Latinus

The Evolution of Roman Gods Throughout this semester, we have looked at many different Roman mythological plays, poems, and stories, and in each of these examples, a reference is made to a Roman god, or we observe their influence on a particular piece of literature. The Roman gods are often influential on the participants in our readings, or they are one of the main characters. We have caught a glimpse into their feelings, actions, and the important roles each have played. The Romans believed that

Virgil lived and died during a significant period in Rome history, the Augustan period. During that period Augustus, the emperor, introduced several reforms. His rule had an immeasurable effect on literature. The purpose of which was to revive traditional Roman religion in the state. Therefore, it is evident that he must have had some biblical influences around him while writing the Aeneid. First, we can see his influences come into play by what he writes in book two. It is seen in multiple

The concept of living “the good life” means something different for everyone. There is a general understanding that living “the good life” is associated with unyielding happiness and lasting satisfaction. The exact meaning of this desired life was pondered by thinkers and philosophers for hundreds of years. They constructed principals of behavior, thought, and obligation that would categorize a person as “good”. Although some of these ancient philosophies about “the good life” had overlapping ideas

The Aeneid: A Political Propaganda Introduction Political propaganda has dominated most of literature works. Various literature books contain half-truths or blatant false stories that are meant to serve the interest of some nations, communities, emperors, kingdoms, and religious beliefs. The misinformed approach in literature books seeks to persuade, influence, or manipulate readers using information that is specifically defined and disseminated for this purpose. As a medium of communication, leaders

Be Warned and Study Justice:The Shifting Definition of Justice in Virgil’s Aeneid A twenty-first century reading of the Iliad and the Odyssey will highlight a seeming lack of justice: hundreds of men die because of an adulteress, the most honorable characters are killed, the cowards survive, and everyone eventually goes to hell. Due to the difference in the time period, culture, prominent religions and values, the modern idea of justice is much different than that of Greece around 750 B.C. The

Odysseus can be classified as one of the most well-known epic heroes, and a clear example of Greek priorities and ideals. Written many years after, the Aeneid likewise depicts an epic hero, Aeneas, that also completes a long journey and has closely related aspects to the story of the Odyssey. Virgil’s Aeneid imitates various crucial aspects of Homer’s Odyssey, including: the main protagonist passing through comparable sexual temptations, a similar relationship with the gods, and an analogous end

The Aeneid presents various themes throughout the course of Aeneas’s journeys, but I noticed that particularly in Books I and VI the theme of water is very prevalent and important. First we see when Aeolus stirs up the storm, water causes so much destruction and it is completely out of Aeneas's control. Then as he is crossing over to the underworld, Aeneas encounters Charon and the river of Styx, where the whirlpool is murky, unknown, and dangerous. Overall, water is depicted as a dangerous uncertainty

In the article “Dido, Aeneas, and the Concept of Pietas,” the author Kenneth McLeish argues that Dido is in the Aeneid, because Virgil, a careful writer, saw her as a necessary piece of the epic--“Everything she says or does is part of the design, and her presence in the Aeneid must deepen our understanding, not lessen it.” McLeish explains that Virgil described her as being a real person with emotions, actions, and wholeness that real people possess (McLeish 127). In Virgil’s time, any Roman would

At a first glance, the journeys of Aeneas from Virgil’s Aeneid and Saint Augustine in his autobiography The Confessions, do not seem to have much in common. In Confessions, Augustine embarks on a spiritual journey, while Aeneas endures a physical one. After closely reading both texts, readers can see the powerful, striking connection between Saint Augustine’s journey and Aeneas’. The Confessions serves as a personal inspiration to readers by showcasing Augustine’s journey towards God, and His presence

Lavinia is a female character who has shown up in many texts throughout history. In Titus Livius’ (Livy), The History of Rome, the role of women is consistently downplayed and is overshadowed by men craving power through conquest and war during the evolution of Rome. Livy briefly mentions Lavinia in the second chapter of the first book in The History of Rome, “The Aborigines and Trojans were soon after attacked together in war. Turnus, king of the Rutulians, to whom Lavinia had been affianced before