All I can do is nod with Kristen and Spica. I never liked the Aeneid (we read it as a companion to the Iliad in my senior AP English class, and skipped it in my world lit class last fall), and part of that was because of the history of the time period (I am not Augustus' biggest fan). However, I'd like to reread it and get a better sense of it, because Vergil is so fascinating and the classics in general are so important in fathoming modern literature and myth (imho).
I do have a question, though. It was my understanding that the Emperor commissioned the Aeneid, and when I was first taught the poem there was a lot of class discussion about the characterizations within as a result. Is that true, did Augustus commission Vergil to write the Aeneid as a Roman Iliad, to strengthen the vision he had of his Empire? Or am I way off base and should stick to analyzing fascist propaganda?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2002-11-13 02:42 pm (UTC)I do have a question, though. It was my understanding that the Emperor commissioned the Aeneid, and when I was first taught the poem there was a lot of class discussion about the characterizations within as a result. Is that true, did Augustus commission Vergil to write the Aeneid as a Roman Iliad, to strengthen the vision he had of his Empire? Or am I way off base and should stick to analyzing fascist propaganda?