Superiority of the Augustan to the Alexandrine literature Effect of the Monarchy on the great forms of prose literature Poetry later in feeling the effects of Despotism Virgil's pre-eminence acknowledged till recent times II. Change in the estimate of Virgil in the present century 68-77 Distinction between Greek, Latin, and modern imagination Vividness and realism of feeling characteristic of the Latin Publication of the Eclogues and preparation of the Georgics Testimonies of Horace as to his life during this time The Georgics composed at Naples His death and wish to destroy the Aeneid I 20 Order and time of their composition Imitative character of the second and third The fifth founded on the death and apotheosis of Julius CONTENTS Artistic form given to these primitive elements by Theocritus Difference between the pastoral life of Sicily and rural life of 161-173 I. Original motives of the Poem Desire to treat of rural life in the spirit of Hesiod II. Form of poetry adopted by Virgil What forms of poetry available for Virgil's purpose? III. National interest and substance of the Poem. Materials derived by Virgil from his own life 199-204 199 II. The Lucretian idea of Nature in the Georgics. Virgil's sense of the life of Nature derived from Lucretius Scientific beliefs of Lucretius as adopted or rejected by Virgil III. Dedications and Invocations in the two Poems Lucretius Virgil's chief model in technical execution Address to Maecenas compared with address to Memmius |