Aeneid Book 11: Pallas and Camilla

Course Overview

The Aeneid tells the legendary story of the mighty Aeneas, who fled the sacking of Troy and travelled to Italy, emerging victorious after his showdown with the local prince, Turnus. Written in the aftermath of the bloody and tumultuous civil war that led to the fall of the Roman Republic, Virgil fashioned a compelling founding myth that directly linked, and thereby legitimised, the Julio-Claudian dynasty with the heroic legends of Troy. The work deftly deals with themes such as death, war, fate, love, family, loss, and legacy – all the while ostensibly praising the peace established under the Augustan Principate. Book 11 focuses on two key characters, Pallas and Camilla, paving the way for the dramatic denouement in Book 12. This course explores some of the major themes, while exploring wider questions relating to the genre of ‘epic’ and its wide-ranging impact on Western art and literature. In addition, students learn how to analyse Virgil’s stylistic features, and engage in close textual and literary analysis.