Virgil [70-19 BCE], Aeneid, Book 12

Epic -- tragic, historical, philosophical

[1-499: Main Thrust? ]

1-133:

1-17: WHO is the center of attention here?

HOW does he exemplify traditional heroism?

18-53: What does Latinus want? And what obtain?

Where have we seen such arguments & themes before?

54-80: And the women?

Symptomos of passion?

81-133: Passions in Turnus?

134-160: But Juno -- How does she size up the situation?

161-215: Terms of agreement:

216-310: But what turn do things take?

311-323: How is Aeneas shown "in character" here?

323-382: WHAT role does the god play?

383-499: WHAT happens to Aeneas?

WHAT does he tell his son & why does he say it here?

HOW has Aeneas’ attitude changed by the end of the scene?

WHAT are we supposed to infer about the character of this hero?

[500-790: Main Thrust? ]

500-553: HOW is this action typically ‘heroic’?

[554-611: Main Thrust?

554-592: WHAT plan does Venus suggest?

How might this plan seem untypical of Aeneas?

593-611: What scenes in epic does this recall?

612-96: Main Emotions Felt?

HOW does Turnus here resemble other heroes we have seen?

697-724: Finally?

725-790:

[791-952: ]

791-842: WHAT strikes you as odd about the deal that gets struck?

843-886: How does this prepare for the close?

887-952: How does this fit Turnus’ character as shown earlier?

Daunus .. Anchises: What other Fathers come to mind?

How does Aeneas resemble other heroes in similar moments?

Yet how is Aeneas different from those other heroes?

STUDY QUESTIONS: answer the following questions on the basis of your reading:

. Thinking back over the story of the Aeneid as a whole, what was the one thing that remained to be told when this book began?

. There being only one thing to tell, what is there about the telling that makes this the longest of the Aeneid’s twelve books?

. In the course of the action in book twelve, what contrasting traits of character emerge in Aeneas?

. In this respect, how does the figure of Aeneas differ from that of Turn_|_s?

ACTIONS

. How do the traits of Aeneas in book twelve relate to [like? resemble?] / [unlike? differ?] the figure of Aeneas, i.e. his character and actions, as you recall it from earlier in the poem?

. Does the figure of Turnus relate to any figures that appeared earlier in the poem?

. Looking back, now, to a still wider context, how do the figures of Aeneas and Turnus relate [like? resemble?] / [differ? unlike?] to the main figures in other works you have read?

WORK Figure like? resemble?] differ? unlike?]
                    ______         _______

                    ______ _______

                    ______ _______
                ______ _______

. In the comparisons you made in question 7, what were the genres of the works you refered to?

. In your judgment, why did Virgil take the trouble to deal with these particular gemres?

. In dealing with previous literature, what changes does Virgil make that you would call peculiarly Roman?

. Putting that another way, what has Virgil done to the old stories & heroes in order to interest an ordinary, garden-variety Roman?