4—
Peripeteia
Pure epic style has a calm, steady development of the action in a single direction,
although it may be delayed at times by hindrances. Dramatic style has a sudden
reversal, a
the choice, Virgil always prefers to 'break' the action rather than let it unroll
steadily. He starts by making the action apparently head in a different direction from
the real one, and then suddenly turns it around; or, in cases where the right direction
is taken from the start, he is not content with simple hindrances but intensifies them
where possible so that they actually set the action off in a different direction.
Seen from the Greek standpoint, the sack of Troy and its prologue form one
steadily unrolling action, in which Laocoon's entry and warning bring only a
momentary retardation. But as Virgil tells it, from the Trojan standpoint, the action
starts by apparently moving steadily towards the deliverance of Troy. It reaches its
highpoint in the joyful celebration after the horse has been pulled in. The peripeteia
occurs here, and the action rapidly moves in the opposite direction. The night-battle
324 itself is traditionally one long Greek victory; in Virgil, it seems for a while that the
Trojans may triumph; but, only a short time after, fortune takes a different turn.
Odysseus strives to reach his home with a steady, uninterrupted effort. The
sojourns with Circe and Calypso delay his journey but do not change his destination.
In Book 4 of the Aeneid , at first everything seems to indicate that Aeneas will stay in
Carthage permanently: Juno is working towards this end, Dido's love relies on it,
Aeneas himself seems to have completely forgotten his true destiny. Then Mercury
enters, the peripeteia occurs, and the narrative swings unstoppably in the opposite
direction, and Aeneas sails away.
In accordance with the historical tradition, the burning of the ships in Sicily only
serves to explain the Trojan settlement there: Aeneas had to leave behind the crews
of these ships. In Virgil's narrative, where the burning of the ships follows directly
on the funeral games, it is a peripeteia .[75] The scenes of happy gaiety are suddenly
interrupted by an event which the poet deliberately makes more terrible. It is true
that Jupiter soon quenches the fire, but Aeneas' whole enterprise seems jeopardized
(700-4) and it is only Nautes' advice, in combination with Anchises' appearance in a
dream, which brings the action back onto its original path.
According to the tradition, the settlement of Latium took place at first without
any great difficulty. It was only later that Aeneas and Ascanius had to fight re-
peatedly to assert their right to their gains. Virgil's Book 7 is arranged according to
the same plan as the actions we have already examined. At first, everything seems to
guarantee the happy outcome. The prodigium of the tables makes the Trojans sure
that they have at last reached the promised land. The oracle of Faunus has already
disposed Latinus to give the strangers a friendly welcome. The embassy is taking its
course to the entire satisfaction of both parties. Then Juno intervenes, and step by
step everything goes into reverse, until the huge war blazes up and seems to engulf
in its flames everything which has been achieved.
The same principle which is at work on the larger scale is also visible on the
325 smaller scale, in the separate parts of the narrative. I need only remind you that
comparison with Homer's description of the races clearly showed that the unex-
pected peripeteia is Virgil's own. Similarly, in the description of battles, again and
again the plot has the action rising to a definite high point and then suddenly
switching direction. Rather than go through the same group of examples again, I
will adduce some different, isolated ones.
Before Aeneas and the Sibyl find their way over the Stygian waters to the
Underworld itself, they have to overcome the resistance of Charon the ferryman
(6.385ff.). It would be simple retardation if, in reply to Charon's speech, the Sibyl
had pulled rank as Apollo's priestess and Charon had given way to her. Virgil makes
a much more dramatic scene. The Sibyl's reply begins with an attempt to dispel
Charon's fears; she tells him Aeneas' name, praises his pietas , explains the purpose
of his visit – all in vain; Charon persists in his refusal.[76] Then the Sibyl pulls the
golden bough from under her robe: ramum hunc agnoscas ['you must recognize this
branch'] – and there is no need of further words on either side; with quiet respect
Charon steers his boat to the bank. This intermezzo is a miniature drama in itself.
The morning after the festival of Hercules (8.470), Evander answers Aeneas'
request for help. His answer is as favourable as could be: whatever troops can be
raised will be at his disposal; he also holds out the prospect of a considerably larger
contingent of Etruscans; Aeneas could then thank him and joyfully begin the voyage
to Caere. Instead, Evander's speech is phrased in such a way that Aeneas feels it
puts an end to all his hopes, and does not dare to trust the prospect of Etruscan help.
Aeneas and Achates sit with downcast looks, miserably considering the harshness of
fate (520ff.) – then lightning and thunder from a clear sky give a timely sign of good
fortune, weapons gleam and clash in the air. Aeneas knows that his divine mother
remembers her promise, and all care has gone, the preparations for departure are
taken in hand immediately and joyfully.
326 In the storm in the Odyssey , Poseidon's intervention (5.365ff.) does not appear to
be a peripeteia : he himself says right at the beginning that the end of Odysseus'
troubles waits for him on Scheria, and he only tries to delay this. The counter-action
of the helpful goddesses, Leucothea and Athena, splinters into a series of small
actions which gradually, joined with Odysseus' desperate efforts, nullify the effect
of Poseidon's unfriendly intervention. In Virgil, the action starts with the outbreak
of the storm. Step by step, the Trojans come nearer to disaster, one ship has already
sunk, another four are already in danger of going the same way, then Neptune
calmly surfaces from the deep, the winds depart, the clouds disperse, the sea calms
down, the grounded ships float free and make for the safe shore. Thus what we have
here is not an often retarded but always straightforward action with many stages, but
one that has one single energetic break at the peripeteia .