Book II

Book II

Dear SM Summer Reading Group,

You may have noticed that Book I opened in the middle of an action scene - shipwrecked disaster for Aeneas and his men. This mid-action story telling technique is termed in media res, "in the middle of the matter". The technique is a great hook for a storyteller, it gets the reader involved in a conflict from the very beginning and builds interest in a resolution. In Book II, Dido convinces Aeneas to tell his story to her dinner crowd, a perfect opportunity for the storyline to catch the up to the point we've entered in media res.

Need to Know

• Aeneas is telling the story of the sack of Troy from his perspective, that of a Trojan noble man. The Iliad recounts events prior to the fall of Troy and The Odyssey references the Trojan horse that Odysseus devised, but this telling of the actual sack of the city from a Trojan perspective is unique to The Aeneid. It is possible that a third epic, a telling of these events, was extant at the time Vergil wrote The Aeneid, giving him a source to borrow from, but the text no longer survives.
• The Greeks are represented as cunning tricksters throughout the telling. If you've read The Odyssey, you know that Odysseus is famous for his ability to outsmart sad his wily nature. Sinon's deceit and the treachery of the Trojan Horse are less admirable and overall ruinous from the Trojan perspective. At one point, Aeneas is faced with the choice to adopt treachery as a strategy when he is presented with the opportunity to dress in agrees armor during the heat of the battle. His decision-making process further confirms His reluctance to "give in" to a Greek strategy, perhaps because he considers these actions outside of the rules of engagement.
• The twin snakes attacking Trojan priest Laocoon and his sons - woah. I'd be superstitious too. Remember that Laocoon is the one to speak the famous line, "Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, especially bearing gifts." He totally called it.
• Pyrrhus/Neoptolemus is Achilles' son. He ruthlessly kills Priam, the King of Troy, in his inner court. Priam's exchange with his wife and his feeble attempt to defend himself and the honor of Troy are indicative of the weary end of a ten year besiegement.
• Creusa, Aeneas' Trojan wife, is somehow lost and left behind in the family's escape. Iulus/Ascanius (same son, two names) and Anchises, Aeneas father come with Aeneas. The loss of Creusa, though terribly sad, in some way grants permission to Aeneas for a future life in a new land and the marriage alliance that will make this integration successful.

Poetry
How about foreshadowing in Book II? There is plenty of ground work laid for later events in the text. The prophecy of Iulus' head on fire and Creusa's ghost propel Aeneas forward. The retelling of a well-known story (to all first century and many twenty-first century readers), creates a nice dramatic irony where the audience knows what will happen before the events are told by the story teller, and perhaps before the story teller himself fully realizes their implications.

Old but True
Family relationships, father/son & husband/wife, play out in the emotionally charged moments recalled in Book II. Hecuba's feeble attempts to dissuade Priam from acting in pride, Anchises debate with Aeneas, and Creusa's hectic fear and parting message (in ghost form), present a relatebale pathos or emotional appeal that may have left you feeling sympathetic. What did you notice about these family dialogues? What seemed to transcend time and what did not?

Roman
How about all of this prophecy? You've got soothsayers, priests, rituals, ghosts, burning halos - you name it, Book II probably has it (more to come in Book III). What's the reason for all of this? Where does prophecy come from and how does it gain legitimacy? What are superstitions or prophecies that exist today? Why do people choose to believe in them, should they believe?