As a former Latin scholar, I was very excited when we started this unit on Rome and began research on Cicero, Virgil and his Aeneid, Laocoon, and Roman culture in general. My Latin IV class dedicated the entirety of last year towards translating the first four books of the Aeneid. Because I have a little bit of experience, I thought it would be interesting if I shared some cool facts/background on Virgil and the Aeneid that I picked up along the way. First off, Virgil's real name is Publius Vergilius Maro. Note that the Vergilius part is not spelled as Virgilius. This is because in the Middle Ages the spelling of his name was changed to resemble the Latin word "virga" which translates to magic wand (a common misconception is that Vergil was changed to Virgil because it looks more like "Virgin Mary"). The context of this story is pretty cool. In Virgil's Fourth Eclogue (another work he wrote), he predicts the birth of a boy who will usher in a golden age of humanity. Christian thinkers in the Middle Ages thought Virgil was a prophet predicting the birth of Jesus. The prophecy and magic associated with Virgil escalated to the point where people would ask questions and flip to a random page in the Aeneid to interpret their answers. Virgil was seen as a great magician of the past, which explains why his name was changed to look more like the spelling of "magic wand."
Another important fact about the Aeneid is that it was seen as a kind of origin story for the Romans. Aeneas, the eponymous protagonist of the Aeneid, was a Trojan soldier who left the ruined Troy to set off on a journey to found a new city. Aeneas' son, Ascanius, inherits Aeneas' reign and goes on to move the city to Alba Longa, where he begins the reign of the Alba Longa kings, who rule for 300 years. One king of Alba Longa, Amulius, took his older brother, Numitor's, rightful position as king and forced Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, to become a vestal virgin so she would not have any heirs. However, Rhea Silvia was impregnated by Mars and bore two twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus, after being raised by a shewolf, went on to found the city of Rome. Therefore, Virgil's Aeneid ties together with the founding of Rome and is seen as an origin city. For this reason, the Aeneid became a national work of Rome and was very highly regarded by Romans. All in all, it's a pretty cool and intricate story, and I'm excited to discuss it in class.
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One of my favorite story of the Aeneid is the story of Dido and Aeneas. Aeneas has been sent on a journey by the gods to find a new homeland for his people, who would eventually be the Romans. Along the way Aeneas and his gang get washed up on the shores of Carthage in Northern Africa. Dido, the leader of Carthage, warmly welcomes Aeneas and his men. Dido eventually falls in love with Aeneas, due to Cupid's love spell, and wants him to stay in Carthage. Aeneas, even though he is suppose to be on a journey for Italy, stays in Carthage and falls in love with Dido too. This would have been a shocker to the Romans at the time, because every Roman at the time would hate the Carthaginians due to the Punic wars. Aeneas eventually realizes he must move on for his destiny. Dido is so upset about Aeneas leaving that she kills herself. This is not the happiest ending every, but this story is still one of my favorites.
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