The Theory Of World Empire And The Present-day Meaning In Aeneid

Aeneid, a mythical epic led by the series of Maecenas and Augustus, acts for political needs through the creative ideas and inspiration of Virgil. The infiltration of Virgil’s national ideology makes the epic different from ordinary myths, and at the same time, it has great differences with the pure philosophy of history holding by Aristotle and Cicero because of its irrational components. As a result, we regard these as two different modes of the empire governance that combined together in Aeneid:The golden age pattern of Virgil and Monarch deified mode appealed by Octavian. Aeneid, which is about the prosperous of a city state, is also a history of new creation. The aim of the narrative is to differentiate ancient Rome with other states, especially with Trojans who are Romans’ancestors, with Greeks who were conquered by Romans and with Carthaginians who used to threaten Romans’ offspring. It is the indirect narrative of interior text and the speech and monologue of main characters makes the epic a representative of Roman poem. The whole epic consists of several aspects such as religion, politics, philosophy and myth. Author’s political statement and religious orientation can be revealed between the lines. Not only do we understand Rome through Aeneid, but interpret it through the view of perspectivism and connect it with the reality. A classical work should be more than meaningful to the contemporary era, the referable value to the later generations is also important. The aim of this thesis is trying to elaborate the historical significance of Aeneid to the establishment of Roman Empire and its reflection to the earthly politics, law and literary criticism. The political interpretation to the Homer’s Epic of Aeneid, the analysis to the essential elements of the building of an empire, the religious problem, issues of inheritage, the function and responsibility of a leader and at last the investigation of the author Virgil himself are all the powerful tools to gain our point.