Virgil; His Life And Times
Born on October 15, 70 B.C., in a small village near Mantua in Northern Italy, Publius Vergilius Maro, or Virgil, grew up to be hailed as the greatest Roman poet. And although his work has influenced Western literature for two millennia, little is know about the man himself. InVirgil: His Life and Times, Professor Peter Levi reconstructs the poet's life by examining archaeological and historical evidence from Augustan Rome, as well as through close readings of the poet's own work. "Virgil is an intensely personal poet, yet he is anonymous.... My aim is not so ambitious as to try and restore his prestige single-handed. It has simply been to try to understand him in his original context." Professor Levi does an admirable job off adding flesh to the dusty bones of Virgil, pulling away many of the myths that surround his life and letting the genius of his imagination shine through. Although perhaps not a good book for anyone not already acquainted with Virgil, Levi's new book shines with an unabashed love of his subject and will be a welcome addition to the library of anyone who has ever been swept away by the pathos and power of theAeneid.