Side notes on Virgil and the Aeneid

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Background on Virgil and The Aeneid

Virgil

Born 70BC and died 19BC

Born in Mauritua

His earlier works = Eclogues + Geogics

Started off writing pastoral poetry

The Aeneid

Written from 30/29BC- 19BC & is a piece of Roman literature

An epic written in dactylic hexameter

Virgil's patron for the Aeneid was Augustus' propaganda man (Maecenas)

Political context key in Aeneid

Was published as Virgil wrote it

Unliker Homer, Virgil wrote it down so no unintentional repetitions

12 books 1-6 reference the Odyssey 7-12 reference the Illiad

Background on Rome at the time the Aeneid was written

During Virgil's time there was the civil war of Caesar and Pompey

In 44BC Caesar was assassinated

in 31BC there was the Battle of Actium (which involved Anthony and Octavian)

27BC - Octavian 'restores' republic

Octavian takes Egypt as his personal property = controls food supply to Rome

Pays all legions personally = richest man in the Empire

Worshipped as a God in eastern provinces

All foreign Ambassadors go to him not the senate

All senate decrees start with his title

Roman Ideals

Roman Ideals

1= state/gods 2= Pater familias 3= you

Roman always bound by duty n.b relates to Aeneas as his epithet is pius Aeneas

In the eyes of a Roman a good stoic follows their fate

Romans believed true happiness came from being in line with your fate

Mystery surrounding Virgil's death

Virgil had completed most of the epic when he went to Greece (where he met Augustus)

On the way back he suddenly fell ill and died

Theory that Augustus had Virgil killed because he disagreed with parts of the Aeneid

But if that is the case why would he have it published?

Answer = publishing happened as you went along so most people would had read or heard about bits of the Aeneid & if he'd burnt the book and stopped it from circulating then he would look like an oppressive dictator