Aeneid

The //Aeneid// was written by Virgil in 29 – 19 BC. It is a Latin epic poem consists of twelve books relating the story of Aeneas, the last Trojan who supposedly became the ancestor of the Romans. The first half of the books deal with Aeneas’ travels from Troy to Italy to find a second home while the final six books tells of the Trojan’s war and victory over the Latins. Unlike earlier epic works, the //Aeneid// was written down rather than told orally. It was written to relate the birth and growth of the Roman empire, to celebrate the achievements of Augustus, to re-introduce traditional Roman moral values, and to legitimize the rule of Julius Caesar and his heirs.

Created by Jaclyn Speer 9.25.08