Approaches to Teaching Vergil's Aeneid

by William Scovil Anderson (Editor)

Vergil's Aeneid has been the most continually read and discussed work by a Roman author in the history of Western literature. Yet it can be a challenging work to teach―Vergil is a complex, subtle poet; his culture and time are removed from us; and Latin is less studied in college than it was a generation ago.

Part 1 of this volume, "Materials," critiques the main English translations, lists reference works and resources (including those on the Internet), and gives an overview of criticism. Part 2, "Approaches," strikes a balance between traditional and new approaches to the text. Among the subjects of these essays are Augustan politics, Homeric parallels, key terms ( pietas , furor ), narrative techniques, uses of simile, images of women, the treatment of warfare, and comparisons of the Aeneid with such works as Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost .

Paperback

Published January 1, 2002