Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jun 8, 2021 0:00:06 GMT -5
Shield of Aeneas, the shield that Aeneas receives from Vulcan to aid in his war against Turnus.
Shield of Aeneas
Shield of Aeneas
The Shield of Aeneas is the shield that Aeneas receives from the god Vulcan in Book VIII of Virgil's Aeneid to aid in his war against the Rutuli. Imprinted on the front of the shield is a grand depiction of the destiny of Aeneas' descendants and the future of Rome.
In Book VIII of the Aeneid, Virgil describes how the goddess Venus, hoping to aid her son, urges her spouse, Vulcan, to forge for Aeneas a new shield to protect him in the imminent war against the native inhabitants of Italy. Virgil describes Vulcan as "not unversed in prophecy",[1] that is, able to see the destiny of Aeneas' progeny, Rome:
There the lord with the power of fire, not unversed
in prophecy, and knowledge of the centuries to come,
had fashioned the history of Italy, and Rome's triumphs
— Virgil, Aeneid, Book VIII, lines 626–628
Several key moments in Roman history are depicted on the shield:[2]
Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf (lines 630–634)
The capture of the Sabine Woman (lines 635–641)
The death of Mettius Fufetius (lines 642–645)
The Siege of Rome by Porsenna (lines 646–654)
The Gauls' attack on Rome (lines 655–662)
The Battle of Actium (lines 671–713)
The Peaceful City, with Augustus Caesar standing triumphant in the center (lines 714–723)
In Book VIII of the Aeneid, Virgil describes how the goddess Venus, hoping to aid her son, urges her spouse, Vulcan, to forge for Aeneas a new shield to protect him in the imminent war against the native inhabitants of Italy. Virgil describes Vulcan as "not unversed in prophecy",[1] that is, able to see the destiny of Aeneas' progeny, Rome:
There the lord with the power of fire, not unversed
in prophecy, and knowledge of the centuries to come,
had fashioned the history of Italy, and Rome's triumphs
— Virgil, Aeneid, Book VIII, lines 626–628
Several key moments in Roman history are depicted on the shield:[2]
Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf (lines 630–634)
The capture of the Sabine Woman (lines 635–641)
The death of Mettius Fufetius (lines 642–645)
The Siege of Rome by Porsenna (lines 646–654)
The Gauls' attack on Rome (lines 655–662)
The Battle of Actium (lines 671–713)
The Peaceful City, with Augustus Caesar standing triumphant in the center (lines 714–723)