The Roman National Treasure, Virgil
In Roman times, people considered Virgil the greatest poet of the Romans, and he became a legendary poet. He was so important to the people of Rome that even emperor Augustus commissioned the poet to write a poem celebrating the glory of the Roman rise in power, which would be his most revered work, the Aeneid.
This poem, published two years after his death, would be known by Romans as their national epic poem. Virgil was also well known for writing poems such as the Eclogues, which have multiple stories taking place in a utopia of nature, Arcadia, and the Georgics, which also presents adventures in a rural, agricultural life.
His works have also had a significant impact beyond his time. His unique method of storytelling, which relied on mythology and allegory as its foundation, influenced renowned Western poets such as Ovid, Shakespeare, and Dante. Virgil's works have been the basis of poetic influence to the point where he was often named the Prince of Poets.
Quick Facts About Virgil
Virgil was born on October 15, 70 BC.
According to Roman historians, he was born in the village of Andes, close to Mantua, in Northern Italy.
The young Virgil studied many topics in Rome, ranging from astronomy, the art of persuasion, medicine, and later philosophy.
When Virgil was on his deathbed, he was unsatisfied with his poem, the Aeneid, and requested his friends to burn it. Fortunately, his friends refused to burn the story, and Augustus soon demanded the publishment of the Aeneid.
Homer, an ancient Greek poet who created the poems Iliad and Odyssey, influenced Virgil's work as a Greek epic poet.
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