Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Nisus and Euryalus explained
During the absence of Aeneas, Turnus and his Rutulian forces attempt to surprise the Trojan camp.
What happens
During the absence of Aeneas, Turnus and his Rutulian forces attempt to surprise the Trojan camp. The Trojans, under strict orders not to engage, remain within their fortifications. As night falls, the Rutulians feast and sleep in false security. Nisus and Euryalus, two Trojan friends, volunteer to sneak through the enemy lines to deliver a message to Aeneas. They successfully pass through the sleeping camp, but Euryalus's capture of a glittering helmet draws the attention of a returning troop led by Volscens. In the ensuing chase, Nisus escapes but returns to find Euryalus captured. After a desperate rescue attempt, both are killed.
Themes in this chapter
Heroism and the Quest
Nisus and Euryalus undertake a dangerous mission to deliver a message to Aeneas, driven by a desire for glory and loyalty to their comrades.
Mortality and Immortality
The chapter highlights the tragic mortality of the two friends, whose heroic deeds lead to their deaths, yet their story achieves lasting fame.
Characters to notice
- Aeneas
Absent from the camp; the Trojans await his return, and Nisus and Euryalus volunteer to carry a message to him.
- Turnus
Leader of the Rutulian forces; he gathers his army and attempts to surprise the Trojan camp in Aeneas's absence.
- Juno
Sends Iris to incite Turnus to attack the Trojan camp while Aeneas is away.
- Ulysses
Not directly present, but the chapter is from the Aeneid and involves Trojan-Rutulian conflict; no direct role.
Key passages
“His head fell over on his shoulder, like a flower cut down by the plough.”
Euryalus's head drooped as he died, as delicate as a flower severed by a plow.
Simile emphasizing the beauty and tragic loss of the young warrior.
“I have but one boon to ask. My aged mother is with me in the camp. For me she left the Trojan soil, and would not stay behind with the other matrons at the city of Acestes.”
Euryalus requests that his mother be cared for if he does not return, as she followed him to war.
Shows Euryalus's filial piety and the personal stakes of his mission.