Summary In-Depth 'The Aeneid' Revision Guide Including Secondary Scholars
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40+ page revision document for Virgil's Aeneid, covering all Books on OCR's World of the Hero spec.
A book-by-book revision guide with quotes, analysis and direct secondary scholars' arguments and quotes necessary for the top marks.
Each book has a summary, lots of analysed quotes and a study of...
The Trojans, seven years after leaving Troy, are just off the coast of Sicily. Juno (Hera) is
determined to blow them off course by sending a storm, the Trojans are pushed toward the north
African coast and land in Carthage (Juno’s favourite city). Once they have pulled into a convenient
natural harbour, Aeneas and his men disembark. Aeneas and his comrade Achates climb a nearby
hill to scan the sea for any sign of the lost ships. He doesn't see them. Instead, he finds a troop of
wild deer, he shoots seven – one for each of his ships. Then he takes them down to the shore, and
gives his men a speech reminding them of how much they have suffered already. He tells them to
look on the bright side – but inside he feels extreme grief.
Jupiter, the king of the gods, is met by Venus, the goddess of love/Aeneas's mom and she
complains that Aeneas has suffered so much. Jupiter then explains how Aeneas, when he gets to
Italy, is going to have to fight a war against the local tribe of the Rutulians. After that, he will reign
for only three years – but then his son, Ascanius, will rule for another thirty years in the new capital
of Alba Longa which will be the headquarters of the Trojans in Italy for three centuries, until the
queen and priestess Ilia gets pregnant by Mars, the god of war, and gives birth to Romulus and
Remus and Romulus will found Rome. Jupiter says he will give the Romans unlimited power. This
power will reach its summit during the reign of Caesar (that is, the Emperor Augustus), which will
bring about a great era of peace.
Then Jupiter sends down the god Hermes to make the Carthaginians welcome Aeneas and the
other Trojans. Aeneas decides to go exploring the next day. Achates and Aeneas run into Venus,
who is disguised as a young hunter, who explains who Dido is and that Aeneas’ men are safe. She
drapes them in mist and leads them into carthage where they look around unnoticed. In Carthage
there is a temple to Juno that depicts scenes from the Trojan War. Dido meets Aeneas, who is
made to look even more impressive and handsome by Venus. She welcomes them, asks them to
stay and declares it a feast day. Aeneas sends for his son Asanius and also some gifts for Dido.
The goddess Venus decides to make Amor/cupid – the god of love – take Ascanius's form so he
can infect Dido with love. Ascanius sits on Dido’s lap during the feast and she begins to fall for
Aeneas. She asks him lots of questions about the Trojan war.
‘I sing of arms and of the man’, arma virumque cano
- First lines of the poem.
- Reminiscent of The Iliad as both poets ‘sing’ in the beginning of the poem, the Iliad sings of
the anger of Achilles whereas Virgil sings ‘of arms and of the man’.
- Virgil distances himself from anger and revenge instead promoting peace and forgiveness of
the civil and social wars.
‘Why did she drive a man famous for his piety to such endless hardship and suffering? Can
there be so much anger in the hearts of the heavenly gods?’
- Juno represents the unfairness of collective blame and punishment, and in Book One her
ager is described with adjectives like ‘remorseless and merciless’
- Juno also symbolises the idea that revenge will always end in bad results, whether or not it is
justified - symbolic of the social/civil wars - she is depicted as villainous in her hunt for
revenge against Aeneas as Rome has not yet destroyed Carthage and is used by Virgil to
urge people to give up their anger left over from the social/civil wars
,‘Even angry Juno, who is wearying sea and land and sky with her terrors will come to better
counsel’
- Jupiter in Book 1, the beginning of the feminisation of unjust anger and spite
‘On them I will impose no limits of time of place’ ‘I have given them an empire that will know
no end’ ‘ the rulers of the world, the race that wears the toga’ - Jupiter
- Implies that Romans are all powerful and decreed by the gods, which is backed up by
Aeneas’ divine lineage as he is the founder of what will become Rome. Solidifies Augustus’
claim to rule as he is a descendant of the divine Aeneas.
- Celebrates the Roman people with the reference to ‘Toga’ as it was used to celebrate the
Roman character in art.
‘So heavy was the cost of founding the Roman race’
- The aim of the epic is also to promote unification. All Roman people, despite their differences
are borne of the same struggle and honour and should therefore unite.
‘The Dreaded Gates of War with their tight fastenings of steel will be closed, and godless strife
will sit inside of them on his murderous armour’
- Sings praise for Augustus, who will bring about an era of peace eg ‘Pax Augustus’ and close
the gates of war
‘Oh Diomede, bravest of Greeks, why could I not have fallen to your right hand and breathed
out my life on the plains of Troy’
- Arguably un-stoic behaviour, placing his emotions above his current situation
‘As when disorder arises among the people of a great city and the common mob runs riot, wild
passions find weapons for men’s hands and torches and rocks start flying; at such a time 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’
- Simile comparing the calming of winds by Neptune to a noble Roman calming a mob
- Reference to the social and civil wars/unrest.
- One man will prevail over others and create peace and forgiveness for this event, suggesting
this man is Augustus. Augustus was sometimes portrayed as Neptune in art, and he was the
one who addressed the masses during the civil wars and found peace.
‘‘Swift arrows from the trust Aeneas’
- If Aeneas is analogous to Augustus then this may be satirical as Augustus was not known for
his physical prowess
- OR could be exaggerating the greatness of the emperor, so pro-Augustan
‘He showed them a face of hope and kept the misery deep in his heart’, [...] ‘‘he was sick with
all his cares’. [...] ‘we have suffered worse before, and this too will pass’ [...] ‘summon up
your courage once again’
- Strong and stoic, Aeneas is a good leader to his men
- Can be contrasted with Agamamenons’ awful morale boasts in Book 3 of the Iliad
‘Raising the waves to the stars’ ‘the deadly water poured in’ ‘carried helplessly’
- Virgil uses the contrast between the size and strength of the storm and the helplessness of
Aeneas and his men to portray the differences between gods and mortals.
‘The Carthagianians set aside their fiery temper’
, - Stereotyping barbarians as harbouring stoic Furor, or perhaps a message to the Roman
citizens to set aside their anger too.
‘A spartan girl hunting … wearing a spotted lynx skin’
- Positive portrayal of Venus as the Romans liked to see themselves as Spartans in terms of
hunting/battle, Venus is depicted as the ‘ideal’ Roman woman
‘I am Aeneas known for my devotion. I carry with me the gods of my home, the penates’
- He is the pious figure representing Augustus’ desire to return to traditional religion. Augustus
built a new temple to house penates.
‘Why do you so often mock your son by taking on these disguises? You are too cruel. Why am
I never allowed to take your hand in mine’
- Tragic element, Aeneas is a family man but estranged from his divine mother who he
desperately wants to connect with
- However, despite her neglect as a parent, Venus works hard throughout the epic to ensure
Aeneas’ safety, here she wants him to stay in Carthage where he is safe.
- Perhaps Virgil’s way of telling us that the gods work in mysterious ways and are not always
vindictive like Juno.
‘How fortunate they are!’ Aeneas cried [...] ‘Their walls are already rising’
- Ironic as the Carthegians are later destroyed completely by Romans, in the future they are not
so fortunate.
- The emphasis on building a new city will perhaps recall in reader’s minds that Augustus is
building a new era for Rome
‘But a Father’s love allowed Aeneas’ mind no rest’
- One of his epithets is Pater Aeneas, which refers to Paterfamilias.
- The father son bond is incredibly important in the Aeneid, and his love for his family creates a
positive impression of Aeneas (and therefore Augustus)
Dido: ‘I shall give you supplies for you voyage’ [...] ‘unfortunate Dido, doomed to the victim’
[...] ‘She sent them down 20 bulls, a hundred great bristling hogs and a hundred fat lambs’
- Dido is depicted as generally a good leader, one who is successful in building her city and is
kind and accepting towards her guests
- However, she shows xenia to the Trojans, which ends up being her downfall. Xenia was not a
Roman ideal, and perhaps Virgil is warding away Greek ideas and only promoting Roman
Stoicism, strength and masculinity.
Secondary Sources: Scholar Quote
Jaffe ‘The central theme of Book 1 is the inevitability
of fate’ ‘Aeneas’ fate is inexplicably linked to the
fate of Rome’
Jaffe ‘Aeneas is represented as the paragon of
Roman virtue but also as having all too human
weakness’ (eg: wanting to die during the storm)
‘Virgil includes thi to portray the internal struggle
within a hero to engage with is readers and
inspire them to overcome’
G.E Duckworth Book 1 mirrors Book 7 in terms of theme: the
arrival in a strange land and a friendly reception
, Themes within this book When and what
Exile and the founding of cities ‘We were driven by signs from heaven into
distant exile to look for a home in some desert
land’
Jupiter’s speech to Venus about Romulus
founding ‘the walls of Mars’
Dido and the building of carthage
War and Peace The storm is brawling, howling and chained, full
of angry passion and a destructive force
Ekphrasis The sculpture on the Carthaginians' temple to
Juno
Post-homeric hero Aeneas Aeneas recognises himself on the temple
sculpture at Carthage, Dido has heard of him,
he is no longer in the pursuit of kleos, he is the
reluctant storyteller
Introduces himself as ‘Aeneas known for my
devotion’ - he defines himself in terms of his
obligations to the gods, his family and his
people.
Power of fate/immortals Juno is more powerful than Aeneas, her storm is
a destructive force and its intensity is
heightened by Virgil’s descriptive language in
which nature is made to seem larger and far
more powerful than Aeneas’ ships
The plot is led by fate and the meddling of the
immortal characters
Furor and pietas Virgil uses a simile that features a clash
between furor and pietas, Neptune calming the
storm is likened to ‘As when disorder arises
among the people of a great city and the
common mob runs riot, [...] 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’
This simile is unusual as it compares a force of
nature to human nature, it suggests that pietas
can overcome furor
Furor is used in Jupiter’s speech to Venus to
depict the suffering during Roman civil wars that
will happen in the future: ‘wars will be laid aside
and years of bitterness will be over’, was Virgil’s
audience supposed to see Augustus as the wise
statesman who, through pietas, was able to
overcome furor and solve the civil war?
Fate and Destiny Venus calls Jupiter: ‘You who rules the affairs of
gods and men with your eternal law’
Juno does not accept that fate always prevails,
and is a vindictive character intent on putting
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