Vergil and the Aeneid Museum Collection: Bardo Museum, Tunis, Tunisia Type: Mosaic Period: Imperial Roman The Roman poet Virgil, seated with a sheet of scrolls in his hand, is attended by two Mousai, Kleio the Muse of history with a scroll, and Melpomene the Muse of tragedy with a tragic mask.

Publius Vergilius Maro 15 Oct 70 B.C. – 20 Sep 19 B.C. Born 70 B.C. in Mantua, northern Italy After the battle of Philippi in 42 B.C., Octavian confiscated Vergil’s farm (sound familiar?????) Poetry attracted the attention of Maecenas Through Maecenas Vergil met Octavian Octavian compensated him for the loss of his farm and supported him in his writing of poetry

continued Vergil spent the last 10 years of his life writing the Aeneid. In 19 B.C., Vergil went to Greece to get inspiration/information in order to finish the Aeneid. While in Athens, he met Augustus. Later, Vergil accompanied Augustus back to Italy. Vergil fell ill shortly after landing in Brundisium Buried in Naples Before he died, Vergil ordered the Aeneid to be destroyed. More than 50 incomplete verses Disregarding this request, Augustus ordered Lucius Varius Rufus and Plotius Tucca to publish the Aeneid with as few changes as possible

Works of Vergil Aeneid Bucolics (Eclogues) Georgics Epic poem “the song of Aeneas” (Illiad – “song of Achilles) Bucolics (Eclogues) Short poems on pastoral themes, idealizing the pleasures and life of shepherds and herdsmen Georgics Pleasures of farm life Didactic poem Farms, trees, goats, and bees

Aeneid Epic poem about the Trojans, their flight from Troy, subsequent settling in Italy, and the eventual founding of the Roman race. Modeled on the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer The story of the settlement of Aeneas in Italy and which led to the founding of Rome, was well-known even before Vergil wrote the Aeneid Written at the request of Augustus to inspire Roman morality, to remind the Romans of their great heritage, and revive old time Roman religion

Gods and Men Jupiter often seen as the voice of destiny Actions of gods influence humans below As common in epic poetry, often there are many names used to refer to the same character e.g. Saturnia = Juno Many proper names pius Aeneas Pietas = devotion to gods, family, and country

Important people, gods, goddess, etc. Gods and Goddesses Men (as in not gods) Jupiter Mercury Juno Iris Venus Cupid Aelous Neptune Mars Trojan Aeneas Ascanius/Iulus Anchises Achates Creusa Priam Hector Andromache Paris Greek: Achilles Sinon Odysseus Tyrian/Carthaginian: Dido Anna Sychaeus Pygmalian

Books 1-4 Book 1 Starts in medias res (7 years after the Trojan War) arma virumque cano (Iliad and Odyssey) Introduction: lines 1-33 Storm shipwrecks Trojans in Carthage Trojans and Carthaginians meet Dido falls in love with Aeneas By Lucio Massari (1569-1633)

Book 2 (Aeneas narrates) The Trojan war! The Mykonos vase is the earliest dated object (Archaic period, ca. 670 BC) which depicts the Trojan Horse during the Trojan War. It was found in 1961 on Mykonos in Greece, for which it is named, by a local islander. The Laocoon group Marble 1st century A.D. Rome, Vatican Museums, Pio-Clementine Museum, Octagonal Court.

Book 3 (Aeneas narrates) The wanderings of Aeneas: Harpies, meeting with Helenus. Death of Anchises From Troy to Carthage with many stops between!

Book 4 Dido's passion for Aeneas. At Jupiter's command, Aeneas departs Book 4 Dido's passion for Aeneas. At Jupiter's command, Aeneas departs. Dido kills herself.  The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735‑1811)

Book 5-8 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 Book 8 Aeneas reaches Sicily. Funeral games for Anchises. Book 6 Aeneas with the Sibyl at Cumae. He meets Anchises in the Underworld. Book 7 Aeneas lands in Latium. Latinus promises Lavinia. Juno and Allecto stir up war. Catalogue of Italian heroes. Book 8 Aeneas secures the help of Evander and the Etruscans. Story of Hercules and Cacus. Armor from Vulcan.

Books 9-12 Book 9 Book 10 Book 11 Book 12 Turnus attacks the Trojan camp. Nisus and Euryalus. The camp is hard pressed. Book 10 Council of gods. Tuscan catalogue. Turnus kills Pallas. Juno saves Turnus from raging Aeneas. Aeneas kills Mezentius. Book 11 Burial of Pallas. Diomedes' refusal. Council: Drances abuses Turnus. The Trojans attack. Death of Camilla. Book 12 Single combat arranged, but treachery provokes a general engagement. Trojans attack the city. In single combat, Aeneas kills Turnus.

Vergil – Later Fame Sortes Vergilianae Aeneid opened at random, first line seen was taken as omen (either good or bad…. Open to interpretation….) St. Augustine (Ep. 137) believed Vergil had foretold the birth of Jesus in the Aeneid Can see Vergil’s influence in the poetry of Dante and Chaucer In the Inferno, Vergil guides Dante through Hell Geoffrey Chaucer summarized the Aeneid in The House of Fame and The Legend of Dido. e pluribus unum – from the Moretum (Appendix Vergiliana), a poem attributed to Vergil describing the simple lunch of a farmer