Background to writing the Aeneid
Augustus (the Emperor previously known as Octavian) brought peace to the Roman world (by ending the civil wars that had been going on for a long time). He wanted to restore:
- political stability
- economic prosperity
He believed that the civil wars came about because:
a) Romans stopped worshipping their gods
b) They no longer practiced the old Roman virtues like - discipline
- Hard work
- Simple tastes
- Loyalty
- Respect for others
- doing duties
He said Rome had to become peaceful, powerful and prosperous. The Aeneid is political propaganda to put this message across to the Romans.
The Aeneid story
The plot of the Aeneid is quite simple and if the gods and goddesses, mainly Juno, did not interfere there would be hardly any plot at all. Here is a summary of events in chronological order (the order that they happened).
The story begins on the last day of Troy’s existence, when the people of Troy find the Greeks, who have taken over their city for ten years, have gone and left Troy alone. The Trojans take into their city a large mysterious wooden horse and spend the day celebrating the end of the war. But, the horse is full of enemy soldiers and that night the city is captured and burnt. One Trojan, Aeneas, is commanded by the gods to escape and find a city to live somewhere else in the Mediterranean. He takes a group of Trojans with him.
But the gods do not make it clear where he has to go. And he spends seven years trying to find the right place. Eventually he finds out that it is in Italy. But just as he is about to head to Italy, Juno causes a storm which drives the Trojans to Africa.
Here in Africa, Aeneas spends some months with the Queen of Carthage, Dido, who has fallen in love with him. But he receives a command from the gods to leave, and Dido kills herself as a result of her lover (Aeneas) leaving her.
Aeneas makes it to Italy where he is finally given clear details about the glorious future awaiting his descendants, those who come after him.
The Aeneid – book by book
Virgil does not start at the beginning of the story. Instead of telling events in the order that they happened he uses a technique from Homer’s Odyssey – grabbing the readers interest by beginning well on in the story, and narrating previous events in a flashback. This term is called “In media res” - starting in the middle and then going back.
Here is the sequence of events in the order Virgil tells them in the 12 books that make up the poem: (You need detailed knowledge of books 1, 2, 4, 6. these are italicised)
Book 1 Aeneas and his companions are driven by Juno’s storm to the coast of North Africa, where Queen Dido of Carthage welcomes them and invites Aeneas to tell his story.
Book 2 Aeneas tells how Troy was captured and how he escaped from the burning city.
Book 3 Aeneas describes how he and his followers wandered the Mediterranean for seven years.
Book 4 Dido falls in love with Aeneas and kills herself when he leaves Africa in response to a command from Jupiter.
Book 5 Aeneas sails to Sicily where he holds a sports festival in honour of his dead father, and then sails to Italy.
Book 6 Aeneas, The Trojan Hero, Aeneas descends into the underworld where he is shown future great Romans and told of the Great destiny which awaits his descendents.