Reflection on lines 295-332

In these lines, we are in the Underworld. Aeneas sees the River Styx and Charon, the being who takes the souls across the river. the oracle tells Aeneas the function of the river, but also, the reason so many souls remain on the wrong side.
Vocab:
- caeno
- squalore
- umeris
- iuvenis
- gurgite
- invicti
- solio
- erebi
- iniquam
Grammar:
- caeno - abl. of specification
- vastaque voragine - abl. of specification or description
- terribili squalore - abl. of specification or description
- cui - dative of referece
- mento - abl. of place where
-nodo - abl. of means or manner
- 309-312 - a double simile
- cursum - acc. with transition
- 315- anaphora and asyndeton
329 - anastrophe

Reflection on lines 675-705

In these lines, Anna is saying her last words to her dying sister. She's completely heartbroken that her sister has abandoned her and the city. Juno pities Dido and her horrific death, and sends Iris down to cut Dido lose from her mortal body to send her to the underworld.
Vocab:
- araeque
- comitemne
- struxi
- siccabat
- halitus
- obitus
- vertice
- damnaverat
- isto
Grammar:
- vocavisses, tulisset - optative subjunctives
- te posita - abl. abs.
- ut abluam - purpose clause
- cubito - abl. of means
- reperta luce - abl. abs.- illi - dat. of reference
- adverso sole - abl. abs

Reflection on lines 345-361 and 659-674

In the first part of these lines, Aeneas is finishing the last part of his speech to Dido. Although he is trying to defend himself, his words are hurtful and unreassuring to Dido. He makes it clear that he is leaving and does not show any sign of distress or anger at the situation, except towards her complaining.

In the second part of these lines, Dido makes her last speech before she kills herself. Rumour makes her way through the city, telling the broken-hearted citizens of the tragedy. Then, Anna runs through the city, trying to get to her dying sister.

Vocab:
-  capessere
- arces
- detinet
- quaerere
- iniuria
- cari
- sparsasque
- moriamur
- conlapsam
Grammar:
-patris Anchisae - genitive with imago
- pitis cari - objective genitive
- regno, arvis - abl. of separation
- Hauriat, ferat - jessive or volitive sub.
- ferro - abl. or means or place where
- femineo ulutatu - hiatus

Precis for "Virgils, from Dante to Milton"

          Colin Burrow, in his article "Virgils, from Dante to Milton" states that Virgil's ideas and words are embedded in some of the greatest literary works of all time. He says that over time, many of Virgil's ideas have been read the same way and used for it as well. Burrow explicitly states Dante and Milton as two authors who really took Virgil's work and expanded it to make it their own. He looks to target mainly an audience who has read either Virgil's works (specifically the Aeneid), Dante's works, or Milton's works (specifically Paradise Lost), because this is the group of people that would get the most out of this article.
          I thought this article, although interesting, was very dense. I had a really hard time getting through it and understanding it to the fullest. It makes me want to read both Dante and Milton's writing, because I feel like I could get so much more out of them after reading both the Aeneid and Burrow's article. This was a rough article to end my Virgil précis assignment with, especially because it did not really pertain to what I'm researching in the epic; however, it did open up new doors and introduce me to new texts that I might like after enjoying the Aeneid.

Reflection on lines 315-344

In these lines, Dido is finishing her desperate speech to Aeneas about him leaving. Her speech causes Aeneas pain, but he holds onto his warning from Jupiter, and tells her he must go. His speech is much shorter, and seemingly less heartfelt than hers, but it is his final word, and makes the reader see that he is not turning back.
Vocab:
- aliud
- reliqui
- labentis
- sidera
- referret
 - viderer
- fando
Grammar:
- 320 - anastrophe
- qua - abl. of means
- destruat, ducat - anticipatory subjunctives
- 327-330 - mixed ctf
- paravulus - diminutive adj. (only one in Aeneid)
- monitus - abl. of cause
- ne finge - poetic negative imperat

Reflection on lines 287-314

In these lines, Aeneas is trying to think of how to break the news to Dido, but she finds out on her own.  She knew, seemingly right away, that something was wrong, and she went to Aeneas in a mad rage. Dido goes crazy at the thought of him leaving her, and expresses it in the speech she makes to Aeneas during this passage.
Vocab:
-litora
- rebus
- sacris
- furenti
- quondam
- undosum
- data
Grammar:
- 289-291 - indirect command and question
- 291-293 - implied indirect statement
- nesciat - subjunctive
- 293-294 - indirect question
- animi - gen. with adj.
- 309 - metonymy

Reflection on lines 259-286

In these lines, Mercury appears before Aeneas and tells him to leave Carthage and get back to his journey. The visit is short and harsh, and it leaves Aeneas speechless; nevertheless, he does follow through with orders and prepare to leave his wife and her city.
Vocab:
- ardebat
- umeris
- munera
- oblite
- tali
- fuga
- tellus
- heu
- ardet
Grammar:
- oblite - vocative of the participle
- regni rerumque - gen. with a verb of forgetting
- Ili - either possessive gen. or objective gen.
fuga - abl. ofmanner
- agat, audeat, sumat - deliberate subjunctives

Reflection on lines 191-218

In these lines, Rumour is still hard at work with spreading the word of Aeneas and Dido, but this time, she is taking the rumor to a kind named Iarbas. Iarbas, who is extremely wealthy, pleads with Jupiter to see these actions and do something about them. He is extremely angered by the marriage, because Dido had rejected his offer, when she accepts this (in his mind outrageous) offer from Aeneas.
Vocab:
-venisse
- sanguine
- satus
- immania
- limina
- divum
- finibus
- ferimus
- munera
Grammar:
- animi - gen. of reference
- divorum - modifies aras or numina
- multa Iovem - double accusative
- pretio - abl. of price
- rapto - abl. with potior

Reflection on lines 160-190

In these lines, the narrator describes the mood and actions of life after Aeneas and Dido's marriage. Rumour is at work as she quickly spreads the word of their marriage throughout the land, and Aeneas and Dido seem happy, enjoying their lives together. Although everything seems relatively fine, there is a negative feeling presented by this passage that seems to foreshadow bad times for the happy couple.
Vocab:
- petiere
- ruunt
- eandem
- fulsere
- famave
- aliud
- dictu
Grammar:
- hoc nomine - abl. of means
- qua - abl. with comparative
- metu - abl. of cause
- cui - dative of possession
- 184 - word order imitates phrase
- luce - abl. of time
- vir = coniungi. iungere - complementary infinitive

Precis for "Aspects of Virgil's reception in antiquity"

           R. J. Tarrant in his essay, "Aspects of Virgil's reception in antiquity", assures that Virgil's works, especially the Aeneid, had an extremely strong impact on other ancient works of and after their time. He says although Virgil takes a second place to the Greek poet, Homer, he was still extremely influential (positively or negatively) and notable. Tarrant discusses how Virgil's works were accepted into ancient culture, and also the reasons why they were. The audience to this essay could be any reader of Virgilian poetry, but also any reader of any ancient poetry that may have derived or may relate to Virgil's own work.
          I thought this article was really interesting. For some reason, I think it's interesting that Virgil's three major poems rank in order of greatness starting with the last and then returning to the first (in the author's opinion). I think it's interesting to look at the reader response to what Virgil presents when it was first written as opposed to what it is now; it changes how I look at the Aeneid as a whole and also Virgil himself. The coolest part, however, in my opinion is that Virgil is still considered one of the greatest poets to ever have lived today, the same way he was then.

Precis for "Modern receptions and their interpretive implications"

          Duncan F. Kennedy, in his article, "Modern receptions and their interpretive implications" focuses on interpreting T.S. Eliot's, "What is a Classic", and "Virgil and the Christian world" to relate to Virgil's epic, the Aeneid. He uses a lot of information from other Virgilian epic critics to demonstrate how Virgil can be interpreted in the modern world, taking great care that he does not repeat something that has been done before. Although he focuses on Virgil according to Eliot's work most of the time, in the end, he makes the point that you cannot define any type of work by its interpretation, because without the known intention of the work, nothing can be fully concluded. With this article, Kennedy intends for the audience to be readers of Virgil's works who are looking to find out how they are interpreted in the modern world; however, it is also relevant to readers of T.S. Eliot's writing as well.
          This article was not particularly convincing. I found this one a little bit of a difficult read to understand, and also just to get through. He used a LOT of citations from other Virgil critics, and I just didn't really see the point in what he was writing, especially because he talked about Eliot's writing the whole time. There was not too much evidence directly from the Aeneid, and I think that and that misleading title bothered me a little bit.

Reflection on lines 559-587

In these lines, Aeneas has just finished watching Priam being murdered. He is examining the destruction around the castle when he sees Helen over by the hearth. A rage flares up inside of him, because she is the woman that can somewhat be blamed for the recent wars. He wants to take out his rage on her, and kill her to in a way, avenge all of the devastation, and when the lines end, he is on his way over to her.
Vocab:
- sumpsisse
- natosque
- totiens
- ultricis
- erranti
- aegra
Grammar:
- indirect question introduced by lustro
-  ablative absolute - line 578
- saltu - abl. of means
- igni - abl. of means
aris - abl. of place

Reflection on lines 588-620

In these lines, Venus gives a warning to her son to consider his family and also removes the mortal veil preventing his eyes from seeing the gods' destruction in Troy. Venus tells Aeneas to go back to his family to protect them, because Troy is definitely not going to make it. The gods are everywhere and they are causing utter chaos, but Venus promises to return her son safely to his home.
Vocab:
-refulsit
- invisa
- tuenti
- respice
- nimbo
Grammar:
- indirect question introduced by aspicies
- virisque - dative of reference
- saxis - abl. of separation
- ore - abl. of means
- pulere - abl. of manner

Precis for "Virgil in English Translation"

          Colin Burrow, in his essay, "Virgil in English Translation", implies that although there are many authors that translate Virgil's works, none of them can get the exact meaning of his words across. Burrow cites the works of many translators, and Virgil himself to show that no translation is ever as strong as the original text. Translators tend to add or imply their own personal emotions or ideas from their past experiences and beliefs to their work, tweaking Virgil's ideas just enough to where they are not exactly what he intended. There cannot be ONE accurate translation, because this personal insight will always occur along with many other misinterpretations. Burrow aims to target any reader of Virgil's works; however, this can apply to anyone who has ever read a translation of a text from any language.
          I thought this essay was particularly interesting, because it talks all about perception, which seems to be a topic brought up a lot in my life lately. I totally agree with Burrow when he argues that all translations are at least a little bit inaccurate, because perception and interpretation will definitely influence how a person reads a text, and then translates it for others to read. This article made me want to find other translations of the Aeneid and compare them to the one we have read by Ahl (although I actually don't have the time or the motivation to do that). Nevertheless, I thought this article was really intriguing and very relevant to the class and what we've been working on (especially translating on our own).

Precis for "Virgil and the cosmos: religious and philosophical ideas"

          Susanna Morton Braund, in her essay, "Virgil and the cosmos: religious and philosophical ideas", argues that although Virgil was not a member of any particular school of thought, he reflected through his writing "different ideas for different purposes in different contexts"(220). Braund looks at issues of physics and cosmology (and as a subtopic, gods and humans and nature), ethical issues, and eschatology in the Georgics, Ecologues, and Aeneid. She also examines the history of Virgil's various ideas and issues, and poets or philosophers he might have learned and borrowed from. Moreover, Braund also mentions Virgil's recurrent theme of uncertainty and questions, making his writing so hard to analyze and draw singular conclusions from. She covers many topics that readers question significantly without ever attempting to answer them.
          This article was pretty persuasive, and everything Braund talked about made logical sense. I liked that she used a lot of information from other authors and writers from history. However, I didn't find the parts about the Eclogues and Georgics overly helpful. There was a lot of interesting topics that the author covered within the chapter that are very interesting to many of Virgil's readers. The author also had a small section on Aeneas and Didio that could help with my research project. Personally, I think that this article was one of the most interesting ones we have read up until now.

Reflection on lines 269-297

In these lines, Aeneas sees Hector in his dreams. He describes his appearance as depressing and chaotic, and very different from that of when he was a great victor. However, the voice that is now present in the epic is first person, and it could mean either the narrator OR Aeneas is speaking. The narrator/Aeneas cries out to Hector and asks him what happened to him, but Hector does not answer his questions. He tells Aeneas to flee from Troy, because it has been taken over by enemies. Aeneas is now to find a new home for the Trojans, one where they will be safe and happy, away from the now destroyed Troy.
Vocab:
- divum
- perque
- sanguine
- cerno
- puppibus
- tenuere
- eripe
- quaere
- flammis
Grammar:
- mihi - dative of reference or interest
- quo - ablative of time when
- Danaorum puppibus - dative of direction or reference
- Hector exspectate - vocative
- nate - vocative
- dea - abl. of separation
- his penatibus - dative of reference

Precis for "Rome and its traditions"

          James Zetzel, in his essay "Rome and its traditions" (10-11-12) claims that throughout the Aeneid, Virgil includes "descriptions of Rome and Italy's past and present" that although significant, may be misleading (Zetzel 189). Zetzel finds instances in almost every Book in the epic that have some relevance to describing Romans, and their major historical events, and even Italy as a whole. He examines 3 major prophecies in the epic, which show Virgil's own view of Rome, and those are Jupiter's prophecy to Venus, Anchises' disclosure to Aeneas, and Vulcan's gift to Aeneas, the shield. Zetzel says that although Virgil did his research and did acquire historical information based off of other  authors and poets, he also made up some of his characters and events himself. Because of this, other inconsistencies in the epic, and also Virgil's emphasis on perspective and uncertainty, Zetzel argues that history has no concise solution and no real truth, and the reader is able to make what he or she will of Rome's history.
          I thought this article was pretty convincing. I really liked the whole idea of perception and the mysteries of Rome's past. I didn't realize how many connections there were to history throughout the Aeneid, as I had only spotted the obvious ones; however, the ones that the author pointed out to me made sense and were relevant to Virgil's writing. I also did not pick up on all of Virgil's inconsistencies that were pointed out to me within this essay, which also made a lot of sense. I thought this article was interesting because it examined a unique topic; however, the title was misleading because when I think of traditions, I think of customs, holidays, and even attire, and not necessarily history.

Reflection on lines 216-249

In these lines, Laocoon's death is described in detail. After he runs to try to save his children, he is brutally killed by the serpents. The other Trojan's believe that Laocoon is just paying for his crime (stabbing the horse) and therefore decide to take the horse within their walls. The people are praising the horse and taking it as a good omen and are totally blind to the cruel intentions of it.
Vocab:
-subeuntem
- tela
- sidera
- orandaque
- numina
- quater
Grammar:
- 209 - ablative absolute
- Laocoonta - accusative - Greek form
- 223 - simile
- cunctis - dative of reference
- collo -ablative of separation
- utero - ablative of source or separation

Precis for "Poetry and Power"

          R. J. Tarrant, in his essay, "Poetry and Power: Virgil's poetry in contemporary context" (11-4-12) asserts that all of Virgil's works, especially the Aeneid, have some sort of political criticism embedded within them. The author examines each of Virgil's three major poems, the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid individually, but also cumulatively to prove this point. He looks at specific events and themes in each poem that relate to the social and political issues at the same time they were written. Tarrant also examines other ancient poets that Virgil may have been influenced by, or have worked with that also produced political poetry. The author tries to prove that Virgil is indeed "a politically engaged writer" in order to help the reader acquire a better analyzation of his poetry and how it was perceived by readers in his time (169). Tarrant looks to target an audience composed of those who have read Virgil's or other ancient poet's works.
          This article was pretty convincing, as the author brought up a lot of good points about how each of Virgil's works could be interpreted as a political text. Not only did he look at  the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid individually, but he related them collectively and talked about some of Virgil's continuous political hints. He also brought up a lot of good points about the Aeneid, (some of which we have examined in class), and by giving the reader the history on these certain parts, enables them to look at those parts as politically and socially critical. Personally, the most interesting part for me was when Tarrant talked about Virgil's apparent views on war.

Precis on "Virgilian Epic"

          Duncan F. Kennedy, in his essay, "Virgilian Epic"(10-28-12), argues that Virgil has made steady progression over the course of his poetic career, and that repetition plays a major role in interpreting his final work, the Aeneid. He looks at the Georgics, Eclogues, and Aeneid, Virgil's three major works, but  most critically at the Aeneid. Kennedy talks about "telos" (slippage between 'end' as 'stopping point and as 'goal') and "epos" (connoting 'word' or 'utterance'), as well and their relevance to the epic. Kennedy mainly targets those who have read, or are interested in reading Virgil's poems, to relay to them his views on the structure of, specifically his epic.
          This essay was fairly convincing, although I found the topic of choice to be a little dull and difficult to take sufficient interest in. Kennedy cited a lot of outside authors, including Philip Hardie, whom we have already read. He also talked a lot about the Iliad and the Odyssey to strengthen his arguments about repetition, comparing them often to the Aeneid. I did not particularly take interest in this essay; however, his idea of repetition was something to give good thought to.

Precis for "Virgil and Tragedy"

          Philip Hardie in his essay "Virgil and Tragedy" (10/21/12) claims that "in short, the Aeneid is a problematic text" because it is difficult to describe as a tragedy specifically (313). Hardie examines the Virgilian epic and some of its criticisms specifically to decide whether the Aeneid could be classified as a tragedy, or what tragic aspects it contains. The author looks to give the reader a lot of insight into the poem's tragic qualities, but not necessarily define the Aeneid specifically as a tragedy itself. This information is useful to those who have read the epic, but also to those who are looking at the tragedy genre alone, as it pertains to the complexity of defining a tragedy itself as well as defining the Aeneid as one.
          This essay did not particularly convince me that the Aeneid was, or was not a tragedy, which is what I believe the author intended; however, it did give me a lot of information about what 'tragedy' means, and how it could be defined in terms of the Aeneid. The author looks at tragic heroes in the story, tragic small stories within the text itself, and also the tragedy of personal loss and grief for the characters. In describing these, I felt that the author, at times, tended to go off on tangents about specific details of his points, which made the essay somewhat difficult to read. Overall, not my favorite, but brings up an interesting debate about defining the Aeneid and its significance as an epic.

Reflection on lines 40-56 and 201-215

In lines 40-56, Laocoon gives the Trojans a warning about the horse that they have discovered. He warns them that it is a trick of the Greeks, and it will only work against the Trojans. At the end of his warning, he throws a spear into the horse to try to prove his point; however, it doesn't work, and Aeneas, who is telling this whole story, foreshadows the fall of Troy to come.
In lines 201-215, Laocoon is slaughtering a bull at the altars. Then, the scene shifts to a description of two serpents slithering on the surface of the sea. When they reach land, they head for Laocoon, but first slaughter his two sons. This is a really depressing passage of ecphrasis.
Vocab:
- ardens
- summa
- ferentes
- ulla
- ingentem
- pelago
- aras
- agmine
Grammar:
- comitante caterva - ablative absolute
- 45- metonymy
- viribus - abl. of manner
- 52 - ablative absolute
- 54 - contrary to fact conditional
- 54 - anaphora and asyndeton
- Neptuno - dative of reference
- spumante salo - abl. absolute
- 213-214 - interlocking word order

Reflection on lines 159-178

In these lines, Dido gives a speech to the Trojans in response to the one from Ilioneus. She says that they are welcome in her city and she will help them in any way that is possible. She also offers them a chance to permanently reside there if they so choose. Lastly, Dido wonders where their king is, and promises to send out a search party in hopes of finding him.
Vocab:
-agetur
- adforet
- ore
Grammar:
- 560- half line
- corde - abl. of separation
- custode - abl. of means
- mihi - dative of agent
- 578 - conditional

Reflection on lines 527-558

In these lines, Ilioneus continues and concludes his speech to Dido about the position of the Trojans. He tells Dido that the Trojans are good people, with honorable intentions, and all they would like to do is fix their ships and then depart from Carthage. Ilioneus tells Dido about their leader Aeneas, whom they are not sure is dead or alive, (although the reader knows better) and tries to make the best case he can for the Trojans.
Vocab:
- locus
- cursus
- Quaeve
- tendere
- Quassatam
- remos
Grammar:
- 533 - indirect statement
- 534- half line!
- procacibus Austris - ablative absolute
- 544 - nobis - dative of possession
- vescitur - takes abl.
- 549 - paeniteat - jussive subjunctive
- 554 - Italiam - acc of place towards

Precis on "Sons and lovers: sexuality and gender in Virgil's poetry"

          Ellen Oliensis in her essay "Sons and lovers: sexuality and gender in Virgil's poetry" (10/14/12) implies that Virgil makes consistent ideas of sexuality and gender differences prominent in his writing. The author examines each of Virgil's major works, The Georgics, Eclogues, and Aeneid individually and explains his topic specific to each poem. Oliensis aims to give the reader a good insight as to how and where in his works Virgil depicts sexuality and gender to show he or she certain consistencies and general remarks that can be found within the poems. The author most likely intends to give this knowledge to those who will or have read Virgil's poems so that they can utilize what they have learned. 
          I think this was the most interesting article I've read up until now. It was very persuasive and I did not question the author's arguments much at all. The author supported her points with many examples from each of the works, showing that her interpretations and conclusions were valid. I will keep this article in mind because it is one that I could use for my research project, along with my other sources from JSTOR. 

Reflection on lines 194-226

In these lines, Aeneas and his men are further examining Carthage under the protection of the mist. They see Dido go by, surrounded by a group of young men, similar to the way Diana is surrounded by her dancers. They are nervous about the situation, but they are also eager to be on good terms with the Carthaginians. In the last few lines, Ilioneus starts a speech to Dido introducing the Trojans and showing that they look to be on peaceful terms and that they also need some help.
Vocab:
- ignes
- secutae
- divae
- nam
- pio
Grammar:
-in line 510, why is videt singular? There are two names...
- 498 - simile between Dido and Diana (women in power)
- 517 - indirect questions
- iustitia - ablative of means or manner

Reflection on lines 195-209 and 418-440

In the lines 200-209, Aeneas is trying to rally his troops with a spirit-lifting speech. Although he does not feel hopeful himself, he puts on a happy face for his crew to make them feel better.
In the lines 418-440, Aeneas and his men are marveling at the city they are overlooking from a cliff. The Tyrians are described while working on their individual tasks, and are compared to bees in the summer, working within their hive.
Vocab:
-litore
- socii
- vosmet
- rebus
- medios
Grammar:
- what alii agrees with in 427
- in lines 430 and 431, apes is led to seem like the subject, but it is really labor
- 434- agmine facto- ablative absolute
- miratur- deponent
- durate - imperative (funny how Aeneas is ordering his men to be strong, and not asking them)

Reflection on lines 186-194

In this section, Aeneas is described killing 7 bucks, equal to the number of ships that he has. By killing the herds leaders, he sends the flock into confusion and makes them scatter all over. Once he returns to the crew, he splits up the carcasses to make sure everyone has something to eat.
Vocabulary:
- tela/telis
- ingentia
- fundat
- ferentes
Grammar:
- cornibus arboreis - ablative of quality
- nemora - poetic plural
- Victor=Aeneas - the understood subject

Reflection on lines 156-186

In these lines, the Trojans get to land. They are exhausted, but they fought with all of their strength until they finally made it. Once there, Achates lights a fire, and the group goes to see what food they have so they can prepare a meal. Aeneas wanders off and sights a flock of deer.
Vocabulary:
-petere
- sese
- saxo
- rerum
- agmen
Grammar:
-est...locus - ecphrasis
- silvis coruscis - ablative of quality
- horrenti umbra - ablative of cause or of manner
- unco morsu - ablative of means
- collectis navibus - ablative absolute
- videat - subjunctive
- pelago - dative of direction

Reflection on lines 124-156

In these lines, Neptune senses the storm, and he's super mad, so he scolds the winds that have created it.  He tells them to tell Aeolus to stay off of the part of the world that is his realm (the sea). He then calms the seas around Aeneas to help them out. Then, Virgil's first political metaphor is used, as he compares the calming of the sea by Neptune to the calming of a crowd by an orator.
Vocabulary:
-unda
- tollere
- pelagi
- immania
- cunctus
Grammar:
- line 124 - alliteration
- refusa vadis - ablative of separation or dative of direction
- alto - ablative of place where
- unda- ablative of separation
- 129 - hyperbole
- illi - dative of indirect object
- 142 - ablative with comparative

Reflection on lines 92-123

In these lines, Aeneas is complaining. He's basically saying, "Why couldn't I die back in Troy? Why do I have to lead this awful journey?". During his little spiel, Aeneas's ships are caught up in a storm that tears them apart and makes it impossible to navigate. The helmsman on one of the ships is thrown overboard and is lost to the waves, and the tempest causes the ships to lose all control.
Vocabulary:
- sidera
- telo
- remi
- furit
- visu
- puppim
Grammar:
- viris - Teucris - dative of reference
- campis - ablative of place where
- hanc - meam - ablative of means
- iactanti - dative of reference
- 108-109 - anaphora
- mari summo - ablative of place where

Precis for "Approaching Characterisation in Virgil"

          Andrew Laird in his essay "Approaching Characterisation in Virgil" (10/7/12) asserts that looking at characterization in Virgil's works is important, no matter how "conventional" it may seem. The author splits the chapter into two sections, the first looking at characterization being a relation between the poet and the character he portrays, and the second looking at characterization being a relation between the text and the audience. Laird aims to show that characterization requires the reader to look at characters, which are crucial to almost any work, in order to expand the way they interpret it. The readers that the author most likely intends to read his work are those who will or have read Virgil's works; however, it could be useful to any reader because characterization is important in any piece of literature.
          I think this essay was pretty convincing. It showed me different ways to look at how author's characterize, and how they are significant. This information was certainly helpful to me as I go forward with my research project on the Aeneid, but I could also apply it to almost anything I read outside of class. There are many perspectives on character that were not mentioned in this chapter; however, the ones that the author did bring up, I thought were very interested and I will keep in mind as I continue to examine the Aeneid.

Precis for "Virgilian Narrative: Ecphrasis"

          Alessandro Barchiesi in his essay, "Virgilian Narrative: Ecphrasis" (9/29/12) asserts that ecphrasis is used in the Aeneid to enhance the story, and also examines the ways that it is used and interpreted. The author uses specific examples from the story, especially Aeneas's shield to portray how ecphrasis is used within the epic, and also to compare it to the works of other poets. He also gives the reader information about how ecphrasis is interpreted differently today than it was in ancient Rome, which helps explain how the viewer might interpret it, but also how and why Virgil put it in the Aeneid. The author tries to explain to the reader the importance of ecphrasis in the epic, and also the pros and cons of including it, in order to allow the reader to be aware of it and understand its relevance. The author intends to present this information to all readers of ancient Roman and Greek text, but for us, it is relevant to our project on the Aeneid.
          I think that this essay was really convincing. The author presented a good argument that captured my attention, and explained something that I didn't know much about. Now, I have a reason to pay attention to the description of artistic details within the epic, and I understand more about why Virgil has included them. I thought that the concept of ecphrasis was interesting, especially because it is something that I see in a lot of books that I read still today, but never knew had an actual name.

Precis for "Virgilian Narrative - Story-Telling"

          Don Fowler in his essay, "Virgilian Narrative - Story-Telling", (9/22/12) argues that The Aeneid "has much to say about story-telling itself" (259). The author does this by breaking down parts of a story into different sections: narrators, oppositions, plot, story, book, point of view, and singing and writing, and explaining the different parts and their relevance to The Aeneid. The author does this in order to break down the epic and give a deeper insight and more information to the reader so that they can examine these individual aspects better as they read. The author intends to give this information to people reading Virgil's works, especially the Aeneid, to help them get more out of their reading.
          This essay was the most boring of all those that I've read so far. I did not think that it was overly persuasive at all, and really didn't gain, what I would consider, a ton of useful information. I wish the author would have had a little bit better of an introduction and conclusion to bring the whole paper together and really explain his purpose; however, I did like that he was concise and to the point. Overall, not the greatest source of information on how to examine the Aeneid, but still somewhat helpful.

Reflection on lines 65-91

This section was Juno pleading for help from Aeolus and his response to her. She tells him about how she despises Aeneas and needs his help to wreak havoc on him while in return promising him beautiful nymphs (especially Deiopea) as a reward. Aeolus agrees to help her (although he really shouldn't because it's against the rules of his job) and what he does is also described within this passage.
Some vocabulary I had trouble with:
- agmine
- litora
- gens
- puppes
- victosque
Grammar:
- There are imperatives in line 69!
- I was confused as to what 'bis' agrees with in line 90
- I couldn't find the direct object in line 79
- I wasn't sure about the ablative absolute in line 81
- or the case of 'nubes' in line 88

Lines 34-64 Reflection

The section that I've just translated continues the introduction the the epic and explains more about Juno's savage anger. She targets Aeneas and his crew with fire, and even kills a man by impaling him on a rock. Finally she seeks out Aeolus and the readers discover what his powers are and what he does (as designated by Jupiter).
The vocabulary I found difficult in this chapter was:
- ignem
- aequora
- aris
- talia
- auras
and
- atris

The grammar I found difficult in this chapter was:
- The agreement of 'una' in line 47 to a noun
and
- The sentence structure of line 50 (I had trouble with that line in general)

Precis for "Virgil's Style"

          James J. O'Hara, in his essay, Virgil's Style, (9/16/12)  suggests that the awareness of stylistic poetic devices in Virgil's writing gives his poems a deeper meaning, and can lead researchers to a whole new understanding of his intentions while writing. He uses examples from Virgil’s Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, and also the work of other researchers to convey this idea. O'Hara aims "to 'prove', as many have before, that much is lost when Virgil is read only in translation or with insufficient attention to style" in order to allow readers of Virgil to better interpret Virgil (242). Furthermore, O'Hara provides "a thorough introduction to Virgil's style" by showing the reader some of the mechanisms he uses (242). The author intends to give this knowledge to people reading anything by Virgil, to express.

          This essay was convincing because there was a lot of evidence to support O'Hara's points. By introducing readers to the style of Virgil, it gives them a good knowledge to start looking out for the devices he uses on their own. Everything O'Hara writes about could really help the reader look deeper into Virgil's writing, and understand that reading just the translation only gives you a one-dimensional view of what the Aeneid actually is. Also, the study of Virgil's poetic language can go on and on and continue to always be interpreted and analyzed, leading the way for future research and development. I liked this essay because style is something that I can really examine in my studies of the Aeneid, and I will pay attention to during my translation.

Lines 1-33 Reflection

The section we read was an introduction to the epic. It gave a history of the founding of Rome and predicted some the struggles Aeneas and his men would go through. Furthermore, it questions the wrath of the gods, especially Juno's, which could be argued as the main question throughout the epic. The passage also shows why Juno will feel such a strong hatred towards Rome, seeing as they will destroy her dearest city. Some vocabulary I found difficult in this section was:
- numine
- vi
- fertur
- arces
- alta
and
- acti
I didn't have much trouble with grammar in this section.
Overall, the passage was not too bad to read, and I think it's really cool to read the English and now have the Latin to compare to it.

Precis for "The Virgilian Intertext"

            Joseph Farrell in his essay, “The Virgilian Intertext”, (9/9/12) argues that intertextuality is a tool that Virgil uses to enhance the interpretation of his works. He uses examples from Virgil’s Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid with references to other authors’, and Homer’s works such as the Iliad and Odyssey to convey this. “Intertextuality is one of Virgil’s most powerfully evocative tools for communicating ideas,” and by bringing this information to the reader, it gives them an opportunity to look deeper into Virgil’s work and interpret it in new ways (Farrell 222). Furthermore, this intertextuality “greatly enriches (and often complicates)” the reader’s understanding of Virgil’s works, giving them a whole new dimension of analysis while reading (228). The author intends to present this knowledge to those reading anything of Virgil’s, to express its importance and relevance.

            The essay was convincing, as it gave me a new understanding of the Aeneid and how much intertextuality plays a role in it. It also gives reasons for why Virgil might have done this, and how it enhances the text. It shows how widely read Virgil was when writing his works, and how creatively he thought to include all of these allusions in his work. However, this information is pretty useless to a reader, such as myself, who has not read many of the works, which Virgil refers to in his intertextuality. Without prior knowledge of those works, this information tells me that these references exist, but I have no tools to find them and analyze them unless I read the texts that Virgil acquired them from. 

Summer Reading Reflection

I think instead of ending with my top 1-3 topics, I'll start with them. I'm going to chose love and morals. After reading the book, they just ended up being the topics that intrigued me the most (women is my third choice and fate comes next, but I'm just not as crazy as I once was about them). I don't really have a good reason except that I really think I can find a lot of really interesting ideas in the Aeneid about these two topics. "Love is the closest thing we have to magic" on Earth, and I guess I've always been intrigued by it. There are so many examples of so many different types of love in the Aeneid and what it does to people, that it seems like a topic I could pursue endlessly. Morals and ethics are so unexplainable that I'm intrigued to delve deeper into how they are perceived and how the effect the characters Aeneid. It is a topic that really relates to everyone's lives, and instead of debating over what is right and wrong, I could look more into the psyche of characters and understand what drove them to make the choices they make and why. That might help me understand better how they influence people today, and also how people apply them.

My other topics, what happened to them? I guess they just fizzled out over time. I still put effort into researching them, but I thought about love and morals a whole lot more. They also seemed to be the more popular topics within the group and I'll admit it, I wanted to be different. Fate and divine intervention I still have a lot of questions about, and I'm hoping to bring them up in the socratic seminar because I think so much better when I talk to other people about ideas. Aeneid in Augustan Rome, well I actually still have an interest in that, but it's changed a little. I really like Reader Response literary criticism, and it'd be really cool to look at the reception of the Aeneid throughout history, but I don't know enough about history in general to pursue this, and to be honest, I don't feel like doing the research on my own. I feel like when I first chose my topics, I didn't know enough about the book to really chose what I wanted to do. I mean, I had a stable introduction, but I feel like I thought about a lot of new topics after I finished the book. I forgot to mention the women topic. I still do like that topic a lot, and maybe I can incorporate it into my research somehow like Mr. V. suggested in the beginning. However, I'm going to admit, I'm actually excited to do this project with the topics I have, I just have one small request: PLEASE give us due dates for steps in the process, so I don't put it all off until the end and scramble to get it done. PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU MR. V. I'M MUCH TO GREAT OF A PROCRASTINATOR FOR YOU TO DO OTHERWISE.

So overall, I really liked the book. I'm actually seriously considering reading it again, only this time, straight through. It was a really great read because it explored soo many ideas and really made me think, you know? At times, yes, I wanted to put it down because it got a little boring, but in general, it kept my interest the whole time. The blogs weren't even that bad. Just a little time consuming. I'd MUCH rather do these than an essay, because I can feel like I'm talking, and I'm a much better talker than I am writer. I know this may be childish to discuss, but my favorite characters are Dido and Camilla, and my favorite part was when Aeneas and Sibyl visited the underworld. I admire strong, independent women and Dido and Camilla really portrayed them for me. I never really felt any connection to any males in the novel, except, I know they're random, Pallas, Nisus, and Euryalus. Their brave last acts really moved me, and to me, that's what glory is about. It's not always about winning, it's about failing with style (that might be too optimistic). Anyway, the only times that the epic was hard to follow was when I wasn't familiar with all of the names he used (especially during the war). The language wasn't too difficult, but sometimes I had to reread parts just to make sure I got it. I'm glad this book was chosen as the summer reading assignment because this was probably the subject (out of all of the ones that I had summer work in) that I was most optimistic about finishing.

My further questions: What on earth is the research project that we will be doing? Are we doing it as a class, and if not, can we at least have some time to discuss with other classmates? Really, I think other people's opinions are very important, especially when discussing topics that are very opinionated. Can topics be opinionated? I don't think I used the right word there... Also, do we know how Aeneas dies? I don't know why, but I'm curious to find out. Also, when did the beliefs in Roman/Greek mythology fizzle out? People don't still believe in/worship the gods now, but they did in the past, so what happened there? Also, this is unrelated, but will we use Edmodo for anything other than reminders? Also, can we do more work on mythology this year? I think that wraps up all of my questions. I'm sorry that so few of them were book related, I've done a lot of work on it and my mind needs a little break.

I'M ON MY LAST PARAGRAPH OF MY LAST BLOGPOST. It's a little depressing actually. I'd never admit it, but they were actually kind of fun (see what I did there??). I like blogging. Okay, now down to business. I'd just like to wrap it up with how this epic effected my summer. First, I totally connected it to all of the other reading I did. Also, since I'm taking psychology next year, I started to examine some of the characters in the epic from a psychologist's point of view. This really helped me read a little closer into the book, and think of things that I might not have thought of otherwise. Furthermore, the epic really got me thinking about a lot of aspects of life in general. Love, morals, religion, fate vs. free will, war, gender roles, and death are just a few of them. I really wish that I could sit down and talk to Virgil about what he was thinking about during the writing of the Aeneid, because I think I'd unlock so many more secrets and pick up on so many more ideas that the epic has to offer. I wonder if the finished product would have been dramatically different from what he left when he died. It's a shame that we'll never know. I wish I had the capability to just know everything. I really like to learn, I just go about it in a very lazy way.

Well, I guess I've said everything I have to now. It's over...onto my english essay and gov/pol....
How do I wrap up a blog I'll never use again? I feel like 'bye' is too informal...
Vale?
Eh..
Now is the time that I wish I could think of something utterly clever that would impress everyone.
Eh I'll just stick to this:

Hope you've enjoyed my blogposts! Seee you tomorrow!!

Book 12 Reflection

So close. I think it's interesting that Virgil ends the book with the murder of Turnus. It's very abrupt and does not give the reader a pleasant image in their mind as they set it down, but the reader assumes that after that, the war is won, and Rome is finally established. It's funny that the event that the whole epic led up to was not even included in it. It took my by surprise a little bit.

"What madness is warping my reason?" is a quote that Dido also used back in book 4 (37). Virgil repeats this quote to emphasize...da da da da (think of trumpets) LOVE. (Sorry, it's late and I'm starting to get stressed over all of the work that I've put off). But I've worn out how the topic of love totally changes a person, so I'll move onto other subjects. Love is so hard to find in war, and when it does come out, it just makes it all the more better because it's surrounded by its foil, hate. Although Turnus does not seem appreciative of what his sister risks for him, it is a display of what sibling love can do. Although everything she does is very moving, Turnus is unappreciative because he knows he must accept his fate and nothing she will do can change it. The rejection of love is always sad, but this one struck me because it was by a blood relative. For some reason, that seems much worse to me than any other rejection of love. I think that's all I found in this book, although it did have some of my favorite quotes in the whole epic that I don't think I pointed out. I have them marked in my book if I ever need to find them so no worries!

Fate totally revolves around the idea of Turnus's death in this book, and I've come to the conclusion that Jupiter does control fate, even if it is only partially. Lines 725-727 have convinced me of that as well as the compromise scene between Jupiter and Juno. I think it's interesting that, although his wife and his (in some stories) daughter take opposite sides of the conflict, he remains impartial the entire time, equally giving a little to both of the goddesses. However, what confuses me is when Virgil talks about "destiny's sisters," because they have not been identified in the book, and the only thing I can pull my knowledge about them from is Hercules the Disney movie (which I'm well aware is completely inaccurate) (147). Therefore, I hope this topic comes up in our socratic seminar, so that I can gain a better understanding of it.

Venus saves her son. Juno encourages Juturna to save her brother. Jupiter controls fate. Jupiter and Juno have a nice little compromise scene, which is a nice little way to show what will happen in the future and give some closure to the book. The Gods intervene right up until the end, and in fact, they are the way we find out the ending to the story. My favorite quote about gods in this chapter is "gods alarm me, and Jupiter. He is my real foe" (895). I think that Turnus understands that the gods have some say in his fate, or death, and that Aeneas is not to blame for delivering the death blow, because fate commanded it. It is interesting for Turnus to look at the gods as his foe, because Juno has been on his side the whole time, but he realizes that the enemy is not the Trojans, but whoever condemns humans to this type of brutal fate. However, just the page before, Virgil refers to Jupiter as "great-hearted," showing that it is all relative, depending on how the gods have effected you in life (877).

When Aeneas kills Turnus, his duty/fate must be fulfilled, and he is breaking no moral codes in killing him. Morals vary from person to person, because what is considered "right" for one person, another may consider "wrong". Everything is relative, and this makes the world extremely complicated, but also a lot more interesting. Sometimes, moral codes have to be broken in order for something better to come out of it; however, excuses are not always acceptable and sometimes a person needs to own up to and suffer the consequences for the wrong choices they make. I truly believe in karma, (both good and bad) and that all of the choices someone makes come back to haunt them someday. Turnus got what he deserved, the righteous Aeneas has a bright future ahead of him, although the road there wasn't always fair, the resolution always is.

I'm sick of looking at women in the Aeneid to be quite honest. I'm a woman, and I got plenty of girls in my life if I feel like examining the female psyche. I should have look at men in the Aeneid, not that I'm lacking men in my life, but I feel like an interpretation of the opposite gender would come out much more interesting than one of the same gender. Anyway, I'll look at Amata as the last woman I'll encounter in the epic. She kills herself for no reason at all. Well not no reason, she kills herself because she thinks the war is lost and she does not want to live with the grief of seeing her city fall and daughter married off to Aeneas. It's a very impulsive and rash decision, especially because her speculation is incorrect, but women are stereotypically (at least nowadays) known for acting on impulse. Why is it only women in the Aeneid that kill themselves? Why don't any of the men? I'm not including those who've perished for glory in battle. Does it show emotional weakness, or maybe lack of the will to live and fight? Okay, maybe I lied, I'm just going to write about Lavinia really fast. Why is she portrayed as an object, a prize to be won? She doesn't speak throughout the whole book, so the reader never gets her opinions or feelings, she just sits there and remains passive. The only time we get real emotion from her is when her mother dies and she "rips her own golden tresses and tears at her rose-coloured cheeks" (605-606). Virgil really shows a lot of various personalities of females, and I might have lied before, my interest might just be renewed.

So I know I haven't really been keeping up with the Aeneid in Augustan Rome topic, but I'm going to address that in my synthesis I promise.

Book 11 Reflection

I'm so close to being done. Just three more blog posts!!

I haven't had much to say about women for a few books, so I'll start my blogpost with them. Camilla finally appears for battle. She is fierce. So are the women of her squad. Camilla is different from most women in the novel, because she has no desire to marry whatsoever. She has "[fosters] eternal love for her weapons and for her chastity," a lifestyle very different from that of most women (583-584). She was brought up by a man, and now finds herself equal among men. This to me says a lot about gender roles. Because Camilla grew up outside of the social world, she had no concept of what a woman was supposed to be like, so she just went with what her father taught her. Her story also shows that women could be as strong as men, but because they are not brought up like men (it's against social customs), they do not get a chance to prove it. Nowadays, this has changed dramatically and you find a lot more Camilla's in the world than you had before. Although Camilla is a truly inspirational and magnificent woman, she is killed at the hands of a man after killing many more. However, this only makes her story all the more memorable and moving to the reader.

I don't think I've ever addressed how Virgil puts a lot of emphasis on Aeneas "being a good man," but his moral character in the book is something Virgil makes an example of (106). He is called "righteous Aeneas" many times throughout the epic, and is praised by all for his just actions. I wonder if he was born righteous, and therefore fate selected him to be the father of Rome, or if he was created righteous by fate because she already knew he was going to found Rome. An example of Aeneas's goodness is when he agrees to the terms of the treaty, giving his foes a chance to think without fear of attack. However, when this is broken, it's also another moral issue within the book. It is no doubt looked at as making the wrong choice, but Turnus tends to do that a lot. Although he has great courage, he is too bold and does not know when it is appropriate to fight, and when it is not. However, Turnus is not driven to make this decision all on his own. He is tempted by Drances, who allows his jealously to get the better of him and bothers Turnus. Latinus is the last character that I would like to explore in morals and this is why: he is king, and he should be able to stop the fighting. Possibly, he is not brave enough to stand up to Turnus, but it takes bravery to portray good morality, especially when society is doing the opposite. Although the king knows the fighting is wrong, and it saddens him deeply, he cannot control it and therefore, appears to lack moral character.
P.S. Are human sacrifices okay? Is that even legal? Aeneas sends them, so I feel like that makes it okay, but it's another morals question that I'm having trouble answering.

I think the tragedy of a parent outliving their child is a sadness that no parent is equipped to or expects to live with. When Evander is given back the body of Pallas, his grief is so obvious and heartbreaking, and that was a really difficult part to read. (However, I think that Aeneas, by respectfully sending him a funeral parade shows great moral character and love for his ally). Furthermore, I wonder if Turnus actually loves Lavinia. He doesn't seem overly capable of loving anything but glory, and it makes sense that he would have he king's daughter to be his bride, because that would only bring him further glory. Love of a person's status and love of a person themselves are two very different types of love and seem to be mixed up here in the joining of Lavinia and Turnus, (and in all arranged marriages for that matter) but I suppose it's not their fault. My last comment about love is also about jealousy. Jealousy is love for something someone else has, but loathing for them because you do not have it yourself. Drances is jealous of Turnus's glory in war because he has never gotten that himself, and he hates Turnus, because Turnus has; therefore, he tempts Turnus during the king's meeting, and makes him look like the bad guy.
One question, why do women let their hair down when they are grieving? I've seen that a couple times in the book and was wondering what the significance of that was.

Instead of looking at how the gods intervene in this book, I'm going to talk about the meaning of their intervention. Religion has always been a tool that humans use to fill in a gap about the unknown (in my opinion), and because it explains things that people don't understand, they cling to it like spider monkeys. Humans do unexpected things sometimes, and I'm not sure quite why, but when people can't explain things, they generally always find a way to. I don't know why, sometimes they just like having an explanation, no matter how feeble it is. This is where the gods come in. Whether Virgil portrays them as real beings or as literary devices, the story wouldn't make sense without them, so he had to put them in there. Moreover, The gods in the epic are so much like humans, it's almost humorous, because under all of their divine powers, they are just average. Virgil portrays them very human-like and makes them very relatable to the reader, giving them another reason to connect with the book even deeper. The Divine Intervention topic is wearing out on me a little bit, but I'll write about it for my last blog just for poop and laughter.

Well, the epic is ending, and I still don't have good conclusions about fate. I do think however that Aeneas's acquiescence to fate is somehow related to his righteousness. I mean, he knows that his life would not have turned out the way it did if fate hadn't swayed him to do her bidding, but he goes with it anyway, even if he doesn't want to (112). That's a really hard thing to do, especially because he isn't getting a direct reward, just a promise that his posterity will succeed. Of course he gets glory and the promise of a good life for his son, but Aeneas wanted to spend his life differently. Maybe Virgil is saying that fate controls our lives for a reason. Free will is good to have, and we are given it somewhat, but fate ultimately controls the outcome, because it has a plan for all life. I just wonder what the plan is, and why it is the way it is. In line 725, Jupiter is described as the "Sower of Life for gods and for humans," and that could be interpreted as Jupiter being the master of fate, although it is never directly said in the epic. I bet that Virgil leaves us with a lot of questions unanswered on purpose. Smart people tend to do that...:)

Book 10 Reflection

There are so many names. They're so confusing, and there is no way I'm keeping track of all of them. 

Because the chapter starts with a meeting of the gods, I'll start my blog with divine intervention. They are a lot more present in this book than they have been in others, probably because this is the most intense part of the book! Venus, as always, remains bound by the laws of love that seemingly apply to everyone, and is concerned with her son and grandson's well-being. Juno remains hostile, and has a fight with Venus that Jupiter settles by saying that "individual effort makes or breaks fortune today," but he never refers to whose effort will do that (112). Venus as well as Juno intervenes in the war in this book, favoring those they cherish even though, Pallas reassures his troops that "no supernatural forces are crushing" them (which is pretty true I guess, because they are only aiding and not fighting) (375). However, when Juno takes Turnus away, it hurts him more than it helps him because he is so overcome with shame at leaving he tries to take his own life. It's funny that even sometimes when the gods do what they think is best, it ends up being devastating for humans, and it's not overly fair that they have to suffer at the gods' hands. Next, Jupiter addresses Juno much more lovingly than the reader would suspect later in the book, and during that he hints that Juno can help Turnus, at least for now. I'll address this more in the next paragraph, but I think Jupiter plays a bigger role than I first originally believed. 

Does Jupiter himself control fate? Or at least have a say in it? I've started to get the inkling for a few books, but this book made me take it seriously and think hard about it. Is it possible that all of the gods have a say in the fate of what they are patron god of? For example, Mars, "dealing out grief and destruction on both sides," seems to be controlling what goes on during the battle (755-756). Also, there are times in the epic that Jupiter hints that he has a say in, or controls fate itself, such as during his individual conversations with Venus and Juno. In line 100, he is described as "the omnipotent Father, who wields prime power over nature," and that gives him a lot of power, even though he does not imply that he has any power over fate in the group meeting. If Jupiter does indeed control fate, that means that divine will and fate are the same thing, as long as the divine will is Jupiter's plan. Another interesting quote I found was "fortune favors the bold," which is left as an incomplete line for reasons only Virgil can be positive about (284). However, Pallas acts very bold in taking on Turnus and still ends up suffering the ultimate ending. The last thing I would like to mention is that every once in a while, Virgil refers to fate as "the Fates," such as in line 814, throwing another wrench into the whole fate situation. Maybe fate is a lot of forces combined to create one destiny. 

Mars may be the power in a hero's hands, but love is the fire in their hearts that keeps them fighting (280). Love of glory, love of fighting, love of a country, love of a friend, love of a family, love of a partner, all of these are the forces that keep the men fighting on in war. It's unreasonable to fight for no purpose, and human instinct goes against risking your life for no reason; therefore, love seems to be an appropriate answer, especially when "love [lashes] to mindless rage" and fuels a battle so much stronger than any other (872). Furthermore, the reader can see Jupiter's love for Juno as he sits down for the first time to talk to her one on one. I thought about what Mr. V. said about men being less sensitive, but being careful not to stereotype, and I've come to the conclusion that Jupiter is man supreme, and therefore, not overly sensitive, but still capable of feeling love. I believe everyone is capable of feeling love, but how it is felt and expressed varies from person to person.

So I've established that morality is different when involved in war, and any life-or-death situation for that matter, but couldn't choosing war and choosing how to fight be looked at as moral issues? Choosing to fight in general is a choice that the answer seems so clear to, but when under the pressure of external forces, a person's opinion must be swayed. Furthermore, there is a difference in fighting and killing to get it done and do the job, and brutally murdering everyone you encounter. Maybe men with more rage and less sense of morality make better soldiers, but there needs to be balance, because outside of war, what is life without some sort of moral code? A person isn't fighting their whole life, so when all is said and done, and the war is lost and won, how does a person make that transition? (I know it's a little early to be addressing this because I have two more books left, but I figured I'd do it). My last question on morals is, how do they define a person? A lot of factors go into personality and demeanor, but where is morality assessed and how?

Book 9 Reflection

I teared up a little during this book. I don't like war and I don't know if I could handle the stress of one of my loved ones being sent to endure it, no matter how much of an honor it is to serve your country.

The first thing I don't understand is: why would the Tiber river god carry Turnus away to safety if he wants Aeneas to win? I thought he was on Aeneas's side, but I'm assuming he probably wanted Aeneas to kill Turnus instead (it's a more entertaining fight that way...just kidding). Juno seems to be withdrawing at this point. She still intervenes, but much less, and I think she's realizing that she's not really making too much of a difference. She still protects and fuels Turnus while he fights in a last ditch attempt to knock out as many Trojans as possible, and make Turnus's last few days as worthwhile as possible (my guess). Furthermore, she still relies on Iris to do some of her work, and I can't figure out why she chooses Iris instead of another god or goddess. Every time war is referred to, Mars is usually in there somewhere, however he does not really chose one side or the other, or even get involved all that much. Apollo also appears again in this chapter as the god of archery (he's the god of a lot of things) and keeps Ascanius from fighting because of his youth (or possibly his jealousy of his talent, even though he denies it, gods have a history of being jealous of talented mortals). An interesting quote from Nisus: "Is it, Euryalus, gods who implant these obsessions, deep in our minds?... Or do each individual's passions become god?" (184-185). As unlikely as it seems, this quote helped me understand what the gods signify to the people, but it also made me think deeper into it. Virgil is asking does belief create the beings that lead us, or are they created before we are made and give us our beliefs. That's a really hard question to answer, because it all depends on how you want to look at it and what you believe in.

So throughout the novel the characters talk about omens, but I haven't addressed those yet. This book was the first time I actually noted them, and how they typically are correct. Most of the humans in this epic are pretty intuitive, being able to understand these omens, almost giving them a way to foresee the future. This made me think that humans are actually a lot like the gods. They feel the same emotions and can somewhat do the same things, the gods can just do them with supreme power. Back to fate, I'm starting to wonder if fate predicts the outcome of events, but not the buildup. It shows the end result, but leaves the in between events to chance and free will. Therefore, both fate and free will govern our lives and there is a somewhat equal balance. The quote that helped me come to this conclusion is "How can Aeneas complete a predicted journey whose dangers can't be predicted?" (97). That part also made me consider another idea, but I'm going to address that in a later blog, because I need some more information.

The story of Nisus and Euryalus I'm familiar with. I remember hearing about it before I read the Aeneid, I just don't remember how. I really like Nisus and Euryalus's kind of love because "they were as one in their love" and "charged as a pair into battle" (182). They are presented more as equals than any other couple in the book, and I admire that. They are also stronger together than they are separately because a group can almost always win out against an individual, and their love makes them a stronger group than others. When they split up (Nisus leaves Euryalus behind similar to the way Aeneas leaves Creusa earlier in the epic), is when it all goes south for them. However, Nisus risks his life to save the one he loves because it is greater than his love for glory and rewards. The love for glory however, is also a very powerful love, although much more greedy and selfish than a love for another would be. In line 445, Virgil talks about "release from anguish" in death, because the lovers are joined in the afterlife, but it's interesting that although life on Earth may be a living hell after losing a loved one, many people tough it out because the love of their own life is just that littlest bit greater, or their natural will to survive is just too strong. Euryalus's mother may be "wholly destroyed," but the reader never hears about her taking her own life to deal with the pain (477). It's a sad topic to think about, but it's also one that a lot of people deal with even today.

I know I've already mentioned the "all's fair in love and war" thing, but this time, I'd like to look at the morality of vengeance and rewards. Nisus and Euryalus make their journey to send Aeneas the message that battle has broken out, but on their way, they slaughter many of their foes. Nisus eventually  calls off their slaughter, showing that there is a time for "full battle fury" to end, and also showing that he retains good reason and does not let war completely destroy his morals (342). The task that Nisus and Euryalus were sent out to do was righteous, but also cruel. However, Ascanius offers immense rewards and glory to the two of them, reinforcing the idea that they were making a good choice. Killing is expected during war, and even justified, but the absolutely awful methods chosen seem repulsive to me, who has never even had to think about going to war. Morals really take a backseat, because they have to. If a person were not to kill, they would probably die themselves. It's almost like living two totally different lives with totally different norms and values in one lifetime, but Virgil never shows in the epic the effect it has on a person.

Book 8 Reflection

I'm going to start off with a question. Why is Aeneas the founder of Rome? Why isn't credit given to Anchises or even Ascanius, who are both in his direct line? Is it simply because he was a hero who led the survivors out of Troy alive? Anchises and Ascanius have both lived worthy lives, why does the Roman story start with Aeneas's instead of Ascanius, who actually establishes Alba?

So because my fate paragraph was a little lacking last blog, I'll start with fate. I'm curious as to how the gods know everything about fate, even though they don't control it. Vulcan portrays Rome's future on Aeneas's shield, and they all make prophecies and seem well aware of what they are talking about. I guess being all-knowing gives them insight into the force that controls all of our lives, and that is one reason why they are supreme beings. But does fate predict their futures as well as humans' futures? And do they know what "unavoidable fate and omnipotent fortune" has in store for them (333)? Surely fate foresees how they will intervene, because it has such a huge influence on the mortal world. Without the gods, fate probably wouldn't have the outcomes it does in the book, and the world wouldn't be the way it is because they play a part in almost everything that happens in the epic. I'm realizing that as I go along, I'm connecting all of the topics I'm following. They all seem to have something to do with one another and I can't seem to write about one without incorporating another one into it. Maybe that's not a bad thing though, because by breaking them down, I can't get a full picture, but when I look at them together, I have a lot more to think about.

The Tiber god is the first to intervene in this book, by telling Aeneas how Ascanius will found Alba and also how to win the war. Personally, of his speech, I think the best part is when he tells Aeneas to slaughter the sow to conquer Juno's "anger and menace," because it's not possible (186). If he is destined to rule the city that will conquer hers, she will always partially hate him. Should I stop talking about the gods as if they are real beings and refer to them more in a literary device kind of way? How you look at them makes a big impact on the epic as a whole, but I'm not sure what the correct way to look at them is. I feel like I remember someone telling me that the gods were created (by the ancient Greeks and Romans) to explain the world and its functions, and that is how they are portrayed in the epic. However, in this book, Venus brings a material gift from the gods (the shield with Rome's future), which is somewhat deconstructing the theory that they are literary devices, right? The shield could not just have popped out of nowhere, so the gods have to have some type of substance. I'm spinning myself in circles...I'll take a break from the gods now because I'm real confused.

First off, I like that everyone Aeneas seeks agrees to send allies, and welcomes him warmly. That hospitality is something you don't see much today (although the world has changed dramatically in other ways as well), and it's something that I think shows great kindness and good character. So I've been talking more and more about how morals are so hard to uphold because of the blurry line between right and wrong, and how justifications skew ethical guidelines. I hear all the time from my parents, "Make good choices!" but I've never realized how hard it actually is to make good choices when you're put in a a really tough situation. Especially when it comes to putting yours or someone else's life at stake. For example, although it was very kind for Evander to send reinforcements for Aeneas, he is sending them with knowledge that some of his men will die in the war. So did he make the wrong or the right choice? Sending men away from their families (possibly to never return) and helping out a hero in desperate need, or not helping the desperate hero, but saving his men from the evils of war is the choice Evander must make. What do you do there??? What's considered the right or wrong choice? Both sides have pros and cons. In the end, love wins out. Ironic isn't it? Evander's love for Anchises sways him to help Aeneas without any real hesitation. Hercules's situation works the same way. Killing a man to avenge his evil crimes? Which do you chose? Love for his cattle wins! It's all perspective I guess, different people would make different choices because of their character and values, morality is tough.

So, I've already stated that love can skew morals and make a person do some crazy things. But love is't a bad thing and I'm not sure if I've put a lot of emphasis on this (I'm not even sure if Virgil has for that matter). Love can make a person a hero, like Hercules; it can drive a person to help someone in need, like Anchises or Vulcan; and it makes life worth living in general. Love sometimes leads to heartbreak, yes, but it is a wonderful thing as well and I should probably try to focus on the positive as well as the negative here. I wonder if gods can feel love (and hate) more deeply since they are greater beings than humans. Vulcan's "undying love and its passion," make him put his wife before all other priorities he has, even if the passion is not always present (394). The father-son love that Virgil displays throughout the epic is again seen here as Evander lets his son go, not knowing that he'll never return. I wonder why Virgil doesn't ever show mother-daughter love in the epic. I'm pretty sure he covers every other type of love relation besides mother-daughter, and I wonder why that is.

I finished the book this morning!!! I just have to catch up on my blogposts now:D

Book 7 Reflection

To be completely honest, I didn't much like book 7. I don't even know why.

My favorite part of the book was Allecto, so I suppose I'll start with divine intervention. Juno once again recruits another being to do her dirty work, but she's disappointed when it's not done the way she wanted it. Allecto, as "the bringer of grief," hated by even those of Tartarus, is arguably the cruelest being that we've encountered in the novel up until now; she is probably worse than Juno herself, and that's saying a lot (325). I think Juno has recently brought other gods into the situation because she is doubting her own power (as seen on page 167) and wants to see if other immortals can exert any more power than she can (asking others could be seen as a moment of weakness for Juno because she's doubting her own power while asking beings that have lesser power than her to intervene). Juno at this point seems to be at her lowest state, but nevertheless still trying to stop Aeneas at all costs. Juno pushes open the gates signifying war, even though she knows very well that she can do all of the damage she wants, and still will not stop Aeneas. She doesn't give up even though she knows it's futile, which I suppose could reinforce the idea of the strength of love, and show how desperate it makes you. (At this point, the persistence of Juno is a little annoying. Just give up. It's hopeless).

Love has nothing to do with the marriage arrangements of Aeneas (once Turnus) and Lavinia. At one point it's about money and status (Turnus), and another, what fate tells Latinus to do (Aeneas). This is very different from Dido and Aeneas's marriage, because it says that marriage is not always a love affair. Sometimes duty must come before pleasure, and love must be disregarded for the sake of obligation. Latinus's wife understands this, and tries to throw it in her husbands face by saying he is obligated to marry her off to Turnus. She also tries to guilt him into letting their daughter by marrying Turnus by challenging his love and devotion to his family (although the way she acts towards him doesn't show much family love on her part). Love is also used in this book to act as a driving force behind different actions. For example, Ascanius's "love of distinguished approval" drives him to shoot the horse, and Turnus's"love of the sword" drives him to quickly prepare for war (496, 461). However, that really isn't anything new to us as we've seen this in other books, but during this book I started to wonder if love is perceived the same way now as it was back when the Aeneid was written. I mean I'm sure it isn't, but I wonder in what ways its different.

My favorite woman in the book, although she is in it only for a half of a page, is Camilla. I think it helped that I have a background knowledge of her from the introduction, but I think she's awesome because she is totally out of the stereotypical woman image. She brings a new, and totally different image to women in the book, unlike Lavinia, who does not show any independence and relies completely on men to make her decisions. Circe is pretty cool too because she takes all of her anger out on men, even though she's pretty cruel. Latinus's wife is used by Allecto and Juno to stir up anger in the women of Latinum, similar to the way Juno uses the women to burn the ships, previously.  Amata and her group of women are described as "dancing for Bacchus,"inciting that they've gone completely crazy (from what I know about Bacchus's effect on women), and it's funny that the women are always the ones to lose their minds (580). I guess in a way, we are crazier, but it's only because men drive us crazy. They're the reasons we are everything we are (even though Juno takes the blame for inciting our anger at men), and men are one day going to realize this.

So as I was reading this book, I thought of the quote, "all's fair in love and war," and I related it to the epic and morals within it. Virgil seems to be a real big supporter of it anyway. Is it right, or fair, of Latinus to break his promise to Turnus and marry his daughter off to a foreigner? Probably not, though you could argue that he didn't have a choice because it is commanded of him. Is it right, or fair, of Allecto to bring grief the way she does? Probably not, but she does because it's what she was made for, and probably all she knows how to do. Is it right, or fair, for Tyrrhus's family to start a war over a pet being killed? Probably not, but Allecto can be blamed for inciting the fury that started the war. There's always an excuse to make for not making the right choice, and if you'd rather not call it an excuse, a reason or justification (however insignificant) behind certain actions. So with all of these excuses, who is to tell what is the right choice and what is the wrong choice? How can morals be studied when they are so many shades of grey instead of black and white? I think Virgil is really trying to portray this in his epic, and show the reader that choosing between the right and wrong choice may not always be clear, nor will it always bring you to the resolution you desire.

Aeneas marrying Lavinia is fate's plan. Latinus knows it, and Juno knows it. The difference between them is that one encourages it and one discourages it. Juno thinks she's all high and mighty trying to challenge what she calls "powers above," but it just makes her look more naive and powerless than humans (312). Juno and Venus are funny when it comes to fate. They both are aware of what eventually will happen, but they worry and intervene for the sake of what they want to happen anyway.  It's something I don't completely understand. If gods are supposed to be these all-knowing, immortal, great beings, why do they act like children sometimes? I don't really feel like writing any more about fate. I'll try to put in more effort for the next blog, but I still have a lot of questions that I want to figure out and it's frustrating me that I don't know the answers.

Book 6 Reflection

I'm almost halfway through!! Just have to finish this blogpost:D

When Aeneas and Sibyl first get to the underworld, they encounter monsters. These monsters, such as heartbreak, sorrow, terror, hunger, senility, and diseases are all things that ruin lives. I thought about them and what they meant, and I realized, all of these monsters could blur the lines of morality. They are all terrible things to encounter in life, but they are a part of it, meant to test us at out weakest. Morals don't seem to exist in the afterlife, and my guess is because it's the place of judgement. Humans get their chance to chose right from wrong on Earth, and where they reside in the underworld depends on how they have lived their lives. Although it is unfair to doom someone to suffering for eternity (and maybe not moral for the person doing the dooming), it's a consequence for bad choices on Earth. The rules of the underworld make me wonder also whether the force that created it had any morals. Leaving unburied souls to just stand around and wait for judgement is unjust and borderline cruel, but I suppose it makes sense because their lives in a new place cannot begin until their lives in the old place end. This is why I like the topic of morals so much. It's all based on opinion, and sometimes, very difficult to understand.

Fate is integrated into so many parts of the book, it's actually getting hard to keep track of all of them. The first thing I noticed and thought was the most interesting was the golden bough incident. Although Sibyl says that it will come away easily if fate permits, Aeneas struggles with it before it comes loose. What I made of this was that Aeneas took the bough too early. He was fated to get the bough, but because he took it earlier than fate expected, the bough struggled against him, but still gave way to him. Possibly because the burial of Misenus was not complete yet. A question I had about fate was, is it the "violent but random force that ripped" Palinurus away from the ship (349)? It was not fair that he had to die so quickly, but fate doesn't always work in fair ways, and Palinurus states that it was not an action of the gods. Speaking of gods, the statement Sibyl makes on page 140, about fate being once spoken by gods, I wonder what that means. But she also says that it cannot be altered by prayer, which shows that fate is set in stone before life begins and is stronger than the god's power. When Anchises is showing Aeneas the future of Rome, the reader can see there also that fate is set before life begins because Anchises knows what the men will do before they are even bodies on Earth. I am starting to wonder what Virgil believes determines fate, and also what force has the ultimate power over every being. I hope that the rest of the book can give me a hint to those answers, because without them, there is only so much you can understand about fate.

Apollo, or Phoebus is the first god we encounter in this book, because he is the god of prophecy (along with other things as well). His seer, Sibyl, has the ability, through him, to reveal what fate has planned for the future to help whomever seeks her. He is a big name throughout the epic because he is the god of prophecy, and can foresee what fate has planned for them, which could help big-time with their journey. Venus, Aeneas's mother again steps in to help him in a time of need by sending her two doves to lead Aeneas to the bough. In a way, her actions might seem small and useless, but she saved Aeneas a lot of time in searching for the bough, and she never hurt anyone while intervening on Earth (different from other gods we've encountered). Although Venus is portrayed as a very kind-hearted goddess, when I read about Tartarus, and how gods punish wrongdoers, I couldn't help but wonder if she simply covers up her wrath for her son's sake. Certainly, the goddess of love must be capable of extreme hatred as well (seeing as the emotions are so deeply connected)? Tartarus serves as a way of reminding the reader that although fate may control the gods, gods are still in control of humans and can damn them to eternal suffering. However, I suppose it could be looked at differently based on the viewpoint. The people in Tartarus probably have committed awful crimes, and deserve to be punished, making the gods act as peacekeepers. It's all perception. Everything is perception.

Love and death are brought together in this book, as we can see that it is still present, even in the underworld. This shows that love (or hate) is so strong, it continues beyond death. The heartbreak area in the afterlife was funny to me, because it wasn't something that I expected. It reminded me of a never-ending sleepover where girls cry over all of their boy troubles (even though I know that's a funny picture). I wonder why all of the heartbroken souls are placed together, and I also wonder if they are ever allowed to leave their section. Wounds heal over time, but are these souls damned to be in pain forever? That's awful. Dido, still "fresh from her wound" absolutely refuses to acknowledge Aeneas, proving how strong her loathing for him is (451). I figured I should take about hate in this paragraph as well, because love and hate are as close to brother and sister as words get (which is funny because I used to think they were opposites, and I guess in a way I think they still are). Love and hate can inspire a person to do a lot of things they might not do without the presence of these emotions, and they are the best examples of passion the world has. For example, Aeneas journeying to the underworld alone was quite a feat, and he may not have had the courage to go through with it without the love he has for his father. Anchises recognizes what love can do, and by "[kindling] love for the glory to come"in Aeneas's life, he has further excited Aeneas's passion to follow his fate (889). This book really shows how strong love is and how it's burning passion can drive a person to do almost anything.

Sibyl and Dido are the only two women that I will mention from this book, and I'll start with Sibyl. She's pretty inspirational and simply radiating independence. She is also very matter-of-fact and no-nonsense, and shows no fear at entering the underworld Furthermore, Sibyl acting "monstrous" when Apollo is within her almost seems as if she is rejecting his control and fighting him; however, that doesn't make any sense because she does not show any signs of contempt towards Apollo when it is over (77). Maybe it is overwhelming for her body to be possessed by a god, even for such a short time. That makes a little more sense. Oh my goodness! It's like Apollo and Daphne! I'm sure it'd probably be more obvious in the latin text, but Apollo being inside of Sibyl as she acts like that seems to me like rape. I wonder if it's described that way in the latin. Okay, onto Dido. Her hate/love obviously goes with her even into her afterlife, making her treat Aeneas so cruelly even when "fate gives [him] this last chance to address" her (466). This just shows that Virgil understands how strong a woman's will can be and what great grudge holders they are! I don't think I'm liking the women topic as much as I originally was, and I'm not sure why, but I'll keep examining them to see if my interest returns again.

Now, I know I haven't been writing about this one for every book, but I feel like the Aeneid in Augustan Rome is a little too obvious in this book not to mention. Virgil takes the reader through the history of Rome, putting special emphasis on Octavian (or Augustus). This isn't any kind of discreet message to Rome. He's praising Augustus as ruler of Rome. Virgil also mentions the Alba kings and the story of Romulus and Remus, giving a nice little summary of how Rome came to be. Of course the history is somewhat glorified, Virgil is probably giving his audience a reason to be proud of where they come from and how their city came to be. He also sneaks in a few patriotic sayings such as "other loves yield before love of one's homeland," and "you, who are Roman, recall how to govern mankind with your power," (823, 851). A reader would understand why this was such a cherished book in Roman literature, and why Augustus praised it so much.

Book 5 Reflection

Book 5 reminded me of the Olympics. Watching only the best compete for prizes, and weeding out the weak so only the strong continue on the journey.

The book opens with a minor reflection on Dido, which I suppose can somewhat foreshadow the women burning the ships later on, by emphasizing the idea of "what a woman can do in her fury"(because it is pretty amazing what they can do). It is interesting that Virgil choses the women to be swayed by Juno and Iris, possibly showing that he believes women are easily persuaded or fooled with, or also that women can do more damage than men when excited. Furthermore, they could have been chosen because if a man had committed this crime, he would have been punished for it, while the women wouldn't be.  It's funny that Virgil portrays individual women (Dido, Creusa) stronger than they are in a group (such as this).I also found it interesting that during the games, there are no women that compete (which could have been from gender stereotyping or gender roles in ancient Rome), but also, that no women are chosen to go with Aeneas to Italy. Only the strongest are chosen and that does not include any women, but it could possibly be just because fate has other plans.


Fate still doesn't seem to always be fair, but it still dominates the characters and controls the plot line. However, for the first time in the epic, Aeneas doubts and questions whether to follow fate's plan for him or just "settle in Sicilian farmlands" (702-703). Nonetheless, he is steered back onto his path with the encouragement from the gods. Aeneas's lapse in faith makes him very relatable to the reader, because everyone has doubts about their lives and what they are meant for, but it also shows that Aeneas is hurt by and frustrated with all of the challenges he has been given. Fate does not seem to be fair, nor does it give anyone in the book an easy life. During the games, when the underdog would pull through to win, was that fair to those who should have one? Was it even fair to the underdogs, who won although they may not have actually been the most talented? Losing Palinurus for the good of the crew was not fair, but fate said it had to be so, and so it was. But why? What makes the mortals listen to fate? What makes the gods encourage the mortals to listen to fate? Is it just the knowledge that it cannot be changed no matter what, so it must be dealt with? Because Aeneas seemed to have the power to change his fate if he had decided to remain in Sicily. Aeneas seems to have that power as a human, but all Juno's efforts to stop him have had no effect at all, so she does not seem to have the power to change it. Do the gods keep the humans in line with fate because it is the one thing they cannot overcome, therefore humans cannot overcome it either? Is this a pride thing? Fate is a really tricky topic, and it's puzzling me to think about, especially when I do not view it in the same way the Romans might have.


When I look at the Gods as literary devices, it makes me realize how much they actually do move the story along, but also how much they are used to explain different phenomena. The gods do not really intervene until later on in this book, but the first to make a move is naturally, Juno. She is up to her usual scheme of trying to sabotage Aeneas's journey. What's interesting about her this time is that she recruits another goddess, and human women to get involved instead of doing it herself (explaining the women's unexplainable actions). Jupiter also,  doesn't get involved directly, but instead sends Mercury (earlier) and in this book, Anchises; however, he does send a storm against his wife's fires (explaining the perfect-timing storm). Juno and Jupiter are very funny, because as a married couple, you'd think it'd be better for them to agree or at least talk about Aeneas's journey, but instead, they are going completely head to head and taking opposite sides, one helping and one hurting Aeneas. Venus is as persistent as ever with her never-ending love for Aeneas. She also involves another god, Neptune to watch over her son, because she is anxious for his safety, especially since she cannot protect him all herself, and this explains the unusually calms seas. The usage of the gods explains why unexpected events occur, and why fate is carried out by humans in the way that it was originally foretold, making them a crucial part of this epic.

Book 5 presents a few moral issues that are interesting to think about. For example, the first few we see are during the games. The games offer men prizes and glory and "for glory, they'd eagerly trade life"(230). The reader can see that because they'd be willing to give so much for glory itself, sacrificing their morals would not be of much concern for them. During the boat race, when Gyas tosses Menoetes out of the boat, he probably knows it's wrong, but he is so frustrated at losing, that he overlooks it to get what he believes is more important than a good, moral disposition. Also, during the boxing match, Entellus might have beaten Dares to a pulp, just from "shame and awareness of manhood," if Aeneas had not stepped in to put an end to it (making Aeneas look very righteous and moral) (455). Until I said this, I didn't realize how often people disregard morality. It really isn't valued much at all (in the book and in present day), because there are so many more things looked at as more important than making good choices for yourself and others. Even something as simple as laughing as someone is in trouble instead of helping is really disheartening. A different way to examine morality is to look at what is right and what is wrong in the name of love. Juno loves Carthage, Nisus loves Euryalus, and they both commit morally wrong deeds to protect/help what they love, but then is it really morally wrong? What takes priority? Love can cause a person to make a bad choice, but does it justify it? Also, is Aeneas leaving behind part of his crew for the betterment of Rome justified? He shouldn't leave them behind because they have relied on him thus far, but fate and the gods have told him to do it, so does that make it okay? Questions I must ponder...

For once, I don't really feel like writing about love, so I've saved it for last, and I won't write much. Nisus and Euryalus are super cute, but I haven't decided if they love each other "they way boys love boys," in a brotherly way, or in a romantic way (569). I suppose it doesn't matter much, because it doesn't effect the story immensely, just gives something added to think about. Dido herself is mentioned on page 118, which could be to simply keep her fresh in the minds of the reader (because she makes a reappearance in the next book), or to show that Aeneas still loves her, and love lives on, or maybe both or other reasons. I don't know. I talked a little about love in the last paragraph and how it effects morals and justifies not applying them. I think that's a good topic to think about because it is a major factor that blurs the lines between right and wrong, and also has the power to switch what was once wrong to something that is now right. When acting with love, you're not acting selfishly, but you are acting in a biased way, and therefore giving another shade of grey to the already unclear matter of right and wrong.

My last two paragraphs got me thinking, what if I did a research project on the factors that are to blame for making right and wrong so difficult to discern. That's a kind of cool idea. I'll keep my eyes out and my mind open.