“Arma virumque cano…”
(Virgil 1.1)
This phrase, which begins Virgil’s Aeneid, haunts the memories of most Latin students. Many of those memories are good, many are painful, as Latin is a tricky language to learn. Virgil, like Homer, begins his work by calling upon the Muses. This tradition is also an easy way to tell if someone’s work is an epic poem, or just a poem. The Aeneid spans twelve books, following the hero Aeneas as he departs from a fallen Troy and travels to the Italian Peninsula. There, he begins the groundwork for a great civilization, which eventually leads to the founding of Rome herself.
This is the first entry in a series about Virgil’s Aeneid. Each month there will be the summary of a book from the Aeneid. There is enough going on in the Aeneid to fill books, so this will consist of a basic summary. A starting point for further research. By the end of this summary, you should have a fairly good understanding of the events which occur in book one.
Book one is the story of how Aeneas and his men arrived in Libya, and under the care of Dido. Aeneas’ journey from Troy to Latium (Italy) is long and difficult. This is due to the fact that Juno is doing all she can to prevent him from reaching Latium’s shores. Though it is decreed by the Fates, which neither gods nor mortals can change, she is full of a wrath that will not be satisfied easily.
The war at Troy was triggered by the Judgment of Paris. Paris’ decision enraged Juno. Venus, on the other hand, was delighted by Paris’ decision and is on the side of the Trojans. Furthermore, Venus is Aeneas’ mother, so she is working to protect Aeneas and to ensure he reaches Latium. Other gods and goddesses appear in the story at their own convenience.
Back to the summary. Juno is full of wrath. She watches Aeneas and his fleet fleeing from Troy. They are sailing to Latium so he can fulfill his destiny and build a great civilization. Juno comes up with an idea to stop him. She pays a visit to Aeolus, ruler of winds. She strikes a deal with him, and he sends the winds to the Tyrrhenian Sea, where Aeneas is currently sailing. The winds rage and form a huge storm. The storm begins to destroy the fleet. The men are panicking, desperately trying to stay afloat.
Neptune, who is relaxing in the sea, receives the news of the storm. He is annoyed. The winds were sent to the sea without his permission. In a perfect example of the pettiness of gods, Neptune goes to the surface and calms the storm. He pries the ships off the reef where they had been tossed, and returns below the water to move on with his life.
Aeneas and the remnants of his fleet spot land and make for shore. Unsure of where they are, they disembark on the beach and decide to take stock of what they have left. Aeneas walks around the area, trying to figure out where they are. He spots a herd of deer and hunts enough to build a feast for his remaining men. They mourn those they lost at sea. Aeneas, though very worried, puts on a brave face for his men.
Meanwhile, Jupiter is surveying the area and turns his eyes to Libya. Venus approaches him full of sadness. She could only watch as Juno attempted to kill her son, Aeneas, and the other remaining Trojans. She was promised Aeneas would establish a great land. She is extremely distraught. Jupiter assures her that Aeneas will make it to Latium, he will establish a great land, and his descendants will establish Rome. He says even Juno will come to accept the Romans. Jupiter then sends Mercury to influence Dido and her people in order to make them receptive to the idea of accepting the Trojans and giving them some much needed help.
At dawn, Aeneas goes exploring with Achates, one of his men.. He comes across a woman. It is Venus, disguised as a huntress. Though her identity is hidden, Aeneas can tell she is not mortal. Venus tells Aeneas about Dido. Dido’s brother Pygmalion had killed Dido’s husband Sychaeus, so she took as much gold and riches as she could carry on her ships, along with all of her brother’s enemies, and sailed away from Tyre. They arrived near Libya and established Carthage. Venus then asks Aeneas who he is and what he is doing there. He answers truthfully. Venus directs him toward Carthage and turns to leave. It is then that Aeneas recognizes her as his mother, Venus. Venus doesn’t reply when he calls her out on this. She does, however, cover Aeneas and Achates with a dark mist so they can travel to Carthage undetected.
They arrive at Carthage and admire how great the city is. Still concealed by Venus’ mist, they wander through the city and into the Temple of Juno to wait for Dido to appear. While they wander around the temple, they come across a great mural depicting the Trojan war. Aeneas examines it, filled with sorrow. Eventually, Dido arrives.
She is the mastermind behind the great city of Carthage, and its queen. She sits upon her throne, and some men bring in some people Aeneas recognizes immediately. It is some of his men he thought had perished. They had been swept down to a different section of coast. Dido, very cautious of outsiders, interviews them to learn their story. When they finish, she invites them to stay and become a part of Carthage, or to depart to whatever land they deem fit. She mentions she wishes she could meet Aeneas. At that point, the mist departs and Aeneas stands before her. He is more relaxed now that he knows she means the Trojans no harm.
He greets the men he had presumed dead, and speaks to Dido. She brings him to the palace and begins preparations for a great feast. Aeneas sends Achates back to their camp on the beach to retrieve some gifts for Dido and Aeneas’ son Ascanius.
At this point, Venus is scheming. She decides to disguise her son Cupid as Ascanius so he can infiltrate Dido’s palace. She gives him the task of enchanting Dido so she will fall deeply in love with Aeneas. Venus decides this will offer Aeneas some protection. Juno adores Dido, and Venus is worried that Juno will use Dido to harm Aeneas. If Dido falls in love with Aeneas, she will then be bound to Venus and no longer subject to Juno’s whims.
Book one ends with Dido begging Aeneas to tell her the entire story of what happened at Troy.
The Aeneid is full of examples of how the gods interacted with each other and with mortals. It is also a story of a brave hero, trying to fulfill his destiny. One thing to remember about Aeneas is that throughout the Aeneid, Virgil refers to Aeneas as “pious Aeneas” because no matter what, Aeneas will always follow what the gods tell him, no matter how he feels about it. His piety is what makes him worthy to be a hero, and is what eventually leads him to Latium where he will fulfill the task the Fates have decreed for him.
Comment below with your own thoughts about Book One!
Continue to Book 2
Learn more about Virgil
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