An Exploration of the Virgilian Structure of the Aeneid and Its Re-Use in Silver Latin, Flavian, & Renaissance Epic
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‘AN EXPLORATION OF THE VIRGILIAN STRUCTURE OF THE AENEID AND ITS RE-USE IN SILVER LATIN, FLAVIAN, & RENAISSANCE EPIC’ by WENDY JANE LITTLE A thesis submitted to UCL for the degree of Master of Philosophy 2019 Department of Greek and Latin University College London Gower Street London 1 I, Wendy Jane Little, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. 2 “A Match Made in Heaven?” A Study in Epic Continuity Abstract The focus of this paper is Jupiter’s first prophecy scene from the Aeneid. This passage has most often been considered in the light of the political context. Less scholarly interest has been shown in examining this scene from an intertextual point of view, but an analysis of this scene from this perspective can be used as an entry point into the broader problem of structure and closure in post-Virgilian epic. As many scholars have already acknowledged, an epic’s beginning is inextricably tied up with its ending. Any discussion of Jupiter’s prophecy scene is immediately complicated by the fact that this narratorial device operates in conjunction with the final scene in the epic between the gods which, in turn, brings about the resolution of the epic. The purpose of this study is to address the correlation between these two major scenes. The prophecy scene between Jupiter and Venus in Book 1 correlates with the reconciliation scene in Book 12 between Jupiter and Juno. Not only do these scenes function to provide a point of reference for the reader, but these two scenes, combined with a dual narrative structure (one ‘human/historical’, one ‘divine’), actually form the very structure. The prophecy scene controls the historical storyline for the human players, whilst the reconciliation scene controls the resolution of the epic. The importance of the reconciliation scene cannot be overestimated because it also reveals Juno’s function within the narrative. When Jupiter and Juno reach an apparent reconciliation, questions linger about the bargain struck. What assurances do we have in Jupiter’s very words? The interpretation of this scene has come under scrutiny. Some scholars believe that the gods 3 reach a happy reconciliation, whilst others (more correctly) argue that this is not the case. Feeney (1991, pp.148-9), whose views on this particular Virgilian passage warrant special discussion, correctly claims that Jupiter and Juno reach only a partial agreement in the reconciliation scene. As Feeney (1984, p.344) has correctly pointed out, ‘the crucial point is the obvious one – that Juno’s hatred of Troy is only half her motivation’: whilst her mythological grievance (Troy) is resolved, her historical grievance (Carthage) remains unresolved. From a divine perspective, Juno’s wrath has been only partly appeased; this therefore suggested that the hostility on the human plane, between Rome and Carthage, still remained potent and unresolved. Methodology Based on Feeney’s assumption, corresponding scenes were analysed in in epics subsequent to the Aeneid, in order to investigate whether they followed the same structural patterning. The objective of this methodology was to investigate whether Juno’s ongoing hostility ensured continuity across the epic tradition. The epics chosen for this study were Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Silius Italicus’ Punica, Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, Maphaeus Vegius’s Thirteenth Book, and Sannazaro’s De partu Virginis. Results In summary, Feeney’s analysis held true, not only for the Aeneid, but also for the majority of the epics in this study. So, the final question remained, ‘Was the relationship between Jupiter and Juno ever a “Match made in Heaven”? Concord between the divine couple occurred only three times. First, in Metamorphoses 14 when Ovid concluded the theme of Junonian anger, thus closing down the divine narrative, and Juno was effectively removed from the 4 equation. Secondly, in Maphaeus Vegius’s Thirteenth Book in his desire to supply a ‘happier’ ending to the Aeneid. Finally, Sannazaro’s ending, which naturally presumed the Coronation of the Virgin, echoed the ending in Metamorphoses 14. Therefore, in a seamless continuity, Christian epic came to supplant Classical Epic, and concord between God and Mary in the Heavenly realms, came to supplant concord between Jupiter and Juno in Olympus. 5 Impact Statement Who would have thought that the anger of an artful goddess could create such an impact across the epic tradition? Feeney’s seminal work on Virgil’s reconciliation scene in the Aeneid, combined with the findings of this research, indicate that Juno’s anger was a narratological device, devised to create continuity. This research also indicated that epic closure could be categorised into three distinctive groups: those epics that relied upon the anger of Juno, those that didn’t, and those that relied upon other means, (such as subsidiary narratives, or ecphrasis), in order to create continuity, or lack of closure. This research also indicated that the majority of epics followed the Virgilian model. Those that didn’t were in the minority. The results of these findings could have far reaching consequences for epics which have already been read, those which have suffered from neglect, and those which, as yet, remain unread. Contemporary research in classical studies focuses on the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome, both in their own right and within the broader context of the ancient world. The historical impact of these civilizations and their continuing relevance and value in the modern world are also of central interest. Current research in classics is done from many diverse points of view and uses a vast range of texts (and material remains). In addition to scholarship based directly on traditional philological, textual, and historical methodologies, modern research considers the political, social and economic structures, science and technology, religions and philosophies, and creative and performing arts of the ancient world and their legacies. The field of classical studies is, by its very nature, interdisciplinary and was the first disciplinary field in the humanities. 6 This wide range of materials and approaches allows classical scholars to generate new understandings of even the most familiar of ancient authors, such as Virgil, and his epic successors. Classical scholarship contributes vitally to our understanding of the modern world in areas such as literature, art, government and law, political and social ideologies, religions and their conflicts, trade and international relations. The impact, and importance, of research remains boundless, limitless, and infinite, and, in the words of F.Scott Fitzgerald: “You don’t write because you want to say something, You write because you have something to say.” 7 Contents Introduction........................................................................................................12 Chapter 1: Virgil’s Aeneid 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 27 1.2 The Prophecy Scene .................................................................................. 28 1.3 The Reconciliation Scene ........................................................................... 29 1.4 The Ending of the Aeneid............................................................................ 36 1.5 The Resolution of the Aeneid ...................................................................... 38 1.6 Not the End, but the Beginning ................................................................... 39 Chapter 2: Ovid’s Metamorphoses 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 42 2.2 The Apotheosis of Aeneas .......................................................................... 42 2.3 The Apotheosis of Julius Caesar ................................................................ 48 2.4 The Reconciliation Scene ........................................................................... 53 2.5 The Resolution of the Metamorphoses ....................................................... 58 2.6 The Real Ending of the Metamorphoses ..................................................... 58 Chapter 3: Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica 3.1 Introduction, and the Structure and Composition of the Argonautica .......... 61 3.2 The Resolution of the Argonautica .............................................................. 61 3.3 Structure......................................................................................................63 3.4 The Prophecy Scene...................................................................................65 3.5 Medea’s Narrative ....................................................................................... 68 3.6 The Reconciliation Scene............................................................................85 3.7 The Final Scene: The Farewell ................................................................... 87 8 3.8 The Intentional Resolution..........................................................................88 3.9 Beyond the Ending: The Continuation of the Medean Narrative ................. 90 3.10 The Role of Hercules.................................................................................91 3.11Conclusion..................................................................................................94 Chapter 4: Silius Italicus’