Summary
The Aeneid book summary chapters 6-12
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- The Aeneid
This in a reference guide helping you to understand the themes,epithets and motifs of each book from 6-12 as well as language techniques used
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Book summary 6Epithets
“great Aeneas,”
“dutiful Aeneas,”
“Father Anchises,”
“Phoenician Dido,”
“great leader of the Trojans,”
Similes: “like bees in a meadow in a clear summer day, settling on all the many-
coloured flowers and crowding round the gleaming white lilies,”
Speeches: Anchises speech to Aeneas talking to him about the future of Rome, Sibyl
and Charon enjoy challenging each other, prayer from Aeneas to Apollo
Parallel scenes: The tribes of men in the Underworld being described like bees vs. the
people of Carthage being described like bees with their walls rising
Vivid imagery: “a torrent of fire and flame,” (Tartarus) “the cruel crack of the lash,
the dragging and clanking of iron chains,” (Tartarus) “the lovely glades of the
fortunate woods and the home of the blest,” (Land of Joy) “the ancient brood of
Earth” (Tartarus)
Story – telling/narrative voice: Anchises talking to his son about his descendants
leading to Augustus
Themes:
Fate: Piety
The golden bough will be the first physical manifestation of Aeneas's fate, and it will
give him a decisive yes or no answer about his suitability for this rare mission to the
Underworld. It's fitting that this symbol comes from the natural world—this is beyond
the realm of human creation.
Proper burials are key to a good death. Palinurus still hasn't accepted his fate.
Rome
It's striking how much the festivities of Book 5 in which Aeneas and his men honored
Anchises's death resemble Virgil's version of paradise. The emphasis on culture and
the arts (the music, dancing, and poets) also approvingly link the scene to Augustus
Caesar, as he was a great patron of the arts in Rome.
War and peace
The moment when Virgil, via Anchises, defines Roman greatness. If we interpret the
poem as a glorification of Rome, this is definitely the thesis statement. The gist is that
Romans are better than Greeks (the only similar nation that preceded them) because
they know how to spare the conquered and vanquish the arrogant—to defeat those
who threaten them, but, once they have defeated them, to spare them and make them a
part of their peaceful empire. In addition, this is the moment when Aeneas learns the
full measure of his destiny, allowing him to completely accept and pursue his fate.
, Book summary 7
Epithets
“Good Aeneas,”
“Father Latinus,”
“lovely Iulus,”
“fierce Juno,”
“cruel goddess,”
Similes:
“his triple – plumed helmet there stood a Chimera breathing from its fire like Etna’s,
and the fiercer and bloodier the battle, the more savagely she roared and belched the
deadly flames,”
Speeches:
Aeneas’ crew speech to Latinus explaining who they are, Allecto’s speech to Turnus
trying to persuade him to go to war
Vivid imagery:
“[a burning torch] lodged deep in his heart, smoking with black light,” “the trees
shivered at the noise and the whole forest rang to its very depths,” “the lust for battle
raged within him,”
Themes:
Divine intervention
Juno's dismissal of Allecto shows that she hasn't created all this just for the fun of
havoc—she has a purpose. Still not trusting the mess she's caused; she makes sure the
war will stick by opening the gates.
Fate:
The meeting between the two sides in the king’s palace strengthens the Trojan-Latin
bond, both from their historical connection and from the gift of Priam's robes, which
shows the legacy of Trojan leadership now passing to Latinus. An easy, fruitful peace
seems inevitable.
Rome
The Trojans get their first glimpse of Latium, the region where they'll found a new
city (and where Rome will eventually rise, along the Tiber's banks).
War and peace
Our first impression of Turnus, like that of Dido, is that he's smart, balanced, and not
an enemy at all. He resists Juno's desires much better than Amata or Dido. Allecto has
to bring out her big guns to enchant him properly, suggesting that maybe all of what's
to come isn't really his fault.
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