Aeneid: Themes, Synopsis Chapter By Chapter
Submitted by freefortermpapers on 06/24/2008 03:00 PM
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Aeneid: Themes, Synopsis Chapter By Chapter
Book I
A. Plot Synopsis
We learn in the first few lines of the plight of a refugee from Troy who has evacuated the city due to Juno's rage. The beginning also reveals this man's destiny that he will build a town on the Latin shore, namely on the coast of eastern Italy. With all this having been said by Virgil, the descriptive part of the Aeneid ends, and the actual plot begins. Juno is enraged with the Trojans and specifically Aeneas because she is partial to Carthage, which Rome destroys a few hundred years later. The opening lines about Juno also state that she is annoyed with Troy because of Paris, who gave the special fruit to Venus, ignoring Minerva, and Juno. Juno with her odium of Troy then goes to Aeolus, the god of the wind where she persuades him to sink the Trojan ships. She offers Aeolus the most beautiful nymph in return for his work. Aeolus agrees very easily, unlocking the wind from his cave, where he holds it. Aeolus with disastrous winds then starts playing havoc on Aeneas's ships. This however angers Neptune for Aeolus and Juno have trespassed into his domain, and Neptune demands Aeolus to stop the winds. Aeolus does so and surrenders to Neptune's demands. A gentle breeze now pushes Aeneas and the remnants of his fleet to the coast of Northern Africa. Somewhere off the coast of the area, he finds a heard of deer and shoots a few of them, augmenting Trojan food supply.
The gods are seeing all from above and concerned Venus seeing where the Trojans are, begins to question whether Aeneas's destiny is to found a town in Italy. Jupiter seeing Venus, consoles her saying that he will still build his city in a matter of time, and that all is going according to destiny. Aeneas's ships make port at the Carthage within the Tyrian colony. Aeneas is unaware of where he has arrived, and who rules this unknown land. Aeneas then encounters Venus who informs Aeneas of his location and of the ruler.
From her we learn that Carthage...
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