Aeneid XII, Book 12Book XII brings Virgil's Aeneid to a close, as the long-delayed single combat between Aeneas and Turnus ends with Turnus' death - a finale that many readers find more unsettling than triumphant. In this, the first detailed single-volume commentary on the book in any language, Professor Tarrant explores Virgil's complex portrayal of the opposing champions, his use and transformation of earlier poetry (Homer's in particular) and his shaping of the narrative in its final phases. In addition to the linguistic and thematic commentary, the volume contains a substantial introduction that discusses the larger literary and historical issues raised by the poem's conclusion; other sections include accounts of Virgil's metre, later treatments of the book's events in art and music, and the transmission of the text. The edition is designed for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students and will also be of interest to scholars of Latin literature. |
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Common terms and phrases
Achilles action aduerso Aeneas Aeneid aequis Allecto alliteration Amata Apollo appears arma atque Augustus Carm Cerda cited comms context contrast describes Dido Dira duel echo Ennian Ennius episode equos Faunus field fight fighters fighting figure final fire first Greek haec Harrison haud Hector Homeric Horsfall hypallage Iapyx Iliad implies ingens ipse Juno Juno’s Jupiter Jupiter’s Juturna killing Latinus Lavinia Livy Lucr Lucretius manu Menelaus Messapus Mezentius mihi Mnestheus mora motif multa narrative neque nunc nune omnis Ovid Ovid’s Pallas parallel passage perhaps Phegeus phrase poem probably proelia pugnae quae quid quod recalls reference reflects Roman Rutuli sacrifice sanguine scene seems sense Seru Servius Servius Auctus significant simile spear specific speech Stat suggests T.’s death telum Theb Traina Trojans Troy Turnus uiro uulnere Venus verb Virgil Virgilian words wounded