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Virgil Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, 70–19 BCE) was one of ancient Rome’s greatest poets. Born near Mantua, he authored the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the Aeneid, which became a cornerstone of Western literature and a defining work of the Roman imperial imagination.

Known for: The Aeneid

Books by Virgil

The Aeneid

The Aeneid

classics·10 min read

The Aeneid is the Latin epic poem by Virgil that tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who escapes the fall of Troy and journeys to Italy, where he becomes the ancestor of the Romans. Blending myth, history, and Augustan ideology, the poem explores themes of duty, fate, and the founding of Rome. This Penguin Classics edition presents the Latin text with an English translation and scholarly commentary.

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Key Insights from Virgil

1

Aeneas and the surviving Trojans flee the burning city of Troy after its fall to the Greeks, carrying their household gods and seeking a new homeland as ordained by fate.

I begin in the twilight after Troy’s destruction. Smoke drifts through the shattered gates, and the groans of the dying echo through the ruins. Here stands Aeneas—a warrior and a son—torn between the duty to fight and the command of fate to flee. I wanted this moment to speak to every human who must...

From The Aeneid

2

Aeneas and his fleet are driven by storms to Carthage, where Queen Dido welcomes them; Aeneas recounts the fall of Troy and his wanderings to her.

When the exiles take to sea, they become fugitives pursued by divine tempests. Juno, resentful of Troy’s legacy, sends storms that batter their ships against alien shores. I wanted the sea itself to act as divine language—the world’s chaos testing human resilience. Finally, the Trojans find haven in...

From The Aeneid

About Virgil

Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, 70–19 BCE) was one of ancient Rome’s greatest poets. Born near Mantua, he authored the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the Aeneid, which became a cornerstone of Western literature and a defining work of the Roman imperial imagination.

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Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, 70–19 BCE) was one of ancient Rome’s greatest poets. Born near Mantua, he authored the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the Aeneid, which became a cornerstone of Western literature and a defining work of the Roman imperial imagination.

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