Aeneas visits the Underworld and learns some things… Or does he?
The Vatican keeps pretty tight reigns over photography within the Sistine Chapel, so I haven’t been able to find any copyright-free images to share. This site, however, has some excellent close-ups of the prophets and sibyls that Michelangelo includes as part of that massive work of art. I’d forgotten how he depicts the Cumaean Sibyl who plays a large role in Book 6 of The Aeneid…
Discussion Prompts:
- Okay, this won’t work quite as well within the format of a discussion thread, but what do you think the Sibyl looks like? Bonus points if you answer this before clicking on the link above.
- Is The Aeneid propaganda? Why or why not?
- What do you think of the brief glimpse of Dido in this book?
- What should we think of Roman history as described by Virgil in this book?
- Why does Aeneas leave through the gate of ivory?
- How should we assess the stories we tell ourselves about our own countries histories?
Triumvir Clio's School of Classical Civilization 