Ille regit dictis animos : models of authority in Vergil's Aeneid

Abstract

In this dissertation, I have aimed to develop a better understanding of authority itself and establish a framework for reading authority in Roman literature based on this understanding. I then applied this framework to the Aeneid in order to provide a new reading of the poem in which authority is a major element in the narrative and character development. Finally, I have sought to characterise both Aeneas' and Augustus' rule and implementation of dynastic succession as the result of the professionalisation of their unofficial authority. My research explores the various ways in which authority appears in the Aeneid. Certain words, situations, models, and metaphors indicate to the reader that a character's authority is being reinforced or diminished, and this process holds implications for the narrative progression. Several major themes which interact with or contribute to authority have emerged from my research, including memory, credibility, expertise, pietas, and Concordia. Each of these works as a vehicle for authority in the Aeneid in either characterisation or the narrative.