The Aeneid

By: Virgil, Robert Fagles - translator, Bernard Knox - introduction, Robert Fagles

Narrated by: Simon Callow

From the award-winning translator of The Iliad and The Odyssey comes a brilliant new translation of Virgil's great epic

Fleeing the ashes of Troy, Aeneas, Achilles’ mighty foe in the Iliad, begins an incredible journey to fulfill his destiny as the founder of Rome. His voyage will take him through stormy seas, entangle him in a tragic love affair, and lure him into the world of the dead itself--all the way tormented by the vengeful Juno, Queen of the Gods. Ultimately, he reaches the promised land of Italy where, after bloody battles and with high hopes, he founds what will become the Roman empire. An unsparing portrait of a man caught between love, duty, and fate, the Aeneid redefines passion, nobility, and courage for our times. Robert Fagles, whose acclaimed translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were welcomed as major publishing events, brings the Aeneid to a new generation of readers, retaining all of the gravitas and humanity of the original Latin as well as its powerful blend of poetry and myth. Featuring an illuminating introduction to Virgil’s world by esteemed scholar Bernard Knox, this volume lends a vibrant new voice to one of the seminal literary achievements of the ancient world. Translation ©2006 Robert Fagles
(P)2006 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Fitzgerald's is so decisively the best modern Aeneid that it is unthinkable that anyone will want to use any other version for a long time to come." —New York Review of Books

"From the beginning to the end of this English poem ... the reader will find the same sure control of English rhythms, the same deft phrasing, and an energy which urges the eye onward." —The New Republic

"A rendering that is both marvelously readable and scrupulously faithful.... Fitzgerald has managed, by a sensitive use of faintly archaic vocabulary and a keen ear for sound and rhythm, to suggest the solemnity and the movement of Virgil's poetry as no previous translator has done (including Dryden).... This is a sustained achievement of beauty and power." —Boston Globe

Book great, voice actor terrible

Such an amazing novel, that I will have to reread on Kindle for the pleasure of it.

However, this was the worst reading of an audible book I have ever heard. I'm concerned that Simon Callow believes that all women are screeching birds. He certainly voices them as such. I would consider C3P0 or jar jar Binks as a voice actor before ever listening to Callows cracking voice again. Honestly, no self respecting high School drama teacher would ever allow such overacting. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Great reading, BAD audio engineering

Story: Classic. If you ignore the underlying Roman Propoganda, a good facsimile of a greek epic.
Reading/Editing: Good with one exception...
Reader drops to barely audible whispers frequently at the end of most sentences!
VERY annoying. 3 out of 4 sentences end in whispers!
I found myself turning the volume UP then down then UP then down then UP then down.
Stop whispering!
Sooooo annoying.
The voice actor has a great voice. Would have given this 5 stars otherwise, but the audio volume fluctuance ruined my experience.

Good Rendition

Entertaining enough. If you don't like historical poetry, then this isn't for you. If you do... Enjoy away!

great story, bad reading/performance

Hard to understand a lot of what is said because the reader constantly trails off on sentences.

Good, but the audio cannot be sped up.

This audio book is great, but when sped up the line endings are slurred. The narrator always speeds up the ending of the lines or during intense dialogue and dramatic moments. This makes for a natural flow of the performance, but puts the listener at a disadvantage when speeding up the recording. I recommend it, but not if you need to power through the book. When heard at a normal speed, it's good.

Apart from that, the Aeneid is the great epic of the Romans! It rivals Homer! Virgil's take on epic poetry is more fluid, taking dramatic turns more satisfying and succinct than Homer, but for me does not stand above the Illiad. Homer's works are far more dense in meaning and reflective of human nature, virtue and the soul. But listen and discover for youself!