This enduring masterpiece tells of the epic quest of Aenas, who flees the ashes of Troy to found a new civilization: Rome. A unique hero, Aenas struggles and fights not for personal gain but for a civilization that will exist in the far future. Caught between passion and fate, his vision would change the course of the Western world.
Virgil, Rome's greatest poet, turned a mythical legend into a national epic that would survive Rome's collapse to become the most influential book Rome contributes to Western culture.
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"I read this in about 10 days. I probably could have easily read it in about 3 if it weren't for the fact that I wanted to do other stuff besides reading wonderful literature. I haven't read any other translations of The Aeneid., but I found this to be one of the best translations that I've read. It was readable, it was beautiful, it was all done in verse."
— Jigme (5 out of 5 stars)
“The founding of Rome and the maturation of a hero who has greatness thrust upon him are the subjects of Virgil’s first-century (B.C.) epic.”
— Kirkus Reviews“A sweeping epic filled with adventure and mythology, heroes and gods. There is a lot of material here for students of history, Greek and Roman mythology, ancient literature…[Davidson’s] diction and pacing are quite good.”
— Kliatt" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 2/19/2014" Summer reading for my AP class and a refresher for myself. Oh Aeneas! "
— Molly, 2/17/2014" I really liked this play. It was interesting to see the Trojan War from a different view point. Though this could easily be called the Roman version of The Odysessy, it doesn't feel like a rip off to me. I love the time spent with Dido in Carthage and how Virgil plants the beginning of the Roman society. "
— Jeannette, 2/12/2014" Admittedly, I read this at high school and found it the most painfully boring book ever. I don't know if I could bring myself to read it even now, just to see if it had improved with my age... "
— Hannah, 2/6/2014" Loved Dido. But did the latter third have to be so bloody? "
— John, 1/30/2014" i am listening to the book tape and it is phenomenal. the performance is as good as the translation. "
— bruce, 1/23/2014" Honors Latin V! So many great jokes from this book. Any reference I hear I think of that class. Some of the stories are just so ridiculous it's fantastic. Bees in trees, flaming hair, crazy ex-girlfriends, sailing for YEARS AND YEARS, making new cities, fights, angry Goddesses, I mean you really can't get any better than that. "
— Veronica, 1/21/2014" The Aeneid still remains one of my favorite books, it is a sheer classic. "
— Hideki, 1/19/2014" 5 stars for Fagles' translation. 3 stars for Fitzgerald's. "
— Maggie, 1/19/2014" Virgil shows masterful use of Homeric influences, and produces possibly the most thought provoking and ambiguous ending to any work of fiction I have read. An epic in every sense. David West's prose translation is excellent and is highly recommended. "
— Paul, 1/18/2014" It starts very good; there is an interesting premise; the dialogue is quite powerful even if some of the descriptions suffer from excessive mixing of metaphors. But it fizzles out a bit at the end. Shame V. never got round to finishing it. "
— George, 1/18/2014" I'm glad I read this, but I don't know if it was enjoyable. One problem was that during the battle scenes (and also earlier in the book) hundreds of names are mentioned that I didn't recognize, so it was hard to connect with the people they referenced. And the battle scenes were quite graphic, but in a poetic way. "
— Vicki, 1/13/2014" Sorry babe, it was fun, but I got a destiny to fulfill. "
— Gregg, 1/12/2014" I love Dryden's translation. Aeneas is my hero. "
— Megan, 1/10/2014" Very dense and full of mythological references and language but quite a bit more of a chore to read than the Odyssey and Illiad. Will not be rereading in a hurry... "
— Genevieve, 1/10/2014" If you like the work of Homer you will ike this. Virgil's style is less blunt than Homer's and his descriptive style draws you into the story better. A great book that's not difficult to read. "
— Shannon, 1/7/2014" This didn't strike me nearly as well as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Perhaps it was the obvious propaganda attempting to legitimize Caesar Augustus. Maybe it was the language of either the Latin or the translation (J. W. Mackail) that was florid and obtuse. Either way, this book was much more difficult to read, especially with other things going on. I finished it, but the similarity to parts of The Iliad and The Odyssey just made it hollow. Sorry Virgil, not my scene. "
— Ryan, 1/5/2014" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 1/4/2014" The Aeneid moves much more quickly in English! "
— Jo, 12/26/2013" As a college professor teaching classical literature in translation, I bemoaned the lack of a competent, readable, accurate translation of Virgil's Aeneid. Fagles has supplied exactly what I needed. If I'd had access to this translation, half my students would have become classicists! :) "
— Florenceweinberg, 12/22/2013" I preferred "The Odyssey" over this one, I found it a lot more difficult to understand (I actually read it in French) and I seemed just not to be getting through to it. But I'm glad I tried it anyways. "
— Anne, 12/21/2013" Might need to re-read this one again as I was a bit disappointed the first time through. I could tell though that I was missing something, though I am not sure what. "
— Hans, 12/16/2013" Basically the Odyssey...but with Romans! Not a fan. But I recognize the social significance of the work. "
— Vignette-Noelle, 12/16/2013" My AP English 4 class is currently reading this book, I personally enjoyed the first 6 books. However, I found the remaing books 7-12 to be a little heavy for my liking. This book was one of my favorite books that we've read all year in class, but I wouldn't have picked it up to read on my own time. "
— Alison, 12/16/2013" One of my favorites, read twice in English and Latin for a college course. My college years were heavy with Classics courses so I read a lot of the major works. This is by far the best, I think, and able to keep a modern reader engaged in the story. "
— Casey, 12/10/2013" "Let me rage before I die." "
— Theresa, 12/6/2013" A classic of course. Somewhat hard to read when Virgil decides to name everyone who ever lived in Greece, Troy and Italy during the course of one paragraph, but such a great epic story. "
— Tony, 12/6/2013" The mythology of the birth of Italy. After reading The Iliad and The Odyssey, this is written in the same style as Homer... "
— Miquixote, 12/1/2013" I also own Lombardo and Mandelbaum translations. "
— Erin, 11/17/2013" Read it for college. I understand it's important, but this isn't most people's idea of a sit-down-and-read-it-all novel. "
— Peregrine, 11/13/2013" Virgil did exactly was he intended to do, which was to follow in Homer's footsteps, and failed miserably. "
— Paige, 11/3/2013" I haven't read The Aeneid in many years (decades?), but when I was in college I loved it, so I rate it based on that memory. If there wasn't so much great shit left to read, I'd love to revisit it. In fact, it sounds like a good idea to start a "revisit" stack--I'll put this one near the top. "
— Steven, 10/31/2013" It's a great poem, of course; this translation is good, but a little tough to read. I prefer the Robert Fagles translation, The Aeneid. "
— Mark, 9/28/2013" I didn't expect it to be so fun to read this, but it is! Also, I'm really interested in figuring out which god is which. Also, it's a nice break to read something so fantastical and imaginative. "
— Mbreaden, 9/27/2013" Great. Also read in March of 1982. "
— Douglas, 9/22/2013" always read lombardo translations. he's the best. "
— Dlynn, 8/22/2013" I read the Fagles translation which I hear is not the most faithful, but it was VERY easy to get through. Virgil's epic poem still has a breathless, break-neck pace. "
— Morgan, 5/9/2013" Almost all the way through. It's been fun, but it's a tough read when you don't know much about ancient Rome. "
— Frank, 1/16/2013" This ancient epic starts a little slow, but just keep going through book 5 and you'll never put it down. "
— Robby, 11/16/2012" Virgil leaves his mark after Homer with this masterpiece. He adds to Homer's plot on the Trojans outstandingly. "
— Peter, 10/23/2012" Ini buku penting dan baik untuk dibaca. Cuma kayaknya musti ada metode tersendiri untuk membacanya... Ini buku fungsional banget. "
— Ivan, 10/12/2012" I preferred "The Odyssey" over this one, I found it a lot more difficult to understand (I actually read it in French) and I seemed just not to be getting through to it. But I'm glad I tried it anyways. "
— Anne, 8/2/2012" Haven't read this since high school! I'd probably better read it again... "
— Tajma, 7/22/2012" I actually liked this book better than the Odyssey. I loved the story between Aeneas and Dido. The choice that Aeneas has to make is awesome and heartbreaking. "
— Danny, 6/27/2012" I read the Fagles translation which I hear is not the most faithful, but it was VERY easy to get through. Virgil's epic poem still has a breathless, break-neck pace. "
— Morgan, 5/10/2012" I think I'm rating my professor the four stars versus the actual epic... "
— Christine, 4/10/2012" Not sure why, but I just wasn't enjoying listening to this one. Odd for something that's supposed to be read aloud! Maybe the narrator? "
— Emily, 3/17/2012" Interesting, and the language is beautiful, but there is a lot of bad stuff in it, so I don't know whether I can really recommend it in good conscience. If you can find a cleaned-up version, it would probably be a really good book, albeit a little antiquated. "
— Rowan, 1/31/2012" Although it is an enjoyable story, The Aeneid is more than a tale of heroic deeds and destiny. Anyone who thinks Virgil is simply ripping off Homer, is not getting the point! This book is full of hidden treasures. Also, this translation is fantastic! Read it slowly and savor it. "
— Kenzie, 1/22/2012" Read in college. Loved it. Going to have to go back and read it again one of these days. "
— Lillian, 1/20/2012" Well, it was more interesting than The Iliad, that's for sure. "
— Sean, 8/19/2011" I never managed to get into this story, which is a shame since it's such an epic and classic tale. I found Homer a more enjoyable read; this seemed choppy in comparison and I had trouble following the plot in some sections. "
— Kiri, 6/1/2011" I read this in High School when I found out that one of the main characters was named "Lavinia." I didn't really take my time and I skimmed a lot of it, but later in college I took an Honors Humanities class and we studied it and I really came to like it a lot - and not just because of my name. :) "
— Lavinia, 5/5/2011" we had really great class discussions over this book... but i still didn't like reading it. "
— Hannah, 5/1/2011" we had really great class discussions over this book... but i still didn't like reading it. "
— Hannah, 5/1/2011" we had really great class discussions over this book... but i still didn't like reading it. "
— Hannah, 5/1/2011" we had really great class discussions over this book... but i still didn't like reading it. "
— Hannah, 5/1/2011" One college book down, two to go. "
— Vicki, 4/13/2011" One college book down, two to go. "
— Vicki, 4/13/2011" One college book down, two to go. "
— Vicki, 4/13/2011" One college book down, two to go. "
— Vicki, 4/13/2011" A classic. Naturally it is murder trying to get through this monster, but not as bad as Moby Dick. The only prerequisite is to enjoy the classics and long winded hyperbole. I would suggest the Odyssey as a warm up. "
— Joshua, 4/2/2011" A classic. Naturally it is murder trying to get through this monster, but not as bad as Moby Dick. The only prerequisite is to enjoy the classics and long winded hyperbole. I would suggest the Odyssey as a warm up. "
— Joshua, 4/2/2011" A classic. Naturally it is murder trying to get through this monster, but not as bad as Moby Dick. The only prerequisite is to enjoy the classics and long winded hyperbole. I would suggest the Odyssey as a warm up. "
— Joshua, 4/2/2011" A classic. Naturally it is murder trying to get through this monster, but not as bad as Moby Dick. The only prerequisite is to enjoy the classics and long winded hyperbole. I would suggest the Odyssey as a warm up. "
— Joshua, 4/2/2011" Dude a guy kills another guy with a spear through a shield that's bigger than his entire body and ridiculously thick, like it spends a whole page describing how impenetrable this shield is and then the spear goes right through it.<br/><br/>This book is nuts. And it's awesome. Vergil rules. "
— Guy, 3/9/2011" Dude a guy kills another guy with a spear through a shield that's bigger than his entire body and ridiculously thick, like it spends a whole page describing how impenetrable this shield is and then the spear goes right through it.<br/><br/>This book is nuts. And it's awesome. Vergil rules. "
— Guy, 3/9/2011" Dude a guy kills another guy with a spear through a shield that's bigger than his entire body and ridiculously thick, like it spends a whole page describing how impenetrable this shield is and then the spear goes right through it.<br/><br/>This book is nuts. And it's awesome. Vergil rules. "
— Guy, 3/9/2011" Dude a guy kills another guy with a spear through a shield that's bigger than his entire body and ridiculously thick, like it spends a whole page describing how impenetrable this shield is and then the spear goes right through it.<br/><br/>This book is nuts. And it's awesome. Vergil rules. "
— Guy, 3/9/2011" This ancient epic starts a little slow, but just keep going through book 5 and you'll never put it down. "
— Robby, 3/2/2011" This ancient epic starts a little slow, but just keep going through book 5 and you'll never put it down. "
— Robby, 3/2/2011" This ancient epic starts a little slow, but just keep going through book 5 and you'll never put it down. "
— Robby, 3/2/2011" This ancient epic starts a little slow, but just keep going through book 5 and you'll never put it down. "
— Robby, 3/2/2011" My favorite ancient text. Virgil's Latin is clear and beautiful, and the battle scenes are epic and gory (e.g.: the deaths of Pandarus and Turnus). "
— Andy, 2/27/2011" My favorite ancient text. Virgil's Latin is clear and beautiful, and the battle scenes are epic and gory (e.g.: the deaths of Pandarus and Turnus). "
— Andy, 2/27/2011" My favorite ancient text. Virgil's Latin is clear and beautiful, and the battle scenes are epic and gory (e.g.: the deaths of Pandarus and Turnus). "
— Andy, 2/27/2011" My favorite ancient text. Virgil's Latin is clear and beautiful, and the battle scenes are epic and gory (e.g.: the deaths of Pandarus and Turnus). "
— Andy, 2/27/2011" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 2/20/2011" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 2/20/2011" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 2/20/2011" A great read! Surely destined to become a classic. "
— Rebecca, 2/20/2011Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC–19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil in English, was a Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues (or Bucolics), the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid. He is traditionally ranked as one of Rome’s greatest poets. His Aeneid has been considered the national epic of ancient Rome from the time of its composition to the present day. He was born in a small village near Mantua in northern Italy and attended school at Cremona, Milan, and Rome, where he studied mathematics, medicine, and rhetoric. He devoted his life, from 30 to 19 BC, to the composition of The Aeneid, the national epic of Rome.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.