Virgil

Publius Vergilius Maro

 "Mantua bore me 
Calabria stole me 

Who was Virgil? Parthenope holds me now 

I sang of meadows, fields, and kings." 
— The inscription on Virgil's tomb. 

Publius Vergilius Maro, Virgil or Vergil in English, is the greatest of the ancient Latin
poets, and the author of Rome's national epic, the Aeneid. 
His English name is a corruption of the Latin name invented in the Middle Ages to suit
beliefs about the magical properties of his texts (virga means a magical wand in Latin).
The ancient tradition about Virgil elaborated a large number of myths about his life that
symbolically reflect the tenor and themes of his works. We hear, for example, that he was
sickly, shy, and had a sexual preference for men rather than women, details that can be
sourced back partly to his representation of homosexual love between languid shepherds
in his Eclogues. 
He was especially given to passions for boys, and his special favourites were Cebes and
Alexander, whom he calls Alexis in the second poem of his Bucolics. Whether Virgil really
was gay remains open to question. There is no doubt, however, about his literary
perfectionism.
 His life
   Virgil was tall, olive-skinned, of sturdy build and of rustic appearance. He had a weak constitution: he
suffered from stomach pains, sore throat, and headache, and it was not uncommon to see him spit out
blood. Moderate in drinking and eating, he had inclinations toward boys, among whom he loved in
particular Cebetes and Alexander, two learned Greek slaves. This inclination is both attested in the Eclogues
(II) and in an epigram of the Catalepton (VII) addressed to Varus where the poet says:
“, My dearest Varus, this I may
Without deception clearly say,
I'm hanged if 'tis untruly put,
That lad has ruined me. Howe'er, if thy commands forbid
Me speaking out of what he did,
Of course, I won't declare it, but-- "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo
That boy has ruined me.”

    He was unable to hate or hurt anyone and was so shy that he fled from his admirers by taking shelter in the
nearest house he could find. In talking in public, he often stumbled over his words giving the impression of
being rough and uneducated. According to Varus he wrote very few verses per day. He loved glory, only
inasmuch as it was a poet's duty; he was not vain, and did not show off. He avoided the company of
aristocrats and high-ranked people, and dressed in a simple manner, like common people.
 Was Virgil a genius?
Write 9896 lines of metric verse that simultaneously constructs a complex intertextual
weaving of the two Homeric epics, various other classics of Greek and Roman literature,
and intersects with contemporary events, while still being incredibly artful, poetic, and
forging an entirely new genre as far as Latin poetry goes, so that you cement your place in
the literary tradition for two millennia.
Not bad.
Yeah, he definitely was. We could argue about whether x poet was better than him, but he
changed the face of western literature and shaped the lives of countless people who read
him over thousands of years.
Vergilius was one of the few Roman poets that remained popular and greatly admired
throughout the Christian Middle Ages, because one of his Eclogues was interpreted as a
prophecy of the coming of Christ. Because of this, he was considered something of a seer
and a mediator between pagan Antiquity and Christianity. In this function, he is famously
featured in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy', where he guides Dante through Hell and
Purgatory. 
 Some facts
Ambiguously Gay: Virgil is believed to have been homosexual, as he created the tragic gay lovers Nisus and Euryalus in the Aeneid.
He never married and was said to have loved a man named Alexander whom he writes of as Alexis in the Eclogues which has
numerous references to homosexuality. He also had a close relationship with Caius Cornelius Gallus who appears in The Georgics
and for whom he writes a loving eulogy for in The Eclogues.
Blood from the Mouth: Virgil frequently suffered fevers and would cough up blood.
Biography à Clef: Virgil was described as a magician and seer in many strange folkloric legends in the Middle Ages due to some of
his work being interpreted as prophetic. Very little is known of his actual life.
To Hell and Back: His story of Orpheus and Eurydice in the Georgics is about a man going into the underworld to save his true
love. His hero Aeneas also makes a trip to the underworld in The Aeneid guided by the Sybil. In 'The Divine Comedy', Virgil
himself guides Dante through Hell.
Nature Lover: Virgil held a strong love for nature, the woodland, and animals (especially bees and oxen) which is obvious in
reading any of his works, but especially so in the Georgics. According to Warde Fowler, "there is no other Latin poet who felt in the
same degree the beauty and the mystery of animals."
The Perfectionist: His sense of perfectionism was extraordinary. He could spend a day writing one line of poetry, but his work has
been called the stateliest measures ever moulded by the lips of man. His reason for wanting The Aeneid burned was because its'
incompleteness did not live up to his standards.
Purity Personified: He held the nickname "Parthenias" (meaning "Maiden" or "Virgin") which was said to have reflected the purity
and morality of his character in a time where vice was extremely common.
 How he changed literature
We hear that he worked at an extremely slow pace,
licking each line into shape like a she-bear does her
cubs – a picturesque story that seeks to account for
the learnedness, density and polish of his Latin
style.  He composed The Aeneid, setting out how
Trojan refugees founded the greatest Rome or,
rather, founded the tribe that would later give birth to
Virgil's famous quotes
the founders. The poem itself is unfinished and as per
"Omnia vincit amor " "Love conquers all" (Ecl.10.69)
legend, Virgil ordered the book to be burnt after his
"Arma virumque cano " "I sing of arms and a man" (Aen.1.1)
death, orders which were refused by his friends and
Augustus.  "Urbs antiqua fuit" "There was an ancient city" (Aen.1.12)
Vergilius was one of the few Roman poets that "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentis" "I fear the Greeks, even when bearing
gifts" (Aen.2.49)
remained popular and greatly admired throughout
the Christian Middle Ages, because one of his "Facilis descensus Averni" "Easy is the descent to Hell" (Aen.6.126)
Eclogues was interpreted as a prophecy of the coming "flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo." "If I cannot bend the
higher powers, I will move the infernal regions." (Aen.7.312)
of Christ. Because of this, he was considered
something of a seer and a mediator between pagan "Audentes fortuna iuvat" "Fortune favours the bold" (Aen.10.284)
Antiquity and Christianity. In this function, he The epitaph on his tomb in Posilipo near Naples was Mantua me genuit;
Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc Parthenope. Cecini pascua, rura,
is famously featured in Dante's 'The Divine Comedy', duces ("Mantua gave birth to me, the Calabrians took me, now Naples
where he guides Dante through Hell and Purgatory.  holds me; I sang of pastures [the Eclogues], country [the Georgics] and
leaders [the Aeneid]").
Any questions?
What is Virgil's full name? 

A.  Paton Virgil Mador

B. Padraig Valentin Mooney

C. Publius Vergilius Maro

D. Paulus Vergilius Moreno

 Actual meanings: 
A. -Paton; meaning a royal and humble person 
What is Virgil's full name?      -Mador; A surname common amongst the
French, Mador or Madore, is a shortened form
of Amadour. Amadour is a given name derived
from the Latin word Amator, denoting a lover.
A.  Paton Virgil Mador
B. -Padraig; nobleman; derives from Patrick
     -Valentin; strong, healthy, power, rule
B. Padraig Valentin Mooney      -Mooney; Mooney means wealthy. It is
derived from the Irish word Maonaigh, which
also refers to someone who can’t speak.
C. Publius Vergilius Maro
C. -Publius; a hero who saved Rome
     -Vergilius; flourishing; a Roman clan name
     -Maro; from Mars, bitter, or myself
D. Paulus Vergilius Moreno
D. -Paulus; small or humble
     -Moreno; nickname for someone with dark-   
      hair and a swarthy complexion. 
What nature did Virgil love most? 
A. Ferrets and daisies

B. Butterflies and poppies

C. Bears and roses

D. Bees and oxen

What nature did Virgil love most? 
A. Ferrets and daisies

B. Butterflies and poppies

C. Bears and roses

D. Bees and oxen

Which one of his works was seen
as a prophecy?
A. The Aeneid

B. The Eclogues

C. The Georgics

D. None of the above

Which one of his works was seen
as a prophecy?
A. The Aeneid

B. The Eclogues

C. The Georgics

D. None of the above

What does 'virga' mean in Latin?

A. Virgin

B. Magical Wand

C. Flourishing

D. Divine
What does 'virga' mean in Latin?

A. Virgin

B. Magical Wand

C. Flourishing

D. Divine
Who does he guide through Hell and Purgatory
in 'The Divine Comedy'? 

A. Dante

B. Alexis

C. Cebetes

D. Augustus
Who does he guide through Hell and Purgatory
in 'The Divine Comedy'? 

A. Dante

B. Alexis

C. Cebetes

D. Augustus