
The Epic Distilled is a rich exploration of Virgil's use of sources in the Aeneid, considering elements of history, geography, mythology, and ethnography. Building on and developing the research involved in the author's monumental commentaries on the Aeneid, the volume investigates how the poem was written, what Virgil read, and why particular details are interwoven into the narrative. The volume looks beyond the Aeneid's poetry and plot to focus on the 'matter' of the epic: details of colour, material, arms, clothing, landscape, and physiology. Details which might seem trivial are revealed as carefully deliberate and highly significant. For instance, one Trojan's specifically oriental trousers are suggestive of the Trojans' non-Roman 'otherness' and fit solidly into a complex ethnographic argument. In this way, the meaning and implications of Virgil's heavily allusive style, including practices and techniques of composition, are unpicked meticulously. Particularly difficult and intricate passages are delved into and the significance of specific details, legends, arcane references, places, names, digressions, and inconsistencies are uncovered. By exposing new layers of illuminating material, The Epic Distilled offers readers a fresh approach to understanding the full intellectual texture of Virgil's epic poem.
This volume investigates the compositional techniques and intellectual sources Virgil employed to construct the Aeneid, specifically focusing on how minor details contribute to the poem's broader meaning. Nicholas Horsfall, a noted scholar of Latin literature, utilizes his extensive research from his previous commentaries on the Aeneid to analyze the poem's material culture. He argues that seemingly trivial elements—such as clothing, geography, and physical descriptions—are deliberate choices that function as part of a complex ethnographic and historical framework. By examining these specific components, the author demonstrates how Virgil synthesized diverse sources to create a highly allusive and layered narrative structure.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and classicists recognize this work as a rigorous, detail-oriented study that complements the author's larger body of work on Virgil. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for those with a strong background in Latin literature and classical philology.
Page Count:
176
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191076406
ISBN-13:
9780191076404
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