Virgil, Aeneid, 4.1-299: Latin Text, Study Questions, Commentary And Interpretative Essays
by Ingo Gildenhard /
2012 / English / PDF
3.8 MB Download
Love and tragedy dominate book four of Virgil's most powerful work,
building on the violent emotions invoked by the storms, battles,
warring gods, and monster-plagued wanderings of the epic's opening.
Destined to be the founder of Roman culture, Aeneas, nudged by the
gods, decides to leave his beloved Dido, causing her suicide in
pursuit of his historical destiny. A dark plot, in which erotic
passion culminates in sex, and sex leads to tragedy and death in
the human realm, unfolds within the larger horizon of a
supernatural sphere, dominated by power-conscious divinities. Dido
is Aeneas' most significant other, and in their encounter Virgil
explores timeless themes of love and loyalty, fate and fortune, the
justice of the gods, imperial ambition and its victims, and ethnic
differences. This course book offers a portion of the original
Latin text, study questions, a commentary, and interpretative
essays. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Ingo
Gildenhard's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to
students of Latin at both A2 and undergraduate level. It extends
beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical
engagement with Virgil's poetry and discussion of the most recent
scholarly thought.
Love and tragedy dominate book four of Virgil's most powerful work,
building on the violent emotions invoked by the storms, battles,
warring gods, and monster-plagued wanderings of the epic's opening.
Destined to be the founder of Roman culture, Aeneas, nudged by the
gods, decides to leave his beloved Dido, causing her suicide in
pursuit of his historical destiny. A dark plot, in which erotic
passion culminates in sex, and sex leads to tragedy and death in
the human realm, unfolds within the larger horizon of a
supernatural sphere, dominated by power-conscious divinities. Dido
is Aeneas' most significant other, and in their encounter Virgil
explores timeless themes of love and loyalty, fate and fortune, the
justice of the gods, imperial ambition and its victims, and ethnic
differences. This course book offers a portion of the original
Latin text, study questions, a commentary, and interpretative
essays. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Ingo
Gildenhard's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to
students of Latin at both A2 and undergraduate level. It extends
beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical
engagement with Virgil's poetry and discussion of the most recent
scholarly thought.