Aeneid

The Aeneid by Publius Virgilius Maro, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, 417 pages

The Aeneid is, of course, the poetic epic of Rome, self-consciously created as a Latin counterpart to Homer and as a paean to the glories of Augustus.  Unfortunately, the reputation of Virgil's masterpiece has suffered as a result of these origins, leading to it being considered by some as an inferior imitation and the flattering work of a court toady.  

It may be these things, yet it is a remarkable artistic creation as well.  The character of Dido outshines Calypso, Circe, Nausicaa, and even Penelope.  The survivors' account of the fall of Troy evokes horror as nothing in Homer does.  Most remarkably, the diabolical pride of Turnus, who is driven to fight Aeneas even when he knows he is clearly outmatched, who would rather die in battle than be second to anyone, becomes unexpectedly poignant when viewed in the light of the civil wars that convulsed Rome in the half century before Augustus.