Shield of Aeneas - Virgil (lines 1-20)

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  • Shield of Aeneas - Virgil (lines 1-20)
    • Aeneas is a Trojan war hero, his destiny is to travel to Italy and found the Roman race. He is now in Italy and at war with the local Italians. His mother, Venus, has asked her Vulcan to make him weapons.
    • contrast between the "dea candida" and the darker "nimbos"
    • the private and secluded nature of Aeneas' vision is emphasised ("reducta", "procul")
    • "ultro" suggests surprise event
    • "promised skill of my husband" - Vulcan promised to use his skill to make armour
    • direct speech (lines 5-7)
    • the Laurentines are an Italian tribe. Turnus is their leader.
    • Cytherea = another name for Venus
    • "quercu" - link to contemporary politics
      • Augustus was awarded an oak wreath in 27 BC by the senate to symbolise how he had saved citizens  from civil war
    • "fatiferum" - 'deadly' = foreshadow i.e ~ this foreshadows the death that this sword will cause
    • "sanguineam" here means 'red'. but an appropriate choice for weapons and armour. Virgil using lots of visually descriptive vocabulary.

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