I have no need of the arms of Vulcan, nor of a thousand ships against the Trojans; let all the Etruscans immediately add themselves as allies.
§9.150Etrusci socios, tenebras et inertia furta §9.151Palladii caesis summae custodibus arcis §9.152ne timeant, nec equi caeca condemur in alvo: §9.153luce palam certum est igni circumdare muros.
Let them not fear the darkness and the cowardly theft of the Palladium, after the guards of the highest citadel have been slain, nor will we be hidden in the blind belly of a horse: in open daylight it is determined to encircle the walls with fire.
§9.154Haud sibi cum Danais rem faxo et pube Pelasga §9.155esse ferant, decumum quos distulit Hector in annum.
I will make sure they do not boast that they have to do with the Greeks and Pelasgian youth, whom Hector delayed until the tenth year.
§9.156Nunc adeo, melior quoniam pars acta diei, §9.157quod superest, laeti bene gestis corpora rebus §9.158procurate, viri, et pugnam sperate parari.
Now therefore, since the better part of the day is spent, for what remains, gladly refresh your bodies, men, after things have been well done, and expect that battle is being prepared.
Meanwhile, the care to blockade the gates with watchmen's guards and to encircle the walls with flames is assigned to Messapus.
§9.161Bis septem Rutuli, muros qui milite servent, §9.162delecti; ast illos centeni quemque sequuntur §9.163purpurei cristis iuvenes auroque corusci.
Twice seven Rutulians are chosen to guard the walls with soldiers; and a hundred youths follow each of them, purple-crested and flashing with gold.
§9.164Discurrunt variantque vices fusique per herbam §9.165indulgent vino et vertunt crateras aenos.
They run about and take turns, and scattered along the grass they indulge in wine and overturn bronze bowls.
The fires shine, the guard spends the sleepless night in play.
§9.168Haec super e vallo prospectant Troes et armis §9.169alta tenent, nec non trepidi formidine portas §9.170explorant pontisque et propugnacula iungunt, §9.171tela gerunt.
Above, from the rampart, the Trojans look out on these things, and with arms hold the high places; and also, trembling with fear, they examine the gates, join the bridges and outworks, and carry weapons.
Instat Mnestheus acerque Serestus, §9.172quos pater Aeneas, siquando adversa vocarent, §9.173rectores iuvenum et rerum dedit esse magistros.
Mnestheus and bold Serestus press on, whom father Aeneas, if ever adversity should call, appointed to be leaders of the youth and directors of affairs.
§9.174Omnis per muros legio, sortita periclum, §9.175excubat exercetque vices, quod cuique tuendum est.
The whole legion along the walls, having allotted the danger, keeps watch and performs its turns, each guarding what must be protected by him.
§9.176Nisus erat portae custos, acerrimus armis, §9.177Hyrtacides, comitem Aeneae quem miserat Ida §9.178venatrix iaculo celerem levibusque sagittis; §9.179it iuxta comes Euryalus, quo pulchrior alter §9.180non fuit Aeneadum Troiana neque induit arma, §9.181ora puer prima signans intonsa iuventa.
Nisus was guard of the gate, most fierce in arms, the son of Hyrtacus, whom Ida the huntress had sent as a companion to Aeneas, swift with the javelin and light arrows; near him goes his companion Euryalus, than whom there was no other more beautiful among the followers of Aeneas, nor any who put on Trojan arms, a boy marking his unshaven face with the first bloom of youth.
§9.182His amor unus erat, pariterque in bella ruebant: §9.183tum quoque communi portam statione tenebant.
These two had one love, and together they would rush into wars: then also they were holding the gate in a shared post.
§9.184Nisus ait:
Dine hunc ardorem mentibus addunt, §9.185Euryale, an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido?
Nisus says: "Do the gods put this fire into our minds, Euryalus, or does his own fierce desire become a god to each man?
§9.186Aut pugnam aut aliquid iamdudum invadere magnum §9.187mens agitat mihi nec placida contenta quietest.
My mind has long been driving me to attempt either a battle or some great deed, nor is it content with peaceful rest.
§9.188Cernis, quae Rutulos habeat fiducia rerum.
You see what confidence in their situation possesses the Rutulians.
§9.189Lumina rara micant; somno vinoque soluti §9.190procubuere; silent late loca: percipe porro, §9.191quid dubitem et quae nunc animo sententia surgat.
Their lights shine far apart; relaxed by sleep and wine, they have lain down; the places are silent far and wide: hear, then, what I am pondering and what purpose now rises in my mind.
§9.192Aenean acciri omnes, populusque patresque, §9.193exposcunt mittique viros, qui certa reportent.
All, both the people and the fathers, demand that Aeneas be summoned, and that men be sent to report certain facts.
§9.194Si tibi quae posco promittunt (nam mihi facti §9.195fama sat est), tumulo videor reperire sub illo §9.196posse viam ad muros et moenia Pallantea. §9.197Obstipuit magno laudum percussus amore §9.198Euryalus; simul his ardentem adfatur amicum:
If they promise you what I ask (for the fame of the deed is enough for me), I seem to be able to find a way under that hill to the walls and city of Pallanteum." Euryalus was amazed, struck by a great love of glory; at the same time he addresses his eager friend with these words: "Do you then shrink, Nisus, from joining me as a companion in this supreme enterprise?
§9.199Mene igitur socium summis adiungere rebus, §9.200Nise, fugis? Solum te in tanta pericula mittam?
Shall I send you alone into such great dangers?
§9.201Non ita me genitor, bellis adsuetus Opheltes, §9.202Argolicum terrorem inter Troiaeque labores §9.203sublatum erudiit, nec tecum talia gessi, §9.204magnanimum Aenean et fata extrema secutus: §9.205est hic, est animus lucis contemptor et istum §9.206qui vita bene credat emi, quo tendis, honorem. §9.207Nisus ad haec:
Equidem de te nil tale verebar §9.208nec fas, non, ita me referat tibi magnus ovantem §9.209Iuppiter aut quicumque oculis haec aspicit aequis.
Not thus did my father Opheltes, accustomed to wars, rear me, brought up amid Argive terror and the hardships of Troy; nor did I act thus with you, when following great-hearted Aeneas and his extreme fates: there is here, there is a soul that despises life, and believes that that honor, which you aim for, is well bought with life." Nisus replied to this: "Indeed I feared no such thing of you, nor would it be right— no, so may great Jupiter, or whoever looks upon these things with impartial eyes, bring me back to you in triumph.
§9.210Sed siquis, quae multa vides discrimine tali, §9.211siquis in adversum rapiat casusve deusve, §9.212te superesse velim; tua vita dignior aetas.
But if any—as you see many in such a crisis— if any chance or god should carry me into adversity, I would wish you to survive; your age is more worthy of life.
§9.213Sit qui me raptum pugna pretiove redemptum §9.214mandet humo solita aut siqua id Fortuna vetabit, §9.215absenti ferat inferias decoretque sepulchro.
Let there be someone who may commit me, snatched from battle or ransomed by price, to the accustomed earth; or if any Fortune forbids that, may offer funeral rites to me in my absence and honor me with a tomb.
§9.216Neu matri miserae tanti sim causa doloris, §9.217quae te sola, puer, multis e matribus ausa §9.218persequitur magni nec moenia curat Acestae, §9.219Ille autem:
Causas nequiquam nectis inanis, §9.220nec mea iam mutata loco sententia cedit:
And let me not be the cause of such great grief to your unhappy mother, who alone of many mothers, boy, dared to follow you, caring nothing for the walls of great Acestes." But he replied: "In vain you weave empty pretexts, nor does my purpose, already unchanged, yield its ground: