THE AENEIDBOOK T WO
By: Nikki Sutliff, Alexis Vanfleet, Shelby Foster, & Job Stepanski
BOOK SUMMARY
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After being asked by Dido in the previous book to retell his journey, Aeneas begins
his story by telling the painful tale of the Trojan horse and the fall of Troy.
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The Trojans think that the Greeks have sailed away when they stumble upon the
giant horse. Some of them think that they should take it back into the city, while
others thinkt that it could be a trap and they should push it into the sea. Laocoon
strongly recommends that they do not take it back; meanwhile Sinon, a Greek
soldier left behind, is found and taken prisoner. He then tells his sad story of how
the Greeks tried to sacrifice him but he escaped and was abandoned when they
left, gaining the Trojans trust and sympathy.
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Sinon explains that the horse is a shrine to Minerva and if it is harmed, Troy will
be harmed as well. Meanwhile, Laocoon and his two sons had tried to spear the
horse. Two serpents rose from the sea and devoured the three men. The Trojans
interpreted this as an omen from Minerva and they made the decision to take the
horse into the city. They put ropes and wheels on the horse and take it into Troy;
everyone prays to it, thinking it is a gift from the gods.
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All of Troy goes to sleep. While Aeneas is sleeping, the fallen Hector appears to
him in a dream warning him that the Greeks are sabotaging the city. Aeneas
awakes and goes outside to see the damage. He grabs his weapons and runs to
the heart of the city, meeting up with comrades along the way. After killing
Androgeos and his Greek army, they take their armor and dress up as Greeks.
They kill some Greeks while in disguise, but it barely does them any good because
the Greeks still greatly outnumber them. However, their costume eventually
comes back to haunt them when they are attacked by their own Trojan allies.
BOOK SUMMARY CONT.
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The fight leads them to Priam’s palace, where the fight becomes more deadly and
the god of war cannot be tamed. Priam and Hecuba are in their chamber, and
witness the slaughter of their son, Polites. The Greeks then go on to kill Priam on
his throne, a sight that shakes Aeneas to the core.
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Aeneas then sees a woman hiding behind an altar. He talks about his hatred for
this woman and blames her for this terrible war. We can assume that this woman
is Helen of Troy. Venus then appears to him, telling him that the war really can be
blamed on the gods and their constant feuding. She also reminds him of his
family who are also suffering in the fall of the city, and he decides to go see his
father.
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Ascanius, Aeneas’ father, originally does not intend to leave the city. He says that
he would rather die in the city than face a life of exile. Aeneas had also met up
with his wife, Creusa, and his son, Ascanius, and the three of them beg for
Ascanius to come with them. Eventually he is persuaded to come and they leave.
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Aeneas carries his father on his back, and Aeneas and his family along with a
group of other followers who are likewise fleeing the city. They leave the walls of
the city and agree to meet at a mound near an ancient shrine. Aeneas then
notices that his wife is missing and goes back to look for her. He is visited by her
spirit, or shade, who tells him not to be upset and that a better life waits for him.
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Aeneas then leaves the city and leads the group of people away from Troy.
MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT
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In our opinion, the most significant event was when the Trojans
took the giant horse into the city. It was important because if they
had not taken the horse into the city, the Greeks possibly may not
have been able overtake Troy. This was the event that led to their
downfall in the war. Since Troy fell, Aeneas and his men had to
leave their home and that’s what led them to go on their journey
and to Dido’s palace.
This event also shows how Aeneas was passionate about his
country, Troy, and that he is a real person. He gets very emotional
and upset when retelling the story of the Trojan horse.
IMPORTANT QUOTES
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“We brake the walls and bare the battlement … and fat with weapons, the engine
of our fate climbs up the rampart. And boys and unwed girls surround it, singing
their sacred chants, so glad to touch the cable… That day was our last- and yet,
helpless, we brown the altars of the gods with festive branches about the city.”
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“For if your hands should harm Minerva’s gift, then vast destruction (may the
gods turn this prophecy against the priest’s own lips!) would fall on Priam’s
kingdom and the Phrygians; but if it climbed by your hands into Troy, then Asia
would repel the Greeks and, more, advance in war as far as Pelops’ walls; this is
the doom that waits for our descendants.”
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This quote, spoken by Aeneas, shows how truly deceived the Trojans were when taking the
horse into the city. They really thought that the horse would bring them luck from Minerva to win
the war, when it truly brought their demise.
This is Sinon’s explanation of what would happen if the Trojans destroyed the horse or took it
into the city. After he says this, the Trojans gain full trust in him and decided to take the horse
into Troy. It also displays the deception of the Greeks, because what happened turned out to be
the total opposite of what Sinon had said.
“And so at last, when night passed, I go again to my companions. Here I find, to
my surprise, new comrades come together, vast numbers, joined for exile, a crowd
of sorrow… Then I gave way and, lifting up my father, made for the mountains.”
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This quote by Aeneas shows how the people of Troy united after its fall, and just as disaster
today brings people together, the people of Troy were brought together. It also shows the value
of family in Roman culture.
INTERVENTIONS OF THE GODS & GODDESSES
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Aeneas’s mother, Venus, comes to him to calm him in
the midst of the fall of the Troy. Venus tells him that he
should not blame the war on any of the women in the
city, such as Helen, because the war is the fault of the
gods. She reminds him of his wife, son, and father,
who are also still in the city. She vows to protect him
until he arrives safely at his father’s home.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS & DEVELOPMENT
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Aeneas- Protagonist
 The Greeks are the antagonists to Aeneas.
 The story he tells evokes a lot of emotions.
 He lost his wife when they were fleeing Troy and he goes back to look for her because he
is upset about her loss.
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Sinon- A Greek warrior
 He tricks the Trojans into accepting the horse.
 He bashes the Greeks, saying that they attempted to sacrifice him in order to gain the
Trojans’ sympathy and trust.
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Laocoon- A Trojan priest
 He realizes the horse is a trick and tries to warn the Trojans, but he is eaten by two giant
serpents from the sea when he tries to throw a spear at the horse.
 The Trojans take this as a omen that he’s lying and they should believe Sinon.

Venus- the goddess mother of Aeneas
 She convinces Aeneas not to kill Helen because this war is not her fault. She explains
that the war should be blamed on the gods.
 Also she tells him his fate is somewhere else so he should flee Troy after going to get his
wife, son, and father so that they can come with him.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS & DEVELOPMENT CONT.
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King Priam- The king of Troy
 During Aeneus’ story King Priam is the ruler of Troy.
 He witnesses the death of his son, Polites.
 He gets his head cut off by Pyrrhus in his own throne, a sight that greatly
angers Aeneas.
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Hector- Greatest of all Trojan warriors
 Although dead, Hector appears to Aeneas in a dream to alert him that the
Greeks are terrorizing the city.
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Creusa- Aeneus’ wife
 While Aeneas and his followers are fleeing Troy, Creusa is lost in all of the
commotion. Aeneas returns to the city by himself to look for her, but her
shade (spirit) appears, encouraging him to continue on his journey without
her.
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Anchises- Aeneus’ father
 Anchises originally does not want to leave the city, but after omens appear
and with some convincing from Aeneus, he leaves with the rest of the group.
**The majority of these characters, being that they are from the Trojan
War, which was in the past, will not be seen again and will not develop
any further throughout this book.**
EPIC CONVENTIONS
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Epithets
Pallas: epithet for Minerva
 Goddess-born: epithet for Aeneas
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Speeches
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The Gods & Goddesses
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The whole book is essentially a very long speech of Aeneas
telling the story of the Trojan horse and the fall of Troy
during the Trojan War.
Venus interferes in the life of Aeneas in his story
Epic Digression
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The book is also an epic digression; it is a flashback from
Aeneas’s past. It is important to the epic, but it does not
necessarily further the action of the story.
SYMBOLS
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Sacred Places~ symbolize peace
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Serpent ~ symbolizes evil
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Everyone took shelter in shrines, and citadels.
The serpents ate Laocoon.
Fire of Vesta ~ symbolizes safety
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When the fire of Vesta goes out destruction comes over
Troy.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
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But now the damp night hurries from the sky into the sea; the
falling stars persuade to sleep.
 Personification
He pours out his life in streams of blood.
 Hyperbole
I tried to throw my arms around her neck; three times the Shade I
grasped in vain escaped my hands –like fleet winds, most like a
winged dream.
 Simile
Now, he lies along the shore, a giant truck, his head torn from his
shoulders, as a corpse without a name.
 Metaphor, Simile
By now flames would have swept them off, the hostile sword have
drunk their blood.
 Personification
CLASS DISCUSSION..
If you were Aeneas, what would you have done when the
Greeks were coming out the horse? Would you have
stayed and fought longer or fled sooner? Compare and
contrast what you would have done with what Aeneas
actually did.