The Aeneid

Virgil

Translated by J. W. Mackail
02 April 2020
9781529029840
336 pages

Synopsis

The Aeneid – thrilling, terrifying and poignant in equal measure – has inspired centuries of artists, writers and musicians.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is translated by J. W. Mackail and has an afterword by Coco Stevenson.

Virgil’s epic tale tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero, who flees his city after its fall, with his father Anchises and his young son Ascanius – for Aeneas is destined to found Rome and father the Roman race. As Aeneas journeys closer to his goal, he must first prove his worth and attain the maturity necessary for such an illustrious task. He battles raging storms in the Mediterranean, encounters the fearsome Cyclopes, falls in love with Dido, Queen of Carthage, travels into the Underworld and wages war in Italy.

The Aeneid is suffused with a fascinating, upending sense that most of what goes gravely wrong on earth isn’t imputable to human agency
Generally viewed as the pre-eminent masterpiece of the Western literary tradition