CLASSICS 310: THE AGE OF AUGUSTUS--VERGIL
Table of Contents
Vergil's Aeneid
The study guide below was designed by Anne-Washington Saunders and Chris Renaud to
accompany Fitzgerald's translation of the Aeneid. All material is
copyrighted and cannot be used without the permission of the authors.
Introduction
Read the life of Vergil by Donatus, then
answer the following:
- What is the main source for the life of Vergil? How reliable is this information?
- What are Vergil's dates? His birthplace? Where did Vergil do most of his writing?
- What did Vergil write before beginning his magnum opus?
- What was Vergil's method of composition? To what was this method compared? How did Vergil's patrons
know the contents of the Aeneid before is was published?
- To whom did Vergil dedicate his work the Georgics? Why?
- What works did Vergil use as models for his Aeneid
- According to Donatus, what is the Aeneid about? How accurate is his assessment?
- What, briefly, was the political situation in Italy at the time Vergil was studying and
writing? Did Vergil himself participate in public life? What do we mean by "public life?"
- In what condition was the text of the Aeneid at Vergil's death? What does the poet Sulpicius
mean when he says that "Troy was threatened with a second burning?"
- Who say to it that the Aeneid was published after Vergil's death?
- To what works does the epigram on Vergil's tombstone refer: "I sang of pastures, farms, and heroes?"
Ille ego, qui quondam graculi modulatus avena carmen et egressus silvis vicina coegi ut
quamvis avido parerent arva colono gratum opus agricolis, at nunc horrentia Martis arma virumque cano...
I who once set my song to the music of a humble straw/And then forsook the woods and taught the
neighboring/fields to obey the farmer's greediest demands--a boon/for husbandmen--ah, now instead of Mar's grim/I
sing of war and a man of war...
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Book I
- Describe briefly (include line numbers) the instances in Book I where Aeneas' fate is foretold.
- Similes are an important element in the Aeneid. To what are the following compared:
- Aeneas, as he first appears to Dido F. 1.804 ff.
- The Tyrians (Carthaginians) at work (f. 1.587 ff.)
- Neptune when he calms the see (F. 201 ff.)
- What does Aeneas see on the walls of the Temple of Juno at Carthage? What do these murals emphasize?
- Why does Venus approach Jupiter in Book I? What his Jupiter's response? What does he prophesize for Aeneas
and his descendants? Will the road be an easy one for them? Explain.
- What, in your opinion, are the themes of Book I? What is the theme of the Aeneid and where do we
find it? In your opinion, what are the key phrases (buzz words) of the theme?
KEY FIGURES TO KNOW FROM BOOK I:
| Gods | Humans |
|---|
| Jupiter | Aeneas |
| Venus | Achates |
| Juno | Dido |
| Aeolus | Caesar |
| Neptune | |
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Book II: The Fall of Troy
Summary: After Aeneas has dined in Dido's palace, she asks him to tell the tale of his
journies. In his narration of the last seven years, Aeneas recounts how Troy fell to the
Greeks (the only extant account) [Book II] and his wanderings after the city's destruction
[Book III.]
- Prophecies play an important role in the Aeneid, as we have seen in
Jupiter's speech from Book I. Where in Book II is Aeneas' fate foretold and by
whom?
- Trace the image of the serpent in Book II, especially in connection with fire.
- Throughout Book II Aeneas is torn between staying and dying in Troy or saving himself and his
family. How do visions (phantoms, dreams) play a role in his decision?
- What incident (be specific) causes Aeneas to think about his family, especially his
father? What in turns causes him to forget them?
- What does Aenas take with him when he leaves Troy for the final time? How are his
actions indicative of the Roman concept of pietas?
- Who utters the infamous line, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts"? What happens to him?
Creusa
Laocoon
Helen
Sinon
Anchises
Hector
Ascanius
Ul
ysses
Pyrrhus (Neoptolemus)
Pallas(Minerva)
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Book III: The Travels of Aeneas
In Book III of the Aeneid, Aeneas and his people travel from Troy all over the
Mediterranean world. At each point they are propelled forward by prophecies that tell them
their home is to in Italy.
- On the map supplied (xerox) find the stops on Aeneas' journey:
- Troy
- Thrace
- Delos
- Crete
- West Greece (Actium)
- Buthrotum
- Ceraunia
- Acropolis of Minerva
- Aetna
- Lilybaeum
- Cartago (Carthage)
- Misenum
- Cumae
- Rome
- To what land does each of the following refer: Hesperia? the evening lands? Trinacria? Ausonia? Cyclops
shore?
- Book III has been called "the dullest book of the Aeneid"; it is a study of
the nature of frustration, renunciation and sheer exhaustion. It is also a study in endurance.
What keeps the Trojans from settling down in Thrace? Crete? the Stophades? Sicily
(near Aetna)?
- Whom does Vergil establish as an ancestral link between the Trojans and the Italians
(F. 228 ff; cf. 130 ff.)?
- The structure of Book III is a series of arrivals and departures, usually because a
friendly place becomes hostile. How does the central segment, Aeneas' stay at Buthrotum,
break this pattern? Who lives in Buthrotum?
- Helenus, unlike Aeneas, is happily settled in his parva Troia ("little Troy",
F. 477). How do Helenus and Andromache hold onto, even reestablish, the Troy of the past?
- Aeneas seems to have forgotten Creusa's prophecy (F. 2.1014 ff.) that he will settle in
Italy. What then does he find out from the following prophets and oracles? What function
do the prophecies serve?
- oracle at Delos (F. 130 ff.)
- the harpy Celaeno (F. 340 ff.; esp. 347 ff.)
- Phrygian hearth-gods (F. esp. 223 ff.)
- Cassandra (through Anchises, F. 245 ff.)
- the prophet Helenus (F. 510 ff.; esp. 529 ff.)
- What is Anchises role in Book III?
- What is the purpose of Book III?
Helenus
Andromache
Achaemenides
Palinurus
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Book IV: Dido and Aeneas at Carthage
At Carthage, Aeneas helps Dido to construct her new city until Mercury tells Aeneas that
he must fulfill his destiny, and his destiny does not lie with Carthage. In the meantime,
Dido has fallen hopelessly in love with Aeneas and has ceded her duties to him, foresaking her
role as leader. When she finds out that Aeneas is leaving, she curses him and commits
suicide.
- To what is Dido's compassion compared throughout Book IV? (There are a number of
images here.)
- What is the effect of Dido's state of mind on her people (F. 4.120 ff.; cp. F. 1. 571-
596)?
- Who was Sychaeus? How did he die? What was Dido's vow to him at his death?
- What role does Dido's sister, Anna play in the tragedy of Book IV?
- What is the function of Rumor/Fama? How does the personified force actually further the plot?
- How does Iarbus describe Aeneas?
- "...that Aeneas is able to maintain his self-control and obedience only by struggle,
Vergil makes clear..." (Anderson, The Art of the Aeneid, p. 48). Gives examples.
- Briefly, what were the Punic Wars? When did they occur? What mythological explanation does Vergil offer
for the enmity between the Romans and the Carthaginians?
Dido
Anna
Iarbus
Sychaeus
Mercury
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Book V: Aeneas Returns to Sicily; Funeral Games for Anchises
After he leaves Carthage, Aeneas finds his way to Sicily once more where he holds funeral games in honor of the
memory of his father Anchises. When he leaves, he makes his way to Italy at last.
- What event opens Book V? Why has Aeneas returned to Sicily?
- Is the appearance of the snake in Book V (f. 5.111 ff.) a positive or negative omen?
Explain. Recall how the serpents figured in Book II.
- Where does the imagery of the fire appear in Book V?
- How many funeral contests are there? What are they? What lessons can be drawn from the way the
participants behave and the outcome of the contests?
- How does Vergil develop the character of Ascanius (a.k.a. Iulus (think Julian))? In what event does
Ascanius figure prominently?
Nisus
Euryalus
Cloanthus
Mnestheus
Dares
Entellus
Acestes
Palinurus
Ascanius
Lusus Troiae--the Trojan Games
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Book VI: Aeneas descends to the Underworld; Parade of Roman Heroes
In Book VI Vergil makes his way to Cumae to visit the Sibyl from whom he learns he must
travel to the underworld to consult the soul of his dead father Anchises. Often considered
one of the most 'Roman' of books in the Aeneid, Aeneas glimpses at a future
that is only possible through his efforts. Remember, one of the key themes of the epic is
labor. Look at the map of the underworld (designed by Professor Doug Parker at the University of
Texas at Austin) supplied as you make your way through the reading of VI.
- Is there any logical progression in Vergil's arrangement of spirits in the underworld?
- As he waits for the sibyl, Aeneas looks at the reliefs on the doors of the temple of Apollo at Cumae.
What other scene in the Aeneid echoes this scene? Are there any parallels between the adventures
of the artist, Daedalus, has depicted on the doors and the events as experienced by Aeneas? What is the
meaning behind the subject matter on the doors to the temple? [Incidentally, the Roman audience would be
thinking, in part, about the temple of Apollo on the Palatine in Rome next to the house of Augustus. There is
also a temple to Apollo at Cumae. See map of the acropolis of Cumae supplied.]
- What conditions must Aeneas fulfill before he may enter the Underworld? What heroes
from myth had preceded Aeneas in returning alive from the world of the dead?
- To what is Dido compared as Aeneas first catches sight of her among the shades? In what ways does their
meeting in Hades take up from where the relationship was abruptly left off in Book IV?
- Who stands central to the pageant of Roman heroes, juxtaposed with the first founder of Rome, Romulus
(F. 1660-86; please note that Caesar does not refer to Julius Casear)? What effect does Anchises 'lesson' have
on Aeneas? What are the 'talents' of the Romans, according to Anchises?
- Donatus tells us that Octavia, Augustus's sister, upon hearing Vergil recite lines (F. 1166 ff.) fainted and
was revived only with difficulty. Why would this passage have affected her so deeply? Why has Vergil chosen to
end his optimistic future with such a sad event?
- Through which door does Aeneas leave the Underworld? Why has this puzzled readers and commentators for over
2000 years?
Deiphobos
Hercules
Marcellus
golden
bough
Sibyl
Charon
Cerberus
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Book VII: Juno Served by Fury
Vergil calls the second half of the Aeneid his maius opus. In Book 7 Aeneas lands at
the mouth of the Tiber river and he embarks on what is greatest labor: the war against Turnus
and his allies.
Consider the structure of Book 7:
I. Arrival of Aeneas and the Trojan foedus (treaty) with Latinus
A. Arrival of the Trojans in Latium
B. History of Latinus and Lavinia: the oracles
C. Omen of the tables
D. Embassy to Latinus
- 1. Arrival of the Trojans
- 2. Speeches of Latinus and Ilioneus
- 3. Latinus grants hospitality; Trojans return to Aeneas
II. The mission of Allecto
A. Juno's wrath (recall the beginning of the epic)
B. Her command to Allecto
C. Visit to Amata
- 1. First stage of furor: Amata exhorts Latinus
- 2. Second stage of furor: Frenzy of the women
D. Visit to Turnus
- 1. Allecto as Calybe
- 2. Allecto in propria persona
E. Ascanius and the deer
F. Departure of Allecto
III. Mass Violence and the Muster of the Italian Clans
A. Latin fury and withdrawal of Latinus
B. Juno opens the gates of war
C. The muster
As you can see, Book 7 falls into three distinct parts. In many ways it echoes the first
book of the epic.
- Why does Vergil consider the second half of the Aeneid to be his maius opus
(greater task) [F 7.59]?
- Note the reappearance of the flame imagery. Is it a positive or negative sign? Explain. Where else have
we seen people engulfed in flames without harm? Be specific.
- What is the interpretation of the omen of the flames around Lavinia? What problems
will the fruition of the omen cause for Latinus and his people?
- What event actually initiates the war? In other words, what is the casus belli
(justification for war) that brings about open conflict?
- Describe the ritual for declaring a 'just war' [bellum pium et iustum].
Who finally opens the doors of war? Who was supposed to open these doors? What
comment does this subversion of tradition make about the war to come?
- Describe Allecto and her typical devices. Where have we seen in the intertwined
imagery of fire and snakes before? What does this forbode? Allecto stokes the fires of
war in three stages. What are those three stages?
- How is Turnus depicted the first time we see him?
- How does Latinus confront the looming war?
- What function do you think the long catalogue of forces has at the end of Book 7? How are the Italians
characterized?
- Describe the palace of Latinus at the beginning of Book 7. What do we find in his
palace?
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Book VIII: Aeneas at the Site of Rome and his New Armor
At the beginning of the book, the war has just begun. In his sleep the Tiber river appears to him and tells
him to go up the river to King Evander's settlement, Pallanteum, to engage his help against the Italians. Aeneas
then travels up the river, arriving during the festival of Hercules who saved the inhabitants of Evander's
settlement from the monster Cacus. After the festival Evander gives Aeneas a tour of his settlement and invites
him to sleep in his modest hut. The book ends with a wonderful description of the shield of Aeneas. The shield
scene recalls book 18 of the Iliad but it is significantly different in its details.
- On the xeroxed sheet, follow the route of Aeneas walk through the futture site of Rome. What is the importance
of this segment?
- From what "Greek city" does Aeneas find support? Who predicted this? What connection had there been
between Aeneas' father Anchises and the king of this town?
- Describe the two main paradigms of order triumphing over bestiality and disorder by which Vergil creates a
thematic union in Book 8 (See especially F. 388 ff. and F. 941 ff.)? With whom is Aeneas compared in Book 8? What
is the significance of this comparison?
- Of what other instance of pietas is the hoisting of the shield upon his shoulder reminiscent?
F. 989-992.
- What is depicted on the central panel of Vulcan's shield for Aeneas? In what year did this battle take place?
What was the significance of this battle for Octavian (Augustus) and Rome? You should look at Horace's Ode 1.37 and
compare that poem to scene on Aeneas' shield.
Book IX: Turnus attacks; Nisus and Euryalus Story
- What are Aeneas' orders to the Trojans so long as he is away in Pallanteum and
Etruria?
- Turnus, Aeneas' main opponent in the second half of the Aeneid, is a blend of Hector and Achilles
of Homer's Iliad. What parallels does Turnus himself draw between the Trojan war and the present war
in Latium?
- How is Turnus' use of fire to destroy the Trojans fitting given the earlier description of his armor (F.
7.1077 ff) and of his temperament (F 7.614-641; cf. 105 ff.)?
- To what is Turnus compared in Book 9? Write down the similes used.
- "Book Nine studies the moral qualities leading to defeat and implicitly, those requisite for
victory" (Anderson, The Art of the Aeneid, p. 75) What parllels exist in the failed mission of
Nisus and Euryalus and in the thwarted attack of Turnus? What then does Vergil suggest is the main consequence
of actions motivated by "rage and mindless desire for slaughter," (v. 7. 756 ff.)?
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Book X: The Death of Princes
1. Vergil has added an ethicaldimension to the dispassionate battle scenes of the Iliad, upon
which he has modelled his own description of the war in Latium; in the Aeneid, character pr attitude
(Greek ethos)determines to a great extent the method of fighting employed by each warrior and his success
or failure on the battlefield. Describe the style of fighting used by the main warriors in Book 10, giving special
attention to what makes each distinct from all the others with regards to:
- a. similes used (Turnus, Book 9 passim)
- b. weapons, armor, if described
- c. strengths
- d. weaknesses (often psychological)
- e. the manner of death, if he dies in Book 10
- f. portrayal of his victims (give an example or two)
Some (not all) passages helpful in analyzing the style of fighting of the warriors:
- PALLAS: (F. 8.222-5; 8.695-701; 10.218-221; 10.502-605; 10.691-699)
- MEZENTIUS [contemptor divorum]: (7. 890-899; 10. 967 ff.; 10.1166-1276)
- TURNUS: (7. 1077-1089; Book 9 passim; 10.606 ff.)
- AENEAS: distinguish between first aristeia (10. 374-381); see also 8.840-992, especially
the similarities between 10.360 ff and 8.918-921) and the second aristeia (10.715-end)
2. Book 10 offers the Trojans the opportunity to work on the Roman skills described by Anchises in Book 6
(parcere subiectis et debellare superbos, 'to spare the defeated and beat down the haughty,' (F. 6.1154).
Give a couple of good examples of the superbia (haughtiness, overconfidence) of the Italian foes, as
displayed by incidental characters (i.e., not Mezentius or Turnus).
3. How does Juno put off Turnus' fateful day? What is Turnus' reaction to this 'help'?
4. That several different levels of action are at work simultaneously in the emaeneid--human, divine,
Fates--is more evident in Book 10 than anywhere else in the work. What is the relationship between Jupiter and
the Fates? Can he change fate? (cf. 10.650-657; 870-888)? To what extent can Juno alter Aeneas' (or anyone's)
fate (7. 398-433; cf. esp. 7.423-428)? How does human achievement fit into this scheme (10.147-161)?
5. Vergil often focuses on the tragic victims of Aeneas' (and Rome's) struggle for greatness--Dido, Palinurus,
the young Marcellus. Who are the victims in Book 10?
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Books XI-XII: Debaters and a Warrior Girl; The Fortunes of War
In reading books 11-12 consider whether Turnus or Aeneas merits victory. Make a list of
pros and cons for both sides. Pay close attention to how our main characters, Turnus and
Aeneas, comport themselves in battle. Examine the epithets used of both.
- What brings about the death of Camilla at the end of Book 11?
- Look at the similes used to describe Turnus' behaviour in battle. What do they suggest about Turnus?
- Is Aeneas justified I killing Turnus? Why, or why not?
- How does the epic end? Do you think this is a logical place to end the Aeneid?
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Supplemental Material
Chronology of Vergil's Life
| Date | Vergil's Life | Contemporary Events |
| 70 BCE, Oct. 5 | Vergil born near Mantua | Pompey and Crassus, consuls |
| 63 | Vergil living in Cremona | Cicero consul; Cataline's conspiracy. Birth of C. Octavius (later Augustus) |
| 60 | Vergil studying in Cremona | Formation of the 'first triumvirate: Ceasar, Pompey and
Crassus. |
| 59 | | Ceasar consul |
| 58 | | Ceasar begins Gallic campaigns |
| 55 | | Pompey and Crassus are consuls again |
| 54 | Vergil completes school in Cremona; goes to Milan. | Crassus sets out for Parthia |
| 53 | Vergil goes to Rome for legal training. | Crassus killed at Carrhae in Parthia' loses
legionary standards. |
| 52-50 | Vergil gradually rejects other vocations, devotes self exclusively to poetry. | Tension
between Pompey and Caesar moves Rome to brink of civil war. |
| 49 | Vergil probably living in Cumae in Epicurean society, writing | Caesar crosses the Rubicon,
rapidly drives Pompey out of Italy |
| 44 | | Caesar assassinated; by his will C. Octavius adopted (hence Octavian) |
| 42 | | Philippi: Brutus and Cassius, the assassins, defeated by M. Antonius and Octavian |
| 41 | Vergil begins Eclogues: I and IX deal with farmers facing confiscation. | Octavian
confiscates much of the land around Cremona for his veterans. |
| 39-38 | Eclogues completed; Georgics started | M. Antonius marries Octavia,
Octavian's sister |
| 31 | Georgics completed; Aeneid started | Octavian and Agrippa defeat Antonius
and Cleopatra at Actium. |
| 27 | | Octavian assumes the name Augustus. First 'constitutional settlement' |
| 23 | Reference to Marcellus, Octavia's son, in 6. 860 ff. | Marcellus, Augustus' nephew,
dies. |
| 19 | Having completed most of the Aeneid, Vergil sets sail for Greece to devote three years
to revision. But Augustus persuades him to return to Italy. Ill on his return trip, Vergil dies after landing at
Brindisi, Sept. 21. | Augustus travels in East to secure empire, esp. against the Parthians. On the death of
Vergil, publication of the Aeneid entrusted to Vergil's friends, talented poets named Varius and Tucca. |
| 17 | Aeneid probably published as part of Augustus' celebrations | Secualar games are
held; Horace, friend of Vergil, commissioned to write the Carmen Saeculare. |
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Chronology of Augustus' Life
| 63 BCE | C. Octavius (later known as Augustus) is born in Rome. |
| 44 | On March 15 (the Ides of March) Octavius' grand-uncle and adoptive father is assassinated in Rome.
Octavius changes his name to C. Julius Caesar Octavianus and makes his way to Rome from Greece where he has been
training in preparation of Julius Caesar's Parthian expedition. |
| 43-33 | Forms the 'Second Triumvirate' with Marcus Antonius and M. Lepidus. |
| 42 | Battle at Philippi (Greece) where the assassins of Julius Caesar are defeated. Octavian is too ill
to play much of a role in battle. Cassius and Brutus commit suicide. |
| 36 | Defeat of Pompey the Great's son, Sextus Pompey, at Naulochos off the northern coast of Sicily.
Very important naval battle for Octavian through the work of his admiral, Agrippa. |
| 31 | Battle of Actium (western Greece) where Agrippa and Octavian defeat Antonius and Cleopatra. |
| 30 | Octavian annexes Egypt. Antonius and Cleopatra commit suicide. Egypt
is a very wealthy kingdom and the 'bread-basket' of the ancient Mediterranean. |
| 29 | Octavian celebrates a 'triple' triumph in Rome. |
| 27 | Augustus (as he is henceforth known) reestablishes constutional rule. See O.T. Salmon's article. |
| 23 | Death of his nephew Marcellus. Augustus had earlier suffered a life-threatening illness. Upon his
recovery he undertakes what is known as the 'second constitutional settlement' |
| 19 | Vergil dies; Augustus has his 'unfinished' national epic published. |
| 17 | Ludi Saeculares are celebrated. These games symbolize the dawn of a new era. |
| 13 | Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustan Peace) voted in honor of Augustus'
return from campaigns in the west. |
| 12 | Agrippa, husband of Augustus' daughter Julia and father to Augustus heirs, dies. On the death of
Lepidus, the former triumvir, Augustus becomes the pontifex maximus chief priestly post in Rome. |
| 2 | Dedication of his much awaited Forum of Augustus. Acclaimed to be Pater
Patriae (father of his country). |
| 14 CE | Augustus dies at Nola at the age of 76. |
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Links to Sites on Vergil
