Virgil's Aeneid
- Course Code
- CLAS 0082
- Course Type
- Tutorials
- Subject Credit
- Course Availability
Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ describes the epic journey of the Trojan hero Aeneas to found a new race in Italy. The epic owes much to the Iliad, Odyssey and other literature, but also reflects the concerns of Augustan Rome. Aeneas’ doomed love-affair with Dido in Book 4 is an emotional climax, while Aeneas’ visit to the ghosts in the Underworld looks forward to the eventual greatness of Rome. The gods are constantly present, as they are involved in forging the destiny of the Romans.
Sample topics:
- Masculine and feminine points of view
- The poet’s use of characterisation to tell his story
- Religion and the gods
- The role of cities
- The presentation of death and the significance of the Underworld
- Trojan, Roman and Greek culture and values
- The structure of the epic
- The morality of war
There is no language requirement for this tutorial: all texts are taught in English translation. However, if you do have the relevant language skills then it can be taught through the original texts: contact the Senior Tutor to discuss this.