Virgil, born in 70 BCE near Mantua, was a Roman poet who lived during the transition from Republic to Empire. His rural upbringing and education in Greek and Roman literature shaped his literary career, which flourished under the patronage of Maecenas and Emperor Augustus.

Virgil's major works include the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid. These poems showcase his mastery of different genres and themes, from pastoral poetry to didactic verse and epic storytelling, cementing his place as one of Rome's greatest poets.

Virgil's Life

Early Life and Education

• Publius Vergilius Maro, known as Virgil, was born in 70 BCE near Mantua, a city in northern Italy
• Virgil grew up in a rural area and was educated in Cremona, Milan, and Rome
• Studied Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and rhetoric which heavily influenced his later works
• Virgil's early life coincided with the tumultuous period of the Roman Republic's decline and the rise of the Roman Empire

Later Life and Death

• After completing his education, Virgil returned to his family's farm near Mantua
• Virgil's farm was confiscated during the civil wars following Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE but was later restored to him
• Spent much of his later life in Naples, where he worked on his major literary works (Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid)
• Virgil died in 19 BCE in Brundisium (modern-day Brindisi) while returning from a trip to Greece
  • Requested that the unfinished Aeneid be destroyed, but Augustus ordered it to be published posthumously

Virgil's Patrons

Maecenas

• Gaius Cilnius Maecenas was a wealthy and influential Roman statesman who served as a close advisor to Emperor Augustus
• Maecenas was a patron of the arts and literature, supporting and protecting many prominent poets, including Virgil, Horace, and Propertius
• Provided financial support and political protection for Virgil, allowing him to focus on his writing
• Maecenas' patronage was crucial to Virgil's success and the creation of his major works

Emperor Augustus and the Augustan Age

• Virgil lived during the reign of Emperor Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE), who brought an end to the Roman Republic and established the Roman Empire
• Augustus sought to promote a cultural revival and a sense of national identity through literature and the arts
• The Augustan Age is considered a golden age of Latin literature, with writers such as Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and Livy producing masterpieces that celebrated Roman values and history
• Virgil's works, particularly the Aeneid, aligned with Augustus' political and cultural agenda, glorifying Rome's origins and destiny
• Augustus himself took a personal interest in Virgil's work and encouraged him to write the Aeneid, an epic poem that connected Rome's founding to the Trojan hero Aeneas

Virgil's Major Works

Eclogues (Bucolics)

• The Eclogues, also known as the Bucolics, are a collection of ten pastoral poems written between 42 and 37 BCE
• Inspired by the Greek poet Theocritus' Idylls, the Eclogues depict the lives and loves of shepherds in an idealized rural setting
• The poems often contain allegorical references to contemporary events, such as the civil wars and land confiscations
• Notable poems include the First Eclogue, which contrasts the dispossessed shepherd Meliboeus with the fortunate Tityrus, and the Fourth Eclogue, which prophesies the birth of a child who will usher in a golden age

Georgics

• The Georgics is a didactic poem in four books, written between 37 and 30 BCE, that focuses on agriculture and rural life
• The poem covers a wide range of topics, including farming, animal husbandry, beekeeping, and viticulture
• Virgil draws on various sources, including Hesiod's Works and Days and Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, to create a comprehensive and poetic guide to rural life
• The Georgics also explores philosophical themes, such as the relationship between humans and nature, and the cyclical nature of life and death

Aeneid

• The Aeneid is an epic poem in twelve books, written between 29 and 19 BCE, that tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who founds the city that will eventually become Rome
• Modeled after Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the Aeneid combines elements of both epic poems to create a uniquely Roman epic
• The first six books chronicle Aeneas' journey from Troy to Italy, including his love affair with Dido, queen of Carthage
• The last six books describe Aeneas' struggles in Italy, culminating in his victory over Turnus and the establishment of a new Trojan settlement
• The Aeneid serves as a mythical origin story for Rome, connecting the city's founding to the Trojan War and the gods' divine plan
• Virgil's epic also explores themes of duty, destiny, and the cost of empire, reflecting the values and concerns of Augustan Rome