Book 6: The Underworld Flashcards
Where is Aeneas arriving at the start of Book 6?
Cumae, a place in Italy close to Lake Avernus (entrance to the UW) - not final destination
What is Aeneas’ first reaction after landing?
He goes to Apollo’s temple to find the Sibyl - puts his mission above his personal needs (his men attend to fire, food, and water)
Which scenes are depicted on Apollo’s temple?
- Prince Androgeos, son of Minos, killed by the Athenians and as punishment they has to give 7 sons (by lot) to the minotaur in the Cretan labyrinth
- Theseus was chosen and Princess Ariadne helped him out as she was in love with him - she was helped by Daedalus. the creator of the labyrinth
- Daedalus and his son, Icarus, had to flee as Minos was furious - used wings but Icarus flew too close to the sun and died.
- Daedalus survived and decorated this temple
What is the name of the Sibyl?
Deiphobe
Describe the Sibyl’s cave
A hollowed cave inside the temple with ‘a hundred broad shafts, a hundred mouths’ in the walls - voices wpuld stream out and talk to the Sibyl
Desribe the Sibyl’s transformation during her prophecy
All transformed - face, colour, hair in disorder, heaving breast, wild heart. ‘She seemed to grow in stature and speak as no mortal had ever spoken’
What does Aeneas ask of the Sibyl?
For pity and mercy from their sufferings, they have been led to Italy and asks that the gods/goddesses that opposed them at Troy stop persuing them. In return, he will build a temple to Apollo (like Augustus in 28BC)
What does the Sibyl predict about the war to come?
It will be a second Trojan war:
- There will be a Xanthus and Simois (Trojan rivers) = Tiber and Numicius
- ‘torrents of blood’
- Will be a Greek camp
- Second Achilles = Turnus (both have divine parents)
- Juno’s involvement
[- Cause will be a foreign bride (Helen, Lavinia)
What simile is used of the Sibvl in her prophetic frenzy?
’ Apollo shook the reins upon her in her frenzy and dug the spurs into her flanks’ - controlling, inciting
Give examples of other heroes that have been to the Underworld
- Orpheus resuced his wife from the UW
- Pollux shared death with his brother, Castor
- Hercules stole Cerebeus (one of 12 labours)
- Theseus went to the UW as part of his 6 labours
What does the Sibyl says Aeneas needs to do to return from the Underworld?
The golden bough, grows on a branch in the woods - only a man with a great Fate may pick it - must take it to Proserpina.
She says he also must bury his dead friend who is polluting the fleet (Misenus)
How did Misenus die?
Son of Aeolus, was a trumpeter in the Trojan war and one of Hector’s comrades.
One day he blew into a sea shell and challenged the gods to play as well as he could. Triton, a sea deity famous for playing the sea shell (and Misenus’ rival), drowned him among the rocks for his hubris
How did Aeneas find the golden bough?
Aeneas prayed the bough would show itself and Venus sent 2 doves - they flew from branhc to branch as Aeneas followed them
How did Aeneas and the Trojans honour Misenus?
They built a pyre and made offerings. Aeneas raised a mound, put Misenus’ oars, armous, and trumpet on it - this is on the mountain that was also named after him (Mount Misenus)
Describe the cave at the entrance of the Underworld
Surrounded by dark woods and the ‘black waters of the lake’ - jagged pebbles, gaping mouth
The breath that streamed out was so deadly that no birds flew overhead (hence Greek name Aornos, place without birds)
Who do the Sibyl and Aeneas call upon/sacrifice to before entering the Underworld?
Hecate, Night (mother of the Furies), Prosperina
Who does Virgil evoke before telling of what happened in the Underworld? Why?
Chaos and Phlegathon, rivers of the UW. Homer invokes muses. Doing something wrong?
What do they first see whent they enter the Underworld?
The personified ills of men: Grief, Revenge, Old Age, Diseases, Fear, Hunger, Poverty, Death, Drudgery (meniality), Sleep, Pleasures, War, Discord
Also, monsters - centaurs, Scylla, hydras, chimaeras, gorgons, harpies, Geryon
Describe Charon
- ‘Filthy rags’, untrimmed grey beard - unkempt, dishevelled, ‘a foul cloak hangsfrom a knot on his shoulder’
- ‘thick grey beard’ ‘no longer young’ - appearance of being old (but not as gods don’t age)
- ‘rude strength’, ‘he plies the pole’ - strong, job of a slave in Roman world
- ‘terrible Charon’ ‘his glaring eyes are lit with fire’ - fierce, scary
How are the souls at the bank of the river Cocytus described?
‘mothers, men… heroes, boys, unmarried girls, and young men [who died before their parents]’
- as many as ‘the leaves that fall [in autumn]’ and ‘the birds that flock [to warm lands]’
- quantity, wasted potential, pathos, fluttering
- season similes: stages of life, passing of time before death
Describe Palinurus’ conversation with Aeneas and the Sibyl
- Aeneas asks what happened to Palinurus
- Palinurus says a ‘mighty force’ threw him from the ship but he feared more for A’s ship that himself (pathos) - drifted for 4 days and on the 5th he swam to shore (Italy) - band of ruffians killed him with knives, now his body is left at the water’s edge
- Palinurus begs A to bury him
- The Sibyl scolds P, says the gods will drive nearby people to bury him, the place will be known as Cape Palinurus (glory)
- Palinurus rejoiced
Describe the conversation between Charon and the Sibyl
- Charon bitter about Hercules, Theseus, and Pirithous - got in trouble for the bad things they did (humour)
- Sibyl says they come to see Anchises - if A’s piety doesn’t convice him, they also have the golden bough
- Charon marvells at it and drives off the souls on the boat (humour) - takes them across (ship groaning at Aeneas’ weight - humour)
How do they get past Cerebeus
The Sibyl gives him ‘a honey cake seemed in soporific drugs’ - humour
Describe the types of the dead in Limbo
- Infants: weeping
- Those condemned to death on false charges: is an UW “appeals court” presided over by Minos
- Suicides: now wish for life
- Victims of unhappy love: in the Mourning Plains in a wood of myrtle trees (Virgil mentions a few women like Homer’s catalogue od women in the Odyssey)
