a summarized guide of books I-V
The Aeneid:
In Book One of the Aeneid, Virgil begins to tell the story of Aeneas, an epic hero. Aeneas is beginning to make his journey away from Troy and is fated to arrive in Latium, where he will eventually settle with his people and found the city of Lavinium. Throughout the epic, Aeneas’ journey is not made any easier by outside forces, as many gods, especially Juno, try to hinder his progress. Juno fears the potential destruction of her beloved city Carthage, as she wants Carthage to survive and prosper throughout time. One of the greatest villains in the Aeneid is Juno, partially due to her great favoritism for the Carthaginians but, more importantly, for her hatred of Aeneas' people, the Trojans. Juno views Aeneas as someone who poses a threat to Carthage, yet she also generally dislikes him due to his heritage and his quest.
Juno also fears the total destruction of Carthage by the Trojans. Not long before the Aeneid takes place, several events occurred that created Juno's dislike for the Trojan people. Following the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, a Trojan prince named Paris was asked to judge a beauty contest in which the contestants were the goddesses Minerva, Juno, and Venus. The prize was a golden apple addressed "to the fairest", which created a great amount of competition and discord. In the end, Paris chose Venus over Juno and Minerva, which created a great amount of strife between Juno and all of the Trojan people, as her husband Jupiter was the one to choose Paris as the judge. Juno's hatred for the Trojans also stems from the story of Jupiter and Ganymede. The fact that her husband Jupiter also abducted the Trojan shepherd and made him a cup-bearer to the gods is enough to keep Juno on her toes.
Aeneas suffers through several difficult twist and turns (plagues, seemingly endless sea journeys, harpies, etc.) throughout his quest. Yet, through it all, the wrath of Juno never ceases to target Aeneas, even with the help from aiding gods he receives throughout the different books. With each new destination Aeneas arrives at, new and more difficult challenges await him.
The Aeneid has been able to stand the test of time for centuries. This could be because not only do we read about adventure and turmoil, such as the wrath of Juno and the epic battles of Aeneas and his men, but we also experience the iconic stories like the Trojan horse and the tragedy of Laocoon that are so well known even today. It’s such a unique experience to be able to read along with Aeneas' story throughout the epic, especially during the events that lead up to the Trojan horse. The historical aspect of actually reading the Aeneid is truly gratifying, and we can also learn about many historical and geographical aspects of the ancient world, like details about different ancient rulers or islands such as Crete and Straphodes, home of the harpies.
Additionally, we are also given the chance to learn about some of the many great heroes and monsters from the classics. We learn about how Aeneas and his band of men were caught by a Cyclops, and how Ulysees stabbed the eye of the Cyclops in order for the group to make their escape. Many daring tales await the reader throughout the Aeneid, along with dashes of romance and tragedy as well.
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