Katabasis in Myth and Film

Here is my bibliography.

groundhog-day-bibliography-2

Group 3 Question:

While in the underworld, Aeneas learns that the fate of Rome lies in his hands and only with the completion of his journey can the great empire ever rise. He learns Romulus will found Rome, a Caesar will eventually come from the descendants of Ascanius, and Rome will experience an extended Golden Age of rule over the world. He also learns from his father how to reach the Blessed Groves in the underworld. Aeneas also learns that Dido has committed suicide and she turns her back when she sees him. Aeneas learns about the different stages of the underworld and what occurs in each from the spirits and the Sibyl. The Sibyl also tells him not to give into temptation and drink from the river in the underworld. Without this journey, he would not have learned what awaits him, as he is told that he will have to fight a great warrior and face several obstacles along the way. His fatum is to bring the Trojans to Italy and settle the land that will one day become Rome. Also, that he must defeat the warrior and protect his people from defeat.

Part 2:

Aeneas encounters several temptations on his journey. The first is the temptation to die with his brothers defending the city of Troy; instead he leads the fleeing Trojans as ordered in his dream. He also faces temptation with Dido. He could have chosen to stay with her and abandon his journey, however, he listens to Venus and continues on. He also could stop when the women begin to rebel, however, he pushes on. There are several times during the war that he could have given, but instead he kept fighting until the very end. Aeneas becomes a leader throughout this book, as he is forces to handle so many situations and be responsible for all those who follow him; he essentially becomes their king. In the process of all this, he loses a lover, his wife, his father, his friend’s son, many troops and followers, and himself in some ways. in respect to losing himself, he becomes dark and bitter by the end of The Aeneid, whereas at the beginning, he was represented good and right. He gains a home and land for his people. Without his journey to the underworld, Aeneas probably would have given up along the way and Rome would never have been founded. He also would not have learned how to reach the Blessed Groves in the underworld, something that will become far more important after his death.

Erin Wuepper

Topic: Geography of the Underworld

Bibliography:

“Anonymous (2008). Hercules’s 12 Labors: Cerberus. Perseus Project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/cerberus.html“

“Anonymous, Hymn to Demeter (Translation:  Evelyn, Hugh G. (1914). Loeb Classical Library)”

“Bonnefoy, Yves (1991). Mythologies: Volume 1, pg.412-41. University of Chicago Press”

“Clark, Raymond J (2003). The Cerberus-Like Function of the Gorgon in Virgil’s Underworld. Classical Quarterly Issue 1, pg.308-309″

“Edmonds, Radcliffe G (2004). Myths of the Underworld Journey: Plato, Aristophanes, and the ‘Orphic’ Gold Tablets. Cambridge University Press”

“Homer, The Odyssey, pg.168-184 (Translation: Lattimore, Richmond (1967). Harper & Row Publisher Inc.)”

“Mackie, CJ (1999). Scamander and the Rivers of Hades in Homer. American Journal  of Philology Volume 120 Issue 4, pg.485-501″

“Parada, Carlos (1997). Underworld and the Afterlife. Greek Mythology Link: http://maicar.com/GML/Underworld.html“

“Tripp, Edward (1970). Crowell’s Handbook of Classical Mythology, pg.257-258. Thomas Crowell Company”

“Virgil, The Aeneid, pg.160-192 (Translation: Fitzgerald, Robert (1981). Vintage Books)”

Here is my Preliminary Bibiliography and Project Summary   preliminary-bibliography-for-fsem