This reader of Virgil's text features passages from the first half of
the Aeneid and is designed to help students understand and appreciate
Virgil's poem, as well as improve their Latin reading skills. Each Latin
passage is accompanied by running vocabulary, on-page commentary notes
and targeted questions. The book can be used as a source of one-off
unseen passages or as a reader for students working through individual
books or the whole poem.
The commentary notes explain references to characters, places and
events, provide linguistic and grammatical help on more challenging
Latin phrases, and point out stylistic features. The questions test
students' comprehension of the characters and storyline, and give them
practice in handling literary terms. The passages are linked by
summaries of the continuing plot, so students can grasp the progression
of the poem as a whole.
An in-depth introduction sets the story of the Aeneid in its
mythological, literary and historical contexts; a glossary of literary
devices and sections on style and metre are included. At the end of the
book is a complete alphabetical vocabulary list.