Virgil, full name Publius Vergilius Maro, was born near the village of Andes not far from Mantua in northern Italy on October 15, 70 BC. He died on September 21,19 BC at Brindisi on the heel of Italy. The earliest biography of the poet, written by Suetonius, in the second century AD, says that he was from a poor and obscure family. It is clear, however, that Virgil was a Roman citizen. Circumstances pieced together from contemporary sources and from Suetonius make it seem likely that his family was at least of the landowning class. Further, Virgil was given an excellent and expensive education, including training for the Roman bar. This suggests that he might have been of the equestrian (middle) class and that his family was ambitious for political and social advancement. In fact he was preparing for the same sort of career which earlier brought Cicero, the...