I've decided to make a tiny change to my question. In my research I've firmly established that the Aeneid was, indeed, commissioned by Augustus Caesar as a text to both glorify and justify his actions in Rome's Civil War. Basically, it was written intended to be a propaganda text.
This hasn't left me too disheartened though, because I want my essay to analyse whether it was actually interpreted as a propaganda text above all else by the Roman people; my conclusion is that it was not, and I still have much evidence to support this. So, my question was:
To what extent was the Aeneid a propaganda text for Caesar Augustus?
...and it is now:
To what extent did the Aeneid act as a propaganda text for Caesar Augustus?
So there we are. Pretty much the same, but a bit clearer in terms of its relationship to the rest of the essay. :D
A subtle change, and yes, it was always commissioned by Augustus as a piece of propaganda. I hope you look at how other contemporaries viewed it?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to update your Blog Log.It has stopped raining here in Korea after 6 days!
ReplyDeleteCheers
I've mostly looked for contemporaries who agree with my interpretation of it, but I've got a couple of good resources which suggest some pretty interesting alternative interpretations of the text. I'm using as many as I feel I can fit in the space of the essay...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'll make sure I do that. I still have to add to it from before it was created, which should be a challenge! Glad to hear the weather in Korea's getting better - it's unusually wet here in Adelaide also. :(
ReplyDelete