The Aeneid (Penguin Classics)
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"Hardie successfully incorporates the most valuable ancient and contemporary materials on Vergil to produce a more literary approach reflecting the insights and biases of critical work of recent decades. This edition will br appreciated by students and scholars alike." Classical World
Product Description
Virgil's Aeneid, inspired by Homer and inspiration for Dante and Milton, is an immortal poem at the heart of Western life and culture. Virgil took as his hero Aeneas, legendary survivor of the fall of Troy and father of the Roman race, and in telling a story of dispossession and defeat, love and war, he portrayed human life in all its nobility and suffering.
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First Sentence
I sing of arms and of the man, fated to be an exile, who long since left the land of Troy and came to Italy to the shores of Lavinium; and a great pounding he took by land and sea at the hands of the heavenly gods because of the fierce and unforgetting anger of Juno. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
I sing of arms and of the man, fated to be an exile, who long since left the land of Troy and came to Italy to the shores of Lavinium; and a great pounding he took by land and sea at the hands of the heavenly gods because of the fierce and unforgetting anger of Juno. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling.
The fairly recent (mid nineties) Penguin translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey were where I began, and both books artfully represented the behemoths that these particular stories are in the world of literature. It was then with some trepidation that I picked up this volume, clear that this Roman book would not come up to scratch. I am glad to say I was completely wrong. West's translation is rich and readable. I even managed to read this on a busy bus on the way to work!
The accessibility of this work is its strength and I would recommend this story, and in particular this artful translation, to anyone who has no real specialist knowledge, but enjoys a good story and revels in the ancient greatness such tales can evoke.
Recommended
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Vergil's epic used to be read as the traditional moral propaganda that justified the Roman empire and Augustus' rule, but it's a far more complex and problematic poem than that. Yes, as a previous reviewer, has stated, he takes Homer as his starting point, but Vergil's intention is not to 'top' Homer but to question and reflect on Rome's self-identity and the values that Roman culture has been built upon.
It is possible to read this is a simple, rousing epic of war and the heroic ethos, but the other 'voices' question the very values that the poem purports to support. Ultimately this is a poem of profound grief and loss and mourning for the past and for the price that has been paid in order to move forward into the future, and in this sense, it is a comment on the fall of the Republic and the emergence of the Principate under Augustus.
Having said that, it's also a good story, picking up from the end of the Iliad and telling the fall of Troy, Aeneas' escape with a group of Trojans and his search for Italy where he will found the city that will become Rome. The most famous incident is the tragic story of Dido (Book 4) which even in Vergil's own day was regarded as the best bit of the whole poem.
Together with the Iliad and the Odyssey, this is one of the foundation stones of European literature, and the Penguin translation is clear, easy and fluent. For a more poetic and rhythmic translation I would recommend the Allen Mandelbaum version which tends to be the one used by academics. Enjoy.
It is possible to read this is a simple, rousing epic of war and the heroic ethos, but the other 'voices' question the very values that the poem purports to support. Ultimately this is a poem of profound grief and loss and mourning for the past and for the price that has been paid in order to move forward into the future, and in this sense, it is a comment on the fall of the Republic and the emergence of the Principate under Augustus.
Having said that, it's also a good story, picking up from the end of the Iliad and telling the fall of Troy, Aeneas' escape with a group of Trojans and his search for Italy where he will found the city that will become Rome. The most famous incident is the tragic story of Dido (Book 4) which even in Vergil's own day was regarded as the best bit of the whole poem.
Together with the Iliad and the Odyssey, this is one of the foundation stones of European literature, and the Penguin translation is clear, easy and fluent. For a more poetic and rhythmic translation I would recommend the Allen Mandelbaum version which tends to be the one used by academics. Enjoy.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When compared to the works of Homer this tale feels like a homage to it. With the similarities to the Grecian gods and the style of the tale, you feel as if Homer had scribed another tale.
And yet this translation sparkles and makes it one of the easiest reading classics that I have read. There are no footnotes or other reference points to break the text, with appendices to flesh out two 'books'.
It would be churlish to give this less than five stars. The text is glorious and the tale draws you along. Many years after Virgil wanted the book destroyed it still lives.
And yet this translation sparkles and makes it one of the easiest reading classics that I have read. There are no footnotes or other reference points to break the text, with appendices to flesh out two 'books'.
It would be churlish to give this less than five stars. The text is glorious and the tale draws you along. Many years after Virgil wanted the book destroyed it still lives.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lively, enjoyable translation
I am not a student of classics, and the only ancient classic I'd read prior to this was Homer's Odyssey which, frankly, was the most boring thing I'd ever read. Read more
Published 24 days ago by beckalina
Great epic
This epic is such an interesting read and features Aeneas as a tragic hero. Background knowledge is needed for this book and why it was written and all the comptemorary(roman)... Read more
Published 3 months ago by xostar
not exactly exciting
i am a Classical Civilisation student and so this book was a large part of the course, however it was not a part i enjoyed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Trevor
Classical Civilisation Lover
I love this poem :)
I'm a classical civ. student and would recommended this to anyone who is interesting the Roman history :)
I'm a classical civ. student and would recommended this to anyone who is interesting the Roman history :)
Published 12 months ago by Starzkukaku
thanks for the memories
Not that I was there during the original story...
I bought this for an office mate who wanted to broaded her education. Read more
I bought this for an office mate who wanted to broaded her education. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Axeman
Great value!
A good, literal translation at a decent price. An excellent aid if you're reading the original alongside, and it reads fine on its own too.
Published 16 months ago by Latin Lady
inferior to the previous penguin version
the Jackson Knight translation previously available in Penguin Classics is vastly superior...and should be sought out in 2nd hand shops... Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2008 by J. E. Holmes
very good, but not Homer
The Aeneid at its core is propaganda written by Virgil in the name of Augustus. That aside it is skillfuly done and gives insight into the times. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2006 by Simone Rea
Enjoyable and easy to read
I am new to the classical works of Greece and Rome, however I've recently challenged myself to become more well acquainted with the works that have shaped story telling. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2004 by Mr. S. J. Hunt
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