This book focuses on the Aeneid as a landmark of literary narrative and poetic sensibility. It gives a full account of the historical setting and significance of Virgil's epic, and discusses the poet's use of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, as well as the most celebrated episodes in the poem, the tragedy of Dido and the hero's visit to the underworld. Dr Gransden examines Virgil's psychological and philosophical insights, and re-establishes the poem's status as the central classic of European culture. The final chapter considers the Aeneid's influence on later artists, including Dante and the Romantics, and there is a guide to further reading.