The Aeneid: Virgil's Epic in Modern Prose: New Translation Flotsam Press

"This is my song: of war and of a man..."For two thousand years, Virgil's Aeneid has stood alongside Homer's Iliad and Odyssey as one of the foundational works of Western literature—the epic that gave Rome its origin story and shaped the imagination of the world that followed.T.S. Eliot declared Virgil stands “at the centre of European civilization, in a position which no other poet can share or usurp.” He claimed that, “Later poets lived and worked under the shadow of his greatness: so that we praise or dispraise them, according to the standards which he set.”It is the story of Aeneas and the survivors of Troy. Pursued by the relentless goddess Juno, they seek to fulfil their fate and to found the city and nation which will one day be Rome. It is a story of duty and glory, of fate and the cost of pursuing it.About this translationThis is a modern prose translation designed to be read as a story, not studied as an assignment. The narrative flows like a novel, with clear prose, standardised character names, and minimal footnotes. It uses a dynamic equivalence approach — prioritising readability and narrative power over word-for-word literalism — to bring Virgil's masterpiece to life for a new generation of readers.Includes:Translator's introduction exploring the poem's major themesEssay on the life and impact of VirgilComplete glossary of characters and godsGreek-to-Roman name equivalence guide Read more