Vergil's Dirae, South Italy, and Etruria

Abstract

THE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE of the reconciliation between Jupiter and Juno at the end of Vergil's Aeneid is Jupiter's sending of a female demon to help conclude the conflict between Aeneas and Turnus. Her task is to meet Juturna as a sign of Jupiter's will (12.854). As a means of doing this the demon changes into a small bird, then flies into Turnus' face and shield (12.861-866). The consequent weakening of Turnus in his combat with Aeneas has two stages: first he is stunned and afraid (12.867-868); and then, when he tries to lift a huge rock to hurl at Aeneas, it is the so-called Dira that causes his strength to fail (12.914). If Turnus ever had any doubts about Jupiter's hostility to him in the course of recent events in Latium, Juturna now dispels them (12.875-878). When Aeneas hurls insults at his fearful opponent, Turnus is left only to lament the fact that Jupiter is now certainly his enemy (12.887-895). The role of the Dira is an important one because it reinforces at the end of the poem the fact that Aeneas' killing of Turnus is part of the divine plan. Just as Jupiter's will is emphasised early in Book 1 (257 ff.) in response to Juno's malevolence, so here it is reinforced at the end of Book 12 in response to her final submission to him. Yet, despite the importance of the episode in the resolution of the action of the poem, the actual identity of the Dirae is never made clear. Instead, there is a rather oblique description of them that runs as follows: