The Aeneid, Book 9 summary
Book 9 of 12 · 38 min to read the book
In Book 9, Turnus attacks the absent Aeneas’s camp, while Nisus and Euryalus attempt a mission to summon their leader and die before delivering their messages. Divine protection saves the Trojan ships, and the defenders finally rally against Turnus after he enters their camp, forcing him to escape through the river.
What happens
- At Juno’s prompting, Turnus attacks the camp, but Cybele transforms the threatened Trojan ships into sea nymphs.
- Nisus and Euryalus volunteer to reach Aeneas, receive promises of rewards, and leave the camp at night.
- They slaughter sleeping enemies, but Euryalus’s stolen helmet reveals them to cavalry, and both friends die during Nisus’s rescue attempt.
- The attackers display their heads, Euryalus’s mother mourns, and the assault resumes; Ascanius kills Numanus before Apollo restrains him.
- Pandarus and Bitias open a gate against orders; Turnus kills Bitias and becomes trapped inside when Pandarus shuts it.
- Turnus kills Pandarus and many defenders, but Mnestheus rallies the Trojans and drives him into the Tiber, which carries him safely away.
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In this book
What to notice
Nisus recognizes that killing enemies can endanger their mission. His warning marks the tension between reaching Aeneas and seeking victory or spoils along the way.
Quick check
What reveals Euryalus to the approaching horsemen?
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