1. The Aeneid and an Indictment of War
Virgil condones war for the sake of his patron, Augustus Caesar, whose recent victory at Actium, three years before the creation of Virgil's epic, had quelled the rebellion of the Roman commander Marcus Antonius. ... His death symbolises the 'waste' of war and his decapitation symbolises the barbarity and heartlessness of mankind, as they cannot refrain from 'deflowering' this young hero in the "bloom" of his youth. ... But, in one of a few areas of the poem that lacks consistency (Virgil never lived to fully complete his epic), Juno declares that she wishe...
- Word Count: 2231
- Approx Pages: 9
- Grade Level: Undergraduate