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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is a figure from Greek and Roman mythology NOT depicted in the temple of Apollo?

2. What happens every time Aeneas tries to tear a branch from a tree in Thrace to construct a roof for the altar of his new colony?

3. Who is the deity in charge of marriage?

4. What is Coroebus' idea for how he, Aeneas, and their companions can pass to safety?

5. What does Aeneas promise to do if the gods grant his wish?

Short Essay Questions

1. What sorts of souls live under Cretan Rhadamanthus' rule?

2. How does Priam compare and contrast Achilles and Pyrrhus?

3. What does Dido ask her people to do and what does she personally vow to do before she committed suicide?

4. What are some ways the characters in Book 2 are affected by fate?

5. Explain how Deïphobus died and why his body is mutilated.

6. Why should Aeneas not have tried to found a city in Thrace?

7. Describe the state of construction in Carthage in Book 1.

8. What does Jupiter predict will be the destiny of the Trojans?

9. Describe how Venus acts as a mother toward Aeneas.

10. What are some instances where Aeneas betrays a hastiness in temperament in Book 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A bildingsroman is a work of art that tells of the development of a character, perhaps telling how the character matures or grows capable of taking on a duty as the process of a journey or a series of trials. Explain why The Aeneid is or is not a bildingsroman by examining how Aeneas does or does not develop over the course of it. Examine issues such as:

1) his capacity as a leader

2) his control over his emotions and temper

3) the wiseness of his judgement

4) his treatment of others.

Essay Topic 2

What role do the Muses play in the telling of this tale? When and why does Virgil call upon them? Upon which particular Muses does he rely?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the role of signs, portents, omens, prophesies, and so forth in The Aeneid. What are some forms these signs take? Who sends them, if anyone? Can false signs be sent, and if so, for what purpose? How do people fare when they interpret signs correctly and follow them? How do they fare when they try to act against them?

(see the answer keys)

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