As the Trojan Horse gorges blood thirsty Greeks into sleeping Troy, thankfully we are fated to journey along with Aeneas as he stumbles forth to follow his destiny. There is lots to ponder as we stow away on this voyage….
- Take note of references to ealier great works we have read. Isn’t it satisfying as we are able to fit small pieces of these literary puzzles into place?
- What about the doomed love of Dido? What do we know from Plato about love? What do we learn about Aeneas? Dido? Why are the final chapters of the Trojan War told as a story within a story?
- Who is leading this search for a homeland? Is it Aeneas? Considering the way Virgil connects human labors to the realm of the gods, is it the gods and fate determining the suffering and circumstances on this quest, or is it the characters and their choices? Again, what is the interplay between the gods, fate, and man’s choice.
- How has ancient literature shaped our thinking on heaven and hell? Damnation? Good works? Earning salvation? What does the Bible say about heaven and hell? Are the Elysian Fields easier to grasp than the Bible’s descriptions of heaven?
- Can you find the Roman Mandate? Is this still valued in modern times? Does it still work? Does it have a familiar ring?
Is it a derivative work? A commissioned cheap sequel to the real Homer.
He is a masterful writer of literary devices such as simile and metaphor. But these don’t seem to bog the story down as much as they do in the Iliad. He’s writing only to please Ceasar Agustus, not the many as in the case of Homer.
Roman Mandate: VI:852: “Your task, Roman, and do not forget it, will be to govern the peoples of the world in your empire. These will be your arts—and to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and war down the proud.” According to Virgil, the ruler was to bring peace so virtue could prevail.