Virgil's Purpose: Myth for an Empire

The Roman Empire will find its destiny rooted in Virgil's epic, The Aeneid. As we explore the poem, Rabbi Rocklin will help us address the following questions:

1. How is Virgil's storytelling in The Aeneid different than Homer's storytelling in The Iliad and The Odyssey?
2. What was Virgil's goal in telling the story of The Aeneid?
3. Why is Aeneas seen as a more compelling hero than the Homeric heroes?

Recommended Reading: Virgil. The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008.