"Incorporating the most up-to-date classical scholarship, Virgilian scholar R. Alden Smith presents a comprehensive introduction to Virgil's literary works and narrative technique. In addition to exploring the historical context within which Virgil wrote, Smith considers the literary reception of Virgil's works and reveals how they have been reshaped in art, literature, and film. While focusing on the major works -- the Eclogues, Georgics, and his great national epic of Rome, the Aeneid -- the entire Virgilian corpus is considered. Other topics include manuscript tradition, problems associated with establishment of the text, and Virgil's influence on the poetry of Ovid, Dante, Milton, and the importance of Virgil to the arts, including painting, the plastic arts, and film. Combining scholarly rigor and an accessible writing style, this book offers an insightful introduction to the world of Virgil"-- |