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Virgil
And
the Aeneid
Virgil• well educated; attended schools at
Cremona and Milan• studied with Siro ,an Epicurean: – follower of philosopher Epicurius who believed
in atomistic materialism• atomistic: natural world consists of two
fundamental parts: indivisible atoms and empty void• materialism: matter is the only substance, and
reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter
Virgil
• studied rhetoric and law (but not successful as lawyer)
• studied philosophy and literature• suffered from poor health
The Aeneid
• composition of rough draft lasted 11 years• planned 3 year trip to Greece and Asia to
finish poem• unfinished at Virgil’s death (19 B.C.)• “The Aeneid of Virgil is a gateway between the
pagan and the Christian centuries.”W.F. Jackson Knight
The Aeneid
• in competition with Homer• hoped to write national poem of Rome• focuses on primacy of society and state over
individuals in order to achieve “the good life”• Romans accepted Aeneid as national poem
The Aeneid• primary influence on Virgil was Homer, already
acknowledged as world’s greatest poet by Virgil’s time; borrowed from Homer– invocation of muse– starting in medias res– use of divine intervention– long rhetorical speeches– division into 12 books– heroic hexameter
Heroic Hexameter
• 6 metrical feet• First 5 feet may be dactyl (long , 2 short) OR• Spondee (2 long)• Last foot of each line must be spondee• Syllables per line varies from 12 to 17• Each line composed of combination of only
dactyl and spondee
Literary Epic• Aeneid is literary epic, not oral epic• product of highly civilized, settled society• composed in writing (not speech)• intended to be read (not told)• narrated on grand scale• intended to heighten understanding of human
nature• ideological content tends to be more
important than human story
Literary Epic
• subordinates human characters and affairs to philosophical and moral theme
• lacks repetition (used in oral epic)• uses literary devices– symbolism– allegory– allusion (to poetic and philosophical literature)
Literary Epic
• has serious didactic purpose• intended to communicate serious
philosophical, moral, and patriotic message• narrative subordinated to this message• underlying theme is primary element of poem
for both poet and reader
• Aeneid is not personal epic about Aeneas but national epic glorifying and exalting Rome
and the Romans
• Aeneas embodies most important Roman qualities and attributes, especially
responsibility and sense of duty