The Night Expedition Plan of Nisus and Euryalus — Virgil, Aeneid Book 9 (lines 148–220), Latin & English

148

Non armis mihi Volcani, non mille carinis

I have no need of the arms of Vulcan, nor of a thousand ships

est opus in Teucros; addant se protinus omnes

against the Trojans; let all the Etruscans immediately add themselves

150

Etrusci socios, tenebras et inertia furta

as allies. Let them not fear the darkness and the cowardly theft

Palladii caesis summae custodibus arcis

of the Palladium, after the guards of the highest citadel have been slain,

ne timeant, nec equi caeca condemur in alvo:

nor will we be hidden in the blind belly of a horse:

luce palam certum est igni circumdare muros.

in open daylight it is determined to encircle the walls with fire.

Haud sibi cum Danais rem faxo¹ et pube Pelasga

I will make sure they do not boast that they have to do with the Greeks

155

esse ferant, decumum quos distulit Hector in annum.

and Pelasgian youth, whom Hector delayed until the tenth year.

Nunc adeo, melior quoniam pars acta diei,

Now therefore, since the better part of the day is spent,

quod superest, laeti bene gestis corpora rebus

for what remains, gladly refresh your bodies, men, after things have been well done,

procurate, viri, et pugnam sperate parari.

and expect that battle is being prepared.

Interea vigilum excubiis obsidere portas

Meanwhile, the care to blockade the gates with watchmen’s guards

160

cura datur Messapo et moenia cingere flammis.

and to encircle the walls with flames is assigned to Messapus.

Bis septem Rutuli, muros qui milite servent,

Twice seven Rutulians are chosen to guard the walls with soldiers;

delecti; ast illos centeni quemque sequuntur

and a hundred youths follow each of them,

purpurei cristis iuvenes auroque corusci.

purple-crested and flashing with gold.

Discurrunt variantque vices fusique per herbam

They run about and take turns, and scattered along the grass

165

indulgent vino et vertunt crateras aenos.

they indulge in wine and overturn bronze bowls.

Conlucent ignes, noctem custodia ducit

The fires shine, the guard spends the sleepless

insomnem ludo.

night in play.

Haec super e vallo prospectant Troes et armis

Above, from the rampart, the Trojans look out on these things, and with arms

alta tenent, nec non trepidi formidine portas

hold the high places; and also, trembling with fear,

170

explorant pontisque et propugnacula iungunt,

they examine the gates, join the bridges and outworks,

tela gerunt. Instat Mnestheus acerque Serestus,

and carry weapons. Mnestheus and bold Serestus press on,

quos pater Aeneas, siquando adversa vocarent,

whom father Aeneas, if ever adversity should call,

rectores iuvenum et rerum dedit esse² magistros.

appointed to be leaders of the youth and directors of affairs.

Omnis per muros legio, sortita periclum,

The whole legion along the walls, having allotted the danger,

175

excubat exercetque vices, quod cuique tuendum est.

keeps watch and performs its turns, each guarding what must be protected by him.

Nisus erat portae custos, acerrimus armis,

Nisus was guard of the gate, most fierce in arms,

Hyrtacides, comitem Aeneae quem miserat Ida

the son of Hyrtacus, whom Ida the huntress had sent as a companion

venatrix iaculo celerem levibusque sagittis;

to Aeneas, swift with the javelin and light arrows;

it iuxta comes Euryalus, quo pulchrior alter

near him goes his companion Euryalus, than whom there was no other

180

non fuit Aeneadum Troiana neque induit arma,

more beautiful among the followers of Aeneas, nor any who put on Trojan arms,

ora puer prima signans intonsa iuventa.

a boy marking his unshaven face with the first bloom of youth.

His amor unus erat, pariterque in bella ruebant:

These two had one love, and together they would rush into wars:

tum quoque communi portam statione tenebant.

then also they were holding the gate in a shared post.

Nisus ait: Dine hunc ardorem mentibus addunt,

Nisus says:

185

Euryale, an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido?

”Do the gods put this fire into our minds, Euryalus, or does his own fierce desire become a god to each man?

Aut pugnam aut aliquid iamdudum invadere magnum

My mind has long been driving me to attempt either a battle

mens agitat mihi nec placida contenta quietest.

or some great deed, nor is it content with peaceful rest.

Cernis, quae Rutulos habeat fiducia rerum.

You see what confidence in their situation possesses the Rutulians.

Lumina rara micant; somno vinoque soluti

Their lights shine far apart; relaxed by sleep and wine,

190

procubuere; silent late loca: percipe porro,

they have lain down; the places are silent far and wide: hear, then,

quid dubitem et quae nunc animo sententia surgat.

what I am pondering and what purpose now rises in my mind.

Aenean acciri omnes, populusque patresque,

All, both the people and the fathers, demand that Aeneas

exposcunt mittique viros, qui certa reportent.

be summoned, and that men be sent to report certain facts.

Si tibi quae posco promittunt³ (nam mihi facti

If they promise you what I ask (for the fame of the deed

195

fama sat est), tumulo videor reperire sub illo

is enough for me), I seem to be able to find a way under that hill

posse viam ad muros et moenia Pallantea.

to the walls and city of Pallanteum.”

Obstipuit magno laudum percussus amore

Euryalus was amazed, struck by a great love of glory;

Euryalus; simul his ardentem adfatur amicum:

at the same time he addresses his eager friend with these words:

Mene igitur socium summis adiungere rebus,

”Do you then shrink, Nisus, from joining me as a companion in this supreme enterprise?

200

Nise, fugis? Solum te in tanta pericula mittam?

Shall I send you alone into such great dangers?

Non ita me genitor, bellis adsuetus Opheltes,

Not thus did my father Opheltes, accustomed to wars,

Argolicum terrorem inter Troiaeque labores

rear me, brought up amid Argive terror and the hardships of Troy;

sublatum⁴ erudiit, nec tecum talia gessi,

nor did I act thus with you,

magnanimum Aenean et fata extrema secutus:

when following great-hearted Aeneas and his extreme fates:

205

est hic, est animus lucis contemptor et istum

there is here, there is a soul that despises life, and believes

qui vita bene credat emi, quo tendis, honorem.

that that honor, which you aim for, is well bought with life.”

Nisus ad haec: Equidem de te nil tale verebar

Nisus replied to this:

nec fas, non, ita me referat tibi magnus ovantem

”Indeed I feared no such thing of you, nor would it be right—

Iuppiter aut quicumque oculis haec aspicit aequis.

no, so may great Jupiter, or whoever looks upon these things with impartial eyes, bring me back to you in triumph.

210

Sed siquis, quae multa vides discrimine tali,

But if any—as you see many in such a crisis—

siquis in adversum rapiat casusve deusve,

if any chance or god should carry me into adversity,

te superesse velim; tua vita dignior aetas.

I would wish you to survive; your age is more worthy of life.

Sit qui me raptum pugna pretiove redemptum

Let there be someone who may commit me, snatched from battle or ransomed by price,

mandet humo solita aut siqua id Fortuna vetabit,

to the accustomed earth; or if any Fortune forbids that,

215

absenti ferat inferias decoretque sepulchro.

may offer funeral rites to me in my absence and honor me with a tomb.

Neu matri miserae tanti sim causa doloris,

And let me not be the cause of such great grief to your unhappy mother,

quae te sola, puer, multis e matribus ausa

who alone of many mothers, boy, dared

persequitur magni nec moenia curat Acestae,

to follow you, caring nothing for the walls of great Acestes.”

Ille autem: Causas nequiquam nectis inanis,

But he replied:

220

nec mea iam mutata loco sententia cedit:

”In vain you weave empty pretexts, nor does my purpose, already unchanged, yield its ground:

Syntax notes4 items

9.154faxo
faxo is an archaic future perfect form (equivalent to fecero) used parenthetically or introducing a subjunctive clause (ferant) to express strong assurance or intention.
9.173rectores... magistros... esse
The subject of the infinitive esse is the relative pronoun quos. Serving as the object of dedit (accusative and infinitive construction), the nouns rectores and magistros are in the accusative case in agreement with quos.
9.194si tibi quae posco promittunt
Here tibi is the dative ("to you"), set in contrast with mihi ("to me") in the parenthetical clause. Nisus proposes that the rewards be granted to Euryalus, while he himself is satisfied with the glory of the deed.
9.203sublatum
The perfect passive participle of tollere ("to lift up"), referring here to the Roman custom of lifting a newborn from the ground to acknowledge and rear him; it modifies me as the object of erudiit ("reared").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:latinLit:phi0690.phi003.humanitext-lat2:9.148-9.220