VTP: Lesson - Biography: Publius Vergilius Maro
Biography: Publius Vergilius Maro
Publius Vergilius Maro is one of the most widely read poets of all time and certainly the most famous Roman poet. In English, we refer to him as Vergil, but you will also see him called Virgil. Certain authors prefer one spelling to another, but our course sticks with Vergil, as that is the spelling based on the Latin version of his name.
Image note: the statue bust depicts Vergil. It was sculpted by Tito Angelini in the 20th century CE and stands at the entrance to Vergil's crypt in Naples, Italy.
Biography
Little is known of Vergil's life. Most of what is known about his life is only conjecture. It is believed that he was born in Mantua, a small town in northern Italy, in 70 BCE. He began his education in Mantua, moving from there to Cremona, then Milan, on to Rome, and finally Naples.
In 42 BCE the young Octavian (later called Augustus) confiscated Vergil's farm and gave it to one of his veterans. Vergil was already writing poetry at this time and caught the attention of Maecenas, a close personal friend and adviser of Octavian. Maecenas introduced Vergil to Octavian who made him a client, restored his farm, and supported him so that Vergil could spend the rest of his life writing poetry.
Early Writings
Although Vergil probably wrote a number of poems earlier, his first extant work is The Eclogues (also known as the Bucolics) published in 30 BCE. This work consists of short poems on pastoral themes based on Greek models. They present an idealized life of shepherds and herdsmen in northern Italy but also include references to contemporary political figures. The Eclogues were particularly popular in the Middle Ages because many believed that Vergil was predicting the birth of Christ in the fourth poem in which he prophesied a golden age of peace and goodwill ushered in by the birth of a divine child.
Image note: this painting, called Horace, Virgil, and Varius at the house of Maecenas was painted by Charles Jalabert in the 19th century CE. We can see Vergil (left) reciting poetry, while Horace (middle left), Varius (middle right - in the shadows), and Maecenas (right) listen. Maecenas was an important man in Rome - he supported several poets whose work still remains to this day. Without his patronage, we may never have heard of these great poets.
In 29 BCE, Vergil published The Georgics, four didactic poems on farming, again formed on Greek models, especially Hesiod. The work is dedicated to his patron Maecenas. Its topics include agriculture, the rearing of cattle and other livestock, and beekeeping. There is also a political dimension to the poems with references to Octavian with critics debating how positive those references are. Nevertheless, ancient commentaries from historians like Suetonius argued that Vergil would not have written anything negative about Octavian. Although the work is highly acclaimed, Vergil was never satisfied with it and wanted it destroyed.
Vergil spent the last ten years of his life on his epic, The Aeneid. In 19 BCE, he went to Greece, probably with the intent of becoming more familiar with the setting of parts of the poem and thus adding more local color to the poem. While in Athens, Vergil met Augustus who persuaded Vergil to return to Rome with him. On the way, Vergil, who was already ill, died upon landing in Brundisium shortly before his fifty-second birthday. He was buried at Naples. His tomb bears the following inscription:
Mantua me genuit; Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc
Parthenope; cecini pascua, rura, duces
Mantua gave birth to me; the Calabrians took me; now Naples holds me;
I sang of pastures, country, leaders
Vergil's Magnum Opus: The Aeneid
Vergil's most well-known work is his epic poem The Aeneid, the story of Aeneas who flees Troy as it is being overwhelmed by the Greeks in pursuit of a new homeland. Vergil wrote the poem at the request of his patron Augustus who wanted to unite the Roman people after the long struggle of the civil wars culminating in his defeat of Marc Antony. As a result, Aeneas evolves as a leader with pietas who puts the welfare of his country above his own needs in the same way that Augustus would have others believe he did. Aeneas, like his descendant Augustus, displayed strong leadership characteristics, a keen sense of moral responsibility, and devotion to justice. Augustus, a member of the Julian clan, traced his heritage back to Ascanius, also known as Iulus, the son of Aeneas and the grandson of Venus. This notion of a divine heritage gives Augustus, in his eyes, the moral authority to rule the Roman Empire with absolute authority.
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