Aeneid

Aeneas, in the ship in the top right, sails past Sicily. In the center of the image is the Giant Enceladus; his feet are pinned down by Lilybaeum [Libybus], the west corner of the island, his left hand sits under Pachynum [Pachinn], in the lower east corner, and his right hand is held down by Pelorus, in the upper east corner.  His head sits under Mt. Etna [Echna] (577-80), which is geographically situated between Pachynum and Pelorus. The giant spits smoke, fire and stones through the mouth of the volcano (570-7). Below the giant, two winds, one in each of the lower corners, blow into a cave, possibly a reference to the idea that Aeneas lands in the harbor opposite the winds (570-1). (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 203r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

The ship of Aeneas has sailed past the Ceraunian mountains (506-7). Italy is in the top right corner (521-5). Palinurus, helmsman of Aeneas, stands in the crows nest, and rouses the sailors to rowing. Anchises, standing on the stern of the ship, pours an offering of wine into the sea (525-7). Far up on the shore stands the Temple of Minerva, a sign that they are near the shore of Calabria (Page 1967, 312 ad III 531). On the shore are four animals that are supposed to be white horses (537-8), which Anchises interprets as a sign of both war and peace (539-43). In the lower corners, Scylla and Charybdis, islands full of craggy rocks, are shown (551-560). The ships are about to face the dreaded Charybdis, which happens in lines 558-69. (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 201r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Aeneas prepares to leave Epirus with his crew. In the center of the image, Helenus directs two attendants, carrying gifts, towards the ship of Aeneas (463-9), which is on the right. To the left, Andromache and an attendant present robes and other textiles to Ascanius (482-91). The illustrator has chosen to omit Anchises receiving his gifts; Vergil mentions these gifts only briefly (469-71). The city of Epirus is in the background. (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 200r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

At Buthrotum, Aeneas addresses both Helenus and an idol of Apollo outside a shrine of Apollo (359-68). Helenus, wearing the clothes of a priest and wearing a fillet - religious headband - on his head, sacrifices two steers (369-73). Afterwards, not depicted, Helenus, in his role as seer, advises the next few steps necessary for Aeneas to successfully continue his journey (374-462). In the background to the left stand two men, likely Aeneas's followers, unidentified. (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 197v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Aeneas and his people have landed at Buthrotum, a city in Epirus, ruled by Helenus, a son of Priam (292-5). Andromache sits in a grove near the city grieving beside the Tomb of Hector, an empty tomb set up in honor of her late husband (304). Vergil describes the tomb as a green mound with two altars; instead, Andromache lies next to either a double-sized altar or a casket-sized monument. In the taxt, Andromache and her attendants offer a ritual feast and gifts to the ghost of Hector (301-4); in the image, it is difficult to see if any of the three women are holding anything in their arms, but it appears that they hold nothing. The water on the left could possibly be the "false Simois" river that Vergil mentions in line 302. Aeneas and a small retinue approach Andromache, leaving the majority of his people, including Anchises and Ascanius, on the ships (300; 306-7). Andromache, seeing Trojan arms, speaks to Aeneas, and they begin an exchange (310-43) that is cut short when Helenus enters the scene and invites them up to the city (344-8). (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 195r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the background are Zacynthos, Dulichium, Same, Neritus, and Ithaca, islands which Aeneas passes before he lands. He has landed at Mount Leucates near the shrine of Apollo, which Vergil claims is near Actium (274-5, 279-80), though they are not close to each other. Page suggests that this is a way to associate the games that Aeneas puts on here with the traditional games at Actium (1967, ad 280). In the lower half of the image are the games and sacrificing (278-83). A priest stands between an altar and a dying bull, and pairs of athletes are shown wrestling, swordfighting and throwing either a shotput or a discus. On the right, Anchises, already in a ship, urges Aeneas to gather his men and continue on toward the final destination (289-90). (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 194r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

In the lower left, a few of Aeneas's followers stay behind in Pergamum, while in the middle right, Aeneas and his crew sail away from the doomed city. They are about to sail into a terrible storm; they have just sailed into range of the wind, but they have not yet sailed into the rain (192-208). Behind the storm sit the Strophades islands, where Aeneas's ships have landed after the storm (209-11). (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 192r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

The scene is set in Crete, where Aeneas and his people have founded a city, Pergamum (132-4). In the background to the right are Paros, Olearos, Napos and Donysa, islands of the Cyclades, which Aeneid passed by on his journey from Thrace to Crete (121-7). On the left, Aeneas, asleep in his bed, is surrounded by the images of Pallas, Mercury, and Jupiter, in place of the Penates, who appear to Aeneas as he sleeps (147-53). Outside the house of Aeneas, people and animals lie dead from a terrible pestilence that has killed many of Aeneas's people and many of the crops (135-42). In the upper left corner, the moon valiantly shines down on the house of Aeneas, as mentioned by Vergil (151-2). The ships in the right foreground signify both the recent arrival of the people and their imminent departure. (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 190r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

Anchises, Aeneas and King Anius stand in the sanctuary of Apollo on the island of Delos and either beseech Apollo for an omen (85-9) or listen to the oracle they receive (94-8). They face a statue of Apollo placed atop a column, and face away from the the shrine behind them.  If they are in fact listening to the oracle, and not still asking for it, then Brant has not conveyed Virgil's description well. Virgil describes them prostrate, listening to a voice coming from the shrine, which should have its doors flung open (Vix ea fātus eram: tremere omnia vīsa repente, līminaque laurusque deī, tōtusque movērī mōns circum et mūgīre adytīs cortīna reclūsīs. Summissī petimus terram et vōx fertur ad aurīs 90-3). Aeneas's ships can be seen on the far side on the island (78-9). (Katy Purington)

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 187v, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.

At the top left of the image, one of Aeneas's men digs a trench to begin founding a new city (16-8); the ship sitting in the harbor in the lower left shows that they have just arrived at this place. In the bottom right, a priest and an attendant prepare a sacrifice to Venus at an altar (19-21). Behind them, Aeneas is on one knee beside a stand of trees that turn out to be spears. He has already pulled up two spear shafts, and holds a third in his hand, and looks a bit surprised, as though the voice of Polydorus has begun to speak (22-46). In the middle of the image, Polydorus is shown lying dead with two women standing over him, a detail picked out from lines 62-8, in which the Trojans give Polydorus a proper burial (Ergō īnstaurāmus Polydōrō fūnus, et ingēns/ aggeritur tumulō tellūs; stant Mānibus ārae/ caeruleīs maestae vittīs ātrāque cupressō,/ et circum Īliades crīnem dē mōre solūtae). The city in the background is the home of the Thracian king (50-1); Virgil does not give it a name.

Woodcut illustration from the “Strasbourg Vergil,” edited by Sebastian Brant: Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera cum quinque vulgatis commentariis expolitissimisque figuris atque imaginibus nuper per Sebastianum Brant superadditis (Strasbourg: Johannis Grieninger, 1502), fol. 185r, executed by an anonymous engraver under the direction of Brant.