One of the best books ever written on one of humanity's greatest epics, W. Ralph Johnson's study of Vergil's Aeneid challenges centuries of received wisdom. Johnson rejects the political and historical reading of the epic as a record of the glorious prehistory of Rome and instead foregrounds Vergil's enigmatic style and questioning of the myths. With an approach to the text that is both grounded in scholarship and intensely personal, and in a style both rhetorically elegant and passionate, Johnson offers readings of specific passages that are nuanced and suggestive as he focuses on the "somber and nourishing fictions" in Vergil's poem.
About the AuthorW. R. Johnson is the John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago.
Reviews"Johnson's reinterpretation challenges many strong and common beliefs, not only about the Aeneid but about life itself." (William M. Porter, Arion)
Book InformationISBN 9780226252230
Author W. R. JohnsonFormat Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint University of Chicago PressPublisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 255g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 14mm * 1mm