OCTOBER 24/25: VIRGIL 'S AENEID: A ROMAN EPIC
READINGS (Wednesday class, October 25): Aeneid, book 1 , pp. 1-27 (Consult the summary of the plot ; read the introductory commentary and the notes on books 1-2 )
Summary: In this class, I will provide a brief overview of the history and culture of the Hellenistic world and early Rome.  This will give you a context for our reading of Virgil’s Aeneid, a Roman epic modelled upon the epics of Homer. The first book of the Aeneid introduces the three major issues we will consider in examining the work: Virgil’s poetic relationship to Homer and Greek culture; the character of the Roman hero, Aeneas, and its roots in Stoic philosophy and ethics; the historical vision of the Aeneid and its commentary on Roman history and politics.

HISTORICAL OUTLINE

1.  "HELLENISTIC" CULTURE
     Be sure you understand the difference between the terms "Hellenic" and "Hellenistic".  "Hellenic" is a synonym for "Greek", derived from the Greek name for Greece, Hellas.  "Hellenistic" refers to a specific period and culture.  The Hellenistic period (c. 323-31 B.C.) followed the conquests of the MACEDONIAN ruler, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, in the Near East, and ended with the Roman domination of the eastern Mediterranean, conventionally marked by OCTAVIAN 's defeat of  his rival, MARC ANTONY , and his ally, the Egyptian queen, CLEOPATRA , in the naval battle at ACTIUM.  Hellenistic culture refers to the culture created by the spread of Greek culture and civilization in the Near East.  Important Hellenistic cultural centers included the city of ALEXANDRIA , founded by Alexander the Great in Egypt and later the site of the " MUSEUM", and the city of PERGAMUM in Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

2.  AN OUTLINE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EXPANSION OF ROME

3. THE END OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC: the upheavals of the first century B.C.

VIRGIL’S AENEID

In class, we will look at Virgil's Aeneid from three perspectives:
  1. the poetry of the Aeneid: a "translation" of Homeric epic for a Roman audience and an effort to rival or surpass Homer's poetry
  2. the ethical and philosophical environment of the Aeneid: the making of a Roman or STOIC hero
  3. the historical and political vision of the Aeneid: the linking of Roman history and Greek mythology to explain Rome's destiny

Be aware of the following equivalences between the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses:
Zeus/Jupiter                      Hermes/Mercury                          Aphrodite/Venus
Hera/Juno                         Poseidon/Neptune                        Kronos/Saturn
Athene/Minerva                Ares/Mars
Artemis/Diana                   Hephaistos/Vulcan

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: INTERPRETING AND APPRECIATING THE AENEID (Book one)
-COMPARING WORKS>>> Compare the opening lines of the Aeneid (1-18) with those of the Iliad.
-How does Virgil introduce Roman history into the first lines of the Aeneid (1-50)?  How does he link Roman history and the story of Troy there and in Jupiter's prophecy (358-417)?
-How does Virgil introduce his hero, Aeneas?
-COMPARING WORKS>>> Compare Virgil's first simile (200-20) with the Homeric simile.
-COMPARING WORKS>>> Find five different ways in which Virgil uses Homeric techniques or Homeric material in book 1 of the Aeneid.
-What does Virgil achieve by describing the scenes on the walls of the Temple of Juno (647-697)?  How does Virgil introduce Dido?  What is her relationship to the goddess, DIANA, and PENTHESILEA , the Queen of the Amazons? (700)
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Virgil fills his poem with complex allusions to Homer's epics.  A familiarity with the Iliad and the Odyssey would enrich a reading of the Aeneid.  Allusions are important in contemporary media as well.  Consider one or two examples of films, television programs, ads, or music videos which use allusions to other works - whether in style or subject matter - to enhance their impact.  Relate your example to Virgil's use of allusions in the Aeneid.
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AENEID: SUMMARY OF PLOT
AENEID, COMMENTARY
OCTOBER 30/31 (AENEID BOOKS 2-3)
SCHEDULE OF READINGS (Monday/Wednesday)
SCHEDULE OF READINGS (Tuesday night)
RETURN TO HUM 2211