Virgil The Roman Homer Regarded by the Romans as their greatest poet Began The Aeneid in 29 BCE Worked on it till his death in 19 BCE Requested that it be burned Published by Emperor Augustus ID: 697285
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The Aeneid
The Roman EpicSlide2
Virgil– The Roman Homer
Regarded
by the Romans as their greatest poet
Began The Aeneid in 29 BCEWorked on it till his death in 19 BCERequested that it be burnedPublished by Emperor Augustus despite Virgil’s wishes(Homer’s works were composed between 750 and 650 B.C.E.)Slide3
Virgil v. Homer:
Similarities
:
Both begin “in media res” (in the middle of things)Invoke help in telling the story Include “Homeric” similes and epithetsDifferences:Homer’s epic was an oral one, created for illiterate peopleVirgil wrote his epicCould pay attention to his choice of words and structureSlide4Slide5
The Odyssey of Aeneas
Romans used a
Trojan hero
, an enemy of the Greeks, as the creator of their civilization—AeneasThis version of Roman history emphasized the idea that the gods had always meant for Romans to rule the world. Aeneas’ journey parallels that of Odysseus’Each begins at the end of the Trojan WarBoth had to overcome obstacles placed in their paths by deitiesFound romance along the wayBoth traveled to the Underworld in search of guidanceSlide6
So, what’s the difference?
Odysseus weathered challenges to get home to his wife and son.
Aeneas had no home; his quest was to establish a new home for himself and his fellow Trojans.Slide7Slide8
The Virgilian Hero
Pawn of the gods, like Greeks
Fate revealed through visits from deceased relatives (shades)
Usually has one or more divine beings on his side and against him (Venus, Apollo, Neptune)Slide9
Aeneas
Demigod: Son of a deity and a mortal
Anchises and VenusSlide10
Aeneas
Aeneas was one of few Trojans who escaped Troy alive.
Aeneas was destined to found a new race of people– protected in war by Poseidon.
He led 20 shiploads of Trojans in search of a new home.Slide11
Roman Values:
Pietas vs. Furor
Virgil separates these two traits into two characters to illustrate the conflict between
them and how they both exist within any human. *Not mutually exclusive furor: to be ruled by passions and selfishness following excitement and emotion; the precedence of the individual over the grouppietas: dutifulness, doing what was right for the family, the community, the civilization, and the gods.Slide12
DIVINE CHARACTERS
Jupiter
(Zeus), the most powerful god, who appears almost neutral as he has the task of carrying out the degrees of Fate.
Juno (Hera), queen of the gods, who hates the Trojans and constantly thwarts their efforts to carry out their mission.Venus (Aphrodite), goddess of love and beauty, mother of Aeneas and his chief protector against Juno’s ill will.Minerva (Athena), goddess of wisdom, crafts and war, who favored Ulysses and helped the Greeks destroy Troy.Neptune (Poseidon), god of the sea, friendly to Aeneas. Aeolus, god of the wind