Aeneid Book 7: Simplified for a Modern Audience!

Opening of Book 7, Metropolitan Museum of New York

Happy New Year! Another initiative I have been working on is providing translations and simplifications of Books from the Aeneid. Because the language of published English translations of Classics is poetic to maintain the character of the Epic, I wanted to provide a less formal alternative -- explaining these books in note form. As a translation intern at the Dickinson College Commentaries, I led meetings over the summer of 2024 discussing ways to promote access to Classics -- one of which I believe is distilling parts of these Epics into more accessible and conversational language!

Below is an example of how I explain Book 7's trajectory.

*Aeneas’ nurse Caita dies

• Funeral, then Aeneas/Trojans go past Circe’s lands (digression from Odyssey, and Odyssean part of the Epic)

*On ships, the Trojans hear beasts (lions, bears, wolves, savages → Neptune keeps them safe)

• Reach mouth of Tiber river, which Aeneas says to sail up (alluding to future Rome)

*Invocation of muse Erato, area is ancient Latium, Latinus/Amata only have daughter Lavinia, who is being currently pursued by Turnus the warrior, kingdom of Latium = (no male heir)

*Laurel tree/swarm of bees ( ← troops are coming) in the middle of Latinus’ palace

*Lavinia holds torch ( ← bright future, also signal of war)

• Latinus asks father Faunus about omens, who says Lavinia should marry outsider

*Aeneas/ascanius are eating ( ← harmlessness of table-eating prophecy is realized)

• Aeneas prays and wants to explore surrounding land (Latium) with Trojans

*Aeneas makes a camp, Trojans want peace with Latinus who invites them to grand palace

• Latinus asks Trojans why they are in Latium, Ilioneus reassures that Trojans are pious

  • Latinus, after accepting gifts of Trojans, realizes Aeneas is Lavinia’s foreigner

*Latinus embraces Aeneas, sends horse/chariot to bring them to city of Latinus

*Juno gets mad at how she couldn’t eradicate Aeneas/Trojans → stirs up war, brings ALLECTO

*Allecto throws a snake on Amata, who then tells Latinus to not have Lavinia marry Aeneas

• Latinus does not listen to her; Amata rages and then hides Lavinia in the mountains (pretends that she is worshiping Bacchus)

  • Women in Latium also get into fury because of Allecto

*Allecto addresses Turnus (instigates him by saying that Lavinia will marry Aeneas)

• Turnus pushes back and mocks Allecto saying that he knows of her plan

  • Allecto puts torch in his chest (which signifies marriage/war → possesses him)

*Turnus gathers his men to fight against Trojans 

• Allecto gets Ascanius’ dogs to start chasing Tyrrhus/Silvia’s stag, which Ascanius shoots

  • Silvia asks for help, her people get weapons; Ascanius/Trojans assemble against

    • BATTLE between Ascanius and the Latins

  • Juno sends Allecto back to the Underworld through Lake Amsanctus

*Latinus doesn’t want war, abdicates throne

• Custom of war (which anachronistically references Rome) is opening twin gates

  • Latinus refuses to open the gates, but Juno forces them open

*Invocation of muses to describe Italian war heroes: turnus is second to last, then CAMILA

• Volscian warrior princess (“bellatrix”) → everyone is staring at her