Now had the flaming sun attained his way
to the mid-sphere of heaven, when they discerned
walls and a citadel in distant view,
with houses few and far between; ‘t was there,
where sovran Rome to-day has rivalled Heaven,
Evander’s realm its slender strength displayed:
swiftly they turned their prows and neared the town.
(Aeneid 8.95–101, translated by A.S. Kline)
In previous Book Club discussions we have read Virgil’s Aeneid Books 1–6, which covered the fall of Troy, the escape of Aeneas, his wanderings, his encounter with Dido, the funeral games for Anchises, and the visit to Hades.
This month we are continuing our reading, picking up where Aeneas, returning from the underworld, sails for Latium where he is unable to avoid hostilities—Books 7 and 8.
You can read any translation you like. Here are links to some free online versions:
- A.S. Kline—available to download in various formats
- Theodore C. Williams—on Perseus
- John Dryden—on Perseus
The Latin text is also available on Perseus.
If you have not previously read any of this work or if you are new to Latin texts, you might find the following video discussions useful:
‘From Homer to Virgil’ with Gregory Nagy
‘Aeneid Books 4 and 6′ with Gregory Nagy
The discussion starts in the forum, here, and the Google+ Hangout will be on Tuesday, June 27 th, at 11 a.m. EDT.
Happy readings!