1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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 ( )

9. 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.

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

11. 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)

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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