The Eclogues

Pastoral poetry Bucolics Arcadia
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-2-322-55278-8
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand

Buch, Englisch, 66 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 110 g

« The Eclogues » by Virgil, also known as the « Bucolics », is a seminal collection of ten pastoral poems composed between 42 and 39 BCE during Rome's turbulent civil wars. Drawing inspiration from the Greek bucolic tradition of Theocritus, Virgil reimagines rustic life through dialogues among herdsmen in an idealized Arcadia. These poetic exchanges explore themes of love, loss, and political upheaval, with the shadow of land confiscations and societal chaos permeating idyllic landscapes.

Notable among the eclogues is the first poem, where Tityrus and Meliboeus contrast security and displacement amid postwar turmoil. The fourth eclogue prophesies a Golden Age under Pollio's consulship, blending political hope with mythic vision. Virgil masterfully employs dactylic hexameter to weave together amoebaean singing contests, unrequited love (Eclogue 2), and elegiac laments for Daphnis (Eclogue 5), creating a tapestry where eroticism and revolutionary fervor intersect.

This foundational work transcends pastoral escapism by embedding contemporary Roman strife Julius Caesar's assassination and veteran resettlements within its lyrical framework. Its fusion of Hellenistic form with Italian realism birthed a new literary tradition, influencing Western poetry for millennia.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vergilius Maro, Publius

Über Autor(innen)

Vergilius Maro, Publius
Publius Vergilius Maro (70 19 BCE), known as Virgil, was Romes preeminent poet during the Augustan era. Born near Mantua, he studied rhetoric and philosophy in Milan and Naples, where Epicureanism shaped his early worldview. His upbringing in rural Cisalpine Gaul informed his sensitivity to agrarian life, later reflected in « The Eclogues » a response to land confiscations after Philippi.

Virgils literary trilogy « The Eclogues », « Georgics », and the epic « Aeneid » redefined Latin literature. While « The Eclogues » established pastoral poetry with its blend of Theocritean models and Roman realities, his later works celebrated Romes imperial destiny. Patronized by Maecenas and Emperor Augustus, Virgil became a cultural icon who balanced political engagement with artistic idealism. His death in Brundisium left the « Aeneid » unfinished, yet his legacy endures as Europes foundational poet.

Publius Vergilius Maro:
Publius Vergilius Maro (70 19 BCE), known as Virgil, was Romes preeminent poet during the Augustan era. Born near Mantua, he studied rhetoric and philosophy in Milan and Naples, where Epicureanism shaped his early worldview. His upbringing in rural Cisalpine Gaul informed his sensitivity to agrarian life, later reflected in « The Eclogues » a response to land confiscations after Philippi.

Virgils literary trilogy « The Eclogues », « Georgics », and the epic « Aeneid » redefined Latin literature. While « The Eclogues » established pastoral poetry with its blend of Theocritean models and Roman realities, his later works celebrated Romes imperial destiny. Patronized by Maecenas and Emperor Augustus, Virgil became a cultural icon who balanced political engagement with artistic idealism. His death in Brundisium left the « Aeneid » unfinished, yet his legacy endures as Europes foundational poet.