Virgil And The Aeneid
Myths have been used throughout history to serve a multitude of purposes. Whether it may be to communicate stories, to teach lessons and/or convey ethical messages. They ultimately aim to shape a cultural understanding of a country, which can be passed on through generations to provide social traditions, a country’s heritage and to form values.
Myths aim to emphasise the ancient and heroic aspects of a civilisation, fundamentally through the utilisation of symbolism and artistic license, and are still used today to serve as a basis for a society’s cultural history.
The Romans, among many other cultures, exhibited an abundant mythology of their own, even though a great number of it was embraced from Greek culture. This can be based upon the …show more content…
The main documentation for Roman mythology include the first few books of Livy’s history, the Aeneid of Virgil and the fourth book of elegies by Propertius. Another significant source is the Fasti of Ovid, which is a six-book poem that was constructed by the Roman religious calendar. In Fasti, Ovid depicted the myths of the gods and the roots of their rituals as well as the festivals of the first six months of the Roman calendar. However, whilst the foundation of Rome differs between several sources, one of the most ancient to recount the tale was Virgil in his Aeneid, which has been said to present the most reputable account of Roman mythology. This story narrated the voyages of the Roman hero, Aeneas who was a Trojan warrior. In the tale, the goddess Venus helps her son, Aeneas, escape from Troy along with a number of his fellow soldiers before the city becomes conquered by the Greeks. It is through this story as well as its link to the Trojan War which gave the Romans a relationship to the ancient Trojan society. This war ultimately gave rise to the founding of Rome story along with the most famous Roman myth, the birth of Romulus and Remus. This ancient tale has several variations from many different authors such as Plutarch, Livy, Ovid and Virgil. The story encompasses twin boys who were suckled by a she-wolf after being thrown into the river Tiber …show more content…
Although reflecting a considerable amount of Greek myth, Roman mythology still formed a strong mythological basis that founded the Roman culture and their religion. To the Romans, myth was able to allow the people to gain an understanding of who they were and gave them a sense of national honour. The stories the Romans told were often concerned with politics and morality, and how an individual’s personal integrity connects to his or her duty to the community or Roman state. For many Romans, myths built a sense sustainability by providing protection as they explored a multitude of valuable issues, including the creation of the planet, the contrast of good and evil and life after death. The influence of Roman mythology continues to live on today, with many scenes from Roman tales featuring in wall paintings, sculptures, artworks and architecture in present day Rome. The history of Rome is rich in tradition, myths and legends, reflecting many different aspects of ancient Roman culture and religion, with their tales having stood the test of time and embedding themselves in present day
Myths aim to emphasise the ancient and heroic aspects of a civilisation, fundamentally through the utilisation of symbolism and artistic license, and are still used today to serve as a basis for a society’s cultural history.
The Romans, among many other cultures, exhibited an abundant mythology of their own, even though a great number of it was embraced from Greek culture. This can be based upon the …show more content…
The main documentation for Roman mythology include the first few books of Livy’s history, the Aeneid of Virgil and the fourth book of elegies by Propertius. Another significant source is the Fasti of Ovid, which is a six-book poem that was constructed by the Roman religious calendar. In Fasti, Ovid depicted the myths of the gods and the roots of their rituals as well as the festivals of the first six months of the Roman calendar. However, whilst the foundation of Rome differs between several sources, one of the most ancient to recount the tale was Virgil in his Aeneid, which has been said to present the most reputable account of Roman mythology. This story narrated the voyages of the Roman hero, Aeneas who was a Trojan warrior. In the tale, the goddess Venus helps her son, Aeneas, escape from Troy along with a number of his fellow soldiers before the city becomes conquered by the Greeks. It is through this story as well as its link to the Trojan War which gave the Romans a relationship to the ancient Trojan society. This war ultimately gave rise to the founding of Rome story along with the most famous Roman myth, the birth of Romulus and Remus. This ancient tale has several variations from many different authors such as Plutarch, Livy, Ovid and Virgil. The story encompasses twin boys who were suckled by a she-wolf after being thrown into the river Tiber …show more content…
Although reflecting a considerable amount of Greek myth, Roman mythology still formed a strong mythological basis that founded the Roman culture and their religion. To the Romans, myth was able to allow the people to gain an understanding of who they were and gave them a sense of national honour. The stories the Romans told were often concerned with politics and morality, and how an individual’s personal integrity connects to his or her duty to the community or Roman state. For many Romans, myths built a sense sustainability by providing protection as they explored a multitude of valuable issues, including the creation of the planet, the contrast of good and evil and life after death. The influence of Roman mythology continues to live on today, with many scenes from Roman tales featuring in wall paintings, sculptures, artworks and architecture in present day Rome. The history of Rome is rich in tradition, myths and legends, reflecting many different aspects of ancient Roman culture and religion, with their tales having stood the test of time and embedding themselves in present day