Vergil
The subject matter presented in Eclogue 1 tells much about the time in which it was written. Eclogue 1, in essence, is about the land confiscations after the battle of Philippi. Modern historians have their own ideas about why the poem was written, which it turn would explain the time in which Eclogue 1 was written. Some of these ideas include Tityrus' being Vergil, protest against land confiscations, or a eulogy to Octavian. It may be possible that all three of these themes were apart of Eclogue 1. Exploring all three themes would certainly give a more in depth peer into the time of Vergil. The question of whether or not Vergil wrote to tell a story or wrote to give information on the age in which he lived is raised. Perhaps Vergil has made an attempt at both. In reading Eclogue 1, we know that Meliboeus and Tityrus are fictional characters; however, the reader knows that the land confiscations is factual information about the time. Eclogue 1 is a poem dedicated to providing entertainment without sacrificing historical information. This poem gives much insight on the time it was written. Analysis of these ideas would explain to a reader what happened during the events that were taking place during the time Ec
The reader of this poem is undoubtedly informed about the fact that this was written during the time of the land confiscations. The statuses of the two men, Meliboeus and Tityrus, as well as the description of Tityrus' land also reveal how the soldiers went about confiscating land. One could assume that people claiming Roman citizenship had better plots of land and were the ones to have their land taken away in most instances. Tityrus, the freedman, was not a Roman citizen and probably had a bad tract of land. This would explain why his land was not taken from him. Non-citizens of Rome probably had the least favorable lands tracts, which saved them from having to leave their homes. logue 1 was written. The characters, Tityrus and Meliboeus, provide different elements in the poem. Tityrus provides humor with is light-heartedness and naive nature. Meliboeus brings the reader back to reality and makes him grievous (Verg., Ecl. 1 intro; pg.29, Lee, tr.). Rome's wretched citizens: we have sown fields for these! (1.69-72) The question of whether or not this was a political protest against the land confiscations may also hold some evidence in Eclogue 1. One may gather from this poem that Tityrus was used to portray Vergil in a figurative sense; in other words, Vergil is unaffected by the political disorder of his time, as far as his poetry writing is concerned. Meaning that he could still write quality poetry without becoming distracted by what was happening around him. Although his poetry is about the events of his time, his style of writing remains in tact. Yet again, if one takes the connection between Tityrus and Vergil literally, we may have some factual information about what may have been happening in Vergil's life directly. The conclusion could be drawn that Vergil had his land taken from him and is expressing his own frustration against what has happened. Therefore, Eclogue 1's being a political protest against the land confiscation has two perspectives from which it could be analyzed. One may be allowed to assume that both of these ideas could very possibly be correct. Lines 71-72 may also suggest that Meliboeus is a Roman citizen and may explain why he is so angry to give up his land to barb
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1507
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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