I.  Review of the Concept of Eternal Rome (the Pax Romana; Romanitas)

"As if summoned to a feast, all the civilized world has laid down the burden of its arms and has turned to decorate itself and to enjoy the delights of peace...you have made the name of Rome no longer that of a city but of an entire people." (Aelius Aristides, 144 A.D.)

II. Virgil's Aeneid as an Expression of the Roman Mission.

The Aeneid articulates a sense of divinely-inspired mission for Rome: "Others with more graceful art, I suppose, will beat out lifelike bronze, or form living features from marble, plead cases more effectively, mark with a pointer the motion of the heavens, and foretell the rising of the stars. But you, Roman, remember to rule over peoples with your government. This will be your art: to impose conditions of peace, to spare the conquered, and to crush the proud." The fulfillment of the mission is illustrated by references to Roman history, particularly in Book VI of the Aeneid.

III. Aeneas as the Ideal Roman.

Aeneas, in pursuing his destiny and winning his struggles, exhibits those virtues (virtus, manliness, physical courage) which are characteristic of the ideal Roman: a sense of duty and subordination to the gods, the city, and the family (pietas); a seriousness of purpose (gravitas); a firmness of resolution (constantia); a conquering of passion by reason and will (severitas); a sympathy, warmth, and greatness of spirit; a commitment to law, order, justice, mercy; a religious faith.

IV. The Aeneid as a Literary Example of the Roman Cultural Mission

A. The Epic Form - an epic is a long narrative poem, written in an elevated style, which celebrates the legendary deeds of a racial or national hero. Like all epics, the Aeneid uses certain conventions or traditional techniques: an invocation to the Muse; the beginning in media res (in the middle of things); the catalogue of heroes; epic games; and the epic simile. The Aeneid is in an epic tradition which includes the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Divine Comedy, Beowulf, the Faerie Queen, and Paradise Lost.

B. The Mythological Content - the Olympian deities are Greek gods bearing Roman names. The content of the poem is a combination of Greek and Latin myths, used for a new and larger purpose, the expression of Roman glory and destiny.

V.  A Summary of the Poem

Virgil wrote the Aeneid between 30-19 A.D. At his death the poem was unfinished and Virgil left instructions that it be destroyed. Augustus, however, having heard the poem in progress, intervened and ordered that the work be preserved.

Virgil narrates the adventures of a Trojan warrior , Aeneas, who escapes the sack of Troy by the Greeks and wanders, with his loyal followers, toward his (and Rome's) appointed destiny, to found a new city of brave men in Italy. This new city will become Rome.

Aeneas has a hard time because of the intervention of Juno (Hera), queen of the gods, who has several reasons to hinder his progress. Juno sends a storm which drives Aeneas and his band to Africa and the city of Carthage. There the hero meets the queen, Dido, makes love to her at her instigation, and leaves her because Jupiter, the king of the gods, tells him he must. He is a man of destiny; he must get on to Italy and found Rome. Aeneas obeys and sails away. Dido, overcome with passion and grief, commits suicide.

Aeneas stays a short while in Sicily and takes a trip to the underworld, where he meets his dead father (Anchises) and lover (Dido), and where he is shown the future glory of Rome. He arrives in Italy, where the natives are friendly until Juno stirs them up. The ensuing warfare ebbs and flows until Aeneas kills the enemy's champion, Turnus.

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