Point of View

The particular literary character of the Aeneid derives from its double point of view. The personal vision, from Aeneas's point of view, emphasi7.es the human element in the story. The patriotic vision, concerned with both human and divine events combining to form the genesis of the Roman empire, is concerned with presenting a mythic and idealized view of Roman history. The tension between these two approaches creates a sense of breadth which affects both the work at hand and, because of its importance to world culture, the development of western literary expectations.

Setting

The action of the Aeneid ranges across the entire Mediterranean region. The most important geographic site is, of course, Italy - the final destination of the wandering Trojans. Virgil includes elements of the history, culture, and legends of many Mediterranean countries, however, so that even though this epic is about the founding...