Outline of Vergil's Aeneid
Books 1-6 (‘Odyssean’):
Book 1: Juno’s wrath; complaint of Venus to Jupiter; Aeneas and his men arrive in Carthage (N. Africa), meets Dido, whom Venus causes to fall in love with Aeneas
Book 2: at a banquet with Dido, Aeneas recounts the final days of the Trojan War (story of the wooden horse) and their escape from Troy
Book 3: …and their wanderings between leaving Troy (in course of which Anchises dies) and arriving in Carthage.
Book 4: relationship between Dido and Aeneas; Aeneas abandons Dido; her suicide
Book 5: wanderings between Africa and Italy; funeral games for Anchises in Sicily
Book 6: arrival in Italy (near Naples); Aeneas’ trip to the underworld
Books 7-12 (‘Iliadic’):
Book 7: arrival in Latium at mouth of Tiber; Latinus and Lavinia; embassy to Latinus, who allies with Aeneas and the Trojans; Lavinia betrothed to Aeneas; wrath of Turnus, beginnings of war
Book 8: Aeneas travels up the Tiber to Pallanteum (the future site of Rome); alliance with Evander; tour of ‘Rome’, shield of Aeneas
Book 9: campaigns of Turnus against the Trojans
Book 10: council of the gods; return of Aeneas to Trojan camp; death of Pallas killed by Mezentius; Aeneas attacks; Juno saves Turnus; Aeneas kills Mezentius
Book 11: mourning of Aeneas, Evander over Pallas; Turnus prepares for battle; Arruns kills Camilla
Book 12: final confrontation; truce, violation of truce; Jupiter and Juno; Turnus meets Aeneas one-on-one in combat; Aeneas kills Turnus
Cast of characters
- Aeneas, Trojan prince
- Ascanius, son of Aeneas
- Anchises, father of Aeneas
- Dido, queen of Carthage
- Latinus, king of the Latins, ally to Aeneas
- Lavinia, his daughter, betrothed initially to Turnus, then to Aeneas
- Turnus, king of the Rutulians, leader of Italians against Aeneas
- Evander, king of Pallanteum, father of Pallas, ally to Aeneas
- Pallas, son of Evander, killed by Turnus