The Opening Sequence of the "Aeneid"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the opening section of the "Aeneid" sets out the themes and style of the epic, which continue through all twelve books. It looks at how Virgil introduces his themes and characters in this section with great skill, emphasising certain elements of his epic and subtly insinuating others. It explores how there are also many elements in the opening of Book I that signal the importance of the "Aeneid"'s context and the need for Virgil to satisfy his patron Augustus.

From the Paper:

"Virgil's mention of the hatred of Juno has more significance attached. Throughout the poem, Aeneas is tested and tortured by the ira Iunonis, and his pietas is set against the manifestations of furor in the various characters. Hence Virgil introduces these opposites in this section, with Juno's mad anger causing a terrible storm, showing the destructive force of furor and its power to overthrow natural order. The other element, which balances out the furor in the poem, is the serenitas of Jupiter and Neptune, displayed in Neptune's calming of the storm and subsequent trip across the sea under a "caelo... aperto" (I.155)."

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