Book Six: The Underworld

In the "wake" of Book V, Aeneas makes his way to the underworld in Book Six. This book is probably the greatest singular achievement of the poem, though I and IV might have something to say about that.

You may want to draw yourself a map of the Underworld as you read Vergil's description of the place, and then to compare yours to this one.

At left, you'll find a picture of the entrance to the cave of the Sibyl. Here are some other views of the temple to Apollo at Cumae, the interior hallway (looking back to entrance), the area between the crypt and the cave, and the acropolis and the cave, posted by Leo Curran.

I recommend keeping track of Aeneas movements and actions in Book Six as precisely as possible. What he does, when he does it, what he sees and when he sees it, etc. As a further aid to understanding Book Six, you may want to check out these anecdotes about the Sibyl, the Crater at Cumae, the miraculous birth of Vergil, the Legend of the Enchanted Egg, and the Legend of Vergil's Bones (all presented by John Opsopaus).

Comparison to the Homeric description of the Underworld (esp. the Odysseus voyage thereto) is vital to understanding the importance of the Vergilian. A further comparison should be made to the elaboration on the afterlife made by Dante in his Divine Comedy. In that poem, Vergil leads the poet Dante through the Inferno (Hell) and Purgatorio (Purgatory), so its comparisons to the Aeneid are vast and profound.

I hope these are useful in your readings. In just two short weeks, we'll be back in the classroom. You should by then have completed your reading of the English translation of the Aeneid. I intend to post just twice more before school begins, covering the final six books of the Aeneid in two even posts.

Book V: The Wake

For many readers, Book Five may be the dullest book of the Aeneid, but like all the others it serves a distinct purpose, even if that service halts the action of the poem. The funeral games to celebrate the anniversary of Anchises' death fulfill a tradition of epic poetry begun by Homer. They also lend occasion to the poet to remind the Roman aristocracy (to whom much of this poem is directed) of some of their supposed ancestry. They further shed a dignified light upon Roman customs which until te Augustan Age had rather dim origins.

It is worth noting the irony that leaving the light of Dido's pyre, we nearly immediately arrive at funeral games for Anchises. Though hardly subtle, there is much to consider there.

I called this book "The Wake" to play on two senses of the word; meaning 1) a ritual to celebrate the passing of the deceased, but also 2) the track of a moving body through a fluid. The first sense I described in the previous pararaph, but in the second sense, there has to be some calming after the tumult of the Dido tragedy in Book Four. Some critics lay a heavy hand upon Books Three and Five (as I myself sometimes do), but these books do serve their respective purposes quite well.

Besides, what could possibly be an appropriate encore to the terrible destruction of Troy or to the magnificent demise of Dido?

Book IV: The Dido Episode

Following the lullaby of the third book, where the narrative took a predictable turn and the depth of the content demonstrates more erudition than artistry, the fourth book exemplifies the Vergilian ability to turn a somewhat unknown side story into something magnificent.

The Dido Episode stands as a tragic play within the whole of Vergil's epic poem, an epic ecphrasis of sorts. The tragedy of Dido is the most striking example (though the others rarely disappoint) of the dramas played out in the Aeneid. I have always been fairly critical of Book Three, but it should be noted that both it and Two serve to delineate Aeneas' character and to outline the forces (the gods, Fate) that will operate in the Dido tragedy.

What is at issue here in the smallest sense is love between a man and woman, but increasing the scope a bit it is Rome vs. Carthage, or broader, Roman stoicism vs. Epicurean self-indulgence, or broader still, Destiny vs. Desire, or in the broadest sense, piety vs. love. Imagine an isosceles triangle, with the narrow corner at the top and these pittings listed downward in the order given above.

Returning to the specific situation, it is Aeneas' piety (which is seemingly endless) vs. Dido's love (which is literally maddening); the former is so complete as to make Aeneas almost lifeless, and the latter so frenetic as to produce Dido's suicide.

Needless to say, these issues demand our fullest attention when interpreting the whole of the Aeneid. The characters speak more than they act in Book Four, and the thing said assumes the greater importance. Famous lines abound in Book Four and arise not from the characters themselves but more from the situation. Any person in love might have said what they say. They leave more unsaid than they say.

I am excited for you to experience this episode, but more so for what it might teach you about yourself. There are high, grand battles that human beings fight in literature, and the lessons of such characters we can make our own. This is one opportunity for such imagination and examination.

I hope you are up for the fight when you have to choose between destiny/piety and love, but I will settle for hearing your thoughts on both sides upon reading the Latin.

Book Three: Zzzzzz Zzzzzzz...

Because of the intensity of the action of Book Two, Book Three of the Aeneid usually garners little attention from readers and even has been known to cure insomnia.

Think it best to know what happens here in what order and to leave the stylistic problems aside for another class or extra-curriculur debate because we will only be reading Book Three in English translation.

Some things to remember about Book Three:

• This is the Book in which Aeneas acts the least and is driven the most by visions and oracles. What these visions and oracles tell us about the remainder of the poem is remarkable.
• The speech of Celaeno, leader of the Harpies, about "someday eating your tables".

I have posted a map (upon request) at left which may be helpful. You will need to "right click/save as" in order to view it or I can send you a copy via e-mail or you can wait to receive one the opening week of school. There is a test, during the school year, usually early in October, on its major features, including the twelve winds, the four cardinal directions, the voyage of Aeneas (Book Three).

I also recommend using the Oxford Classical Dictionary at the local library to find information on people and places you do not recognize. Even finding them online can be difficult and any online description of an ancient person or place needs to be verified using a reputable source. Or you can click here for a set of links I find useful and mostly accurate.

Be sure to wake up before reading Book IV because there is much to discuss. My apologies to any friends of Book III, especially you Book V.

Book Two: Fall of Troy

Having momentarily made their way out of danger, Aeneas, at the behest of Dido, retells the story of the fall of Troy.

Is Book Two a good continuation of the themes of the Aeneid? Why or why not?

What is the most striking image of Book Two?

Decode/Explain any simile found in Book Two.

Answer any or all of these.

N.B. Vote in the poll at the bottom of the main page.

Background One: The Argonautica and Vergil

Argonautica
The Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius tells the story of the Thessalian hero Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. If you want a comic book version of the story, click here.

The actual text (English translation with facing Greek) of Apollonius, you can find here.

Vergil/Virgil
By now I am sure you recognize that Virgil's name can be spelled either way. I tend to use the Vergil, short for Vergilius, version. But you can find information online using either spelling.


If you want a thorough introduction to the Art of Vergil, check out William Harris' essay of that title with a click here. Harris also offers a long but worthwhile treatment of the life of Vergil, riddled with insight about specific episodes from the Aeneid.


Sometimes it helps to have a set of study questions for each book to better focus your reading. Those given here are very basic and therefore a good place to start. Once you have mastered these, you can move on to more involved questions about each book from Roger Dunkle at Brooklyn College.

The next post will come in about two weeks July 15 or so.

Book One: Meet the Hero

So if you've read Book One, what do you think of the hero of this epic? Can you make any comparisons to the heroes of the Homeric epics, Odysseus (Ulysses) and Achilles?

And what exactly are the themes Vergil intends to examine within this poem?

What is the motivation for Juno's hatred of the Trojans?

Take some time and respond briefly to any or all of these. I understand the word limit is a limit on the scope of your thoughts, so feel free to use e-mail instead.

I plan to make my next post on or about July 15.