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The famous first words of the epic are "Arma virumque cano." To what/whom does "virum" refer? (ln 1)

Aeneas. Though Aeneas' name is not actually used until line 92, he is the focus of the epic from the very beginning.

Which of the following is NOT cited as a reason Juno dislikes Aeneas? (ln 8-28)

The kidnapping of Cassandra. To be fair, Ganymede's honors and Paris' judgement weren't really Aeneas' fault, they were just reasons that Juno hated the Trojans in general. The reason she was after Aeneas specifically was that the Fates had told her one of his descendants would destroy Carthage, her favorite city. She later argues that if Minerva was permitted to kill Ajax for the kidnap of Cassandra, she should be able to kill Aeneas.

Who is the first person to speak? (ln 37)

Juno & Iuno. "Mene incepto desistere victam, nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?" (She is whining that Aeneas is going to found Italy and there isn't a single thing she can do to stop him.)

Who, according to Aeneas, are "terque quaterque beati"? Why? (ln 94)

The Dead Trojans--They died in Troy. He says this when he thinks he will die in the storm sent by Juno. He envies the Trojans who died when the city fell because they never had to leave their homes. Though he does later envy the Tyrians for their city, he calls them "fortunati", not "beati."

Who ends the storm that Juno sends after Aeneas? (ln 132)

Neptune. He yells at the winds for disturbing his domain (the ocean) without permission, and the winds go home. Then he, Triton, and Cymothoe move the ships into open water and send them on their way.

When they finally reach shore, what/whom does Aeneas 'conquer'? (ln 184-194)

A herd of deer. Aeneas goaes after an 'agmen' or battle-line of deer, killing seven- one for each remaining ship.

In his rousing speach to his men, Aeneas tells them that they are headed in the right direction. (ln 198-207)

n. They have just come from Sicily, and are now in Carthage. That means they were sailing south, when they should have sailed north to the mouth of the Tiber, and then on to Latium.

'Cytherea' is more commonly known by what name? (ln 257)

Venus. Cytherea was the island upon which Venus first stepped after being born fron the sea. Aphrodite would not be an acceptable answer because even though Aeneas is Greek, the Aeneid is a Roman epic, and therefore uses Roman names.

Which of the following does Juppiter not prophesize to 'Cytherea'? (ln 257-296)

The expultion of the Etruscan kings. Though Romulus kills Remus before Rome is completed, in Juppiter's vision they rule together. He also tells Venus that she will recieve her descendant (though it isn't specified which Caesar, maybe Julius, Mabe Augustus) and that the descendants of Troy (the Romans) will rule the descendants of Hector (the Greeks).

When Aeneas meets his mother in the woods, what does she say she is looking for? (ln 321-324)

Her sister. She tells Aeneas he will know her sister because she is wearing the skin of a lynx and a quiver. Of course, she is just making all of this up as an excuse for being in the middle of the woods alone.

Who does Aeneas think the girl he meets in the woods is? (ln 329)

Diana. He tells her that she is too beautiful to be mortal, and asks if she is Phoebus' sister (Diana), or maybe a nymph. Vergil, in his description, compares her to a Spartan.

Which of the following places does Venus NOT specifically mention when Aeneas asks where he is? (ln 338)

Carthage. Though the place Aeneas is standing is actually all of these (Carthage/City of Agenor is in the colony of Punica on the edge of Lybia), Venus never actually uses the word 'Carthage.'

What is the name of Dido's dead husband? (ln 343)

Sychaeus. He comes back to tell her of his murder (he was killed by Pygmalion at the altar) and to reveal to her the location of burried treasure, which she took with her when she fled to found Carthage.

What is the best translation of 'dux femina facti'? (ln 364)

The leader of the deed: a woman. I just love this line. 'Dux' and 'femina' are both subjects, so they have to agree with each other. 'Facti' is a genative to both of them, so you end up with 'the woman-leader of the deed' or 'the leader of the deed: a woman.' The deed is the theft of the gold and subsequent flight to Libya; the 'dux femina' was Dido.

Which of the following does Venus NOT do as she is leaving Aeneas? (ln 402-405)

Blow him a kiss. It is only as she is leaving him that she reveals her true nature.

What does Aeneas do when he discovers that the woman he has been speaking with is his mother? (ln 407-409)

Call her cruel. He asks her why she plays games with her son, and doesn't just shake hands with him. He also calls her 'crudelis tu', or 'you cruel thing.'

What does Venus give to Aeneas before she leaves? (ln 412)

A cloud. She hides Aeneas and Achates in a cloud so they can spy safely on the Carthiginians.

What animal does Aeneas compare the Tyrian craftsmen and laborers to? (ln 430-436)

bee & bees & apis & apes. "Just like work in the new summer trains bees through the flowered countryside under the sun, when they lead out the mature fruit of the species or when they stockpile liquid honey and stretch the cells with nectar, or they accept the burdens of the ones coming, or the troop having been made, they keep the herd of lazy drones from the hive: work buzzes, fragrant honey is scented with thyme."

While walking in the city, Aeneas marvels at the workmanship on the temple doors. Of what material are they made? (ln 449)

Bronze. Bronze was a symbol of wealth in the ancient world, and only a prosporous city could afford to make temple doors out of it. Bronze is also the material from which the doors of Priam's palace were made (Book 2, ln 481).

Which of the following scenes does Aeneas NOT see on the wall of the temple? (ln 456-493)

Hippolyta in the midst of battle. The Amazon queen depicted fighting against the Greeks is Penthesilea, not Hippolyta.

When Dido first appears, to which goddess is she compared? (ln 494-501)

Diana. Virgil compares her to Diana, surrounded by oreades, or mountain nymphs. She is approaching the temple to hold court.

In the temple, Aeneas sees many of his comrades whom he had believed dead. Which of the following was NOT one of them? (ln 510)

Orontius. Though Orontius is one of the Trojans that Aeneas thought were dead, he is not mentioned by name in the scene in the temple.

When Aeneas sends for his son Ascanius, who is it that really comes to him? (ln 658-659)

Cupid & Cupido. Venus is still afraid that Aeneas will be mistreated by the Carthiginians, so she sends Cupid to Dido in the shape of Ascanius to make her fall madly in love. The nominative singular form of his name in Latin is Cupido, not Cupidus.

After they eat, what does Dido ask Aeneas to do? (ln 753-756)

Tell them about his adventures. This sets the stage for Books 2 and 3, in which Aeneas recounts all of his adventures leading up to the storm at the beginning of the book.

How many times in Book 1 is Aeneas described as "pius"?

5. He is thus described in lines 220, 305, 378, 520, and 603. This is one of the major differences between Aeneas and the heros of the Greek epics which he emulated. While Ulysses, Achilles, et al. are bold and brazen, Aeneas is a devoted son, father, and husband. This is a reflection of the importance of family and social order under Augustus.