Aeneid Bks 1-6

Question 1

3 key points

Summarise Book 1 of the Aeneid

Answer 1

• Aeneas encounters a storm and is cast ashore at Carthage
• Venus gives Aeneas the rundown of Dido
• Aeneas finds his lost men and is welcomed by Dido with a feast

Question 2

3 key points

Summarise Book 2 of the Aeneid

Answer 2

• Aeneas begins his recountment at the end of the Trojan war from: the horse, Sinon and Laocoon fallout
• Aeneas is warned and woken by Hector, he recruits his allies and fights back
• Aeneas leads the survivors after he fled with Creusa, Anchises and Ascanius

Question 3

Summarise Book 3 of the Aeneid

Answer 3

The wanderings of Aeneas:
- meet the Harpies
- Meet with Helenus
- Anchises dies

Question 4

3 Key points

Summarise Book 4 of the Aeneid

Answer 4

• Dido considers marriage to Aeneas, with Anna
• Juno and Venus plot an alliance between the Trojans and Carthaginians
• Aeneas acknowledges Jupiter’s message and leaves Carthage but doesnt tell Dido.

Question 5

Summarise Book 5 of the Aeneid

Answer 5

• Aeneas reaches Sicily and holds funeral games for Anchises
• Aeneas considers abandoning his mission

Question 6

3 Key points

Summarise Book 6 of the Aeneid

Answer 6

• Aeneas lands in Cumae and meet the Sibyl, Misenus dies and is burned
• Aeneas enters the underworld and meets; Palinurus, Dido, Deiphobus and Anchises
• Anchises shows Aeneas the souls at Lethe ready to be reborn and then he shows the future Roman race

Question 7

what book: Aeneas is warned and woken by Hector, he recruits his allies and fights back

Answer 7

2

Question 8

What book: Aeneas + Trojans land in Cumea and meet the Sibyl. Misenus dies and is burned

Answer 8

6

Question 9

What book: Aeneas considers abandoning his mission

Answer 9

5

Question 10

What book: The wanderings of Aeneas: Harpies, Helenus, Anchises dies

Answer 10

3

Question 11

What book: Aeneas leads the survivors after he fled with Creusa, Anchises and Ascanius

Answer 11

2

Question 12

What book: Aeneas encounters a storm and is cast ashore at Carthage

Answer 12

1

Question 13

What book: Aeneas finds his lost men and is welcomed by Dido with a feast as he tells his story

Answer 13

1

Question 14

What book: Aeneas begins his recountment at the end of the Trojan war with; the horse, Sinon and Laocoon fallout.

Answer 14

2

Question 15

What book: Dido considers marriage to Aeneas with Anna

Answer 15

4

Question 16

What book: Aeneas reaches Sicily and holds funeral games for Anchises

Answer 16

5

Question 17

What book: Venus gives Aeneas the rundown of Dido

Answer 17

1

Question 18

What book: Anchises shows Aeneas the souls at Lethe ready to be reborn and then he shows the future Roman race

Answer 18

6

Question 19

What book: Aeneas acknowledges Jupiter’s message and leaves Carthage but doesnt tell Dido

Answer 19

4

Question 20

What book: Juno and Venus plot an alliance between the Trojans and Carthaginians

Answer 20

4

Question 21

What book: Aeneas enters the underworld and meets Palinurus, Dido, Deiphobus and Anchises

Answer 21

6

Question 22

Elaborate on: Aeneas encounters a storm and is cast ashore at Carthage

Answer 22

• Juno’s anger: she has Aeolus (king/ruler/god of the winds) cause the storm to stop/ delay Aeneas
• During the storm Aeneas claims he wishes he had died at Troy
• Poseidon hears of it and calms the seas telling Aeolus he overstepped his bounds

Question 23

Elaborate on: Venus gives Aeneas the rundown on Dido

Answer 23

Dido and Aeneas are very similar:
- both are founding new cities to call home
- both lose their spouse and city at the same time
- spouse comes back as a ghost and urges them to move on

Question 24

Elaborate on: Aeneas finds his lost men and is welcomed by Dido with a feast as he tells his story

Answer 24

• His story is the last 7 years since Troy fell
• Venus has Cupid inpersonate Ascanius so Dido falls in love with Aeneas and helps him more

Question 25

Elaborate on: Aeneas begins his recountment at the end of the Trojan war with; the horse, Sinon and Laocoon

Answer 25

The ‘Trojan’ horse is discovered on the beach of Troy secretly filled with the best Greek soldiers whilst the rest of them hide behind the nearby island of Tenedos. Sinon is left with the horse supposedly as an escaped human sacrifice. He informs the Trojans that the horse was an offering to Minerva as the Greeks had been trying to leave but suffered the bad weather. Laocoon doesnt believe this and claims it is a trap he hurls a spear into the horse but nothing happens. Later he and his two sons are killed by twin serpants that come from the ocean and go to Minerva’s statue this is interpretated as her anger so the Trojans under Sinon’s advicement take the horse into the city to win Minerva’s favor. That night Sinon releases the Greeks from the horse and they slaughter the Trojans.

Question 26

Elaborate on: Aeneas is warned and woken by Hector. He recruites his allies and fights back

Answer 26

• Hector appears to him in a dream and tells him of the horse and gets him to wake up
• Aeneas and his friends fight back but quickly realise they are outnumbered they make some headway though when they dress in Greek armour however this is shortlived
• Aeneas retreats to the Palace where we see the Trojans hurling parts of the palace turrets at the Greeks to defend it however Pyrrus leads the Greeks through into the Palace where he kills Polites (Priam + Hecuba’s son) in front of Priam and Hecuba and then he kills Priam on his own altar and symbolically beheads him.
• Aeneas leaves the Palace and sees Helen hiding he blames her for everything however Venus stops him from killing her telling him it is the gods to blame for the war.

Question 27

Elaborate on: Aeneas leads the survivors after he fled with Creusa, Anchises and Ascanius

Answer 27

• Venus pursuades Aeneas to flee and rescue his family so he goes back to his house to lead them away.
• Anchises refuses to leave but Aeneas refuses to leave him behind. Anchises eventually gives in after he sees 2 portents: a flame on Ascanius’ forehead that doesnt hurt him and a bright falling star.
• In escaping Aeneas carries his father on his back and holds to Ascanius and Creusa follows behind
• Creusa is lost and dies, Aeneas doesnt realise until they are out of the city and rushes back in to find her. He meets her ghost and she tells him to move on and fufill his destiny.

Question 28

Elaborate on: the wanderings of Aeneas

Answer 28

In book 3
- Aeneas and the Trojans run into harpies who prophecise suffering for them and Helenus. Helenus was another son of Priam and he now rules part of what was Pyrrhus’ kingdom. He gives them gifts and tells them to see the Sibyl at Cumae.
- Anchises dies

Question 29

Elaborate on: Dido considers marriage to Aeneas with Anna

Answer 29

• Anna counsels her sister, pursuading her that it would be beneficial to marry Aeneas to get more gods on their side and more military might.
• We learn of Dido’s first husband Sychaeus who died and Dido swore she would never remarry to has refused Iarbus’ hand and every other suitor.
• Her love of Aeneas given to her by Venus and Cupid consumes her thoughts and the construction of her city falls to the wayside.

Question 30

Elaborate on: Juno and Venus plot an alliance between the Trojans and the Phoenicians

Answer 30

• Preperation for the hunting trip shows Dido as Diana
• Dido and Aeneas go hunting in a large party but end up alone taking shelter in a cave togther after a storm splits up the party. They have sex and live openly as lovers when they return to Carthage. Dido considers them married - as implied by Primeval Earth and Juno.
• Venus is aware that Juno is using this to delay/ stop Aeneas however helps Juno because it gives Aeneas an ally.

Question 31

Elaborate on: Aeneas acknowledges Jupiter’s message and leaves Carthage but doesnt tell Dido.

Answer 31

• Rumor is rampant in Carthage and reaches Iarbus in his nearby kingdom. Angered by Dido’s acceptance of Aeneas and rejection of him, he prays to his father Jupiter-Ammon who sends mercury to tell Aeneas to resume his quest.
• Aeneas doesnt tell Dido so she confronts him instead. He denies ever being married and sails away in secret Dido watches him leave and as he does she builds a pyre of the things he has left behind including their bed and burns them she then climbs on top of the pyre falls onto his sword and curses their two nations to never get on.

Question 32

Elaborate on: Aeneas considers abandoning his mission

Answer 32

• In sicily Juno sent Iris to incite the Trojan women to burn the ships. They sink some but most are saved. Some Trojans remain and start a city in Sicily.
• Aeneas considers giving up and using this as the promised land however Neptune promises Aeneas and the Trojans who continue to follow him safe passage to Cumae, it is on this journey that Palinurus falls from the ship.

Question 33

Elaborate on: Aeneas and the Trojans land in Cumae and meet the Sibyl. Misenus dies and is burned.

Answer 33

• Aeneas talks to the Sibyl to ask her to help him enter Dis so he can talk to his father. She tells him the only way to enter alive and return is to have the golden bough which can only be collected if he is fated to go to Dis and sacrifices to Proserpine and Dis (Pluto).
• The Sibyl also warns of a death. When Aeneas emerges to search for the items he needs he find that Misenus has dies.
• Misenus drowns because he accidentally challanges the River god Triton when he blows on a shell.
• Aeneas helps build the funeral pyre and during a trip to the wood to get wood Venus sends him 2 doves to show him where the golden bough is. It breaks off easily and Misenus has his funeral rites.

Question 34

Elaborate on: Aeneas enters the underworld and meets Palinurus, Dido, Deiphobus and Anchises

Answer 34

• He meets Palinurus on the shore of Acheron as he cant pass as he hasnt had a proper burial. Poseidon was true to his word and Palinurus survived being knocked into the sea. He washed ashore and was immediately attacked and killed. Aeneas promises to build him a tomb so he can move on.
• Aeneas meets Dido, she is with her husband Sychaeus in the fields of mourning she silently turns away from Aeneas’ apologies. She is compared to the moon.
• Aeneas meets Deiphobus who is completely mutilated. He tells Aeneas of Helen’s betrayal - how she led the Trojan women in Bacchic rites waving torches which signalled the Greeks from the citadel to Tenedos when the horse was brought in to the walls. She then removed all the weapons from their house as he slept and invited Menelaus and Ullyses in who slaughtered him.
• Finally Aeneas meets Anchises they try to hug 3 times but Aeneas keeps going though his shade.
• Aeneas meets many other people from the Trojan war he greets the Trojans and the Greeks all run scared from him.

Question 35

Elaborate on: Anchises shows Aeneas the souls at Lethe ready to be reborn and then he shows the future Roman race.

Answer 35

• The river Lethe is one of the many rivers of the underworld - it is the river of forgetting
• the future Roman race is broken down into: the Alban kings, Romulus and the Caesars, the Republic and beyond and Marcellus. They all emphasis how amazing the Roman race will be.