When and where was Virgil born?
Publius Vergilius Maro entered the world on the 15th of October in 70 BC during the consulship of Pompey and Crassus. Ancient biographers place his birthplace in the village of Andes near Mantua within Cisalpine Gaul.
Questions about Virgil
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What are the publication dates for the Eclogues by Virgil?
The collection known as the Eclogues began composition around 42 BC and likely appeared between 39 and 38 BC though publication dates remain controversial. These ten poems modeled themselves on the bucolic poetry of the Hellenistic poet Theocritus using dactylic hexameter verse.
Who commissioned the Georgics written by Virgil?
Virgil dedicated the four-book poem called the Georgics to Gaius Maecenas, Octavian's political adviser who rallied Roman literary figures to support his cause. Composition likely spanned years between 37 and 29 BC under Maecenas's insistence.
How did Virgil die and when did he pass away?
Virgil traveled to Achaea in Greece around 19 BC to revise the Aeneid before catching a fever near Megara on his return journey. He crossed to Italy by ship weakened by disease and died in Apulia on the 21st of September 19 BC.
Why is Virgil associated with magic in the Middle Ages?
In the Middle Ages Virgil became associated with miraculous powers transforming him into a figure linked to magic prophecy and Christian symbolism. By the 12th century a tradition emerged regarding Virgil as a great magician spreading throughout Europe.