Another point that might be worth considering is whether different standards of "ordinariness" might apply in epic (or in poetry in general) from those which might apply in everyday life. The fact that someone is the son of a god might not be felt to be as significant if we hear about him in a poem as it would be if we met him on the street!
Daniel Trambaiolo
From: Adrian Pay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 21:31:42 +0100
I'd be interested if you could expand on what you mean by "a flawed character who is not a political leader but belongs in the ordinary world, like V's Aristaeus". I've found the political resonance of Aristaeus very interesting but ultimately very difficult. Do you think that Vergil is saying anything different about political leadership with Aristaeus than he does with Aeneas? How much do you think we can pursue the analogy Aristaeus=Augustus? Why the "ordinary world"... Aristaeus is the son of a god and the episode is steeped in mythology?
Adrian Pay
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