The Aeneid: Topics and Themes
| words of Poseidon (Iliad 20.355-6) |
| "and now Aeneas will rule the men of Troy in power-- |
| his sons' sons and the sons born in future years." |
| 58 statuettes of Aeneas in Etruria (c 500 BCE) |
| carrying his father and the Penates |
| Aeneas worshipped in Lavinium (4th c BCE) |
| stone altars dedicated to Venus, Ceres, and the Penates |
| Advantages of Trojan ancestry |
| Medieval survival of legend |
| Geoffrey of Monmouth. History of the Kings of Britain. |
| Gawain and the Green Knight |
| 1. a promise from a deity to the founder of a people/nation |
| 2. a homeland won from others through war |
| Abraham the ancestor of a multitude of nations |
| lasting peace, a 'Golden Age' |
| a priestly kingdom and a holy nation |
Evander's words as paradigm of Western views of indigenous, native peoples |
| 1. They are identified with the landscape they inhabit |
| 2. They are totally uncivilized |
| 3. They live by hunting and gathering |
| 4. Therefore, they need to be civilized for their own good! |
Founding fathers and culture-bearers |
| but Golden age gradually disintegrates into war |
| defeats Cacus, half-human bestial son of Vulcan (VIII.248-365) |
| thus, like Saturn, he is a civilizing force |
| yet he is an ambiguous figure; once sacked Troy |
| Evander (an Arcadian Greek!) |
| founds first settlement on the Palatine hill |
| . . . King Evander, founder unaware |
| of Rome's great citadel . . . (VIII.413-14) |
| continually at war with Latins (VIII.73) |
| must struggle and fight to found Lavinium |
| founds Rome and builds walls |
| will end a century of civil strife by winning a civil war |
| will establish a new golden age |
| Why does the nature of civilization require that it be founded again and again? |
Is the Aeneid merely a form of sophisticated propaganda, or it it something more? |
| Overt glorification of Rome and Augustus |
| Jupiter's promise in Bk. I |
| Aeneas' view of future Romans in Bk. VI |
| Scene's from Rome's "future" history on Aeneas' shield in Bk. VIII |
| Entire poem is dedicated to the founding of Rome |
| Many themes are relevant to any culture or society |
| the importance of community |
| individual sacrifice for the good of others |
| intrinsic value of civilization |
| the difficulty of establishing, maintaining and spreading civilization |
| Aeneas and the Trojans vs. |
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