SLL 256/ 356S Unrevised notes to Book I [soon to be edited]

Lecture III:

Book I
Quinn/ Williams

Introduction:
Poet’s Prologue 1-7
Invocation 8-11
Hypothesis 12-33
In medias res- almost in sight goal Italy- Hostility Juno, reasons: judgement Paris, Trojan Ganymede, attachment to Carth. ie. Mythological & Historical. Juno as Fortuna, nature of gods? I.11 ‘can there be such anger in heavenly minds- Musa, mihi causas memora –
Major themes in first few hundred lines: delight naturalsitic decription & mythic; character of pius Aeneas the hero; atmosphere of religious awe created by V.

Aen. I-VI Williams, R.D.
Quinn

I
The Storm 34- 222:
(i) Juno- Aeolus 34-83
(ii) Aeneas 84-123
(iii) Neptune 124-156
(iv) The Landing in Africa 157- 222

II
Interlude 223- 636
(i) Jove- Venus; Jove’s prophecy 223- 304
Arrival in Carthage
(ii) Venus- Aeneas 305- 417
335-370 Dido’s flight
371- 385 Aen. Who I am…
Ven. Response: whoever you are you breathe
(iii) Aeneas arrives; the temple of Dido 418- 519
Construction of Carthage; First hope on seeing a representation which moves him- Aen. Looks on history, master of time; first sight of Dido
(iv) Ilioneus’ speech- characterization of Aen. By Ilioneus;
Aeneas- Dido 520- 636
Dido’s speech, new city; offers equal footing; wishes for Aen.;
594 dvine Aen. Speaks- 612 Dido is amazed at Aen.

III
The Banquet 637- 756
(i) Preparations 637- 655: 644 but a father’s love allowed Aen. no rest
(ii) Venus- Cupid; Ascanius kidnapped 659- 696
(iii) The banquet 697- 756


Much correspondence Od. 5-8- Od. to home Ithaca, Aen. Leaving behind home and ways of life to found new world that will become Roman Empire- new kind of hero-
non-Odyssean element: note of mission, fate, will of jupter for the world (fato profugus 2- implicit in all struggles towards destined goal 33- expressed by Jove 223-
“it is a MISSION to bring peace and civilization to all men, and the nobility of its concept never quite fades from Vergil’s mind even when he explores the unhappiness and disaster attendant upon it in the story of Aeneas and the history of Rome.”


Explain Epicureanism :

Philosp.= attempt to gain happiness by means of discussion and reasoning- truth in senses
Quietist, absence pain, personal freedom from fear and death- wants to avoid disturbance so advises not public life- highest good pleasure
Stoicism
Virtue = knowledge, harmony with reason and nature; Paenetius rejects the idea that only the wise can be virtuous; Duty of philosopher to help those who aspire to wisdom, tried to adopt stoic ethics to needs of active statesmen and soldiers. Inluenced roman nobility. Trials and endurance, struggle for knowledge.

Determinism p.112 Quinn
Quinn p.: 124 C.M. Bowra ‘Aeneas & the stoic Ideal’ G R 3 (1933-4) 11

SOURCES:
Quinn, K. Virgil's Aeneid: a critical description (London, 1968)
Williams, R.D. The Aeneid of Virgil: Books I- VI (London, 1972)
West, D. (trans. & ed.) Virgil: The Aeneid (London, 1990)