University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Departmental Papers (Classical Studies) Classical Studies at Penn 2010 Virgil (70–19 BCE) Joseph Farrell University of Pennsylvania,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation (OVERRIDE) “Virgil.” In Michael Gagarin, Elaine Fantham, et. al (Eds), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press (2010). This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/126 For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Virgil (70–19 BCE) Abstract Roman poet. The biographical tradition for Virgil is extensive, including a few fantastic elements and stories probably invented to explain specific aspects of the poet's work. But there is no reason to doubt the attested dates of the poet's birth (15 October 70 bce) or death (21 September 19 bce). He was born near Mantua in a village called Andes. His father must have had money if he had his son educated at Cremona and then at Milan, as is attested. It is possible that the family, like many Transpadani (those who lived north of the River Po), had recently acquired equestrian rank from Julius Caesar; Caesarian politics is a theme throughout Virgil's oeuvre. Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Classics This other is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/classics_papers/126 Virgil - Oxford Reference Oxford Reference The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome Edited by Michael Gagarin Publisher: Oxford University Press Print Publication Date: 2010 Print ISBN-13: 9780195170726 Published online: 2010 Current Online Version: 2010 eISBN: 9780195388398 Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, 70–19 BCE), Roman poet.