Virgil's epic poem tells the story of Aeneas the Trojan hero and his struggle to found the Roman race. In Giusti's view, Virgil was in all likelihood commissioned by Augustus to write the Aeneid, and there is certainly plenty to suggest that he wrote his epic work in compliance with the new regime.

Was Augustus commissioned by Aeneid?

Vergil was commissioned by the Emperor Augustus to write an epic poem glorifying Rome and the Roman people. ... However, incomplete or not, “The Aeneid” was immediately recognized as a literary masterpiece and a testament to the grandeur of the Roman Empire.

Is the Aeneid pro or anti Augustus?

Virgil's Aeneid is an epic that can be read both from a positive and a negative stance regarding the reign of Augustus, as references to the Roman empire and the lineage of Augustus himself can be contrasted sharply with the weaknesses and errors made by the main character Aeneas, which in turn can also be connected to ...