The Aeneid of Vergil

ARMS AND THE MAN I SING.

So begins the greatest poem of the Roman world, the poem that made Rome into the empire we remember today. Composed by Publius Vergilius Maro (70–19 BC), the Aeneid tells the story of Aeneas, exiled prince of Troy, and his mission to found a city destined to become the imperium sine fine, empire without end. The poem chronicles his turbulent journey from Troy to Carthage to the shores of Latium, and the war that would win Italy for Rome.

This edition brings the classic Rolfe Humphries translation from 1951 back into print for the first time in over half a century. Praising it, poet W. H. Auden said, “Mr. Humphries’ version is an extraordinarily fine achievement… [he] has done this generation and, I hope and believe, several generations to come a service for which no public reward could be too great.” Included are the translator’s own introduction as well as a new introduction by Dr. Joe Carlson.

Related: The Aeneid: Reader’s Guide, by Dr. Joe Carlson