Exsequiis at Virgil Aeneid 7.5 and the Epitaph of Caieta (7.1-4)

Abstract

This paper argues that, contrary to what has recently been proposed, exsequiis is at home in Aeneid 7.5 as an elegiac and Gallan term which footnotes the elegiac ethos and Gallan language of Caieta’s preceding epitaph (1-4). The paper also suggests that, in addition to its other recognised liminal aspects, the Gallan epitaph may show Virgil reflecting on his move from the Gallus-sponsored Eclogues via the Georgics to the Aeneid, sponsored by Augustus, and thus pay a discreet tribute to his former patron.

Keywords

• Virgil
• Aeneid
• Caieta
• ex(s)equiae
• Cornelius Gallus