Aeneas' Revenge

Book XII finally gives us what we've all been waiting for, the duel between Aeneas and Turnus. My favorite passage from this book is one of the last ones as it reads, "Fierce in his arms, with darting glance, Aeneas paused for a moment, and he might have weakend, for the words had moved him, when, high on the shoulder, He saw the belt of Pallas, slain by Turnus, saw Pallas on the ground and Turnus wearing that belt with bright studs." After this moment, Aeneas drives the blade of his sword straight through the body of Turnus finishing him to his death. I love this passage so much because of the parallel it has to the Iliad. Achillies kills Hector as he sees and remembers Patroclos' armor on Hector which he had stolen Patroclos. We almost see a near exact situation with Turnus and Aeneas with the remembrance of Pallas' belt. Both the armour and the belt show how much these two items mean to the men. It shows the honor they have on the battlefield as well as the honor they have for their close friends. I think it is a great way to complete the book as it wraps up and finesses the theme of honor and piety/family in the Aeneid.