Resources on the web

You will find Aeneid: List of Names very useful as you read; print it out and consult it whenever you encounter new characters.

LacusCurtius contains a staggering amount of material on the Roman World.

History of the Hellenistic and Roman World contains a useful biography of Julius Caesar.

Questions and issues to consider as you read:

Aeneid, Bk. 1-4

1. Based on the events in these books, how would you describe the role of the gods in this story?

2. Although it was written at least 700 years after Homer, Bk. 2 of the Aeneid is the only detailed description we have of the sack of Troy. What aspects of war does this description reveal?

3. Consider the motives of Aeneas and Dido in Bk. 4 of the Aeneid. How true are each of them to their own destinies? Do either of them deserve our sympathy? Do either of them behave in a way which is not in accordance with their responsibilities and destiny?

Selections from Livy's history of Rome (EL 154-59; 5th ed., 132-37)

1. Livy presented his stories as history. Are you convinced by his claim, or can you detect elements of legend in these tales?

2. What values does the story of Lucretia and Brutus present?