In Aeneas, Virgil created the most powerful figure in Latin literature, the dutiful yet fallible Trojan prince who overcomes war, suffering and countless setbacks to lay the foundations of the Roman race. Like many of his generation, John Dryden (1631-1700) believed the great classical epics could provide moral models to 'form the Mind to Heroick Virtue by Example'. For his version of the Aeneid, he formed a style vigorous yet refined and drew on the deep understanding of political unrest he had acquired during the Civil Wars of 1642-51 and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This Penguin English Poets edition includes maps, a substantial glossary and enough background to help readers overcome any unfamiliarity with style or substance, thus making freshly accessible a work of enduring worth.