Hannah Clargo
How does Virgil use ekphrasis (description of a work of art) in the Aeneid?
The technique of ekphrasis is used throughout literature for a variety of
reasons, such as delaying actions or evoking emotions within the reader.
It is often used particularly by epic writers, allowing for a break from the
extensive narrative surrounding these seemingly inappropriate bouts of
description. This mode of description however can be greatly useful,
specifically that describing the Shield of Aeneas detailed in Book 8 of
Virgil’s epic, with its importance made clear in that it takes up 114 lines of
narrative, a considerable amount when reflecting that this poem, in
contrast to both Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, each of which have 24 books,
only has 12. Here, ekphrasis is used in an abundance of ways and for
many different purposes: firstly, to prove the writer’s inspiration from
other Classical texts; also to act as a political statement, creating links
with Augustus; and to simply be read as an artistic visualisation.
According to Fowler, ‘ekphrasis represents a pause at the level of
narration and cannot be read functionally, (so) the reader is possessed by
a strong need to interpret’ (Fowler, Narrate and Describe: The Problems of
Ekphrasis). This reading acts in concordance with the view that
description fundamentally battles with narrative in Western tradition, thus
causing ekphrasis, defined as ‘a literary description of or commentary on
a visual work of art’ (Merriam-Webster), to seem out of place and simply a
barrier to the continuance of plot. However, it does serve a purpose both
generally and within the Aeneid. Ekphrasis, differing from visual art in that
the word choice must be carefully constructed, with authors needing to
choose specific vocabulary or synonyms in order to fully create an image
of the artwork they are describing, intends to ‘rouse emotions through
lively, precise, and detailed verbal descriptions’ (Rippl, Ekphrasis). As
such, despite appearing misplaced within action-based works such as the
Aeneid, these excurses are vital in making the experience of reading
literature multi-sensory and immersive. Thereby, the main purposes of
ekphrasis as a whole seem to be evoking emotion, consequently inciting a
reaction from the reader which will impact their responses to the later
scenes, and to simultaneously freeze a moment in the narrative, whether
this is to create an artistic mental image or to delay an event’s
occurrence. Still, within the Aeneid, ekphrasis is used more precisely,
firstly to recall other similar scenes within Classical literature.
The first scene which Virgil seems to call upon in Book 8 is that
describing the Shield of Achilles (Il. 18.469). It is clear to see numerous
similarities between this shield and that of Aeneas in Virgil’s epic: both
weapons are gifts from each protagonist’s mother, Venus and Thetis
respectively (Aen. 8.385, Il. 18.429); both are made by Vulcan or
Hephaestus, the mythological craftsman god (Aen. 8.455, Il. 18.468); both
ekphrases occur at a turning point in the war, with Aeneas deciding to
attempt an alliance with Evander (Aen.8.470), and Achilles choosing to
return to battle (Il. 18.333). Nevertheless, it is the differences which allow
us to determine for what purpose the ekphrasis of Achilles’ shield is being
invoked here. Whereas the shield described in Homer’s poem depicts both
images of war and domestic peace – ‘in one of (the towns) weddings and
1
How does Virgil use ekphrasis (description of a work of art) in the Aeneid?
The technique of ekphrasis is used throughout literature for a variety of
reasons, such as delaying actions or evoking emotions within the reader.
It is often used particularly by epic writers, allowing for a break from the
extensive narrative surrounding these seemingly inappropriate bouts of
description. This mode of description however can be greatly useful,
specifically that describing the Shield of Aeneas detailed in Book 8 of
Virgil’s epic, with its importance made clear in that it takes up 114 lines of
narrative, a considerable amount when reflecting that this poem, in
contrast to both Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, each of which have 24 books,
only has 12. Here, ekphrasis is used in an abundance of ways and for
many different purposes: firstly, to prove the writer’s inspiration from
other Classical texts; also to act as a political statement, creating links
with Augustus; and to simply be read as an artistic visualisation.
According to Fowler, ‘ekphrasis represents a pause at the level of
narration and cannot be read functionally, (so) the reader is possessed by
a strong need to interpret’ (Fowler, Narrate and Describe: The Problems of
Ekphrasis). This reading acts in concordance with the view that
description fundamentally battles with narrative in Western tradition, thus
causing ekphrasis, defined as ‘a literary description of or commentary on
a visual work of art’ (Merriam-Webster), to seem out of place and simply a
barrier to the continuance of plot. However, it does serve a purpose both
generally and within the Aeneid. Ekphrasis, differing from visual art in that
the word choice must be carefully constructed, with authors needing to
choose specific vocabulary or synonyms in order to fully create an image
of the artwork they are describing, intends to ‘rouse emotions through
lively, precise, and detailed verbal descriptions’ (Rippl, Ekphrasis). As
such, despite appearing misplaced within action-based works such as the
Aeneid, these excurses are vital in making the experience of reading
literature multi-sensory and immersive. Thereby, the main purposes of
ekphrasis as a whole seem to be evoking emotion, consequently inciting a
reaction from the reader which will impact their responses to the later
scenes, and to simultaneously freeze a moment in the narrative, whether
this is to create an artistic mental image or to delay an event’s
occurrence. Still, within the Aeneid, ekphrasis is used more precisely,
firstly to recall other similar scenes within Classical literature.
The first scene which Virgil seems to call upon in Book 8 is that
describing the Shield of Achilles (Il. 18.469). It is clear to see numerous
similarities between this shield and that of Aeneas in Virgil’s epic: both
weapons are gifts from each protagonist’s mother, Venus and Thetis
respectively (Aen. 8.385, Il. 18.429); both are made by Vulcan or
Hephaestus, the mythological craftsman god (Aen. 8.455, Il. 18.468); both
ekphrases occur at a turning point in the war, with Aeneas deciding to
attempt an alliance with Evander (Aen.8.470), and Achilles choosing to
return to battle (Il. 18.333). Nevertheless, it is the differences which allow
us to determine for what purpose the ekphrasis of Achilles’ shield is being
invoked here. Whereas the shield described in Homer’s poem depicts both
images of war and domestic peace – ‘in one of (the towns) weddings and
1
