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Virgil
The Household Gods
The Household Gods, called Penates in Latin, are the guardian gods of Trojan domestic and family life that Aeneas carries all the way to Latium. They embody the Trojans' ancestors and past, and, as Aeneas… read analysis of The Household Gods
The Golden Bough
Any living person voyaging to the Underworld needs the golden bough to get there safely, to present as a gift to the Underworld's queen, Proserpina. But only those with the right fate can remove the… read analysis of The Golden Bough
Aeneas's Shield
Venus convinces Vulcan to forge armor for Aeneas, including a mighty shield that depicts Rome's glorious future, including the battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Augustus defeated Mark Antony and thereby became the… read analysis of Aeneas's Shield
The Gates of War
The Gates of War are, in the Aeneid, both a metaphor and a real, physical set of doors in Lavinium. (The Rome of Virgil's time also had physical Gates of War, which they closed… read analysis of The Gates of War
