1.2
In a short time the
Aborigines and Trojans became involved in war with
Turnus, the king of the Rutulians. Lavinia had been
betrothed to him before the arrival of Aeneas, and,
furious at finding a stranger preferred to him, he
declared war against both Latinus and Aeneas.
Neither side could congratulate themselves on the
result of the battle; the Rutulians were defeated,
but the victorious Aborigines and Trojans lost their
leader Latinus. Feeling their need of allies, Turnus
and the Rutulians had recourse to the celebrated
power of the Etruscans and Mezentius, their king,
who was reigning at Caere, a wealthy city in those
days. From the first he had felt anything but
pleasure at the rise of the new city, and now he
regarded the growth of the Trojan state as much too
rapid to be safe to its neighbours, so he welcomed
the proposal to join forces with the Rutulians. To
keep the Aborigines from abandoning him in the face
of this strong coalition and to secure their being
not only under the same laws, but also the same
designation, Aeneas called both nations by the
common name of Latins. From that time the Aborigines
were not behind the Trojans in their loyal devotion
to Aeneas. So great was the power of Etruria that
the renown of her people had filled not only the
inland parts of Italy but also the coastal districts
along the whole length of the land from the Alps to
the Straits of Messina. Aeneas, however, trusting to
the loyalty of the two nations who were day by day
growing into one, led his forces into the field,
instead of awaiting the enemy behind his walls. The
battle resulted in favour of the Latins, but it was
the last mortal act of Aeneas. His tomb -whatever
it is lawful and right to call him -is situated on
the bank of the Numicius. He is addressed as
"Jupiter Indiges."