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Virgil’s The Aeneid Background on the Writing of The Aeneid and the Founding of the Roman People Foundation Stories Foundation stories are myths that validate or justify a culture’s claim to an area. The people of Rome had two: – Aeneas the Trojan His story also shows how Roman government came about. – Romulus and Remus Carthage – Rome’s Rival and Enemy Carthage – City in North Africa (modern Tunisia) – Directly south of Italy – Sicily stood between the two city-states – Originally Phoenicians (from modern Lebanon) – Latin word for them was Punici, hence the name Punic for their wars against each other Sicily – Bread-basket of the Mediterranean Sicily – Known for its grains – Founded by a Greek colony – Syracuse was its most powerful city-state – 264 BCE – Romans and Carthagians met in Sicily for the first time – Autonomous at the time of this meeting Two Powers Collide Carthage traded with Syracuse – Both had powerful navies and they often worked together politically and militarily Messina, in Northeastern Sicily, disliked the others so they invited the Romans to protect them from Syracuse At this time, Rome was not a strong power; it was a mid-sized city that had a reputation for getting things done. st 1 Punic War – 264-241 BCE Rome didn’t have a navy. – In true Roman fashion, they built one from scratch, mastered it, and used it to conquer Sicily. This war ended with a major naval victory for the Romans in 241 BC. – Sicily was then ceded to the Romans, who also seized the Carthaginian islands of Sardinia and Corsica in 237 BC. nd 2 Punic War – 218-201 BCE In the spring of 218 BCE, a Carthagian general named Hannibal swiftly marched a large army through Spain and Gaul and across the Alps to attack the Romans in Italy before they could complete their preparations for war. – He used elephants to carry much of his equipment. He crossed the dangerous mountains and secured a firm position in northern Italy. By 216 BCE he had won two major victories, at Lake Trasimeno and the town of Cannae, and reached southern Italy. nd 2 Punic War – 218-201 BCE In spite of his requests, Hannibal received insufficient reinforcements and siege weapons from Carthage until 207 BC, when his brother Hasdrubal left Spain with an army to join him. Hasdrubal crossed the Alps, but in a battle at the Metaurus River, in northern Italy, he was killed and his troops defeated. Meanwhile, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, known as Scipio Africanus the Elder, had totally defeated the Carthaginians in Spain, and in 204 BC he landed an army in North Africa. nd 2 Punic War – 218-201 BCE The Carthaginians recalled Hannibal to Africa to defend them against Scipio. Leading an army of untrained recruits, he was decisively defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. This battle marked the end of Carthage as a great power and the close of the Second Punic War. The Carthaginians were compelled to cede Spain and the islands of the Mediterranean still in their possession, relinquish their navy, and pay an indemnity to Rome. rd 3 Punic War – 149-146 BCE In the 2nd century BC, however, Carthage continued to be commercially successful and, though only a minor power, a source of irritation to Rome. The Romans were further incited by the speeches of the censor Cato the Elder, who demanded Delenda est Carthago (“Carthage must be destroyed”). A minor Carthaginian breach of treaty gave the pretext for the 3rd Punic War, in which the Romans, led by Scipio the Younger, captured the city of Carthage, razed it to the ground, and sold the surviving inhabitants into slavery. – Legend says that the Romans sowed salt over the ground where Carthage stood so no one would ever live there again. Rome’s Foundation Myths The Romans wanted a foundation myth that explained their hatred of Carthage. – Gnaeus Naevius, a veteran of the 1st war, wrote an epic poem entitled Punic War. – This was the first major piece of Roman literature to tell the story of Aeneas. Rome’s Foundation Myths In his poem, Aeneas leaves Troy, comes to Carthage, and falls for Dido. – He leaves her to start a country. – Dido curses Aeneas by saying there would always be hatred between Carthage and Rome. – She then commits suicide. – At right, Dido confronts Aeneas about his plans to leave. Rome’s Foundation Myths By claiming the Aeneas story, which had been around since circa 400 BCE, Naevius linked the Romans to the Greeks (thru Troy) and gave Rome the legitimate right to Sicily, a country filled with Greek descendents. This allowed the descendents of the Trojans to get revenge against the Greek descendents of Syracuse. Rome’s Foundation Myths Around 30 BCE, Augustus Caesar, first emperor of Rome, asked Roman poet Virgil to write a poem about how Augustus had saved Rome from civil war. – This was the war against Marc Antony and Cleopatra that followed the war against Marcus Brutus, one of the killers of Julius Caesar. Rome’s Foundation Myths Virgil used the story of Aeneas, with Aeneas symbolizing Augustus. He started in 29 BCE and wrote until his death on Sept. 20, 19 BCE. – His will stated that his manuscript should be destroyed upon his death because he was not satisfied with his work. – Augustus overrode this and published the poem. Rome’s Foundation Myths The poem is filled with “prophecies” about how Aeneas’ job as founder would carry on to Augustus. This was blatant propaganda disguised as literature. Historically, the poem is wrong. – Carthage was founded 400 years after the theorized date for the sack of Troy. Aeneas Son of Anchises – He made love to Aphrodite/Venus and was forever crippled because of their night spent together. – Aphrodite/Venus is his mother. Thought to have founded Lavinium Romulus was said to be his descendent. – Alba Longa, a Latin city and Romulus’ home town, was founded by Ascanius, son of Aeneas. The first half of the poem presents Aeneas as a Greek hero; the second half is a Roman Aeneas, full of martial prowess. Aeneas His story dates back to the late 6th century BCE. – He has been found on vases around Attica from this time period. He is first associated with Rome in the 5th century BCE by Hellanicus, a Greek historian. Aeneas Hellanicus wrote that Aeneas called his new area Rhome (Greek for strength), a name derived from one of the Trojan women who accompanied him. Some Greek writers ascribe Rome’s founding to other Trojans. – One version has Rome being founded by a son of Odysseus and Circe. Aeneas The myth of Romulus and Remus is said to have originated because Romans knew that the timeline of Carthage’s founding and Aeneas being a Trojan did not match up. Extraneous Information about The Aeneid Evander was the son of a Greek nymph named Themis, called by the Romans Carmenta. He supposedly emigrated from Greece sixty years before the Trojan War. He also was said to have founded the festivals of Hercules and the Lupercalia (think Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar). He was a creation of Roman writers; he is based on a minor deity worshiped in Arcadia. Extraneous Information about The Aeneid Book I: 257-291 (Jupiter’s prophecy with reference to Augustus) – ‘Don’t be afraid, Cytherea, your child’s fate remains unaltered: You’ll see the city of Lavinium, and the walls I promised, and you’ll raise great-hearted Aeneas high, to the starry sky: No thought has changed my mind. This son of yours (since this trouble gnaws at my heart, I’ll speak, and unroll the secret scroll of destiny) will wage a mighty war in Italy, destroy proud peoples, and establish laws, and city walls, for his warriors, until a third summer sees his reign in Latium, and three winter camps pass since the Rutulians were beaten. Extraneous Information about The Aeneid – But the boy Ascanius, surnamed Iulus now (He was Ilus while the Ilian kingdom was a reality) will imperially complete thirty great circles of the turning months, and transfer his throne from its site at Lavinium, and mighty in power, will build the walls of Alba Longa. Here kings of Hector’s race will reign now for three hundred years complete, until a royal priestess, Ilia, heavy with child, shall bear Mars twins. Then Romulus will further the race, proud in his nurse the she-wolf’s tawny pelt, and found the walls of Mars, and call the people Romans, from his own name. Extraneous Information about The Aeneid – I’ve fixed no limits or duration to their possessions: I’ve given them empire without end. Why, harsh Juno who now torments land, and sea and sky with fear, will respond to better judgment, and favor the Romans, masters of the world, and people of the toga, with me. So it is decreed. A time will come, as the years glide by, when the Trojan house of Assaracus will force Phthia into slavery, and be lords of beaten Argos. From this glorious source a Trojan Caesar will be born, who will bound the empire with Ocean, his fame with the stars, Augustus, a Julius, his name descended from the great Iulus. You, no longer anxious, will receive him one day in heaven, burdened with Eastern spoils: he’ll be called to in prayer. Then with wars abandoned, the harsh ages will grow mild. . . The Aeneid’s Similarities with Greek Myths Same characteristics of Greek myths – Hero searches for glory. – Hero travels a long journey full of adventure. – Hero overthrows an evil king after his journey. – Hero achieves his destiny despite a god who is against him. The Aeneid’s Similarities with Greek Myths Fate is strong in the poem. – Aeneas is destined to found Rome, despite Juno’s wrath. – Juno cannot save Carthage. Complex version of good vs. evil – There is no concrete evil in the poem. The Aeneid’s Difference with Greek Myths Aeneas is a Roman hero. – Roman society placed more emphasis on military prowess and strength rather than intelligence, wit, depth, and greatness of soul. – The final look of Aeneas is of a god-like warrior who has few human characteristics. – This fits the militaristic, grandiose Roman outlook. The Aeneid’s Difference with Greek Myths Why do they do this? – Edith Hamilton quotes Virgil: Rome “ ‘left to other nations such things as art and science, and ever remembered that they were destined to bring under their empire the peoples of the earth, to impose the rule of submissive nonresistance, to spare the humbled and to crush the proud.’ ” The Route of Aeneas