(the cool pic from our book!)^^
So these are the "questions" just in case you've forgotten them or what not...
1) Summarize the opening scene, why and how to honor Anchinses? (from Fitzgerald)
2) The games are interesting. Briefly describe each event. Which is the weirdest, in your opinion and why? They all are either pretty strange, or have strange resolutions.
3) The women get riled up, describe what they do, and who puts an end to their ploy (ploy is such a cool word). Pay particular attention to Ascanius' activity. He is taking a leadership role for once... :)
4) Comment on the Palinurus episode, did anyone see this coming (a Davy rhetorical ?)?
5) Bonus, what Cambridge reading (s) was/were obviously modeled on the book? (we pretty much already answered this...)
7 comments:
1) Summarize the opening scene, why and how to honor Anchinses?
Aeneas and his crew and sailing for land when a large storm from Neptune amasses. The storm forces them to head eastward and dock at the Sicilian port of Eryx where Acestes rules. Because it is the one year anniversary of Anchines’s death, Aeneas plans to have 8 days of sacrifices followed by a day of games.
2) The games are interesting. Briefly describe each event. Which is the weirdest, in your opinion and why? They all are either pretty strange, or have strange resolutions.
The first event is a boat race between four boats. Some guy named Colanthus prayed to Neptune and thus won the race. Unlike the usual way races work, all competitors in the race received prizes, and winning was just for filling their own conceited egos.
The second event was a footrace. Nisus was winning until the end when he slipped on blood and let Euryalus take the lead. Again, everyone receives prizes for competing in the race.
After the footrace is over, the Trojan Dares challenges anyone to a boxing match and it is accepted by the Sicilian Entellus. After the fight had gone on for a while, Aeneas called it off. In order to demonstrate his own strength, Entellus kills the prize bull by literally punching its brains out.
The next event was an archery contest. Eurytion kills a dove midaire and wins, but Acestes’s arrow miraculously catches on fire when soaring through the air. After the archery contest was over, the youths mock battle on horseback.
3) The women get riled up, describe what they do, and who puts an end to their ploy.
Juno, who is still mad at the Trojans, sends Iris down to make all the women riot. The women burn Trojan ships in an attempt to make the Trojans build a city in Sicily, but Aeneas prays to Jupiter and rainstorms are summoned.
4) Comment on the Palinurus episode, did anyone see this coming?
Neptune, demanding sacrifice, makes Palinurus fall asleep and fall into the ocean. Maybe I lack proper brain function, but I did not forsee this…
5) Bonus, what Cambridge reading was/were obviously modeled on the book?
The scene with the people racing in boats to grab a flag off of a crag (I think; I like that word as well…). The race where a bad guy had his boat wrecked and was stranded on a rock. I also believe there was a footrace Cambridge story as well, but cannot recall any specific detail.
1) Aeneas and his crew are heading for Italy from Carthage, but the sea is very rough and thunderous. The crew does not understand the reason for these storms and Aeneas decides to change course because there is no use fighting the winds. He decided to stop at the shores of his friend Acestes instead. It is the anniversary of Anchises’ death so Aeneas tells his crew that he will carry out anniversary vows and ceremonies. Thus, he asks that there be eight days of sacrificial offerings and one more day of competitive games to honor his father.
2) The first event is a ship race, a “simple” out-and-back course. The race is plagued with accidents: first Gyas takes too wide of a turn and falls behind and Sergestus later hits some rocks and loses. Colanthus and Mnestheus are tied for first nearing the end of the race, but Colanthus prays to Neptune and wins. The second race is a running race. Nisus was leading as they approached the finish and after him Salius and then Euryalus and Helymus. Then Nisus stumbled on sacrificial blood and fell, tripping Salius as well. Euryalus ends up winning the race. This is what I believed to be uncanny, that the blood meant as a sacrifice, almost a bribe, to the gods was the obstacle for these runners. Salius and Nisus were surely not happy. All they worried about was rewards. Dares stepped up for the third competition to fight. Acestes persuades Entellus to fight Dares. One had speed and one had footwork. When Entellus falls, he becomes all the more competitive with Dares so Aeneas stops the fight. To show “manliness” and his ability to win if given the chance, Entellus kills a bull with one might blow to the head. Eurytion “put his arrow through” a dove in the sky to win the archery competition. But, Acestes was quite the show as well when his arrows “flying in the clouds catches fire” and Aeneas then proclaims him the winner before all. Boys from Troy and Sicily ride and battle on horseback to entertain the people at the end. The audience enjoys their skill and ability to man their horses.
3) Juno still isn’t satisfied with the hardships that Aeneas and the Trojans have been through so she sends her messenger, Iris, in disguise to rile the Trojan women who are weeping over Anchises. Iris takes advantage of their need for a home and security and persuades them to follow her in burning the Trojan ships. After some hesitation, the women go wild and begin to destroy the fleet. Ascanius is the first to see the flames and rides to the women, reminding them that what they seek is only possible with the very ships that they are burning. “I am your own Ascanius”, he says. He is on their side. The other men follow but cannot put out the flames until Aeneas prays to Jupiter and the god creates a storm to subdue the fire.
4) It is such a game to the gods, Aeneas’ crew’s life is. Neptune grants them a safe journey because Venus complains to him about Juno’s cruelty. Still, Neptune barters with her for one crew mate. Why not just let them get to Italy in one piece? Why does the journey have to be so treacherous? So, of course, the one sacrifice is going to be someone of importance, like maybe the ship’s pilot. The aspect of all of this that makes me most sympathetic to the man is that he refused to go to sleep willingly in order to protect Aeneas’ quest in unknown weather. If not for the ploy of Neptune, Palinurus would have been sailing for who knows how long. His death seemed undeserving.
5) This book was modeled on the Cambridge reading of Dumnorix and the funeral games put on by Cogidubnus in honor of the Emperor. They had both a running race and a boat race as Vergil wrote about.
1) Since Aeneas's father died the last time he was on this island and was buried here, which they were forced to by the storm, Aeneas decides to have the eight days of sacrifices followed by the games.
2) The first one was just a boat race, but as Reid said winning was just for egos as all the losers got prizes too, and the guy that prayed won. The next one was a race, and when the one loser who was winning fell he tripped another guy because he wanted his friend to win, just like the Pirates try to play spoiler every September, or the Detroit Lions for that matter, although their season really ends in April when they select another wide receiver in the first round. Anyways next Dares boxes Entellus, but before one was killed Aeneas called the fight off so Entellus wanted to show off for the ladies and pounded the brains out of a bull. Last there is the archery, Eurytion hits the dove to win but as was said Acestes' arrow catches on fire and soars our of site, and then the horseback battle was fought.
3) Juno sends Iris to try to make the women burn down the ships, but Aeneas is able to stop it by praying to Jupiter who makes it rain, after Ascanius says he is on the side of the women but tries talking them into stopping the ship burning.
4) Well I didn't foresee Palinurus being murdered by the gods, mostly because I don't predict what is about to happen because I have enough problems keeping up with what actually happens, but Palinurus was ironically just trying to do his job and of course he is the one Neptune decides to take. Sucks to be him.
5) The Dumnorix boat race thing where the one guy got caught on the rock and the other boat ended up winning was pretty much the boat race here, sorta.
1)Aeneas and his crew are leaving Carthage but there's a big storm. Aeneas' helmsman, Palinurus, advises Aeneas to not fight the storm but to stop at Sicily. Aeneas stops at Eryx where Acestes rules. Acestes welcomes Aeneas and his crew. The next day, Aeneas calls to his crew to tell them that its the anniversary of his father's death and he wishes to honor the his death by having 8 days of sacrifices and a 9th day of games.
2) Prizes are given to all contesters and the winner is simply..the winner. He doesn't get anything special.
The first game is a boat race. There are four boats and there's a crowd cheering on the shores. Gyas is in first place for awhile until his pilot makes a turn at a turning point that's too wide and then he falls behind. Sergestus then takes the lead but crashes into rocks and then it's left between Mnestheus and Colanthus. Colanthus eventually wins because he prays to Neptune.
The second game is a foot race. Nisus was winning until he slips on sacrificial blood and loses to Euryalus.
After the foot race, the Trojan Dares challenges anyone to boxing. Nobody challenges him at first, then Acestes encourages Entellus, an old guy, to fight. They fight, and Dares is a lot younger and faster, so when Entellus throws a punch, he falls to the ground. Aeneas ends the match, but then Entellus, to show what he could have done to Dares, punches a bull, the prize, which then dies because of so much force.
Next was the archery contest. Eurytion wins by shooting a dove out of sky and Acestes’ arrow catches fire in mid air. Next they go horseback riding to charge at each other in a mock battle.
I thought the boxing was pretty cool. The old guy kills a bull with one single blow.
3) Juno’s still mad at the Trojans, so she sends down Iris to encourage the women to set fire to the ships so that Aeneas would be forced to stay in Sicily. The ships set fire and the men attempt to put it out with water, but then Aeneas prays to Jupiter and he sends down rain. Ascanius was the first to see the flames so he tries to persuade them to stop.
4) Somnus, the god of sleep, causes Palinurus’ death because he falls asleep and falls into the sea and drowns. Palinurus’ death was a sacrifice to Neptune to give Aeneas a safer journey to Italy.
5) The book was modeled on the Cambridge reading about a boat race and a guy getting stuck on the rocks and the other guy winning.
Vergil Journal
4/15/07
Book V
1. Aeneas and his crew arrive in the Sicilian port of Eryx. Upon their arrival they are greeted by their fellow Trojan Acestes. Aeneas realizes that it is the one year anniversary of his father’s death. He deices to have an 8 day sacrifice to him followed by games.
2. After 8 days of sacrificing, the competitive games begin. They start out with a boat race between four people. Then there is a foot race where one man slips in some blood and gunk and he purposely trips the guy who was going to win so his friend could win the race. Next an archery contest takes place which (for the animal lovers out there) is very sad. A poor dove is tethered to a mast and the goal is to shoot the dove with an arrow. Eurytion wins this event because he shoots the dove, but Acestes’ arrow catches fire while it is flying through the air which causes some concern. A boxing match takes place and the final contest is done on horseback where the men imitate a battle.
I think that the archery contest is most definitely the strangest out of all of the games. Personally, I wouldn’t feel too good about myself if all I had to brag about was that I shot a bird out of the sky that couldn’t fly away anyway.
3. While all of this is going on, the women who have been oddly silent this whole time realize that they have just being following the men around and not getting much of a reward for themselves. In protest, provoked by Iris, they begin to set fire to the Trojan ships. Aeneas quickly puts a stop to this by praying to Jupiter to make it rain.
4. What happens to Palinurus is very unfortunate for him, but there was really nothing anyone could do about it. Venus wants the crew to have a safe trip to their final destination, and Neptune agrees to ensure this on the condition that one of the crew members dies as a type of sacrifice. Palinurus ends up falling asleep and falls off the ship which is how he dies. Sometimes I think that the gods choose to kill people for their own amusement…
Bonus: The Cambridge reading about the boat races with Dumnorix and Belimicus are similar to the section about the boat race.
awesome blog, do you have twitter or facebook? i will bookmark this page thanks. jasmin holzbauer
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