Vergil’s Georgics, Books I and II

<p>Here we begin our two part digression into the <em>Georgics</em> of Vergil. We consider the meaning of the implicit contrast Vergil draws between the solitary life of the farmer and the hectic life of the citizen in Rome. We ask ourselves, “Who is the audience for this poem?” Is Vergil attempting to teach farmers anything? Or is he only attempting to remind Roman soldiers, politicians, and social climbers of things about Nature they may have forgotten? What is the relationship between this poem and the Roman schools of Epicureanism and Stoicism? Finally, we consider the differences between Vergil’s relationship to Nature and our own.</p>