Book V

Book V - Funeral Games for Anchises

Need to Know

• Just to refresh your memory, because it has been a while, Anchises is Aeneas father. Remember that Anchises put up a fight about staying in Troy because he didn't want to impede Aeneas' flight from the end of the siege of Troy. Anchises seems to have predict his own end, as Aeneas had to carry him from the house to the ships while fleeing Troy, probably resulting in the loss of Creusa, Aeneas' wife.
• Anchises read the Oracle offered in Book III, sending Aeneas and his fleet off to Crete where the supposed homeland of the Trojan race could be found. You probably remember how that ended, famine and plague and another trip out on the open sea. In many ways, he served as counsel to Aeneas throughout their journeys, interpreting omens, pouring libations, and building up the trust of Aeneas' men in the pre-destined success of their journey.
• Anchises passed away in Sicily, having endured the epic journey from Troy.  Remember that Aeneas concludes his telling of his travels in Dido's court by commemorating the death of his father, the last event in his journey before Juno's storm and his shipwreck on the shores of Carthage: Here, after all the blows of sea and storm I lost my father, my mainstay in every danger and defeat. Spent as I was, you left me here, Anchises, best of fathers, plucked from so many perils, all for nothing. Book III, ll.818-822.
• In Book V, Aeneas has the opportunity to commemorate his father once he makes landfall on Sicily once again, post-storm, post-Carthage, post-Dido. We get a sense for how long Aeneas has actually been stayed off his course while enjoying the married life in Carthage.  The games thrown in Anchises honor are held a year after his death, and are instated in as an annual tradition.
• Funerary games include events like boat racing, foot races, archery, javelin hurling, and boxing. Prizes are offered for the winners and feasting concludes the event.
• Yes. The Trojan women burned Aeneas' fleet. Juno made them do it. 
• It's Venus who goes to speak to Neptune as Aeneas' advocate.  She asks for Neptune's support in helping Aeneas survive the meddling ways of Juno.  Neptune agrees to work with Venus in support of Aeneas, but warns that this will cost Aeneas the loss of one life - we find out at the end of Book V, this is Palinurus, the helmsman, who falls off the mast of the ship while keeping watch.

Poem
How about the storytelling quality of the boxing scene?  It's our first play-by-play in the realm of action in the text, a vivid description.

Old but True
The loss of Aeneas' father kicks Aeneas into gear as leader and commander.  Gone are the days where Anchises can interpret the omens and help to conduct the expedition. Aeneas puts on the games, he makes the sacrifice, pours the libation, and presents the prizes. Watching a son step up into the role of his father, Iulus takes on new responsibilities in the family as well. He leads the cavalry display and accompanies his father in the rituals.

Roman
Funeral games - what a concept! All Greek and Roman games, including the Olympics, were dedicatory games, though typically offered in supplication to a deity, rather than an individual.