Aeneid, The by Virgil, Sarah Spence (Introduction), Christopher Pearse Cranch (Translator); 2007. Softcover (Barnes & Noble Classics) (CO)

Written more than two thousand years ago and one of Western literature’s indisputable masterpieces, the Aeneid is the Roman “answer” to Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The latter celebrate Greek civilization through the stories of Greek victory in the Trojan War and the exploits of Odysseus. Vergil’s Aeneidsings the triumph of Roman culture, transforming Troy’s tragedy into a step on the path toward the founding of Rome by the descendants of the last Trojan hero, Aeneas.

Fleeing the fallen city with a few followers, Aeneas undergoes a series of adventures, including a passionate love affair with the ravishing Dido, queen of Carthage, a visit to the underworld to meet the spirit of his father, and mortal combat with Turnus, a powerful king. Each episode tests his courage, morality, and humanity, and proves his worthiness to be the ancestor of one of the greatest empires in history.