and then they can make peace. Your mother however realises that this isn't a good idea, as it would mean you won't get to Italy. So she agrees, but only as long as Jupiter also says it's OK (knowing he won't). Juno agrees. Where does she suggest doing the marriage? [[During a walk in the city]] [[During a hunt]] [[During a feast]]

No. To Venus, everything is going according to plan, and there is no reason for her to intervene.

No. Jupiter doesn't generally like to get directly involved in things.

No. Not secluded enough.

Yes. You and Dido go out hunting, looking resplendant. It's all going great, and you're having lots of fun, but then there's a storm all of a sudden, and you and Dido are separated from the others. You take shelter in a cave, and then the "marriage" happens. There are some fires, and nymphs wail in the mountains. After this, Dido sees you as her husband, and stops caring about her reputation, although this is not really how you see things. Meanwhile, Rumour, a horrible winged monster with lots of eyes, ears, and mouths that constantly watch, listen, and speak respectively, is busy spreading word of your relationship. Who hears this rumour and is particularly angry? [[Jupiter ]] [[Sychaeus]] [[Iarbus]]

No. Not secluded enough.

Jupiter already knows. He's not that fussed yet though..

He might do, but he's not really in a position to do anything about it.

Yes. A local king, and son of Jupiter, gets rather annoyed that Dido refused to marry him, but is now "married" to you. He gives Jupiter an angry prayer, which is more of just a complaint. Jupiter hears this, and decides it's probably time he did something. He calls over Mercury, and tells him to tell you to get going. Mercury puts his shoes on, gets his stick, and comes down to Carthage. He finds you, and gives you a stern telling-off, reminding you that you have an important destiny, and you can't settle here because Ascanius needs to get his kingdom. You don't really have a choice to leave, but what are you going to do with Dido? [[Try and explain the sitution to her]] [[Leave without telling her]] [[Delay telling her]]

You would, but you don't know how.

No. You are not that cruel.

Yes. You don't know how to explain to her that a god told you you needed to leave and found a city in Italy, because this one isn't good enough, so you tell your men to prepare to leave, while you search for a good opportunity to tell Dido. Unfortunately, Dido finds out before you get a chance to tell her. She is not happy. She pleads with you, she curses you. You try and explain to her that none of this is what you wanted, and that you never married her, but all this does is bring on another bout of cursing, and then she storms off. You go down to your ships. What does Dido do? [[Kill herself]] [[Ask Anna to reason with you]] [[Put a curse on you]]

There's a lot of drama before that happens.

Yes. Anna does this, but she does not manage to convince you. Dido is not happy. She then tells Anna she has had a great idea to make you come back! She knows a priestess who can put a spell on you, but for this, she needs a pyre with all your stuff on it. Anna does this. Dido's priestess calls on a bunch of Gods, and an effigy of you is put on the pyre. Meanwhile, you are on a ship, sleeping. Who comes to you? [[Anna, worried Dido will kill herself]] [[Mercury]] [[Ascanius, wondering what's going on]]

This is about the one time she doesn't.

No. Anna is oblivious to Dido's plan.

Yes. He tells you to wake up and get going because women are unstable creatures, and you are in danger. You're a bit scared by this, and you sail away quickly. Dido sees you are leaving, and goes a bit mad. She gives (another) long curse about how Carthage and Rome will be enemies forever (punic war anyone?), and you will have to fight another war in Italy (yay...). She tells Sychaeus' nurse Barce to get Anna because she is going to finally burn the pyre now. She goes away. Meanwhile, Dido climbs up onto the pyre, cries a bit, and goes for one last round of cursing. Then she stabs herself with your sword. What happens? [[Juno intervenes]] [[You see the smoke]] [[Anna hears what's happening]]

As a well behaved child, Ascanius knows not to question the grown-ups.

She doesn't care about Dido //that// much.

Not in this book.

Yes. Rumour goes around the city again, and Anna comes crying to the pyre. She holds Dido as she fails to die, since it's not her time. After a while, Juno decides to put her out of her misery, and sends down Iris to finally let Dido die. Iris comes down and takes a lock of Dido's hair, since Proserpina hasn't had the decency to do it herself. And then Dido finally dies. And so ends book 4! [[Book 5]]

You sail away from Carthage, oblivious to what is happening back there. You see a plume of smoke rising from the city, which you assume is probably a bad sign. But you press on. Unfortunately, another storm hits you at this point, and your helmsman Palinurus tells you you can't resist it, and should just let it push you to Sicily. You land in Sicily, where the Trojan king Acestes greets you. You then decide to throw some funeral games for Anchises. How much time has passed since his death? [[6 weeks]] [[1 year]] [[8 months]]

No. Much longer than that.

Yes. It has been a whole year since Anchises died, and you just so happen to be near his tomb, so as the most important loss in your life as of late, you decide to hold feasts and sacrifices in his honour. You make some libations at his tomb, and then what comes to take them? [[A goat]] [[A snake]] [[An eagle]]

Bit longer

That is a rather rude way to symbolise Ascanius.

Yes. A snake comes and tastes the offerings. You come to the very logical conclusion, that this means Anchises' spirit is present. Then after nine days, you decide to finally have the games. You show off all the prizes, and then they begin. What is the first competition? [[Discus throwing]] [[Boat racing]] [[Horse racing]]

No.

This is not something you do.

Yes. Four ships- the //Pristis//, the //Chimaera//, the //Centaur//, and the //Scylla//, are going to compete in a race to a rock out in the ocean, around it, and back. Which ship takes the initial lead? [[The Chimaera of Gyas]] [[The Centaur of Sergestus]] [[The Scylla of Coanthus]]

This is not something you do.

Yes. Gyas takes the lead, but he is soon contested by Sergestus in the //Centaur//. When they are almost at the turning point, Gyas' helmsman Menoetes is scared of damaging the ship on the rocks, so goes out a bit. This allows Cloanthus in the //Scylla// to take over, which he does. Gyas is not happy with Menoetes. What does he do? [[Shout at him]] [[Throw him overboard]] [[Kill him]]

This one is contesting third place.

That's in second place.

He's already done this. He's had enough now.

Yes. Gyas takes the helm himself, while Menoetes struggles to stay afloat and swim back to shore. Sergesthus (in the //Centaur//), and Mnesthus (in the //Pristis//) both see a chance to overtake Gyas. They get close, and Mnesthus gives a speech to his rowers. What gives Mnesthus what he wants? [[His crew put in extra effort]] [[Neptune helps him]] [[The //Centaur// runs into rocks]]

He's not //that// angry.

They do, but it's not enough.

No. He says the victory will go to whoever Neptune favours. But he has not favoured anyone yet.

Yes. While Sergesthus and his crew desperately try and get the ship off the rocks, Mnesthus in the //Pristis// overtakes the //Centaur// and Sergesthus, and then starts to catch up with Gyas and the //Chimaera//. However, what allows Cloanthus to win after all? [[He cheats]] [[He prays to the gods]] [[His crew is better]]

No. This race is (mostly) done in good spirit.

Yes. He vows to sacrifice a gleaming white bull to the gods of the sea if they help him. So they do. The nymph Panopaea and Portunus push the ship to the finishing point. Mnesthus comes in second place, Gyas in third, and Sergesthus comes limping in fourth. You give out prizes. Each ship gets some wine, three bullocks, and a talent of silver. What prize do you give to Cloanthus? [[Bronze caudrons and silver drinking cups]] [[A fancy cloak]] [[A fancy breastplate]]

Don't be ridiculous. That's not how people win in mythology.

No. You give this prize Gyas.

Yes. It has some gold bits, and has a picture of a hunter woven into it. Mnesthus gets the fancy breastplate which used to belong to Demoleos, until you killed him at Troy. Gyas meanwhile gets two bronze cauldrons and some silver cups. You are pleased that Sergesthus managed to save his ship, so you also give him a prize: Pholoe, a Cretan slave woman with two children. Charming. What contest do you organise next? [[Javelin throwing]] [[Foot race]] [[Long jump]]

No. You give this prize to Mnesthus.

You do not do this.

Yes. Nisus, Euryalus, Diores, Salius, Patron, Helymus, and Panopes all take part, as do some others, but unfortunately for them, their names are "lost to oblivion". You tell them they'll all get two Cretan arrows, and an axe, and the winners will also get some olive crowns, as well as a horse for first place, an Amazonian quiver with Thracian arrows for second, and a Greek helmet for third. The race begins. Who gets the lead? [[Euryalus]] [[Salius]] [[Nisus]]

You do not do this... although it would have been amusing.

He is coming third.

He is coming second.

Yes. Nisus is far ahead of all the other runners, but then he slips on a patch of blood. Knowing he can't win anymore, he decides instead to trip up Salius too, so that his boyfriend Euryalus can win. And he does. Helymus then comes second, and Diores in third. Salius is not happy about this. Then Diores becomes unhappy, since he'll lose his prize if Salius gets second place. How do you resolve the situation? [[Give Salius second place prizes]] [[Give Salius another prize]] [[Don't give Salius any prize]]

No. This would make Diores unhappy.

Yes. You give Salius a big lion skin as compensation. But then Nisus gets annoyed that he hasn't been given a prize, when he has more of a right to one than Salius. So you give him a Greek shield. What contest do you organise next? [[Boxing]] [[Wrestling]] [[Swimming]]

No. This would not make him happy.

Yes. You show a bullock you'll give to the victor, and a sword and helmet for the loser. Dares immediately stands up, ready to fight, and no one dares to fight him. Eventually he just asks to be given the prize, but then Acestes shames Entellus into fighting. Entellus comes up with the boxing gloves of Eryx (who fought Hercules), but Dares gets a bit scared by them, so he suggests fighting with equal gloves. They do this, and although Dares does well for a while, Entellus eventually defeats him. You break up their fight, and give out the prizes. Entellus punches the bullock to death, dedicating it to Eryx, and vowing to never box again. What next? [[Weight lifting]] [[Archery]] [[Dueling]]

Close, but no.

No. There has been enough of that done by Menoetes today.

No. Not violent enough.

Yes. You tie a dove to a mast, and then draw lots for the order in which the four contestants: Hippocoon, Mnesthus (yes, again), Eurytion, and Acestes. Who goes first? [[Mnesthus]] [[Hipocoon]] [[Acestes]]

It is done with weapons... but no.

No. He goes second.

Yes. He shoots, hitting the mast, but not the bird. Mnesthus then fires, but he also misses, and accidentally cuts the cord tying the dove down. It flies away, but its escape is short-lived, beceause Eurytion kills it. Acestes, having nothing left to shoot at, decides to just shoot an arrow up into the sky for the hell of it. To his, and everyone else's great surprise, the arrow bursts into flame, and everyone interprets this as a great omen. Why they do this is unclear. Naturally, you give Acestes first prize. Who do you now ask Epytides to get? [[Priam ]] [[Atys]] [[Ascanius ]]

No. He goes last.

Priam (son of Polites, grandson of king Priam) is also coming, leading the first squadron.

Atys is coming, leading the second squadron.

Yes. All the young boys come in on horses, led by Ascanius. They parade around, and do a mock battle. Ascanius will continue to do this when he founds his city of Alba Longa. But you'll be dead by that time, so don't worry. But then the merriment comes to an end. Why? [[It's time to get going]] [[Anchises makes a visit from the underworld]] [[Juno has decided to cause some mischief]]

No. In fact, your journey is about to be delayed somewhat.

No. He's only going to come a bit later.

Yes. On the shore, the Trojan women are unhappy at the fact they don't have a city. Juno sends Iris down, who disguises herself as Beroe, and gives a long speech, rallying the women to burn the ships, because she has recieved a dream from Cassandra to do so. Fortunately for you, Pyrgo realises she is a godess, and tells the women to ignore her. Unfortunately, Iris creates a rainbow at that moment, causing all the women to go mad, and fling torches from the altars onto the ships. Who sees this, and tells you? [[Ascanius ]] [[Venus ]] [[Eumelus]]

She'll complain about this later, but she doesn't actually do anything about it.

He will be the first to arrive, but he doesn't see it first.

Yes. Eumelus sees what's happening, and tells you. Ascanius on horseback is first to arrive, and tells them to stop. You get there too, and the women flee, ashamed of what they have done, no longer maddened by Juno. You pray to Jupiter to do something, and he does: he makes it rain. This saves all but four of your ships. You are still not very happy, but Nautes suggests you let some people stay here if they want to, while the rest of you go on to Italy. Who then comes to cheer you up? [[Venus ]] [[Anchises ]] [[Hector ]]

No. She's not too bothered about your feelings.

Yes. The ghost of Anchises comes to you, telling you that you should really visit him in Elysium. You catch Acestes up with everything that's happening, and you get your men to repair the ships. After feasting and sacrificing, you then finally set off. Venus at this point decides to finally do something, and talk to... ...who? [[Neptune]] [[Vulcan]] [[Jupiter ]]

No. Hector's role in this story was finished in book 2.

Yes. She complains about how hard the Trojans have had it, and he assures her that you will arrive safely at Avernus. Meanwhile, you are sailing at night, with Palinurus as your helmsman. Unfortunately for him, he is fated to die. The god of sleep comes up, and disguises himself as Phorbas. He tells Palinurus to go to sleep since the sea is calm. Palinurus refuses, since he doesn't trust the sea. So the god waves a branch dipped in the river Styx in front of his face, which makes him fall asleep. He then breaks off a part of the ship, making him fall in the sea. You are near the Sirens at this point, but luckily you wake up, and realise Palinurus has drowned. So you guide the ship to safety yourself. And so ends book 5! Onto the Underworld! [[Book 6]]

She will do so, but not now.

She has done this already, and will do so again, but not this time.

You sail to the Euboean colony of Cumae, and while your men disperse to get food and water, you make for the shrine of Apollo, high up in a cave. Who founded this shrine? [[Achates]] [[Daedalus]] [[Deiphobe]]

No. Achates is the one who finds Deiphobe.

Yes. After fleeing from Crete, this was the first place Daedalus landed, and he dedicated his wings to Apollo, and founded the temple. On the door is depicted his story, from the death of Androgeos, to Pasiphae and the bull, and the help Daedalus gave to Ariadne to help Theseus. The death of Icarus is not depicted, since Daedalus tried to depict it twice, but couldn't bring himself to do it. The sybil Deiphobe then arrives, and tells you to stop staring and start sacrificing. After you do this, she calls you into the temple. She goes a little crazy as Apollo possesses her. What is the first thing she tells you? [[You'll have to marry again]] [[You should pray]] [[You'll have to fight wars]]

No. She is the sybil who works there, but she did not found it.

She does say this, but only later.

Yes. Apollo refuses to tell you anything until you pray to him. Apparently the sacrifices earlier weren't enough. And so you do this, promising to found a solid marble temple to Apollo if he'll just tell you what you want to know. And then he does. The Sybil, shaking and foaming at the mouth, tells you that you'll get your kingdom just fine, but a bunch of people are going to die, and you're going to have to fight another war, which will involve another Achilles. You're also going to have to marry another woman. This is all lovely, but what you really want to do is visit your dad. So when the Sybil stops speaking, you ask if she can help you get into the underworld. She says it's easy to get into the underworld- anyone can do it. The tricky part is getting out. You'll need to get a branch of a golden tree to offer to Proserpina, but you'll only be able to get the branch off the tree easily, if you're called by the fates. What does she finish with? [[She'll accompany you to the underworld]] [[Your ships will turn into nymphs]] [[One of your men has died]]

She does say this, but only later.

She will, but no.

They will, but she doesn't say this.

Yes. She tells you this is polluting the whole fleet, and you need to deal with it ASAP. So you go down to the beach, and discover that Misenus has died. He was a great musician who served with Hector, and he was blowing into a sea shell, when he challenged the gods to play as well as him. And so his rival Triton drowned him. So you all build an altar for him, and then you wish the golden tree would show itself now. Luckily, what happens next? [[Venus helps you]] [[The Sybil helps you]] [[One of your crew finds it]]

Yes. She doesn't bother to come in person, but she sends you two doves to guide you. You pray your mother won't abandon you this time, and she doesn't! The doves guide you to a tree, where there is a golden branch growing. You try and pull it off. It resists, but you impatiently snap it off, which I'm sure has no bad implications about your destiny, and take it back to the Sybil. Meanwhile, everyone else is preparing Misenus' body. You burn it, and raise a mound for him, giving his name to a mountain. Finally, you go to the cave to meet the Sybil. She sacrifices four bullocks, while you sacrifice a black lamb to Night, and a barren cow to Proserpina. You're sure she'll appreciate that. As the sun is about to rise, the earth shakes, and the Sybil tells the others to go away, leaving the two of you alone. What does she tell you to do? [[Draw your sword]] [[Make one last sacrifice]] [[Kill yourself]]

She's not feeling very helpful right now.

No. They're too busy building the altar.

Yes. She tells you you'll need courage for what lies ahead... You walk forwards to the underworld. At the entrance, live Grief, Revenge, Old Age, Diseases, Fear, Hunger, Poverty, Death, Drudgery, Sleep, the perverted Pleasures, War, the Furies, and Discord. Next, there is a big tree, where there is an idle dream under each leaf. Then there are all sorts of monsters- centuars, scyllas, Briareus, the Hydra, the Chimaera (the monster, not the ship), gorgons, harpies, and Geryon. What do you do when you see these? [[Cower in fear]] [[Attack them]] [[Ask about them]]

No. All done for now.

This is the normal way to get into the underworld, but it won't be necessary this time.

That would be the sensible thing to do.

Yes. Or at least you try to, but the Sybil tells you not to bother, since they're just spirits. There is a path which leads down to the river Acheron, where you see Charon with his filthy rags and thick beard. All the dead people on the bank are trying to get on his boat, but he only lets some of them on. You ask the Sybil why this is, and she says that the unburied dead have to wander the bank for a hundred years, before they are allowed into the underworld. Who do you then notice in the crowd? [[Dido]] [[Palinurus]] [[Cassandra ]]

You are well versed in your mythology, and know them all already.

She has already gotten across.

Yes. You see your helmsman Palinurus among the dead, and you ask him what god drowned him. He tells you he didn't actually drown when he fell into the sea- he drifted for three days, and swam to shore. But when he got there, the locals killed him. He begs you to find his body and bury it, and take him with you in Charon's boat. The Sybil is not happy about this, and scolds him, but also tells him that the people living near where he died will find his bones, build him a mound, and name the land after him. This cheers him up briefly. What is Charon's reaction when you approach? [[Bugger off]] [[Come on board]] [[Stop right there]]

She is probably dead by this point, killed by Clytemnestra, but you do not see her.

He is not quite so rude, though close.

Unfortunately, he is not so welcoming.

Yes. He demands to know what you think you're doing, and recounts the other living people- Hercules, Theseus, and Pirithous- he'd taken across before, and how he wasn't happy with them. The Sybil assures him that you'll be on your best behaivour, and won't go stealing Cerberus or Proserpina. She then shows him the golden branch, which convinces him to relent. He shoos off the other spirits, and takes you across. On the opposite bank, Cerberus is waiting. What does the Sybil do? [[Give him a cake]] [[Throw him a bone]] [[Sing to him]]

Yes. She throws him a honey cake, with soporiphic drugs, which he catches with one of his mouths, and then promptly falls asleep, presumably proving that despite having three heads, he only has one digestive system. Then you finally get into the underworld proper.You see the souls of children, and those who have been condemned to death on false charges, being judged again by king Minos. Then you see those people who killed themselves to get out of their misery. Then you see people who died of love- Phaedra, Procris, Eriphyle, Evadne, Pasiphae, Laodamia, Caeneus, and... ...Dido. You try and speak to her, what is her response? [[Ignore you]] [[Get angry at you]] [[Cry ]]

There are presumably plenty of those in the underworld- he probably wouldn't be interested.

No. She does something much simpler.

Yes. She ignores you, and moves away, going to her husband Sychaeus. Next you go to a field of brave warriors. You see a bunch of Trojans, as well as some Greeks- who run away in fear when they see you. Who do you speak to here? [[Priam ]] [[Deiphobus]] [[Hector ]]

No.

You do cry, but she doesn't.

No. You don't see Priam here.

Yes. He is missing his nose and ears, and is trying to hide his wounds. You barely recognise him, and ask him what happened. He tells you Helen hid his weapons and armour when the Greeks came into Troy, and then invited Menelaus into his room to kill him. He then asks you about your travels. But Dawn's chariot is past the midpoint of the sky, so the Sybil tells you you need to get going. You see a scary looking iron tower, with Tisiphone on top, and the Sybil tells you how Hecate had told her that it was a place where those people are punished who got away with their crimes in life. Who else is apparently there, deeper down? [[The Titans]] [[The Giants]] [[The Cyclopes]]

No. You don't see Hector here.

Yes. In a pit twice as deep as Olympus is high, the Titans are kept prisoner by Jupiter. The Sybil also says she saw Salmoneus there, who pretended to be Jupiter, as well as people like Ixion and Pirithous. There are also people who hurt their (male) relatives, and people who commited adultery. Theseus, having done all of the above, is also there. But it's time to go. You put the golden branch in front of a gate, as you are told to do, and then go into Elysium. It's a pretty nice place: people are dancing, Orpheus is playing his lyre, and Teucer, Ilus, Assaracus, and Dardanus are all hanging out. There are also a bunch of good prophets, people who discovered things, and people who fought for their countries. What does the Sybil ask the spirits? [[What you need to do]] [[Where Anchises is]] [[How to get out of the underworld]]

No. They are not mentioned.

They do not have their own place in the underworld sadly.

You basically already know. Not that this has stopped people from telling you anyway in the past, but this time, it's more of a personal visit.

Yes. That is after all, why you have come to the underworld. Musaeus replies that spirits don't really have fixed places here, but he finds Anchises in a valley, and takes you to see him. Anchises is very happy to see you, and there is much crying. You try to hug him three times, but fail (you'd think you'd have learned from the last time...). You see a bunch of people by the river Lethe, and Anchises explains to you that they are going to forget their memories after drinking of the river, and will then go back up into new bodies. He then shows you your descendants, waiting to be born. First there's a bunch of kings, ending with Romulus, who will found Rome. Who's next? [[The kings of Rome]] [[Post civil war Romans]] [[Republic Romans]]

She already knows how.

These come later. For some reason.

Yes. You see Julius Caesar, and Augustus himself, who Anchises tells you will travel through more lands than Hercules or Bacchus, and will build a huge empire (yay!). Then you see a bunch of important people from early Roman history like Brutus, the Tarquin kings, [[Torquatus]],[[ Camillus]], and so on. And then there's the Scipios, Cato, the Fabii, and a bunch more. Anchises tells them it is their role to bring peace and civilisation on the whole world. And then it's time to leave. How do you leave the underworld? [[The gate of Ivory]] [[The gate of horn]] [[The Gate of Gold]]

These come later. For some reason.

Yes. The gate through which false dreams exit the underworld. Why do you go through this one? Why indeed..? And then you go back to your ships, and set off. And so ends book 6! Time for war! [[Book 7]]

This is the gate where true shades exit. You do not go through this one.

This does not exist.

Book 7 opens with the death of your nurse Caieta in Hesperia. You give her a burial and perform the funeral rites. Then you sail on, coming near the island of Circe. But why don't you land there? [[It would be dangerous]] [[Neptune prevents it]] [[She doesn't invite you]]

It probably would, but you don't really have any choice in the matter.

Yes. To protect you, he gives you good winds, allowing you to sail past Circe and her island of animals that used to be people. Then as Dawn breaks, you see the mouth of the Tiber, and you land. Latinus is king here. Who is he descended from? [[Jupiter ]] [[Apollo]] [[Saturn]]

She doesn't. But that didn't stop Ulyses...

No. Jupiter is related to him though (what a surprise!).

Latinus did dedicate his city to Apollo, but they're not that closely related.

Yes. Unfortunately for Latinus, he has no male offspring, only a daughter called Lavinia. Luckily, she's a real hit with the boys of Italy. In particular, her mother Amata wants her to marry Turnus. Unfortunately for all four of them, the gods have forbidden this. This was clearly seen when a cloud of bees came to a laurel tree, and Lavinia's hair caught fire. Latinus went to the oracle of Faunus, where he was told that he shouldn't marry his daughter to anyone but a foreigner. But anyway. You are finally in Italy. What are you doing? [[Eating]] [[Sacrificing]] [[Exploring]]

Yes. You are eating ~~pizza~~ your food on flat pieces of bread, but you're so hungry that you start to eat even the stale pieces of bread. At this, Iulus/ Ascanius exclaims that you are eating your tables! As a joke. But you see this as a clear sign that the prophecy has been fulfilled, and you have found your home, and can start building your city. Everyone enthusaistically agrees, and you send out people to explore the land, make contact with the locals, and start building the city. When your men arrive at Latinus' city, what is his reaction? [[He declares war]] [[He wants to make friends]] [[He asks his wife's opinion]]

That's a reasonable guess, but not this time.

You're too tired for that.

No. Latinus is actually quite a peaceful person.

Yes. He invites your people into his fancy palace, which also doubles as a temple. And feasting hall. He asks them how they got here. They tell him they came here deliberately, and that they want to settle here. They also say he won't regret letting the Trojans settle, and give him some gifts on your behalf. He accepts, and says he'll let you settle. Also would you like to marry his daughter? Then what does he give to the men? [[Horses]] [[Food]] [[Money]]

His wife is used to giving her opinion whether or not it is solicited.

Yes. He gives them a bunch of horses, and sends a chariot for you, pulled by some horses bred from the horses of the Sun himself. What happens next? [[Your wedding is organised]] [[Latinus prays to the gods]] [[Juno decides things are going too well]]

No. They need to get going now.

No. Although he does give something worth a decent amount of money.

Sadly, this will not happen until after a lot of people have died.

He probably does, but it's not what Virgil describes happening.

Yes. She curses the fact that things are going well for you, and knowing she can't actually prevent your destiny, she decides to just delay it, and make your life as miserable as possible in the meantime. She goes down to Tartarus, and gets Pluto's daughter Allecto, telling her to destroy the peace between Latins and Trojans. Who does she go to first? [[Turnus]] [[Latinus]] [[Amata]]

Not yet.

No. She will ignore Latinus all together.

Yes. She goes to Amata's room, who is angry at the fact that Turnus won't get to marry Lavinia. Allecto takes a snake from her hair, and throws it onto her. It breathes onto her, driving her mad. Madder than she already is, that is. It then turns into a ribbon in her hair. She goes running through the city, and into the forest, pretending to be possessed by Bacchus. She takes Lavinia with her, trying to keep her away from you Trojans. The other mothers in Latium come and join her. Allecto then goes off to Turnus. What is his reaction to seeing her? [[Ignores her]] [[He is terrified]] [[He is awed]]

Essentially. She disguises herself as Calybe, an old priestess of Juno, and tells Turnus the goddess has told her he needs to attack the Trojans. Unfortunately for him, he laughs at her, and tells her to leave war to men. She does not take this well. She reveals her true form, and throws a torch into Turnus' heart, driving him mad. He runs off to get his armour, and gets the Rutulians ready for war. Meanwhile, what is your son doing? [[Sacrificing ]] [[Hunting]] [[Exploring ]]

No. She has disguised herself.

No. She had disguised herself.

His dad does enough of that.

Yes. He is out hunting, when Allecto gives his dogs the scent of a deer. Ascanius/Iulus finds this deer, and shoots an arrow into it, but it escapes. Unfortunately, the deer is a pet of a girl named Silvia, the daughter of Tyrrhus, whose job it is to look after this part of the country. This means that when the deer goes back to Silvia, important people get angry, and the locals start to get ready for war. The Trojans meanwhile support Ascanius, and with Allecto egging everyone on, a battle breaks out. She then goes back to Juno. What is she told to do? [[Get more people involved in the war]] [[Go away now]] [[Make the Trojans angry at you]]

I suppose it is a sort of exploring. But done with dogs and weapons.

Allecto does eagerly suggest this, but Juno says there's enough war now. No more needed.

Yes. She says there is enough of a war now- no need for any more cities to get involved. So Allecto goes back to her lovely home in the underworld, while Juno goes to Latinus' city. There, all the crazy mothers, Turnus, and the farmers, are demanding war from Latinus. He however refuses, saying that it will all end badly. He refuses to open the gates of war, which is a tradition before battle that Rome will eventually inherit. So who opens the gates? [[Turnus ]] [[Amata ]] [[Juno ]]

Even Juno knows that your destiny can't be changed. Besides, the Trojans like you quite a lot. You are a good leader.

No. He is there, but he doesn't really have the authority.

No. But she does ask someone to...

Yes. She throws open the gates, making everyone very excited to start killing people. Five whole cities get ready for war: First there's Mezentius, and his son Lausus (they will be important later); then Aventinus, the son of Hercules; Catillus and Coras- both Greeks; Caeculus, founder of Praeneste and possible son of Vulcan; Messapus, son of Neptune; Clausus, a Sabine; Halaesus, one of Agamemnon's men; Oebalus, son of a nymph; Ufens; Umbro, a magical priest; Viribius, son of Hippolytus; and last but not least, Turnus himself in his fancy armour. Plus of course all the armies of each of these people. It's a lot. Who is the last person mentioned? [[Penthesilea]] [[Diomedes]] [[Camilla]]

It's sort of the Aeneid's version of Penthesilea, but no, she was at Troy. And also dead now.

No. He will be asked to help later, but he is not here now.

Yes. The warrior maiden Camilla comes leading a bunch of cavalry, and everyone is very impressed at her purple cloak. And so ends book 7! [[Book 8]]

Everyone's getting ready for war, and you are not happy about having to fight even more. But right now, you are getting some sleep, when the god of the Tiber himself comes to you in your dream. He says he's been waiting a long time for you to come here, and that you shouldn't give up now. In order to prove his credentials as a good prophecy/ advice giver, he tells you that you'll soon see a sow with thirty piglets under an Ilex tree. This will mean that in thirty years' time, Ascanius will found the city of Alba. Where does he then tell you to go to? [[A temple of Apollo]] [[Pallanteum]] [[To your mother]]

No. Apollo's waiting for his cue with Ascanius right now.

Yes. He tells you about the Arcadians, who settled here a while ago, and have been waging war against the Latins. He tells you that you should make an alliance with them, and that he'll let you row upstream to them. Then he disappears, and you wake up. You promise to always honour Tibris, and then pick out two biremes, and set off. And then what do you know, you see a sow with thirty piglets! You sacrifice her and her children to the gods. Then you arrive in Pallanteum. What god's festival is being celebrated? [[Hercules]] [[Bacchus]] [[Lupercus]]

No. She's not feeling like helping right now.

Yes. The people and king are busy with the festival, so prince Pallas is the first to see you. He confronts you aggresively, but you tell him you just want to make an alliance, and share a common enemy. He calms down at this, and takes you to his father Evander. When you find Evander, you greet him, and recite his family tree to him. He responds warmly, recalling a time in his youth when some Trojans visited. He had been amazed at them, especially Anchises, who gave him a cloak, a quiver, and some gold bridles. He says he'll do everything he can to help, and invites you to join the feasting. He then tells you the story of why they celebrate this festival. Which monster does he say used to live here? [[Geryon]] [[Polyphemus]] [[Cacus]]

No. Although they do share a father. Sorry, that probably doesn't narrow it down much...

He may or may not have existed, but no. Sadly, the Lupercalia does not make an appearance in the Aeneid.

It was on his way back from killing Geryon that Hercules arrived here, but Geryon himself did not live in this area.

You've met Polyphemus already. He lives far away from here.

Yes. The hideous, fire-breathing Cacus used to live here in a cave, which he decorated with bits of people, and carpetted with the daring choice of fresh blood. But then along came Hercules, taking with him the cattle of Geryon, and Cacus really liked the look of them, so he stole four bulls, and four heifers. In order to trick Hercules, he dragged them to his cave backwards, so their hoof prints would be wrong, and it was all going well until the rest of the cattle started lowing, sad at their missing friends. Hercules got rather angry when he realised what had happened, but what did Cacus do? [[He hid]] [[He wrestled Hercules]] [[He threw rocks at Hercules]]

Yes. He ran back into his cave, and rolled a big rock over the entrance, securing it with chains made by his father. Hercules tried to open it three times, but he couldn't. He also ran around the Aventine mountain three times in frustration, but this too failed to open the door. So deciding to stop messing around, he went and just tore off the top of the mountain, exposing Cacus' cave from the top. He then started throwing stuff at Cacus- trees, rocks, bottles left by hikers, etc. Cacus tried to protect himself by belching a bunch of smoke, obscuring himself. It was at this point that Hercules' patience ran out, and he just jumped down and strangled Cacus to death. And that's why the Arcadians celebrate the festival of Hercules! Meanwhile, it is getting dark. People are singing about Hercules, but eventually the feasting comes to an end. Where do you sleep? [[In one of your ships]] [[In a tent]] [[In Evander's house]]

That would not have gone well for him.

Hercules did throw rocks at Cacus not long after, but no.

You can do better than that...

That's not very dignified...

Yes. Evander takes you to his house, telling you about Saturn's golden age, and the history of the area along the way. He has quite a humble home, surrounded by cattle, where the forum of Rome will be someday. Meanwhile, Venus has decided to do something. Who does she talk to? [[Jupiter ]] [[Vulcan ]] [[Neptune ]]

Already done this.

Yes. She pleads with her husband Vulcan to help you. They sleep together, and in the morning Vulcan gets to work. He goes to an island called Vulcania near Sicily, where he has Cyclopes- Brontes, Sterope, and Pyracmon- working already. They are currently working on a thunderbolt for Zeus, while others are fixing Mars' chariot, and polishing Athene's armour. Vulcan tells them all to stop everything, and help him make some armour for a hero (you). Meanwhile, Evander has woken up. Who does he tell you to go to? [[The Etruscans]] [[The Rutullians]] [[The Arcadians]]

You're not really going to sail anymore, so there wouldn't be much point.

Yes. He tells you about the cruel king Mezentius who used to rule them, until they threw him out. Now he is protected by Turnus, so the Etruscans want to make war against them, except they were told by a prophet that they could not be led by an Italian. Which is rather convenient for you. He also asks that you take his son Pallas along, so that he can get some good battlefield experience. What happens then? [[More sacrifices]] [[Divine signs]] [[Go to the Etruscans]]

The Rutullians are the ones you're fighting- they're led by Turnus.

You are already with the Arcadians- Evander is their king.

Almost. But something happens just before.

Yes. There's a bunch of thunder, which is apparently a sign from your mother that the armour is ready. You make some sacrifices, and then send some of your men back to bring news to Ascanius, and the others, while the rest will some with you on horseback to the Etruscans. You ride out, after Evander gives a heart-felt goodbye to his son, asking him to stay safe. You are nearing the Etruscan camp, when Venus comes to you, at a point where you are alone, and gives you your fancy new stuff. There's a helmet, a breastplate, grieves, a sword, a spear, and of course the fancy shield. What's the first thing on the shield? [[Romulus and Remus]] [[The exploits of Ascanius]] [[The fall of Troy]]

In a bit. But not yet.

Yes. Romulus and Remus being suckled by the wolf is the first image. Then there's the incidents with the Sabines, [[Mettus being torn apart]], Tarquin, Horatius [[Coclius]], [[Cloelia]], the [[geese and the gauls]], some priests, and the underworld, where bad people like [[Catiline]] are punished, while Cato delivers justice. What is next? [[Julius Caesar's death]] [[The battle of Actium]] [[The triumvirates]]

Strangely enough, this is not depicted. All the things on the shield are much later.

This is not depicted. The shield only depicts future events. Plus, it's a bit of a sensitive topic for you.

No... this is missed out, as are many other slightly unsavoury aspects of Roman history.

Yes. In great detail, Vulcan has depicted Augustus supported by Minerva, Neptune, Venus, and Apollo, while Antony with Cleopatra are aided by their gods, of whom only Anubis is named. Which feels a bit rude. Anyway, the Romans win, and there is much rejoicing as Augustus celebrates his triumph, and recieved representatives from all over the empire. Of course, most of the things on the shield mean absolutely nothing to you, but you sling it on your shoulder, taking up your legacy... And so ends book 8! [[Book 9]]

No. This period is skipped over.

You (Aeneas) are not in this book. But that's fine. No, in fact, the book opens with Turnus. Juno is up to no good again, and sends Iris down to Turnus to tell him to attack the Trojan camp while you are not there. So he marches down in the middle of his enormous army. What do the Trojans do when they see the army approaching? [[Prepare for battle]] [[Send people to negotiate]] [[Defend the walls]]

Honour demands they do... but you gave them explicit orders not to fight any pitched battles. So they will obey your orders.

The Latins aren't really in a negotiating mood. And besides, the Trojans have ample experience defending fortifications...

Yes. As per your orders, they reluctantly do not get ready to fight a proper battle, instead manning the walls, and distributing missiles to the defenders. Turnus rides out in front of his army, and mocks the Trojans for not coming out, but he can't think of a way to get his army in the camp, or the Trojans out. Until he can. What does he decide to do? [[Burn the moored ships]] [[Break down the wall]] [[Pray to Juno]]

Yes. He takes up a torch, and urges his companions to do the same. Unfortunately for him, the ships are kind of special. You see, they were made from pines from a grove sacred to Cybele. She gladly let you use the trees, but didn't really want to see them destroyed. She asked her son Jupiter to ensure the ships wouldn't be damaged. What was his response? [[That's ridiculous]] [[Can't be bothered]] [[Fine]]

This would be a good idea, but I guess the Trojans have used up all the nearby wood, so there must be none left to make a good battering ram.

No. Turnus praises the gods, but he seems to generally prefer more direct solutions to his problems.

Yes. He said that it would be very unfair if you were protected from all dangers during your voyage, since no one else has had protection like that. However, he agreed that once you'd arrived in Italy, and the ships had done their job, they would be protected. So when Turnus tries to burn the ships, Cybele cries out to the Trojans not to defend their ships, and then does what? [[Turns the ships back into trees]] [[Turns the ships into nymphs]] [[Makes the ships sail away by themselves]]

Jupiter could in fact be bothered (for once), but he did have a problem with the idea.

No. It would have been rather unfair if you'd survived your voyages unscathed just because you had special ships.

This would be quite funny, seeing as they are currently in water, but no.

Yes. The ships dive under water, and re-emerge as nymphs. People are a bit shocked by this, but Turnus quickly comes up with a good spin on it: now the Trojans are stranded, abandoned by their ships! This is a great chance for the Italians! He gives a speech about how they will not use trickery or the cover of night like the Greeks, yet they will burn this new Troy just as effectively. By now the light is fading, so Turnus sets guards around the camp, and then rests his army to fight the next day. Meanwhile, who has a great idea in the Trojan camp? [[Mnesthus ]] [[Nisus ]] [[Euryalus ]]

This would not ensure their safety forever.

Along with Serestus, you did put Mnesthus in charge of the people, but it is not him who has the idea.

Yes. Nisus, while guarding one of the gates, tells his boyfriend Euryalus that he could probably sneak through the Italian camp, and get word out to you. Euryalus is outraged that he would go alone, and insists he come along. This decided, they wake new sentries, and go and find Ascanius. He is currently holding a council with a bunch of other people, and greets them when they arrive. They put forward their idea, and old Aletes congratulates them on their bravery. What does Ascanius promise them? [[He will look after Euryalus' mother]] [[His father will adopt Euryalus]] [[He will give them lots of gifts]]

Almost...

This is what Euryalus asks of him, but Ascanius does not promise it initially.

He does say he'll treat Euryalus essentially as a brother, but he does not go quite this far.

Yes. He promises Nisus two silver cups, two tripods, two talents of gold, and a mixing bowl given by Dido, in addition to Turnus' horse and shield, plus twelve prisoners of war, and twelve matrons, and all the lands of king Latinus if you end up winning. He also promises to treat Euryalus as an equal, since they are almost the same age. Euryalus asks that he look after his mother, and he promises to do so. Ascanius then gives them a fancy sword, Mnesthus gives Nisus a lion hide, and Aletes switches helmets with Nisus. Then they leave, accompanied by all the Trojans to the gates. What do they do once outside the gates? [[Kill a bunch of people]] [[Start running]] [[Spy on Turnus]]

Yes. Both of them kill a whole load of people in their sleep, and take a bunch of valuables with them. In particular, Euryalus takes Rhamnes' medallions and golden belt around his shoulders. At this point, a group of three-hundred cavalry led by Volcens have just arrived, bringing messages for Turnus, and they spot Euryalus, since his golden spoils are shining in the dark. They shout, and the two lovers run for cover in a forest. Nisus gets away, but he soon realises Euryalus is missing, and goes back, seeing he has been captured by a group of cavalry. What does he do? [[Rush in with his sword]] [[Throw a spear]] [[Leave Euryalus to his fate]]

No. Most of the enemy are sleeping, so there is ample looting and killing opportunity.

They do not in fact encounter Turnus at all.

This would be rather suicidal.

Yes. He prays to Diana, and throws a spear, killing Sulmo. He throws another one, killing Tagus. Volcens can't see where the spears are coming from, so he charges at Euryalus. Nisus panics, breaks cover, and shouts for the Rutulians to attack him instead. Volcens stabs Euryalus, who falls to the ground, dead. Nisus goes mad with grief, and charges the Rutulians. They hold off his wild strikes for a while, but eventually he manages to stab Volcens in the mouth, killing him. But in doing so, he is killed by the rest of soldiers. He falls to the ground next to Euryalus. The Rutulians return to the camp, weeping at all the people who have been killed, as the sun starts to rise. What do they do with Nisus and Euryalus? [[Return their bodies to the Trojans]] [[Give them a burial]] [[Stick their heads on spikes]]

He wouldn't do this- he loves Euryalus.

They aren't feeling quite so nice...

They don't really have time for this. Nor are they in the mood for it...

Yes. As the army organises itself to attack, the Trojans see their heads held up on long spikes. Euryalus' mother hears of this, and rushes to the walls in grief, lamenting her son's death. The Trojans are demoralised by this, and she is taken away. The Volsci rush the gates in a testudo formation, but can't break through. There is fighting everywhere, as the Italians try all sorts of methods of getting past the walls. Turnus throws a torch at a tower, which catches fire. It collapses, leaving only two survivors in the midst of the enemy- Helenor and Lycus. What does Helenor do? [[Climb the walls]] [[Rush at the enemy]] [[Surrender]]

He's not fast enough to get past the enemy.

Yes. Poor Helenor, of lowly birth, with only a sword and plain shield, rushes to his death. Meanwhile, Lycus, being much faster, runs past the enemy, and tries to get up the walls, but Turnus tears him down. Then a bunch of other people die on both sides, Turnus killing the most. Who then gets an impressive kill? [[Ascanius ]] [[The son of Arcens]] [[Privernus]]

This is not really an option. People on both sides are quite angry.

Yes. Numanus, married to Turnus' sister, cries out, mocking the Trojans for being soft and weak. Ascanius can't stand it, so he prays to Jupiter, and then shoots an arrow, killing him. The Trojans cheer, and Apollo himself appears, congratulating Ascanius in the form of old Butes. However, he tells him this is enough, and he should stop now, before disappearing again. Meanwhile, Pandarus and Bitias are guarding the gates. What happens? [[They open them]] [[The gates are broken]] [[They are killed]]

No. He is killed by Mezentius, using a sling.

No. Privernus is killed by Capys, after throwing away his shield to clutch his wound.

Yes. In a moment of potentially too much confidence, they open the gates, letting Rutulians in. The attackers don't last long though, as they are killed by the brothers. Some Trojans are even bold enough to go out beyond the gates. Unfortunately, news gets to Turnus that the gates are open, and he rushes over. He kills a bunch of Trojans himself, and Bitias is killed by a huge artillery spear. Pandarus panics, and closes the gate, leaving many Trojans stranded outside, and Turnus trapped inside. Pandarus, seeing this, throws a spear at Turnus. What happens to it? [[It wounds Turnus slightly]] [[Turnus dodges it]] [[It is deflected by Juno]]

No. The gates are standing strong.

They will be soon, but not just yet.

No. Turnus is perfectly safe for now.

He doesn't need to.

Yes. Turnus then charges, and kills Pandarus with his sword. He then slaughters a whole bunch of other Trojans- Alcander, Halius, Noemon, Prytanis, Lynceus, Amycus, Clytius, and Cretheus, before Mnesthus rallies the Trojans with inspiring words. The Trojans attack Turnus in formation, and although he fights fiercely, he can't win against them all. What happens to him? [[He is killed]] [[He escapes]] [[Juno spirits him away]]

That won't happen for a while yet.

Yes. Juno is told by Jupiter via Iris that she needs to stop helping Turnus, so, unable to stand his ground, armour heavily damaged, and utterly exhausted, Turnus throws himself into the river Tiber, and swims away to safety. And so ends book 9! [[Book 10]]

She will do this, but in a later battle.

Almost back to you... But first, the gods have gathered in a council, and are arguing. Jupiter complains that the treaty between Italians and Trojans has been broken. Then Venus complains at how much the Trojans are suffering, and pleads to be allowed to save Ascanius if the Trojans are fated to be defeated. This makes Juno angry, who blames the war on the Trojans, arguing they have been led by false prophecies, and blaming it all on Venus, who started the whole thing when Paris stole Helen. What is Jupiter's final say? [[The Trojans will win]] [[The Italians will win]] [[He won't favour anyone]]

They will, but it's not what he says.

They won't.

Yes. Jupiter swears by the river Styx that he will treat both sides equally. Meanwhile, the Rutulians and Trojans are fighting hard, but no one is really making any progress. Finally, we get back to you! You have sailed to the Etruscans, and told them who you are. King Tarchon pledges his allegiance to you, and you sail off all together. Your ship is in the lead, who is talking to you on the journey? [[Tarchon]] [[Pallas]] [[Evander]]

No. He is not mentioned.

Yes. On your left side is Pallas, learning all he can from you about sailing and navigation, and asking you about your adventures. Next sails Massicus in the //Tiger//, along with Abas and his soldiers. Then there's Asilas' ship, and Astyr's, as well as Cunarus'. There's also Cupavo in the //Centaur// with his [[swan feathers]], and Ocnus, who will name Mantua after his mother. Aulestes sails the giant //Triton//. All these leaders bring hundreds of soldiers, all packed into a total of thirty ships. The sun has set, but you are still on duty, when the nymphs that used to be your ships come up to you from the water. Which one speaks to you? [[They speak together]] [[Cymodocea]] [[Maia]]

Evander stayed behind in his own kingdom. He only sent his son Pallas to be with you.

Yes. As the best speaker among them, she comes up to you, and tells you what happened to them. She also tells you to get your forces ready at dawn, and attack the Rutulians, since they have trapped the Trojans in the camp, and have prevented the Arcadian and Etruscan cavalry from joining up with you. She then pushes the ship along much faster, since she has a lot of experience with ships, having been one. At dawn, you see the Trojan camp, and they see you, overjoyed at your return. But how do the Rutulians react? [[They ignore you]] [[They flee in terror]] [[They attack you]]

Maia is the mother of Hermes. She was not one of your boats.

They do not. They let the best speaker among them speak.

You are a pretty big threat... this would be quite a silly course of action.

No. Turnus isn't really deterred.

Yes. Turnus marshals his forces, sending some to keep up the siege, while others go to the beaches, to attack your forces while they are getting out of the ships. Most of your troops land using gangplanks, or jump or climb down into shallow water. But what does Tarchon tell his men to do? [[Crash into the land]] [[Swim to shore]] [[Stay on their ships]]

Yes. He tells them it is more important to take the shore than to preserve the ships. Most of the ships land safely, beaching themselves, but Tarchon's breaks up on a shoal of rocks, scattering his men into the water. And then the battle begins. The first person to die by your hand is Theron, then you kill Lichas (no, not that one), then Gyas, and Cisseus. You throw a javelin into Pharus' throat, and then you're attacked by the seven sons of Phorcus. What protects you? [[Your breastplate]] [[Your reflexes]] [[Your mother]]

This would put them in quite a vulnerable position.

No, quite the opposite in fact...

No. Some bounce off your helmet and shield, but not your breastplate.

You don't need to rely on your reflexes.

Yes. Venus deflects the spears that would hit you. Then you tell Achates to get you more spears taken from Greeks at Troy, so you can use them to kill more Rutulians. You kill Maeon, and his brother Alcanor, and their third brother Numitor misses you. You then kill three Thracians. The battle rages on, neither side having the advantage. At a different point, Pallas sees that his Arcadians, who are on foot for once, are retreating, so he rallies them, killing Lagus and Hisbo in quick succession. Then he kills Sthenius, Anchemolus, and then the identical twins Larides and Thymber. Then he kills Rhoeteus, and the Arcadians stop their retreat. Who then attacks the Arcadians? [[Demodocus]] [[Halaesus]] [[Lausus]]

Not the bard from the Odyssey, but in fact an Arcadian himself- so no.

Yes. He kills Ladon, Pheres, and Demodocus, cuts off Strymonius' hand, and bludgeons Thoas to death with a rock. But then, with a prayer to Thybris, Pallas strikes Halaesus dead with a spear. Next, it is Lausus' turn to shine. He kills a bunch of Arcadians, Etruscans, and even Trojans. The fates prevent Lausus and Pallas from meeting though, since they have different destinies... Juturna tells her brother Turnus to take Lausus' place, which he does, attacking in his chariot. He shouts for everyone to leave Pallas alone, because he wants to kill him himself. Pallas however is not deterred, and throws a spear at him, praying to Hercules. What is Hercules' reaction? [[Ignore him]] [[Weep]] [[Aid him]]

He'll be relevant in just a moment.

No, Hercules loves Pallas, and is definitely paying attention.

Yes. Jupiter comforts him, saying that everyone has an alloted time to die, and reminding Hercules of his own son Sarpedon, who even he was powerless to save at Troy. Pallas' spear does injure Turnus, but it doesn't kill him. Turnus then throws his spear, right through Pallas' shield and breastplate. Pallas tears out the spear, and falls to the ground dead. Turnus takes Pallas' golden baldric as a trophy. He will regret doing this... The news comes to you that Pallas is dead, and you fly into a rage. Thinking of Evander and Pallas, and the friendship they showed you, you take four sons of Sulmo captive to sacrifice later, and then throw a spear at Magus. He dodges, and supplicates to you, begging for his life, offering great gifts if you do. What do you do? [[Let him go]] [[Take him captive]] [[Kill him ]]

Unfortunately, he knows he can't...

You are not feeling so lenient right now...

You don't need any more captives...

Yes. While he is hugging your leg, you stab him in the neck. Then you kill the priest of Apollo Haemonides, and a bunch more people after that. The brothers Lucegus and Liger charge at you on chariot, mocking you. You kill Lucegus with a spear, and then throw Liger out of the chariot. He begs you to spare him for the sake of his parents, but you kill him too. Meanwhile, Jupiter is talking to Juno. He acknowledges that the Trojans are being helped by Venus. Juno begs him to let her spare Turnus for a while longer. Jupiter reminds her that he must still die, but allows her to save him for now. How does she do this? [[With a copy of you]] [[By spiriting him away]] [[By keeping him away from you]]

Yes. She takes a cloud, and makes it into a copy of you to taunt Turnus. He chases after it onto the ship of king Osinius, which Juno then sends off as the fake you disappears. He tries to get off the ship, and back to the fighting three times, but Juno stops him. He even tries to commit suicide, out of shame at abandoning his men, but Juno doesn't let him do this either. He is sailed away to the city of his father Daunus. Who takes Turnus' place on the battlefield? [[Lausus ]] [[Mezentius]] [[Camilla ]]

Not directly.

Kind of, but she does more than just that.

No. Lausus isn't //that// great a fighter. His father on the other hand...

Yes. Mezentius takes the lead, and the Etruscans all press to attack him, since they hate him so much. But he is not deterred, and kills Hebrus, Latagus, and Palmus, followed by Euanthes, and Mimas, who was born at the same time as Paris. After considering for a moment, Mezentius catches and kills Acron, who tells him he will also die soon. The fighting continues, as both sides take enormous losses, and neither is willing to give up. The gods grieve at the suffering taking place. At last, Mezentius comes face to face with you. What does he do? [[Run away]] [[Attack you]] [[Plead with you]]

She doesn't seem to be present at this battle. Her moment to shine will come in the next book.

No, he is far too confident to do that.

Yes. Saying he'll give your stuff to his son Lausus, he throws a spear at you. It bounces off your shield, and instead hits Antores, once a comrade of Hercules himself. You then throw your spear, hitting him in the groin, and badly wounding him. You spring forwards to finish him off, but Mezentius' young son Lausus runs in to protect his father. A hail of missiles is thrown at you, and you take cover for a moment, before emerging to challenge Lausus. He is just a young boy. What do you do? [[Tell him to run away]] [[Wound him]] [[Kill him ]]

He is far too confident for that. And besides, you're clearly not in a very lenient mood right now.

You are quite angry, and so is Lausus.

Bit more than that...

Yes. You stab him with your sword, blood pours onto the tunic his mother made for him. When you see his young face, and think of the devotion he had for his father, you feel a twinge of sadness. Meanwhile, Mezentius has escaped to the banks of the Tiber, where he is tending to his wounds, and asking about his son. When he hears Lausus has been killed, he despairs, blaming himself. He tells his horse Rhaebus that they will ride out, and either kill you, or die together. He rides out in great pain to confront you. He throws three spears at you, but all of them are stopped by your shield. Then you throw, hitting the horse Rhaebus, who falls over, pinning Mezentius to the ground. Leering over him, what does he beg of you? [[To give him a burial]] [[To spare him]] [[To remember him]]

Yes. Knowing how much the Etruscans hate him, he begs you to give him and his son a proper burial. You stab him in the throat. And so ends book 10! Onto more fun and happiness! [[Book 11]]

No. He knows you wouldn't do that.

No. Although he will probably be well remembered anyway.

As Dawn rises, you are making a mound, decorating it with the armour of Mezentius, and dedicating it to Mars. You give a speech to your followers: the main battle has now been won. There's a lot more fighting left to do, but you have won now. What do you now order them to do first? [[Gather the loot]] [[Bring Pallas back to Evander]] [[Bury the dead]]

Loot has already been gathered- it's what people spend their time mid-battle doing.

Yes. You visit the body, guarded by Acoetes, and grieve at his death. You send Pallas on his way back to his father, with a retinue of a thousand soldiers, a heap of spoils, golden clothing, and the captives you captured in the battle. The procession moves out, lamenting. Who comes to talk to you? [[Your mother ]] [[Your son]] [[Italian envoys]]

You need to do something before this.

She is once again disinterested.

No. He's had his moment of glory already.

Yes. Representatives from the Latins come bearing branches wrapped in wool, and ask that you let them bury their dead. You agree to this, and give a speech about how you didn't start or want this war, and it's all Turnus' fault. Drances, who has always hated Turnus, speaks up, praising you, and saying they will try and reconcile you with Latinus, as well as help you build your city. How long do you agree the truce should last for? [[Twelve days]] [[Two weeks]] [[Five days]]

Yes. There is much chopping of wood, and building of mass pyres. Meanwhile, Evander finds out about Pallas' death as he is brought back to Arcadia, and he is grief-stricken. He charges you with killing Turnus in revenge, saying that this is the only reason he will now go on living. The pyres burn, sacrifices and offerings are made, and a few days later, the bones are buried- most in mass graves. In the city of Latinus, there is much wailing and mourning. Who are the people blaming for this tragedy? [[You]] [[Turnus ]] [[Latinus ]]

Slightly too long.

That's not enough time to bury all the dead. There are a lot of them...

Surprisingly enough, no.

Yes. The people curse his betrothal, and demand he deal with you instead of running and hiding. Drances encourages this thinking, saying that Turnus is the only one you want to fight- if he'll just come out, no one needs to die. But queen Amata still likes him, and so a lot of people still support Turnus. Meanwhile, an envoy sent to King Diomede has come back. What does Diomede say? [[He will not help the Italians]] [[He will help the Italians]] [[He has allied with the Trojans]]

Latinus made it pretty clear he was against this war from the start.

No. He has had enough of fighting.

No. He has no reason to fight the Trojans.

Yes. He says that the Greeks are now being punished for their actions in the Trojan war- Menelaus is in Egypt, Ulixes is lost at sea, Neoptolomus is dead, Idomeneus is in exile, as is he himself. He regrets his actions in the war, and has no wish to fight the Trojans anymore- he has no hate for them. He suggests the Latins make peace with the Trojans, and also praises your piety. Who speaks first in response to this news? [[Amata ]] [[Latinus ]] [[Drances]]

She does not actually speak at this meeting. She may not even be present.

Yes. At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, Latinus re-iterates that this war is a terrible idea, and they should make peace with you. He proposes giving the Trojans some land, or building them ships if that's what they want. Drances then speaks, agreeing with Latinus, and adding that Lavinia should be married to you. He then criticises Turnus for wasting the lives of common people for his own selfish motives. At this, Turnus gets quite angry, saying that Drances is accusing him of cowardice, when he has never fought in battle himself. He also adds that he hasn't actually done badly against you at all- loads of Trojans are dead. What does he then ask of Latinus? [[Let him fight you alone]] [[Give him some more time to prepare]] [[Let him continue the war]]

He will only speak later.

He says he is happy to do this, but it's not what he wants most.

Turnus is quite confident- he doesn't need more time.

Yes. He says the Trojans have been weakened considerably, and they still have lots of soldiers, and people who will support them. He also says that if that's what they really want, then he's not afraid to face you in single combat either- he's confident of victory. But at this moment, a messenger rushes in, announcing that you've started to move your army towards the city! Turnus immediately rushes to organise a defense, sending out men, and putting on his armour. At the gates, Camilla comes to meet him, and asks to lead the first attack. Turnus agrees, sending her to face your light cavalry that are scouting ahead. What will he do? [[Ambush your army]] [[Attack your army]] [[Defend the city]]

In a sense... but not head on.

Yes. He plans to ambush your main army in a mountainous region, while Camilla will take the cavalry against yours. Meanwhile, the goddess Diana is speaking to one of her nymphs- Opis. She tells her how Camilla's father Metabus was driven out of his kingdom by the people, taking his daughter with him. Pursued by enemies, he came across a raging river, and couldn't swim across while keeping her safe. What did he do? [[Leave her]] [[Throw her across]] [[Give her to a deer]]

He is too impatient for that.

No. He loved his daughter, and couldn't leave her to the enemy.

Yes. He tied his baby to a spear, and with a prayer dedicating her to Diana, he threw her across the river, jumping into the river shortly after to escape his pursuers. When he got across, Camilla was fine, and he raised her in the wild, training her to hunt and fight. She never married anyone, but remained loyal to Diana. But now she's going into battle on the wrong side... What does Diana ask Opis to do? [[Tell Camilla to switch sides]] [[Protect Camilla in battle]] [[Take vengeance if anyone hurts Camilla]]

That would also be a way to be dedicated to Diana... but no. I guess there were no conveniently maternal animals passing by that day.

She probably wouldn't do that. She's a pretty loyal person.

No. I don't know why, but no.

Yes. Opis flies down to the earth to complete her task. Meanwhile, the two cavalry detachments have met, and they come in spear-range of each other. The battle goes back and forth for a bit, with the Latins being pushed back to the city, and then pushing the Etruscans back in turn. People start dying in large numbers, and at the centre of it all is Camilla, throwing spears, hacking people apart with her axe, or shooting arrows when she has to retreat. Who is the first person she kills? (Which is something Virgil asks too...) [[Liris]] [[Pagasus]] [[Euaeus]]

He is killed joint second.

Yes. She stabs him with a spear in the chest. Then she kills Liris and Pagasus, who fall on Eunaeus, and then Amastrus as well. She kills many Trojan heroes, and then finds Oryntus, who she mocks as she kills. She stabs Butes in the neck, and then splits the head of Orsilochus apart with her axe. She is then mocked by the son of Aunus, who challenges her to fight him on the ground. She obliges, but he runs away on horesback. She is not deterred however- she catches up with the horse, and kills the man, tearing him off the horse. Who does Jupiter then inspire to rally the Etruscans? [[Chloreus]] [[Tarchon ]] [[Ascanius ]]

He'll be important in a bit, but not just yet.

Yes. He rallies the Etruscans, and kills Venulus in dramatic fashion, inspiring his comrades to bravery. It is at this point that Arruns starts to track Camilla across the battlefield. She meanwhile spots Chloreus in his shiny, exotic clothes and weapons. She goes after him, wanting his stuff, but doesn't notice as Arruns sees his chance. He throws a spear with a prayer to Apollo. Why does he say he wants to kill Camilla? [[To take her stuff]] [[To win fame and glory]] [[To get rid of her as a threat]]

He does not seem to be present for the battle.

No. He's not interested in material possessions apparently.

He says there is no glory in killing a girl.

Yes. He says he won't take credit for the act, he just wants to help his army, and get rid of the great threat she poses. Apollo answers part of his prayer- he lets the spear fly true, but doesn't allow him to live long enough to be given a chance to take credit or not. The spear hits Camilla in the breast, and she collapses. Telling one of her companions- Acca- to flee and tell Turnus to engage in battle and defend the city, she dies. Meanwhile, what does Arruns do? [[Cheer]] [[Thank Apollo]] [[Run away ]]

Kind of the opposite.

He's not thinking coherently right now.

Yes. Terrified of someone taking revenge on him, he flees the battlefield, but Opis sees him, and fires an arrow, killing him. The Latin cavalry is broken now, and they flee back to the city, many of them killed as they get past the gates. Turnus meanwhile gets news of Camilla's death, and abandons his position, moving his army to get back to the city before you do. The two armies are very close now, but as the sun is setting, you both decide to postpone your battle until the next day. And so ends book 11! Onto the final showdown! [[Book 12 ]]

Turnus is not happy. Seeing that the Latin army isn't in great shape, he decides he will face you in single combat. He tells Latinus to draw up a treaty with you, to say that whoever wins will get Lavinia, and power over the other's people. Latinus begs him to reconsider- there are many other women he could marry, and he doesn't need to give up his life. Turnus is unmoved. What argument is presented to him next? [[Amata will be very sad if he dies]] [[Lavinia will be very sad if he dies]] [[The Rutulians will be sad if he dies]]

Yes. Amata, weeping, tells Turnus that she cannot go on living if he dies, and at this, Lavinia also bursts into tears. Turnus tells them to have faith in him, and readies his horses, armour, and weapons. You get Turnus' message, and rejoice. You tell Ascanius not to worry, and prepare your own weapons. As the sun rises, the armies gather to watch the fight, and Juno looks on. Who does she talk to? [[Her husband Jupiter]] [[Your mother Venus ]] [[Turnus' sister Juturna]]

She doesn't say anything, nor are her feelings taken into consideration.

I mean, they probably would, and Latinus does tell Turnus to think of his father, but no.

In the morning, the armies gather on the plains outside the city. Turnus, seeing the scale of the battle about to take place, offers to meet with you. You agree, and in between the two armies, he makes a speech about how this battle will end in much suffering for whoever wins, and how you should reconsider. You tell him you never wanted this war, and just want a place to settle. He suggests letting you do this, if you leave Lavinia alone. You agree, and shaking hands, the two of you meet with Latinus, who agrees to this course of action. You tell your people that the fighting is over, and they finally have a home! As the walls of your city start to rise, Venus goes to Juno, and proposes an end to their discord. Juno finally agrees to relent, sending a dove to show you her goodwill. The two goddesses speak to Jupiter, who agrees it is only fair Dido should be returned from the underworld to the living, to continue to rule Carthage, as should Nisus and Euryalus, given that they died before their times. A strong alliance is forged between Trojans and Italians, and in time, excellent relations are built with Carthage. You live a long and happy life, never remarrying, in memory of Creusa. When you eventually die of old age, you meet her again in Elysium. Your son Ascanius goes on to be a just and mighty king, and his descendants are renowned rulers. Your city goes on to be remembered as one of the greatest in history, and a web of alliances link the Mediterranian in peace for hundreds of years. ... Wouldn't it be great if that's what happened? Unfortunately, it isn't. Want to read the real thing? [[Book 12]]

No. She is a bit sad right now, and Jupiter isn't great emotional support.

She's not in the mood to argue right now.

Yes. Jupiter raped Juturna, and as recompenss, made her into a goddess. Juno actually quite likes her surprisingly, and summons her now. She says that she has tried to protect Juturna's brother Turnus, but can't do anything anymore- if she wants to do something, then now is the time, but Juno herself won't watch anymore. Meanwhile, Latinus, Turnus, and you meet, and make sacrifices. You vow that if you lose, Ascanius will leave, and your people will never fight again. If you win, you promise to treat the Latins as equals, and Latinus as your father. But as the Rutulians watch, they see how young and feeble Turnus looks in comparison to you. What does Juturna do? [[Make Turnus look good]] [[Make the Rutulians angry]] [[Make the Trojans scared]]

That wouldn't really save him...

Yes. She takes the form of Camers, and incites anger among the Rutulians. Then to cap it all off, she sends them an omen- an eagle grabs a swan, but all the smaller birds swirl around, and together force the eagle to drop it. Tolumnius, an augur, interprets this to mean that the Rutulians can defeat you if they all work together. He throws a spear, hitting and killing one of nine brothers. The rest of them then attack, sparking a battle, as everyone rushes at each other, the treaty broken. Latinus flees. Who is particularly eager to fight? [[Aulestes]] [[Messapus]] [[Ebysus]]

They're not really the problem.

Aulestes is the one he attacks.

Yes. He charges at Aulestes, knocking him onto an altar, and killing him. Ebysus attacks Corynaeus, but gets a torch thrust into his face before being stabbed to death. Alsus splits Podalirius' head in two with an axe. You meanwhile are telling everyone to stop, and follow the treaty, but to no avail. What happens? [[You get shot]] [[Turnus attacks you]] [[Venus arrives]]

He comes slightly later.

Yes. An arrow, shot by no one in particular hits you, and you are forced to retreat. When Turnus sees this, he gets excited, and summons his chariot. He kills many heroes, and crushes entire columns of soldiers. He kills Sthenelus from long range, Thamyrus and Pholus in close combat, then Imbrasidea, Glaucus and Lades at range too. Then he kills Eumedes, Asbytes, Chloreus, Sybaris, Dares, Thersilochus, and Thymoetes. Phegeus gets caught up in Turnus' chariot before being beheaded by him. Meanwhile, you are in your camp, with who? [[Mnesthus, Achates, Ascanius]] [[Mnesthus, Iapyx, Ascanius]] [[Iapyx, Achates, Ascanius]]

He's become split from you in the chaos.

She'll show up in a bit, but she's too busy doing her nails right now.

No. Two of those are right...

Yes. You are very annoyed that you have been wounded, and are telling them to do something about the arrow in your leg. Then Iapyx arrives, who is favoured by Apollo, and is really skilled at healing. He does all he can to remove the arrow, but he can't seem to do it. Meanwhile, the battle outside is growing more ferocious. Who intervenes to help you? [[Apollo ]] [[Venus ]] [[Asclepius]]

No. Two of those are right...

No. The wound is not that serious to need his help.

Yes. She picks some dittany from mount Ida in Crete, and tinctures the water Iapyx is using with it, while also adding some panacea and ambrosia. When Iapyx washes your wound with this mixture, the bleeding quickly stops, all the pain leaves your body, and the arrowhead comes free easily. Iapyx immediately recognises that this was not his doing, but some god's, and urges you to get back to the fight. You give a motivational speech to Ascanius, and then go out, accompanied by Antheus and Mnesthus. Who do you make for? [[Arcetius]] [[Tolumnius]] [[Turnus ]]

No. He does not show up. Plus, you're not //that// hurt.

He is killed, but by Mnesthus.

He is killed, but not by you.

Yes. While your companions slaughter a bunch of Rutulians, including Tolumnius- the one who started the whole battle- you concentrate only on finding Turnus. Unfortunately, he proves difficult to catch because of his charioteer. Who is it? [[Juturna]] [[Juno ]] [[Metiscus]]

Yes. Turnus' sister Juturna has taken the form of his real charioteer Metiscus, and is driving him around the battlefield, letting him get some glory, but staying away from you. At this point, Messapus throws a spear at you, and you dodge, but it sheers off the plume of your helmet. What do you do now? [[Keep hunting Turnus]] [[Give into your rage]] [[Give the other Rutulians a warning]]

No. Juno is not taking part in the battle.

This was Turnus' charioteer... until he was replaced.

Your patience is coming to an end...

Yes. You rush into the enemy, and begin slaughtering them. Turnus continues to do likewise. You stab Sucro, while Turnus kills Diores and his brother Amycus. Then you kill Talos, Tanais, Cethegus, and Onites. Turnus kills Menoetes, who hated war, and you throw a huge rock at Murranus while he is reciting his lineage. Turnus stabs Hyllus in the head, and then kills brave Cretheus. You kill Cupencus, and Aeolus (not that one). The battle continues to rage ferociously. Venus intervenes at this point! What does she put it into your head to do? [[Throw a spear at Turnus]] [[Shout a challenge to Turnus]] [[Attack the city]]

They're not really listening to you...

He is quite far away, and the battle is quite chaotic...

He probably wouldn't hear you to be fair.

Yes. You tell your men that if the Latins won't let you fight Turnus, and will break all their treaties, you'll burn their city to the ground. Some of your men attack the gates, others bring ladders, or hurl missiles into the city. There is much chaos, and in the confusion, Amata thinks Turnus has been killed. What does she decide to do? [[Kill herself ]] [[Surrender ]] [[Offer Lavinia to you]]

Yes. Seeing everything that is happening, she blames herself, and hangs herself on a high beam. Everyone sees this, and laments, Lavinia and Latinus in particular. Turnus hears about what is going on, and wants to go over to the city. His sister urges him to keep on fighting, but he says he recognised her from the moment she started the battle. He tells her not to detain him any longer- he would rather die than stay away from you like a coward. Then who comes up to them, bringing news? [[Latinus ]] [[Saces]] [[Ufens]]

No. She is not thinking very straight...

She is not in the greatest mental state right now...

He is in the city, mourning...

Yes. He tells Turnus Amata is dead, and begs him to help them- he is their only hope. He says goodbye to his sister, telling her he will die bravely, and leaves the chariot, clearing a path for himself, and announcing he will fight you. When you hear this, you get off the walls, and rush to meet him. You crash into each other, raining down blows as the two armies watch in awe. What happens to change the course of the duel? [[Your spear snaps]] [[Turnus' sword breaks]] [[Turnus loses his helmet]]

Ufens is dead already...

Your spear is fine, although you aren't even using it currently.

Yes. Turnus normally uses his father's magic sword, but in this battle, he's been using his charioteer Messapus'. This was fine until now, but when it comes into contact with your divine armour, it shatters, leaving him with only the handle. You chase after Turnus, slowed by your wound. You threaten to kill anyone who gives him a weapon, and the two of you run around the circle of watching soldiers five times. Then you suddenly spot your spear, stuck in a tree, and try and wrench it free. Who does Turnus ask for help? [[Juturna ]] [[Juno ]] [[Faunus]]

His helmet is not mentioned.

He doesn't really need to ask her.

No. Juno is not taking part.

Yes. He prays to Faunus not to let the spear out of the tree, and he obliges. Meanwhile, Juturna, disguising herself as Metiscus, runs out, and gives Turnus his sword. Outraged at this, Venus wrenches the spear from the tree for you. Meanwhile, Jupiter is watching events unfold with Juno, and complains to her that she is delaying the inevitable. She finally relents, and says she won't obstruct the Trojans any more. They can settle, and she'll let you marry Lavinia. But what does she beg Jupiter for? [[Save Turnus]] [[Preserve the Latins' culture]] [[Let a Latin be the next king after you]]

She knows she can't ask this.

Yes. Jupiter allows this, saying that the Trojans will be absorbed into the Latins, who will keep their language and customs. Juno tries to be satisfied with this, and then Jupiter sends down one of the Dirae- daughters of the godess of the dead of night- to tell Juturna to leave the battle. The Dira turns into a little bird that is often found on tombs, and flaps and screetches at Turnus' face. Juturna recognises her, and what she is being told to do. She laments her existence- now forced to live forever without her brother. And then she leaves. The two of you rush at each other. Turnus picks up an enormous boulder, too large for twelve men to lift nowadays. What does he do? [[Throws it at you]] [[Hits you with it]] [[Drops it]]

Ascanius is destined to be king after you.

He tries to...

This might not be wise- with your spear you do have a reach advantage.

Yes. His strength fails him, and the boulder rolls away harmlessly. He begins to panic, suddenly fearing death for the first time. You throw your spear with tremendous force, punching through his shield and armour, and wounding him in the thigh. He drops to his knees. You loom over him, and he begs for his life, asking you to consider his old father Daunus, who is much like Anchises was. He says you've won, you can have Lavinia, you don't need to go any further in rage. What do you do? [[Stab him]] [[Spare him]] [[Cut off his arm]]

Yes. You hesitate, moved by his plea, but then you spot Pallas' baldric hanging from Turnus' shoulder as a trophy. You remember young Pallas' death, and fly into a rage. You plunge your sword into Turnus' chest. He falls down. Dead.

You are considering it, but then you spot him wearing something...

No...

Horatius Coclius (or Cocles) was a Roman officer in the 6th century BCE, who is famous for single-handedly holding the //pons sublicius// (a bridge) against the invading Etruscans, while his men dissassembled it underneath him, preventing the invading army from reaching Rome.

Another figure from the wars between the Romans and the Etruscans, Cloelia was taken as a hostage in 508 BCE, but managed to escape with a bunch of Roman women. The Etruscan leader Lars Porsena was so impressed with her bravery that he offered to release half the hostages of her choice that he held. She chose the young boys.

In the 4th century BCE, Rome was being attacked by the Gauls. When the Gauls attempted to sneak into the city by night, the geese saved the city by waking up the Romans with their honking. Since that day, geese were reveered at the temple of Juno.

A Roman politician who lived 108-62 BCE, Catiline is most famous for his conspiracy in 63 BCE to take the consulship using an army of veterans and poor plebians. His army was defeated at Pistoria, and he was denounced by Cicero.

Mettus was a king of the Albans, who in the 670s BCE watched a battle between the Romans and the Veii, with the plan to join the winning side. When the Romans, led by Tullus Hostilius, won, Hostilius ruled that since Mettus' loyalties had been torn between the two sides, his body should be too, and he was torn in half by a pair of chariots.

A 4th century BCE hero, most famous for defeating a gaul in single combat. He also killed his son, but that's a good thing, because the son was not obeying orders in battle, and we can't have people doing that.

A 5th-4th century hero of the Roman Republic, who captured the city of Veii.

His father Cycnus sang for so long about his dead beloved Paethon that he was turned into a swan by the god of love.