The Aeneid
The Aeneid
Catherine J.
Troy was sacked by the Greeks in the Trojan War. Aeneas, a Trojan himself, wandered the sea for seven years with his fellow Trojans in attempt to found a new city, but something fails each time they try. The Trojan Fleet got caught in a storm sent by Juno, the queen of the gods. Their travels lead them to a shipwreck in Carthage, a city in North Africa. Juno hates Aeneas because she knows that the city of Rome that he will found will one day destroy her beloved city of Carthage. Afraid that Aeneas will be sidetracked from his destiny of founding Rome, Venus appeals to Jupiter who assures her that Rome will rule the world one day. Venus appears to Aeneas in disguise and sends him to Carthage to gather help for his fleet. The queen of this thriving city, Dido, welcomes the Trojans with a banquet. At this banquet, Venus’s son Cupid even inspires Dido to fall in love with Aeneas.
At the banquet, Aeneas relives the events leading up to his shipwreck that landed him in Carthage. He discussed how Venus told him to abandon the fight and save his family. At home, he received two bad omens that made him agree with Venus and finally flee. These omens were his son Iulus’s hair blazed with light meaning that the gods had a serious purpose in mind for him, and a shooting star meaning hope and future glory. He escaped with his father, household gods, and son, but his wife was killed. The next day, he and the rest of the homeless Trojans set out to find a new home. Over the years, he learned from prophecies that he was to found the new city of Rome but it would take many trials and wandering to do so.
Aeneas and the Trojans stay with Dido for several months but Jupiter eventually tells Aeneas to move on. Dido is driven to madness by passion and curses him as a deceiver. The ships depart before Dido awakens and upon her discovery of this, she kills herself with his sword. The flames from her funeral provide light for the Trojans’ voyage to Sicily.
Catherine J.
Troy was sacked by the Greeks in the Trojan War. Aeneas, a Trojan himself, wandered the sea for seven years with his fellow Trojans in attempt to found a new city, but something fails each time they try. The Trojan Fleet got caught in a storm sent by Juno, the queen of the gods. Their travels lead them to a shipwreck in Carthage, a city in North Africa. Juno hates Aeneas because she knows that the city of Rome that he will found will one day destroy her beloved city of Carthage. Afraid that Aeneas will be sidetracked from his destiny of founding Rome, Venus appeals to Jupiter who assures her that Rome will rule the world one day. Venus appears to Aeneas in disguise and sends him to Carthage to gather help for his fleet. The queen of this thriving city, Dido, welcomes the Trojans with a banquet. At this banquet, Venus’s son Cupid even inspires Dido to fall in love with Aeneas.
At the banquet, Aeneas relives the events leading up to his shipwreck that landed him in Carthage. He discussed how Venus told him to abandon the fight and save his family. At home, he received two bad omens that made him agree with Venus and finally flee. These omens were his son Iulus’s hair blazed with light meaning that the gods had a serious purpose in mind for him, and a shooting star meaning hope and future glory. He escaped with his father, household gods, and son, but his wife was killed. The next day, he and the rest of the homeless Trojans set out to find a new home. Over the years, he learned from prophecies that he was to found the new city of Rome but it would take many trials and wandering to do so.
Aeneas and the Trojans stay with Dido for several months but Jupiter eventually tells Aeneas to move on. Dido is driven to madness by passion and curses him as a deceiver. The ships depart before Dido awakens and upon her discovery of this, she kills herself with his sword. The flames from her funeral provide light for the Trojans’ voyage to Sicily.