Virgil's Aeneid: Lines 12-33 Notes Flashcards
How is Carthage displayed here in comparison to how it is displayed in line 417?
It is an old city to give it connotations of nobility. In line 417, it is a new city as Virgil comments the antiquity to the Augustan reader
Where is Tyre?
Modern lebanon
Where is Carthage?
Libya
What is the story of the founding of Carthage?
Queen Dido lived in Tyre before she had to flee from her tyrannical brother, Pygmalion. She went to Carthage and brought her Tyrians with her where she built them a city
What were the names of the residents of Tyre?
Tyrians
Where is there a juxtaposition?
Between Karthago and Italiam. ‘Contra’ could mean opposite due to the sea in between or against as in enemies
What do most people think of when they see the ‘contra’ of Carthage and Italy?
The Punic Wars
What is Samos?
A Greek island
Who is Hera?
Juno
What was on Samos?
A very old but famous temple to Hera
What is elision? Give an example of where this is omitted?
When a vowel is omitted if it is at the end of a word when the next word begins with a vowel or an ‘h’. ‘Samo; hic’ is an example of where this does not happen
What is hiatus? Where does this occur?
A pause- ‘Samo;hic’
Why does it talk about Juno’s arms?
She was the goddess of war/ military so needed to keep her weapons somewhere
Juno is a Roman and Greek goddess. What was her favourite Roman city?
A Phoenician city
Why is Juno a Greek and Roman goddess?
The Romans used to obtain Gods from different cultures in places they had won in war. Instead of destroying a city, they would take their Gods
Can Juno overpower fate?
No - she can try but meddling will only get her so far. Aeneas is destined to found Rome
Where are Juno’s internal thoughts shown?
‘Si qua fata sinant’
What tense are ‘tendit’ and ‘fovet’ in?
Present
Why does Virgil mention the Trojan war that is not mentioned in Homer’s Ilyiad and is not Homeric in style?
To prove he is not a copy cat and to establish his own narrative
Why did Virgil deliberately use the word ‘verteret’?
Augustus rebuilt Roman Carthage by digging it up and re-levelling it- therefore, it was physically turned over
What does ‘superbum’ suggest?
Gives a pejorative (belittling) overtone when referred to people
Who were the Parcae?
Goddesses of childbirth but became known as ‘the fates’
On lines 23-33, what is Juno expressing?
Her resentment for the Trojans by moving onto the Trojan war
Who is Juno daughter of?
Saturn
Who is the subject of lines 23-32?
Juno
Where is the most logical place to put ‘Saturnia’?
Line 29
What is Argos?
A Greek city that houses an impressive temple to Juno, like Samos
Which lines are a parenthesis?
Lines 25-28 - we almost hear Juno speaking her own thoughts and feelings
Give examples of poetic plurals used as singulars
Irarum and dolores
Give examples that show Juno holds a grudge
‘necdum exciderant’, ‘repostum Paridis’ and ‘manet alta mente’
When Paris slights Juno’s beauty, what does she question?
Her sexual attractiveness
What is very Homeric about Juno?
Only revenge will satiate
Why are the Greeks known as the Danai?
The Greeks are descendants of Danaus, an Egyptian whose children fled to Argos
What is a vital component of epic poetry?
A journey
What does ‘per annos errabant’ do?
Links Juno’s motives to Aeneas’ struggle
What is the underlying force that shapes the action of the poem?
Fate
What does ‘tantae molis’ do?
Links together all the themes introduced in the first 33 lines
What has Virgil sketched throughout the prologue of the Aeneid?
The journey from Troy to Lavinia, the race’s future via Alba Longa to Rome. He reconciled myth with history and gave links to Trojan and Carthaginian contexts and made links to Homer
Give four reasons why Juno hates the Trojans
Aeneas is going to found Rome which will defeat Carthage in the Punic wars and burn it to the ground. Dardanus is the son of Juppiter but not Juno. Ganymede was snatched by Juppiter to be his cupbearer so she is jealous. Paris offended her by choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful instead of her
How did Aeneas know it was his destiny to found Rome?
He was visited by ghosts to tell him his destiny - including his father
What sort of technique is ‘magis omnibus’?
Ablative of comparison
What sort of technique is ‘iam tum’?
Juxtaposition ‘ now then’
How many wars did it take to defeat Carthage?
3
What do we know about Carthage from the text? Give evidence
‘Rich in wealth’, a fierce opponent ‘asperrima’, and they are well defended ‘verteret arces’
What does the capitalisation of ‘Parcas’ show?
Fate is an overriding feature
Who was Agymemnon?
King of Argos
Why is Juno jealous that Ganymede is Juppiter’s cup bearer?
She has to compete for his time and affections. A cup bearer is Juppiter’s right hand man so is high in his esteem
Why does Virgil mention Achilles?
Epic style to refer to Greek heroes
Why is such a short statement used at the end of the prologue?
Makes the audience aware the section has come to an end. Makes Aeneas seem more heroic and admirable
Who is Juppiter in Greek mythology?
Zeus
Who is Juno’s daughter?
Venus/ aphrodite
