This legendary epic poem, regarded as Virgil’s masterpiece and one of the greatest works of Latin literature, is about Aeneas, the Trojan hero who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The twelve books tell the story of Aeneas’s wanderings and the Trojans’ victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed. A compelling founding myth that ties Rome to the legends of Troy, explains the Punic Wars, glorifies traditional Roman virtues, and legitimizes the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes, and gods of Rome and Troy. 

SESSION I: Introduction: Virgil, poet of his time; The Roman epos; The background. Book I (1-33; 102-158)
SESSION II: Mythology and pantheon in Ancient Rome. Book I (325-417; 657-749)
SESSION III: The Laocoön. Book II (3-56; 201-249)
SESSION IV: Achilles, Odysseus, Aeneas: selfishness, intellect, selflessness. Book II (302-338; 469-566; 699-728)
SESSION V: Aeneas, the protagonist. Book II (771-804), Book III (13-68; 84-115)
SESSION VI: The style. Book III (208-268; 369-398)
SESSION VII: Amor, pudor, furor: the fight between opposite feelings in Dido’s story. Book IV (9-55; 296-319; 327-347; 360-396)
SESSION VIII: Dido’s death. Book IV (584-629; 642-671), Book V (827-871)
SESSION IX: Religious beliefs in ancient Rome. Book VI (295 – 332; 384-416; 752-772; 788-807; 847-853; 888-901)
SESSION X: Aeneas: a hero or an antihero? Book IX (367-449), Book X (454-506)
SESSION XI: Aeneas: a new kind of hero. Book XI (533-595; 704-724; 887-952)
 
This course, available in Italian and/or English, is intended for all language levels.
All materials supplied.  Zoom meeting
Open days and times at your convenience