CHAPTER XI.

THE AENEID AS AN EPIC POEM OF HUMAN LIFE. I. General character of the action as affected by the 355-364 Age in which the poem was written, and by the author’s genius Dignity of the circumstances treated in the poem 355 Distinction of the actors 356 Interest to Roman readers of the revival of Homeric life 357 " " " of the new romance of Italy 358 Virgil’s narrative power 359 Inferiority to Homer in exhibiting a vivid image of life 360 " " from causes personal to Virgil 360 " " from the character of his Age 361 Virgil’s representation an artistic compromise 363 Sources of creative power in Virgil’s genius 364 II. Supernatural Agencies, Observances, and Beliefs 365-374 in the Aeneid Part played by the Olympian Divinities in the Aeneid 365 " by the Powers of the Italian mythology 369 Survivals of primitive religious worship in the Aeneid 369 Belief in local deities 370 Worship of the dead 371 Virgil’s ‘Inferno’ 373 His exact acquaintance with religious ceremonial 374 III. Political and Social Life, etc. as represented 376-394 in the Aeneid Idea of a Paternal Government in the Aeneid 376 Sense of majesty attaching to Government 378 Relation of States to one another 379 Material civilisation 381 Social manners 382 Sea-adventure 384 Battle-scenes 388 Appeal to local associations 392 IV. Conception and Delineation of Character in the 395-408 Aeneid Weakness of dramatic imagination in Virgil 395 Conception and delineation of Aeneas 396 The minor characters of the poem 400 Turnus 402 Mezentius 404 Dido 405 V. On the Style, etc. of the Aeneid 408-423 Virgil’s imagination oratorical rather than dramatic 408 Characteristics of the speeches in the Aeneid 409 Descriptive faculty 410 Illustrative imagery 413 Rhythm and diction of the poem 418 Greatness of its style 421

THE ROMAN POETS OF THE AUGUSTAN AGE