The Aeneid: Book 1

[cahn]

I should mention that I am reading the Sarah Ruden translation (thanks for the rec, ricardienne!) which I really like. I get the impression (correct me if I'm wrong; I don't have much Latin) that it tries to get at the spirit of the lines rather than stay absolutely true to the meter and specific-words, and I am really leaning towards those kinds of translations nowadays. (If you'd talked to me ten years ago, I would have said something different, mind.)

I said I was going to post on books 1-3, but ricardienne pointed out that 1-4 is really a natural sequence (all of Dido), and I have FEELINGS on Dido, so I'm going to do 1 (the setup!) this time, and then 2-4 for the next post.

Book 1: A lot of setup happens! Juno tries to shipwreck Aeneas, who manages to land near Carthage. Venus, disguised as a huntress, helpfully supplies an infodump about the awesomeness of Dido, who escaped from her brother after he killed her husband, led all her people to Carthage, and in general has been doing a pretty great job ruling them. Venus then wraps Aeneas in a concealing cloud, where he is revealed at a dramatically opportune moment to Dido. (This totally made me laugh, not least because of watching Gardiner's version of Berlioz' Les Troyens, where Aeneas is interpreted as a bit of a melodramatic prig from the very start.) Dido, being, you know, a decent human being, agrees to help Aeneas out. (One of my favorite lines in this subbook: "My own experience has taught compassion.") Venus, not willing to let well enough alone, sends Cupid to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas.

What I got out of this one: The gods are petty and vindictive and are basically all much more lame than the humans, who range from quite decent (Aeneas) to totally awesome (Dido). [NOTE: I wrote this before reading book 4, which I now have read.] I forgot to mention above that Juno totally pimps out a random nymph for the wind god Aeolus (who, being a minor god, is not as lame as the major gods, and rejects the offer of a prostitutewife, simply rolling his eyes at her while agreeing to do what she wants).

It's hard not to think that Virgil was a little annoyed by them too -- Aeneas says to Venus,

"I am your child -- must you keep torturing me
With these illusions? Let me take your hand --
Let there be words between us, as we are!

Yeah, Aeneas. You and me both. Venus, of course, ignores this entirely.

I suspect that if no gods at all had been involved, everyone would have got along just fine and been quite a bit happier, too.

My favorite lines (probably better in context; they've just escaped a terrible dangerous storm):

At the bay's head, rocks dip to form a cavern
With a clear spring and seats of natural rock.
Nymphs live there. At the shore no rope is needed
To hold worn ships, no hooked and biting anchor.
...The Trojans went ashore
In great and yearning love of that dry land.

Comments

[sineala]

Yay! Aeneid! When I read it in English I read the West translation, which felt to me the most like reading it in Latin without reading actually in Latin.

I think my pick for favorite quotable quote, cliche as it is, is "one day perhaps it will please us to remember even these things."

Also I have just now discovered I don't remember much about book 1. I was going to complain about the fall of Troy and how Aeneas MISPLACES HIS WIFE (still mad) but, uh, that's later on.

[cahn]

Oh, I like that quote too :) Okay, I'll have to look up the West translation -- that sounds lovely.

Book 2 is where the wife-misplacing happens, I'll be getting to that pretty soon :)