Summary
Summary Virgil's Aeneid Line Analysis Up to Book 9
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This is a breakdown of Virgil's Aeneid line-by-line and broken up into categories until book nine. Books 10, 11, and 12 are not covered.
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Aeneid NotesContents
1. Composition ............................................................................................................................................ 2
2. Structure and Plot of the Epic......................................................................................................................... 3
3. Language of the Epic ................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Homeric Influence .................................................................................................................................... 12
5. Concepts, Values and Behaviour of a Greek and Roman Hero .................................................................................... 15
6. Characterisation of Major and Minor Characters ................................................................................................... 24
7. Role of Aeneas in Rome’s Imperial Destiny ...................................................................................................... 55
8. Portrayal of War................................................................................................................................... 64
9. Portrayal of Different Nations .................................................................................................................... 65
10. Moral Values Implicit in the Aeneid including Pietas and its Contrast with Furor ............................................................... 78
11. Importance of Fate and Destiny..................................................................................................................... 90
12. Role of the Immortals and the Relationship between Mortals and Immortals ...................................................................... 96
13. Family and Friendship .............................................................................................................................. 107
14. Relationships Between Men and Women, Parents and Children ................................................................................ 112
15. Part Played by Women in the Epic and their Position in Society ................................................................................ 126
16. The Political and Historical Background of the Civil War........................................................................................ 135
17. Augustus’ Rise to Power and Consolidation of his Rule ......................................................................................... 136
18. Virgil’s relationship to Augustus and his Regime and the Extent to which they are Promoted within the Epic ............................... 137
19. Promotion of the Roman Empire ................................................................................................................... 141
,1. Composition
,2. Structure and Plot of the Epic
, 3. Language of the Epic
(including speeches, themes, flashbacks, similes, and other narrative or
descriptive technique and their effect.)
BOOK ONE: What does the simile evoking Neptune’s calming of the storm tell us about
the nature and role of ‘pietas’ and ‘furor’ in the poem from lines 150-160?
Neptune ‘recognised at once the anger and cunning of his sister Juno (…) Do you winds now
dare to move heaven and earth and raise these great masses of water without my divine
authority?’
‘As when disorder arises among the people of a great city and the common mob runs riot,
wild passion finds weapons for men’s hands and torches and rocks start flying; at such a tune
if people chance to see a man who has some weight among them for his goodness and his
services to the state, they fall silent, standing and listening with all their attention while his
words command their passions and soothe their hearts- so did all the crashing of the sea fall
silent and Father Neptune, looking out over the waves’ calmed the storm.
Furor is characterised as negative, destructive, uncivilised, disorderly. Pietas calms the furor
and is worth more to society, as it holds more ‘weight among them.’ Those with Pietas lead
by example.
One could argue that whilst Juno represents furor, Neptune represents pietas, demonstrating
how the god's morality is not all the same. However, one could also argue that Augustus is
the pietas and furor is the civil wars that he put a stop to by his leadership.
BOOK ONE: What impresses Aeneas about Carthage in lines 420-440?
‘Aeneas was amazed by the size of that were recently there's been nothing that shepherds’
huts, amazed too by the gates, the pave streets and all the stir. The Tyrians were working
with a will, Some of them were laying out the lines of the walls (…) others were choosing
sites for buildings (…) others were drawing up laws an electing magistrate and a Senate who
they could revere; on one side they were excavating a harbour; on the other laying deep
foundations for theatre.’ – The foundations Of civilization are being built. the theatre was
taken as a sign of a successful civilization, as it meant they could afford to put money into the
arts.
‘they were like bees at the beginning of summer, busy in the sunshine all through the flowery
meadows, bringing out the young of the race coma just come of age, or treading the oozing
honey and swelling the cells within sweet nectar.’ - Virgil came from a farming background,
and had a love of bees. this was as they were efficient, and everyone had their own task to
complete. Ideal for a new city, thus the simile is effective.
‘how fortunate they are! (…) their walls are already rising!’ – Aeneas is jealous as he wants
to be able to found his own city, and he's impressed by how successfully it's being done in
Carthage.
BOOK TWO: From line 70, how does Sinon achieve his aims during the course of his
speech?
Line 60- ‘His purpose was the open Troy to the Greeks.’
Garnering pity:
Line 72- ‘There is nowhere for me now on sea or land. There is nothing left for a man
like me.’
Line 83- Palamedes ‘although he was innocent, false information was infamously laid
against him. His offence was that he objected to the war, and the Greeks put him to
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