Time and History in Virgil's Aeneid by Rajesh Paul Mittal a Dissertation
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Time and History in Virgil’s Aeneid by Rajesh Paul Mittal A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Classical Studies) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor David S. Potter, Chair Professor Victor Caston Professor Bruce W. Frier Assistant Professor Mira Seo To Jeb αὐτὰρ ὁ νόσφιν ἰδὼν ἀπομόρξατο δάκρυ ii Acknowledgments Producing this dissertation has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and so it gives me tremendous pleasure to thank all of the people who contributed to its realization. First and foremost, thanks go to the members of my doctoral committee: David Potter, Victor Caston, Bruce Frier, and Mira Seo. I feel privileged to have had Professor Potter as my chair. In addition to being one of the finest Roman historians of his generation, he is a truly warm and understanding man, and I called upon that understanding at several points during this process. Professor Seo was truly a godsend, especially with regard to the literary aspects of my thesis. I am forever in her debt for the valuable contributions that she made on extremely short notice. Professor Caston was equally generous, and it pleases me to no end that a philosopher of his caliber has found nothing objectionable in my discussions of Plato, Stoicism, and Pythagoreanism. Finally, I must thank Professor Frier, not just for his work on my committee, but for all that he has meant to me in my time at the University of Michigan. Reading Livy with him for a prelim in 2007 will always be one of the fondest memories from my time in graduate school, in part because of Livy (whom I think we both properly appreciate), but even more so because Professor Frier is a true intellectual and marvelous person. I would also like to thank all of the professors that I have been lucky enough to work with during my time at Michigan. Joseph Reed was initially the co-chair of my iii committee, and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my debt to him. Indeed, this project began with his encouragement, and I hope that the end result still bears witness to that fact. I was lucky enough to know and study with Benjamin Fortson, who shares with me two passions: historical linguistics and the piano. While I never did get to hear him play, if he is half the pianist that he is linguist, he may have a second career awaiting him. I also thank Benjamin Acosta-Hughes, unquestionably one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. If I were to recount all that he has done for me, this section would run to many pages in length. All I shall say here is that I must someday take him to dinner at Le Train Bleu. Finally, my heartfelt gratitude goes to Professor H.D. Cameron. Hyperbole is surely common in the acknowledgement sections of completed dissertations, but I do not exaggerate at all when I say that without Professor Cameron, none of this would have been possible. Since my first year of graduate school, he has taken me under his wing, and if I had done nothing besides teach Great Books for him, the last six years would have been well spent. He has been a teacher, a mentor, and a friend; with an astonishing insight into my psychology, he has at various times encouraged and compelled me, according to the demands of the moment; he is a scholar in the truest sense of the word, and it is reassuring to know that among people who spend their lives reading Homer and Plato, there are individuals like Professor Cameron who have learned what it means to truly be excellent. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the memory of another friend and mentor, Traianos Gagos. Traianos was a true Greek, although (like me) more in the modern sense. Traianos, you will always be in my thoughts, especially when I enjoy iv grilled kasseri with many glasses of Cretan raki, serenaded by the dulcet tones of the Mediterranean. I was first inspired to pursue a degree in Classics by my undergraduate Greek and Latin professors at Marquette University, Stephen Beall and Patricia Marquardt. Both have influenced me tremendously. In particular, Patricia taught me to “follow my bliss,” and gave me one of the most precious gifts that anyone ever could: a love of Homer. No matter where I go, I shall always carry with me the copy of the Iliad that I received from her. Thanks to the generosity of many people, I have been lucky enough to spend the past year in Paris, unquestionably the most beautiful place in the world. For its endless inspiration and charm, the city itself deserves my thanks. But my experience would not have been half so pleasant had not my wonderful friend Jeanne-Marie Malauzat treated me like a son, and I thank her from the bottom of my heart. The kindness of Professor Jean Trinquier enabled me to do the majority of my research at the library of the École Normale Supérieure, and in addition to the vast collection there, I derived equal profit from my walks up to 45 Rue D’Ulm, on paths once tread by Aquinas and Abelard. Often I would go out of my way to visit the Vierge des Étudiants at Notre Dame, to whom I also offer thanks. During the past six years, I have made more friends than I could ever hope to adequately acknowledge in this space, so I mention only a few: Jason Parnell and Mike Sampson, who love football even more than I do; Alex Conison, who shares my appreciation for all the finer things in life; Davorka Radovcic, who is a ray of Dalmatian sunshine in the wretched Ann Arbor winter; and Alexander Angelov, a friend who passes v the “Lorenzo” test, and the only person with whom I could ever share a tiny apartment for three months. Then of course there are my dear, oldest friends, Keita Fukuyama, Russ Casper, and Stephen Wolfe, with whom I grew up, in so many ways. My deepest thanks go to my wonderful family, who have truly made me all that I am. This project would have been unthinkable without them. My brother Riki and sister Anne-Louise spent so much time proofreading my drafts. My aunt Dorothy has always been like a second mother to me, and I felt her prayers during my most trying moments. Whatever intellectual curiosity I have, I inherited from my grandmother, the other scholar in our family, who herself knows something about Virgil. And finally, I thank my wonderful father and incomparable mother, who have always loved and supported me, regardless of what I do. I hope that I have made them proud. Lastly, I thank Virgil himself (as well as Augustus, who kept the Aeneid from being destroyed after Virgil’s death), for showing me what it means to have a beautiful soul, and for having graced humanity with art that will never cease to be relevant to the vital questions of our existence. vi Table of Contents Dedication……………………………………………………………................................ii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………................iii List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………..............xi Chapter 1.Introduction……………………………………………………………...............1 I. Virgil and the Philosophy of History........................................................1 II. Methodology.........................................................................................12 III. Terminology.........................................................................................19 2. Auctoritas and the Forum of Augustus..............................................................24 I. Introduction............................................................................................24 II. The Forum of Augustus.........................................................................27 1. Basic Physical Layout................................................................28 2. Issues in Dating the Project........................................................32 3. Augustus and Ultio.....................................................................37 III. Agency and Auctoritas in the Augustan Program...............................39 1. The Memory of the Proscriptions..............................................41 2. Sextus and Gnaeus Pompey......................................................46 vii 3. Pietas, Virtus, and Clementia in the Forum of Augustus.........51 a. Pietas..............................................................................52 b. Virtus..............................................................................57 c. Clementia.......................................................................60 IV. Sulla, Pompey, and De-Politicized History........................................62 V. Conclusion............................................................................................69 3. History as Sacrifice............................................................................................72 I. Introduction...........................................................................................72 II. Sicily in the Aeneid...............................................................................76 1. Sextus Pompey..........................................................................76 2. The Palinurus Episode..............................................................86 3. Eryx............................................................................................94 III. History as Sacrifice............................................................................106 1. Intimations of Doom in Aeneid 5............................................106 2. Turnus.....................................................................................109