Pick one topic and develop a thesis statement, due at 10/20/2016 23:00 The specific topics.  Choose and develop  one.  Explore Virgil’s use of Homer . To think about this, you would begin by identifying several ways in which Virgil uses Homer, from large-scale features like the comparison of Aeneas to Odysseus to small-scale features like the many references to incidents in Homer or to the words of Homer. We will have discussed some of these things in class, and you should be able to find others. Once you have identified several ways in which Virgil used Homer, think about why Virgil used his predecessor poet in those ways. Was it just because Greek literature had such prestige in Virgil’s Rome, or does it go beyond that? For example, are readers invited to compare Aeneas to one or more of Homer’s heroes and, through the comparison, see certain aspects of Aeneas’s character more clearly? Are readers invited to compare Virgil’s style to Homer’s and, through the comparison, understand more clearly what Virgil is trying to do? Consider the role of the poet/narrator in Homer and Virgil . We have talked about the beginnings of the poems, and the different ways the poets announce their projects and invoke their muses. You may certainly use those discussions, but to write on this topic you will need to get beyond them. Other than at the beginnings, do Homer and Virgil narrate differently? Do their narrators dramatize their own roles to the same degree? Do their narrators comment on the action of the plot to the same degree? Consider how Virgil creates multiple and complex layers of meaning in T he Aeneid .   What meanings does The Aeneid have beside the obvious story about the founding of Rome by Aeneas? How does Virgil create these other meanings? Optionally, you may also consider whether the  Aeneid  is different from Homer's works in this respect. The argument is sometimes made that Homer's works are "all surface," that they do not create multiple and complex layers of meaning. Do you agree with this? If so, explore how Homer and Virgil are different.  Consider questions of visual narrative  and the relationships between verbal and visual narratives of the same story. Specifically, examine the set of  Aeneid  images linked below, and consider these questions. Can the images tell a story independently? How much knowledge of Virgil’s text, or how  much knowledge of the story of Aeneas is necessary for making sense of the images? Do the creators of the image seem to have relied heavily on detailed reading of Virgil’s text in creating the images? Do the images seem to develop particular themes or ideas, and if so, are these themes or ideas the same ones that are developed in Virgil, or different ones?  (See  Notes on the Terminology of Manuscript Study  for some important terms.) Paintings from British Library, King’s 24, a manuscript made in 1483-85 in Rome. This manuscript contains the three major works of Virgil; the  Aeneid  begins on fol. 5.

1. Pick one topic and develop a thesis statement, due at
10/20/2016 23:00
The specific topics.
Choose and develop
one.
Explore Virgil’s use of Homer
. To think about this, you would begin by identifying several
ways in which Virgil uses Homer, from large-scale features like
the comparison of Aeneas to Odysseus to small-scale features
like the many references to incidents in Homer or to the words
of Homer. We will have discussed some of these things in class,
and you should be able to find others. Once you have identified
several ways in which Virgil used Homer, think about why
Virgil used his predecessor poet in those ways. Was it just
because Greek literature had such prestige in Virgil’s Rome, or
does it go beyond that? For example, are readers invited to
compare Aeneas to one or more of Homer’s heroes and, through
the comparison, see certain aspects of Aeneas’s character more
clearly? Are readers invited to compare Virgil’s style to
Homer’s and, through the comparison, understand more clearly
what Virgil is trying to do?
Consider the role of the poet/narrator in Homer and Virgil
. We have talked about the beginnings of the poems, and the
different ways the poets announce their projects and invoke
their muses. You may certainly use those discussions, but to
write on this topic you will need to get beyond them. Other than
at the beginnings, do Homer and Virgil narrate differently? Do
their narrators dramatize their own roles to the same degree? Do
their narrators comment on the action of the plot to the same
degree?
Consider how Virgil creates multiple and complex layers of
meaning in T

2. he Aeneid
.
What meanings does The Aeneid have beside the obvious story
about the founding of Rome by Aeneas? How does Virgil create
these other meanings?
Optionally, you may also consider whether the
Aeneid
is different from Homer's works in this respect. The argument
is sometimes made that Homer's works are "all surface," that
they do not create multiple and complex layers of meaning. Do
you agree with this? If so, explore how Homer and Virgil are
different.
Consider questions of visual narrative
and the relationships between verbal and visual narratives of
the same story. Specifically, examine the set of
Aeneid
images linked below, and consider these questions. Can the
images tell a story independently? How much knowledge of
Virgil’s text, or how much knowledge of the story of Aeneas is
necessary for making sense of the images? Do the creators of
the image seem to have relied heavily on detailed reading of
Virgil’s text in creating the images? Do the images seem to
develop particular themes or ideas, and if so, are these themes
or ideas the same ones that are developed in Virgil, or different
ones? (See
Notes on the Terminology of Manuscript Study
for some important terms.)
Paintings from British Library, King’s 24, a manuscript made in
1483-85 in Rome. This manuscript contains the three major
works of Virgil; the
Aeneid
begins on fol. 59r. The paintings in King’s 24 are all viewable
at
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?

3. MSID=8288&CollID=19&NStart=24
. They are also present in correct order in [
this Power Point
] document.