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The Aeneid
Written in Latin in by Virgil (70-19 BC)
paraphrased and abridged 2004 by Marie Sontag, Ph.D.
from an English translation by John Dryden
Illustrations by Daniel Sontag and Marie Sontag, 2004

Chapter 1
Lost at Sea

Have students complete the Mediterranean Map Worksheet using the Mediterranean Map before they read Chapter One. Also have them complete the Flow Chart and the Chart Worksheet. See the Lesson Plans Overview for more information.

Note to the reader: This fictional story occurred approximately 3,200 years ago, around 1,200 BC. ______________________________________________________ Around the time that humans date as 1184 BC, jealous Juno, the wife of Jove, (Jupiter) looked out from her celestial palace and, to her dismay, spotted Aeneas and his crew sailing for Italy. Juno poured out her anger to Aolus, god of the wind.

"A race of wandering slaves, abhorred by me, with prosperous passage cut the Tuscan sea; to fruitful Italy their course they steer, and for their vanquished gods design new temples there. Raise all thy winds; with night involve the skies; sink or disperse my fatal enemies."

Aolus knew better than to ignore the wrathful request of the goddess queen. She had hated Aeneas, the hero of Troy, ever since Jove's daughter, the goddess Venus, had arranged Aeneas' escape from the defeated Troy. The Trojans sailed toward Italy to make a name for themselves there.

"Tis yours, O queen, to will the work which duty binds me to fulfill." Aolus bowed low."These airy kingdoms, and this wide command, are all presents to me from your bounteous hand."

Having said this, Aolus hurled his quivering spear against a mountainside. Raging winds rushed out of the hollow opening, skimmed along the ground and then roared out to the sea.

The fierce wind, Boreas, drove against the flying Trojan sails and rent their sheets. The helpless vessels tossed toward the skies. Three ships, hurled by the southern blast, crashed against hidden rocks. Aeneas saw the pilot of another ship torn from his rudder as the wind hurled him headlong into the deep. Above the violent waves Aeneas could see weapons, pictures, precious goods and floating men.

Neptune, god of the sea, heard the sound of the raging billows breaking above him. Displeased, and fearing for his watery reign, he reared his awful head above the main. Serene in majesty, he rolled his eyes around the space of earth, and seas, and skies. He saw the Trojan fleet dispersed, distressed, and by stormy winds and winter's heaven, oppressed. Full well the god his sister's envy knew, and what her aims and what her arts pursued. He summoned the wind Eurus and also the western blast. At first an angry glance on both he cast. Then, he thus rebuked them: "Audacious winds! From whence this bold attempt, this rebel insolence? Is it for you to ravage seas and land, unauthorized by my supreme command?"

Thus shamed by Neptune, Aolus, god of the wind, hoarsely recalled his subject blasts. Neptune smoothed the seas with his trident and dispelled the darkness. He ordered beauteous sea-green nymphs to remove the vessels that had crashed on the rocks and to gently set them on the beach. Neptune himself heaved the ships that had landed on the shoals and placed them on the shore.

Once on land, Aeneas, leader of the remnant band of Trojans, surveyed the damage. Only seven ships remained of the scattered fleet. Achates, Aeneas' good friend, repeatedly struck a flint until he got a fire going. Some men dropped wet on the ground near the fire. Others scoured their ships in search of corn to grind. Aeneas chose to climb a nearby hill and scout out the strange new land upon which they had been cast. He first turned his gaze out to sea in search of other lost ships, but he saw none. Aeneas then looked inland and saw a grassy plain on the other side of the hill. There, in a meadow just below him, he spotted seven stags. He pulled out a supply of quivers and his trusty bow. Within minutes he had dropped seven stags - one for each of the crews of the remaining seven ships. His men heartily enjoyed their venison feast. When all had eaten their fill, Aeneas addressed the ragged Trojans.

"We will endure and conquer!" he began. "Jove will soon dispose to future good our past and present woes. What greater ills with pleasure you will relate your sorrows past, as benefits of Fate. Through these various hazards and events we move on to Latium, and the realms predicted for us by Jove. There our Trojan kingdoms once again will rise. Endure the hardships of your present state; live and reserve yourselves for better fate." These words Aeneas spoke, but not from his heart. His outward smiles concealed his inward smart.

Chapter 1 Review (These are also available for download as Word documents: Chapter 1 Review Questions
Part One:
On a separate piece of paper, answer the questions below. Use complete sentences.

1. Who are the "wandering slaves" Juno talks about in Chapter One?

2. According to the Flow Chart, which goddess is Aeneid's mother?

3. What does Juno ask Aolus to do?

4. If the Trojans successfully make it to Latium (Italy) what does Juno fear they will do there?

5. Aolus had command over the winds. Who gave him the gift of this command?

6. The wind Boreas came from what direction - north, south, east or west?

7. How was Juno related to Neptune?

8. Why was Neptune upset with Aolus? Back up your statement with a quote from the text. Use at least one vocabulary word in your answer, along with its definition.

9. How many Trojan ships were left after the storm?

10. Rewrite this sentence in your own words as if you were Aeneas, speaking to his men. "Jove will soon dispose to future good our past and present woes."

11. Why was Aeneas confident that he would eventually be successful in conquering Latium?

12. Do you think Aeneas had any doubts about his future conquest of Latium? Why or why not?

Part Two:
On another paper, make a chart with three columns. First, list things in Chapter 1 over which Aeneas had no control. Second, list things over which he had some control. Third, pick two decisions he made that would have turned out differently if he had made other choices. Briefly give your opinion about how things could have turned out differently if he had made those other choices. You can work alone or with a partner on this chart.

To see how well you understood this first section, try taking the quiz at:
http://www.cooperis.com/quizzes/other/020614mediterr.htm Study the vocabulary words at: http://www.quia.com/cz/12774.html
To do a Word Search, go to http://www.cooperis.com/quizzes/wordsearch/050322aenedvocmari.htm

celestial - heavenly

dismay - sudden fear, to lose courage

abhorred - to hate or shudder

disperse - to break up or separate

wrathful- violent anger

bounteous - plentiful, generous

rent - an opening made by tearing

billows - a great wave or surge of water

main - the high seas

audacious - daring, bold

insolence- insulting behavior

trident- a three-pronged spear

beauteous- full of beauty, perfection

nymphs- lesser goddesses of nature, represented as beautiful maidens

shoals- a narrow part of the sea; a bank or bar of sand

remnant- a small fragment, a surviving trace

stags- the adult male of a large deer

quivers- a case or sheath for carrying arrows; also, the arrows in such a case

dispose- the power to deal with or settle an issue

woes- grief, sorrow

smart- a stinging pain of grief and sadness

More Lesson Ideas:

1. Have students complete the Mediterranean Map Worksheet using the Mediterranean Map before they read Chapter One.

2. Copy the words and definitions to a Word document and print out for the students (1_9VocabStudy.doc). Have them study the words for a week, and at the end of the week give them a matching quiz. Have students go the following website to practice a reduced list (21 words, total) of vocabulary words from chapters 1-4: http://www.quia.com/jg/359712.html Then have students go to http://www.quia.com/jg/359718.html for a reduced list of vocabulary words for chapters 5-9.

3. Have students take turns reading the story aloud to each other in groups of 2-4. Then have them record the vocabulary words in a journal for study (rather than printing them out).

4. Have students complete the missing words at: http://www.quia.com/cz/12774.html

4. Provide review sheets, such as crossword puzzles, etc. for students to review the words.

5. Have students, in groups of 2-4, divide up the vocabulary words as equally as possible among the group members. Have the students write the sentences from the chapter where the vocabulary words are found, including the definition in the sentence. Then have students take turns reading the story to each other, inserting the definitions where the vocabulary words are in the story.