The Aeneid. This summary includes references to the Robert Fitzgerald translation, Vintage Books, 1984. The page number for the beginning of each book is noted, and the line nunbers within each book are provided in parenthesis.
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Book I , p. 1. Trojans Arrive at Carthage: “A Fateful Haven” |
| “I sing of warfare and a man at war” (1) Juno angry at Trojans (9-130) Trojans in waters off Sicily (50) Juno appeals to Aeolus: “Blow the Trojans off course” (90) We meet Aeneas (131) [In Latin text line 70]. Neptune(Poseidon)saves Aeneas (193) [Latin text line 127] Great Simile: rioting city/calming the waters (201) Aeneas lands on coast of Africa (234) [Latin text 154] Aeneas hunts deer (252) Venus(Aphrodite)appeals to Jupiter(Zeus): protect my child Aeneas (312) [Latin text line 210]. Jupiter reassures V. your Aeneas’ fate is sealed, no change (347) Jupiter enumerates Aeneas Roman fate (348-410) Aeneas explores the coast of Africa (411) meets his mother Venus disguised (425) Aeneas and companions go into Carthage disguised (563) Aeneas sees the art of Carthage with story of Troy (616) Dido welcomes Trojans (762) [Latin text line 539]. Aeneas appears before Dido (799) Venus sends Cupid/inflame Dido with love (895) Latin 650 Dido asks Aeneas: tell your story (1027) |
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Book II, p. 31 Aeneas Tells of Fall of Troy: “How They Took the City” |
| Aeneas tells his story: “Sorrow too deep to tell…” (1) The Trojan Horse (21) [Latin line 15] beware of Greeks bearing gifts Sinon’s treachery (96) death of Laocoön (275) [Latin line 200] Hector appears to Aeneas in dream (360) Aeneas recounts fate of Priam (659) [Latin 505] Aeneas meets Helen (741) [Latin 565] Great Simile: fall of Troy and ash tree (816) Aeneas and his father Anchises (826) [Latin 630] Aeneas and wife Creusa (880) Aeneas escapes Troy (960) Trojan refugees gather together (1035) |
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Book III, p. 63. Aeneas Continues His Story: “Sea Wanderings and Strange Meetings” |
| Proud Ilium lay smoking in the earth (1) Trojans build a fleet (8) Aeneas meets Polydorus (63) Aeneas at Delos (100) Aeneas at Crete (183) At Strophadës with the Harpies (291) [Latin 210] Trojans at Actium(scene of Octavian’s triumph over Mark Antony) notice Virgil attaches story to important Roman history Games of Ilium: “The men, all naked, slippery with oil” (378) Aeneas with Andromache who has survived the war (420) [Latin 310] Aeneas bids farewell to Andromache & Helenus (654) [Latin 486] Aeneas arrives in Sicily (758) Meet Achaemenides, story of Polyphemus (812) Death of Aeneas’ father Anchises (938) [Latin 708] Trojans arrive on Carthaginian shore (948) |
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Book IV, p. 93. The Romance of Aeneas and Dido: “Passion of the Queen” |
| Queeen Dido in Love “the manhood of the man, his pride of birth, came home to her time and again, his looks….” (4) Dido talks with sister Anna Great Simile: Dido like a doe (95) [Latin 69] Dido mad with love, embraces his empty couch (115) [Latin 83] This is the most powerful depiction of sexual passion in Western literature to this date, a model for all Medieval evocations of the subject, every Medieval poet who writes about power of passion knows Bk IV of Aeneid) Dido neglects the gov of Carthage (121) Juno and Venus confer (131) Dido takes Aeneas on hunt (168) [Latin 119] The storm (221) Latin 160 Dido and Aeneas in the cave (226) [Latin 165] “torches of lightning blazed” (230) “prisoners of lust” (265) [Latin 194] (another trans. “enthralled by shameless passion’) Mercury goes to Aeneas, remind him of his duty (325) Aeneas stirred by words, decides to leave (380) Dido confronts Aeneas: “False one!”(exact Latin) (417-18) [Latin 305] Aeneas: “Married? Who said anything about marriage?” (468) Think of the incredible ever-contemporary quality of this male-female exchange. First sex then discuss marriage and the guy says: “Who said anything about marriage” and you begin to understand why everyone considers Virgil one of “us” in a way Homer is not. Aeneas leaves (795) [Latin 573] Dido dies for love (906) [Latin 652] |
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Book V, p. 123. The Funeral Games of Anchises: “Games and Conflagration” |
| Book V is an interlude betw hot Book IV & important Book VI Virgil uses funeral games exactly as Homer had done Aeneas sees flames of Carthage from his ship (5) Trojans put in to Sicily King Alcestes greets them Trojans stage funeral games on one year anniv of death of Anchises Torjans embark for Italy |
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Book VI, p. 157. Aeneas’ Journey to the Underworld: “The World Below” |
| Bk VI is most important in the whole of the Aeneid. It is the keystone of structure both literary and philosophical. Bk VI holds past and future together in Aeneid. It depicts the transformation of Aeneas: from inconstant earthbound boy to history-making man. The last of the Trojans is reborn as the first of the Romans. It is based on Bk XI of Odyssey where Odysseus journeys to underworld. It is also the most influential book in any classical work of literature. Its evocation of the underworld determines all later renditions. Most important: it gives Dante the model for his Divine Comedy. Trojans arrive in Italy (1) Aeneas goes to Sanctuary of Apollo (15) Aeneas consults the Sibyl(prophetress)Deiphobe Aeneas addresses Apollo (92) Sibyl prophesy: “wars ahead” (132) Aeneas follows Sibyl’s orders, goes to cavern (331) Earth opens, Aeneas descends into underworld (351) Aeneas and Charon (409) [Latin 300] Charon rows Aeneas and Sibyl across Acheron (520) Aeneas meets Dido(GREAT SCENE) (450) Latin 606 ideas of punishment in underworld (753) [Latin 560] Aeneas comes to the Elysian Fields (853) [Latin 637] Aeneas meets his father Anchises (918) Anchises explains the Virgilian Metaphysic (73 ) [Latin 724] The Prophecy of Anchises: Roman History (1014) Aeneas returns to earth, joins men, relaunches ships (1219) |
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Book VII, p. 193. The Trojans Settle in Latium: “Juno Served by a Fury” |
| This Book begins the second half of the Aeneid. Virgil signals this invoking the Muses again line 47 as did in beginning…..so this another beginning. First six books modeled on the Odyssey; second half on Iliad. Now that Trojans arrive in Italy Virgil(an Italian who loves his country-see Georgics/Eclogues) can now use all his skill to describe the beautiful Italian countryside. Latium where they arrive is of course the area of Italy (now called Lazio) where the Romans will build the beginnings of Rome, thus King Latinus is early ancestor of the later Romans. “Be with me, Muse of all Desire, Erato, while I call up the kings, the early times,…” (40) King Latinus (60) Trojans pause on riverside, share meal (139) Aeneas remembers father’s prophecy (155) “Here is our home.” (160) Aeneas sends ambassadors to Latium (203) Trojan Ilioneus speaks at Latin court (282) Juno intervenes to provoke war (388) Juno’s agent(Allecto) inflames Queen Amata against Trojans (467) Juno’s agent inflames Turnus against the Trojans (580) Ascanius hunting kills tame stag of Tyrrhus(Latinus’ herdsman) (654) Provoke war between Latins and Trojans The Gates of the Temple of Janus (827) Juno blasts open the Gates (for war) (851) Vigil enumerates Latin allies gathering for war (880+) |
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Book VIII, p. 227. Alliance with Evander: “Arcadian Allies” |
| Aeneas, worried about gathering clouds of war Aeneas lays down and receives godly advice: seek out King Evander Evander King of Pallentum, Greeks from Arcadia (70) Aeneas meets Evander (138) Evander welcomes Aeneas (208) Venus worried about Aeneas goes to Vulcan(Hepheastus) Venus asks Vulcan make armor for Aeneas (491) THE ARMOR OF AENEAS:History of Italy (557) [Latin 425] compare Armor of Aeneas to Shield of Achilles, Iliad, Bk XVIII compare scenes and subjects presented. |
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Book IX, p. 257. The Latins Attack the Trojans: “A Night Sortie, A Day Assault” |
| While Aeneas away the Latins led by Turnus attack the Trojans. Turnus dominates the book. Turnus resembles the heroes of the Iliad. The whole book is a book of battle resembling the Iliad. Nisus-Euryalus resembles night patrol of Odysseus and Diomedes in Book X of Iliad. Books IX, X, XI are almost exclusively battle books and since Virgil never experienced battle (as one can assume Homer did) he fails to endow these three books with all the excitement of some of the other books. He includes them since he is openly choosing the Homeric work as his model and therefore must include battles, but one can see that his pacifist heart isnt in them. They lack the spark and originality of Book IV or Book VI. ( He obviously DID know something about love, sex and death.) |
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Book X, p. 291. The Battle Continues: “The Death of Princes” |
| Book X opens with a Council of the Gods (1) Jupiter(Zeus) orders other Gods to stay out of the battle (141) The Trojans besieged Aeneas arrives at mouth of Tiber, Trojans cheered (360) Aeneas joins the fight Valiant fight of Pallas, son of Evander the Arcadian Pallas killed by Turnus (671) Aeneas battles and kills the old Italian leader Mezentius (1097) |
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Book XI, p. 329. The Latins Debate War and Peace: “Debaters and a Warrior Girl” |
| Body of Pallas taken in solemn procession to palace of Evander The old king mourns death of his son Aeneas meets with Latin ambassadors (137) Aeneas proposes one to one combat himself with Turnus Dissension in Laurentum among Latin nobles Trojans advancing (622) exploits of brave Camilla (726) death of Camilla (1110) |
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Book XII, p. 365. The Duel Between Aeneas and Turnus: “The Fortunes of War” |
| Turnus sees the Latins are losing announces war will be decided between him and Aeneas the victor will marry Lavinia and proclaim peace the two men meet, Aeneas wins |