Vergil’s Menagerie : animal imagery in the Aeneid
| dc.contributor.advisor | De Villiers, Annemarie | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Meyer, John Clifford | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-10-20T14:41:15Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-01-31T19:37:54Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-10-20T14:41:15Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-01-31T19:37:54Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-12 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The constant presence of animals is a defining characteristic of ancient epic, but one that is not often examined in its own right. The focus of this study is on Vergil’s use of animal imagery in the Aeneid. In doing so, it examines how he manipulated, adapted and introduced new animals to the epic repertoire that made his work stand apart from earlier Greek epics such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. In the initial stages of research 450 animal references were identified in the Aeneid. Because of the sheer number, these findings were narrowed down to a choice of seven types of animals—the snake, lion, deer, wolf, dove, eagle and owl—for an in-depth study. Thereafter a close reading was done of passages where these seven species feature, in conjunction with corresponding passages from Homer, to identify developments that Vergil had made. At the same time Aristotle’s Historia Animalium and Pliny’s Naturalis Historia were consulted in concert to reveal Greek and Roman beliefs about these seven animals. The accumulation of this evidence shows that not only are animals inextricably linked with the epic’s plot, but that there are clear innovations that Vergil made to the epic repertoire: 1) he presented greater insight into the emotions and thought processes of animals than his predecessors; 2) he frequently aligned his depiction of animal behaviour with those found in natural histories; 3) he used animals as a means of drawing attention to various conflicts, such as that between nature and civilisation, man and woman, and foreigner and native, and 4) he represented certain animals through a Roman lens, stressing their unique role in Roman mythology and superstition. By examining these four innovations, this thesis provides new insight into understanding not only the Aeneid but also the role that animals play in the epic. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die teenwoordigheid van diere is deurgaans ‘n bepalende karaktereienskap in die antieke epos, maar word nie dikwels in eie reg ondersoek nie. Die gebruik van dieresimboliek deur Vergilius in die Aeneïs word in hierdie studie beklemtoon. Sy voorstelling, aanpassing en manipulasie van nuwe diere in die epiese diereryk onderskei sy werk van die vroëere Griekse eposse soos Homeros se Ilias en Odusseia. In hierdie studie van die Aeneïs is daar aanvanklik 450 dierespesies geïdentifiseer en, vanweë hierdie groot getal, is besluit op ‘n keuse van sewe spesies, naamlik die slang, leeu, takbok, wolf, duif, arend en uil, om in diepte bestudeer te word. Daarna is die voorkoms van die sewe spesies in Vergilius se teks in ooreenstemming met hul voorkoms in dié van Homeros noulettend gelees om die ontwikkeling in die literatuur van Vergilius te identifiseer. Terselfdertyd is die werke van Aristoleles se Historia Animalium en Plinius se Naturalis Historia geraadpleeg om die Griekse en Romeinse opvatting van die sewe spesies te ondersoek. Uit hierdie literatuur is daar nie net voldoende bewys van ‘n duidelike verband tussen diere en die epiese gevind nie, maar ook bewys van die vernuwing wat Vergilius in die epiese spektrum gemaak het, naamlik: 1) in vergelyking met sy voorgangers verskaf hy groter insig in die emosies en denkprosesse van diere; 2) sy beskrywing van die gedrag van die diere hou deurgaans verband met die normale gedrag van die diere volgens hul natuurgeskiedenis; 3) hy gebruik diere om konfliksituasies te verduidelik, soos konflik tussen die natuur en beskawing, tussen man en vrou en tussen vreemdelinge en inboorlinge, en 4) hy gebruik die Romeinse siening van sekere diere om hul unieke rol in die Romeinse mites en bygelowe te beklemtoon. Deur die bestudering van hierdie vier innoverende idees kan die verhandeling bydra tot nuwe insigte, nie net in die Aeneïs nie, maar ook in die rol van diere in die epos. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | en_ZA |
| dc.format.extent | 311 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109164 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Greek and Roman beliefs about animals | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Virgil -- Aeneis | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Virgil -- Criticism and interpretation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Epic poetry, Latin -- History and criticism | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Secundus, Gaius Plinius -- Naturalis historia -- Criticism and interpretation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Aristotle -- Historia animalium -- Criticism and interpretation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Vergil’s Menagerie : animal imagery in the Aeneid | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |