Aeneas Takes Up Arms and Disguises in Greek Armor — Virgil, Aeneid Book 2 (lines 322–404), Latin & English

322

Quo res summa, loco, Panthu? Quam prendimus arcem?

”Where is the state of our affairs, Panthus? Which citadel do we seize?”

Vix ea fatus eram, gemitu cum talia reddit:

Scarcely had I spoken these words, when with a groan he returned such words:

Venit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus

”The final day has come and the unavoidable time for Dardania.

325

Dardaniae: fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium¹ et ingens

We were Trojans, Ilium was, and the immense

gloria Teucrorum; ferus omnia Iuppiter Argos

glory of the Teucrians has been; fierce Jupiter has transferred

transtulit; incensa Danai dominantur in urbe.

all things to Argos; the Greeks rule in the burning city.

Arduus armatos mediis in moenibus adstans

Standing high in the midst of the walls, the towering

fundit equus, victorque Sinon incendia miscet

horse pours forth armed men, and the victorious Sinon, insulting, scatters fires.

330

insultans; portis alii bipatentibus adsunt,

Others are present at the wide-open gates,

milia quot magnis umquam venere Mycenis;

as many thousands as ever came from great Mycenae;

obsedere alii telis angusta viarum

others have blocked the narrowness of the streets, opposed

oppositi; stat ferri acies mucrone corusco

with weapons; a line of steel stands drawn with flashing point, prepared for slaughter;

stricta, parata neci; vix primi proelia temptant

scarcely do the first guards of the gates attempt battle,

335

portarum vigiles, et caeco Marte resistunt.

and they resist in a blind conflict.”

Talibus Othryadae dictis et numine divom

By such words of the son of Othryas and by the divine will of the gods

in flammas et in arma feror, quo tristis Erinys,

I am carried into the flames and into arms, whither the grim Erinys,

quo fremitus vocat et sublatus ad aethera clamor.

whither the roar and the clamor raised to the heavens call me.

Addunt se socios Rhipeus et maximus armis

Rhipeus and Epytus, most mighty in arms, add themselves

340

Epytus oblati per lunam Hypanisque Dymasque,

as companions, met under the moon, along with Hypanis and Dymas,

et lateri adglomerant nostro, iuvenisque Coroebus,

and gather to our side, and young Coroebus,

Mygdonides: illis ad Troiam forte diebus

the son of Mygdon: in those days he had by chance come to Troy,

venerat, insano Cassandrae incensus amore,

inflamed with a mad love for Cassandra,

et gener auxilium Priamo Phrygibusque ferebat,

and as a son-in-law was bringing help to Priam and the Phrygians,

345

infelix, qui non sponsae praecepta furentis

unfortunate one, who did not hear the advice of his raving

audierit.²

bride.

Quos ubi confertos audere in proelia vidi,

When I saw them close-packed, daring for battle,

incipio super his: Iuvenes, fortissima frustra

I begin with these words to them: “O youths, hearts most brave in vain,

pectora, si vobis audentem extrema cupido

if you have a fixed desire to follow me daring the extreme,

350

certa sequi, quae sit rebus fortuna videtis:

you see what fortune there is for our affairs:

excessere omnes, adytis arisque relictis,

all the gods, by whom this empire had stood, have departed, leaving shrines and altars;

di, quibus imperium hoc steterat; succurritis urbi

you bring aid to a burning city;

incensae; moriamur et in media arma ruamus.

let us die and rush into the midst of arms.

Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem.

The only safety for the defeated is to hope for no safety.”

355

Sic animis iuvenum furor additus: inde, lupi ceu

Thus fury was added to the minds of the youths: then, like ravenous

raptores atra in nebula, quos improba ventris

wolves in a dark mist, whom the wicked rage of the belly

exegit caecos rabies, catulique relicti

has driven blind, and their abandoned cubs

faucibus exspectant siccis, per tela, per hostis

await them with dry throats, we go through weapons, through enemies

vadimus haud dubiam in mortem, mediaeque tenemus

into no doubtful death, and we hold the way to the midst of the

360

urbis iter; nox atra cava circumvolat umbra.

city; black night flies around us with its hollow shadow.

Quis cladem illius noctis, quis funera fando

Who could unfold the disaster of that night, who the deaths in speaking,

explicet, aut possit lacrimis aequare labores?

or could equal our labors with tears?

Urbs antiqua ruit, multos dominata per annos;

An ancient city falls, having ruled for many years;

plurima perque vias sternuntur inertia passim

and very many inactive bodies are strewn far and wide through the streets,

365

corpora, perque domos et religiosa deorum

and through the houses and the sacred thresholds of the gods.

limina. Nec soli poenas dant sanguine Teucri;

Nor do the Teucrians alone pay penalties with their blood;

quondam etiam victis redit in praecordia virtus

sometimes also courage returns to the hearts of the defeated

victoresque cadunt Danai: crudelis ubique

and the victorious Greeks fall: everywhere is cruel

luctus, ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago.

grief, everywhere fear, and the manifold image of death.

370

Primus se, Danaum magna comitante caterva,

First Androgeos, with a great crowd of Greeks accompanying him,

Androgeos offert nobis, socia agmina credens

offers himself to us, believing our bands to be allies,

inscius, atque ultro verbis compellat amicis:

ignorant, and addresses us voluntarily with friendly words:

Festinate, viri: nam quae tam sera moratur

”Hurry, men! For what so late sluggishness delays you?

segnities? Alii rapiunt incensa feruntque

Others are plundering and carrying off burning Pergama;

375

Pergama; vos celsis nunc primum a navibus itis.

are you only now coming from the high ships?”

Dixit, et extemplo, neque enim responsa dabantur

He spoke, and immediately (for no replies sufficiently faithful

fida satis, sensit medios delapsus in hostis.

were returned) he sensed that he had fallen into the midst of enemies.

Obstipuit, retroque pedem cum voce repressit:

He was astounded, and drew back his foot with his voice:

inprovisum aspris veluti qui sentibus anguem

just as one who has pressed an unseen snake in the rough thorns on the ground

380

pressit humi nitens, trepidusque repente refugit

as he steps, and suddenly in terror flees from it

attollentem iras et caerula colla tumentem;

raising its anger and swelling its dark-blue neck;

haud secus Androgeos visu tremefactus abibat.

not otherwise did Androgeos, terrified at the sight, withdraw.

Inruimus, densis et circumfundimur armis,

We rush in, and pour around them with thick weapons,

ignarosque loci passim et formidine captos

and we lay them low, ignorant of the place and captured by fear,

385

sternimus: adspirat primo fortuna labori.

everywhere: fortune favors our first labor.

Atque hic successu exsultans animisque Coroebus,

And here, Coroebus, exulting in success and courage, says:

O socii, qua prima inquit fortuna salutis

”O companions, where first fortune of safety

monstrat iter, quoque ostendit se dextra, sequamur

shows the path, and where she shows herself favorable, let us follow:

mutemus clipeos, Danaumque insignia nobis

let us change our shields, and fit the insignia of the Greeks to ourselves.

390

aptemus: dolus an virtus, quis in hoste requirat?

Deceit or courage, who would ask in the case of an enemy?

Arma dabunt ipsi. Sic fatus, deinde comantem

They themselves will give us arms.” Thus he spoke, and then

Androgei galeam clipeique insigne decorum

he puts on the plumed helmet of Androgeos and the beautiful

induitur,³ laterique Argivum accommodat ensem.

insignia of his shield, and fits the Argive sword to his side.

Hoc Rhipeus, hoc ipse Dymas omnisque iuventus

This Rhipeus, this Dymas himself, and all the youths

395

laeta facit; spoliis se quisque recentibus armat.

joyfully do; each one arms himself with the recent spoils.

Vadimus immixti Danais haud numine nostro,⁴

We go, mixed with the Greeks, under a divine power not our own,

multaque per caecam congressi proelia noctem

and we join many battles through the dark night,

conserimus, multos Danaum demittimus Orco.

fighting hand to hand, and we send down many of the Greeks to Orcus.

Diffugiunt alii ad navis, et litora cursu

Others flee to the ships, and seek the faithful shores

400

fida petunt: pars ingentem formidine turpi

with speed: a part in shameful fear

scandunt rursus equum et nota conduntur in alvo.

climb the huge horse again and are hidden in the familiar belly.

Heu nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis!

Alas, it is right for no one to trust in anything when the gods are unwilling!

Ecce trahebatur passis Priameïa virgo

Behold, the Priameian maiden was being dragged, with disheveled

crinibus a templo Cassandra adytisque Minervae,

hair, from the temple and innermost shrines of Minerva—Cassandra,

Syntax notes4 items

2.325fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium
A special usage of the perfect tense (fuimus, fuit) to express a state that existed in the past but is now completely lost and no longer exists ("we once were, but no longer are").
2.345qui non... audierit
A relative clause with the perfect subjunctive (audierit) expressing cause, explaining the reason why Coroebus was "infelix" (unfortunate because he did not listen).
2.392galeam... induitur
The passive form "induitur" is used here as a Greek middle voice ("he puts on himself"), taking direct accusative objects ("galeam", "insigne").
2.396haud numine nostro
Ablative of attendant circumstance. It means either "under a divine protection that is not ours (belonging to the enemy due to disguise)" or "without our own protective gods."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:2.322-2.404