Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Infant Rome explained
King Evander, an exile from Arcadia, welcomes Aeneas and recounts the early history of the site that will become Rome, from the golden age of Saturn to the tyranny of Mezentius.
What happens
King Evander, an exile from Arcadia, welcomes Aeneas and recounts the early history of the site that will become Rome, from the golden age of Saturn to the tyranny of Mezentius. He proposes an alliance with the Etruscans, who have rejected their cruel king Mezentius and seek a foreign leader. Evander offers his son Pallas to accompany Aeneas, who then rides to the Etruscan camp to assume command.
Themes in this chapter
Hospitality and Its Violation
Evander's generous welcome of Aeneas exemplifies proper hospitality, while Mezentius' cruelty and the Etruscans' demand for his punishment highlight the violation of social bonds.
Fate and Free Will
The prophecy that the Etruscans' leader must come from across the sea, and Evander's recognition of Aeneas as the destined leader, underscore the role of fate in shaping events.
Characters to notice
- Aeneas
The Trojan hero, guest of King Evander, who learns of the region's history and is offered leadership of the Etruscan forces.
- Evander
The aged Arcadian king who settled on the future site of Rome, recounts the golden age of Saturn and the tyranny of Mezentius, and proposes an alliance with Aeneas.
- Pallas
Son of Evander, who is sent to accompany Aeneas and learn the art of war.
- Mezentius
The deposed Etruscan king, a monster of cruelty who fled to Turnus for protection.
- Turnus
The Rutulian leader who protects the exiled Mezentius.
Key passages
“Such peace and plenty ensued that men ever since have called his reign the golden age; but by degrees far other times succeeded, and the thirst of gold and the thirst of blood prevailed.”
Saturn's rule brought such harmony and abundance that it was remembered as the golden age, but later eras were marked by greed and violence.
Evander contrasts the idyllic past with the subsequent decline into tyranny.
“He would fasten the dead to the living, hand to hand and face to face, and leave the wretched victims to die in that dreadful embrace.”
Mezentius would bind corpses to living prisoners, forcing them to perish together in a horrifying union.
Describes the extreme cruelty of the deposed Etruscan king.