Before Virgil: The Lost Roman Epics

When we think of classical Latin epics, one work towers above the rest: Virgil’s Aeneid. Written at the dawn of the Roman Empire, this epic tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who survives the fall of Troy, journeys across the Mediterranean, and lays the foundations for the rise of Rome.

But the Aeneid is more than just myth — it’s a poem about destiny, politics, prophecy, and Rome’s place in the world. In this video, we explore not only Virgil’s masterpiece, but also the long tradition of Roman poetry that came before him: from Livius Andronicus and Naevius, to Ennius and other voices whose works survive only in fragments.

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