Prayer to Apollo
ApolloApollo Soranus, Highest of the Gods, Holy Guardian of Mount Soracte, we who are foremost among Your worshippers, for You we set to flame the piled pine-wood, and Your worshippers, piously trusting our faith in You among the fires, press our step across the glowing embers. Grant, Father Almighty, that by our arms we may erase this disgrace. No plunder did I seek, no trophy to win from virgins, or any spoils; my fame shall follow from my feats.
Arruns prays to Apollo of Soracte before hurling his spear at Camilla.
The ground of his request is a rite: the Hirpi Sorani, the priests of Mount Soracte, walked on burning coals, and Arruns cites this as his people's claim to be heard. "We worshippers press many footsteps through the fire itself, over the embers."
And the request is built strangely, as if cancelling itself. He asks for no armour, no trophy, no glory — only that the "dire plague" fall by his wound, and immediately adds: "and I shall return to my native towns inglorious".
Virgil grants exactly that. Camilla dies, Arruns dies straight after, and no one learns whose spear it was. The god heard the half of the prayer that asked for obscurity.
Fons · Source
AuthorVirgil
WorkAeneid
Section11.785-793
PeriodAugustan
Classificatio · Taxonomy