This is a two part book - A Translation and an Abridgement of Vergil's Aeneid Book I.



The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas, a survivor of the sack of Troy. Mandated by the gods to find the land of Italy, he struggles to achieve his destiny. In the first book of this epic tale, a storm sent by cruel Juno drives Aeneas to Carthage. Death is everywhere, and uncertainty plagues his every footstep. Is his mission doomed to failure? Are the gods really on his side, or is he fighting a losing battle against conspiring fates?



To a lay reader, the first book of the Aeneid may not have any significance: just a lot of dialogue and crying. This abridgement has been crafted so that Book One can stand alone as a story of its own. Colorful characterization and hyperbole flavors the original story and infuses it with energy. Petty, immature gods become the puppeteers behind the tale of men. It is a frustrating and exasperating situation for the far more sensible mortals, who find that every decision they make come with every string attached.