The end of Aen.VIII Talia per clipeum Volcani dona parentis miratur, rerumque ignarus imagine gaudet attollens umero famamque et fata nepotum. 'Such, throughout the shield, were the gifts of Aeneas' parent. He wondered at them and, though he could not know the reality, was moved by the image to great joy. So he took on his shoulders the fame and fate of his people.' 'Talia per clipeum' picks up 'Talia per Latium' at the beginning of the Book(l.18), a phrase which is followed by a complicated image of an image. This earlier image is fractured and volatile, the later image is coherent and salutary - it is very rare for the melancholy Aeneas to feel joy. I venture to think that this sequence of images and reactions amounts to a firm rejection of Plato's view. Nothing could be less Platonic than 'not knowing the reality but rejoicing in the image'. I think V is saying that it is the quality of the image, not its mere status as an image (or work of art/poetry), which matters and which produces the moral effect. I find the three lines which end Book VIII extraordinarily beautiful and moving, even by V's standards (let me know if I've mistranslated them!) This is one occasion where a poet conscious of the dangers of poetry defends his calling against attack. (Are any Fibonacci Sequences detectable in Book VIII?) - Martin Hughes
On Thu, 12 Nov 1998, Jon Hunt wrote: > The actual subject I am covering is how Plato's criticism of a certain kind > of art > and it's relationship to knowledge poses a threat for society. Then I must > compare > that aesthetic to Virgil's images of art (verbal and visual)and the use of > them. My > Virgil text is the Aeneid. Every bit of input is appreciated. > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. > Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message > "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You > can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
