Diss.--Köln, 1984. / Bibliogr. p. 411-420. Notes bibliogr. Index.

In a 2005 work, Yasmin Syed concluded that the Aeneid created for ancient readers an idea of Romanness that was inclusive for all and not founded along strict genetic lines. Under this hypothesis, the Aeneid offers a sort of blueprint for becoming Roman, one in which biological descent from Aeneas is unnecessary. Syed reached this conclusion by analyzing themes of ethnicity and gender, in particular the ethnic other represented by the epic's female characters. This was accomplished in the manner so often chosen by Vergil scholars-by limiting analysis to the first half of the epic. The work concludes with an exhortation for others to extend the effort into Books VII-XII. Such an extension is undertaken here, but the conclusion reached is somewhat different than what Syed imagined. Instead of a blueprint for disparate people in conquered lands to become Roman, the second half of the epic empowers these groups by demonstrating that Rome could not exist without them. Roman power to rule, imperium, was not brought to the Romans by Aeneas. It is a product of what Vergil described as Itala virtute, or Italian manliness. The second half of the epic provides not a blueprint for citizenship but the schematics of the Roman state, one in which the mother city would have no ability to rule were it not for the Italian peoples. Vergil accomplishes this message by thoroughly emasculating both Aeneas and Turnus before their final confrontation. That scene is read here as one of copulation, the Italian ground serving as the marriage bed in a struggle to found Rome. But with both men portrayed as effeminate in this final scene, and imperium removed as one of the prizes in the battle by Jupiter himself, the offspring born of what must be read as two mothers rather than two fathers must itself be weak and impotent. Without the strength of the Italians, Rome will not succeed.

La notion de personnage est problématique dans le contexte de l’épopée antique, en particulier pour les dieux et pour le héros virgilien, Énée. Réhabiliter cette notion afin de mieux cerner le personnage épique et, avec lui, le Lecteur Modèle de l’épopée, nécessite donc une étude de la terminologie. La première partie s’attache ainsi à définir les critères et les limites à donner à l’effet-personnage dans l’Énéide en envisageant notamment la tradition d’interprétation allégorique des dieux. Les deux parties suivantes sont centrées chacune sur un personnage et l’on y examine les rapports qui s’établissent entre narrateur, personnage et lecteur en partant du postulat selon lequel le narrateur, en tant que relais d’une identification primaire, apparaît comme un guide dans la réception du personnage. Énée, parce qu’il est l’élu du destin, se voit parfois dénier le titre de personnage ; par sa nature de demi-dieu, il se situe en outre à la croisée des deux mondes, humain et divin. La déesse Junon offre l’occasion d’appliquer les principes définis dans la première partie pour l’attribution du statut de personnage aux dieux ; en outre, c’est son action qui constitue la matière de l’action racontée et confère son rythme au récit. / The litterary concept of character considered in the context of Ancient Epic is a source of controversial, especially for the gods and Vergil’s hero, Aeneas. Reconsidering this notion, in order to figure out more clearly the epic character and the epic « Model Reader », requires a close study of the terminology. The first part of this thesis tries to determine the criteria defining the « character-effect » in the Aeneid and the limits of this notion, surveying, among others, the allegoric traditions about the gods in Ancient Epic. Each of the two following parts focuses on a single character and analyses of the relationship between the narrator, the character and the reader, starting from the premise that the reader identifies primarily with the narrator, who will guide him in his reception of the characters. To Aeneas, as the Elected of fate, the title of character is sometimes denied ; as a demi-god, he stands at the intersection of the divine and the human worlds. A study of Juno then brings the opportunity to assess the principles defined in the first part about the gods and their status as characters of the epic ; moreover, Juno’s actions supply the narrative material, and contribute to define its tempo.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the references to swords in key scenes in the Aeneid – particularly the scenes of Dido’s and Turnus’ death – in order to add new perspectives on these scenes and on the way in which they impact on the presentation of Aeneas’ Roman mission in the epic. In Chapter Two I attempt to provide an outline of the mission of Aeneas. I also investigate the manner in which Dido and Turnus may be considered to be opponents of Aeneas’ mission. In Chapter Three I investigate references to swords in select scenes in book four of the Aeneid. I highlight an ambiguity in the interpretation of the sword that Dido uses to commit suicide and I also provide a description of the sword as a weapon and its place in the epic. In Chapter Four I provide an analysis of the references to swords in Dido’s and Turnus’ death scenes alongside a number of other important scenes involving mention of swords. I preface my analyses of the references to swords that play a role in interpreting Dido and Turnus’ deaths with an outline of the reasons for the deaths of each of these figures. The additional references to swords that I use in this chapter are the references to the sword in the scene of Deiphobus’ death in book six and to the sword and Priam’s act of arming himself on the night on which Troy is destroyed. At the end of Chapter Four I look at parallels between Dido and Turnus and their relationship to the mission of Aeneas. At the end of this thesis I am able to conclude that an investigation and analysis of the references to swords in select scenes in the Aeneid adds to existing scholarship in Dido’s and Turnus’ death in the following way: a more detailed investigation of the role of swords in the interpretation of Dido’s death from an erotic perspective strengthens the existing notion in scholarship that Dido is an obstacle to the mission of Aeneas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die verwysings na swaarde in kerntonele in die Aeneïs – hoofsaaklik die sterftonele van Dido en Turnus – met die oog daarop om addisionele perspektiewe te verskaf op hierdie tonele en die impak wat hulle het op die voorstelling van Aeneas se Romeinse missie in die epos. In hoofstuk twee poog ek om ’n oorsig te bied van Aeneas se Romeinse missie. Ek stel ook ondersoek in na die mate waartoe Dido en Turnus as teenstanders van Aeneas se Romeinse missie beskou kan word. In Hoofstuk Drie ondersoek ek die verwysings na swaarde in spesifieke tonele van boek vier van die Aeneïs. Ek verwys na ’n dubbelsinnigheid in die interpretasie van die swaard wat Dido gebruik om selfmoord te pleeg en verskaf ook ’n beskrywing van die swaard as ’n wapen en die gebruik daarvan in die epos. In Hoofstuk Vier verskaf ek ‘n ontleding van die verwysings na swaarde in Dido en Turnus se sterftonele saam met ’n aantal ander belangrike tonele met verwysings na swaarde. Ek lei my ontleding van die beskrywings van die swaarde wat ’n rol speel in die interpretasie van Dido en Turnus se sterftes in met ’n uiteensetting van die redes vir die dood van elk van hierdie figure. Die addisionele verwysings na swaarde wat ek in hierdie hoofstuk ontleed, is die verwysing na die swaard in die toneel van Deiphobus se dood in boek ses en die verwysing na die swaard in die toneel waar Priamus sy wapenrusting aantrek op Troje se laaste aand. Aan die einde van Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek ek die parallele tussen Dido en Turnus en hulle verhouding tot Aeneas se Romeinse missie. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die verwysings na swaarde in kerntonele in die Aeneïs – hoofsaaklik die sterftonele van Dido en Turnus – met die oog daarop om addisionele perspektiewe te verskaf op hierdie tonele en die impak wat hulle het op die voorstelling van Aeneas se Romeinse missie in die epos. In hoofstuk twee poog ek om ’n oorsig te bied van Aeneas se Romeinse missie. Ek stel ook ondersoek in na die mate waartoe Dido en Turnus as teenstanders van Aeneas se Romeinse missie beskou kan word. In Hoofstuk Drie ondersoek ek die verwysings na swaarde in spesifieke tonele van boek vier van die Aeneïs. Ek verwys na ’n dubbelsinnigheid in die interpretasie van die swaard wat Dido gebruik om selfmoord te pleeg en verskaf ook ’n beskrywing van die swaard as ’n wapen en die gebruik daarvan in die epos. In Hoofstuk Vier verskaf ek ‘n ontleding van die verwysings na swaarde in Dido en Turnus se sterftonele saam met ’n aantal ander belangrike tonele met verwysings na swaarde. Ek lei my ontleding van die beskrywings van die swaarde wat ’n rol speel in die interpretasie van Dido en Turnus se sterftes in met ’n uiteensetting van die redes vir die dood van elk van hierdie figure. Die addisionele verwysings na swaarde wat ek in hierdie hoofstuk ontleed, is die verwysing na die swaard in die toneel van Deiphobus se dood in boek ses en die verwysing na die swaard in die toneel waar Priamus sy wapenrusting aantrek op Troje se laaste aand. Aan die einde van Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek ek die parallele tussen Dido en Turnus en hulle verhouding tot Aeneas se Romeinse missie.