Jupiter's Neutrality and the Defense of the Camp — Virgil, Aeneid Book 10 (lines 78–153), Latin & English

arva aliena iugo premere atque avertere praedas?

to press alien fields under the yoke and drive away plunder?

Quid soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas,

What of choosing fathers-in-law and carrying away betrothed girls from their bosoms,

pacem orare manu, praefigere puppibus arma?

praying for peace with the hand, while affixing weapons to their ships?

Tu potes Aenean manibus subducere Graium

You can withdraw Aeneas from the hands of the Greeks

proque viro nebulam et ventos obtendere inanis,

and in place of a man hold out a cloud and empty winds,

tu potes in totidem classem convertere nymphas:

you can turn a fleet into as many nymphs:

nos aliquid Rutulos contra iuvisse nefandum est?¹

is it a crime for us to have given some help to the Rutulians in turn?

Aeneas ignarus abest: ignarus et absit.

Aeneas is away, ignorant: let him be away, ignorant!

Est Paphus Idaliumque tibi, sunt alta Cythera:

You have Paphos and Idalium, high Cythera:

quid gravidam bellis urbem et corda aspera temptas?

why do you meddle with a city pregnant with wars and fierce hearts?

Nosne tibi fluxas Phrygiae res vertere fundo

Are we trying to overturn from the bottom the tottering affairs of Phrygia for you—

conamur, nos, an miseros qui Troas Achivis

we? Or he who exposed the wretched Trojans to the Achaeans?

obiecit? Quae causa fuit, consurgere in arma

What was the cause for Europe and Asia to rise in arms

Europamque Asiamque et foedera solvere furto?

and break treaties by a theft?

Me duce Dardanius Spartam expugnavit adulter,

Was it under my leadership that the Dardanian adulterer stormed Sparta,

aut ego tela dedi fovive cupidine bella?

or did I give him weapons or foster wars with lust?

Tum decuit metuisse tuis: nunc sera querelis

Then it was fitting to have feared for your people: now, too late,

haud iustis adsurgis et inrita iurgia iactas.

you rise with unjust complaints and throw useless quarrels.

Talibus orabat Iuno, cunctique fremebant

With such words Juno pleaded, and all the heaven-dwellers murmured

caelicolae adsensu vario, ceu flamina prima

with varied assent, just as when the first blasts,

cum deprensa fremunt silvis et caeca volutant

caught in the forests, murmur and roll blind

murmura, venturos nautis prodentia ventos.

whisperings, betraying coming winds to sailors.

100

Tum pater omnipotens, rerum cui prima potestas,

Then the almighty father, who has the supreme power over things,

infit; eo dicente deum domus alta silescit

begins; as he speaks, the high home of the gods grows silent,

et tremefacta solo tellus, silet arduus aether,

and the earth shaken on its foundation, the high ether is silent,

tum Zephyri posuere, premit placida aequora pontus:

then the Zephyrs fell, the sea presses its peaceful waters:

Accipite ergo animis atque haec mea figite dicta.

”Take therefore to your minds and fix these words of mine.

105

Quandoquidem Ausonios coniungi foedere Teucris

Since it is not permitted that the Ausonians be joined in treaty with the Trojans,

haud licitum, nec vestra capit discordia finem:

nor does your discord find an end:

quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem,

whatever fortune each has today, what hope each carves out,

Tros Rutulusne fuat nullo discrimine habebo.²

whether he be Trojan or Rutulian, I will hold them with no distinction.

Seu fatis Italum castra obsidione tenentur

Whether by the fates of the Italians the camp is held in siege,

110

sive errore malo Troiae monitisque sinistris.

or by the evil error of Troy and sinister warnings.

Nec Rutulos solvo: sua cuique exorsa laborem

Nor do I absolve the Rutulians: his own beginnings will bring toil

fortunamque ferent. Rex Iuppiter omnibus idem.

and fortune to each. King Jupiter is the same to all.

Fata viam invenient. Stygii per flumina fratris,

The Fates will find a way.” By the rivers of his Stygian brother,

per pice torrentis atraque voragine ripas

by the banks burning with pitch and black abyss,

115

adnuit et totum nutu tremefecit Olympum.

he nodded assent, and with his nod made all Olympus tremble.

Hic finis fandi. Solio tum Iuppiter aureo

This was the end of speaking. Then Jupiter rises from his golden

surgit, caelicolae medium quem ad limina ducunt.

throne, whom the heaven-dwellers escort in their midst to the threshold.

Interea Rutuli portis circum omnibus instant

Meanwhile the Rutulians press around all the gates

sternere caede viros et moenia cingere flammis.

to lay low men with slaughter and encircle the walls with flames.

120

At legio Aeneadum vallis obsessa tenetur,

But the legion of the Aeneadae is held besieged within the ramparts,

nec spes ulla fugae. Miseri stant turribus altis

nor is there any hope of flight. Wretched they stand on the high towers

nequiquam et rara muros cinxere corona

in vain, and have ringed the walls with a thin circle:

Asius Imbrasides Hicetaoniusque Thymoetes

Asius, son of Imbrasus, and Thymoetes, son of Hicetaon,

Assaracique duo et senior cum Castore Thymbris,

and the two Assaraci, and elder Thymbris with Castor,

125

prima acies; hos germani Sarpedonis ambo

form the first line; both brothers of Sarpedon,

et Clarus et Thaemon Lycia comitantur ab alta.

Clarus and Thaemon, from high Lycia, accompany them.

Fert ingens toto conixus corpore saxum,

Striving with his whole body, to carry a huge stone,

haud partem exiguam montis, Lyrnesius Acmon,

no small part of a mountain, is Acmon of Lyrnesus,

nec Clytio genitore minor nec fratre Menestheo.

not inferior to his father Clytius nor his brother Menestheus.

130

Hi iaculis, illi certant defendere saxis

These strive to defend with javelins, those with stones,

molirique ignem nervoque aptare sagittas.

and to hurl fire, and to fit arrows to the string.

Ipse inter medios, Veneris iustissima cura,

Behold, the Dardanian boy himself in their midst, the most deserved care of Venus,

Dardanius caput ecce puer detectus honestum,

his noble head uncovered,

qualis gemma micat, fulvum quae dividit aurum,

shining like a gem that parts the yellow gold,

135

aut collo decus aut capiti; vel quale per artem

an ornament for either neck or head; or like ivory that shines

inclusum buxo aut Oricia terebintho

when artificially enclosed in boxwood or Orician terebinth;

lucet ebur; fusos cervix cui lactea crinis

whose milky neck receives his streaming hair,

accipit et molli subnectens circulus auro.

and a band of soft gold binds it.

Te quoque magnanimae viderunt, Ismare, gentes

You too, Ismarus, the high-minded nations saw aiming

140

volnera dirigere et calamos armare veneno,

wounds and arming reeds with poison,

Maeonia generose domo, ubi pinguia culta

noble of Maeonian house, where men till the rich

exercentque viri Pactolusque inrigat auro.

tilled lands and Pactolus waters them with gold.

Adfuit et Mnestheus, quem pulsi pristina Turni

Mnestheus too was there, whom yesterday’s glory of having driven Turnus

aggere moerorum sublimem gloria tollit,

from the rampart of the walls raises high,

145

et Capys: hinc nomen Campanae ducitur urbi.

and Capys, from whom the name of the Campanian city is derived.

Illi inter sese duri certamina belli

They had joined the struggles of harsh war among themselves:

contulerant: media Aeneas freta nocte secabat.

Aeneas was cutting the seas at midnight.

Namque ut ab Euandro castris ingressus Etruscis³

For when, having departed from Evander and entered the Etruscan camp,

regem adit et regi memorat nomenque genusque,

he approaches the king and declares to the king both his name and race,

150

quidve petat quidve ipse ferat, Mezentius arma

what he seeks or what he himself brings, what arms Mezentius

quae sibi conciliet, violentaque pectora Turni

is securing for himself, and informs him of the violent heart of Turnus,

edocet, humanis quae sit fiducia rebus

warns him what trust is to be placed in human affairs,

admonet immiscetque preces: haud fit mora, Tarchon

and mingles prayers: no delay is made, Tarchon

Syntax notes3 items

10.84nos aliquid Rutulos contra iuvisse nefandum est?
The syntax contrasts the pronouns nos (we) and tu (you, Venus). aliquid acts adverbially modifying the infinitive iuvisse (to have helped), meaning "to some extent" or "at all."
10.108Tros Rutulusne fuat nullo discrimine habebo.
fuat is an archaic subjunctive equivalent to sit, forming an indirect question. nullo discrimine is an ablative of manner meaning "with no distinction."
10.148Namque ut ab Euandro castris ingressus Etruscis
ut is a temporal conjunction ("when") introducing the past event. The verb ingressus (est) represents an ellipsis of the auxiliary verb est, or functions as a participle leading to the main verb adit.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:10.78-10.153