Story of Aeneas | Page 2

the imperial soldiers. But this was the beginning of
his greatness. Through the friendship of the governor of Mantua, he
was introduced to Maecenas, and afterwards to Augustus, who gave
orders that his property should be restored to him.
Thus Vergil became known to the first men of Rome. He expressed his
gratitude to the emperor in one of a series of poems called Pastorals or
Bu-col'ics, words which mean shepherds' songs, or songs descriptive of
life in the country. These poems, though among Vergil's earliest
productions, were highly applauded in Rome. They were so much
esteemed that portions of them were recited in the theatre in the
author's presence, and the audience were so delighted that they all rose
to their feet, an honor which it was customary to pay only to Augustus
himself. Vergil also wrote a poem called the Geor'gics, the subject of
which is agriculture, the breeding of cattle, and the culture of bees. This
is said to be the most perfect in finish of all Latin compositions. The
AEneid is, however, regarded as the greatest of Vergil's works. The
writing of it occupied the last eleven years of the poet's life.
Vergil died at Brun-di'si-um, in south Italy, in the fifty-first year of his
age. He was buried near Naples, by the side of the public road, a few
miles outside that city, where what is said to be his tomb is still to be
seen. Of his character as a man we are enabled to form an agreeable
idea from all that is known about him. He was modest, gentle and of a
remarkable sweetness of disposition. Although living in the highest
society while in Rome, he never forgot his old friends. He was a dutiful
and affectionate son, and liberally shared his good fortune with his
aged parents.
As a poet, Vergil was not only the greatest that Rome produced, but the
most popular. His poems, particularly the AEneid, were the favorite
reading of his countrymen. They became a text-book in the Roman
schools. The "little Romans," we are told, studied the AEneid from

their master's dictation, and wrote compositions upon its heroes. And
not alone in Italy but throughout the world wherever learning extended,
the AEneid became popular, and has retained its popularity down to our
own time, being still a text-book in every school where Latin is taught.
There are many excellent translations of the AEneid into English. In
this book we make numerous quotations from the translation by the
English poet Dryden, and from the later work by the eminent Latin
scholar Conington.

SPELLING OF THE POET'S NAME.
The spelling of the poet's name adopted in this book is now believed to
be preferable to the form V_i_rgil which has for a long time been in
common use. Many of the best Latin scholars are of opinion that the
proper spelling is V_e_rgil from the Latin V_e_rgilius, as the poet
himself wrote it. "As to the fact," says Professor Frieze, "that the poet
called himself Vergilius, scholars are now universally agreed. It is the
form found in all the earliest manuscripts and inscriptions. In England
and America the corrected Latin form is used by all the best
authorities."
II. THE GODS AND GODDESSES.
It is said that Vergil wrote the AEneid at the request of the Emperor
Augustus, whose family--the Ju'li-i--claimed the honor of being
descended from AEneas, through his son I-u'lus or Ju'lus. All the
Romans, indeed, were fond of claiming descent from the heroes whom
tradition told of as having landed in Italy with AEneas after escaping
from the ruins of Troy. The city of Troy, or Il'i-um, so celebrated in
ancient song and story, was situated on the coast of Asia Minor, not far
from the entrance to what is now the Sea of Mar'mo-ra. It was besieged
for ten years by a vast army of the Greeks (natives of Greece or Hel'las)
under one of their kings called Ag-a-mem'non. Homer, the greatest of
the ancient poets, tells about this siege in his famous poem, the Il'i-ad.
We shall see later on how the siege was brought to an end by the
capture and destruction of the city, as well as how AEneas escaped, and
what afterwards happened to him and his companions.
Meanwhile we must learn something about the gods and goddesses
who play so important a part in the story. At almost every stage of the
adventures of AEneas, as of the adventures of all ancient heroes, we

find a god or a goddess controlling or directing affairs, or in some way
mixed up with the course of events.
According to the religion of the ancient Greeks and Romans there were
a great many gods. They believed that all parts of the universe--the
heavens and the