Aeneid

Book 1 - 2
 Table of Contents

01
INTRODUCTION
02
SUMMARY AND TIMELINE
03
THEMES

04
CHARACTERS AND ROLE
05
KEY EVENTS
06
CONCLUSION
Introduction
The Aeneid, an epic poem
written by the Roman Virgil
between 29 and 19 BCE, tells the
story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero and
son of Venus, as he journeys from
the fallen city of Troy to Italy,
where he lays the foundations for
what will eventually become Rome.
The purpose of the "Aeneid" is
both to celebrate Rome’s origins
and to legitimize the rule of
Emperor Augustus by linking his
reign to divine destiny and heroic
tradition.
Introduction
A foundational work of Roman
literature, the "Aeneid" draws
inspiration from Homer's "Iliad" and
"Odyssey" while also serving as a
propaganda tool for the newly
established Roman Empire under
Augustus. The poem is divided into
twelve books. Books 1 and 2 set
the stage for Aeneas' epic journey
and the trials he must endure,
detailing his escape from Troy and
his arrival in Carthage, where he
recounts the fall of his city.
 Summary
In the first book of the "Aeneid," Virgil introduces
Aeneas, a Trojan hero fated to establish Rome, and sets
the scene for his trials. The goddess Juno, harboring a
grudge against the Trojans, incites a storm to hinder
Aeneas' journey. Neptune, god of the sea, intervenes,
allowing Aeneas and his fleet to land in Libya. There,
Venus, Aeneas' mother, ensures they receive a warm
welcome from Queen Dido of Carthage by disguising
Amor as Aeneas' son to kindle Dido’s love for him. The
Trojans are invited to a feast, and Aeneas, incited by
Dido’s interest, begins recounting his harrowing escape
from Troy.
 Timeline of Book 1
1. Aeneas and his fleet are caught in a storm caused by Juno.
2. Neptune calms the storm and Aeneas lands in Libya.
3. Aeneas and Achates decided to find lost ships but saw a troop of wild
deer instead.
4. They went for a walk and encountered Venus disguised as a huntress.
5. Venus tells Aeneas about Dido, Queen of Carthage, and her tragic
past.
6. Aeneas and Achates reach Carthage, hidden by a cloud cast by
Venus.
7. Trojan representatives arrive at Dido's court and request permission
to stay.
8. Dido welcomes the Trojans and invites Aeneas to a feast.
9. Venus makes Cupid disguise himself as Ascanius to inflame Dido with
love for Aeneas.
10.Dido throws a banquet and asks Aeneas to tell the story of Troy's fall.
 Summary
In Book 2, Aeneas continues his tale, detailing the fall of
Troy. The Greeks, unable to conquer the city by force,
resort to deception, leaving behind a giant wooden horse
filled with warriors. Despite warnings from Laocoön, the
Trojans are deceived by Sinon, a cunning Greek captive,
and bring the horse into their city. At night, the Greek
soldiers emerge from the horse, open the gates for their
returning comrades, and launch a devastating attack.
Amidst the chaos, Aeneas is visited by the ghost of Hector,
who urges him to flee and found a new city. Aeneas gathers
his family, but in the turmoil, his wife Creusa is lost. Her
ghost appears, reassuring him of his destiny in Italy, and
Aeneas, leading the survivors, sets sail once more.
 Timeline of Book 2
1. Aeneas recounts the fall of Troy, including the Trojan Horse deception.
2. Laocoon, a Trojan priest, warns against the Horse but is killed by
serpents.
3. The Trojans bring the Horse inside the city walls.
4. The Greeks return at night, Sinon lets them out of the Horse, and Troy
falls.
5. Hector appears to Aeneas in a dream, urging him to flee with the
household gods.
6. Aeneas witnesses the destruction of Troy and fights alongside his
companions.
7. Aeneas escapes the city with Anchises, Ascanius, and a group of
survivors.
8. Creusa, Aeneas' wife, gets separated in the chaos and later appears as a
ghost.
9. Aeneas and the survivors set sail, following the ghost's advice to reach
Italy.
 THEMES
Piety and Duty Fate and Divine
(Pietas) Will
A central theme of "The Fate, or destiny, plays a crucial
Aeneid" is piety, which role in the epic. The concept of
involves duty to the gods, "fatum" underscores the
family, and country. Aeneas inevitability of Aeneas's
embodies this Roman virtue, mission to establish a new
often referred to as "pietas." homeland for the Trojans in
Italy. Despite numerous
He consistently places his
obstacles, the fulfillment of
sense of duty above personal
this destiny is assured by the
desires. His journey is marked
gods, particularly Jupiter, who
by sacrifices and decisions
frequently intervenes to ensure
that reflect his commitment to Aeneas's success. The tension
fulfilling his divine mission to between fate and human effort
found Rome. is a recurring motif.
 THEMES
Suffering and Heroism and
Struggle Leadership
The epic portrays the Aeneas is depicted as a
significant suffering and model leader and hero. His
struggles that Aeneas and his actions and decisions
companions endure. This reflect the qualities of an
theme highlights the notion ideal Roman leader: bravery,
that the foundation of Rome is wisdom, and a sense of
not achieved without great
responsibility. Unlike Greek
hardship. The trials faced by
heroes who often act out of
Aeneas underscore his
personal glory, Aeneas's
resilience and determination,
heroism is defined by his
emphasizing the value of
dedication to the greater
perseverance in the face of
adversity. good and his people’s
future.
 THEMES
War and Peace Divine Intervention
The epic juxtaposes the The gods play a significant
horrors of war with the ideal of role in the lives of mortals,
peace. The destruction of Troy often intervening directly
and the subsequent conflicts
in human affairs. This
Aeneas faces in Italy illustrate
theme highlights the belief
the brutal realities of war.
However, these struggles are
in the powerful influence of
presented as necessary for divine forces on human
achieving a greater peace—the destiny. Juno's hostility
establishment of Rome, which and Venus's protection of
is prophesied to bring a Aeneas illustrate how the
golden age under Augustus whims of the gods impact
Caesar. the mortal world.
 THEMES
Founding of Love and
Rome Sacrifice
The epic is not just a story of The theme of love,
personal heroism but also a particularly the tragic love
national epic that traces the story of Aeneas and Dido, is
origins of Rome. It serves to central to the narrative.
glorify Rome's imperial Dido's love for Aeneas and
destiny and Augustus her subsequent despair and
suicide underscore the
Caesar's reign, linking the
conflict between personal
mythic past with the present
passion and public duty.
glory of the Roman Empire.
Aeneas's decision to leave
The theme underscores the
Dido for the sake of his
grandeur and inevitability of
mission highlights the
Rome's rise as a world sacrifices required to fulfill
power. one's destiny.
Characters and Roles

"The Aeneid" by Virgil features a

cast of characters that play
crucial roles in the epic's
narrative. Here are the main
characters and their roles
 Aeneas
ROLE

Protagonist and Trojan hero

DESCRIPTION

Aeneas is the son of Anchises and the goddess

Venus. He embodies the Roman virtues of piety
and duty (pietas) and is destined to found the
Roman race in Italy. Aeneas leads the surviving
Trojans to a new homeland, overcoming numerous
trials and making significant personal sacrifices
along the way.
Dido
ROLE

Queen of Carthage and

Aeneas's lover

DESCRIPTION

Dido is a powerful and compassionate queen who

falls deeply in love with Aeneas. Her love for him
leads to her tragic downfall when Aeneas leaves
Carthage to continue his mission. Dido's despair and
subsequent suicide highlight the theme of love and
sacrifice.
Turnus
ROLE

King of the Rutuli and

Aeneas's primary antagonist

DESCRIPTION

Turnus is a fierce warrior who opposes Aeneas's

settlement in Italy. He is motivated by a desire to
protect his people and his own claim to Lavinia,
whom he views as his betrothed. Turnus's conflict
with Aeneas culminates in a climactic battle,
symbolizing the larger struggle for the future of
the Italian land
 Anchises
ROLE

Aeneas's father

DESCRIPTION

Anchises is a guiding figure for Aeneas,

representing wisdom and the connection to
Troy's past. He dies during the journey but
continues to provide guidance to Aeneas in
the underworld, reinforcing Aeneas's sense
of duty and destiny.
Ascanius (Lulus)
ROLE

Aeneas's son

DESCRIPTION

Ascanius represents the future of the Trojan

race and the continuation of Aeneas's lineage.
His presence underscores the theme of legacy
and the importance of founding a new Troy
that will eventually become Rome.
Juno
ROLE

Queen of the gods and Aeneas's divine antagonist

DESCRIPTION

Juno harbors a deep hatred for the Trojans,

stemming from the Judgment of Paris and her fear
that Aeneas's descendants will destroy her favorite
city, Carthage. She consistently works to hinder
Aeneas's progress, embodying the theme of divine
intervention and the capriciousness of the gods.
Venus
ROLE

Goddess of love and Aeneas's divine mother

DESCRIPTION

Venus supports and protects Aeneas throughout his

journey. Her interventions help Aeneas overcome
obstacles, and she often mediates between him and
other gods. Venus's role highlights the influence of
divine favor in human affairs.
Jupiter (Jove)
ROLE

King of the gods

DESCRIPTION

Jupiter maintains the balance of fate and ensures

that Aeneas's destiny is fulfilled. His decrees often
override the actions of other gods, emphasizing the
theme of fate and divine will.
Lavinia
ROLE
Daughter of King Latinus
and future wife of Aeneas

DESCRIPTION

Lavinia is a symbol of the political alliance and

future that Aeneas seeks in Italy. Though she has a
relatively passive role in the narrative, her marriage
to Aeneas signifies the unification of the Trojans
and Italians.
King Latinus
ROLE

King of latins

DESCRIPTION

Latinus is a wise and elderly ruler who initially

welcomes Aeneas and the Trojans. He recognizes
Aeneas's destiny and seeks to ally with him through
marriage to his daughter Lavinia, but is caught in
the ensuing conflict between Aeneas and Turnus.
Amata
ROLE

Queen of the Latins

and wife of Latinus

DESCRIPTION

Amata opposes the marriage of Lavinia to Aeneas,

favoring Turnus instead. Her opposition and
eventual tragic fate illustrate the human resistance
to destiny and the personal costs of the epic's larger
political and cultural themes.
Sinon
ROLE

Greek spy

DESCRIPTION

Sinon deceives the Trojans into bringing

the wooden horse into Troy, leading to
the city's fall. His cunning and deceit
contrast with the valor and honor of the
Trojan characters.
 Significant Events
Book 1 : Arrival in Carthage

Storm & Shipwreck Aeneas Meets Dido Aeneas’s Story of Troy

Event: The epic opens with Event: Aeneas and his men Event: During a banquet,
a storm sent by Juno to are welcomed by Queen Dido Dido asks Aeneas to
of Carthage. Venus ensures
thwart Aeneas's journey, recount the fall of Troy,
that Dido falls in love with
causing the Trojan fleet to leading into the narrative
Aeneas by sending her son
be scattered and of Book 2.
Cupid disguised as Aeneas's
shipwrecked near son Ascanius.
Carthage. Impact: This request
Impact: This meeting frames the narrative
Impact: This event establishes a crucial plot structure of the epic,
introduces the divine point as Dido's love for allowing Aeneas to share
antagonism Aeneas faces, Aeneas will later lead to his personal experiences
particularly from Juno, and tragedy. It also shows the and the tragic fall of Troy,
sets the stage for Aeneas's gods' direct influence on which deepens the reader's
encounter with Dido. It also mortal affairs, particularly understanding of his
highlights Aeneas's Venus's protection of her character and mission.
leadership and resilience. son.
 Significant Events
Book 2 : The Fall of Troy

The Trojan Horse Fall of Troy Aeneas’s Vision and Escape

Event: Aeneas receives a vision
Event: Sinon, a Greek spy, Event: Greek soldiers
from the ghost of Hector, who
convinces the Trojans to bring emerge from the wooden urges him to flee and found a
the wooden horse into Troy, horse at night, open the new city. He attempts to fight but
claiming it is an offering to gates for their comrades, and is ultimately persuaded by a
Athena. Laocoön and his sons begin the destruction of the vision of his mother, Venus, who
are killed by sea serpents, city. Aeneas wakes to find reveals the gods' role in Troy's
convincing the Trojans of destruction. Aeneas escapes with
Troy in flames.
Sinon's honesty. his father Anchises, his son
Ascanius, and a group of
Impact: This dramatic and survivors.
Impact: This event is the
tragic event emphasizes the
turning point that leads to
Troy's downfall. It inevitability of Troy's fall and Impact: This escape
sets Aeneas on his path of underscores Aeneas's piety and
demonstrates themes of
dedication to his divine mission.
deception and fate, showing destiny. It highlights his
The loss of his wife Creusa, who
how the Trojans are bravery and sense of duty as
appears to him as a ghost and
manipulated by their enemies he tries to save his family tells him of his future, reinforces
and by divine will. and as many Trojans as the themes of sacrifice and
possible. destiny.
 Conclusion
In conclusion, the first two books of the
BOOK 01 BOOK 02
"Aeneid" masterfully set the stage for
Aeneas's epic journey by introducing key
characters, themes, and events that
shape the narrative. Virgil's rich
storytelling intertwines destiny, divine
intervention, and human struggle,
providing a foundation for the unfolding
saga of Rome's legendary origins. As we
delve deeper into the text, we will
explore the challenges and triumphs that
define Aeneas's path, highlighting the
enduring legacy of this timeless epic.
THANK
YOU
BY : GROUP 1 (HELVIE)