The Aeneid Discussion Group

Hey there. I am starting this thread to discuss Virgil's The Aeneid. It is one of the great epics of ancient times, and it is one of the most influential works in history. Written at the end of the first century B.C., it came at the end of the crises of the Roman Republic where Augustus firmly gained control of the empire and created the governing system of the Principate. Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), who had already established his greatness of Roman poetry through his previous works of The Eclogues and The Georgics, looked back at the chaos of that century and tried to make sense of it by creating an epic of the founding of Rome and linking the founding to his contemporary events. In addition, he looks back to Homer as a model for his epic, and while there are several parallels to Homer, it is quite different as well. I hope many will join me in this read.

I will be reading the relatively new Robert Fagles translation ( http://www.amazon.com/Aeneid-Virgil/dp/0670038032), but i have previously read the Robert Fitzgerald translation (http://www.amazon.com/Aeneid-Virgil/dp/0679729526). I will say that I loved the Fitzgerald translation but since Fagles did such a great job on translating both The Illiad and The Odyssey, I just had to check out how he does with a Latin text. So without further ado, post your thoughts as we go. I will try to post thoughts on each book of the 12 books, but do not feel constrained by that.

Finally here's an image of the Robert Fagles's translation:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...3L._AA240_.jpg

The sketch on the book's cover is Aeneas, the hero of the epic, carrying his elderly father through burning city of Troy. That act tells us so much of the character of Aeneas.

First lines of "The Aeneid" in Latin and translation..."ARMA virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris/ Italiam fato profugus Lavinaque venit/ litora--multum ille et terris jactatus et alto/ vi superum, saevae memorem Junonis ob iram,/ multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem/ Inferretque deos Latio--genus unde Latinum/ Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae." ...and the English translation....................................... ............"ARMS, and the man I sing, who forc'd by fate,/ And haughty Juno's unrelenting hate,/ Expell'd and exil'd, left the Trojan shore./ Long labors, both by sea and land, he bore,/ And in the doubtful war, before he won/ The Latian realm, and built the destin's town;/ His banish'd gods restor'd to rites divine, And settled sure succession in his line,/ From whence the race of Alban fathers come, And the long glories of majestic Rome." .......This translation done by no less than John Dryden of a work he could read in the original text (the Aeneid written 19 B.C.E.) gives clear premise that the ancestors will be shown to be the aristocrats and gods of ancient Greece, society models for Virgil's Roman Empire.

I wanted to begin my reading this coming year with the ancient texts (Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Beowolf and so forth), but I bought a friend Invisible Man and read the introduction. Then the prologue. I am currently reading the second chapter. Maybe I will join you on Sundays, while I'm working at the book store; we have more than enough copies.

Wow! We're sold out. That's weird.

Arms and the man I sing, who first made way,
predestined exile, from the Trojan shore
to Italy, the blest Lavinian strand.
Smitten of storms he was on land and sea
by violence of Heaven, to satisfy
stern Juno's sleepless wrath; and much in war
he suffered, seeking at the last to found
the city, and bring o'er his fathers' gods
to safe abode in Latium; whence arose
the Latin race, old Alba's reverend lords,
and from her hills wide-walled, imperial Rome.
.by Theodore C. Williams (Juno equals the Greek god, Hera, queen of the Greek deities)

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy.
Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,
many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,
fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.
But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove –
the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,
the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun
and the Sungod blotted out the day of their return. . . .

Translated by Robert Fagles (1996)

I SING of deadly dolorous debate,
Stir'd vp through wrathfull Nemesis despight,
Betwixt two mightie ones of great estate,
Drawne into armes, and proofe of mortall fight,
Through prowd ambition, and hartswelling hate,
Whilest neither could the others greater might
And sdeignfull scorne endure; that from small iarre
Their wraths at length broke into open warre.

These are the opening lines of Spencer's M U I O P O T M O S: or THE FATE OF THE BUTTERFLIE... a mock epic that clearly recalls the opening lines of Virgil's epic setting up a tale of war between the spider and the fly (or the butterfly, as the case may be).

Oh man, I'll certainly have to be in on a discussion that includes both the Aeneid and Muiopotmos (indeed I've spent the last week or so casually pondering whether I can find a way to write a dissertation on Muiopotmos somehow...alas thus far to no avail:p ). I've read the Aeneid more than once, and been through it recently for my exams, so I'm not going to re-read it along with the group but will happily join in whatever discussion emerges.

That opening line has got to be one of the most imitated, referenced and parodied in all of literature, with "to be or not to be" a possible close second. From Spenser, to Shaw, to the fellow in my first year Latin class who used to run around saying "Karma virumque cano," it seems as though no one can resist the impulse to make witty with the Aeneid's first three words.

Muses of LitNet, sing! of the famed lines written by Vergil,
Lines you preserved through the ages, a lasting witness of Roman
Glory, ambition, and pride, which endured the barbarians' fury,
Shadowy letterless times, and the whimsical errors of careless
Scribes, and became forefather to many a noble descendant,
Being itself a descendant of parents with fame everlasting.

:)

Wow, what a great start. Quasi has graciously sent me a web link of Virgil's biography: http://quotes-of-wisdom.eu/en/author/virgil/biography. Also Wiki provides a good background to Virgil and to the Aeneid. I also forgot to mention that we have The Aeneid here on lit net as a electronic book: http://www.online-literature.com/virgil/aeneid/. This is the John Dryden translation.

While re-reading the Aeneid's "book 1", especially a line like..."Besides, long causes working in her mind,/ And secret seeds of envy, lay behind;" this reader wonder's who made up Virgil's audience. The answer... mostly aristocratic citizens, senators, generals, tax collectors, regional governors, patricians of all stripes. Could this group be more than 5% of the Roman population? Probably not. Taking this into account, you can view this epic as what is called today an "open letter" to the present and future elite of Rome.

omg I'm going to reread all my latin GCSE notes and then join in with this discussion; I Love the Aeneid!! We had to memorise huge chunks of latin and the English translation for our exam, and our teacher drew us a 'pictoral Aeneid' on the whiteboard nearly every lesson.

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Originally Posted by quasimodo1

While re-reading the Aeneid's "book 1", especially a line like..."Besides, long causes working in her mind,/ And secret seeds of envy, lay behind;" this reader wonder's who made up Virgil's audience. The answer... mostly aristocratic citizens, senators, generals, tax collectors, regional governors, patricians of all stripes. Could this group be more than 5% of the Roman population? Probably not. Taking this into account, you can view this epic as what is called today an "open letter" to the present and future elite of Rome.

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Good point Quasi. I suspect it was even less than 5% of the population.

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Originally Posted by Lioness_Heart

omg I'm going to reread all my latin GCSE notes and then join in with this discussion; I Love the Aeneid!! We had to memorise huge chunks of latin and the English translation for our exam, and our teacher drew us a 'pictoral Aeneid' on the whiteboard nearly every lesson.

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Great Lioness. What's a pictorial Aeneid?

Excellent! I own The Aeneid in audio format (Robert Fagles's translation).

I'm not sure how useful this website will be, but virgil.org seems to be a good source to learn more about Virgil.

First off, let me say that I know nothing or little about this subject and I am sort of left in the dust....but, so far, what I have read interests me, and I will try to keep reading all of your posts. The poetry is grand. I am always hungry to learn new things, also.

Virgil, you did a fine job starting this thread. I like the way you posted the photo of the cover, of that particular translation...very helpful. Thanks for the knowledge that another translation is available on this site, also. :thumbs_up

I like the links to various sites, such as the biography of Virgil, thanks, Quasi, ....also very helpful. I will certainly read up on Virgil's biography, among other things and educate myself a little about this subject. Sadly, I greatly lack in my knowledge of Greek Mythology and history.

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Originally Posted by Dori

Excellent! I own The Aeneid in audio format (Robert Fagles's translation).

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Now this interests me. I would be interested in listening to this in the near future and will look into it. Did you buy it recently...any thoughts on how to find it, Dori?

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I'm not sure how useful this website will be, but virgil.org seems to be a good source to learn more about Virgil.

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Thanks, Dori, I will read this site, as well.