When did Virgil write the Aeneid?
The Aeneid (/ɪˈniːɪd/ ih-NEE-id; Latin: Aenē̆is [ae̯ˈneːɪs] or [ˈae̯neɪs]) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans.
Why was the Aeneid written?
The Aeneid was written during a period of political unrest in Rome. The Roman republic had effectively been abolished, and Octavian (Augustus Caesar) had taken over as the leader of the new Roman empire. The Aeneid was written to praise Augustus by drawing parallels between him and the protagonist, Aeneas.