This is a retelling in novel form of the Latin epic poem "Aeneid" by Virgil. My theme is war and a particular man-a man driven by destiny to abandon Troy and sail to western Italy to fulfill his fate of founding the people who would build Rome. Fulfilling his destiny was not easy. Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the king of gods and men, opposed him, as did many warriors. They did not want him to bring his household gods-the Penates-to Latium on the western coast of Italy, to found the city of Lavinium, and to marry Lavinia and become the ancestor of the Romans.

Virgil's Aeneid invites its reader to identify with the Roman nation whose origins and destiny it celebrates. But, as J. D. Reed argues in Virgil's Gaze, the great Roman epic satisfies this identification only indirectly--if at all. In retelling the story of Aeneas' foundational journey from Troy to Italy, Virgil defines Roman national identity only provisionally, through oppositions to other ethnic identities--especially Trojan, Carthaginian, Italian, and Greek--oppositions that shift with the shifting perspective of the narrative. Roman identity emerges as multivalent and constantly changing rather than unitary and stable. The Roman self that the poem gives us is capacious--adaptable to a universal nationality, potentially an imperial force--but empty at its heart. However, the incongruities that produce this emptiness are also what make the Aeneid endlessly readable, since they forestall a single perspective and a single notion of the Roman. Focusing on questions of narratology, intertextuality, and ideology, Virgil's Gaze offers new readings of such major episodes as the fall of Troy, the pageant of heroes in the underworld, the death of Turnus, and the disconcertingly sensual descriptions of the slain Euryalus, Pallas, and Camilla. While advancing a highly original argument, Reed's wide-ranging study also serves as an ideal introduction to the poetics and principal themes of the Aeneid.

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In this classic study, Brooks Otis presents Virgil as a radically different poet from any of his Greek or Roman predecessors. Virgil molded the ancient epic tradition to his own Roman contemporary aims and succeeded in making mythical and legendary figures meaningful to a sophisticated, unmythical age. Otis begins and ends his study with the Aeneid and includes chapters on the Bucolics and the Georgics. A new foreword by Ward W. Briggs, Jr., places Otis’s groundbreaking achievement in the context of past and present Virgilian scholarship.

"Dante's Divine Comedy: A Retelling in Prose" by David Bruce offers a modern interpretation of Dante Alighieri's epic poem, presenting the timeless journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise in a clear and accessible prose format. Bruce's retelling preserves the essence and depth of Dante's original work while making it more approachable for contemporary readers. Through vivid descriptions and engaging narrative, readers are guided through Dante's intricate exploration of sin, redemption, and the human condition. As Dante navigates the depths of Hell, climbs the slopes of Purgatory, and ascends through the spheres of Paradise, Bruce skillfully captures the philosophical and theological themes of the Divine Comedy, inviting readers to contemplate their own spiritual journey and the nature of salvation.

This is a retelling of Homer's great epic poem about the Trojan War, "The Iliad," in novel form.

This is a retelling of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in modern English. If people read this version first, they will understand Shakespeare's original version much better.

This is an easy-to-read retelling of William Shakespeare's tragedy "Julius Caesar," which could have been titled "The Tragedy of Marcus Junius Brutus."

This is an easy-to-read version of William Shakespeare's tragedy "Coriolanus." People who read this retelling first will find Shakespeare's play easier to read and understand.

A thrilling tale of danger, friendship and loyalty from Roman Mysteries bestseller Caroline Lawrence, set against the backdrop of the ancient world. Gorgeous and evocative, this captivating new teen novel imagines the life of a heroine of early Rome. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Few have ever seen her, but all of Laurentum knows the story of Camilla - tied to a spear and thrown across a river by her father as he fled for his life. The Goddess Diana saved the baby, and now it is Camilla's turn to save Laurentum as the Trojans march on the town. But Camilla is a wild girl from the forest, not the Amazon they imagine, and so Acca must step in to help her new friend adjust to the great destiny before her. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+