Historical and political background Flashcards
Context of the Aeneid - Augustus’ rise to power and consolidation of his rule
Augustus begged Virgil to send him “either the preliminary outline or any specimen passage” of the Aeneid. It was only when the poem was largely complete, Virgil would recite any of it and it was still only Books 2, 4 and 6 - Donatus
RD Williams - Virgil lived most of his life during a period of disastrous civil wars which caused havoc to Italian farming, and he felt a profound relief when Augustus’ victory at Actium in 31BC seemed to mark the beginning of a stable peace.
Context of the Aeneid - political and historical background of the civil war
Donatus says that Virgil wrote the Aeneid to encompass an account of the
origins both of Rome and of Augustus.
Also, he tells us Virgil almost lost his land in the distribution of lands being divided among the soldiers by order of the triumvirs after Philippi. He was exempted and turned to writing pastoral poetry in his Eclogues to honour those who had exempted him.
Virgil’s relationship to Augustus and his regime
“Mantua was my birthplace. I rest at Naples. I sang of pastures, farms and heroes.” Virgil’s own epitaph on his tomb according to Aelius Donatus
To what extent is the Augustan regime is promoted within the epic?
Promotion of the Roman Empire
RD Williams
The poem is based on two deep desires
To emulate and to some extent reproduce in a Roman setting the epic poetry of Homer which had cast a spell over him
To express the achievements and ideals and hopes of Rome, as she recovered from the civil wars and sought to establish peace for herself and the whole world.
Three plot strands that Jasper Griffin says Virgil considered vital was the story of the foundation of Rome from Troy, by a hero famous for his pietas, the history of Rome and the deliverance of Rome achieved by Augustus
Virgil Influence
Homeric Influence - Aurelius Donatus - Virgil rebutted the charge of plagiarising Homer with the following remark: “Only let such critics try to do the same themselves. They would find that its easier to steal his club from Hercules than to steal a line from Homer
Catullus influences
