Virgil’s Aeneid: C Lit 30A M03 7/16/03
I—The Roman Civil Wars
- Rural Dislocation
- Gracchus limits land ownership: 133 BCE.
- 25 of 50 years in civil war by 30 BCE, when Octavian took complete and
stable control.
- Octavian executed anyone who opposed him without trial.
II—To Praise Augustus: Imperium Sine Fine
- The Aeneid had two purposes: to imitate Homer and to praise
Augustus.
- Romulus and Remus
- Sequence of events, according to legend: Aeneas founds Lavinium; Iulus
founds Alba Longa; Romulus founds Rome.
- Romulus killed his brother out of rage: furor.
III—Furor vs. Pietas
- Juno's furor
- Neptune's pietas
- Augustus' pietas
- Aeneas' pietas
- Dido's furor: parallel to Antony and Cleopatra, 31 BCE.
IV—Inconsistency or Subtle Pessimism: The Gates of Sleep
- Book VI: The Trip to the Underworld
- Anchises' Predictions
- The Gates of Horn and the Gates of Ivory
- Is this an error or a criticism?
V—Who Wins in the End?
- Single Combat
- Aeneas' Furor
- Justification of Killing
VI—The Compromise
- Jupiter gives in.
- The Future of Rome
- Do the Trojans win?
VII—The Purpose of The Aeneid Part Two: Imitation of Homer
- Metrical imitation
- The Odyssean first half
- The Iliadic second half
VIII—Virgil’s Style in Contrast to Homer's
- Incomplete poem, but from a prose outline.
- Arrival in Carthage: blood on snow.
IX—A Closer Look at the Text-Fire and Furor