The Aeneid: Comprehensive Summary and Analysis

The Aeneid: Capsule Summary

Book 1: Aeneas in Carthage

  • Aeneas encounters a storm and is cast ashore at Carthage.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • The Trojans, after a seven years' voyage, set sail for Italy but are overtaken by a dreadful storm, which Aeolus raises at Juno's request.
    • The tempest sinks one ship and scatters the rest. Neptune drives off the winds and calms the sea.
    • Aeneas, with his own ship and six more, arrives safe at an African port.
    • Venus complains to Jupiter of her son's misfortunes; Jupiter comforts her and sends Mercury to procure him a kind reception among the Carthaginians.
    • Aeneas, going out to discover the country, meets his mother in the shape of a huntress, who conveys him in a cloud to Carthage, where he sees his friends whom he thought lost and receives a kind entertainment from the queen.
    • Dido, by a device of Venus, begins to have a passion for him and, after some discourse with him, desires the history of his adventures since the siege of Troy, which is the subject of the two following books.
  • Principal episodes:
    • The storm: Juno, Aeolus, Neptune, Jupiter. Development suggests a prediction.
    • Aeneas and Achates meet Venus in disguise. Theme of the hunt. Entrance of Dido compared to a goddess.
    • Aeneas and Achates see scenes of Troy on the temple of Juno in Carthage.
    • Aeneas presents himself to Dido.
    • Reminds of events in Homer, especially in the Odyssey.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Juno: wife of Jupiter (Hera), hostile to the Trojans.
    • Aeolus: god of the winds.
    • Neptune: god of the sea (Poseidon).
    • Venus: goddess of love, mother of Aeneas (Aphrodite).
    • Aeneas: hero, son of Venus.
    • Cupid: son of Venus, inspires love in Dido.
    • Ascanius/Iulus: son of Aeneas, substituted by Cupid in the meeting with Dido.
    • Dido: queen of Carthage, falls in love with Aeneas.
    • Carthage: city in North Africa, rival of Rome.
    • Troy: home of Aeneas.
    • Tyre: original home of Dido.

Book 2: The Fall of Troy

  • The hero tells Dido of his escape from Troy.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Aeneas relates how the city of Troy was taken, after a ten years' siege, by the treachery of Sinon and the strategem of a wooden horse.
    • He declares the fixed resolution he had taken not to survive the ruins of his country and the various adventures he met with in the defense of it.
    • Having been advised by Hector's ghost and now by the appearance of his mother Venus, he is prevailed upon to leave the town and settle his household gods in another country.
    • He carries off his father on his shoulders, and leads his little son by the hand, his wife following him behind.
    • When he comes to the place appointed for the general rendezvous, he finds a great confluence of people but misses his wife, whose ghost afterwards appears to him and tells him the land which was designed for him.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Story of the wooden horse.
    • Actions of Laocoon; story of Sinon; Laocoon and the sea serpents.
    • Hector appears to Aeneas as a ghost.
    • Battle in Priam's palace: Cassandra dragged away; tale of Priam's death; Helen.
    • Aeneas flees Troy, carrying Anchises and with Ascanius; Creusa is lost.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Laocoon: priest of Neptune, killed by serpents.
    • Sinon: the clever Greek.
    • Cassandra: daughter of Priam, prophetess who will never be believed.
    • Creusa: Aeneas' wife.

Book 3: Wanderings of Aeneas

  • The wanderings of Aeneas: Harpies, meeting with Helenus. Death of Anchises.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Aeneas proceeds with his story: he gives an account of the fleet with which he sailed and the success of his first voyage to Thrace.
    • From thence he directs his course to Delos and asks the oracle what place the gods had appointed for his habitation. By a mistake of the oracle's answer, he settles in Crete.
    • His household gods give him the true sense of the oracle, in a dream. He follows their advice and makes the best of his way to Italy.
    • He is cast on several shores and meets with very surprising adventures, till at length he lands on Sicily, where his father Anchises dies.
    • This is the place which he was sailing from when the tempest rose and threw him upon the Carthaginian coast.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Polydorus in Thrace: bloody shoots from the spears that killed him.
    • Encounter with the Harpies.
    • Visit with Helenus and Andromache in Epirus (Buthrotum).
    • Aeneas and his men skirt Scylla and Charybdis, meet Achaemenides on the island of the Cyclops, and escape Polyphemus.
    • Anchises dies in Sicily, at the land of Acestes.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Polydorus: son of Priam murdered in Thrace.
    • Calaeno: Harpy who prophesies that the Trojans will starve to the point that they eat their tables.
    • Andromache: former wife of Hector, then slave of Pyrrhus, now wife of Helenus.
    • Acestes: friendly king in Sicily.

Book 4: Dido's Tragedy

  • Dido's passion for Aeneas. At Jupiter's command, Aeneas departs. Dido kills herself.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Dido reveals to her sister her passion for Aeneas and her thoughts of marrying him. She prepares a hunting match for his entertainment.
    • Juno, by Venus's consent, raises a storm, which separates the hunters and drives Aeneas and Dido into the same cave, where their marriage is supposed to be completed.
    • Jupiter dispatches Mercury to Aeneas, to warn him from Carthage.
    • Aeneas secretly prepares for his voyage. Dido finds out his design and makes use of her own and her sister's entreaties. When nothing would prevail upon him, she contrives her own death.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Dido, inflamed by love, consults Anna.
    • Juno and Venus plot, and the "marriage" is consummated in a cave.
    • Jupiter sends Mercury to remind Aeneas of his duty.
    • Dido commits suicide.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Anna: Dido's sister.
    • Mercury: messenger of Jupiter.

Book 5: Funeral Games in Sicily

  • Aeneas reaches Sicily. Funeral games for Anchises.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Aeneas is driven by a storm on the coasts of Sicily, where he is hopitably received by Acestes.
    • He celebrates the memory of his father and institutes funeral games.
    • Juno sends Iris to persuade the Trojan women to burn the ships.
    • Aeneas builds a city for those unfit for war and sails for Italy.
    • Venus procures from Neptune a safe voyage, except for Palinurus, who is lost.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Aeneas lands again in Sicily and is welcomed by Acestes.
    • Funeral games for Anchises: ship race, foot race, boxing, archery contest.
    • Trojan women, inspired by Iris, fire the Trojan ships.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Euryalus: young friend of Nisus.
    • Nisus: friend of Euryalus.

Book 6: The Underworld

  • Aeneas at Cumae. He meets Anchises in the underworld.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • The Sibyl foretells Aeneas the adventures he should meet with in Italy.
    • She attends him to hell, describing the various scenes of that place and conducting him to his father Anchises.
    • Anchises instructs him and shows him that glorious race of heroes which was to descend from him.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Death of Palinurus.
    • Preparations for the descent into the Underworld; meeting with the Sibyl at Cumae; search for golden bough.
    • Journey into the Underworld: Rivers, Styx, Charon, Cerberus; Limbo, Tartarus, Elysium.
    • Revelation of the future.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Palinurus: the helmsman.
    • Sibyl: the priestess of Apollo at Cumae.
    • Deiphobus: the Trojan who wed Helen after Paris' death.
    • Styx: main river of the Underworld.
    • Lethe: river of forgetfulness.
    • Romulus: legendary first king of Rome.
    • Marcellus: nephew and presumed heir to Augustus.

Book 7: War in Latium

  • Aeneas lands in Latium. Latinus promises Lavinia. Juno stirs up war. Catalogue of Italian heroes.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • King Latinus entertains Aeneas and promises him his daughter Lavinia.
    • Turnus breaks the treaty and engages in his quarrel Mezentius, Camilla, Messapus, and others.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Story of Latinus and daughter Lavinia.
    • The Trojans land and "eat the table."
    • Latinus receives the Trojans and offers his daughter.
    • Allecto stirs madness in Amata, Turnus, and the Italian farmers.
    • Catalogue of Italian warriors.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Allecto: a Fury.
    • Latium: the kingdom of Latinus.
    • Latinus: king of Latium.
    • Lavinia: daughter of Latinus, destined to marry Aeneas.
    • Turnus: ruler of the Rutulians, foe of Aeneas.
    • Mezentius: godless ruler of the Etruscans, foe of Aeneas.
    • Camilla: an Amazon-like female warrior.

Book 8: Alliance and Armor

  • Aeneas secures the help of Evander and the Etruscans. Story of Hercules and Cacus. Armor from Vulcan.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Turnus sends to Diomedes; Aeneas goes to beg aid from Evander and the Tuscans.
    • Evander receives him kindly and furnishes him with men.
    • Vulcan makes arms for Aeneas.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Aeneas visits Evander.
    • Evander tells the story of Hercules and Cacus.
    • Venus asks Vulcan to make Aeneas armor.
    • The shield contains images of the many famous wars fought by Aeneas' descendants.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Evander: local king who sides with Aeneas.
    • Pallas: the son of Evander.
    • Cacus: a man-eating monster defeated by Hercules.
    • Vulcan: husband of Venus, maker of the arms.

Book 9: Attack on the Trojan Camp

  • Turnus attacks the Trojan camp. Nisus and Euryalus. The camp is hard pressed.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Turnus takes advantage of Aeneas's absence and assaults his camp.
    • The Trojans send Nisus and Euryalus to recall Aeneas.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Turnus and allies attack the Trojan camp.
    • Nisus and Euryalus go forth on a raiding expedition.
    • The "aristeia" of Turnus.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Nisus and Euryalus.

Book 10: Deaths and Decisions

  • Fight continues. Tuscan catalogue. Turnus kills Pallas. Juno saves Turnus from raging Aeneas. Aeneas kills Mezentius.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Jupiter forbids the gods to engage in either party.
    • At Aeneas' return, there is a bloody battle.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Council of the gods.
    • Death of Pallas.
    • Deaths of Lausus and Mezentius.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Pallas: son of Evander.
    • Lausus: the virtuous son of Mezentius.
    • Mezentius: former king of the Etruscans.

Book 11: Grief and Battle

  • Burial of Pallas. Diomedes' refusal. Council: Drances abuses Turnus. The Trojans attack. Death of Camilla.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Aeneas erects a trophy and grants a truce for burying the dead.
    • Latinus calls a council.
    • There is a sharp engagement of the horse; Camilla is killed.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Council of the Latins.
    • Aristeia and death of Camilla.
  • Principal new characters:
    • Drances: Latin elder, enemy of Turnus.
    • Camilla: an Amazon-like Volscian warrior.

Book 12: The Final Duel

  • Single combat arranged, but treachery provokes a general engagement. Trojans attack the city. In single combat, Aeneas kills Turnus.
  • Dryden's summary:
    • Turnus challenges Aeneas to a single combat.
    • Articles are agreed on but broken by the Rutuli.
    • Aeneas kills Turnus.
  • Principal episodes:
    • Single Duel between Aeneas and Turnus.
    • Breaking of the truce.
    • Death of Turnus.

Gods and Goddesses

  • Equivalences between Roman and Greek gods:
    • Jupiter ~ Zeus
    • Juno ~ Hera
    • Neptune ~ Poseidon
    • Venus ~ Aphrodite
    • Diana ~ Artemis
    • Mars ~ Ares
    • Mercury ~ Hermes
    • Minerva ~ Athena (Pallas)
    • Vulcan ~ Hephaestus
    • Apollo is Apollo (Phoebus)
  • Heroes:
    • Ulysses (Ulixes) ~ Odysseus
    • Hercules ~ Heracles