1. What is the nature of the underworld that Aeneas visits in Bk. 6? How does he enter? How is the underworld organized? How does it compare to other visions of life after death that we have encountered?
2. What is the purpose of Aeneas' visit to the underworld?
3. How does Juno stir up hostilities between the newly-arrived Trojans and the Latins? Who is most susceptible to these influences? Why?
4. Analyze the Aeneid's presentation of women in the first eight books. How does the poem present women? Would you say that the poem has a single message about women, or does its presentation of them vary from one book to another? Be sure to back up your position with references to specific episodes.
1. How does the creation story presented in the Metamorphoses compare to the other creation stories we've encountered?
2. The flood story in the Metamorphoses is the third such story we have read. What themes and ideas does this story share with the other two? How does it differ?
3. Compare Evander's description of the Golden Age in Italy (Aeneid, Bk. 8, p. 240) with Ovid's presentation of the four ages (gold, silver, bronze and iron) in the Metamorphoses. What are the key differences in these two presentations? What values or ideology do you detect animating each description?