Transcript Introducing a New Product

Aeneid 1 and 2
Jim Lohmar - Tur. 3302 (Tues) 1:30-4:45
Virgil the Man
October 15, 70 BCE
near Mantua
In the retinue of
Augustus (after 3839 BCE)
Horace, Livy,
Maecenas
Dies in Naples in 19
BCE
Virgil the Poet
Eclogues (38-39 BCE)
pastoral poetry;
dialogues
Earned him a spot in
Augustus' retinue
Georgics (20's BCE)
more pastoral
poetry; more didactic
in nature on farming.
Virgil and his Aeneid
Augustus commissions a
Roman Epic -20’s BCE
(Allegedly) Horace asked
first-turns it down
Virgil begins work
Books 2, 4, and 6 recited
to Augustus before
completion
Incomplete epic?
Legend has it Virgil
wanted it burned
The Aeneid's Legacy
Dante tours Inferno
and Purgatorio with
Virgil
Meets Ovid, Homer,
and Statius!
Numerous works of art
inspired by Virgil's
poem
Statius' final words:
“Do not try to replace
the Aeneid, merely
follow at a distance.
The Aeneid in Art
The Aeneid
Literally, “the story of
Aeneas”
Pius Aeneas the 'hero'
cf: Thebaid, Iliad
Twelve books (libri); all
about 700-800 lines
First half: Odyssey-type
story
Second half: Iliad-like
story
Numerous innovations
Content
Tragic Elements
Aeneid 1 and 2
Book 1 begins in
medias res with
Aeneas and crew
slammed by storm
Trojans put in at
Libyan shore and go
to Carthage
Book 2 narrates the
Fall of Troy
Arma virumque cano
These are probably Arma virumque cano, Troiae
qui primus ab oris (V.)
the most important
lines in all of Latin Bella per Emathios plus quam
literature:
civilia campos (L.)
Lucan: Bella per
Emathios...
Statius: Fraternas
acies...
Homer: Menin aeide
thea...
Fraternas acies alternaque
regna profanis (S.)
Ordior arma, quibus caelo se
gloria tollit / Aeneadum (S.I)
Arma virumque (continued)
Virgil lays out his
argument:
ll. 8-11: invocation of the
Muse
Poets must invoke the
ll. 1-3: I sing of arms
Muse for inspiration on
and a man, a fugitive
their “journey”
who came from Troy
Homer's 3rd word: thea
to Italy.
ll. 3-6: battered around Also gives background on
the Mediterranean
why Juno is so angry at
by Juno
the Trojans
ll. 6-7: He gave rise to
still angry at the golden
the ROMANS
apple
knows the future too:
Punic Wars
In Medias Res: Aeneid 1
Latin for “in the middle
of things”
Line 34: begin the
story of Aeneas
Storm sent by Juno
via Aeolus (windking)
First sighting of
Aeneas: weeping for
his men and lost
friends.
Cf: Odyssey 5
The End of the Storm
Neptune feels the quake
of the Ocean and
calms the storm
citing that the seas are
his domain, not the
wind's
Exhausted after storm,
with only 7 ships
remaining, Aeneas and
men put in at nearest
shore
Happens to be near
Carthage
In Libya
Aeneas first kills 7
deer for each of his
remaining ships
Exhorts his men:
fear not, we're bound
for Latium and New
Troy
We've been through
worse than this
Remember that whole
Fall of Troy thing?
Meanwhile, back at
Olympus:
Venus asks Jupiter
why her Trojans are
doomed to be
tormented like this
Jupiter says don't
worry:
brief summary of
Aeneid and events
up to present day
(C1 BCE)
To Carthage
A: Who are you? You
look like a Goddess
Aeneas unable to
sleep; wants to knowV: have you seen any of
my friends? This is the
where in the world
land of the
they are.
In the morning, takes Carthaginians
Brief history of Dido and
Faithful Achates to
how she came to be
scout out the area
Queen of Carthage
Come across
Venus cloaks Aeneas and
someone dressed as
Achates in a cloud so
a huntress in the
as not to be seen in
woods.
town (mirabile dictu!).
Meanwhile at Carthage
Dido in the process of
building her city
the simile of the bees
“dux femina facti”
Enter Dido...like an
Amazon leader
Gives laws and orders
on what to build
Importance of Juno
temple in the center
of city.
Dido Meets Aeneas
Aeneas, still invisible,
enters the city of
Carthage
Goes to Juno temple
and observes
depictions of the
Trojan war; weeps
Dido receives other
Trojans who were
saved by Venus and
Jupiter in the storm
Would that Aeneas
were here!
Dinner at Carthage
After being received,
Aeneas and his men
dine with the Queen
Venus to Cupid:
we must stop Juno before
she can do more
take on the form of
Ascanius (Aeneas'
son)...breathe onto
Dido at dinner
Dinner commences
Dido wants to know what
happened at Troy
Book 2: The Fall of Troy
Virgil's account by far the
most compendious
Entirety of Book 2
In the mouth of Aeneas;
'eyewitness' account
One of the most pathetic
scenes in Latin
literature.
Numerous depictions in
art as well.
Also becomes a topos
for imitators later
(Lucan)
Aeneas recounts:
Scene One
10 long years of siege
Greeks go to Tenedos
Construct giant wooden
horse w/ help of Minerva
Leave at the doorstep with
one man behind (Sinon)
What are we to do with
this? Why is it here?
Suddenly, Laocoön comes
running from the arx
“EQUO NE CREDITE!”
Throws a spears and it
sticks into the side of the
horse; noise within
Sinon's Deceit and Laocoön's
Death
After Laocoön's javelin,
Sinon enters:
“I fell out of favor with the
Greeks; they left”
“This is atonement for
despoiling the Palladium”
Suddenly, 2 serpents come
from the sea
Track Laocoön into temple
where he is sacrificing
Entwine him and both
young sons; ultimately go
to temple of Minerva.
Michelangelo's Addition
That Night
Trojans bring horse
inside city walls
Celebration to
commemorate the end
of the war
Everybody overcome
with wine; very few
guards on duty
Sinon unlocks the horse,
Greeks begin
overtaking the city.
The Sack of Troy
The Sack of Troy
Aeneas asleep; Hector
comes to him
Go! Take the penates and
lares with you!
Wakes suddenly, hears
the tumult of the city
Goes out into city armed;
meets up with fellow
Trojans
Fight in Greek armor for
a while.
The Death of King Priam
Pyrrhus/Neoptolemos
outside royal palace
Break down doors
finally
Priam and family
huddled around altar
in middle of palace
Pyrrhus chases
Polites up to this
altar
Death of Priam continued
Priam: “You are worse
than your father; in
fact, you cannot be
his son
Pyrrhus: “Go tell him
yourself.”
Pyrrhus drags Priam by
the hair up to the
altar, stabs him, and
cuts off his head
Priam's body left lying
on the beach without
a head
Escape
Aeneas angry at all
that has happened
Sees Helen...blames
her for sack of the
city
Almost kills her, but
Venus intervenes
Remember, you have
a wife, father, and
son to care for; now
get out of here.
Escape Continued
Aeneas runs to his
house to save family
Anchises (father)
doesn't want to go at
first.
Iulus/Ascanius and the
star of Caesar
Anchises assents to
go, all leave
What happens to
Creusa?
The End of the Sack
Aeneas and servants
meet at designated
place outside of the
city
Forgot Creusa!
Aeneas goes back
Creusa appears:
Venus detains me, I will
not be going with you
You must go and found
your city now, though
Aeneas turns and leaves
the city, thus ending
book 2