Virgil - Aeneid II.57-76

Virgil - Aeneid II.57-76: Sinon Captured

57 ecce , manus iuvenem interea post terga revinctum

58 pastores magno ad regem clamore trahebant

59 Dardanidae , qui se ignotum venientibus ultro ,

60 hoc ipsum ut strueret Troiam que aperiret Achivis ,

61 obtulerat , fidens animi atque in utrumque paratus ,

62 seu versare dolos seu certae occumbere morti .

63 undique visendi studio Troiana iuventus

64 circumfusa ruit certant que inludere capto .

65 accipe nunc Danaum insidias et crimine ab uno

66 disce omnes .

67 namque ut conspectu in medio turbatus , inermis

68 constitit atque oculis Phrygia agmina circumspexit ,

69 ' heu , quae nunc tellus ,' inquit , ' quae me aequora possunt

70 accipere ? aut quid iam misero mihi denique restat ,

71 cui neque apud Danaos usquam locus , et super ipsi

72 Dardanidae infensi poenas cum sanguine poscunt ?'

73 quo gemitu conversi animi compressus et omnis

74 impetus . hortamur fari quo sanguine cretus ,

75 quid ve ferat ; memoret quae sit fiducia capto .

76 [ ille haec deposita tandem formidine fatur :]

Lines 57-76 Translation: Look, meanwhile shepherds were dragging a young man with hands bound behind his back to the king with great shouting, a Trojan, who had offered himself willingly as a stranger to those coming, for this very purpose that he might build (the plot) and open Troy to the Greeks, confident in spirit and prepared for either outcome, whether to turn his tricks or to meet certain death. From all sides the Trojan youth poured around with eagerness to see and competed to mock the captive. Now receive the treachery of the Greeks and from one crime learn (about) all. For when he stood confused in the middle of their sight, unarmed, and looked around at the Phrygian ranks with his eyes, 'Alas, what land now,' he said, 'what seas can receive me? Or what finally remains for wretched me, for whom there is no place anywhere among the Greeks, and moreover the Trojans themselves, hostile, demand punishment with blood?' By which groan their spirits were turned and all violence was checked. We urge him to speak of what blood he was born, or what he brings; let him recall what confidence there is for a captive. [He speaks these things at last with fear put aside:]

Passage Analysis

What Happens

The scene shifts dramatically as shepherds drag in a bound Greek prisoner—Sinon—who had deliberately allowed himself to be captured. Aeneas tells us immediately that this was all planned: Sinon intended either to deceive the Trojans or die trying. The Trojan youth crowd around to mock the captive, displaying fatal overconfidence. Then Sinon performs his masterpiece of manipulation: standing confused and unarmed, he delivers a perfectly crafted lament about having no home anywhere—rejected by Greeks, threatened by Trojans. His apparent despair instantly transforms the crowd's mockery into pity. They stop their violence and actually encourage him to speak, asking about his origins and what confidence a prisoner could have. Line 76 (often bracketed as spurious) shows him finally "putting aside fear" to speak—the perfect touch of reluctant confession.

Key Themes & Ideas

Calculated Vulnerability: Sinon weaponises weakness—bound hands and confusion become tools of manipulation.
Crowd Psychology: The mob shifts from cruel mockery to sympathetic encouragement in seconds.
Performance of Despair: Every gesture, word, and emotion is theatrical and false.
Fatal Curiosity: The Trojans' eagerness to see and know becomes their undoing.
Prepared for Death: Sinon's willingness to die makes his lies seem truthful.
Pity as Weapon: Compassion becomes the tool that destroys Troy.

Virgilian Technique

"Ecce" Opening: Dramatic attention-grabber—"Look!"—shifts scene suddenly.
Narrator's Foreknowledge: Aeneas tells us Sinon's plan before showing his performance.
Physical Details: "Hands bound behind back"—visualises helplessness.
Emotional Manipulation: "Heu" and "misero mihi"—calculated pathos.
False Dilemma: No place with Greeks or Trojans—manufactured homelessness.
Instant Effect: "Quo gemitu conversi"—one groan changes everything.

Historical & Literary Context

Sinon appears in multiple ancient sources as the archetypal deceiver—his name possibly relates to "harm" (Greek sinos). The bound prisoner trope was common in ancient warfare, but using it for infiltration was considered especially treacherous. "Dardanidae" (descendants of Dardanus) is a formal epic name for Trojans, adding gravity. The youth's eagerness to mock ("inludere capto") reflects typical ancient treatment of prisoners as entertainment. The rapid emotional reversal from cruelty to pity demonstrates classical views on the dangerous volatility of crowds. Line 76's brackets indicate ancient editorial doubt—some manuscripts omit it as redundant or interpolated. The scene exemplifies the Greek concept of apate (deception) triumphing over bie (force).

Questions to Consider

Why does Virgil reveal Sinon's intentions before showing his performance?
How does physical vulnerability (bound, unarmed) become a strategic advantage?
What techniques does Sinon use to transform mockery into sympathy?
Why are the Trojan youth particularly eager to see and mock the prisoner?
How does Sinon's "prepared for either outcome" affect our reading of his act?
What does the crowd's instant emotional reversal suggest about human nature?