Aeneas strikes the first blows, cutting down several of Turnus's men. The rest of the soldiers on both sides then fall into the fray, and blood begins to spill. Pallas leads the Arcadians, fighting fiercely and tipping the scales in favour of the Trojans. Already a great warrior in spite of his youth, he dispenses death with every blow, but attracts the attention of Turnus. Turnus swaggers forth and challenges Pallas alone in the centre of the battle. They each toss their spears. Pallas's weapon penetrates Turnus's shield and armour, but leaves only a flesh wound on Turnus. Turnus's lance, on the other hand, tears through Pallas's corselet and lodges deep in his chest, killing him. Supremely arrogant after this kill, Turnus reaches down and rips off Pallas's belt as a prize. Here we can see Virgil’s elegant description of the battle, saving nothing, the writing is fast and flowing as if we are actually there, it is littered with blood and grotesque images which just adds to the atmosphere. The audience would be on Pallas’ side, as they wouldn’t want anything to happen to him due to the sentimental scene his father had before he left. He was his only beloved son, and meant more to him than anything, and for him to die in battle would finish him. We watch the battle hoping Pallas will be all right and ride each of his blows with him, we pray to ourselves that Turnus does not kill him, but the worst happens, the whole time the audience fully involved in the narrative. So here Virgil is using our emotions again, we feel sorry for the young boy and so grieve his death
Word of Pallas's death reaches Aeneas, who flies into a rage. He hacks a bloody path through the Latin lines, looking for Turnus and fixed on getting revenge. Terrified, some of the Latin soldiers beg on their knees to be spared, but Aeneas slaughters them mercilessly, and Turnus's troops fall into chaos. Up on Olympus, Juno sees that the battle is lost and asks Jupiter to let her spare Turnus from death. Jupiter consents, so Juno flies down to the battlefield, disguises herself as Aeneas, and comes within sight of Turnus. He chases her, and she runs onto one of the ships anchored nearby. Turnus follows, but as soon as he boards the ship, she severs the moorings and the ship floats out to sea. Powerless to return to the battlefield, Turnus drifts until the wind carries him ashore far down the coast, this is rather annoying because we feel Turnus should be punished but Juno is allowed to help him, which the audience will find annoying, Here Virgil is playing on our sense of justice, we wish for Turnus to be punished but he escapes so we anticipate what happens to him.
The two men have gods on their sid so the audience will be intrigued to know who will win, the battle between the two is like a balance which is always changing, one minute Aeneas has the advantage, the next minuite it is Turnus, in the last scene Turnus ha the disadvantage, nbut things soon change as an unprovoked spear shot ignites both armies. They fly at each other with sword and lance. Aeneas calls for his men to stop, but as he yells, a stray arrow wounds him in the leg, forcing him to retreat, and so the audience see him at the disadvantage.
Watching Aeneas leave the field gives Turnus new hope. He enters the battle and lays waste to some of soldiers on the Trojan side. Meanwhile, Aeneas is helped back to camp, but the physician cannot remove the arrow from his leg. Venus pities her suffering son and sends down a healing balm. The physician uses the balm, dislodging the arrow and closing the wound, again this is aid from the gods.
Aeneas takes up his arms again and returns to the battle, where the Latin troops before him scatter in terror. Both he and Turnus kill many men, turning the tide of the battle back and forth.. Aeneas meets Turnus in the city's main courtyard, and at last, with all the troops circled round, the duel begins. First, Aeneas and Turnus toss their spears. They then exchange fierce blows with their swords.
“When two bulls lower heads and horns and charge
In deadly combat . . .
. . .
[They g]ore one another, bathing necks and humps
In sheets of blood, and the whole woodland bellows.
Just so Trojan Aeneas and the hero
Son of Daunus, battering shield on shield,
Fought with a din that filled the air of heaven.” (XII.972–982)
This passage from Book XII, in which Virgil describes Aeneas and Turnus locked together in the heat of battle, exemplifies a literary device Virgil employs throughout the poem: the epic simile. Virgil's similes are extended comparisons of an element of action or a character to an abstract or external image or concept. These similes are often drawn from rural landscapes and farm life, and they often use the phrase “just so” as a connector. They give Virgil's writing a descriptive richness by lingering at great length on some detail that might not otherwise have been illuminated. Often, Virgil uses the similes to give an interior depth to his characters, showing us by means of an analogy what it feels like to be that character in a given moment. This particular epic simile describes the intense battle between Aeneas and Turnus. By comparing these two warriors to bulls, Virgil conveys the animalistic and virile nature of their struggle.
At Turnus's first strike, his sword suddenly breaks off at the hilt—in his haste, he had grabbed some other soldier's weaker sword. Turnus flees from Aeneas, calling for his real sword, which Juturna finally furnishes for him. Juno observes the action from above, and Jupiter asks her why she bothers—she already knows the struggle's inevitable outcome. Juno finally gives in and consents to abandon her grudge against Aeneas, on one condition: she wants the victorious Trojans to take on the name and the language of the Latins. Jupiter gladly agrees.
Jupiter sends down one of the Furies, who assumes the form of a bird and flaps and shrieks in front of Turnus, filling him with terror and weakening him. Seeing Turnus waver, Aeneas casts his mighty spear and strikes Turnus's leg, and Turnus tumbles to the ground. As Aeneas advances, Turnus pleads for mercy for the sake of his father. Aeneas is moved—but just as he decides to let Turnus live, he sees the belt of Pallas tied around Turnus's shoulder. As Aeneas remembers the slain youth, his rage returns in a surge. In the name of Pallas, Aeneas drives his sword into Turnus, killing him, a very dramatic end for the audience, as they think for a split second Aeneas will spare Turnus, this would be a surprise considering the hatred they harbour for Turnus after he has killed Pallas, but of course Aeneas doesn’t realises that, but when he does he doesn’t hesitate to kill him, and it is all over, justice has been done and the epic ends.