Boyle - Chaonian Dove

8/3/2019 Boyle - Chaonian Dove

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Chaonian dove - Boyle

The disparity between the supposed civilizing influence of imperial rome, and the actions

of the germ of Imperial Rome in 9-12, fully explored through the use of furor and also fire

imagery in book 9.

Italians are characterized by Furor - 9.552, 9.652, 9.703, 9.736.

Look especially at Nisus and Euryalus - Fire imagery is seen constantly.

Ardor 9.184, ardentem 9.198, incensus, 9.342, fervidus 9.350 - combined with this is

the evoaction of sympathy for their sleeping victims (9.324-38)

Nisus at 9.339-41 is a lion.

Roaring with bloody jaws - just like the furor we saw earlier at 1.296.

Euryalus is no better

Furor 9.342, inflamed on the same line, ragin at 9.343, killer ff. Ferbidus 9.350.

Mindless suicide is elicited from Nisus by his capture. 9.424.

Wouldnt necessarily say there is no pity in their deaths however - Boyle perhaps

goes to far when he says Virgils overt eulogy 9.446-49 seems tinged by no small

amount of Irony.

Now also Aeneas at his arrival in book 10.

Depicted 10.270-75 with slightly sinister tones.

Further images of fire - 270, 271, 273, 262. - key note.

Further more words like vomit, anguinei, lugubre rubent, laevo contristat lumine

glooms with sinster light 275

The simile with the dog-star instantly recalls avenging Achilles , book 22 of th

eIliad.

Some similarities with Augustus of Book 8.678-81.

Sinister - and not flattering is the universal theme of these images. This sinister start is confirmed later on by the destruction that is wrought by him

having learnt of Pallas death.

10.515,552,545,604,572,569,565-68,570 - images of furor, burning, roaring,

savegery, and comparison with Aegaeon himself.

The obscenity of the destruction contrasts the realationship that Aeneas has

with Pallas, the one he is trying to save.

Captures youths for sacrifice - 10.519, rejects pleas for mercy 10.521-36. Is

irreverant to Apollos priest 10.541.

Has further graphic and destuctive kills.

:iger even appeals to filial pietas 10.597 - and is rejected - abnegation of amoral vision.

10.602-4 - he is a cosmological force.

He is destructive and completely against an idealogical image that we might try

to glean from him.

Image and Symbol.

Fabric of the Aeneid is permeated by images of the serpent, the wound, the fire, the

storm, the bee, hunting, sacrifice, shadow and darkenss.

These occurences bring to their contexts associations derived from their occurence in

other contexts. These examples will focus attention not on Romes Ideology but on induvidual loss

and suffering.


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Deer imagery -

Three images of the deer - 4.69-73, Dido. Turnus at 12.749-55 is compared to a stag.

And the non-metaphorical slaying of the pet stag at 7.483.

Seen to be the prima laborum causa 7.481f.

The focus of book 7s image is one of beauty, vulnerability and pastoral freedom

These notions are what Virgil is trying to emphasize across all the instances of

deer imagery - interlinking the lives that are lost to Trojan destruction.

Accordingly all these images escalate with each other and make smaller and less

telling images of hunting and deers - e.g. Aeneas landing, Didos bow, the hunt -

most of book IV really/

Second image more complex - pervasive employment of a number of different images -

serpent, fire, wound and storm.

These are all images that seem to represent to an extent furor.

So in Book 1/2, Furor is the figurative wound at 1.36, but also the literal storm at 1.81 -

a symbol of furor, emphasized by the simile at A.148.

In 2 we see further images, furentem Pyrrhus presses upon his foe with infesto

vulnere a.2.499/2.529, Priam then breaths out his life with crudeli vulnere 2.561.

Also the similes 2.304, 416

Connected significantly with Juno is the image of fire - A1.29, acensa, 1.50, flammato

corde. - occurs throughout book 1, 1.174/213/472/491/515/581. - culminates with

Venus and Dido at 1.660/73/88/710/713/726-. - reducing Dido to Furor furentem

a.1.659.

Strong fire imagery in book 2 as well see serpent and flame notes.

Also Aeneas own fire matches that burns the buildings of troy - culminating at

2.575, and 2.587.

Serpent imagery first seen in book 2. Killing of Laoocon - symbolically represents the fall of Troy itself

Echoes throughout - the destruction of Priams city is peretrated by a serpent.

Boyle says that it seems perverse to argue as some critics do, that the

destructive connotations of this image, so consistently maintained and

sharpened throughout Book 2, are absent in the Iulus portent episode at

2.679. the rebirth of Troy will involve the rebirth of the violence and destruction

displayed at the fall of the city .

All the simages are fixed as representing (to an extent furor)

Lot of images in book 4 that are similar to this.

23,54,66,101,120-22,160ff,300,360,364,376,384,441,494,564,567etc. Book 7 images have serpent fire and wound, loads in the Allecto episode.

329,345,337,346,392ff.,397,431,445-50,456-57,462-66,481-82,496,528-30 etc.

9-12 associated with Trojan and Italian fighting forces.

Also used a lot in relation to Aeneas - Book 2 his renzies heroics -

2.302/336/379575 all ff.

Strongly used in book 4 in connection with Didos love.

And also used in book 12.

This imagery continues and is seen most strongly in the fight with turnus and

Aeneas.

Final scene has loads of it.


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Final spear throw - 12.921 - has much storm imagery, atri turbinis also similar

to the turbinis atri at 10.603 - but also similar to Pallas black whirlwind at

book 1 - all violence is like this, So cacus etc.

He is inflamed 12.946, burning 12.951, he sacrifices Turnus immolat 12.949, a

wound is drawn hoc vulnere 948, even some hissing sibilants at 12.949

apparently imitate the presence of the serpent

This is Virgils

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Boyle - Chaonian Dove