VERGILIUS SE SIENING VAN DIE ROMEINSE GESKIEDENIS

The present article deals with Vergil's conception of Roman history. To this end some central themes which, in our opinion, are basic to the great pageant of famous Roman heroes in Aen. VI, 752–892, generally considered to be the culmination of Book VI and one of the highlights of Latin literature, are pinpointed and elucidated. Wherever applicable, reference is also made to Jupiter's speech to Venus in Aen. I, 257–96 and to the description of Aeneas' shield in Aen. VIII, 626–731, to corroborate and clarify these themes. Essential to Vergil's view of Roman history is, first of all, the form into which this pageant is cast. It is a prophecy, a grandiose historical vision, an aspect which underlines a first central theme: Vergil represents Roman history as the embodiment of hope or future expectation; not as 'res' but as 'spes', thus hinting in fact at its infinite potentialities. This idea of history as the embodiment of hope is most prominent in the passage on the young and promising Marcellus (860–886), who, though he incarnates all such qualities and virtues as are typical of a real Roman hero, is destined to die prematurely, without attaining to any heroic achievements. Of equal significance to Vergil's concept of history is a second central theme: the course of Roman history can only be accomplished by unrelenting struggle, a theme which is already hinted at right at the beginning of the epic: 'tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem' (I, 33). Becoming more prominent in Jupiter's address to Venus, it dominates the pageant of Roman heroes from beginning to end. In the former it is explicitly stated in the case of Aeneas: 'bellum ingens geret Italia populosque ferocis / contundet' (263–64). But it is in the latter, especially in the passages on the Republican heroes (817–86), that struggle, both internal and external, as an indispensable part of Roman history is fully elaborated. Most of these heroes are connected with Rome's struggle against her three arch-enemies, the Gauls, the Carthaginians and the Greeks, thus illustrating at the same time Rome's power of expansion. Basic to the theme of struggle is the idea that for its progress Roman history to a large extent depends upon self-denial and sacrifice, particularly by promising young men like the younger Marcellus, who has to die in his prime, in this manner foreshadowing heroes, destined to a similar fate, in the second part of the epic. Closely related to the aforesaid is a third central theme: the