Myths and Legends HUM 2051: Civilization I Fall 2009 Dr. Perdigao October 14, 2009

The Legacy Founding of Rome in 753 BCE Legend that it was founded by Romulus and Remus; their parents were killed and they were raised by she-wolf 270 BCE—Roman lit began when Greek slave translated The Odyssey from Greek to Latin Begins with translation—Greek imitation—essential to formation of Rome, Roman culture Only 2 kinds of literature Romans excelled at: lyric and epic

Contextualizing Virgil Virgil (70 BCE-19 BCE) In spirit of imitation and respect but Romans also alter by enlargement (size and grandeur) Inheritance, respect, but alteration by change Virgil was a member of literary and social avant garde, goal to challenge government His aim was to trace responses to government through literature (like Ovid and Catullus) but with new empire of Augustus Chaos and order—order as the ascendancy of the power of Augustus

Revisions Venus Aphrodite Juno Hera Minerva Athena Jupiter Zeus Mercury Hermes Ulysses Odysseus Neptune Poseidon

Constructing The Aeneid Values: –Respect for the past –Personal subordinated for good of family/state –Intense reverence for authority –Stoic self-control (emotions held in check) Virgil reimagines Homeric hero while at the same time honoring tradition of Homer’s epic and imitating it Virgil spent 12 years on The Aeneid. At the time of his death, he wanted to write for three more years; when he was on his deathbed he told his friends to destroy it because he “hadn’t gotten it right yet” But it is considered one of the most “perfected” works

Virgil’s Tradition Eclogues (37 BCE) as country vs. city life, pastorals Georgics as farmer-animal husbandry—practical compared to idealized country life in Eclogues Politics of The Aeneid: idealization of central authoritative political power as best way to organize society Beehives—symbol of Georgics —centralized authoritative figure, all subordinated to task for good of the hive Beehive—as ideal community, Roman politics

Structure and Form The Aeneid —title Imitates The Iliad —but names the character, combines 2 works Invokes muse, begins in medias res, includes epic similes, Homeric epithets (pious Aeneas, dutiful Aeneas) But the change is the focus on founding Rome rather than on personality of Aeneas Issue of destiny—as action (unimaginable in Homer’s works) Books 1-6=wanderings of Aeneas from Troy, reflection of The Odyssey Books 7-12=battles of Aeneas and his troops, reflection of The Iliad