Culture Final - The Life of Vergil Flashcards
(36 cards)
What is Vergil’s full name?
Publius Vergilius Maro
What year was Vergil born in and where?
70 B.C., the village of Andes
What year did Vergil die in, where, and how?
19 B.C. by a fever, Brundisium
Where is Vergil buried?
Naples/Parthenope
What are the names of Vergil’s 3 works?
The Eclogues, The Georgics, and The Aeneid
What did Vergil study? Who were his teachers?
Rhetoric under Epidius, and philosophy under Siron
What happened in 42 B.C.?
Brutus and Cassius were defeated by Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian; Vergil almost lost his farm but he won the favor of Octavian.
How long did it take Vergil to write the Aeneid?
11 years
Where did Vergil travel in 19 B.C.? Why is it suspected that he traveled there?
He traveled to Greece and Asia, most likely because he wanted to be influenced by the Greek environment while he wrote the Aeneid.
Who did Vergil meet in Athens? Where did he journey to with this person?
He met Augustus. They traveled to Italy.
Why did Vergil want the Aeneid to be burned? Why did Augustus refuse to do so?
He believed the Aeneid was imperfect in some details. Augustus refused because the Aeneid represented his reimagined view of Rome.
Describe the Eclogues. When were they written? What were they about? Who was Vergil influenced by?
The Eclogues, or Bucolics, were written between 42 and 37 B.C. They are a series of ten short pastoral poems. Some of these poems reflected Vergil’s own experiences, while others were references to the works of another famous Greek poet, Theocritus.
Describe the Georgics. What were they about? Who requested they be written? Who was Vergil influenced by?
The Georgics were treatises on farming. They were written by request of Maecenas, a patron of Vergil, who wanted to inspire a greater interest in industry and simplicity among the Romans. Vergil was heavily influenced by Lucretius.
What was the first Georgic book about?
Agriculture
What was the second Georgic book about?
Arboriculture (the grape and the olive)
What was the third Georgic book about?
Stock-raising
What was the fourth Georgic book about?
Bee-keeping
Describe the Aeneid. What is it about? Who requested it be written and why might they request this? Who was Vergil influenced by?
The Aeneid is the story of a Trojan, Aeneas, and his voyage to find a home after he was driven out of his home because of the war. Augustus requested this, likely because it would promote nationalism among the Romans and make them aware of their heritage and their goals. Vergil was very influenced by Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
What do the first six books of the Aeneid cover?
The first six books follow the wanderings of Aeneas and his arrival at the court of Dido.
What do the last six books of the Aeneid cover?
The last six books follow the creation of a shield for Aeneas, and the battle between Turnus and Aeneas for the marriage to Lavinia.
What were Vergil’s intentions/purposes to write the Aeneid?
The Aeneid holds many connections to Rome’s past, present, and future. Aeneas represents the virtues that Augustus wanted his subjects to respect and adopt.
What does “pietas” mean? What does it represent?
The quality of pietas (duty/loyalty) encompasses all the duties of a man—to his father, children, comrades, and to the gods.
Who were Peleus and Thetis? Who was not invited to their marriage feast?
The parents of Achilles. Peleus was king of the Myrmidons. Thetis was a sea nymph. Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to their feast.
What did Eris throw in the middle of the guests at the feast? Who claimed this gift? Who settled this dispute?
She threw a golden apple inscribed “to the fairest.” Juno, Minerva, and Venus all claimed it. They were sent to Paris, a Trojan prince, to settle their dispute.
