Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Rohrbacher, David
Area of Concentration
Classics
Abstract
This thesis aims to introduce the reader to the optimist and pessimist interpretations of Vergil’s Aeneid , and to analyze the arguments presented by both interpretations in order to combine the best arguments from both schools for the purposes of developing a clear and consistent interpretation of the Aeneid’s political message. The thesis is divided into an introduction, three chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction provides background information on Vergil, Augustus Caesar, the time period in which the epic was written, and the optimist and pessimist interpretations of the epic. Each chapter presents optimist and pessimist arguments based in certain books of the epic: Chapter 1 primarily analyzes books I and IV, Chapter 2 primarily analyzes books VI and VIII, and Chapter 3 primarily analyzes books X, XI and XII. The conclusion shows that Vergil’s moral realism allows for the glorious praise of Augustus and his empire, and also for the recognition that Rome’s empire came at a cost.
Recommended Citation
Lawlor, Robert, "Rage and Glory: The Foundations of an Empire: Optimist and Pessimist Interpretations of Vergil’s Aeneid" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5962.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5962