Epic Vision: The Aeneid

This work was fantastic. It got me thinking right from the start about why Virgil arranged the Aeneid the way he did and other works from different time periods that may have been influenced by his work. The first idea that got me thinking was the "Odyssean" half vs the "Iliadic" half and how the first half represents Aeneas' individual search for country/home/kingdom. The second represents how the empire, or imperial process actually works. This way, the epic starts out on a small and individual scale, showing a personal struggle, while leading into the bigger picture and how that individual can fit into and be productive in an imperial society. From a literature stand point, this structure makes a lot of sense, because the personal level of struggle Aeneas has and the writing focus on the individual draws the reader in. The second half, the "big" half focuses on the "greater good" idea and how an individual can function in society, and how society actually works.

There is a portion in this chapter that talks about the "establishment of a socio-moral order through the manifestation and triumph of pietas and the subjugations and defeat of furor" (87). This made me immediately think of Beowulf. That epic poem focuses on glory through duty, or piety, and the hopes that the glory won through piety will bring fame in death. The same type of ideal is presented in the Aeneid. I wonder how much influence Virgil had on Beowulf, although its history is more similar and vague to that of Homer's works...