Aeneid 2.309-402

tum vero manifesta fides,

Then indeed the truth became clear

Danaumque patescunt insidiae.

and the trap of the Greeks was revealed.

iam Deiphobi dedit ampla ruinam Volcano superante domus,

Now Deiphobus' spacious house crashed in ruins as fire overwhelmed it,

iam proximus ardet Ucalegon;

now Ucalegon's house was the next to burst into flames;

Sigea igni freta lata relucent.

The broad waters of the straits of Sigeum glowed with the fire.

exoritur clamorque virum clangorque tubarum.

Both the shouting of men and the blare of trumpets arise.

arma amens capio;

Out of my mind I snatched my arms;

nec sat rationis in armis,

nor was there purpose enough in taking up arms,

sed glomerare manum bello et concurrere in arcem cum sociis ardent animi;

but my spirit was ablaze to assemble a band for fighting and charge into the citadel with allies;

furor iraque mentem praecipitat,

mad rage carried my reason away headlong,

pulchrumque mori succurrit in armis.

and I thought how glorious it would be to die in battle.

Primus se Danaum magna comitante caterva Androgeos offert nobis,

The first of the Greeks to present himself to us, a large croud of men accompanying him, was Androgeos,

socia agmina credens inscius,

thinking that we were allied forces in his ignorance,

atque ultro verbis compellat amicis:

and he called out first to us with friendly words:

'festinate, viri! nam quae tam sera moratur segnities?

'Hurry along, men! Come now, what is this sluggish inertia of yours which keeps you back?

alii rapiunt incensa feruntque Pergama:

Pergama is ablaze and all the others are pillaging and plundering it.

vos celsis nunc primum a navibus itis?'

Are you only just now arriving from your lofty ships?'

dixit, et extemplo (neque enim responsa dabantur fida satis)

he spoke, and at once (For the answers given were not trustworthy enough)

sensit medios delapsus in hostes.

he realised that he had strayed into the midst of the enemy.

obstipuit retroque pedem cum voce repressit.

He was stupefied and backwards he checked his step along with his speech.

improvisum aspris veluti qui sentibus anguem pressit humi nitens

He was like a man who, amid rough thickets, treading hard on the ground has stepped on a snake without seeing it,

repente refugit attollentem iras et caerula colla tumentem,

suddenly he recoils as it raises its wrath and puffs up its blue-green neck:

haud secus Androgeos visu tremefactus abibat.

just so did Androgeos try to recoil in terror at the sight of us. 

inruimus densis et circumfundimur armis,

We fell upon them and surrounded them with a wall of weapons,

ignarosque loci passim et formidine captos sternimus;

and, ignorant as they were of the terrain and seized by dread, in every direction we laid them low;

adspirat primo fortuna labori.

Fortune gave us a fair wind for our first efforts.

atque hic successu exsultans animisque Coroebus

And at this point, revelling in our success and buoyed by courage, Coroebus cried out:

'o socii, qua prima' inquit 'fortuna salutis monstrat iter, quaque ostendit se dextra, sequamur:

'O comrades, where Fortune first shows us the path to survival and where she shows herself to be favourable, let us follow.

mutemus clipeos Danaumque insignia nobis aptemus.

Let us change shields and put the blazons of the Greeks on ourselves.

dolus an virtus, quis in hoste requirat?

Treachery or courage - who would ask when dealing with an enemy?

arma dabunt ipsi.'

They (The Greeks) themselves will provide our weapons.'

sic fatus deinde comantem Androgei galeam clipeique insigne decorum induitur

Having spoken thus, he then put on the plumed helmet of Androgeos and the fine blazon of his shield,

laterique Argivum accommodat ensem.

and he attached the Greek sword to his flank.

hoc Rhipheus, hoc ipse Dymas omnisque iuventus laeta facit:

Rhipeus did the same, Dymas the same by his own initiative, and the whole group of young men joyfully:

spoliis se quisque recentibus armat.

each man armed himself with his fresh spoils.

vadimus immixti Danais haud numine nostro

We moved on mingling with the Greeks under gods not our own

multaque per caecam congressi proelia noctem conserimus,

and, clashing blindly in the night, we joined many battles,

multos Danaum demittimus Orco.

and many of the Greeks did we send down to Orcus.

diffugiunt alii ad naves et litora cursu fida petunt;

Some scattered towards their ships and made for the shores they trusted at a run;

pars ingentem formidine turpi scandunt rursus equum

some in abject fear climbed back into the huge horse,

et nota conduntur in alvo.

and hid themselves in its familiar belly.

heu nihil invitis fas quemquam fidere divis!

Alas, it is not at all right for any man to put trust in gods who are opposed to him!