Fate and the Hero in Virgil's Aeneid
Stoic World Fate and Human Responsibility

Argues that Stoic thought on human responsibility and world fate plays a key role in the Aeneid's characterisation and morality.

Graham Zanker (Author)

9781009319874, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 2023

300 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.55 kg

This book explores how Virgil in his Aeneid incorporates the ancient Stoics' thinking about how humans can exercise moral responsibility and how this can affect providential world fate. The third-century BC philosopher Chrysippus of Soli located this freedom in the way we can assent to courses of action, and Graham Zanker innovatively demonstrates how Virgil appropriates this concept in the way that Jupiter and Aeneas can assent to the world fate in which they have discovered they must play a part, or Juno and Dido can withhold their assent to it. Indeed, Virgil even offers the model to no-one less than Augustus: the emperor is invited to give his assent to ruling what was believed to be his 'world-wide' empire justly. The book is accessible to both students and professional scholars of the Aeneid, with all Greek and Latin translated into idiomatic English.

Preface
Introduction
1. Stoic world fate and Virgil's Aeneid
2. Fate and the human responsibility of dido and Aeneas in Aeneid 4: a case study
3. Stoic world fate and the gods of the Aeneid
4. Stoic world fate and the humans of the Aeneid
5. Stoic world fate and roman imperium in the Aeneid
Tragedy and didacticism
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB], Poetry [DC]