1. Chris Edkins, Bill Hillman, Jared James
The Aeneid: Book Nine
Chris Edkins, Bill Hillman, Jared James

2. Summary Book IX
In the beginning of book nine Juno sends Iris down with a message for Turnus. The message said that Aeneas has left camp and he should go and attack the Trojan camp. Turnus recognizes the messenger as Iris and goes to a stream to pray to the gods. He then prepares himself and his men for battle. In camp, the Trojans see a black cloud of dust and a shadow creep over the plain. A Trojan soldier named Caicus is the first to notice it is actually the enemy and so the Trojans prepare themselves for battle. Aeneas had told his men before he left that if anything should happen that they were not to fight a formal battle in open field. Instead they should stay in camp defended and hold their position. Turnus and his men try to find weaknesses in the Trojan defense but they have no success. Turnus then decides to burn the Trojan ships anchored on the shore. The Trojans are fortunate though. Cybele, the mother of the gods, asked her son, Jupiter, to make the vessels immortal because they were built of wood from pines in her sacred forest. While Turnus and his men watch the ships burn they break loose of their anchors and submerge under the water. When they rise from the water they reappear as sea nymphs and warn the Latins and tell the Trojans not to worry. Turnus is confident he will succeed though and continues to try and beat the Trojans despite protests from the gods. He says even the Trojans own gods have betrayed them and now the Trojans no longer have their ships. When night falls though, the Latins stop and make camp around the Trojan fortress. The Trojans know they have to inform Aeneas of the events. Two men, Nisus and Euryalus notice the Latins are particularly lazy and it would be easy for them to sneak out and find Aeneas. They propose their idea to the captains who applaude the bravery of the two soldiers.

3. Summary Book IX
Nisus and Euryalus quietly leave the fortress eager for glory and adventure, the two find the entire Latin army sleeping. They both slaughter many Latins including great Latin captains. Euryalus takes the high helmet of a Latin captain as a prize. As they approach the forest, a group of enemys returning to camp through the woods sees the helmet flash in the distance, and rides toward the two Trojans. Nisus manages to escape into the woods, but the enemys capture Euryalus. Nisus rushes back to save his friend, but in the end both are killed. The Latins put the heads of the two Trojans on stakes and parade them around the Trojan fortress, to the discourage the Trojans inside.
Trojans are then positioned upon the ramparts. Italians are trying to invade their fort but the Trojans are defending it by dropping boulders onto them. Turnus comes up in rage and throws a torch upon the tower and burns it down, killing a lot of Trojans inside. Helenor and Lycus are fortunately the only ones who escaped and try to get back inside their fort. Turnus sees this though and tracks down Lycus, taking him down and part of the wall. Remulus then comes out to try to motivate the Latins but Ascanius is annoyed at his cockiness and shoots Remulus in the head, thus killing him.

4. Summary Book IX
Apollo then comes down to tell Ascanius that he cannot do anymore and he must withdraw from the fight for now. The soldiers recognize his voice and pull Ascanius away. Now that the Trojans have an upper hand they surprise the Latins by opening their gate and rushing at them. After causing many casualties, Apollo puts terror and flight back into the Trojans and he puts strength and courage back into the Latins. Panduras then rushes to close the city gate letting in as many comrades as possible, but he accidently let Turnus in by mistake. The Trojans are shocked and Panduras is the first to step up to Turnus. Turnus then foreshadows his death and then kills Panduras by cutting his face down the middle.
Turnus is then outnumbered and flees while being pelted by rocks and weapons. He barely escapes by jumping into the Tiber, and floated to his comrades.

5. Interventions/Quarrels of the Deities
Juno
Sends a message to Turnus to attack Trojans
Outcome
Turnus attacks the Trojans.
Jupiter
Protects Trojan ships.
Trtojan ships remain unharmed.
Jove
Helps Ascanius bow and arrow to pierce Remulus’ skull.
Outcome
Remulus dies.
Apollo
Tells Ascanius to withdraw from war after he hits Remulus.
Ascanius remains unharmed and healthy for war.

6. Most Significant Event
Juno sends a message to Turnus to attack the Trojan camp while Aeneas is gone.

7. Important Quotes
Page 237
“Iris, glory of heaven who sent you down from the clouds to earth, to me, here? Whence comes this sudden supernatural weather? I see the firmament split, the stars loosed about the height. I follow so great a sign whoever you are who summon me to arms.” ~Turnus to Iris
Page 264
“Very well, begin, the fight! You will soon be telling Priam that here also you have an Achilles.” ~Turnus to Panduras
Page 251
“My poor Euryalus! Where did I leave you?, Unwinding all the twists and turns of the way through this deceiving wood?”~Nisus

8. Character Analysis- Mortals
King Latinus- King of Latium
Nisus- Eager for glory
Euryalus- war prizes and glory
Turnus- mighty warrior, antagonist to Aeneus, clever, good leader
Panduras- good warrior, caring, brave.
Ascanius- shot Remulus, eager to fight, worships gods, courageous
Remulus- conceited, not smart, married to Turnus’s younger sister

9. Character Analysis- Deities
Juno- daughter of Saturn
Iris- messenger of the gods
Vesta- Goddess of hearth and home
Fates- the goddesses of birth, length of man, destiny
Venus- goddess of love and beauty
Vulcan- god of fire

10. Epic Conventions Epithets Saturian Juno = Juno Ford of Arms = Mars
Father of Gods = Jupiter
Mighty Apollo = Apollo
“Begins” with Invocation
Four pages into the book
Virgil asks Muses for their guidance explanation

11. Symbolism Black Cloud of Dust Rutulian Army and battle Amour
Status of soldier and pride
Turnus
Symbolic of danger and destruction
Ascanius bow and arrow shot

12. Figurative Language
“As a wolf lying in wait by a fold full of sheep comes snarling up to the very hurdles, at midnight, undeterred by wind or rain, and the labs bleat and bleat snug by their mothers, and he in a bateless fury grinds his teeth at the prey out of his reach, while a long and increasing hunger nags his dry and bloodless jaws– so it was Turnus.” page 238

13. Figurative Language (continued)
“And when he found himself in the midst of Turnus’ thousands, the embattled ranks of the Latins closely surrounding him, like a wild animal close hemmed in a ring of hunters.” page 257
“When clenched in his hooky talons he has a hare or a snow-white swan and soars up into the sky…” page 258

14. Figurative Language (continued)
“The fight fiercer; as when a storm breaks out of the west at the setting of the rain-fraught…”
page 261
“Who most of the night had gambled and now lay in a full-drunken stupor…” page 249

15. Class Discussion
If you were the Trojans, would you have stayed in camp as Aeneas said to? Or would you go and fight the battle in open field to avoid shame and embarrassment?