Audiobooks by Virgil | LoveReading

"Though it is for the sparkling epic, Aeneid, that the Roman poet Virgil is best known, it was these two poems, The Eclogues and Georgics, which first established his reputation. Cast in the tradition of pastoral poetry, The Eclogues were written between 41 BCE and 37 BCE when Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, to give him his full name) was in his thirties. The Eclogues (the word means ‘Selections’ in Greek) contain 10 poems, a combination of dialogues and monologues. They drew on the ‘bucolic’ (rural) style of the ancient Greek poet Theocritus (c 300BCE-c 260 BCE), but Virgil weaves many references to contemporary Roman events. Though The Eclogues have perhaps existed in the shadow of Georgics, they have been highly regarded and studied by academics and poets down the centuries. They are presented here in the 20th century translation by the British poet R. C. Trevelyan, and read in multi-voice format as they were originally written, with clearly delineated characters bringing the content to life with verve and temperament. Though also pastoral in nature, Georgics is very different in style. Published in 29 BCE, the main subject is agriculture (the title reflects the Greek word ‘georgika’, agricultural things), and vigorously promotes traditional means of farming. Again, Virgil weaves into his verse cultural and political themes. Cast in four Books, the dynamic expression draws on numerous Classical, mythical and contemporary references, while explaining the best methods for ploughing, animal husbandry, observing weather patterns, the life of bees and the like. Increasingly, the rise and fall of man’s endeavours can be reflected in the vicissitudes of agricultural life. The 20th century translation of Georgics used on this recording is by the highly respected translator of Latin poetry, Smith Palmer Bovie. It is read by Jamie Parker. Closer study of both works while listening is possible through the complete texts that come with the recording. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio."

Virgil (Author), Andrew Wincott, Jamie Parker, Paul Panting, Roger May (Narrator)

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The Aeneid (Unabridged)

"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Fleeing the burning ruins of Troy, the Trojan hero Aeneas embarks on a perilous journey to fulfill his destiny - founding Rome. Guided by the gods, he faces storms, monsters, and the wrath of the goddess Juno, who desires Carthage to rule the world. In Italy, Aeneas finds a new home, but not without conflict. A war erupts between the Trojans and the Latins, fueled by love, prophecy, and clashing ambitions. Aeneas, a reluctant warrior, emerges victorious, uniting Trojans and Latins through marriage. His journey, a blend of epic adventure and political allegory, establishes the lineage that leads to the rise of the Roman Empire."

Virgil (Author), Digital Voice Marcus G (Narrator)

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Aeneid

"The Aeneid (Latin: Aeneis) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It comprises 9,896 lines in dactylic hexameter. The first six of the poem's twelve books tell the story of Aeneas's wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem's second half tells of the Trojans' ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed. The hero Aeneas was already known to Greco-Roman legend and myth, having been a character in the Iliad. Virgil took the disconnected tales of Aeneas's wanderings, his vague association with the foundation of Rome and his description as a personage of no fixed characteristics other than a scrupulous pietas, and fashioned the Aeneid into a compelling founding myth or national epic that tied Rome to the legends of Troy, explained the Punic Wars, glorified traditional Roman virtues, and legitimized the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes, and gods of Rome and Troy. The Aeneid is widely regarded as Virgil's masterpiece and one of the greatest works of Latin literature."

Virgil (Author), George Allen (Narrator)

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Eclogae (dramatic reading)

"This book of poems, written between 42 en 39 BC, was a bestseller in ancient Rome, and still holds a fascination today. Held to be divinely inspired not only by the Romans themselves, but by the Medieval Catholic church, The Eclogues is one of the most beloved collections of Latin short poetry. (Summary by Caeristhiona) This recording is done in the original Latin, in the form of a dramatic reading: in each eclogue, every character is read by a different Librivox volunteer. Two eclogues are included twice - giving you a "Choice of Voice" !"

Virgil (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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The Eclogues

"This book of poems, written between 42 en 39 BC, was a bestseller in ancient Rome, and still holds a fascination today. Held to be divinely inspired not only by the Romans themselves, but by the Medieval Catholic church, The Eclogues is one of the most beloved collections of Latin short poetry. (Summary by Caeristhiona) The translator of this version is unknown. This recording is done in the form of a dramatic reading: in each eclogue, every character is read by a different Librivox volunteer."

Virgil (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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[Spanish] - Aeneidis Libri XII

Virgil (Author), Malone (Narrator)

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The Aeneid

"The Aeneid is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BC that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who traveled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The first six of the poem's twelve books tell the story of Aeneas' wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem's second half treats the Trojans' ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed. The poem was commissioned from Vergil by the Emperor Augustus to glorify Rome. Several critics think that the hero Aeneas' abandonment of the Cartheginian Queen Dido, is meant as a statement of how Augustus' enemy, Mark Anthony, should have behaved with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. (Summary by Wikipedia and Karen Merline)"

Virgil (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

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The Aeneid

"Virgil’s Aeneid, one of the greatest Classical poems, tells the story of Aeneas, son of Priam, after the fall of Troy. His quest is to find the site ‘in the west’ where he will found a new town prophesied to be the seat of a world empire – Rome. This great poem, in a modern translation by Cecil Day Lewis, is superbly read by the great classical actor Paul Scofield, with Jill Balcon."

Virgil (Author), David Collins (Narrator)

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Georgica

"Vergil's Georgica is the culmination of a long tradition in antiquity of poems about agriculture, beginning with Hesiod in the eighth c. BC. His poem is a rich admixture of allusion to that tradition: didactic poem, eulogium of Augustus, the neoteric epyllion about Orpheus, Epicurean philosophy as presented by his predecessor and model, Lucretius. Thomas Jefferson imagined his gentleman farmer tilling his fields with a copy of the Georgics between the handles of the plowshare. (Summary by Malone)"

Virgil (Author), Malone (Narrator)

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The Aeneid

"A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Virgil's sweeping epic, starring Ralph Fiennes as Aeneas and Derek Jacobi as the Narrator. One of the classics of all time, The Aeneid was Virgil's last and greatest work. In it, he recounts in vivid imagery the legendary origin of the Roman Empire. The story begins after the Greeks have destroyed the city of Troy. The Trojan Prince Aeneas, defeated and depressed, leads his remaining citizens to a new land and a new destiny foretold by the Gods. The journey to the west coast of Italy is full of adventure, love, betrayal and suffering. On the island of Carthage, Aeneas meets Queen Dido who shelters his people. The two fall in love, but their happiness comes to a tragic end. Once in Italy, all seems hopeful, but soon rivalries develop between Aeneas and local powers and war breaks out... Translated by C. Day Lewis and with a star cast including Anna Massey, Gina McKee, Diana Quick and Eleanor Bron."

Virgil (Author), Anna Massey, Diana Quick, Eleanor Bron, Full Cast, Gina McKee (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Aeneid

"This enduring masterpiece tells of the epic quest of Aenas, who flees the ashes of Troy to found a new civilization: Rome. A unique hero, Aenas struggles and fights not for personal gain but for a civilization that will exist in the far future. Caught between passion and fate, his vision would change the course of the Western world. Virgil, ancient Rome’s greatest poet, turned a mythical legend into a national epic that would survive Rome’s collapse to become the most influential book Rome contributes to Western culture."

Virgil (Author), Frederick Davidson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Aeneid

"After a century of civil strife in Rome and Italy, the poet Virgil wrote The Aeneid to honor the emperor Augustus by praising Aeneas, Augustus's legendary ancestor. As a patriotic epic imitating Homer, The Aeneid also set out to provide Rome with a literature equal to that of Greece. It tells of Aeneas, survivor of the sack of Troy, and of his seven-year journey: to Carthage, where he fell tragically in love with Queen Dido; to the underworld, in the company of the Sibyl of Cumae; and, finally, to Italy, where he founded Rome. It is a story of defeat and exile, and of love and war. Virgil's Aeneid is as eternal as Rome itself, a sweeping epic of arms and heroism—the searching portrait of a man caught between love and duty, human feeling, and the force of fate. Filled with drama, passion, and the universal pathos that only a masterpiece can express. The Aeneid is a book for all the time and all people. This version of The Aeneid is the classic translation by John Dryden."

Virgil (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)

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