The Aeneid: Book 8 Summary & Analysis

Turnus gathers his own men and sends a messenger to the city of King Diomedes, a Greek now living in Italy, to try to win him as an ally. Meanwhile, the spirit of the Tiber river appears to Aeneas in a dream, and tells him not to fear the war—he's finally reached his homeland and the destination of his household gods. The Tiber god tells Aeneas to travel up the river until he sees a white sow with piglets (the same that Helenus predicted in Book 3), which will be the sign of the place where Ascanius should build his city, Alba Longa. The Tiber god also says that near this spot live the Arcadian people, in a city called Pallanteum, and that Aeneas should go win the Arcadian king, Evander, to his side. The Tiber god also tells Aeneas to pray to Juno, to make her a little less angry.

Aeneas thanks the Tiber god and sails with some of his men along the river. They see the white sow, and Aeneas sacrifices it as an offering to Juno. The men continue, reaching the place where someday Rome's towers will rise, a spot now occupied by Evander's humble home.

The Arcardians are in the middle of a feast to honor Hercules and the gods. When they see the ships arriving, Pallas, Evander's son, goes to greet them so that the feast won't be interrupted. Aeneas explains he wants to ally with Evander in the coming war. Pallas is immediately impressed by Aeneas's nobility. Aeneas meets Evander and explains himself. Evander remembers meeting Priam and Anchises as a youth, and quickly agrees to help the Trojans and invites them to join the feast. Evander tells the story of Hercules and Cacus, which the feast commemorates. Cacus, a monster, stole eight of Hercules's cows and brought them to his cave. Hercules heard the cows mooing, and though Cacus blocked off the cave and breathed fire and smoke at him, Hercules managed to strangle him.

Evander gives Aeneas a tour of his city, and tells its history. During the peaceful, plentiful Golden Age, Saturn named this place Latium. But the Golden Age faded, and the land changed rulers many times, until Evander's fate brought him here. They look at the Capitoline Hill, future location of many important Roman temples. They also pass by the future Forum, now a field for grazing.

Venus asks her husband Vulcan to build a set of armor for Aeneas, and kisses him as encouragement. Vulcan says he would even have built armor for Aeneas at Troy, if she'd asked. Vulcan gets his Cyclops workers to build a seven-layered shield.

In the morning, Evander and Aeneas meet to talk war. Evander says he would like to fight but is too old, but he advises Aeneas to go ally with the thousands of Tuscans who revolted against Mezentius's tyrannical rule. Those Tuscans already wanted to join the war against Mezentius, but a prophecy had told them to wait for a foreign commander. Evander also offers to send his troops and his beloved young son, Pallas, to fight for Aeneas and learn the ways of war.

Red light, accompanied by thunder, appears in the clear sky. Aeneas explains that it's a sign from Venus that war nears. Evander passionately prays that Pallas will return safely, hoping to die if his son is killed. Aeneas and the soldiers set out, with Pallas leading and looking particularly brave and handsome. The mothers of Pallanteum watch them go and cry.

Aeneas's group finds the Tuscans and camps with them. As they camp, Venus comes down from the heavens to give Aeneas his new armor. Aeneas marvels at the beautiful helmet, sword, and spear, and finally the ornate shield. On the shield, Vulcan has depicted the future of Rome, including important Roman myths and history such as Romulus and Remus suckling from a she-wolf and Augustus Caesar leading the Roman fleet to victory at the Battle of Actium, along with the celebrations in Rome afterward. Aeneas doesn't know what the images mean, but he appreciates them, and "lift[s] onto his shoulders now the fame and fates of all his children's children."