The Aeneid may be considered a test case for diverging modern methods of criticism. Does the epic stand for the subordination of the individual in a hierarchically structured state, or is there below the imperial surface a cross-current of wider human appeal? Does the poet skillfully channel his readers' sympathies in directions helpful to the political authorities of his time, or did he devise human messages which are all-embracing and non-partisan? Is it misguided even to seek to discover the intentions of the poet in his work? The contributors to this volume were chosen both for their scholarship and as representing diverse critical methods. Each has selected a passage of the Aeneid to demonstrate his or her general approach. The examination of political references is to the fore. And each contributor uses their chosen passage to address the question of the Aeneid's message.
