cAmiLLA

Roman A heroine of an ancient Roman legend. Camilla's father, Metabus, the king of the Volscians, saved his daughter's life as they were being pursued from their city by his enemies. Stories conflict as to Camilla's age—an infant or a little girl?—but as the father and child fled, they came to the river Amesenus in Latium. To save Camilla, Metabus fastened her to either a large stake or an arrow. He said a prayer for his daughter's safety to Diana, goddess of the woods and hunting, and threw or shot Camilla across the river. Metabus swam across the river and found that Diana had granted his prayer: his daughter was safe. Together they hid in the woods, where they lived for years. Later, Camilla became a warrior, very fast, very strong, and devoted to Diana. She fought against Aeneas, the Trojan hero, in his battle with Turnus, a prince of the Rutuli people. Camilla died in battle. Virgil tells the story of Camilla in the Aeneid, where he described her as so swift that when she ran over a field of corn, not a blade bent, and when she ran over the sea, her feet did not get wet. Some experts, however, believe Virgil based his story on an ancient legend, popular in central Italy before writing became common.