Meet the Romans: The story of Aeneas Aim: To know the story of Aeneas according to Virgil and Livy Theme: Roman Identity

Starter: What’s going on? Task: read your short extract from the Aeneid. Try and translate it into something you understand. I sing of arms and the man who, made an exile by Fate, first came from the borders of Troy to the shores of Lavinium. He who was thrown about greatly on both land and sea by the power of the gods, on account of the relentless anger of savage Juno. He also suffered much from war, before he founded his city and brought his gods to Latium; from whence came the Latin people, the Alban fathers, and the lofty walls of Rome.   Muse, call to my mind the causes of this: for what insult to her divine power, or angered by what action, did the Queen of the Gods drive a man famous for his piety to face such a great cycle of suffering and labour? How can there be such anger in heavenly hearts?

The Aeneid The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas written by Virgil in 19BC. Aeneas was a Trojan (from Troy) warrior who escaped the city and travelled to Italy. According to Virgil and the Romans, Aeneas was the ancestor of the Roman people.

The story of Aeneas In a nutshell… Aeneas was a Trojan Warrior who fled Troy while the Greeks were destroying it in 1300BC. He also manages to anger a goddess- Juno. He travels a long and arduous journey to Italy. He sets up a new city and has a son with a local woman called Lavinia. Lavinia had previously been engaged to a local king (Turnus). Turnus declares war on Aeneas and the Trojans over Lavinia but loses. Aeneas is killed (heroically).

Aeneas’ voyage

Getting to know the story Task: Read the summary of the Aeneid (the actual book is over 300 pages!). Your task is to turn the story of the Aeneid into a cartoon/ comic strip. Your drawing doesn’t have to be marvellous, the important thing is to get your head around the story.

What does the Aeneid tell us about the Romans? Why would they want to be linked with Troy? Why would the Romans want to be the descendants of Aeneas? What attributes of Aeneas would the Romans like?- draw a comparison table. Aeneas Roman ideals Son of a Goddess Roman people are the descendants of the Gods

Virgil and the Gods One key aspect of the Aeneid is the role of the gods- particularly Juno. Juno is not just angry at Aeneas, but all Trojans. Read the 3 reasons why she is angry. What do these reasons suggest about the relationships between gods and people? How might this ‘speak to’ the Romans?

Plenary In groups of 3 (ish) Choose an important event from the Aeneid. Pose as a scene whilst the rest of the class guess which part of the Aeneid you are recreating.