The Aeneid of Virgil - Rambling Readers

Paperback, 415 pages

English language

Published Oct. 26, 1982 by University of California Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-520-04550-7
OCLC Number:: 10942926

(1 review)

The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of 9,896 lines in dactylic hexameter. The first six of the poem's twelve books tell the story of Aeneas's wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem's second half tells of the Trojans' ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed.

The hero Aeneas was already known to Greco-Roman legend and myth, having been a character in the Iliad, composed in the 8th century BC. Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas's wanderings, his vague association with the foundation of Rome and a personage of no fixed characteristics other than a scrupulous pietas, and fashioned this into a compelling founding …

The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of 9,896 lines in dactylic hexameter. The first six of the poem's twelve books tell the story of Aeneas's wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem's second half tells of the Trojans' ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed.

The hero Aeneas was already known to Greco-Roman legend and myth, having been a character in the Iliad, composed in the 8th century BC. Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas's wanderings, his vague association with the foundation of Rome and a personage of no fixed characteristics other than a scrupulous pietas, and fashioned this into a compelling founding myth or national epic that at once tied Rome to the legends of Troy, explained the Punic wars, glorified traditional Roman virtues and legitimized the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes and gods of Rome and Troy.

Source: [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneid][1]

[1]: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneid

44 editions

Arbieroo reviewed The Aeneid by Publius Vergilius Maro (Penguin classics)

Review of 'The Aeneid' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Starting this with the Iliad still pretty fresh in my mind did it no favours; Homer casts a long and deep shadow.

Virgil's aim was bold, ambitious and entirely propagandist - he wanted to create an epic, mythic origin story for Rome and Romans and along the way laud Roman history and chose Homer as his model. In many respects his pastiche is spot-on. He creates an Iliad and an Oddysey for his hero, Aeneas, though he swaps the order, making him wander the Meditereanian world first and fight a war second. Homer's switching between divine and mortal action is also present - the gods keeping their petty squabbling family shtick up on Olympus and their great majesty when meddling in the lives of mortals - which they do here, as in the Iliad. Virgil even matches much of the style of Homer, with the extended metaphorical flourishes and descriptions …

Starting this with the Iliad still pretty fresh in my mind did it no favours; Homer casts a long and deep shadow.

Virgil's aim was bold, ambitious and entirely propagandist - he wanted to create an epic, mythic origin story for Rome and Romans and along the way laud Roman history and chose Homer as his model. In many respects his pastiche is spot-on. He creates an Iliad and an Oddysey for his hero, Aeneas, though he swaps the order, making him wander the Meditereanian world first and fight a war second. Homer's switching between divine and mortal action is also present - the gods keeping their petty squabbling family shtick up on Olympus and their great majesty when meddling in the lives of mortals - which they do here, as in the Iliad. Virgil even matches much of the style of Homer, with the extended metaphorical flourishes and descriptions of brutal injury and death in battle.

So why is the Aeneid really not as good (whilst still worth the time to read)? It took me a while to figure it out, but the conclusion I came to is character. The Iliad is driven entirely by action determined by character. The opening squabble between Menelaus and Achilles is followed by a sulk that only the death of Achilles' best-loved friend can end. These events are entirely predicated on the egos of both characters. Contrast Hector and Paris, brave noble warrior and cowardly borther who won't genuinely accept responsibility for causing the most brutal war in "history." Meanwhile Aeneas remains mostly a cypher, just doing what he is told the gods expect of him -and the gods! Juno, Venus and Jupiter are pale imitations of Aphrodite, Hera and Zeus. Even Helen gets more depth, subtlety and motivation than poor Lavinia, with her one line of dialogue.

The abrupt end of the unfinished story doesn't help but at least there's some resolution.

All of that said, being lesser than Homer seems to be the fate of all subsequent epic poets and The Iliad is so good that being not nearly as good doesn't preclude still being remarkable and justly famous.

Subjects

Other prose: classical, early & medieval
Roman Literature
Latin Literature
Literature - Classics / Criticism
Latin
Poetry
Rome
History / Ancient / General
Aeneas (Legendary character)
Epic poetry, Latin
Legends
Translations into English